In my thinking thoughts, I pondered the recent episode whereby the Liberian Senate cast a “Vote of no confidence” against the embattled Education Minister George Werner.
While there is no doubt about the Senate’s purview to take such a step, the question which has lingered in circles is “For what did George receive the no confidence vote?
Was it for denigrating the Liberian education sector via his farfetched utterances, or for being a wet blanket as FrontpageAfrica newspaper re-branded him a fortnight ago?
Vote of no confidence
For the sake of the layman, a “Vote of No Confidence” is a formal vote by which the members of a legislature or similar deliberative body indicate that they no longer support a leader, government, etc. The person is forced to resign or get fired by the leader of the country or if a corporation, the Board of Directors.
Recently, Sen. Geraldine Doe Sheriff analyzed comments from George Werner which insinuated education was not a “given” for the children of Liberia to improve. Senator Sheriff complained to the Senate that George Werner’s post on Facebook social medium was farfetched and as the lieutenant responsible to manage the already ailing education sector, he had denigrated it and was summoned to show cause why he should not be held with contempt.
According to witnesses at the proceedings, the Minister remained adamant, recalcitrant, and stood by his post; he refused to apologize. Consequently, a “Vote of No Confidence” was cast to remove him from his post.
List of Denigrators
To denigrate means for your action or utterance to take value away from; make small, belittle, or defame. According to Sen. Sheriff, to insinuate education is not compulsory or “da education we will eat” or ”knowing book is not important” takes away value from the learning of our children.
Actually, the issue of education and denigration recently emerged in Liberia as an attempt to protect Senator Oppong Weah from ridicule. In their bid, some supporters of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) have propounded that “knowing book is not important for good leadership”. This assertion is usually made each time oppositions question the acumen, credentials and intellectual ability of the CDC presidential candidate.
Now, with the challenges faced education, it leaves one befuddled as to whether these Oppong supporters really believe in this “knowing book is not important” thesis they are propounding or they are playing bind eyes and ignorant minds simply to be favored by their presidential candidate to land positions they are eyeing, per se Oppong wins.
What is more troubling is the caliber of people who have subscribed to the “knowing book is not important” thesis and have lined up behind Senator Oppong Weah.
If it is justified that George Werner is found to be a denigrator and received a vote of no confidence from the senate, then I submit there are other people on the list who directly or indirectly have made utterances similar to George’s and are equally eligible to be summoned.
Sen. Jewel Howard Taylor once said during a campaign for the Oppong candidacy, “Book people have spoiled this country” In the layman’s view, she was saying, “Voters should not listen to people who say Oppong is a footballer and does not know book so he cannot be president because educated people who have led this country including Harvard trained Ellen Johnson Sirleaf have failed.
Jewel was however not clear. Did she mean the stinking rampant corruption which Madam President admitted she was unable to quell over her 12 years of reign?
Did she mean the gross lack of morals and profound ineptitude amongst people who “know book” and are supposed to stand as role models in society? So far, Jewel Taylor stands accused or indicted because of the ambiguity in her assertion and should be declared a denigrator as well.
Professor Wilson Tarpeh in one of his advocacies to see his kinsman Oppong inaugurated President come 2018 insinuated, alluded to the thesis that “Knowing book is not important for leadership” The learned professor averred that anybody can be a good leader regardless of education, even in this post war complex, economically staggering, politically charged and educationally deficient Liberia.
In addition, while George Werner, Jewel and Wilson are outright in spewing the anti-education advocacy, there are others who are subtle about the advocacy. Dr. Togar McIntosh Gayewea who, because of his education has served at very high profile positions and the ousted Speaker Alex Tyler are also lined up behind the “knowing book not important” campaign advocacy.
Dry Blanket and Wet Blanket
Recently, FrontPageAfrica (FPA) newspaper re-branded Education Minister George Werner a “wet blanket” For the sake of clarity, a blanket is supposed to be soft, soothing and supposed to give people comfort because of the special material it is made of.
For example, it is normal somebody would say, “It is so cold that when I get home, I am going straight under my blanket” A warm dry blanket on the one hand, gives shelter and protects one from harsh conditions.
On the other hand a wet blanket doesn’t really hold much comfort because it is cold and heavy. When it gets wet, it becomes immediately uncomfortable for people. A wet pepe blanket is even worse when gets soaked with human urine and stinks.
Wet Pepe Blanket (Chicken can’t pepe, da dog can pepe)
Back in the day when we were teen agers (13- 17 years old) there was a common practice for children to be called “pepe pap” The pepe pap in our family was not me, but one of my brothers who constantly urinated (pepe) in bed.
Westerners knew “bed wetting “as a medical problem but, our ignorant African mother saw it as stubbornness. Out of frustration our mother would cry out, “So Junior you will not wake up in the night to pepe but do it right in the blanket so that I can wash clothes every day?
You think I can buy soap with rock? I will make you out of “soe ne dohn today” Soe ne dohn means, “Dog can’t pepe” in Bassa. Hence, the punishment for bet wetting was beating and humiliation.
In addition to labeling the poor child “Pepe Pap” and having his friends mock him; ignorant mama would place the wet pepe blanket around Junior’s body and parade him around the neighborhood. As he passed by, people would beat him and pour cold water on him. In addition to the beating, Junior was made to sing a Bassa song,
“So ne dohn, gbay mon dohn yon” (In English, chicken can’t pepe, da dog can pepe) Junior’s friends knocked empty cans behind him to create cadence at which he was supposed to march and the rhythm at which he sang “soe ne dohn gbay mon dohn yon” The neighbors would lash him harder if he dare refused to answer as he wept in pain and under the wet pepe blanket.
Fellow Liberians, note that while all this is unfolding and the child is being humiliated, his father, Papa, is not supposed to say anything. He remains quiet because it is mama who buys the soap and washes the clothes so she has all the power.
The Metaphor
In this metaphoric display, FPA has already assigned Education Minister George Werner the role of the wet pepe blanket. The Education Sector is the Pepe Pap or the poor child who is the bed wetter; The Government of Liberia (GoL) is the ignorant Mama since she is the one who placed, George Werner the wet pepe blanket over “education” and is being humiliated people, some of whom are also pepe paps.
Because of her ignorance, mama does not know that the problem with Pepe Pap is not stubbornness but rather a medical one that requires a professional doctor. In her folly, mama wraps the wet pepe blanket Werner around education and exposes it to public ridicule.
The Senate in this metaphor is Papa who is supposed to sit on the fence and remain quiet. Unfortunately, Papa’s patience has run out and instead of being quiet, he has decide to act very harshly.
Now as papa sits on the porch about to start the day, he hears the sound of the empty cans. He looks down the road and sees his dear beloved son, junior, with a stink wet pepe blanket over his body and being followed by a bunch of ignorant residents humiliating his son Education, “Kluck kluck kluck, kluck…. soe ne dohn, gbay mo dohn yon; …chicken can’t pepe, da dog can pepe” as they sang and mocked him.
Instead of keeping quiet as usual, Papa, the Senate led by Senator Geraldine Doe rises up to once and for all put a stop to this whole doggone fiasco about pepe pap education, messy education, and “knowing book is not important” In his frustration and disgust Papa scatters the mockers and demands that mama removes the “Stink wet blanket from over Junior (Education); Papa also plans to summon Jewel Howard Taylor, Dr. Togar McIntosh and Wilson Tarpeh too who are part of the gang humiliating his son, Education. Bravo papa!
Benediction
After all said and done, the questions that remain lingered are, “For what was George Werner declared the vote of no confidence? Is it because he is an intransigent denigrator? Was it because he is a regular wet blanket or a wet stink pepe blanket wrongly placed over the Education Sector? Whatever the case, in these transition times, I submit the action is belated; however, better late than never.
While we ponder the answers to the lingered questions, don’t you hear the song “Chicken can’t pepe da dog can pepe” that is being sung behind the education sector? I do!! Listen…
Chicken can’t pepe, da dog can pepe,
Klank, klank, kluck , kluck…
Pepe Pap, Soe ne dohn, gbay mo dohn yon…
Klank, klank, kluck , kluck…
Pepe Pap, Chicken can’t pepe, da dog can pepe
Klank, klank, kluck , kluck…
Pepe pap, Soe ne dohn, gbay mo dohn yon;
Klank, klank, kluck , kluck… Klank, klank, kluck , kluck… Klank, klank, kluck , kluck… Klank,
I am simply thinking thought.
About Author
The Rivercess man, Moses Blonkanjay Jackson is a social advocate trained at Harvard, Yale, UPENN and St, Joseph’s Universities in Education, Mathematics and Physics. The Rivercess scholar served Liberia for four years as Consultant and Assistant Minister and returned to private practice as consultant and researcher. Contact: 0886 681 315 / 0770 206 645, [email protected]