MONROVIA – The Secretary-General of the Council of Patriots, a political pressure group, Mulbah Yorgbor, has said only Alexander Cummings’ Alternative National Congress (ANC) can salvage Liberia from the current economic meltdown and as such he should be given the chance to lead the country in the 2023 presidential elections.
Yorgbor said he has always viewed the ANC as an institution founded on the principles of providing genuine democratic and practical transformational leadership and accountability.
The COP Secretary General made the remarks Tuesday when he announced his membership with the party in Monrovia while petitioning Cummings as standard bearer of the opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP).
He said his intention to join the party is based on its well layout economic recovery strategy that values and amplifies the views of all on the national scene.
“An institution that is very concerned about the young people of this country. In fact, an institution that clasps firmly the belief that this country will move no inch further if the young people are not empowered and properly guided,” he said.
“That institution is none other but the Alternative National Congress – the ANC. I therefore unreservedly declare my membership with the ANC from this day forward and will do everything within my human power to ensure that the ANC becomes that beacon of hope, that glimpse of redemption and that bearer of good tidings for the people of Liberia.”
This, Yorgbor said, was one of the enough reasons, while he thinks Cummings joined ranks with other loyalists in forming an opposition collaboration.
Describing Cummings as “a go-getter”, Yorgbor said Cummings is equally pragmatic, leadership result-oriented and accountable.
He recounted how Cummings navigated his way to the height of corporate governance in a society that has zero tolerance for public and private corruption, unscathed, which accordingly placed him on the stance of becoming a better leader.
“He epitomizes and embodies the ideal family values that are sadly in short supply at the nation’s highest office. He has been entrusted with huge responsibilities and has exceptionally delivered,” Yorgbor said.
Yorgbor expressed disenchantment over what he terms as “deepening woe in Liberia” where major health public facilities are complaining of lack of drugs; schools without quality, homes without reliable water and electricity supply ; deplorable road conditions; trust in the banking sector is at an all time low, with mysterious deaths on the rise.
He claims the presidency of George Mannah Weah is interested with politically captivating, substandard and cosmetic projects, which he said have little to zero substantive long-term impact on the livelihood of the people.
“About four years ago, I was terminated from government while recruitment and deployment of individuals with the right set of skills and talents to effectively deliver,” he said.
“For them, government is about assembling party zealots to do the bidding of a demigod. For them, governance is about loyalty to party over the welfare of the state. This nation has bled for too long. Our history is replete with accounts of large-scale theft and neglect of the suffering masses.”
This, according to him, has been clearly demonstrated by President Weah and his officials whom according to him, haven’t hesitated at to amass wealth at the expense of the impoverished masses since they took power in 2018.
Yougbor thinks is was time that a leadership that will suit the taste of Liberian comes to being, naming Cummings as a priority.
This leadership, according to him, must be able to account for the stewardship of the country, facilitates, and through sound public policies, accelerates a vibrant private sector growth that provides job opportunities for citizens.
Rather, he said, citizens, under the current leadership, are “continuously deprived of their dignity as humans and have been made ordinary beggars in their own country.”
“This is gut-wrenching. No patriotic Liberian should, in their sound mind sit on the sidelines while this travesty continues unabated. We have to change the narrative. We have to restore decency to national leadership. We need proven practical steps to rebuild this country from the bottom up,” he said.
For this reason, the COP Secretary General said, it was now time that Liberians employ a business approach to public governance.
He said businesses are operated to provide the best in class-customer service experience and satisfaction and that Liberians as customers, should be satisfied and receive the best services possible.
This, he said, can be achievable with a leader like Cummings, who will ensure that happens.
He said: “I have no doubt that he will be a robust and practical transformational leader. “In the coming months leading to the CPP primaries, I will join ranks with all members of the ANC to make the case for a Cummings presidency because clearly, we are putting an end to the error of 2017.”
Meanwhile, Yorgbor sees it befitting, for a unified CPP to deal the blow and give the best shot at redeeming Liberians.
Responding to the decision, Cummings welcomed Yorgbor to the party, but reminded him that achieving such an ambition can only be done through hard work.
“We like to say Mr. Yorgbor, we wholeheartedly welcome you to the ANC where everybody is somebody, where we put Liberia first,” Cummings said.
However, he believes a collaborative effort with such a political name in Liberia can lead to gains by the ANC in winning the CPP nomination and onward, the presidency.
Cummings also believes Yorgbor is prepared for such endeavor and that with hard work, in winning the nation’s highest seat by his team, Liberians will be able to feel the impact of government.
“We need to do the work, it will not happen because you say so, but when we work again and again, and I know you are prepared to join us.”