The Editor,

Liberians are yet again left scratching their heads as their former President garners another international award.

This time, The Mo Ibrahim Foundation has rewarded former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf with $5 million dollars for what it terms – her “transformative leadership” of a country “devastated and broken by 14 years of civil war.” One is hard-pressed to decipher just how “transformative” was Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s leadership over Liberia for the last twelve years. 

As this piece is penned, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf handed over a literally broken country to President George M. Weah. After twelve long years and billions misappropriated and siphoned away in what has become the most corrupt and incompetent government in the annals of contemporary history – yet another prize is bestowed. 

One can only wonder who constitutes Mr. Ibrahim selection panel.

Are there any Liberians included? How did the panel reach its conclusion? Why weren’t Liberians – who are the supposed beneficiaries of this so-called “transformative leadership”, sampled to reinforce the panel’s decision? For us – the majority of Liberians, Ellen Johnson will be remembered as the most corrupt, incompetent, nepotistic, divisive leader to ever ascend to the Liberian presidency! 

Apart from the millions spent annually to whitewash her image around the globe, how else could one explain this award?

Well, Mo Ibrahim Foundation is not alone in this incessant bestowing of undeserved awards! Many Liberians still cannot fathom – up till this day – just how an individual that ignited a war that snuffed out the lives of over 250,000 of their compatriots won a Nobel Peace Prize!

Neither can we decipher Madam Sirleaf’s winning of the Hunger Prize despite Liberia precarious food insecurity due to the nonexistence of any significant farming activities in the country! 

Where was Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s panel when a couple of weeks ago – the true leadership of Madam Sirleaf was unearthed – when she was humiliated and expelled from her own political party for engendering strife and acts unbecoming of a leader? It seems, no matter what transpires, some in the international community are hell-bent on ensuring their story-line rides into the sunset! 

To Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s panel I would say you have staked the very integrity of your esteemed award on a fallen angel – for as Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf leaves office, in Liberia – there is scant electricity, unavailability of portable water, high level of insecurity, rampant corruption, unparalleled nepotism, she even publicly declared our education system a mess, a near nonexistent healthcare system, a near totally ruined national infrastructure, major capital flight due to brazen and systemic theft, a divided and broken nation – Liberians are left to wonder what real “transformative leadership” was exhibited by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to secure this award.

Benjamin Kofa Fyneah,
bfyneah@hotmail.com

The Editor, 

The Central Bank of Liberia press release in relation to the New Dawn’s recently published story of three of the bank’s officials receiving $300,000 each as car loans leave much to be desired.

To be honest, I am of the opinion that the CBL is not been forthcoming with the Liberian people.

The press release was devoid of any real substance and seems to be a clear attempt to obscure and literally throw dust into the air and hope that the issue goes away. 

Central Bank of Liberia has in place a car loan scheme/policy

In its rebuttal, the CBL acknowledged that it has a “car loan scheme/policy” for its senior staff to purchase their OWN cars with repayment over a maximum five-year period”.

But there were no specifics in terms of the loan amount offered, the prerequisites for qualification and the penalties for default.

This begs the question if this is a LOAN or a systemic scheme to aid and abet misapplication of public funds – basically a fraudulent operation at the bank in plain view. 

Who qualifies?

On the surface, it seems simply being a “senior staff” at the Central Bank of Liberia is the sole qualification one needs to access this loan. I am perplexed as to why didn’t the bank mention the amount in its rebuttal?

Is the bank afraid of the public backlash?

It boggles the mind that the bank would not consider “creditworthiness – the ability to repay” in the time specified – of the lenders.

It is common knowledge that in Liberia, there are no established credit rating authorities and most banks offer loans to the public based on the availability of collateral from the lender – therefore it is safe to conclude that the LOAN in question is no petty cash! 

Is there really a policy? 

Why didn’t the bank release its full loan policy to the public for scrutiny? 

For us to know the penalties for default? What is the status of this loan fund – is it solvent or in the red? How many officials of the CBL access this loan facility? How many have defaulted and what penalties were imposed? 

CBL challenges? 

The CBL release stated: “The Central Bank of Liberia challenges the New Dawn Newspaper to produce evidence to support its wild and fictitious claim”. 

This sound like the anticipated euphemism for secrecy owing to a fear of the public’s rebuke once the loan amount and conditions for acquisition are revealed.

We challenge CBL Executive Governor Milton A. Weeks to make a full public disclosure of this loan scheme to the public.

This apparent sordid episode has the potential to cast doubts and aspersions on the very integrity of the CBL as an institution. 

Benjamin Kofa Fyneah,
bfyneah@hotmail.com 

The Editor,

The latest non-issue cacophony to hit the Liberian political landscape is the ado over the CDC campaign slogan – “Change for Hope”.

Anyone with half a brain can decipher the meaning of such a simple but very effective catchphrase, but protagonists of the CDC are hell bent on ridiculing the message and ultimately hope to cast enough aspersions on it to reduce its significance.

When a clueless, corrupt and incompetent group of people – as in the Unity Party – is confronted and simultaneously confounded by the truth they instinctively resort to literally muddying the waters – mainly obfuscation meant to sway public opinion!

Intentional misrepresentation

The CDC critics sadly have intentionally wrongly attributed the word change – a word meant to denote a socio-political and economic transformation – to monetary denomination i.e. coins.

This pseudo “Change for Hope” confusion is being disgracefully peddled on the one hand by political enemies of the CDC – some of whom are invested in maintaining the “status quo” – and on the other hand by those who hope to use this gimmick to stir up enough distractions to derail the CDC’s current political momentum.

Change for Hope examined

From the slogan it is apparent that the CDC goal is to bring about the needed political, social and economic changes that Liberia and Liberians need.

Since the country’s inception, the hopes of Liberians have been constantly dashed by consecutively failed governments who have promised a lot but delivered very little.

The CDC also intends to revive the hopes of Liberians – to give them tangible reasons to be both hopeful and expectant that this time their government will be in their interest and do everything possible to address the myriads of problems they are faced with.

The CDC represents and seeks change. A change that will indeed make Liberians hopeful again!

Muyan, Muyan

Benjamin Kofa Fyneah, Contributing Writer
bfyneah@hotmail.com 

The Editor,

Once again, the classic Liberian hypocrisy is in full fervor. The news and pictures of Mr. Alex Cummings being carried by apparent supporters somewhere in the Liberian hinterland are being posted all over as if he has sinned!

Readers should be mindful that the uproar regarding Mr. Cummings Hammock ride comes amid an ongoing attempt to exclude him and others from participating in the upcoming national elections under the guise of enforcing a “code of conduct” that has be adjudicated by a heavily influenced supreme Court.

Yep, quasi-nationalists and boisterous nativists are vociferous in their collective condemnation of Mr. Cummings.

No one has taken into consideration the context and or what instigated the hammock ride – no one! Incredible, ridiculous and ludicrous assumptions are commonplace.

Some are posturing as if Mr. Cummings showed up in a village with pomp and pageantry and demanded to be carried in a hammock by lowly and hapless peasants!

In one fell swoop, the ghost of Tubman has been resurrected! Fringe critics are dredging up the TWP’s quasi-apartheid rule and linking Mr. Cummings to their evils.

To them, this hammock ride connotes symbolism that stirs up angsts and deep-rooted resentments of the so-called Americo-Liberian 133-year tyranny!

The anti-Cummings elements see this as the slip-up they craved. This is it – The cardinal sin that will torpedo his Presidential ambitions.

Frankly speaking, it is becoming very obvious that some in the political class and their supporters are simply afraid of Mr. Cummings and what he represents.

This is one candidate that is not tainted by the shenanigans and intricacies that thrive in the cesspool that is Liberian politics.

Undeniably, Mr. Cummings, through hard-work and dedication has risen to the zenith of the corporate world internationally.

Not satisfied regarding the plight of his fellow countrymen and women, he has taken up the cause to engender their socioeconomic and political emancipation.

By the tidal wave of feigned outrage and vain attempt to malign his character, it is evident that his political opponents are apprehensive!

We would suggest that the political opponents of Mr. Alex Cummings rather focus on the near total maladministration ongoing in Liberia – where we’ve spent hundreds of millions with no tangible results in sight!

The so-called hammock ride represents nothing! Absolutely nothing!

The spurious uproar can be dismissed as clear act of desperation by politically motivated individuals who are desperately throwing mud at Mr. Cummings and hoping that something sticks!

Benjamin Kofa Fyneah,
bfyneah@hotmail.com 

The Editor,

As Liberia march towards yet another national elections slated for October of 2017 the annunciations of “I want to be President” and “I want to be a lawmaker” are becoming more and more mundane.

Quite irritably, the frequency of these declarations has all but given the process a ridiculous tint -literally reducing it to a travesty!

Not a day goes by in which we do not hear of the Presidential and legislative aspiration of some individual.

We are inundated with announcements from those who have made their Presidential aspirations public, those who have formed “de facto” exploratory committees and those who have resigned with the expressed intent of not being “inactive” come 2017.

Virtually every major Liberian politician seems to be jockeying for the proverbial front runner position. Powerlessly watching these antics are the hapless Liberian voters!

In a telephone conversation I had with a friend and brother regarding the upcoming elections of 2017 and Liberian politics in general, he intimated that it is not the candidates on the Liberian political landscape who are the problem but rather the Liberian voters themselves!

I am enticed to partly agree with him – and on that basis I would ask just what do Liberian voters really want and what are their expectations of their elected leaders?

This inquest is not rooted in the notion that Liberian voters are unsophisticated – but I am at a loss as to why they vote the way they do? Why do they continuously vote against their own interests? 

Worldwide, it is expected (almost as a norm) that anyone running for an elected office gives his or her constituents an agenda and or platform – formulated mostly in collaboration with the people he or she intends to represent (mainly to address issues facing them).

Once elected, his or her successes or failures are graded on the basis of the degree of actualization of their agenda. This critical piece of politicking is missing in Liberia!

Our National Elections Commission has a statutory responsibility to sensitize voters regarding the voting process – a responsibility to which I believe they pay ONLY lip service! The recent pattern of voting in Liberia has given us more poverty, less development but huge salaries for incompetent and mostly absent elected officials.

A cursory look at our national legislature and other elected offices around the country will reveal a motley crew of characters in leadership positions – some of whom have no business being elected. One is tempted to ask yet again, just how did these people get elected and just who voted them into office?

Why is it that Liberian voters do not demand competence? 

Why is it that Liberian voters do not demand results? 

Why is it that Liberian voters do not initiate a process for recalling non-performing elected officials? 

Why is it that Liberian voters do not demand transparency and accountability? 

Some will be quick to chalk these shortcomings up the level of education of many of the voters – I respectfully disagree! I am of the opinion that nonexistent standard, very low and or no expectations, quasi-societal norms and the widespread acceptance of wrongdoings are major factors that cause us to tolerate and sometimes give excuses for incompetent elected officials.

Until the Liberian voters can start demanding that elected officials perform and duly hold them accountable, we will continue to get the mediocrity and nonperformance that we deserve – incompetence!

Benjamin Kofa Fyneah, bfyneah@hotmail.com

The Editor,

With less than a year left in her presidency that spanned almost twelve years, recent published news articles of the President and her accomplices in the national legislature’s high sense of urgency to secure 2.2 billion dollars loan purportedly for road construction projects is raising eyebrows.

Liberia needs roads – yes we do, but the rush to acquire eleventh-hour loans all in the name of staging political and token projects to win votes is counterproductive!

For almost twelve her government has been plagued with corruption, mismanagement, incompetence, nepotism and cronyism. Nothing of substance has been achieved during her presidency despite the billions in aid and other forms of international goodwill she received. Ellen’s “body of work” is obvious – monstrous incompetence! Under her leadership Liberians have witnessed unprecedented maladministration gilded with unbridled corruption and ineptitude!

It took this President almost twelve long years to restart the Mount Coffee hydro dam – despite the many cries from Liberians and the apparent need for electricity.

Currently, many critical amenities that make life worth living are either derelict or being operated with reckless abandon.

Where was this new found sense of urgency when the President herself referred to our education system as a “mess”?

Where this new found sense of urgency when under her leadership Liberia was achieved the highest infant mortality in the world? Madam President, during your political sojourn – you have tricked, cajoled and confound many.

It is high time you realize that you have ran out of tricks, because you can fool some people sometimes – but you can’t fool all of the people, all of the time !

We are convinced that this a hurried political ploy to sell the unsellable Joseph Boakai to the Liberian people – via token but woefully expensive projects – to simultaneously BUY votes while saddling future generations of Liberians with unimaginable debts !

Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a caterpillar by nature morphs into the lofty butterfly – but Liberia rejects, in totality, your last ditch attempt to transmogrify from the so-called Iron Lady into the two Billion Dollar woman!  

Benjamin Kofa Fyneah, Contributing Writer
bfyneah@hotmail.com

The Editor,

The collective leadership of Liberian opposition parties is either too dumb or plainly incompetent!

We have seen multiple reports of citizens complaining about the ongoing voters’ registration exercises being conducted by the NEC but we have not heard any official word from the opposition parties on the progress of the registration exercises so far?

Complaints range from registration personnel NOT showing up on time, faulty cameras, multiple registration, and voters trucking/planting to out-and out incompetence being exhibited by those charged with the responsibilities of ensuring an outcome acceptable to all is achieved in October!

With the millions given to the NEC – does the voter’s card we have seen justify the millions spent?

What are the security features associated with the voter’s card? Why didn’t we go biometric so that after elections this card could also serve as a means of identification and or proof of citizenship?

IF the officials of the NEC were not this dumb or plain stupid they could have developed this registration process using WML to ensure all registrations are almost immediately submitted to a central database via mobile technology – so her registration agents wouldn’t be carrying “copybook and pencil” around the country as we are witnessing – what is the integrity of any data written on copybook?

How involved were the various opposition parties in the rollout of this registration exercise? Don’t they consider this as part of their duties? Isn’t an acceptable/result outcome a part of their expectations?

It is easy to cry foul after an election has been allegedly stolen – but what mechanisms are the opposition parties putting in place to reduce the chances of fraud and or irregularities in October?

Liberia is such a MESS and to be honest, the so-called opposition parties are a contributing factor to the nonsense we are witnessing as a people.

Benjamin Kofa Fyneah, Contributing Writer
bfyneah@hotmail.com