Like the 166^th Independence Day orator Cllr. Varney Sherman, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan begins by recognizing the efforts of the forefathers of Liberia to “bravely” declare independence and the medical doctor points out the fact that Liberia was not colonized—a singular profile he thinks needs to be echoed as the nation celebrates 169 years of independence.

Our Forefathers

While Liberia endured a period somewhat referred to as the Colonial Period (1820-1839), Dr. Nyan is not incorrect, as “colonial” in the Liberian historical context is dissimilar to that of all other African counties—Nigeria, Angola and Guinea, for instance. However, since that singular profile of having no colonial master has actually turned out to be a curse rather than a blessing, Dr. Nyan emphasis and historical reference is nothing more than mediocre and does not warrant a boast. 

History tells us that among others it was particularly a diplomatic rift between the Commonwealth of Liberia and Great Britain that led to the Republic of Liberia today. Independence would not have been declared in 1847 had British vessels agreed to pay tariff to the Commonwealth of Liberia. It was an immature move to empower the would-be Liberian state to handle all aspects of affairs, not a decision made from meticulous pondering of laying all of the necessary foundation for nation-building.

It is no mere historical irony that the United States took 15 years to recognize Liberia though it was accordingly based on an advice of the American Colonization Society (ACS) that independence was declared. Dr. Nyan himself makes the point, paradoxically though, even clearer when he references the erasure of the “little democratic footprints” when the coup d’état toppled the government of President William R. Tolbert on April 14, 1980.

Our forefathers declared independence but from the clear, blue sky, insufficient to put the nation on a path of everlasting prosperity, despite conflict being in the nature of humankind. Today, prosperity is bleaker than it ever was back then. Not even 14 years of civil war and, before that, bevy of tribal and ethnic conflicts have been able to alter that.

Liberia Today, Tomorrow 

All previous Independence Day orators have been careful choosing their words in evaluating the current course of nation-building under the leadership of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Dr. Nyan does the same but not void of smartly executed biases or at least sympathy with the current administration. 

First, he begins with an array of questions on what we have achieved thus far and what we could do better. Then he works out a math to find the difference of years between 1989 and 1847 (142 years), seeking the sympathy from the nation to for the efforts of the current administration. “We inflicted [maximum] damage on ourselves in so short a time. So, how long do we think it will take us to rebuild a country and bring it back to its prewar status?” He asks rhetorically. Furthermore, he makes himself an optimist, seeing progress halfway achieved.

Here, Dr. Nyan paints a picture that because Liberia destroyed all it built in 142 and it would certainly take a good period of time or at least more than two six-year terms to achieve genuine progress. He sides, indirectly though, with the grand alibi of this administration that progress will come gradually,  amid the replication of the mistakes of the past—loss in the fight against corruption, failure to provide basic social services, unemployment, the failure to achieve genuine healing and reconciliation and many others.

His rebuke of a relapse to another round of civil war might have received the loudest cheers inside the Centennial Memorial Pavilion in Monrovia and in radio land nationwide; nevertheless, it is superfluous to rebuke the recurrence of a civil war that just cannot be today. 

The 1990 (1989) civil war and all of the subsequent fracases did not come about due to a mere fact that Charles Taylor and other warlords wanted power or wealth. The wind of the civil war had been blowing right at the formation of the nation, and the political and social variable s of the 1970s and 1980s only kindled the country, parched by the discontents of majority of Liberians one way or the other.      

Unlike 1989, the political and social setting of 2016 onwards makes it unspeakably impossible for another full-scale civil war. Liberia’s peace cannot be threatened by anyone. The Cold War that ended the administration of President Tolbert has ended, disputes within the Mano River Union that fueled war in the sub-region in the 1990s have been resolved, successful coup d’état now face adversaries in global technological advancement, and then people themselves are no more ignorant and amnesiac to the repercussions of a civil war.

Indeed, peace was what Liberians yearned while the guns were sounding but the peace they yearn for now is more than the momentary quietude of the sounds of gunshots. Liberia is not a tranquil solitude of contented hearts and reposed minds.  Yes, the orator creates welcoming metaphors to send his message of peace across but this makes no difference, except for mere rhetorical purpose. The point missed was how will the “syringes be the guns and solution be the bullets”.

Education

Dr. Nyan should be credited for his view on the Liberia education system. He does not agree that students are the key problem. He points out the systemic problems with which the sector is faced. His comment that “We must ensure that teachers teaching our children are themselves well-trained to be in the classroom” validates his understanding of the problem.  He is  a hundred percent correct that Liberians are smart people and can do even better than what some expatiates are being hugely paid to do here.

His opposition to an ongoing plan to render the education system to a public-private partnership epitomizes his sympathy with the system. Education is not only essential to nation-building because it empowers citizens to sustain their families, but also that it is an indispensible medium through which citizens can be taught nationalism, patriotism and responsibilities to country and humanity. His emphasis on technical and vocational education brings in marketability and empowerment, a message that has been lingering for generations yet still unheard.

Dr. Nyan’s recommendation of a functional education system can just not be more than a focus on teachers’ training, a strategy to attract Diaspora Liberians through good salaries, facilities and working condition. A dollar spent on teachers’ welfare and training will be like millions in measuring the benefit to the system.

However, the only point the orator misses here is that he mistakes 2016 figures for 2010 as the figure he quotes to be stats from UNESCO are the same with the United Nations Institute for Statistics for Liberia for this year. For instance, it has Liberia’s 54.47% for overall youthful literacy rate and 64.66% for male and 43.97 for female. The orator cites the approximations of 64.7% for male and 44% for female, with an overall youthful literacy rate of 54.5%, as being for 2010, not 2016. It is impossible that all of the figures would be the same, even with a difference of six years between 2010 and 2016.

The Liberian Identity

Perhaps, all of the previous Independence Day orators have spoken about this most important subject: IDENTITY. Dr. Elwood Dunn in 2012 spoke about the creation of a Liberian society of the humanities and recognition and preservation of Liberia’s “triple heritage” as a means of securing the country’s cultural identity. Dr. Sakui Malakpa in 2008 had spoken about a revisit of national symbols and the renaming of Monrovia, among other things as a means of discovering the true Liberian identity.

Here, Dr. Nyan scores his lowest grade by wrongly citing unity as a means of achieving national, cultural identity. He says: “If there is none we can really point out to, then we need to mobilize around the spirit of unity.” Countries unite based on cultural identities—heritage, history, language and arts. Liberia is certainly no exception. But the medical doctor says Liberia should first form an identity by uniting.

He puts the cart before the house. It is true that no country progresses with disunity but it is actually countries’ identities that unite them, not unity identifying countries. In the case with Liberia, we have not been able to hinge our unity on our cultural identities so we remain divided and will never make progress if such condition persists. We must celebrate the true Liberian way of live, know our history and reckon with our past, revere our true heroes, and then glory in the common people. This is the choice, not a choice.

Democracy and the Rule of Law

The argument Dr. Nyan make with multiparty democracy is reducible to a one between quality and quantity. He argues that a horde 20 political parties is healthy for the country’s democracy. This is an ensuing argument across political debates, intellectual forums and street talks and the orator brings it to the fore.

Number of political parties general in any country would mean no harm to that country’s democracy. It is not the specific case of Liberia that undermines aforementioned argument. The orator stresses that parties must be based on democratic values and ideal general concept of institutionalization. This is the point. Many political parties in Liberia are even less than three years old. Many other that contested the general and presidential elections of 2005 and 2011 are non-existent. Naming them would trivialize this candid, national discourse.

Even if we wouldn’t want to compare the political system of the populous nation of the United States of 323 million people to that of Liberia with 4.5 million, the parties queuing for the 2017 polls would by far lesser than 20 had they been formed on ideological lines, rather than personal interest.

That is the difference. It is impossibly difficult to have 20 political parties based on varying political ideologies but it is as easy as getting a mobile phone to register a party whose aims and objectives are to make an individual president or a president-maker. It is easy to have a horde of political parties merging on ideological lines than a merger of just two parties formed on personal, political interest. 

Dr. Nyan’s eschewing of election-oriented violence is laudable. Pre or post-elections violence can be equally devastating though different from a civil war as the one in 1990. As we have seen with the 2007-2008 post-elections violence of Kenya, Liberian must be aware of the ramifications of their actions in 2017 as they did in 2011 and 2005.

Having made his point on violence, the orator then endeavors to advise the opposition community against cynicism for criticism. “Your contribution to the transformation of this country requires opposition political parties to constructively critique the government…in a mature way, using facts and evidence (not innuendos),” he says. This statement is not diplomatic; it is not fair. It paints the picture that opposition political parties do not use facts and evidence and do not advance a way forward.

We cannot say what specific political parties have proffered what specific ways forward for Liberia, as this is no place for public relations.  There are many there have been.  Such statement is most likely to play to the propaganda of the current administration—the cliché of “lazy argument and all of that.  This probably unintentional bias takes away from the orator whose judgment is likened to an impartial judiciary.

Corruption

Though corruption is the chief vice eating up the fabric of Liberia, Dr. Nyan takes the least time on the matter. He is not in for fire play. He is hopeful like the general Liberian public that the ongoing case involving senior officials of the Government of Liberia and Sable Mining over US$958,000 turns a new page in the fight against corruption. He proposes “sincerity be our guns and honesty be our bullets” but falls short of suggesting how these uncommon virtues will first be cultivated in the Liberian society. His apparent fear to delve deep into this contentious subject matter robs him of the real opportunity to deliver anything more than a rhetorical device. 

Retuned Liberians

As he himself is a Liberian living in the Diaspora, Dr. Nyan praises the efforts of Liberians who have come back home from abroad because “It takes sacrifices leaving the luxury of Europe and America, Australia and other advanced countries to come to contribute to the rebuilding process of our country”. This statement is very problematic for practical reasons.

Frist, Diaspora Liberian should be encouraged to come home but not necessarily putting Liberia’s recovery to their mercy. Yes, patriots make sacrifices for their nations but these sacrifices are not just the primary decision to leave another country to return to their birthplaces. It is only the final result of their contribution to their countries that qualifies the sacrifices. In this Liberian instance, sacrifices cannot be returnees’ decision to come back home but what they do while finally home to a broken down country.

Second, the orator does not categorize these returnees as in the public or private sector. He has already called on the government to make the education sector attractive for Liberian professionals abroad to return, so it is safer to presume he largely means the public sector. Now, we cannot accept that “luxury” is an absolute terminology. It is relative, as well as transferrable. Luxury can be improvised and transferred. No one can contest that top position in government does not pay and no one can deny that there aren’t lots of other benefits attached to these positions—free cars and gasoline, for instance. Prestige and power plays a part here also.  This is not what an average Liberian or bulk of the Liberian people, who live under less than US$1.90 cent, enjoy. These returned Liberians form part of the privileged few. So, who is actually sacrificing?

And third, putting returned Liberians under the impression that returning home is a sacrifice is risky. Within the first three to four years of the first term of President Sirleaf, it became a cliché that top officials of government who had returned home to serve in the government to claim that they had come home to sacrifice. It backfired after some began being sacked after involvement in corruption scandals. If it were true that they came to sacrifice, why haven’t they gone back since the so-called sacrifices they came to make are not being appreciated? Is their quest to become president and lawmakers an extension of their selfless projects?

The Anti-Ebola Hero

As a medical doctor, Dr. Nyan is most vocal on the health system and advances a hodgepodge of recommendations that will set the sector on a path for lasting effectiveness and efficiency. Liberia’s health profile is dilemma, not just a problem. It has the most staggering doctor-to-patient ratio in the world of about 19,000 patients to a doctor. It has a damning maternal mortality rate of 993 deaths per a 100,000 births and an average expectancy of 54 years and it was only 2015 that a mental health policy was drafted, with the country literally a dungeon for the mentally ill.

During the heat of the Ebola crisis in 2014 and 2015, Dr. Nyan alongside other Liberians in the Diaspora rallied the support of the United States Congress, the Chinese government and other governments in ending the outbreak.  His work with the Ebola Natural History Study, that seeks to reveal of the mystery of Ebola as a means of sustaining the battle against the deadly disease, is patriotic. It needs not be overemphasized the humanitarianism of his advocacy of the presence of a disease control and prevention center in the West African sub-region as a sustainable move to curb possible future outbreaks of Ebola and other infectious diseases, as well as expediency of his call for the training of healthcare workers including at the postgraduate  level.

Also, his assertion of presenting Liberia a real proximity to the creation of a new corps of medical professionals is not just a dream, for he himself is an inventor of a test that detects microbes that cause diseases in 10 to 40 minutes. With such laboratory breakthrough, as many as nearly 5,000 people could not have died of Ebola here. The Government of Liberia should at cost bring in his to form an integral fight against infectious diseases because of its medical significance and primarily because of its Liberian identity.

Nevertheless, Dr. Nyan holds a patriotic duty to Liberia apart from being “prepared” to make available his microbial invention to his country and other parts of the sub-region. He is a member of the Progressives, radical politicians and prodemocracy activists who heralded the era of multiparty democracy in Liberia beginning from the late 1970s. The Progressives deny being part of any conspiracy or the coup d’état that killed President William R. Tolbert on April 12, 1980 though they had led a peaceful an unaccustomed protest that turned violent a year ago in 1979—the Rice Riot.

Dr. Nyan does not regret being a Progressive as do other members of the league of radical men and women, but does not speak of his role in the new Liberia he claims to have helped model. Apart from his willingness to make available his laboratory invention—under agreed commercial terms and conditions—he does not say anything firm. It could have been the best part of his oration had he announced that he would be getting a one-way ticket to Liberia to help develop a sector that Liberia’s recovery hugely depends on.

A scientist of his caliber would not only provide leadership for the health sector but also inspire a cultural change for many to pick up careers in the medical field, wherein the number of Liberian specialist doctors could increase. This would be a better choice of preventing hundreds of lives than the role he played in the 1970s as a prodemocracy activist, at the brink of the civil war that killed an estimated 300 thousand people.

Religious Tolerance and Gender Equity

Dr. Nyan’s decry of religious tension and embrace of religious tolerance is not contestable, as tolerance, diversity and democracy go together. Just that Liberians are amnesiac but we have had religious violence here where lives were lost and properties destroyed. First, it was the Christian-Muslim violence in 2004 and then the violence between the two religious groups of people in Lofa County in 2010 over the death of a woman. His call for a “one and only Republic of Liberia” cannot be said any better. The proposal for a Christian state is like playing with fire, and it is laudable that the orator points out that in his oration.

The same goes with the orator’s advocacy for the rights of women and girls. In the age of gender equity, it is obscure that women and girls are treated as second to men and boys. Despite the gains of this administration in the area of gender equity, the orator’s echo of gender sensitivity is not unnecessary. The female gender still faces a number of challenges. Rape, for instance, remains a dilemma amid strong laws and concerted efforts. Liberia is one of just three countries in West Africa that has not banned female genital mutilation (FGM) though the practice had been proven to be harmful to women’s reproductive health. Female enrollment, the orator, a father of four girls himself, makes the point very strongly as he does with the importance of civil society and freedom of speech and the press.

Facebook

Surprisingly, the orator brings into his oration an ensuing argument among him and other users of Facebook, making a parody of a charitable conversation they had. He explains that he had suggested that a traditional weaving device used in Ethiopia be modernized and that two other Facebook users disagreed with him. They, according to him, had suggested that the device remained in its traditional state in order to preserve the Ethiopian culture.

Dr. Nyan expresses frustration over the stagnation of the African continent in a period of technology. Then he finds an epitome in the genuine argument of the Facebook users and blames the lack of development on such thought regime. But is his reckoning of their argument factual?

It is incomprehensible that Dr. Nyan speaks about technological advancement of the textile industry more than two centuries after the Industrial Revolution when. Does the fact that spinning wheels were replaced by spinning mules mean that the former is non-existent and non-essential? Certainly not at all! What the Facebook users were saying was that such tradition of Ethiopian traditional weaving should still thrive—even in this age of technology—for even an equally important reason. Preserving the tradition is in relevance to antiquity, something that tells us more about our forefathers and how they live, something that tells us whence we come.

The fact is we need to glory in our cultural heritage because it drives a nationalism, innovation and meritocracy.  We primarily need these ideals to invent machines to improve society like Eli Whitney in the United States with cotton gin, Samuel Crompton in England with spinning mule and Alessandro Volta in Italy with electric battery.

Dr. Nyan’s analogy of a typewriter and a computer is even more incorrect. Typewriter is still being preferred in some quarters—the security sector, for instance, where it is used to record intelligence and information that cannot be hacked into. Moreover, typewriter still has a niche: it does not depend on electricity, which remains scarce in most parts of Liberia and is better to have typewriters than to take your works to a commercial a desktop publisher. And because it has the same pattern keypad pattern with a computer it can be used for typing practical.

A point that could be made in this portion of his oration is the importance of the government to support innovation and preserve Liberian arts and culture as a way of encouraging technological advancement. Why did the Germans use the Vai Script to codify their intelligence in the World War II? Why aren’t Liberians using the Vai Script to communicate in the first place?

Why aren’t there many Liberian books, especially after the civil war? Why is it said that if one wants to hide anything from a typical Liberian he should write it in a book? Why the education system a “mess”? Why patriotism is scarce here? And why there is so much corruption and growing mistrust in the public system? The adage says: “You must sit on an old mat to ply a new mat.”

Individuals will always have talents like Dr. Nyan has done but appreciation for good things in general should be should first be acculturated through governmental or government-supported programs. Government must create the environment where talents can thrive in every sector for the improvement of society. Government is more development-oriented than any individual and government is the only entity that has all the legal rights to drive development. Anyone or any other entity must be authorized by government some way or the other.

During the Ebola epidemic, a Liberian, Louis Cealeh, invented a hand-washing device wherein the hand washer uses his or her foot to press down a motor-attached peddle that sends water through a tube into a faucet to easily wash and rinse his or her hands. It prevents one from touching the faucet to open and close it. Sadly, this invention, which could be used to promote hygiene in addition to the prevention and spread of Ebola, is only present at the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and at some banks in and around Monrovia.  Isn’t it possible to have so much of these devices to help sustain a hygiene culture whose lacking leads to several waterborne diseases?  Talents and innovation wither here, while politics thrives as if all of the 4.5 million people water it every morning.

About The Author:

James Harding Giahyue is a Stringer with Reuters news agency and a fellow of New Narratives, a group supporting African journalists report Africa. He has worked as a reporter and editor with several Liberian newspapers including the National Chronicle, Insight and The Catalyst. Also an aspiring writer, Giahyue has interest in Liberian arts culture and history, as well as sports, tourism and the environment. Email: jamesgiahyue@gmail.com/ +231-886464195.

Monrovia – When the National Orator of Liberia’s 169^th Independence anniversary, Dougbeh Chris Nyan, openly made available his medical invention and technology for Liberia, the Mano River Union (MRU), and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to invest in the development, production, and commercialization of his diagnostic technology, a round of applause ensued in the Centennial Memorial Pavilion.

Report by Alpha Daffae Senkpeni, alpha.senkpeni@frontpageafricaonline.com

But Liberians are accustomed to being weary of saying and ‘not doing’. The existing gaps in Africa’s oldest Republic’s health sector are massive; something which prompted the well experienced Medical Doctor to include the issues of the country’s health system in his national speech – suggestions that could help fix the struggling sector.

Reemphasizing the need to prioritize health in the fiscal budget sounds redundant especially as the country, less than three years ago, experienced the worst Ebola epidemic.  

“We need to train public health professionals at least at the Master’s Degree level,” suggested Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan.

“We should not be contended with these haphazard short-term 3-4 months training of people in the field of public health,” warning that such human resource empowerment within the health sector is absolutely not sufficient, despite records showing that there are 18 public health specialists in the country.

Liberia Medical and Dental Council (LMDC) statistics in 2015 show there are currently 298 medical doctors in the country catering for the over 4 million population.

The Ebola outbreak ravaged the country, exposing the weakness of both the technical and human resource ability of the sector in dealing with a complicated health crisis.

Within the total of 298 health experts, there are 207 general health workers, 15 pediatricians, 18 public health specialists, 15 pediatricians, 12 surgeons, 10 gynecologists, six ophthalmologists, and six dentists amongst other specialists.

In rural Liberia, the constraints locals and health workers face on a daily basis whether to seek or render health services are complex.

Limited additional employment opportunities, low salaries and incentives, very limited higher education institutions to foster career ladder and the lack of specialized staff are few of the challenges hampering health care delivery in rural Liberia, according Dr. Odell W. Kumeh, the current Health Officer of Bomi County.

She also named delay in receiving government’s allotment, limited funding to purchase lifesaving drugs and the limited logistical support including ambulances are also major problems.

Mentioning the numerous challenges facing the country during his July 26 speech, Dr. Nyan stressed the need for the national budget to place premium on health, which he said would subsequently support the training of the country’s own scientists who will be capable of dealing with infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria and Ebola, etc. 

“That is why we also propose that Liberia commits a lion-share of the national budget to health in general and financial resources for the establishment of its own Center for Disease Control and Prevention.”

Like other regional experts who have suggested the relevance of regional health collaboration, the experienced US based health specialist reckons this will enhance effective surveillance and exchange public health information.

Recent reports have shown progress in the Ebola research study ongoing here, with doctors working on the study saying it is particularly designed to find out if an investigational drug called GS-5734 can safely get rid of or reduce the amount of Ebola virus that may persist in the semen of some male Ebola survivors.

Despite these gains, there are also health challenges survivors endure after they recovered from Ebola, experts say. 

And unlike Ebola, which President Ellen Johnson says the country is now knowledgeable about dealing with the epidemic, there are also concerns about malaria, HIV/AIDS and even maternal mortality.

“We need to develop our own rapid diagnostic capability for early diagnostic testing for infectious diseases. We need to study the Ebola virus ourselves and study the survivals of EVD ourselves,” Dr. Nyan suggested.

The human resource void is colossal, so as the technical potency of the system. However, Dr. Nyan, who has invented a simple, rapid, and affordable test system says, he’s committed to working to fight against infectious diseases in Liberia and other African countries. 

“This government should act promptly in working out the mechanism, for the diseases are not waiting on us, but can strike any minute and cross international borders again,” he warned.

“This is a practical path to contributing to the transforming Liberia’s diagnostic capability and that of the other countries and improving the health care systems here in Liberia and the world.”

Monrovia – The National Orator of Liberia’s 169^th Independence anniversary has warned politicians against making inflammatory comments that may intimidate voters and hinder the existing peace in the country.

Report by Alpha Daffae Senkpeni, alpha.senkpeni@frontpageafricaonline.com

Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan outlined unity, rule of law, national identity, multi-party system and good governance amongst others as core issues set as requirements for the consolidation of Africa’s oldest republic dangling progress. ‘Requirements For Consolidating Progress Toward Transformation of Liberia’

The biomedical expert who has an impeccable recognition for the invention of a scientific diagnostic method for several diseases including Ebola, HIV, Zika, and yellow fever amongst others, reminded Liberians gathered at the Centennial Pavilion and those listening via the electronic media that they have opted for a democratic change which has put the country ‘on its path to progress’ due to the 10 years of peace the country enjoys.

“Living in peace (and) having a peaceful mind in the day and the night comparably is far more than living in a skyscraper,” he said.

“Peace is what we need; peace is what we cried for yesterday and peace is what we got…, now that we have peace we must strongly protect it as a precious commodity.”

Speaking on the tenets of Liberia’s democracy, the outspoken progressive who was expelled from the University of Liberia back in 1988, said assuring mutual respect is key to democracy while he also stressed that the rule of law should be unbiased. 

‘Tribalism and ethic politics’ must give way to Liberia’s common national interest, he said calling on the media and advocates to improve their work.

“The expression of free will and political demonstrations should also on the other hand not take the form of violence; they have to be peaceful because we are striving for peace and they should not go in the destruction of property and innocent people businesses,” he cautioned.

Earlier, Dr. Nyan warned that Liberians cannot allow ‘this peace’ to be threatened by anyone, calling on Liberians to unite against individuals who will attempt to start another war in the country.

Dr. Nyan, a native of River Gee County with years of working and education experience in the United States, used his oration to inspire Liberians to encourage each other’s with progressive ideas so as to rebuild the country once again as a proud of Africa and the envy of the world as it used to be.

“Now that we have peace, we must strongly protect it as a precious commodity.”

“We cannot allow this peace to be threatened by anyone. That is why the Liberian people must unite against individuals who will attempt to start another war in this country,” he said, also stressing the numerous challenges dogging the West African nation but said, these huddles were not created by a single political party.

“If you want war, let’s fight but you know what we want to fight?” he exclaimed.

“Let’s fight poverty, and fighting poverty will fight ignorance, in fight ignorance let the pencils be our guns and the papers (should) be our bullets. We will fight diseases, in fighting diseases let the syringes be our gun and the solutions (should) be our bullets”, he said.

He continued: “If you want to fight, let’s fight corruption. Let’s sincerity be our guns and honesty be our bullets…; if you want to fight, let’s fight against hatred (and) while we fighting hatred let’s love our guns and peace be our bullets,” he exclaimed, amid huge applauds from the audience.”

Later, he asserted that significant strides have been made towards the goal of consolidating a workable democratic process – a culture that the Liberian society is now experiencing. He outlined the proliferation of political institutions in the country as a reason Liberians should be proud of the level at reach their country’s democracy has reached.

“No, democracy is perfect,” he maintained. “What we now have is working and can be built upon. Political parties and their leaders have to be committed to democratic values to make Liberia’s democracy better. Also, we must institutionalize the core values of democracy and deepen its practice in order to avoid another breakdown of our society.”

He encouraged Liberians politicians to adhere to constructive politics and stressed the importance of Liberians participating in national life by using the ballot boxes instead of violence which will retard the existing peace the country enjoys following the recent exit of UNMIL and the impending 2017 general and Presidential elections termed by many observers as a crucial period for the state and its democracy.

Dr. Nyan recalled the trend that led to the colonization of Liberia, reemphasizing the country was never colonized by any nation but said, celebrating independence anniversary signifies the fundamental human principle the country was built upon – justice, liberty, freedom and respect for human dignity.

Recalling the crisis between the aboriginals and the settlers, the struggle to form multi-party democracy, the military Cope D’état of 1980 and the eruption of the civil war, he stressed the anarchy of the war which ravaged the fabric of the society.

He, however, said a renewed spirit and hope was gained due to the election of 1997 and the election of President Sirleaf in 2005.

“As we gathered here today in this great hall, we should asked ourselves after a 169 years of existence, what have we done, what have we achieved?,” he asked.

“What accomplishment can we make better; what could we tell our fore parents if they were sitting in this pavilion with us today,” mentioning that it took 10 out of 169 years for Liberia to be destroyed with a dangling chance of undoing the damage.

Describing Liberia as a great country like it’s traditional friend – the United States, he said there have been progresses despite huge challenges in the health, education, economy, and gender equity that must be remedy.

Requirements for Consolidating Liberia’s Transformation

Influenced by a chat with a young Liberian on flight while en route to Liberia from the USA, Dr. Nyan said guidelines and bench mark must be set and the country should consider practical approaches in order to consolidate and transform Liberia to meet the challenges in this dispensation.

Referencing a 2010 UNESCO statistics on Liberia’s literacy rate, the 2016 National Orator underpins the significance of female empowerment and the impact it has on national development and growth.

“We know that low levels of literacy and education in general, can impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly changing, technology-driven world,” he said.

“We agree that the devastating civil war led to the destruction of educational infrastructures and flight of trained teachers, thus contributing to the poor quality of primary, secondary, and tertiary education in the country.”

He called on Liberians to venture into tackling its own gender gap instead of only relying on international partners and agencies advising that programs should be organized with the requisite material and financial support which will attract Liberians to helping to improve the system.

“We must ensure that the teachers who teach our children are themselves well trained to be in the classroom and if they are well trained, in order to maintain them, just as they do in the West, teachers should then be given good incentives to keep them in the class room,” he pointed out.

He further suggested that in order to improve Liberia’s education, the country needs to focus on vocational education; also, he openly proposing a program which he suggests will ensure Liberians in the Diaspora work to transform the ‘messy’ education system.

Touching on the importance of a common national identity, principle or philosophy, Dr. Nyan questioned the audience about ‘the one thing that bonds us together,” saying, it is a question that Liberians should ponder and take practical steps to remedying these concerns.

He called on Liberians to mobilize around the ‘spirit of unity’ more than ever before to build a viable nation – something, he’s optimistic is a major requirement and a driving force to ensure transformation.

Oppositions’ ‘Big Role’ to Play

Dr. Nyan reckons that oppositions politicians have a ‘big role’ to play in nurturing the emerging democracy, saying that their contribution in critiquing the government should be void of malice and done maturely by using facts and evidences and at the same time proffer practical solutions to help move the country forward.

“This requirement is fundamental to consolidating peace and progress in this country’s transformation into a viable democracy,” he said, also adding that transforming the society comes with good governance empowering full participation to ensure freed of expression.

“Marching into the future, we must ensure that public institutions are able to effectively and honestly manage public resources and conduct public affairs in a manner that is free of corruption and abuses, and upholds the rule of law. We must boldly hold leaders accountable for their actions as public servants when they abuse their power or indulge in corruption.”

He continued: “And that is exactly what the Liberian people have witnessed in the last several weeks when the government initiated legal actions in the Sable Mining Company Corruption Case that involved several government officials. “

“Both the Liberian people and the international community have applauded the government for the actions taken in this case, demonstrating that no one is above the law, and that Liberia belongs to all, not a few.”

‘Develop Love for Country’ – President Sirleaf

Making remarks, President Sirleaf recalled the country’s 168^th independence anniversary held in Sinoe and Grand Kru Counties which she said was in recognition of the communities relating to their ‘aggressive’ fight against the Ebola virus.

The Liberian leader called on Liberians to develop love for country by adopting a new mind set of patriotism if the country is determine to consolidate the progress made so far.

Mentioning the pullout of Unmil from the country June this year, she praised the international community for the support as her government moves forward to improving the existing structures in taking full control of its own security.

“Let us as Liberians learn to love our beloved country,” she said. “Let us develop a sense our culture of self-pride and sense of belonging, there’s no one who will carry Liberia forward but Liberians themselves.”

Observers Hail Oration

Liberians attending the independence celebration described the message contained in the national oration as inspirational. Former Presidential candidate for the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) in 2011, Winston Tubman said it was ‘good to give the orator the opportunity for Liberians to see him and hear his message’, adding that a lot of progress has been made since the country’s independence.

“Even now you can look at the progress we made in overcoming Ebola, that’s progress,” Cllr. Tubman said. “But more than that, we have kept the peace and the peace is here…, what we look for at programs like this, you want to be inspired, you want look back at something in our history.”

But he suggested that more young people must be encouraged to attend such programs to ensure they too are inspired.

“We turned 169 years old; it’s a milestone for us Liberians,” added former Senate Pro Temp, Gbehzngar Findley who was in attendance at the program.

“I hope Liberians can be more tolerant of each other views and be diverse and I hope we can put our hands around each other and work for the growth and development of our country despite our differences.” He agrees that the orator’s words appeal to all the diversities of the country in transforming the country.

Former Foreign Minister, Augustine Ngafuan termed the program as ‘great’ saying the concept of the message that focused on peace and unity captivated him.

“We have too many things to debate, but one thing we cannot debate about is that we have peace, and protecting the peace – each and every Liberian needs to do a part…, all of our argument can only be sustained in a peaceful environment.”

However, the President of the Christian Association of the Blind, Beyan Kota says he hopes the celebration of the country’s independence will bring equalization of opportunities for Liberians.

“We are still struggling with the issue of enrollment at the University of Liberia, equality in the enjoyment of employment, equity in the distribution of the country wealth…; we still have underdeveloped communities –slum – which needs to be transform to impact national development,” Mr. Kota told reporters after the program.

Washington, DC – Barely one week into the US Congressional investigation of authorities at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for allegedly removing the name of Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan from his invention and publication in retaliation, the FDA has offered Dr. Nyan royalty payment, but rejected by Dr. Nyan.

In a recent email communication dated April 4, 2016 from Alice Welch, the FDA’s Director of Technology Transfer, the FDA requested Dr. Nyan to “provide the following information: full name, including middle name, social security number, home mailing address and telephone number, and banking information so that FDA can make the royalty payment to you”.

The payment is in relation to what FDA refers to as “FDA technology #E-135-2014”. The invention by Dr. Nyan, a former FDA ORISE Fellow, is a point-of-care multiplex diagnostic test for detection of viruses. Phone calls to Alice Welch for comments regarding the royalty offer to Dr. Nyan were not returned, while FDA authorities contacted also declined to comment.

In a sharp response, Dr. Nyan has questioned the FDA’s sudden royalty offer without prior discussions and also questioned how his invention became “FDA technology #E-135-2014.”

Asked why he refused the FDA’s offer of royalty for his invention, Dr. Nyan said he considers “the FDA’s offer of so-called royalty as an attempt to bribe my conscious and legitimize their violation of my intellectual property rights.”

Dr. Nyan further said that “FDA authorities have misused their power and wanted to illegally take my invention by removing my name from patent document we uncovered.” Dr. Nyan is demanding the “full restoration of his rights to the invention and the corrective removal of names that do not even belong on the invention patent.”

Dr. Nyan named Mr. Kevin Swinson, his research associate, as “the only scientist deserving of credit as co-inventor.” Kevin Swinson, an African-American, has been Dr. Nyan’s long time research associate when the invention was made. He, Mr. Swinson never worked at the FDA.

In an article published by FrontPageAfrica in January 2015, Dr. Nyan sounded an alarm stating that, “in a scientific environment where minorities and people of African descent are disadvantaged”, Dr. Nyan expressed the hope that his “intellectual property rights will be fully protected and that the product of his invention will serve the poor and needed populations in society.”

Dr. Nyan is a US citizen of African descent from Liberia, one of three West African countries severely affected by the recent Ebola epidemic. His name was allegedly removed from a patent document and scientific publication by FDA management authorities in “retaliation” for his testimony to the US Congress on the Ebola crisis.

The FDA’s offer of royalty payment to Dr. Nyan comes after US Congressman Lamar Smith’s (R-TX) March 17, 2016 inquiry letter to FDA Commissioner, Dr. Robert Califf and after the story was first published by the Washington Post.  Congressman Smith’s letter questions “whether it was legally sound for FDA management officials to exert rights to the Fellow’s invention.”

And, legal experts closely following the case have opined that the FDA, a federal agency, could be in serious violation of Federal Statues that protect scientists on federal academic Fellowships and their inventions.

Dr. Nyan was awarded an ORISE Federal Fellowship in March 2012 for his academic excellence and scientific achievements to work at the FDA on an invention he made prior to receiving the ORISE Fellowship Award.

It can be recalled that Dr. Nyan testified before the US Congress on September 17, 2014 on the Ebola crisis in West Africa in his capacity as Director of Liberia Emergency Response Task Force on the Ebola Crisis.

The Hearing was chaired by Congressman Christopher Smith (R-NJ). During his Congressional testimony, Dr. Nyan recommended the establishment of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Africa and requested for increased US support for the medical systems of the Ebola-affected countries of Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. Dr. Nyan testified alongside Dr. Kent Brantly and Dr. Anthony Fauci of the US National Institutes of Health.

Shortly after his testimony Dr. Nyan was placed under investigation by Dr. Deborah Taylor and Dr. Sanjai Kumar, two scientists in senior management position at the FDA’s Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases (DETTD) where Dr. Nyan worked on his invention. Dr. Nyan was subsequently terminated from his research fellowship position in December 2014 by Dr. Deborah Taylor.

Dr. Nyan’s case against the FDA has generated international concern. Currently on a US-Liberia congressional exchange program, two members of the Liberian Legislature, Senator Conmany B. Wesseh of River Gee County and Representative Ben A. Fofana of Margibi County met with Staff of Congressman Lamar Smith to register concerns about the case and expression appreciation for the steps taken by the US Congressional Oversight Committee on Science, Space and Technology which Congressman Lamar Smith chairs.

The Liberian Legislators were accompanied by a member of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), a US-based rights and democratic advocacy group. Interest in Dr. Nyan’s case against the FDA has also been increasing in the immigrant and African-American communities, particularly where the contributions of immigrants to the American society are often unrecognized, while immigration has been a hot campaign topic during this US primary electoral politics.