As Liberia celebrates 179 years of independence, a surgeon-in-training in Kenya , Dr. Yei Wiah, says Liberians are yet to taste the fruits of real and actual independence.
“The hospitals that should heal us are far too underequipped. The schools that should liberate us imprison us in ignorance. And the politics that should unite us has become the very weapon of our destruction,” she said.
Yei spoke on the theme “A country at the crossroad: A Call to Love, Unity, and National Rebirth” at the Liberian Community in Kenya celebration of the country’s Independence Day.
At the event, cultural and kids highlighted some historic facts of Liberia while several awards were presented, Dr. Moses Mbayo was awarded Ambassador of Unity award after his long intervention in uniting the community.
Dr. Yei said Liberia enjoys a fragile truce peace, not a genuine reconciliation. “Look around you. Our roads are still crumbling. Our hospitals are still understaffed. Our schools are still failing. Our economy is still dependent on foreign aid. Why? Because the cancer of divisive politics has not been excised. It has only changed its form and is now being polished.”
She further noted that even though Liberia is rich in natural resources—iron ore, rubber, diamonds, gold yet the country is the 8th poorest country in the world. “Why? Because we have not built a system of trust that allows business to flourish. Investors are afraid to commit capital. Liberians are afraid to start businesses. We could be the Singapore of West Africa. Instead, we have become a cautionary tale.”
Despite stating the challenges, Yei said Liberia must redefine “right” as performance. “The right to govern is a performance contract. We must stop measuring success by how many ministers we have and start measuring it by how many kilometers of paved road we have built. We must stop measuring progress by how many international trips we have taken and start measuring it by how many children can read by age ten.”
She added that the country must invest in youths, who make up the majority of our population. “We are sitting on the biggest demographic dividend in the region. But instead of an asset, this youth bulge is a threat because we starve them of opportunity. We must treat youth unemployment as a national security threat.”
Additionally, Yei said Liberia must pursue integrity relentlessly. “If a public official steals from a health budget, they are effectively killing patients. They are murderers. They should face the full wrath of the law. We must end the culture of “politics is business.” Politics is service.”
On patriotism, the guest speaker said it is not the loud shouting of slogans, nor is it the higher a flag is waved on Independence Day while theft of the treasury is consistent.
She added that true patriotism is the quiet, inconvenient, and costly decision to love your country more than you love your comfort, your tribe, or your political party.
· It is the physician who chooses to stay in Zorzor Rural Health Center, treating patients for a fraction of what they could earn in London, because they believe that the life of a rural Liberian matters as much as the life of a Monrovia elite.
· It is the teacher who walks three miles through the mud to reach a dilapidated schoolhouse in Grand Gedeh, because they refuse to let a child’s potential die from neglect.
· It is the voter who looks past the ethnicity of a candidate and examines the content of their character and the competence of their record.
· It is the ex- leader who supports the next elected leader without undermining his leadership just to see him fail so that he gets to boast that it was only done better when he was in power, like we are experiencing here in Kenya
Yei said politicians who assume power should see it as a stewardship, and not a possession. Adding that civil servants must show up for work on time and treat all citizens equally.
“For the Ordinary Citizen: Patriotism means paying your taxes with a smile, knowing that your sacrifice builds the school your neighbor’s child attends. It means reporting corruption when you see it, even if the corrupt person is your relative. It means keeping your environment clean, because the soil is sacred and your home is a reflection of your soul.”
She added that Diaspora should —not just return to Liberia for holidays, but to invest their skills, Capital, and time in making Liberia a better place.
Yei said Liberia must prioritize building the future for young generations, “The world is moving forward. While we are busy fighting over country boundaries, Asia is building the future. While we are stealing from our own pension funds, Europe is constructing space stations. We are being left behind. And the reason is not a lack of resources. God has blessed us with iron ore, rubber, diamonds, gold, fertile soil, and abundant water. The reason is a deficit of love. We love ourselves too much and our nation too little.”
She continues, ” Fellow Liberians, the celebrations will end. The flags will be folded. The music will fade. And we will return to the daily grind. The potholes will still be there. The hospital queues will still be long. The teachers will still be underpaid. But we should face these challenges differently. We should face them together. We will see the pothole not as “the government’s but as “our problem.” We should see the sick patient not as a “stranger,” but as “our brother.”
