ITS TIME FOR PRESIDENT ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF TO STEP-DOWN A NATIONAL STATEMENT BY: HON. TQ HARRIS, JR. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. George Santayana Ellen Johnson Sirleaf swore an oath to faithfully execute the office of President of Liberia and, to protect and defend the State, the People and the resources. Evidently, she has failed; thereby bringing great harm upon the Liberian people and endangering our National Security interests. There have been consistent lapses, negligence, incompetence, mismanagement, corruption, and the misuse of State resources that have culminated in the deadly Ebola crisis which now threatens the entire population. In response to the reckless and ineffective leadership of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf government, the People have resolved to exercise their rights as prescribed in Article I of the Liberia Constitution which states: The people [of Liberia] shall have the right to cause their public servants to leave office and to fill vacancies by regular elections and appointments. CONSISTENT SLAUGTHER OF LIBERIANS Death on a grand scale has plagued Liberians since Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf took her first step toward the Presidency with the formation of the Association for Constitutional Democracy in Liberia (ACDL) and the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL). These organizations, whose sole purpose was the overthrow of the duly elected government of President Samuel K. Doe, wreaked havoc on the people and the countrys infrastructure. In the orgy of violence which lasted from 1989 to 2003, more than 250,000 men, women and children were slaughtered. Now as President, Madam Sirleaf has yet again exposed the people of Liberia to another round of mass killings, having allowed the deadly Ebola virus to spread throughout the length and breadth of Liberia. If the experts are correct, Liberians will die in the thousands before the epidemic is brought under control. In April, 2014, Madam Sirleaf wantonly disregarded the safety and security of the State which she had sworn to protect, and her administration downplayed the urgency and explosive nature of the Ebola virus that had already entered the country from Guinea. At the time, five (5) deaths were being investigated in Liberia and one (1) in Sierra Leone. Knowing full well institutional memory informs us that Ebola is a highly lethal and communicable disease; Madam Sirleaf did not attempt to educate the population as to the seriousness of the disease and neglected to send out an SOS to the International Community for immediate assistance. Instead, she left the country for one of her numerous foreign trips as the Ebola virus gained a foothold in Lofa County and the Harbel area. THE ENDANGERED LIBERIAN YOUTHS Though he was not infected with the Ebola virus and played no part in the break-in at the isolation center, Shaki Kamara – a 15-year old resident of West Point, was brutally murdered by the Liberian Army under the aegis of its Commander in Chief, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. This senseless death of an innocent child was a stark reminder of the tens of thousands young people that died by the guns of the NPFL, of which Madam Sirleaf was not only the leader, but also a principal financier of the terror group. The overwhelming majority of the NPFL recruits were children. As a result, the country has loss an entire generation of future doctors, nurses, teachers, public servants, and perhaps a great leader. Yet, to date, no one has been held accountable for these horrific crimes. And President Sirleaf has blatantly refused to implement recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). How then do we in good faith speak of national development and the Liberia rising motif when the youths of Liberia are an endangered species? Little Shaki Kamara’s mangled body bears witness to this reality. Those who perpetrate atrocities against the Liberian people are celebrated and rewarded. Prior to the Ebola outbreak, Liberians were dying in large numbers, especially the young people, due to joblessness, malaria, typhoid, malnutrition, hunger, and a host of curable diseases. However, many of these illnesses could not be treated because Madam Sirleafs killing machine - the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) - destroyed the countrys entire health delivery infrastructure. Because of this, thousands will die from the Ebola virus. STRANGE, UNEXPLAINED KILLINGS We are convinced that as long as Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf remains Head of State there will be a continuation of strange and unexplainable mass deaths in Liberia, especially amongst the young people, which is atypical in the Liberian culture. The evidence will show that prior to the formation of her rebellious organizations – ACDL and NPFL -- Liberians had no previous experience with mass killings. Now whether a coincidence or not, the fact is Madam Sirleaf has been front and center of all mass destruction of human lives in Liberia dating back to the late 1970s. While Ebola currently is at the center of every conversation, let us not ignore the ominous cloud or what appears to be an angel of death that has hovered over the land since Madam Sirleaf embarked on overthrowing the Samuel Doe government. Who knows what’s coming next after Ebola? SAMPLING OF DISASTERS ON MADAM SIRLEAF’S WATCH The following are a sampling of unusual occurrences that have manifested since Liberia came under the leadership of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: • 2006: On the very day of Madam Sirleafs inauguration, a raging fire spread rapidly through the Executive Mansion, attacking sections of the building where the ceremonies were taking place. • 2006: The Bridge, which for decades had spanned the Mesurado River - widely known as Via Town Bridge - suddenly collapsed into the water below. • February 2009: A legion of highly destructive worms invades Liberia, destroying any and everything within their path. One International news media described the incident as, “The World’s Most Evil Caterpillar Invasion.” • The Sanquinne River Bridge that connected Rivercess and Sinoe Counties suddenly collapsed, creating extreme difficulties for residents in the area. • 2012: The building which houses the Ministry of Justice was set ablaze by unknown person(s). • February 11, 2013: A Cessna 235 Aircraft bringing a high power Guinean delegation, which included the Army Chief of Staff, to attend Liberia’s Armed Forces Day ceremonies, crashed five (5) miles from the Roberts International Airport, killing all on board. • 2013: Fire gutted portions of the Capitol Building, seat of the National Legislature. • April 2014: For the first time in the country’s history a virus as deadly as Ebola attacks the people of Liberia sparking another round of mass killings. A DISAPPOINTING FAILURE Apart from the trail of death and destruction that seem to follow Madam Sirleaf, her eight years of governance has done very little to improve the living condition of Liberians. Signs of the 14 years war are visible throughout the country, and there’s hardly any improvement. After eleven years of U.N. Troop deployment and Billions of Dollars of investment, the economy is extremely weak and the security forces are in no position to protect the citizens. Tensions remain high. And Liberia is still a fragile state. There is no debating Ellen Johnson Sirleafs leadership has been a disappointing failure at all levels. And she has shown no remorse for her unprovoked aggression against the Liberian people as founder and financier of both the ACDL and the NPFL. Unrepentantly, she is now setting the stage for an Ebola catastrophe by deliberately ignoring warnings from the experts and calls from the Liberian people to allow international organizations take full control of eradicating the Ebola virus from Liberia. Exhibiting the same arrogance and indifference that led to the slaughter of tens of thousands Liberians, Madam Sirleaf is poised to oversee yet another round of mass killings if she is not stopped. RESOLUTION FOR AN INTERIM GOVERNMENT As a consequence of eight years of failed leadership, gross mishandling of the country’s natural resources, and failure to protect the Liberian people from the deadly Ebola virus, We -- Concerned Liberians from a cross-section of the country and Hon. Thomas Quilen Harris, Jr. -- are herewith calling on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to resign without delay and give her fullest cooperation and support to the formation of an Interim Government of National Reconciliation (IGNR). Vice President Joseph N. Boakai shall head the new interim government. All officials serving in this government shall be recommended by one of the following stakeholders. And they shall agree beforehand to accept only a predetermined living expense as compensation: Stakeholders that shall recommend persons to serve in the IGNR are: 1. Political Parties 2. Civil Society Organizations 3. The Women of Liberia 4. The Youth of Liberia 5. The Religious Community A HUMBLE AND NATIONALISTIC APPEAL This is our humble appeal: President Sirleaf, please do not rebuff this genuine and necessary attempt to save our country from yet another disaster. This request to resign reflects the sentiments of the majority of Liberians and echoes the voices of reason and wisdom. Let no one tell you otherwise. The people of Liberia are not only suffering greatly, we also are dying needlessly due to corruption and the lack of effective leadership. It is evident your policies and style of governance has not yielded positive results. You see the facts and know the truth. All day long our ears are pounded by blaring sirens of Ebola-death-wagons ferrying the remains of our friends and loved ones to be burned. This no doubt strikes fear, sadness and anger deep in our hearts. No longer do we ask for whom the siren blare; it blares for [me]. Madam President, it’s time you peacefully Step-Down and help organize an interim government that will bring Liberians together and save lives. This could very well be your finest hour. Seize it! Lastly, we need not remind you that three of your immediate predecessors failed to recognize the signs of the time and suffered tragic consequences. Let us not forget the lessons of the past. ---------------------- Hon. TQ Harris, Jr. is an opposition politician who lives in Liberia. He can be reached by phone – 231 (0) 55 523-6892 or send email to: friendsoftqlib@gmail
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 20:39:23 +0000
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