Ehn? Is today flag day? Ehn… Oh yea. Someone just sent me a flag day’s message: “Happy Flag Day.” Wait! Let’s put it strict, what’s happy about today’s Flag Day? I know the flag is our national ensign and should be given due recognition especially on August 24, when it was eternalized as the symbol of our country. But, our flag is a controversial element. And I don’t think I need any form of patronization on this subject. As such, what I need isn’t maraud the flag as others will do today. I can’t deceive myself about the state of affairs of Liberia. We as a people and nation have come a long way, but it seems the lessons are inconsequential. Few years ago, I heard the voice of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf saying: “Level Monrovia; I will build in it three days.” I also heard her say: “The Doe’s government is riddled with corruption, nepotism, and all vices of bad governance.” During that time, she was an activist of free speech and democracy. Because of her stance, she was arraigned, battered, and jailed at which time; people say Jenkins Scott was the Justice Minister. The role of the justice system at that time left a bad blood in the minds of many Liberians, setting the basis for the 14 years civil war that we endued. The legacies of civil war are still prominent in our entire system of national governance. The weakness in our educational, health, monetary, infrastructural, judiciary, etc is a by-product of the legacies of the civil war. It is no doubt the weakness in these sectors has become a menace that our people can no longer tolerate despite the failure of the President Sirleaf to willfully engender policies that would fix these sectors. With such situation going in our country, how can we claim that our flag day today is happy? Have we forgotten so soon that Journalist Rodney Sieh is languishing behind the walls of the Monrovia Central Prison? Yesterday, it was Ellen behind those walls? Her role in the civil crisis still remains fresh in our minds. She was one of the strongest voices in the 80s. This raised the spotlight on her when Liberians were looking for someone to redeem them through the provision of a responsible democratic leadership. Her experience in the fight for social justice had convinced fellow Liberians that she will provide a good leadership—one that will be based on equal justice before the law. But as the clock ticks, the Ellen’s leadership continues to conduct business as usual: muzzling the press and brutalizing citizens as her predecessors did. Worse of all, the stealing of public funds by officials of her government has become a common place. Today, her government has been rated as one of the most corrupt in Africa. In a country where poverty is walking visibly in the streets, corruption that was denounced and termed as public enemy number one has become the norm of public service. What a shame for the Ivy League graduate? Can anybody see what I’m seeing? Ellen from the onset was in for corruption! The Knukles’s email scandal is sufficient evidence to prove that her pronouncement of corruption being public enemy number was a charade and mere political rhetoric intended to deceive the international community. As such, she can never fight corruption in Liberia; needless to mention other bad practices of governance that keep ruining our public sector. However, we have gotten what we wanted. I hope the attitude of this government will teach a lesson so that come 2017, we will vote on issues, characters, rather than follow the band wagon of public sentiment that we have often followed. Until then, I’m celebrating my flag day with Journalist Rodney Sieh, who has been imprisoned for reporting the corrupt deeds of the officials of the Ellen led government. Rodney Sieh, you are indeed my hero! Your struggle for press freedom will be written on the tablet of history and posterity will judge you right!
Posted on: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 22:09:57 +0000
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