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Liberians Abroad Must Support Liberia, Not Political Parties

Dr. Moses Kulo, Director, Liberian Future Defender

The notion of Liberians living abroad aligning with political parties in Liberia, in the hope of improving the lives of their fellow citizens, has proven to be ineffective. Over the past three decades, starting with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's presidency and continuing to the present, little significant progress has been made in creating jobs, enhancing education, improving roads, expanding healthcare, and elevating the overall well-being of the population. Johnson Sirleaf’s Vision 2030, followed by former President George M. Weah’s Pro-Poor Agenda, has not yielded the desired outcomes. The current administration, led by Joseph Boakai, has introduced a new National Development Agenda Plan for 2025-2029, termed the Arrest Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), but its objectives mirror those of the previous two administrations.

For meaningful change, the government of Liberia needs to take the following actions:

· Reduce Salaries and Benefits for Lawmakers: Lawmakers and other senior officials’ salaries and benefits should be lowered through negotiations or a referendum. Liberia cannot afford high compensation for its senior officials while addressing the country's severe challenges.

· Increase Salaries for Civil Servants: The salaries and benefits for teachers, police officers, nurses, and other civil servants should be increased. Empowering more Liberians economically will lead to genuine development in the country.

· Create a Business-Friendly Environment: This can be achieved through tax incentives for investors, the enforcement of the rule of law, and ensuring security throughout Liberia.

For the past 30 years, every administration has sought funding from foreign institutions, often labeling them as development partners. However, millions of dollars sent to Liberia have not led to improvements in the lives of struggling Liberians but have often benefited officials instead. Some senior officials mismanage or outright steal these funds, leaving Liberia without the development it desperately needs. Liberians worldwide must champion effective leadership rather than succumb to the allure of political parties that do not show a genuine commitment to improving Liberia.

Please join the efforts of the Liberian Future Defender to make a positive difference in Liberia.

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Focus on Building Liberians' Future

Liberian Lawmakers

The Liberian lawmakers need to focus on building and strengthening Liberians' future. The recent scandal in which several Liberian lawmakers participated in bribery to replace the speaker of the House of Representatives put the nation on the path of becoming one of the most corrupt countries in the world. According to several reliable sources in Liberia, each participating lawmaker received thousands of dollars. Removing the speaker is not the primary issue, but using corrupt or undemocratic methods is not in the country's best interest but those lawmakers themselves. Based on several reports, there are reasons to justify the need to consider the removal of the speaker. However, it is necessary to use legal and ethical mechanisms to replace a leader. Is it appropriate to fight crimes using criminal activities? The answer is no.

Liberian lawmakers have proven to be significant obstacles to solving Liberia's challenges. Instead of focusing on rebuilding the country, they have increased their salaries and benefits to a staggering $ 15,000 a month. Meanwhile, the nurses, police, teachers, and other civil servants, who are the backbone of our nation, continue to live in poverty. Asking the lawmakers to change course is likely to fail to achieve anything, especially after the international community's efforts over the years. Regardless of our political affiliations, it's time for all the diaspora Liberians to unite and campaign for the replacement of these corrupt and incompetent lawmakers in the 2029 general elections.

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Support Social Change in Liberia for Economic Growth

Monrovia, Liberia

Liberians abroad need to support the effort to end more than 173-year-old institutionalized corruption and unacceptable practices in Liberia. The corrupt practices in Liberia started after independence in 1847. Liberia was presented as a democratic state on paper, but it was not for many years in practice. The nation was guided by a so-say-one, so-say-all approach, meaning a few people made decisions for the majority. One of the logical reasons for the practice was to allow the minority group, Americo-Liberians, to stay in power for an unforeseeable future. The method created several of the problems facing Liberia today:

Educating the population was not a priority
Building the nation’s infrastructure was ignored.
Too much-appointing power was given to the president.
The president appoints superintendents and judges, minimizing accountability to the people.
Recently, the government manipulated the constitution, creating longer terms for elected officials.
Tenure was granted, making it impossible to replace certain ineffective officials.

Note, not all Americo-Liberians were unscrupulous. For example, the late Vice-President James E. Greene wanted education for all. On several occasions in the 1970s, he used his official limousine to transport students to Pyne Town Elementary School in Sinoe County about five miles back home. He repeatedly told the students to stay in school regardless of challenges. There were several others like him.

The current administration did not create those problems but is responsible for rolling them back for efficiency, accountability, and development. The administration’s effort to change the terms of elected officials is commendable. This move is in the right direction, but there is a concern about dual citizenship. The administration needs to fully explain and educate the Liberian people about granting dual citizenship in the country. People need to understand its purpose and limitations.

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published 12/20/2021