Which Way, Liberia?

Journey without Compass

Perhaps who wins the senatorial seat for Montserrado County is worthy of attention for some folks. I am not one of them. For one mere fact I am sure about, whoever wins the seat that will make no difference in the lives of Liberians and in the character of the body called “the National Legislature." The legislators will still have no concrete laws enacted to give Liberia a focus. It will continue to be business as usual: bickering over money and no discussions about enacting sound legislation for the country. If anyone doubts what I am writing about, please check the track records of the legislature up to today. Or keenly follow the president’s leadership style/pattern.

My concern is how in this world can a holiday be declared in Liberia for a by-election vying for a single seat in Montserrado? This is the second holiday in less than a week. Last Thursday was a holiday in Liberia. Today is Tuesday; it is another holiday because of an election for a single seat in Montserrado. Isn't this insanity? Who are those making these kinds of decisions? What are the laws on holidays in Liberia?

For instance, the other day my son told me that they were on a week break because some workshop was going on in their school. The school year has just begun in Liberia and students have already had seven days of no classes. Where are the laws that stipulate the number of days or hours require in Liberia to complete a class requirement? Again, what are the laws on holidays?

As if we are not in the abyss already, the President was in Greenville a week or so ago to celebrate her birthday. Where are the laws that mandate a sitting president in Liberia to use public funds to celebrate a private birthday? So we are celebrating a president's birthday but we do not have a law to honor the lives of the thousands of Liberians that we have lost during many years of senseless upheavals. Liberians, where are we heading? This is like a journey without a map. A grope in the dark!

The leadership question

Development of this sort brings up the question as to what kind of leadership do we have in Liberia? From the law makers to the interpreters and to the law enforcers, where are we heading? What is the direction?
I do not think that leadership is about instincts or guess work. It is played based on rules, policies, and reasons, not gutsy feelings. For a case in point, it is gutsy feeling not backed by good judgment and sound policy that Ms. Mary Broh is following in Monrovia about her cleanup campaign. In Monrovia, Mary has declared every other Saturday a general clean up day by all Monrovians. Here, Mary is using guess work or instincts. She does not want to read what is in the books about keeping Monrovia clean. So she has adopted the yor oh yor method because that is what her personality dictates. Mary has some high level of elevated emotions and that is what drives her decision. She is a highly charged person, easily over stimulated or maybe over stimulative. And that is the drive behind her decision about keeping Monrovia clean. But leadership is not about one's personality or character disposition. It is about well tested policies backed by reasons and judgment. This is the path on which we ought to put Liberia.

By now some of us thought the legislators would have enacted laws to standardize Liberia's holidays, the Liberian school system, Liberia's zoning and address systems. By now some of us thought Liberia would have settled on how to make health care in Liberia a right through the enactment of laws that clearly define the terms. By now some of us thought, a committee would have started reviewing the Liberian constitution. By this time we would have enacted laws that stop people assigning counties based on tribes. Shockingly and sadly it seems we are still groping in the dark.

At some point the President will use the Tolbert's guess work by paying surprise visits to certain ministries to catch who is going to work late or who departs early. Then she will adopt the Tubman's trial and error method to use president's birthday to carry on development in host counties. A moment later she will be like Samuel Doe settling every dispute in Liberia even the ones between spouses; she will be serving as the chief patron to every institution. These are all guess works. They are based on instincts not thoughtful policies. And I am sure the president knows this but because she wants quick applauses she is playing to the crowd. She gets so energized when they say, " Ma Ellen now do it again ooh!" So it is not about a lasting direction for the country but the image of a person.

This is why I care little about the by election in Montserrado County. It is a waste of time and resources. And these sorts of things get me terribly sick to my stomach.