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The
effort by certain Liberians for a George Weah presidential bid
(like most of the other presidential bids) in my view is a
disservice to our country, a betrayal, and an ill-conceived
ideology. Besides, the rate at which presidential candidates are
sprouting seems to render the Liberian presidency so cheap and
without merit. The country and the people who have suffered so
much for over a decade seemed so despised as well.
I
once expressed these sentiments to a couple of proponents of the
George Weah’s bid and I was criticized for being too emotional,
overbearing, and overly critical. I am not apologizing for these
remarks. I believe that our nation is at such threshold of
further deterioration and as such those with a singleness of
purpose must act swiftly to avert such a trend. Their opposition
to these masquerades must come in every logical, reasonable, and
acceptable form for if they failed history and posterity shall
hold them accountable.
The
ascension of the George Weah’s presidential bid on the Liberian
political landscape has generated a wave of argument and counter
arguments. This new dispensation demonstrates the level of
interest many Liberians have developed about the state of their
country. Even those who had consistently opted to remain on the
fence have seized some political gloves and helmets and have
dashed into the ring. This is an interesting trend. The essence
of democracy is that one should express his/her views freely
without the fear of being gunned down or his/her throat slit at
the fall of dusk. It is however worth noting that freedom is not
really free. Democracy becomes a sane and a respectable
adventure if people recognize their potentials, shortcomings,
and limitations and sacrifice their egos for the interest of the
larger public.
The
latest declaration by the Liberian soccer legend in addition to
the ever increasing number of aspirants for the presidency has
again added a new dimension to the political process. Not only
does it add a new dimension to the political process, but also
makes more difficult the Herculean task of unifying the country,
rebuilding the shattered infrastructures, and the healing of a
wounded people. It further polarizes a divided nation.
The
Oppong’s factor is of grave concern to many Liberians because it
poses a serious threat to democracy not because of Weah’s
capability to deliver but because of the notion that he is rich
and popular and therefore deserves the presidency. A nation that
elects its leader for the purpose of being rich and/or popular
compromises the needs of democracy. Democracy is a failure when
the needs of the people are not fulfilled.
I
acknowledge that every Liberian who meets the constitutional
requisites to vie for the presidency has the right to do so. I
agree that George Weah may meet those constitutional
requirements. But does meeting a constitutional requirement
obviously makes one a presidential material? Absolutely not! I
must emphatically state that George Weah is the wrong person for
the presidency at the wrong time in the wrong place. There are a
number of reasons for this position.
In
the absence of the Liberian constitution I am unable to indicate
the specific provisions of the constitution that stipulate the
function/responsibilities of the president. Yet I intend to
bring into this argument a rough overview of the functions of
the Liberian presidency so that we keep ourselves abreast with
what we expect “President Oppong” to undertake (that is when he
is elected). This is important because to a large extent since
many of us look at the Liberian presidency as an office
responsible for making appointments, signing
contracts/documents, and making elaborate foreign travels to beg
for aid.
We
often associate the presidency with an office often graced with
pomp and pageantry, a buoyant chief flanked by loyalists and
armed guards as columns of elegantly decorated, heavily breasted
girls in their prime wiggle their bodies with spectacular dances
to the amusement of the president and party. Many of us have
lived through the eras of a couple of Liberian presidents and
have now come to associate the Liberian presidency with the
above. This notion is fundamentally slanted. So let’s soberly
focus on a couple of functions/responsibilities of being a truly
constitutional president for a sovereign Liberia.
Amongst other functions of the president the following are
fundamental: one, the president is the chief executive officer
of the country (i.e. sh/e is the head of the branch of
government that enforces the laws of the land). In other words
sh/e is responsible to ensure that the laws of the country are
enforced based on their specific implications and
interpretations. Two, the president is the commander-in-chief of
the armed forces. Mind you the army along with other security
apparatuses sanctioned by law is responsible to maintain the
safety of the people especially from external aggression. (The
people whose safety must be maintained include the rich and the
poor, one’s friends and foes, one’s tribal and non-tribal
elements, etc.). The president is the arbiter of the country’s
foreign policy. That is sh/e determines how the country
interacts with other nations, organizations or institutions
beyond the borders. For the sake time I rescind at these three
points.
I
have looked at some functions of the president. Now let’s have a
bird eye view of the country Liberia. Most of us are aware of
Liberia’s records since it was resettled and renamed have not
being too pleasant. It had been a history of slavery at one
point, exploitation by a few, coups and counter coups, the
subjugation of the majority, the misuse of power and the
resources of the country, and the lack of a nationalistic spirit
amongst many Liberians. The worst came in 1989 when a brutal
civil war was unleashed on this land.
The
declared objectives of the war were suffused into the heightened
stupidity and the lack of insight attached to it. The result of
such war has left our nation extremely devastated. The nation
had sunk beneath its lowest ebbs. Something most of us had not
been farsighted enough to have conceived. Liberians at home and
across the continent have become destitute, hopeless, and
maligned. Our socio-political and economic infrastructures are
nonexistent. Even if they do exist, they remained in the most
medieval and chaotic forms and do not inspire the confidence of
credible institutions. Our nation is still being ruined and
ill-managed by warlords and self seeking kleptomaniacs. While
thousands of Liberians struggle for a bare survival, a pinch of
self exalted pseudocrats continue to reap for themselves from
the spoils they have helped to create.
I
have briefly discussed the Liberian presidency and the state of
today’s Liberia; let me pinpoint what I believe the country
requires for its recovery. It is a sad thing that the quest for
the Liberian presidency has subordinated the need for a
government in Liberia. Many of us have lost sight about the
establishment of a government in Liberia and our focus is only
on the presidency. The present mushrooming of presidential
aspirants reminds me of the behavior of a group of kids who
scramble for a single fruit of ripe banana that had fallen from
a bunch.
They would fight over the single fruit until it is mangled while
the huge bunch hangs over their heads. Convention wisdom will
teach one an efficient strategy to harvest the banana and make
sure that it is at least distributed so that each will have a
share instead of fighting over it and destroying it thus leaving
bulk of them hungry. In fact those who are farsighted enough
will not end at the consumption of the fruit for the while but
will also ensure that the plant remains so that it could benefit
future generations. Social psychologists refer to a behavior
similar to that of the kids as the “tragedy of the commons.”
When there is a shared resource and its best use depends on
individuals making decision against their short- term self
interest, people foolishly act on their self-interest and may
destroy the resource. This is a major problem in Liberia and
across a large part of Africa. Self-interest usually takes
prominence over group interest.
The
task of rebuilding Liberia is huge. It requires those with
skills, experience, and expertise added to nationalistic
instincts and patriotism to lead the way. This is true because
there is now a new political dispensation. States are no longer
run based on taboos and traditional values which are often
acquired through the observance of tribal codes and rituals.
Majority of the skills to lead and make meticulous decision are
acquired through formal learning/training.
Through formal training one acquires the ability for critical
thinking and analysis. It is through formal training that the
discipline for routine and strategizing are obtained. This is
why I often get sick to my stomach when I hear some Liberians
allude to the notion “education had failed the nation.” People
often say these things without being thoughtful of the damage
such statements do to our nation. Why do we spend our hard
earned resources to send our children to school if education had
failed the nation? Why blame the leaders if electricity or water
is not provided? Why talk about people not getting paid for
their work?
Have we forgotten to know that electricity or water is provided
through the effort of those who have learned in school how to
generate electricity or water? Accountants, economists, bankers,
and other technocrats are the ones that ensure that the nation
financial needs are met. For too long in the history of Liberia
the right people are never placed or maintained in the rightful
places. It is usually square pegs in round holes. Image a six
grade drop-out becoming a law maker or a superintendent. Is it
not a mockery if a nation’s speaker of parliament does not have
a fitting high school’s diploma or had managed his or her way
out of school through bribery and cheating?
Across many parts of the world, governments are run based on
acceptable standards. Standards that have been tested, tried,
and proved to yield great results. These are largely western
styles of governance and in order to be successful one must
learn such styles. They must be acquired largely through a
standardized and a regulated process. It is through formal
academic or professional training that intelligence is tested
and proven. Academic intelligence is a crucial factor in
leadership.
Experience is also a critical factor for leading and rebuilding
Liberia. Problems are not solved in vacuum. Most natural
scientists use acceptable formulas to solve problems. Social
psychologists use schemas or heuristics to solve problems.
Whether formulas or schemas they are based on experience of the
past. From their adventure with previous problems and their
solutions they are able to derive acceptable methods that they
can relate to. A leader’s effectiveness depends on the
interaction with the leader’s style and the problem at hand.
George Weah does not possess any of these two critical factors.
They are fundamental in shaping the destiny of his
administration. There is always a danger when untrained and
uneducated people find themselves at the echelons of state
power. There is a proverb which was my father’s favorite: “if
the head is wet the whole body is wet or a fish gets rotten from
the head.” The presidency is not a learning ground; it is a
ground for delivery, a place for the dispensation of sound
judgment. Present day Liberia needs someone who knows the right
stuffs and has the time tested strategy to deliver. Such a
leadership requires a person with great motivation and
intelligence.
"Oppong
is not going to steal public funds because he is already rich.”
This statement has now become cliché of the pro Weah. This is
one of the most bizarre and infantile rhetoric I have ever
heard. Being rich is not a deterrent for stealing funds or a
recipe for honesty. Even if George Weah is far above corruption
though this is yet to be proven, this is not sufficient to make
him the chief executive of a nation ravaged by war and plundered
by war gangs. A number of us are losing sight of the fact that
in a group setting such as a government an individual identity
is often submerged into the collective identity of the group.
One or two bad oranges may spoil the rest of the oranges
especially when the other oranges do not have very strong corks.
Oppong had not developed those strong corks yet and will find it
difficult to withstand the maneuvers and whims of those economic
and social vampires.
Another rhetoric being propounded by the ‘Oppongists’ (coined by
a writer in a local sports newspaper in Monrovia during the peak
of Weah’s soccer legacy), is that Weah is so patriotic that he
had financed the Liberian national team out of his own pockets
without getting a refund. I don’t object to this. I also cannot
accept it as a resounding fact in the absence of substantial
records at my disposal. But what I can never deny is George Weah
had served the nation as an ambassador of sports. During the
nation’s turmoil the Lone Star was the only bastion of hope. And
George Weah was the only good thing that Liberia was associated
with. I hail the soccer legend for discharging his role he had
been endowed with.
The
problem with our society is the failure of some of us to
maintain what we are and perfect it so that succeeding
generations would benefit. We are easily moved by the
yall-o-yall crowd, the standing ovations, and the flatteries.
Medical doctors are abandoning their respected practice and
scrambling for political offices. Religious leaders are
forsaking their flocks and gallivanting for political power.
Athletes are leaving the play grounds and training centers and
are cruising for a share of political power. Eventually we shall
have a nation without experts; a nation of “jacks of all traits
but masters of none.”
Yes
I have stated that Weah has not the requisite education and
experience to lead Liberia from the throes of war. But this is
not all. Weah had not exhibited the kind of leadership that
Liberia needs. As captain of the Lone Star (the Liberian
national team), the team became one of the most divisive social
groups. It was divided based on affiliation and personal
interest. It was no secret that there were at least three
factions in the Lone Star; namely the Boye Charles, Debah, and
Weah Factions.) At the end the Weah’s faction won because it
proved financially stronger and heavier handed. This is a red
flag! Tyranny and autocrats are born from a small beginning.
About three years ago a friend of mine and I were involved in an
argument about George Weah. I have out rightly stated that I was
ambivalent about Weah being nationalistic since our legend was
married to non-Liberian. I received a barrage of criticism from
my friend and another guy who was listening and observing the
exchanges. Today the issue still haunts us. Since then I have
not changed my position. Those who have being keen observers of
Liberian attitudes will understand that a lot of Liberians
respect what is from outside and despise what is theirs. In the
early and mid nineties I was teaching in the refugee school
system in the Republic of Guinea.
The
most ardent commendation I received from some of my students due
to my high performance was “you are so good at your work. It
looked like you got Ghanaian background.” A girl told me once
that because she was so beautiful that she had the feelings that
she was from Mauritania. I told her that I would have not being
surprised if she was among some of the nomads that often
surfaced in the 80s in the streets of Monrovia begging alms and
selling quack herbs. From that moment she avoided my path. A
middle-aged woman once remarked: “when you Liberian men get
little money or education then this Lorma b--- is not good
again.” I knew she was not only referring to Lorma women along,
it was an approximation of our women.
In
Africa and in fact in many parts of the World first ladies are
like second or first vice presidents. Liberia is not prepared
for a Jamaican V. P. Contrary to this would be a betrayal to our
sovereignty and a stab to our national pride. To add insult to
injury, some months ago King Weah was criticized for leaving an
array of Liberian managers when he employed non-Liberians to
manage his emerging media empire.
It
was the same Georgie who after his taste of professional soccer
and the fame and wealth associated with it scolded our best and
brightest managers and recruited a self-styled Guinean manager
to be his manager. So when did Oppong start having confidence in
Liberians or will he recruit non-Liberians to help run the
government? Let Georgie get his acts together, he is not ready
yet.
George Weah is the wrong person for the wrong job at the wrong
time for the wrong country because he flip-flops. When Manneh
Weah became a soccer legend and Sidiby his manager, he became a
converted to Islamism. He was no longer George Weah but Omar
Weah. But this was not all. After falling out with Sidiby he
abandoned his newly found faith.
In
an interview over Joy FM in Accra, Ghana in an attempt to please
his Ghanaian listeners and win their approval, the soccer legend
stated that he was in fact a Ghanaian that’s why he was called
Oppong. What ever context in which Georgie was speaking I
believe he was very mindless of what he was talking about. I am
not being xenophobic but conservatively nationalistic. For too
long we have down played our country and gone away with such
tendencies. Oppong is not the only one guilty of such tendencies
but since he is one of those in the spotlight there is a need
that we talk about these things. This is also true of those who
consider themselves hyphenated Liberians and yet want to occupy
the echelons of state power. For instance ‘I am a
Togolese-Liberian, an Americo-Liberian, a Lebanese-Liberian,
etc. One cannot have it both ways. This is divided loyalty. It
is a betrayal!
Finally, I greatly admire the man called George Weah. I respect
him for his achievements and contributions. I love him as a
brother; however, I believe that his bid for the presidency at
this time is very hasty and premature. He has not the
requisites. He needs enough time to groom and grow. Patriotism
is not only demonstrated when one is president. There are many
other ways that such can be demonstrated. Georgie should not
follow the examples of many others who misapplied their endowed
talents and became victims of grossly inflated ego and
misjudgment.
God bless Weah and Liberia. |
