By Joe Teh
The attempt of several political parties to form a Grand Coalition in Liberia last weekend did not come as a surprise. Their failure to also have their entire constituents to sign the communiqué establishing the coalition on August 14, was not strange either. It would have surprised us if all eight of the parties making up the Grand Coalition had signed the agreement.
Am I been too pessimistic of opposition political parties’ effort in Liberia? I think not. But if I do, there are more reasons from history that let me do so. Grand coalitions have never held together during my life time in Liberia to be seen as an alternative to the ruling party.
It’s inarguable that the Liberian opposition political parties absolutely want some sort of combined force to defeat the party in power and bring about change, whatever such change is. But this has never proven to be easy especially when some of the opposition leaders see themselves as the de facto candidates and therefore, never wanting to submit to a group interest. So why did they want to join others to form a united front?
In 1986, we saw similar thing. The Grand Coalition then, comprising Unity Party (UP)of Dr. Edward Kesselly; Liberia Unification Party (LUP)of middle school teacher Gabriel Kpolleh and the Liberia Action Party (LAP)of Jackson F. Doe. The current President, Mrs. Sirleaf, was an executive member of LAP. The coalition went to the elections loosely and failed in a disputed elections believed to have been won by LAP.
International criticisms put the coalition in better position to make a lasting impression. However, when the former US Secretary of State, George Shutze, visited Monrovia in Spring of 1986, and asked the opposition what were their concerns, the coalition was divided on issues affecting them.
Similarly in 1997, several oppositions united to oppose the candidate some critics described as the "heartless beast," Charles Taylor, of the National Patriotic Front. Before the elections, scramble for leadership left the newly formed coalition splintered and even remained so after the elections.
It is a dismal fact that Liberian politics is about personalities and selfishness. The result has always been a recipe for dictatorship and inspired current leaders to become repressive. I hope President Johnson-Sirleaf, if re-elected, is not given such chance to change her leadership style from pluralistic to one of a new monster general-in-Chief. But Girl Ellen, you know, is very decent to turn that way.
For political parties that wish to join forces to make a strong case for their electability, they might want to make use of group processes techniques in identifying the norms of the group, build relationships and trust so as move the process forward.
But each one putting themselves above everyone will only see President Johnson-Sirleaf literally unopposed. This time, let oppositions prove that they can offer an alternative choice to what we already know and have.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Giving Luster to the LUX
By Joe Bartuah
NOTE: This article was originally written on June 8, 2009 for publication in a Liberian-owned magazine. Its reproduction herein is informed by the issues raised at the time and the necessity to further highlight the needs of the University of Liberia; expect a sequel.
Former President Edwin James Barclay famously referred to it as the “Lux in Tennebris,” the proverbial light in a vast sea of darkness. Its charter was carved out by the Legislature in 1951, to succeed its precursor, the erstwhile Liberia College, which had been in existence from 1862.
However, from the outset, the University of Liberia (UL) didn’t have a broader national outlook; its parochial confines tended to reduce it to a sort of University of Monrovia, as the national university lacked regional campuses throughout the country.
In spite of its structural inadequacies, UL continued to cater to the academic aspirations of the bulk of the nation’s youth until the eruption of the senseless civil war in December 1989. Like every well-meaning institution in the country at the time, the university was severely ravaged by the 14 years of devastation.
Against such dismal backdrop, it’s needless to say that UL needs help in order to continuously serve the educational needs of the Liberian people. This herculean imperative has motivated the nationalistic zeal of some selfless Liberians to organize themselves into the Massachusetts Alliance for the Restoration of the University of Liberia (MARUL).
Dr. Sam Beh (Class of ’83), president of MARUL, who spoke on May 2nd at the group’s inaugural festivities in Lowell, MA, said the organization’s founding was “in response to an appeal from the University of Liberia to the public for supplies, equipment and instructional materials” to enable the institution carry on its mission of teaching, research and service to the nation.
Beh, himself an eminent educator, noted that embedded in the overwhelming challenges of rebuilding UL “are opportunities for rebuilding the kind of university system that must not only be based in Monrovia, but must have satellite campuses in major regions of the country.”
Disclosing that student enrolment at UL has soared from its prewar high of 9,500 to its current peak of 18,000, Dr. Beh said the “physical facilities” created at the inception of the university “seemed inadequate and did not sufficiently address the issue of access and equity.”
“I believe that the university should continue to pursue its core objects of teaching, research and service and lease out to the private sector those services it might not have the capital to adequately fund and manage,” Dr. Beh emphasized. He said privatizing certain sectors of UL would ensure efficiency and sustainability.
Beh says members of MARUL have already begun putting their money and talents to where their mouths are. The group donated a consignment of office supplies and instructional materials to the former UL president, Dr. Al-Hassan Conteh last year as part of its short term response to the university’s needs.
Beh’s inaugural speech also contained a three-plank proposal which comprises MARUL giving meritorious scholarships to needy students, soliciting support for books, supplies and staff development as well as forging a strong partnership with U.S.-based alumni groupings “to create a broader and more effective University of Liberia Alumni Association.”
The program attracted scores of alumni, former students and employees as well as friends of UL. The guest speaker was Victoria E. Ward, daughter of the late Professor Victor E. Ward of the chemistry department. Ms. Ward chairs the Victor E. Ward Educational Fund, an academic charity set up in memory of the late illustrious professor.
Mr. Sam Teah, president of the Federation of Liberian Community Associations in Massachusetts installed the MARUL officials into their respective offices.
NOTE: This article was originally written on June 8, 2009 for publication in a Liberian-owned magazine. Its reproduction herein is informed by the issues raised at the time and the necessity to further highlight the needs of the University of Liberia; expect a sequel.
Former President Edwin James Barclay famously referred to it as the “Lux in Tennebris,” the proverbial light in a vast sea of darkness. Its charter was carved out by the Legislature in 1951, to succeed its precursor, the erstwhile Liberia College, which had been in existence from 1862.
However, from the outset, the University of Liberia (UL) didn’t have a broader national outlook; its parochial confines tended to reduce it to a sort of University of Monrovia, as the national university lacked regional campuses throughout the country.
In spite of its structural inadequacies, UL continued to cater to the academic aspirations of the bulk of the nation’s youth until the eruption of the senseless civil war in December 1989. Like every well-meaning institution in the country at the time, the university was severely ravaged by the 14 years of devastation.
Against such dismal backdrop, it’s needless to say that UL needs help in order to continuously serve the educational needs of the Liberian people. This herculean imperative has motivated the nationalistic zeal of some selfless Liberians to organize themselves into the Massachusetts Alliance for the Restoration of the University of Liberia (MARUL).
Dr. Sam Beh (Class of ’83), president of MARUL, who spoke on May 2nd at the group’s inaugural festivities in Lowell, MA, said the organization’s founding was “in response to an appeal from the University of Liberia to the public for supplies, equipment and instructional materials” to enable the institution carry on its mission of teaching, research and service to the nation.
Beh, himself an eminent educator, noted that embedded in the overwhelming challenges of rebuilding UL “are opportunities for rebuilding the kind of university system that must not only be based in Monrovia, but must have satellite campuses in major regions of the country.”
Disclosing that student enrolment at UL has soared from its prewar high of 9,500 to its current peak of 18,000, Dr. Beh said the “physical facilities” created at the inception of the university “seemed inadequate and did not sufficiently address the issue of access and equity.”
“I believe that the university should continue to pursue its core objects of teaching, research and service and lease out to the private sector those services it might not have the capital to adequately fund and manage,” Dr. Beh emphasized. He said privatizing certain sectors of UL would ensure efficiency and sustainability.
Beh says members of MARUL have already begun putting their money and talents to where their mouths are. The group donated a consignment of office supplies and instructional materials to the former UL president, Dr. Al-Hassan Conteh last year as part of its short term response to the university’s needs.
Beh’s inaugural speech also contained a three-plank proposal which comprises MARUL giving meritorious scholarships to needy students, soliciting support for books, supplies and staff development as well as forging a strong partnership with U.S.-based alumni groupings “to create a broader and more effective University of Liberia Alumni Association.”
The program attracted scores of alumni, former students and employees as well as friends of UL. The guest speaker was Victoria E. Ward, daughter of the late Professor Victor E. Ward of the chemistry department. Ms. Ward chairs the Victor E. Ward Educational Fund, an academic charity set up in memory of the late illustrious professor.
Mr. Sam Teah, president of the Federation of Liberian Community Associations in Massachusetts installed the MARUL officials into their respective offices.
Okada:The Imperative of Regulation
By Joe Bartuah
NOTE: This article was penned on May 30, 2009 for a proposed Liberian –owned magazine. It is being reproduced here because most of the issues raised herein are still relevant.
Recent reports emanating from Liberia signal mixed accounts about motor cycles, or Okada--they are said to be the fastest growing but equally risky mode of transport in that war-torn country. The motor cycles are said to be frequency involved in accidents resulting to injuries and unnecessary deaths.
In the Monrovia area, regular taxis, as we knew them in prewar times, are said to be scarce. Even in instances where taxis are available, the traffic moves at a snail’s pace, hence the alluring appeal of Okada. The traffic squeeze in Monrovia is understandable though. The streets are very few and for over two decades, they were not regularly maintained, due to a combination of economic slump and misrule. Even Somalia Drive (Freeway), which had been originally planned as a four-lane driveway, remained in its primary two-lane mode that President Tolbert had initiated up to the onset of the senseless killing spree that began on Christmas Eve in 1989.
Moreover, there has been no sustained effort exerted towards connecting Monrovia proper and the Sinkor areas with the Gardinersville-Barnesville areas. That is, to link the two main segments of the capital by means of constructing streets through the mangrove marsh land or building bridges across the Mesurado River.
In the 1980s, a General Binyan Kesselly Boulevard and two others, which were to be financed by the Taiwanese government, were proposed, but they turned out to be sheer bogus exhibitions. Such lack of foresight, coupled with the massive demographic movement or sociological dislocation triggered by the years of upheaval, have induced the near traffic clog that is reportedly plaguing Monrovia nowadays. In such scenario, Okada’s portability ensures its suitability, which translates into its popularity with ordinary folks.
Whereas a taxi has to wait for the traffic to move before it gets to its destination, Okada meanders and makes a way in whatever narrow path and easily delivers the goods or hasten passengers to their destinations. Its operation is not limited to Monrovia. I recently spoke with a gentleman who had just returned from Liberia and he disclosed that he had been an Okada passenger from the Ivorian border town of Tolouple` to Tappita in Nimba County. Whether it is in Ganta, Nimba County; Gbarnga, Bong County; Kakata and Harbel, Margibi County; Okada is said to be all over the place.
While talking about the perennial lack of street maintenance in the Monrovia area, it’s needless to say that the feeder roads and highways in the rural areas are worst off. Many of the feeder roaders were hastily constructed by logging companies in those days. Obviously the loggers’ only aim was to access their logs from the jungle. As for the people in the countryside, their hope had been that the central government would eventually step in and standardize those roads, so as to bring much-needed relief to them.
For example, bridges on the creeks and streams along those roads were made of logs. With the advent of President Tolbert’s “Rally Time” policy in 1972, a policy which the president noted at the time, was aimed at taking Liberians “from mat to mattress”, government began reconditioning some of the “farm-to-market roads”, as the president tagged them. But again since 1980, nearly all the feeder roads have not been serviced by any Public Works Ministry personnel. The result has been a near impassible country in which travelling has become a sort of nightmare. Against such dismal backdrop, Okada is certainly an innovative means of transport because it has the capacity and potential of going to some of the remotest parts of the country.
However, Okada must not be allowed to operate in a vacuum. Government must robustly step in, formulate a concise transport policy that sanitizes the situation in order to drastically minimize the unnecessary loss of precious lives. Protecting the citizenry is one of the cardinal responsibilities of any legitimate government. The Liberian government must not shirk this sacred responsibility because both the Okada operator and his passengers need government’s protection.
We lost so many precious lives during the 14-year senselessness that the plagued the nation; we can’t afford to sit supinely, or remain indifferent to the pathetic plight of young people who are hastening their own demise in their desperate pursuits of the ever elusive dollar. The police must properly train all those desirous of operating motor cycles, or the government should enfranchise private agencies to conduct such training. Moreover, helmets must be required for all motor cyclists and they should be restricted to certain routes in the city; we can’t just allow motor cycles to erratically swarm our streets, running amok at almost supersonic speeds all over the place. Almost six years after the climax of the killing competition, we have past such chaotic scenario.
The training of motor cyclists should be followed by testing and certification before one can be allowed to operate a motor cycle. Additionally, all motor cycles should be properly identified by government-issued license plates. And most importantly, all motor cycles and vehicles operating in Liberia must be insured, so as to ensure that victims of vehicular or cyclical accidents are properly compensated. Before I left the country, the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) Brown Card protocol, which mandates that all vehicles within the sub-region be insured, was being initiated.
However, it was a false start, because only taxi cab owners were being asked to pay $US300 annually at the time; non-commercial private and state-owned vehicles were not being insured when I left Liberia in 2001. Now that we have a legitimate government rather than the scandalous cartel that was in power at the time, the government must make a quick move to standardize, stabilize and sanitize the entire transport sector, thereby ensuring that Okada safely plays its role in the socio-economic development of our dear country.
About the author: Joe Bartuah is formerly editor of The NEWS Newspaper in Monrovia. He currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
NOTE: This article was penned on May 30, 2009 for a proposed Liberian –owned magazine. It is being reproduced here because most of the issues raised herein are still relevant.
Recent reports emanating from Liberia signal mixed accounts about motor cycles, or Okada--they are said to be the fastest growing but equally risky mode of transport in that war-torn country. The motor cycles are said to be frequency involved in accidents resulting to injuries and unnecessary deaths.
In the Monrovia area, regular taxis, as we knew them in prewar times, are said to be scarce. Even in instances where taxis are available, the traffic moves at a snail’s pace, hence the alluring appeal of Okada. The traffic squeeze in Monrovia is understandable though. The streets are very few and for over two decades, they were not regularly maintained, due to a combination of economic slump and misrule. Even Somalia Drive (Freeway), which had been originally planned as a four-lane driveway, remained in its primary two-lane mode that President Tolbert had initiated up to the onset of the senseless killing spree that began on Christmas Eve in 1989.
Moreover, there has been no sustained effort exerted towards connecting Monrovia proper and the Sinkor areas with the Gardinersville-Barnesville areas. That is, to link the two main segments of the capital by means of constructing streets through the mangrove marsh land or building bridges across the Mesurado River.
In the 1980s, a General Binyan Kesselly Boulevard and two others, which were to be financed by the Taiwanese government, were proposed, but they turned out to be sheer bogus exhibitions. Such lack of foresight, coupled with the massive demographic movement or sociological dislocation triggered by the years of upheaval, have induced the near traffic clog that is reportedly plaguing Monrovia nowadays. In such scenario, Okada’s portability ensures its suitability, which translates into its popularity with ordinary folks.
Whereas a taxi has to wait for the traffic to move before it gets to its destination, Okada meanders and makes a way in whatever narrow path and easily delivers the goods or hasten passengers to their destinations. Its operation is not limited to Monrovia. I recently spoke with a gentleman who had just returned from Liberia and he disclosed that he had been an Okada passenger from the Ivorian border town of Tolouple` to Tappita in Nimba County. Whether it is in Ganta, Nimba County; Gbarnga, Bong County; Kakata and Harbel, Margibi County; Okada is said to be all over the place.
While talking about the perennial lack of street maintenance in the Monrovia area, it’s needless to say that the feeder roads and highways in the rural areas are worst off. Many of the feeder roaders were hastily constructed by logging companies in those days. Obviously the loggers’ only aim was to access their logs from the jungle. As for the people in the countryside, their hope had been that the central government would eventually step in and standardize those roads, so as to bring much-needed relief to them.
For example, bridges on the creeks and streams along those roads were made of logs. With the advent of President Tolbert’s “Rally Time” policy in 1972, a policy which the president noted at the time, was aimed at taking Liberians “from mat to mattress”, government began reconditioning some of the “farm-to-market roads”, as the president tagged them. But again since 1980, nearly all the feeder roads have not been serviced by any Public Works Ministry personnel. The result has been a near impassible country in which travelling has become a sort of nightmare. Against such dismal backdrop, Okada is certainly an innovative means of transport because it has the capacity and potential of going to some of the remotest parts of the country.
However, Okada must not be allowed to operate in a vacuum. Government must robustly step in, formulate a concise transport policy that sanitizes the situation in order to drastically minimize the unnecessary loss of precious lives. Protecting the citizenry is one of the cardinal responsibilities of any legitimate government. The Liberian government must not shirk this sacred responsibility because both the Okada operator and his passengers need government’s protection.
We lost so many precious lives during the 14-year senselessness that the plagued the nation; we can’t afford to sit supinely, or remain indifferent to the pathetic plight of young people who are hastening their own demise in their desperate pursuits of the ever elusive dollar. The police must properly train all those desirous of operating motor cycles, or the government should enfranchise private agencies to conduct such training. Moreover, helmets must be required for all motor cyclists and they should be restricted to certain routes in the city; we can’t just allow motor cycles to erratically swarm our streets, running amok at almost supersonic speeds all over the place. Almost six years after the climax of the killing competition, we have past such chaotic scenario.
The training of motor cyclists should be followed by testing and certification before one can be allowed to operate a motor cycle. Additionally, all motor cycles should be properly identified by government-issued license plates. And most importantly, all motor cycles and vehicles operating in Liberia must be insured, so as to ensure that victims of vehicular or cyclical accidents are properly compensated. Before I left the country, the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) Brown Card protocol, which mandates that all vehicles within the sub-region be insured, was being initiated.
However, it was a false start, because only taxi cab owners were being asked to pay $US300 annually at the time; non-commercial private and state-owned vehicles were not being insured when I left Liberia in 2001. Now that we have a legitimate government rather than the scandalous cartel that was in power at the time, the government must make a quick move to standardize, stabilize and sanitize the entire transport sector, thereby ensuring that Okada safely plays its role in the socio-economic development of our dear country.
About the author: Joe Bartuah is formerly editor of The NEWS Newspaper in Monrovia. He currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
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