TALKING WITH THE PRESIDENT
Published: 09 May, 2008
Madam President, welcome back home. It is good to know that you received a clean bill of health from your medical check-up. Certainly, one of the major news items, if not the biggest news, that you met upon your return home was the 'not guilty' decision rendered by Judge Gbenewelleh in the Treason Case.
To Privatize or Not: The Case with our Public Corporations
Published: 08 May, 2008
Every Liberian should be proud of the final version of the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) as presented by the Government. We should be thankful to the participants for a great service to our common patrimony.
Development of a New Ministry
Published: 06 May, 2008
Liberians are talented, Liberians are very creative and gifted, Liberians are smart sort of people - These are the assertions of most individuals encountered from different walks of life.
The Predators of Press Freedom
Published: 05 May, 2008
Reporters without Borders issued May 2, 2008 an updated list of its 'predators of press freedom' for World Press Freedom Day, which was celebrated worldwide Saturday, May 3, 2008.
TALKING WITH THE PRESIDENT
Published: 02 May, 2008
Dr. Tipoteh
Madam President, May 1 is International Workers Day. Happy International Workers Day. This is time to reflect on the contributions of the workers of Liberia to the building and re-building of our country.
The Plight of the Children of Liberia
Published: 27 April, 2008
Children everywhere are called future leaders. And for this reason, every family strives to give their children the best foundation to grow up and become respectful and productive people. It is because of the importance of children in succeeding their parents as heirs apparent that religions emphasize moral training for children with care. The Qur'an warns parents who don't take good care of children, and also advises for good training for children. The Bible also gives parents a good recommendation to train up their children in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it.
TALKING WITH THE PRESIDENT
Published: 25 April, 2008
Madam President, yet once again, some African leaders of state are showing that they do not want to learn correctly lessons of the past. Nearly 2,000 persons had to die in Kenya before the post-elections crisis came to an end with the induction of Mr. Raila Odinga as Prime Minister.
A Great Injustice Was Done: The Search for a Cultural Policy for Liberia
Published: 24 April, 2008
The Writer
The article 'Towards a Cultural Policy for Liberia: The Wheel Has Already Been Invented', (April 1, 2008) is distinctive. The author, Dr. C. William Allen, did a unique job in bringing to the limelight the injustice meted out to Kenneth Y. Best in 1974 by some officials of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT).
Bridging the Gap in Covering Taylor's Trial
Published: 23 April, 2008
Foreign press reports and news releases from the International Criminal Court in The Hague on the trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor have created a long list of dilemma for both the Liberian and Sierra Leonean media to accurately and adequately cover the trial.
Understanding the Africa Commission
Published: 22 April, 2008
The Writer Photo by A.M. Johnson
Africa has seen many positive developments and experienced progress in several areas in the past decade, primarily thanks to the continent's international partners as well as Africa's own efforts and reforms. However, development must be accelerated further. In a global context, Africa has largely been left behind in the area of economic growth, which is a prerequisite for solving many of the existing challenges.
TALKING WITH THE PRESIDENT
Published: 18 April, 2008
Madam President, having just come out of a most devastating civil war where the lack of participation of the people in national decision-making was at the root of the causes for war, the way forward for the better Liberia necessarily is the participation of the people in national decision-making. Whatever form this participation takes, as long as it is peaceful, it must be encouraged. If any form of this participation were to run counter to the rule of law, then the courts become the proper place for handling the matter.
Critical Health Care Fails to Reach Most Women And Children in High-Mortality Countries
Published: 17 April, 2008
Leading global health experts, policymakers and parliamentarians are convening in Cape Town from 17th to 19th April at the Countdown to 2015 conference to address the urgent need for accelerated progress to reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths.
Why Everything Including Food Costs More in Liberia?
Published: 16 April, 2008
By Amara Konneh
In the past week alone, I have received several emails and phone calls from friends and relatives in Liberia complaining about the rising commodity prices on the local market.
The Graves Are Not Yet Full
Published: 09 April, 2008
The writer
Walk with me down memory lane. The time: 1968. In 30 months, one million dead. The setting: a dusty camp in Biafra where survivors waited and hoped for peace. The survivors: Refugees fleeing from the “Dance of Death”. My mentor: One of the refugee camp directors, whom I called “Teacher” out of respect.
Deliberating on African Standby Force
Published: 08 April, 2008
By Muniru M. Nyei II
I will like to extend my commendation to all members of this August Body who have taken off time to put their knowledge at the service of Humanity. We are aware that knowledge which does not serve humanity becomes a vulgar travesty. There I salute you for your gallantry!
ADDRESS BY KENNETH Y. BEST, PUBLISHER OF THE DAILY OBSERVER NEWSPAPER, AT THE INSTALLATATION CEREMONY OF THE LIBERIA CHAMBER OF ARCHITECTS, CORINNA HOTEL, APRIL 5, 2008
Published: 07 April, 2008
TALKING WITH THE PRESIDENT
Published: 04 April, 2008
Madam President, it is good that the Liberianization bill has been withdrawn from the Legislature to facilitate the flow of more informed inputs to enhance its relevance. The presentation of the bill contained the view that Liberianization had not worked essentially because Liberians lacked capacity. This lack of capacity has been presented in the forms of inadequate management skills and poor funding.
Simple Reality of National Development
Published: 02 April, 2008
By S. Mohammed A. Swaray, Management Analyst
The term 'citizenship' has several different meanings but brings with it certain rights and responsibilities that are defined in law, namely, the right to vote, responsibility to pay tax, which also defines our legal, political and socio-economic status that guides our involvement in public life and affairs.
Toward a Cultural Policy for Liberia: The Wheel Has Already Been Invented
Published: 01 April, 2008
It is common knowledge that a nation that does not acknowledge its ethos is bound to repeat the follies of its past, spin its wheels, wasting precious time and resources in the present, and such a nation is doomed to a grim future punctuated by the folly of its past.
Simple Reality of National Development
Published: 31 March, 2008
By S. Mohammed A. Swaray, Management Analyst
The business environment of Liberia centers on its natural endowments, including iron ore, timber, dams for hydropower, mineral resources, forests and a climate favorable to agriculture. Importation of goods and services include fuel, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, rice and other foodstuffs while its export includes diamonds, iron ore, rubber, timber and/or coffee.
Talking with the President Is A Must
Published: 28 March, 2008
Madam President, it is impossible to do budgeting well without evaluation. In the case of national budgeting for the government, the evaluation of all sources and uses of funding is a must. Such necessity is realized mainly to obtain useful knowledge about mistakes made and how to correct them in ways that prevent the repetition of the past mistakes. As you know, this is essentially the method for preventing problems.
The Liberian Renaissance Changing the Way We Think, Do Things, Talk, ...
Published: 27 March, 2008
After 14 years of hostilities that led to the systematic breakdown of every facet of the Liberian society, a young, religious-minded scholar and a styled think tank brought forth an idea called The Liberian Renaissance (LR) to salvage the lost consciousness and develop a new high as Liberia transitions from warfare to tranquility.
Youth Agitation in the UP: Pitfalls and Challenges
Published: 25 March, 2008
At the time of writing this piece, some youths of the Ruling Unity Party (UP) were staging a sit-in action at the Party's Headquarters on Broad Street to demand the removal of the Party's Chairman, Dr. Charles Clarke, on grounds that his leadership has failed to ensure their inclusion in the working class of the country. Basically, they are accusing Dr. Clarke of failing to protect their interest through the provision of jobs, most definitely in Government, and the lack of party structures on the ground around the country.
Liberian Refugees Deserve Social Justice, Too
Published: 24 March, 2008
According to BBC News of March 18, 2008, as per a Ghanaian government minister's decision, a group of Liberian women refugees who have held naked protests by the roadside are to be deported from Ghana.
Africans Are Stupid: Fact or Fiction?
Published: 24 March, 2008
The writer
Oh don't act so surprised. You've heard it said before. We say it behind closed doors and in brief moments of honesty over bowls of fufu and bottles of Club Beer (that's local brew in Liberia if you've been abroad for a while). They say a drunken man never lies anyway. But today we are going to have this conversation out in the open.
Towards Political Development And Nation Building
Published: 20 March, 2008
Consequently, if these goals and objectives for which we were formed be our guiding principles, then our success and failure should be measured by these goals and aspirations. An object is considered good if it performs its intended function for which it was made. Similarly, Liberia will never be a perfect state until its intended goals and aspirations are achieved and its intended spirit is properly sought! Its citizens must know the reason for which they do pledge allegiance to their nation. Indeed, Liberia must recognize once again its mission and intended aspirations. That should be the hallmark of both the citizens and their government! The principle or the adherence to the principle of modernization should be another basic concentration for political development and nation building. Modernization is the process of profound social change in which tradition-bound villagers or tribal-based societies are compelled to react to the pressure and demands of the modernized, industrialized and urban centered world. It can be simply termed “world culture” a world culture bound on advanced technology and the spirit of science, on a rational view of life, secular approach to social relations, a feeling of justice in public affairs; above all else, on the acceptance in the political realm of the belief that the prime unit of the polity is the nation state. True, the state should develop such mindset of such world culture especially in the dynamic arena of technology! Such modernized spirit would not only bring political development but also attract additional social forces that would build our nation, Liberia. And the sum effect of being part of the nation states as a prime unit, according to the concept of modernization, is being part of an international system. And such international system would help rebuild our nation as it is now evident partially in this regime!!
High Impact Citizens: Suggestions for Liberian Entrepreneurs
Published: 18 March, 2008
I believe Liberian entrepreneurs can indeed leverage their resources and influence to impact Liberia in a positive way. Consequently, they (Liberian entrepreneurs) will be remembered as Liberians who made a great difference in the lives of others, thereby creating a legacy to be proud of. There are several ways in which Liberian entrepreneurs can become high impact citizens.
President George W. Bush's Visit: Focusing on the Big and Small Pictures
Published: 17 March, 2008
The President of the United States of America, George W. Bush, accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs. Laura Bush, and the cream of his policy team, including the Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Joshua Bolten, Chief of Staff to the President, Stephen Hadley, National Security Adviser, Edward Gillespie, former Republican Party Chair and Counselor to the President, Dana Perino, Press Secretary to the President, Jenadayi Frazer, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Bobby Pittman, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs, have come and gone.
TALKING WITH THE PRESIDENT
Published: 14 March, 2008
Madam President, this commentary focuses on actions taken by officials of Government that affect not only the Government's image but the image of Liberia. For example, if you were to announce publicly that the Government is correcting a mistake pointed out through public criticism, such an announcement would be promoting the Government's good image as well as the good image of Liberia. This is why when you responded to public queries about the delay in the implementation of road projects, during the 2006/07 dry season, by pointing out flaws in the feasibility study, you received commendations generally, including one from me, for telling the truth and submitting to just public demands.
POST-CONFLICT REGIONAL STABILITY AND ITS IMPACT ON LIBERIA'S FOREIGN POLICY OBJECTIVES
Published: 11 March, 2008
Meanwhile, the sequence of unfortunate events emanating from the violent conflagration of 1980 has led many political analysts to conclude that this was, in essence, the beginning of Liberia's blind gravitation towards chaos and the debilitating reality of brutal political disintegration that had initially seemed alien to this peaceful land.
POST-CONFLICT REGIONAL STABILITY AND ITS IMPACT ON LIBERIA'S FOREIGN POLICY OBJECTIVES
Published: 10 March, 2008
The civil conflict that thrust this great nation into the arena of Failed States began when Charles Taylor staged an invasion from within the territorial confines of the Ivory Coast. Prior to that, if our minds must be refreshed, General Thomas Quiwonkpa, in his bid to unseat the despotism of Samuel Doe, made an incursion into this country from across our border with neighboring Sierra Leone. Supplementary to the aforementioned, and most Liberians are living witnesses to this fact, the offensive by the powerful Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebel fighting machine, which brought the Taylor Regime to its knees, was launched from within the borders of our northern neighbor, Guinea. It is, of course, an open secret that the incursion was staged with the tacit approval and material support of the Guinean Government. Given the deadly relevance of these developments to the resulting utter devastation of the fundamental structure of Liberian society and the eventual discombobulation of the fabric of Liberian statehood, I submit that unless a policy of Active Engagement with the leadership of our immediate neighbors is embraced, stability in our beloved patrimony could continue to dangerously tether on the point of a needle. If the path of reconstruction and reconciliation being pursued by President Sirleaf must continue minus the nagging bottlenecks that tend to strangulate the security and stability of developing nations, thus stagnating national development, than of course the adjustments in our foreign policy that would accommodate current realities must be made in a timely fashion.
TALKING WITH THE PRESIDENT
Published: 07 March, 2008
Madam President, this commentary is based on an experience that I had with one of your Senior Ministers on this past Sunday. This experience took place at the Reception in honor of the recently enthroned Episcopalian Bishop which was held at the Monrovia City Hall.
Building Peace with Radio: Lessons from Liberia
Published: 06 March, 2008
Local and international pressure for the fighting in Liberia to stop grew stronger. And a few days later the US embassy, which recorded all of our audio reports and West African leaders pushed for ceasefire and soon the belligerent forces were in Accra for yet another peace conference.
Profile of the Rt. Rev. Jonathan B. B. Bonaparte Hart, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Liberia
Published: 04 March, 2008
Rt. Rev. Jonathan B.B. Bonaparte Hart Photo by A M Johnson
He had wanted to become an electrical engineer. After all, he had passed an examination for a scholarship to study in that field in the Republic of China (Taiwan) and was all set to go. Having completed his primary education at the Christ Episcopal Church Parish Day School in his native Crozierville, and at the Daniel E. Howard Elementary and Junior High in Monrovia, Jonathan Bau-Bau Bonarparte Hart had entered the William V.S. Tubman High School (WVSTHS). It was there in his sophomore year that he had become attracted to the field of electricity, after going through orientation of several technical and professional areas the year before. He found electricity challenging, hence his decision to study electrical engineering.
Simple Reality of National Development
Published: 03 March, 2008
The term 'citizenship' has several different meanings but brings with it certain rights and responsibilities that are defined in law, namely, the right to vote, responsibility to pay taxes, and the definition of our legal, political and socio-economic status that guides our involvement in public life and affairs, among a host of others.
TALKING WITH THE PRESIDENT
Published: 29 February, 2008
Madam President, thanks for the invitation to participate in the activities marking the welcoming of President George W. Bush to Liberia. My invitation reached me late evening of the day before the visit, but “better late than never”, as the saying goes. The passage of a week after the visit has given us some time to reflect on the visit and learn some lessons from it. Understandably, it is always useful to learn lessons correctly, as the only way to make progress is to take actions that do not lead to making the same mistakes.
During the eve of the 1997 elections there was an ad which went something like this: “There are more good people in Liberia than bad people and we must make sure that the good people win.”
One Ellen Is A Bitter Tablet. What About Two!!??
Published: 27 February, 2008
Flashback: President Sirleaf and Nicholas
On January 28, 2008, I was honored to attend the annual message of our beloved President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf at the joint session of the Legislature during which I was highly impressed by the energetic and joyful manner in which she presented her report with seriousness and decisiveness.
Withdraw the anti-Liberianization Business Bill
Published: 26 February, 2008
Madam President, I admire your exceptional job and I do support your development policies. However, I differ with you on this one. I have read news accounts that your office submitted a bill to the Legislature so that they can repeal the statute that reserves some 26 businesses exclusively to Liberian investors. I gather that this action was prompted by two reasons: i) foreign investors were loath to investing in Liberia owing to the existence of the law, and ii) the protective statute has not achieved its intended purpose.
President George W. Bush's Visit to Liberia: Is It a 'Big Deal'?
Published: 22 February, 2008
Yesterday, George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States of the United States, along with his wife, Mrs. Laura Bush, visited Liberia. For some, the question is so what? For others, their reaction is that this is no big deal.
WE SALUTE PRESIDENT AND MRS. GEORGE BUSH AND MEMBERS OF THEIR DELEGATION
Published: 21 February, 2008
President and Mrs. George Bush and members of their delegation have embarked on a five-nation African tour, including Liberia. It is the third visit by a sitting American President to Liberia. The first was by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, followed by a visit by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. Every time a sitting American President is scheduled to visit Liberia, expectations are raised because of the longstanding relationship between the two countries and also America's enormous economic potential and influence in the world. This visit to Liberia has all the features of a great state occasion.
A Friend in Need: Liberia's Crucial Help to America and Her Allies During World War II
Published: 20 February, 2008
By Kenneth Y. Best
This article is an excerpt from a forthcoming book by this author on the legendary pamphleteer and constitutional analyst, Albert Porte. The book is in its final stage of editing and is due to be published shortly.
TALKING WITH THE PRESIDENT
Published: 15 February, 2008
Madam President, having listened carefully to your 2008 Annual Message, it is now timely to discuss the crucial importance of translating government pronouncements into consistent action. A few areas of inconsistency are presented in this commentary with the view that the appropriate adjustment can be made urgently.
Lake Teleh Needs Urgent Attention
Published: 13 February, 2008
Lake Teleh is situated below the general public market building in Sanniquellie, the capital City of Nimba County, and also the birthplace of the great Organization of African Unity (OAU), now African Union (AU). It is the largest man-made lake in Nimba County.
Brief Historical Facts of AFL Day, February 11
Published: 12 February, 2008
Research reveals that from 1847, there was no Armed Forces Day marked for February 11. In fact, there was no Armed Forces of Liberia until 1908. There were, however, Territorial Militia Units, each of which had its own quarterly Parade Day that was enacted by Law of the Republic of Liberia. During those days, the regular Army of Liberia, then called the Liberian Frontier Force, used to combine with the Territorial Militia Units and to have a parade on special occasions such as the National Independence Day of July 26, and the inaugural ceremonies for an elected President of the Republic of Liberia since 1847.
TALKING WITH THE PRESIDENT
Published: 08 February, 2008
Madam President, one of the hotly debated questions of today is the appointment or election of City Mayors. The best way to answer any question or approach any problem is to make sure that the answer or approach places you on the road to where you want to go. Having just come out of a civil war that killed at least one out of every ten Liberians, the people of Liberia want to be on the road to peace.
