Liberia: The River is Rising: A sequel to “From Underdog to Top Dog: Gongloe’s steady Rise to the Top”

Cllr. Tiawan Saye GongloeGongloe’s candidacy started off as just a trickle and then a streamlet, a rivulet, a creek, and lo, a river that is rising and swelling over its banks inundating the political landscape.

From Cape Mount to Cape Palmas, the once little known underdog is taking his message to the people. That message is “a Better Liberia is Possible”  and that “Government is a place to serve and not to steal”.

And his message is resonating amongst the people. So far the LPP Presidential candidate, Tiawan Gongloe has visited more towns and villages in rural Liberia than any other aspiring Presidential candidate.

Following his completion of a whirlwind tour of Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Gbarpolu, Lofa, Bong, River Cess and Nimba counties, the irresistible candidate Gongloe has now visited the southeastern counties of Sinoe, Grand Gedeh, River Gee, Grand Kru and Maryland.

To date, LPP Presidential candidate Tiawan Saye Gongloe has visited  301 towns in 13 counties. Not many presidential aspirants have reached most of the towns and villages that Cllr. Gongloe has covered in his outreach program. Most presidential aspirants usually cover the capital cities of the counties and sometimes a few big towns, unlike what Gongloe has done, thus far, thereby setting a new standard in presidential politics in Liberia.

In Grand Gedeh, according to local inhabitants, LPP presidential candidate Tiawan Gongloe, is dubbed “Puliyon” meaning “Savior” by the people of Pour Town. This is in recognition of his warm relationship with the people of that town which began when he dedicated two bridges constructed by the Ministry of Labor in 2009 and the fact that he slept in the town during that occasion.

This is in addition to countless invaluable pro bono legal services he has rendered over the years to several individuals hailing from Grand Gedeh, including those who were charged by the Government of Liberia with mercenarism for their alleged involvement in the Ivorian civil conflict.

As Solicitor General of Liberia, according to informed sources, he told President Sirleaf that there was no evidence to prosecute Gen. (rt) Charles Julu for treason, although the President had, at the time, appeared bent on settling scores with Gen. Julu for her imprisonment and maltreatment under President Samuel K. Doe, the General’s kinsman.  

In spite of the fact that the late General Charles Julu, stood accused of the politically motivated killing of prominent Nimbaians, including Colonel John Holder Nuah,  D. K Wonsehleay and others, Gongloe, guided by his conscience  as a human rights lawyer, informed the President that his role as Solicitor General was to prosecute based on evidence and not to “persecute”, based on mere suspicion. 

According to sources, he told the President, Madam President, “…in order for me to prosecute anyone for treason, the evidence must be clear and cogent; but if I have to look for the evidence in the day using a flashlight, then there is no need for me to proceed with prosecution, because the role of a prosecutor is to see that justice is done, not to seek conviction at all cost.”

Gongloe’s reputation in upholding respect for the rule of law and human rights would never have allowed him to be a co-conspirator of President Ellen Sirleaf in her desire to revenge against Julu for what happened to her under Samuel Doe. And he stood his ground.

At the time no lawyer in town dared or appeared willing to represent those individuals but Tiawan Gongloe boldly stepped forward to their legal defense despite the then existing strife and enmity between the Krahn on one hand and Gios and Manos on  the other hand.

And for such bold and courageous action, amongst others, the people of Grand Gedeh, in recognition of his goodness to them, fondly refer to him as “Puliyon” meaning savior in the Krahn language. During the funeral of his late father in Nimba, the people of Pour Town, Grand Gedeh County, sent a high-level official representation headed by the Late Clan Chief Kyne and they brought gifts including two goats, male and female, a white chicken and white rice.

The towns recently visited by the Presidential aspirant in Grand Gedeh include Toe Town which straddles the border between Nimba and Grand Gedeh and the Ivory Coast, Zleh Town, Pour Town, Guan’s Town, Zayee Town, Barbolor Town, Tiama Town, and Zwedru. He also visited Tuzon, the home of the Late President Samuel K. Doe, where he was hosted for a night amidst massive celebration. 

He was warmly received by citizens of that area and for them, according to locals, they felt honored by his visit as a presidential candidate which was unprecedented, something no presidential candidate had ever done since 2005. 

As a son of Nimba, he has won the admiration of many Liberians who seek genuine reconciliation and unity and now stands out among Liberian politicians as a reconciler who is able to unite the Liberian people against all odds. In River Gee County, he was well received and at every opportunity, he drove home the message that a better Liberia is possible and that government is a place to serve and not to steal. 

In his home county of Nimba, he has already visited 110 towns including Nyorgormaplay, in Zogeh, Nimba County, the birthplace of Senator Prince Johnson where he was very warmly received.

He then proceeded to Zor Zualay, the birthplace of Gen. Thomas Quiwonkpa, where he slept amidst a night of festivities, given that he was the first high- profile person to visit the town since the death of the General.

Next on his itinerary was Gbolay, the birthplace of Jackson Fiah Doe, which he appropriately refers to as the “Political Shrine” of Nimba County, given that it was the first town in Nimba County to ever produce a presidential candidate since Liberia gained independence in 1847. 

Cllr. Gongloe also visited Pyne Town, Sinoe County, the birthplace of the late Thomas Weh Syen, first Vice Chairman of the People’s Redemption Council (PRC). His vast knowledge of Liberian history is driving him to, deliberately, make visits that bear the greatest potential for reconciling and uniting the people of Liberia

By these visits to rural communities and engaging the people in interactive discussions, listening to their problems and concerns, Gongloe has in the eyes of the public, placed himself right on top of all the presidential aspirants when it comes to issues of reconciliation and unity. 

Having visited 13 counties, he is likely to make similar visits in Monsterrado and Margibi Counties before the rainy season begins in earnest. He is expected to visit Monrovia, Kakata and rural towns in the two counties. 

The LPP Presidential aspirant is breaking new grounds in presidential politics by reaching out directly to as many Liberians as possible, because he says, “ In order to solve a problem one must have full knowledge of the problem.

This means that a presidential aspirant must visit rural towns and villages in order to know the problems the people are facing, thereby placing him in the position to solve their problems when he becomes their president.” 

People traveling with Gongloe are amazed by the level of energy he exudes that keeps him moving from town to town, sleeping on bamboo beds with palm-thatch mattresses; using outdoor latrines and bathrooms as well as sometime drinking well water and running water.

Inter-Party collaboration: 

It is most often asked these days just what is Cllr Gongloe’s response to calls for collaboration to ensure the generally desired goal to make President Weah a one-term President? 

Such calls have intensified over recent months with some suggesting that the LPP candidate, Tiawan Gongloe joins the Unity Party candidate, former Vice President Joseph Boakai in order to form what they claim will be a formidable ticket capable of unseating President George Weah in the first round. 

Others have instead suggested that he would be a good Vice Presidential pick for Boakai while some have even suggested  that he joins forces with the remnants of the Collaborating Political Party (CPP) led by ANC leader Alexander Cummings supported by the Musa Bility faction of the Liberty Party.

Gongloe insists that the ultimate goal of the LPP is not just to remove President Weah from office; but to reform the entire presidential  and  public management systems which have sustained the corruption and generation of endemic poverty in Liberia.  

In the context of inter-party collaboration, this will require dispelling preconceived notions of mutual suspicion, overcoming turf wars, and expanding horizons, fine tuning proposals and sharpening perspectives on change beyond narrow sectarian interests. 

In short, who leads the ticket in any collaboration must show that he/she has political will needed to make hard decisions being guided by relevant knowledge of the social, economic and political landscape drawn from a wellspring of hard experience gained from living and working in Liberia under very trying conditions    

This is why Gongloe maintains he is not an independent candidate and that any discussion regarding collaboration of any kind should be a matter for discussions between or among political parties. However, realistically speaking there seems not to be enough time for such discussion, as it goes beyond forming one presidential ticket; it extends to horse-trading on legislative seats, the leadership of the collaboration, cabinet make-up and appointment of officials of government after election. 

The CPP presented a perfect opportunity for such discussions, but a lack of effective leadership within its ranks and fierce ambition for the presidency squandered that opportunity. Therefore, the position of the LPP, according to sources close to the leadership of the party, is that it will support any opposition party that goes to the second round, if the competition is between an opposition party and the ruling party. 

However, some analysts now hold the view that the competition will ultimately end up between LPP and UP and that CDC and ANC are falling behind judging from the current look of things. 

The rationale given is that the ANC suffers an identity crisis as the geographic constituency of its political leader remains permanently in doubt and the President’s very poor performance in all aspects of governance, some of which have been highlighted in the annual US State Department reports, have turned a lot of his supporters away from him. 

In the meantime, however there are a number of pressing issues on which political parties should and ought to collaborate for their own good.

One salient issue is the unilateral declaration by the NEC Chairperson that there will be no extension of the Registration process. Without consulting the parties Madame Lansanah has issued such an edict. After all said and done, political parties are indeed the direct stakeholders in the country’s electoral process and they should be consulted at every step of the way.

But remaining passive as they have and apparently continue to be, the NEC Chairperson will ride roughshod over their heads just as she is doing now. But the people of Liberia are yearning for change so much that, even the silence of the opposition will not give an easy-ride to a second term of the incumbent President. 

History has shown time and again that the people will rise whenever the objective conditions dictate their collective action. In such situations, the Election Commission becomes irrelevant.

The opposition political parties ought to take note that it is a mere 6 months to elections and if a level playing field is not created by or before the end of July, there can be no guarantee that the elections will be free, fair and transparent.  

This means that this government, under the leadership of President Weah, must step up to the plate and provide the resources to enable NEC to fully and effectively discharge her function as a neutral arbiter.

 The NEC Chairperson is indeed acutely aware of the situation but she has been economical with the truth that the Government of Liberia is reneging on its responsibility to fund the elections.

For example, aside from multiple reports of malfunctioning equipment, including those which are solar powered and which have been reported on an almost daily basis since the Biometric Voter Registration exercise commenced, there is the issue of the NEC data center.

The NEC data center is under the direct supervision of a NEC convicted fraudster Floyd Sayor, a known CDcian who is now a NEC Commissioner. He was found guilty of electoral fraud- manipulation of voting results.

Now if such developments are taking place right here in Monrovia where communications and other supporting infrastructure are available what about areas outside Monrovia?

Another issue of concern on which parties should collaborate to challenge is the suggestion apparently mooted by NEC that the Optical Mark Recognition method will be used for voting.

The question is what then is/was the purpose of the Biometric registration when it will not be used to identify registered voters on elections day. 

Is this step not a recipe for  “wahala” and is it not a matter on which political parties should collaborate? 

This is all part of the systemic corruption to which LPP candidate Tiawan Saye Gongloe has pledged to fight with unrelenting vigor. And this is the reason why his candidacy appears to be gaining momentum all over Liberia. 

All around the country similar stories of corruption and how it has negatively affected the people abound and how deeply ordinary people yearn for the ascendancy to power of an honest and transparent national leadership. 

In Lofa County, for example where Gongloe was well received, there are issues of land grabbing and illegal depletion of natural resources by past and present officials of this government.

Representative Thomas Fallah according to reports has a company that is illegally harvesting logs from the forests in Kolahun District and locals are helpless to do anything about it but raise complaints that fall on deaf ears.

Similarly in the Foya District, locals are complaining bitterly about land grabbing by the ADA under a 2008 bogus 120 yr. Concession agreement. 

Locals were evicted from the lands without compensation and worse the so-called Concession agreement was never discussed and the people never acceded to any such agreement.

But the agreement is still not repealed, revoked or cancelled and so it remains in force, although the bogus ADA has since folded up with the failure of the Foya Rice Project.

Then look at the Western Cluster Agreement and the bogus Edwin Snowe inspired MoU under which millions of tons of iron ore are being mined, conveyed on the country’s dilapidated roads to the port and shipped abroad without recompense to the people.

Are all these not issues on which political parties can collaborate in order to put a halt to the naked exploitation of our people?

If indeed they are then it requires that political parties look beyond their horizons which limit their perspectives on change in Liberia to a singular objective, the removal of George Weah from office and nothing else apart from the distribution of spoils, plum jobs and official perks. 

And they are going ahead at full steam never mind the messy affair which this election promises to be under current conditions and under the guidance of a corrupt electoral body.

As things stand with just 6 months to elections, most of which will be during the rainy months, it is doubtful that any other candidate perhaps except for President Weah using state resources will cover as much ground as Gongloe has. According to sources close  to the LPP candidate, Gongloe, has already visited 301 towns in 13 counties, in most of which the residents have described him as the first presidential aspirant to ever visit them.

Gongloe through his interaction with the people, throughout his travels around the country, his display of unfeigned humility decency and honesty has struck and is striking chords that are resonating across the length and breadth of Liberia.

And his (Gongloe’s) rising tide of support around the country is ringing alarm bells in certain quarters. Truth be told, he stands out as the only candidate in the race with a solid history of tried, tested and competent leadership. And he stands alone as the only candidate who has suffered persecution, torture, imprisonment and enforced exile for speaking TRUTH to POWER.

At the time, other “pretenders to the throne” were nowhere to be found around here; neither were their voices ever heard, voices of protest against tyranny and bad governance.

 And while they sojourned in foreign lands and elsewhere here and abroad foraging relentlessly for the Almighty dollar, Gongloe was here struggling with the people standing up for them when they were too weak to stand and speaking out for them when they couldn’t speak out of fear and taking lashes on their behalf. 

And from all indications, the people, ordinary people appear prepared to support his quest for the presidency. Judging from the reception he has received from rural communities across the length and breadth of Liberia it is clear that he has risen from an undergo to a top dog and now appears far ahead of all contenders for the presidency of Liberia. 

Although, he is the aspirant with the least logistical and financial support as he has for most of his years of law practice been a poor man’s lawyer, he is optimistic about his chances, saying in the words of a Liberian musician, “ We are not millionaires, but we can make it happen.”.

People should not forget that in the 2018 race for the presidency of the Liberian National Bar Association, Gongloe won a landslide victory, with 221 votes to 61 votes against his opponent who was clearly the choice of the ruling party and who made no secret of his financial power by paying the convention dues of many lawyers for their votes.

Gongloe’s movement around the country and his message for the transformation of Liberia into a better country, is causing sleepless nights in some circles. While it is an open secret that this government is riddled with corruption, yet there are those who stand to benefit from this government’s lack of accountability, transparency and probity because it shields them. For those people, the day of reckoning is coming.

And the cast of such individuals include past and present government officials. But this is not surprising for never in history has a ruling class voluntarily surrendered its power, perks and privileges.

But Gongloe from all indications remains unfazed by all the professed might and power of the ruling CDC and their allies. In fact CDC is a beneficiary of his commitment to respect for rule of law and human rights, evidenced by the multiple times that he provided free legal services for Chairman Mulbah Morlu, Jefferson Kojee and others while they were in opposition. 

He may not have the financial wherewithal as other candidates in the race but he has the trust of the people which no amount of money can buy.  No amount of money can buy integrity. The Holy Bible says, “Good name is better than silver and gold.” 

Gongloe’s message based on his ten- point agenda for a better Liberia and the attestation of common folks  to his genuine empathy with the poor, are resonating to the extent that the people seem to want election even sooner than October 10, 2023. 

When Gongloe tells the Liberian people about his commitment to rule of law, his 12-count prescription for fighting corruption, the restoration of public works yards in the 15 counties with yellow machines to maintain roads and build more farm to market roads, throughout the year, as was done under Tubman, Tolbert and Doe, the people are fired up..

 He also talks about the provision of free education to all Liberian children from kindergarten to 12 grade, with copybooks, pencils, pens and free feeding program, the elimination of illiteracy in two years by providing incentives to junior high students, high school students and college students to teach at least ten illiterate people in their communities after school every day the provision of free vocational schools in the 15 counties as a means of providing alternative livelihood opportunities other than motorcycle riding and alluvial mining activities, for the youth including the physically challenged, war and  drug affected youth,

Also, when Gpngloe talks about the provision of free access to all government clinics and hospitals for pregnant women, children under the age of five and all Liberians 65 years old until death and mechanization of rice farming in order to change Liberia’s story from being a rice importer into a rice exporter, the citizens become electrified with excitement. 

They have all promised Gongloe that based on his message and his track record as a poor man’s lawyer and honest public servant, they will register so that they can vote for him to change Liberia’s story for the better because they believe him when he says, “A better Liberia is possible and government is a place to serve, not to steal. 

Hearken now all ye doubters and haters, the once perceived unknown “what kind of money Tiawan Saye Gongloe  got”, is now known in most parts of Liberia and is on the move, rising from the status of an “Under Dog” to that of a Top Dog.

The River is indeed rising!!!!

Editor’s note: The views expressed in this commentary are solely of the author and do not necessarily represent that of the Daily Observer newspaper.