A Patriot’s Diary
With Ekena Nyankun Juahgbe-Droh Wesley
The 2017 general and presidential elections in the small West African nation ordained a political caricature synonymous to a fool’s paradise. A bunch of political neophytes inherited power at the expense of a democratic election as it were. Ill-prepared and cluelessly unfit to lead, only another election can undo the nightmare that has been brought to bear. Such is the plight Liberians invited unto themselves through an electoral process. the trend could be reversed as it were.
A little over five years down the road, the CDC leadership was to take credit for the significant progress their predecessors made particularly in the infrastructure sector. Major road projects that were contained in the previous government’s handover notes are being heralded as the Weah-led government’s achievements. But such is the act of fools characterized by unthinkable inclinations. At least while the UP might not be perfect, it laid the basis for scores of projects that – as a matter of continuity – are initiatives and his gang are claiming ownership of. But President Weah rated the Ellen-led government impressively, didn’t he?
The Coca-Cola factory to ELWA Junction, Sanniquellie – Laugatuo, Ganta to Sanniquellie, Ganta to Yekepa, Gbarnga to Salayea – to Manikoma, Ganta to Sacleapea to Tapitta to Toe’s Town; Kanweaken to Fish to Harper, Harper Junction to the Border with Ivory Coast are all projects planned amid feasibility studies, and funding sourced for implementation prior to UP’s exit from power. The ELWA to Robertsfield road is the government’s only major project., which is clearly as in the words of Liberia’s Public Works Minister – before a Senate hearing is being implemented by East Construction that lacks both the financial and technical capacity to implement the project. Notwithstanding, East Construction has laid bare a death trap that has recently taken the lives of at least seven people with several badly injured.
As a government, the CDC has nothing to show in terms of homegrown projects conceived of for systematic implementation let alone securing appropriate funding to execute any such new projects. In an election year, it is simply foolhardy that so-called party strategists and think tanks would be running with projects initiated by the UP government that are only being continued under their watch.
Entangled by the LD$16 billion scandal, the US$25 million mop-up exercise, the US$30 million stimulus that never was, politically motivated killings of LRA and Internal Audit auditors, wanton looting of the treasury, the emergence of a once broke but now few super-rich, increased rape and unsolved ritualistic murders, joblessness, dwindling education, and health care systems as well as sanctioned rogues by the U.S. government – the CDC has virtually achieved nothing substantive. Should they have a contrary argument, we urge them to present such.
On the heels of all these, they are in a deceptive mood that a first-round victory awaits them – come October 10, 2023. In 2020, the CDC feverishly mobilized state resources and machinery against a tiny Abe Darius Dillon in a crucial senatorial by-election race and the outcome was disastrous. The same reasons that influenced the pattern of voting in 2020 still exist or perhaps are even worse off, folks. Nothing has been done to change anything.
Our compatriots are seemingly behaving as though they are the only Liberians on a special planet. Whereas, in their narrow minds, there is so much milk and honey and everyone is doing just fine. Simply the hallucination of party-incensed stupidity!
Whatever the questionable numbers amid the latest bogus national population census, marred by unimaginable exponential population growth particularly in Grand Kru, River Gee and Grand Gedeh in Liberia’s southeastern enclave, the CDC seems to be hinging its re-election hope on pseudo numbers therefrom. It is as though the census only captured Liberians eligible to vote in the three counties – who will ignorantly vote for the CDC in spite of their plight. But the frustrations in the southeast will come to hunt Weah and his gang of thieves in the October polls.
A credible NGO source implementing projects in Grand Gedeh and Sinoe counties sees things differently. This time, the people are resolved that their votes will not be wasted for all the blind reasons associated with regional cum ethnic politics. CDC has realistically failed the masses on whose backs they inherited state power. It is baseless to claim that because UP held power for 12 years means – they could! A figment of imagination if you may! UP’s second term was conditioned by the progress emanating from the first six years in power. NOBODY IS STUPID HERE!!
