A Patriot’s Diary with Ekena Wesley
Make no mistake! No one can change or sway diehard CDCians about their fanatically cherished ‘leader’ George Manneh Weah. To them, he is the iconic personification of their frustrations and anguish with elites of the past. They seem not to become intellectually rebel-rousing about their undisputed strongman. George Weah is a manifestation and embodiment of their sufferings and a replete wretched system that has for decades beleaguered the small West African nation.
You cannot change the psychologically embattled CDCians. You cannot win a war by any iota of reasoning that their man ‘Weah’ is unfit to lead a nation of five million people. You cannot convince them about Weah’s limitations in understanding the huge complexities of the politics, economy, and social configurations of a nation once troubled by years of backwardness. For CDCians, Weah is their ‘Dude’ with whom they remain well pleased.
For some time, the debate about Weah’s meeting the most powerful leader in the West has been on the lips of Liberians. From the tea shop on Carey Street to the Palaver Hut on the main campus of the University of Liberia. From jammed packed public transport buses to ‘Kekeh’ serving as a quasi-convenient mode of transportation. From Cafe shops to basements in North America, to just everywhere, the debate has been engrossing. Whatever the case, Liberia was placed on the list of African countries invited to take part in the U.S. African Summit.
Surely, the summit went ahead as expected. Leaders from across Africa trooped to Washington for the all-important summit. Was it all about teaching African leaders how to govern themselves? Democracy might be good a system but does it place food on tables in the poorest of the poor nations in Africa? Why would the Americans think they should be lecturing Africans about good governance?
Call it what you want, but amid the era of empires and kingdoms in Africa, there were systems in place. The chiefs led their people anyway. Yes, we might not equate those systems to Western civilization but law and order became preserved. There was sanity. The armies were not necessarily as sophisticated as they exist, today. They fought wars and protected territories. They fought to safeguard their people’s interests or perhaps sovereignty. Whether we agree or disagree, ‘civilization’ originated in Africa if you may.
After all, George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia was the official guest of U.S. President, Joe Biden. They watched the World Cup together along with other African leaders. The photo ops, for President Weah, seemed the most far-reaching and remarkable achievement. Really? Did President Weah come all the way here to photo shoot? Maybe! Who knows? CDCians made more sense of the photo ops that neighboring Sierra Leone walked away with extraordinary MCC validation accounting for millions to build roads, revive the energy sector, and address major infrastructure commitments.
But Weah did not leave Washington D.C. in a photo-shoot obsession mood. President Joe Biden warned five African nations slated to hold elections next year that free, fair, and transparent general and presidential elections were crucial. While the Americans are committing U.S.$165 million to support elections in five African states, it is high time these countries adhere to the letter and spirit of free, fair, and transparent elections.
President Weah, by his actions and inactions, clearly does not want to continue in office. President Weah has canonized and ordained massive public looting of the national treasury. A deliberate act of recklessness that denies schools and hospitals the need for support to respond to the needs and concerns of the suffering masses Weah and his gang of thieves came to liberate. Hmm! Liberate? The last time we heard about liberation was when December 24, 1989 bells and drums of war were ringing. But little did we know that we were plunging the country into madness.
Barely 12 years in opposition and the chanting of “we are the masses, we cannot get tired” coupled with the locus shift in political power vis-a-vis the opportunity to deliver let alone the disastrous outcome, President Weah has to make history by presiding over free, fair and transparent elections in order to reserve a place for his safety and sanity. Weah failed Liberians miserably! He cannot rescue himself even in the midst of a magic formula. That clock ticked on him as he led the plunder of state resources.
Liberians demand one thing of Weah. Hold free, fair, and transparent elections. Go to your village and live in comfort. The tragedies of Doe and Taylor await you when the unthinkable happens. NOBODY IS STUPID HERE!
