An opinion by Jonathan Paye-Layleh
Sometimes I wonder if my country really needs help from the international community. Does it?
Our international partners are tacitly telling us it is because of the massive stealing of our resources with impunity that Liberia has continued to be a begging country and dependent on outside aid, despite being a resource-rich country.
They are saying once our people stop stealing millions from us and we manage our resources in ways that our country and people benefit, we will need very little or no help from outside.
They are simply saying it is because of massive stealing that hospitals are without drugs and equipment, healthcare workers and teachers have to strike before they are paid very little salaries, roads have become impassable, young people are without job opportunities, life expectancy has reduced; homes are without food and parents cannot pay school fees and schools are without the basic things needed to run, state security institutions are underfunded and so the criminal rate is high, etc.
But when our international partners identify some of the people who are involved in the massive stealing that is causing these things to happen, instead of us investigating and/or punishing them, we glorify them. We give them nicknames and encourage them to remain in the public sector to do more.
So are we not simply telling our international partners to leave us alone to suffer? Are we not telling them we are okay with those stealing from us and making us poor? Are we not?
In view of this, do we really need help from the international community or should we be left alone to face the consequences of our attitudes? Radio program hosts, I am available to talk on this. Happy new week.
