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 OP ED
As the 2005 Standard Bearer of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), I want to take this time to speak with you today to share some thoughts and insights I have been pondering on, with regards to our country and my plans for the future.
As I speak to you today, it really doesn't matter whether you think of yourself as a CDCian, or as a member of another party, or simply have no party affiliation. Instead, the fact that you are taking the time to read this letter tells me that you consider yourself, a Liberian first. You are grandparents, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, young and elderly. Whether in school, learning a skill, unemployed, under-employed, self-employed, employed, or a business owner – you are all Liberians. As for me, I don’t see labels. My philosophy is about progressively making a difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate.
I come to you today to offer you something that is different and hopeful. Something you can hold on to, take with you, and think seriously about. In short, I want to share with you how CDC plans to make a difference in the lives of many everyday Liberians. To the families all across Liberia, from the capital city of Monrovia and into the hinterland of this great country, I say to you, A New Beginning is near. This is a wakeup call to all open minded Liberians and friends of Liberia, on behalf of a new generation of Liberians, that the time to make a difference so as to achieve Liberia’s promise and grow our country -- is now, and it is possible.
As we enter year five of our national reconstruction, our struggling nation and its fragile economy still requires urgent and immediate action and demands sustained attention. Everyday Liberians still struggle to find meaningful jobs, reliable electricity, safe and clean drinking water, functional healthcare facilities, quality education and skills training opportunities, and are the victims of environments safe from violent crime. Nonetheless, Liberians are told that the “Lift Liberia Strategy” is working effectively.
But one thing is certain, according to the experts, one cannot Lift Liberia without first prioritizing human development and t restoring basic infrastructure. So, for example, the experts say, Liberia cannot grow and sustain a vibrant economy without energy. Thus, an effective Energy policy is needed to Lift Liberia. Energy is the cornerstone for establishing, maintaining, and sustaining a robust economy. According to the experts, an effective Energy policy, once implemented, brings with it the kind of infrastructure development that supports mass manufacturing and production, which in turn, supports job growth. With reliable electricity, nations can provide clean and safe drinking water, quality education and skills-set to both youth and adults, fully functional medical centers, roads and bridges, access to markets, modernized air and seaports, hotels, resorts, tourism, and other basic services.
This concept is not that difficult fellow citizens. I completely agree with it. It just takes the right vision, willingness, and dedication to a few basic ethical and moral tenets. Liberia’s obstacle to growth is not illiteracy. It is the lack of ethics and integrity on the part of many entrusted with the Public Trust and revenue that continues to impede Liberia’s growth and development. In addition, and unfortunately, far too often, we are held back by stale and antiquated ideas, lack of innovation, and in most cases, a sheer unwillingness on the part of many in leadership positions to take ownership of their jobs and responsibilities long enough to develop a program and implement it.
To begin to Lift Liberia, we need to implement three very basic steps. First, conduct a root cause analysis of corruption and put an effective system and process in place for holding bad actors accountable for inappropriate, unethical, and illegal behavior; second, design and implement new systems and processes for tax and revenue collection, and third develop systems and processes for accounting for every penny of government money that is received and spent. With these systems and processes in place, government can establish a real time budget construct that allows for reliable budget projections and the right allocation of resources for development projects. The result will bring an end to the ongoing waste, fraud, and abuse of government funds while diverting those funds to projects that improve the lives of everyday Liberians. With these very basic systems and processes in place, an effective and functional government – in tune with the pulse of the everyday Liberian people – will no longer be elusive. But to do this, we will need the help of every Senator, Representative, Superintendant, government and local official, every registered voter, and every Liberian.
Fellow Liberians, I understand that fixing the problem of corruption is no small task, and that is why I am in the process of assembling a team of highly talented professional Liberians, who work in these complicated compliance areas, to build a sound and effective plan to resolve these challenges in a way that can be explained in plain terms to the Liberian people. The team is focused on five key areas, a root cause analysis of corruption in Liberia; preventing corruption; stopping and prosecuting corruption; reporting inappropriate, unethical, and corrupt behavior; and establishing strict guidelines which every potential official of government must first clear in order to qualify for referral to the Senate for confirmation. This includes an international background check. Liberia can no longer afford to ignore the crippling impact of corruption on our politics, society, and economy. This is a standard that has never been applied in Liberia before, and this is just one of the many ways CDC will make a difference in the lives of all Liberians. So, why am I placing this much emphasis on putting a significant dent in corruption? I am doing this for a very simple reason. When government officials pocket money designated for government coffers and government projects, the nation is unable to provide basic services to its people - including schools, health facilities, roads, and other fundamental forms of infrastructure. These basic services cost money to restore. My plan is to restore them. And to do that, I need every penny of the government’s money accounted for as this is how I intend to pay for my economic development plan. The international community is doing its part, so we have to do ours. This is one key reason why I am focused on putting a significant dent in corruption. I am excited about my anti-corruption plan and upon its completion, look forward to sharing it with the international community, for comment and buy-in.
Fellow Liberians, this is a time for renewed optimism. The reason: The CDC has an effective solution to offer -- something completely different, well thought out, refreshing, and innovative. We have developed encompassing social and economic development programs, as well as a sound strategy for implementing both programs. We call these action items programs instead of plans for a very simple, but important, reason. We want to make a clear distinction between the two. A plan has a tendency to sit on a shelf and collect dust. A program, on the other hand, is a living breathing document that gets implemented, has defined deliverables to be produced, has milestones to measure progress, and is guided by a leader who values continuous improvement and insists on nothing less than success. This is just one more example of the huge philosophical shift and new way of doing business you can expect under a CDC led administration. You asked for this transformation, we listened, and we have now put in place the mechanisms to achieve positive growth. But, again, we need you to help us help you achieve - A New Beginning. Working together in a new way, and with a commitment to achieving results, we can make life better for all of us.
We know that Liberia and Liberians are stronger when our people have access to the highest-quality of education, health care, sanitation programs, infrastructure, social and environmental services, and jobs that provide a monthly salary that is enough for a family to buy a bag of rice without having to worry about how the children’s school fees will get paid, and not have to hang head over whether they still have enough money left to buy shoes, clothes, or medicine for the children. People should not have to continuously make these tough choices every day, week, and month.
CDC understands that, caring for our children so that they have a healthy and better start in life, is what responsible leadership is all about. Consequently, our philosophy is to hold our leaders accountable for their actions, and/or in some cases, their failure to act. To ensure compliance with accountability standards, we have adopted strict Principles of Integrity, as a Party, that every leader must adhere to. So that there are no excuses, we have committed to train every CDC leader on these Principles of Integrity so as to raise their awareness of these guidelines, as well as make them aware of what is expected of them. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that we build the capability of every leader so that he/she clearly understands that it is their responsibility to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. That is the standard CDC has established for itself, and the standard by which the party expects to be held to -- by everyone. To ensure that we get every leader’s attention, our theme is “change the people or change the people”. This means that we will first change the way business is done by educating our leaders so that they can in turn train their staff. However, if the leader(s) fails to learn and learn quickly while simultaneously sharing knowledge with their staff, he/she we will be dismissed -- not transferred or reshuffled -- dismissed. This is what we mean by “change the people or change the people.”
Fellow citizens the time has come. It is time to build a better community for our children and grandchildren, and to make shared sacrifices and investments for Liberia. We have to start making a difference by behaving and thinking in a way that allows us to make decisions that are in the best interests of the generations that follow us and not just a select few of the current generation. It is this mindset of planning for the future that has made it possible for developed countries to become successful and sustain their growth.
Like our ECOWAS neighbor, Ghana -- Liberia must position herself to protect her environment for future generations, stay economically competitive, and seek to achieve Energy and Food security and independence. CDC is ready to take on the challenge of creating a new Energy future and food self-reliance for Liberia. The CDC knows government can work to benefit the people it serves, because we see it in countries like Ghana and Botswana every day. We believe, like many of you across Liberia, that our greatest generations have not yet been born. That is why we must chart A New Beginning, to give the children who will come after us better opportunities than our parents gave us.
Although these are challenging times, day light is not far away. With continued strength and determination, we can overcome these temporary barriers together. We have all faced difficult times — so we know the Liberian people are not afraid of hard times – but, hard times should not be the norm. What the Liberian people are tired of, however, is divisive politics. As for CDC, we share a belief in something greater than ourselves. When we view Liberia’s future, we see a nation coming together to meet tough challenges and find solutions; people coming together to share sacrifices and prosperity; and once again focus, on the common good for tomorrow – and not just what is good for one individual today.
As I close, I also want to assure our current friends in the investment community that, both foreign and domestic, that I will respect the rule of law in line with all current concession agreements. I believe that our contracts are sacred and deserve to be honored. However,owever, we must also ensure that Liberians are involved in the upstream and downstream businesses associated with foreign direct investmentI believe in privatization, and will make every effort to place the right services and sectors in the hands of Companies who can provide the best returns in the most effective and efficient ways – while at the same time protecting the interests of Liberia and the Liberian people. I would also like to assure our international partners that we appreciate their commitment and efforts towards our infrastructural development and economic recovery and that a CDC government will collaborate with these efforts so that our domestic situation is indicative of all the support we receive.
On behalf of A New Beginning, we are ready to make a difference by working together with every Liberian, the international community, and investors, to not only be the Liberia we once were, but the Liberia we know we can be.
Thank you for taking the time to absorb this message. I hope you found it enlightening and thought provoking. May God continue to bless us all and the Republic of Liberia.
Wishing you all the best,
Ambassador George M. Weah
Standard Bearer ‘05
Congress for Democratic Change
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