Why and How Mrs. Martha Kannah Defeated Mr. Henry Galy
In the interest of full disclosure let me state up front that Mrs.
Aldolphine Martha Kannah is my first cousin and I am also a strong
admirer and supporter of her leadership abilities with respect to the
Grand Gedeh Association. Nevertheless, my position in this article was
not influenced by our kinship only because I would have done the same
for any other Grand Gedean in President Kannah’s situation.
However, as we express our disagreements on a set of principles, we must be objective and emotionless because emotion is a powerful distraction to the process.
I will argue that the principles of freedom, justice and total equality must be principles for which all of us must struggle for without stopping to think about failure or success. And as we struggle, we must be mindful that there is nothing guaranteed to us with respect to these principles. Therefore, we must be prepared to stand up for what is right and support the truth without the fear of agitating some members of our group. However, in our support for the truth we must be against the direction of personal and verbal attacks against each other as we genuinely disagree on issues that are relevant to the group from our individual perspectives.
Lately, many are engaged in writing about the just ended GGAA's elections only to strongly register their views about the elections. However, in this process, writers should talk about issues that are critical to the people – issues that will bring about peace and unity within the Grand Gedeh community, I will argue.
To my dear Liberian brothers and sisters, from all indications, articles about Grand Gedeh and specifically the Grand Gedeh Association’s just ended election have agitated some of you and yet your responses and comments were very civil and courteous at times. Many of you, and rightfully so, have questioned whether the debate methods employed by Grand Gedeans on the Internet, which seem combative at times during and after the Association’s election were in the interest of Liberia specifically as they were being aired publicly on the web such as the Liberianforum.com. In my judgment, the publishing of these debates with respect to Grand Gedeans is healthy for the County and Liberia as a whole. This is a confirmation that the state of maturity has taken root in our community, in my opinion.
My dear brothers and sisters let us not continue to delude ourselves in believing that a county organization’s crisis does not affect the Liberian community and therefore, it is unnecessary to air these debates on a Liberian Internet site. In my opinion, these debates must be encouraged because as participants engage each other on relevant issues in their community through expressed views and opinions, the possibility of physical confrontations may be diminished.
Therefore, we must thank the Liberianforum Internet web site for affording us the opportunity to air our countywide debates on issues that are relevant to our people. Certainly, these debates are about a struggle to put forth an idea--an idea to create opportunities for all, without regard to class, section, or gender, in Grand Gedeh and Liberia for that matter. As a result, while these debates might seem combative at times nevertheless they must be encouraged. Finally, to my dear Liberian brothers and sisters, please do not mistake our disagreement for disunity in the Grand Gedeh community.
Honestly, my goal in this article is to give an analysis of why and how Mrs. Martha Kannah defeated Mr. Henry Glay, the incumbent President during the past Grand Gedeh Association’s general election in Upper Darby, PA.
Why and how Mrs. Martha Kannah defeated Mr. Henry Glay
From my perspective, what transpired during the Grand Gedeh Association’s elections on May 24, 2009 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, was spectacular to say the least. It was comforting to see the sons and daughters of Grand Gedeh County demonstrating such style of sophistication –classic-classic. Most importantly, it was a vindication to the Kannah-Yonly campaign committee that the voters of the Association had accepted the planning, strategic, and tactical moves that were executed by the committee during the campaign.
Immediately after the announcement by the National Elections Commission of GGAA that it had certified the Glay-Yoway and the Kannah-Yonly camps for the election, the Kannah-Yonly campaign committee quickly recognized that the election was going to be won by the team through preparation and hard work.
Because of this determination, the team organized, developed, and executed specific strategies to win the voters’ support. During the campaign, the Kannah-Yonly team solicited votes by sending their candidate on personal visits to various chapters all over the country with the massage of unity, accountability, experience, and transparency. Other team members were working the phones for endorsements from credible individuals as well as opinion leaders in the Association and to make sure that those endorsing the candidate would serve as messengers for the Kannah-Yonly campaign.
However, it seemed to be that the Glay-Yoway team was having its surrogates such as Amos D. Safanunkon and Jackson Zleh Towah to do its bidding by primarily writing articles that were critical of the candidacy of Mrs. Kannah on the Internet. There were two articles by Mr. Towah that I, as a political junkie, thought were especially critical of Mrs. Kannah’s character with respect to her leadership abilities and questioning her Grand Gedeanness.
Honestly, as a family member of Mrs. Kannah, those articles infuriated me as I read about others questioning my cousin’s character and birthright. However, after a brief consultation with other family members and with the realization that politics is often not a fair game, I quickly restrained my emotion and preceded to carefully respond to one of Mr. Towah’s articles published on the Liberianforum.com titled “GGAA: President Henry Kohn Glay Has Earned Re-Election”.
In my response, as a supporter of the Kannah-Yonly team, my goal was first to provide an objective and critical analysis of Mr. Glay’s policies and practices during the last two years with respect to unity and reconciliation in the county; second, to appeal for the support of the past leaders of the Association who seemed to be "on the fence"; third, to remind Grand Gedeans of the reckless and unacceptable policies and practices of the Glay Administration; and finally, to encourage the GGAA’s voters who were frustrated and outraged to channel their frustration and anger about the Administration’s policies and practices into votes for the Kannah-Yonly team.
Towah -Ms. Yoway factor
At the middle of the Grand Gedeh Association’s election season, what I called the Towah factor begin to emerge on the scene. Mr. Towah, as surrogate for the Glay-Yoway team began to publish articles that were critical of Mrs. Kannah’s ability to lead the Association and her administrative ability with respect to the Association. Moreover, Mr. Towah was very critical and at times used personal and verbal attacks against anyone who disagreed with his views and ideas expressed in his articles. In my judgment, the Towah factor on the Internet during the election was very effective for the Glay-Yoway team, as his articles seemed to put the Kannah-Yonly team and their supporters on the defensive. The game of politics just as in most games the objective is to be on the offensive on issues that are being debated and Mr. Towah, as a surrogate for the Glay-Yoway team did that effectively in my opinion, despite his attacks against those he disagreed with. However, the Towah factor did not last long as Mr. Towah was involved in area that I am not qualified to comment on which may have caused his departure from the GGAA’s election debates.
Another factor that was very effective for the Glay-Yoway team was the selection of Ms. Martha Yoway as a Vice Presidential candidate. Ms. Yoway is an educated lady with an accomplishment in her life that could be emulated by young ladies back home, in my opinion. Outsiders as well as insiders of the election viewed the selection of Ms. Yoway as a tactical maneuver by Mr. Glay as the way to pull the Techien votes.
Experienced Management and Coordination
In my opinion, campaigns in most elections are about issues that the voters care about. As a result, it is the job of the most experienced campaign team to formulate a campaign issues that will be tasteful and preferred by the voters. The team must be seemed as advocating the interest of the voters. In my judgment, the reason why the Kannah-Yonly team defeated the Glay-Yoway team was because the Kannah-Yonly team was able to correctly identified issues that were preferred by the voters such as accountability, unity, experience, transparency, and trustworthiness-character issues- while the Glay-Yoway team and their surrogates continue to misidentifying issues after issues as voter’s issue. For instance, the Glay-Yoway team and its surrogates improperly identified as voters issue the identity of none Grand Gedeans who were writing in support of the Kannah-Yonly team.
Clearly, the so called none Grand Gedeans supporters of the team did not have the voting power with respect to the Grand Gedeh Association’s election, nevertheless they were personally and verbally attacked by Mr. Towah, one of the surrogates for the Glay-Yoway tame as evidenced by an article published on the Lberianforum.com by Mr. Towah titled “Nagba Sloh: An Insatiable Liberian Journalist Request Bribes”. Another issue that was improperly identified as a voter's issue by the Glay-Yoway team and its surrogates was the issue of the Board with respect to the Glay Administration. The surrogates continue to blame the Board for the inability of the Glay Administration to function effectively hopping that the voters would have sympathy for the Glay Administration as they continue to make the Board the bogeyman of the elections.
The Kannah-Yonly team decided to put into action the plan on how to effectively defeat Mr. Henry Glay. The first order of business in impartment this plan, is for the Kannah-Yonly team to put in place an effective strategy in dealing with the Tchien votes which were assumed to go to the Glay-Yoway team since Ms. Yoway, the selected Vice Presidential candidate, is a Tchien lady with a sizeable following. The strategy was to do all that is possible to split the Tchien votes. Though the team recognized that while some voters would vote on sectional lines, they had hopped that the Tchien voters will consider unity, accountability, experience, transparency, and trustworthiness-character issues- in their selecting process of the next group of leaders for the Association. As a result, the Kannah-Yonly team decided to continue to talk about these and other voters’ issues.
The other issue that was facing the Kannah-Yonly team as they plan to defeat Mr. Glay was the issue of how to neutralize the Philadelphia votes that are also assumed to be for the Glay-Yoway team. The Kannah-Yonly team solution was to identify the New England chapter’s votes to be the neutralizing votes to the Philadelphia area votes. With the neutralizing votes identified, some members of team and the candidate traveled to the New England chapter to canvass for votes and to ask the area coordinator and the chapter’s leader to make this solution a reality.
The Debate Factor
In my opinion, debates in elections are discussion of issues, which are important to the electorate. In the process, the pros and cons of these issues must be discussed effectively.
Therefore, if a group or an individual is seemed to advance for and against some voters’ issue during the process, that group or an individual may be favorable to some electorate and that is how in the view of majority of the Association electorates Mrs. Kannah and her team won the debates during the Grand Gedeh Association’s debates process on the night of May 23, 2009 Upper Darby, PA.
However, before Mrs. Kannah and her team could display their fantastic debates skills that were witnessed by the electorates during the night of the debates, I must admit that there were some degrees of perpetration behind the scene. For instance, some three days before the election, I arrived in the City of Philadelphia and immediately, proceeded to the Kannah-Yonly campaign headquarters where I met the campaign staffs. After some socializing, I asked the campaign manager, the energetic, the capable, and cool but taught negotiator, Mr. J.J. Dennis about the preparation for the debates. From the answer, the team felt that there is a need for Mrs. Kannah to do debate prep there and then. Mr. J.J Dennis asked the DJ to stop the music so as to start the debate prep. Mr. Dennis also asked all those that were at the headquarters that night to ask Mrs. Kannah questions that they think will assist them as voters in choosing the next leader for the Association. The other Toe sister was responsible to write down each and every question that was been asked. I told Mrs. Kannah to answer all the questions as she faced the mirror that was in the area of the debate prep. After about an hour of the debate prep session, the team felt that they have had enough questions which might be the cross sections of most voters concerned so we postponed the debate prep for the next day which was Friday, May 22, 2009 - the day of the scheduled debates.
The next day, Friday, May 22, the Kannah-Yonly team gathered most of its member at Mrs. Kannah’s home for another round of debate prep and not to “manipulate the elections” by anyone as alleged by JD in his article. During the debate prep, I was the stand in for former President Glay against Mrs. Kannah while the no-nonsense and taught negotiator for the Kannah-Yonly team from the Midwestern state of Iowa, Mr. Gbote Tahyor was the moderator. Meanwhile, some of the ladies and members of the team were focused on preparing food for the team members, guests and supporters.
During the debate prep session, questions from the previous night were once again put to Mrs. Kannah and as she answered each question, I am asked for a rebuttal as Mr. Glay stand in. Moreover, some members of the team were asked to be the instant critics of Mrs. Kannah’s responses to each question, her demeanor, temperament, assertiveness and above all her understanding of the debate’s subject.
As I observed, I quickly realized that Mrs. Kannah did not recognize the serious nature of the exercise at first until participants started questioning her about her credibility, her leadership and other character issues. As the critics engaged Mr. Kannah on her responses, her demeanor, her temperament, her assertiveness, and her understanding of the subject; the Martha Kannah that those of you saw that night at the debates on May 23, 2009 began to emerge, the Grand Geded Iron Lady began to answer questions and challenging my rebuttal as though I am the real Glay. At one point the Grand Gedeh Iron Lady had to be reminded that this was debate prep and I am not Mr. Glay. Nevertheless, everyone at that session that Friday evening, May 22, 2009 was pleased with Mrs. Kannah's preferment, especially her ability to genuinely engage anyone on issues that are affecting our people without equivocation.
The Blame Game
Finally, after any elections the loosing sides always play the blame game, which is an indication that their strategy was not convening for the voters or they did not effectively execute their strategies. As a result they must find something or someone to blame for loosing. In the cause of the Glay-Yoway team, it is the Board; it is the elections commission or some “de-facto leaders”. My dear brothers and sisters, no matter how you slice it, the Grand Gedeh Iron Lady and her team were ready for the Grand Gedeh Association’s elections and that is why the Kannah-Yonly team defeated the Glay-Yoway team.
Cousin Martha, you and your team won the elections through hard work and preparation. There were not any “de-facto leaders” collaborating “with the election commission” to “manipulate the elections results” - I was there and witnessed the entire process. We Grand Gedeans are all proud of your achievement and hope that you will work as hard for the Association as you did for your campaign. As I told you during the election that you were our Gayla, now you are the Gayla for all Grand Gedeans and please remember that Grand Gedeans are people of good will and most importantly you are a servant for the people.
Congratulations to you and your team and congratulations to Dodee Glay and his team - we are all from Grand Gedeh County. I thank the people of the Association for showing such sophistication during the election.
Comments (8)
1. 01-07-2009 16:23
This is a brillant commentary of your cousin's effort. However, the point I did not read in your article or you did not address is the issue of elections fraud alledged by the Glay-Yoway's camp on the part of the election commission, but most notably in forth view of everyone in attendance. Most important to me as a Grand Gedeans is the unprofessional behavior conducts of the commissioners who threw insults at people, including myself and diplayed share arrongance even when the elders such as Charles Gaye Breeze, Gbai M. Gbala and Oldman Flahn tried to intervene for Grand Gedeans from Rochester, New York to vote.
My concerns however is Grand Gedeans disenfrinchasing fellow Gedeans to exercise their rights to vote. This to me is a serious matter. It undermines the very fabric of our struggle as a unify social community organization. How do we account for such an attitude if it has happened in national elections where Grand Gedeans would be disenfranchased from voting? This is a big question that should propel our conscoius.
Thanks
Samue Zohnjadee Joe
2. 02-07-2009 11:46
Mr. Joe, thank au brilliant and balance point. The issue engulf the Grand Gedeans community is not about how and who won the election on May 24. But about the future of our county organization. The attitude/action of those charged with the responsibility to conduct a free, fair and transparent election resulted to this debate you are trying to educate Samson Toe. Mr. Joe what I am getting from Samson Toe postings regarding Henry Glay's candidacy and subsequent presidency from 2007 to 2009 elections are he has special malice against Glay/his Gborbo people for reason best known to him and his cohorts. Samson Toe need to get a life and move on with positive think in his writing. let us all wait the court decision that will allow the disenfranchised Grand Gedeans to vote in the absent of an incomplete election to claim victory does not august well with any sound minded person. Again think Mr. Joe.
3. 02-07-2009 14:34
MJP
Jackson Towah posted the information below on May 30, 2009. It was a response to Henry Kohn Glay's article - "Glay calls for calm" (posted on Friday May 29, 2009). Jackson Towah posted the information below on May 30, 2009. It was a response to Henry Kohn Glay's article - "Glay calls for calm" (posted on Friday May 29, 2009).
Glay Needs Help
Glay is just a disgrace to our team.
There were simple election rules and others tried to violate them.
Those guys from NY didn't meet registration deadline. I still don't understand why Glay is supporting them?
Based on your response in Post 2, will you also argue that Mr. Towah's reaction above means that Mr. Towah "has a special malice against Glay/his Gborbo people for reason best known to him"?
What does Mr. Toe's analysis of the elections have to do with malice? Everyone who attended GGAA's 2009 Convention and voted were in accordance with the rules of the Association's constitution and the guidelines of the Elections Commission. What you all are failing to realize is that the people of today's Liberia must learn to follow instructions. The days of "the dog ate my homework" types of excuses are no longer tolerable - when you are in compliance, you benefit; otherwise, you are "on your own".
Wulu Karlah and his group did not meet the voting requirements; therefore, they did not vote on May 24, 2009. What's in this explanation that is so difficult for most of you to comprehend?
4. 02-07-2009 17:02
Where is the Beef?
Mr. Toe,
i like your points about how you and the Kannah's team strategized and went through muck depates. Still, to my view, the sister did absolutely zero during the debate. She could not answer question with substance. She could not defend her own record about using Grand Gedeans's money. june 9 when she went to the association's account without the approval of those that established the account is a clear example of what she will if they they give her the power. She will go to the bank without the approval of anybody. The baby has not born yet and it got big-big eyes. What will happens if the baby comes of his mother belly. Na wide o!
Mr. toe, your article did not say anything about the main point or issue. What about the people that the elections commission did not allow to vote? Are these people not Grand Gedeans or Krahn people in America? Or are you saying they did not pay to attend the convention? What was reason that they were not allowed to vote. According what I have been reading, the elections commission and the board were bias and rughed to judgment. Let's just wait for the court's decision and see who is right. Mr. Toe, your article was about praising Kannah, you cousin, but has not beef in it.
5. 02-07-2009 22:03
Give GGAA's money back
On June 1, 2009, Mr. Glay withdrew every penny from GGAA's Reserve Account and closed that bank account. This unilateral act took place approximately eight ( days after the elections. After his May 24, 2009 defeat, Mr. Glay should not have touched that money. This is criminal to the highest degree.
According to Mr. Glay's first quarterly financial reports for the periods ending November 1, 2008 to February 6, 2009, there was a total of $4,691.32 balance in the reserved account. Mr. Glay was the only signatory to this account, which is a violation of Article X, Section 1 (e). You and Glay should be thinking about what to tell Grand Gedeans about their money that he took.
On June 3, 2009, the National Board of Directors learned that Glay had closed the Association's reserved account. In order to secure the Association's money, the Board authorized Citizens Bank to change the Association's bank account ownership from Mr. Glay to Mrs. Kannah, which is constitutional. Nothing is fundamentally wrong with the transaction - the Board and the Kannah Administration did the transfer of ownership legitimately. The money in question is secured at the Citizens Bank in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
See below for the constitutional provision that empowers the Board and the Kannah Administration to the action that they did:
Article X, Section 4: Turning over of Financial and other Records
(a) After the newly elected National Officers have been duly inducted into office, the out-going administration shall immediately turn over, to the in-coming administration, all bank records of the Association. All other records and properties of the association shall be turned over the in-coming administration within thirty (30) days after the election.
(b) Within 60 days of the turning over of records, the National Treasurer, through the National President, shall notify the Board of Directors of any discrepancies that may exist between the financial records and the report of the out-going president on the state of the financial affairs of the Association.
6. 03-07-2009 14:35
Mr. Joe and Mr. Safanunkon
Mr. Joe& Mr. Kweety/Safanunkon, what are your arguments gentlemen? Are you saying that it is ok to violate the constitution that govern your association or return to the days of our Grandparents? I say grandparents, because in those days there were no written rules, but even at that, they respected their unwritten rules and regulations that help to keep their community peaceful. Now for you guys with MASTER DEGREES and more, to come on this forum and respond to a well written article by Samson Toe in the ways you did is some how troubling. People who claimed to be part of an intelectual community should speak to issue in ways that reflect their intelectualism.But here, you guys failed miserably. Mr. Joe accused Toe of not mentioning Grand Gedeans being denied their right to vote, and even went further to mitigate the characters of the commissioners about "throwing insults" at the electrates. What he did not present in his argument was the reason(s) for the denial of fellow Gedeans right to vote; Was the denial based on the respect for rule of law? Was the denial based on the individuals in question blatant refusal to abide by the organic law of the association? Mr. Joe also try to impress upon the minds of the reading public that the commissioners were disrespectful to the elders of Grand Gedeh county. The commissioners were not disrespectful Mr. Joe, but doing the right thing by enforcing the rules to the letter period. I am sure the elders referred to in your argument understood the condition under which those people were denied. I am sure the commissioners have high regards for their parents and grandparents and will never disrespect other people's parents and grandparents. But the rules are the rules my brothers, let the election be histiory for better Grand Gedeh.
Mr. Kweety/Safanunkon is just a guy who has personal problems with Mrs. Kannah. He will do anything to discredit people who may try to speak good of her. If Iam wrong, I challenge Mr. Kweety/Safanunkon to prove me wrong by countering Mr. Toe's argument without resorting to names calling and insults.
Guys, we know you and Glay are from the Gborho session of Grand Gedeh county, but you have to be more objective if you want to be taking seriouosly.
Two weeks ago I Dream of President Glay health problem which kept him away from the public. The intent of this posting is to share with you the dream. I saw group of Grand Gedeans all dress in white gowns surrounding President Glay laying helplessly. "President Glay, don't leave us so soon; get well come and fight for us against the criminal empire that is about to be formed in the Grand Gedeh Association. There are people with five fake social security numbers, assurance frauds, individuals that are forbidden from banking money in their own names, crookes and those with immigration problems that are gearing up to take over our Association that once a viable and respectable organization."
This helpless man been laying in bed for weeks raised up and smile, the spokeman who I recognized to be Mr.John Beh said certain words in Krahn which I cannot intepret bacause I do not understand nor speak Krahn president Glay did not made any comment but agreeing with all that were said. Each of the men touched his head a sign of blessing. When I woke up I visited GGAA website and found the Glay man number I called a lady answered she said she was his wife,I was told he was in the hospital.
Mr. Glay please get well your elders want you to fight for your people. I decided to share the dream in this public minor because I do not know who you are that who do not return calls. More to this dream just the hint. Good luck:
8. 04-07-2009 11:33
Dream
Mr.Collins, Your dream is really a dream, because Mr. Glay will not leave us anytime soon. He will be around to enjoy his retirement from the US government with pay and Grand Gedeh Association without pay. Your best bet is to advise him to surrounder all the association properties to Mrs. Kannah before it gets too late for him to appear in court.You gentlemen are fooling this man about the election. The election is over and the result will not change. He is no more president as you would want him to believe in his little mind. You insinuated in your post about criminal taking over the association but refused to mention the money Mr. Glay stole from the association,one day after his defeat. If you want to know about the money at the citizen bank, contact Mrs. Kannah and her team. Now, who do we contact about the $6,000.00 your defeated and disgruntle Glay took from the association's account? I would like JD Slanger to answer this question along with Mr. Collins. Mr. Slanger circulated pamphlets about Mrs. Kannah using the association's money to pay her mortgage in Upper Darby when she was president of PA chapter.According to Mr. Slanger, she put the money back in the association's account when she was asked to disburse $2,000.00 to the 2002 convention committee. Well, Mr. Glay took the money from the association account unconstitutionally and we have not heard from this perfect Slanger about the money in question. Gentlemen, please advise your man because no stone will be left unturned in an effort to get this association back on track. I hope the money will be available when the Kannah team ask for it.
days after the elections. After his May 24, 2009 defeat, Mr. Glay should not have touched that money. This is criminal to the highest degree. 
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