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Bropleh's statement on resignation as Minister of Information Print E-mail
Written by Dr. Laurence Bropleh   
Sunday, 17 January 2010
lbroplehGood Afternoon my fellow Liberians and friends of Liberia, 
Over the last four months, we have been at the center of both a criminal investigation into allegations of fraud and malpractice and a forensic audit of the payroll of the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism(MICAT).

Both the investigation and politically motivated audit  were announced as I was representing our beloved country as Vice President of the Steering Committee for the World Expo 2010 in China- the first African ever to be elected to such position within the history of the World Expo.

My official assignment was prematurely terminated as I was recalled and suspended indefinitely by the President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, pending the outcome of a criminal investigation launched by the Ministry of Justice and the audit initiated in my absence by the General Auditing Commission.

I recalled these events leading to an agonizing four months waiting for my accusers to provide evidence for primarily two reasons. First, I reflected on the ultimate decision I took in resigning my post serving as Permanent Representative to the United Nations for the World Council of Churches in new York and Geneva to take up this assignment when Liberia was basically saddled by corruption, a broken international reputation and virtual collapse of the entire gamut of our socio-political system.

I took this assignment bearing in mind that Liberians won’t be able to repair the wanton damages inflicted on our governance structures, infrastructure, education and social systems and international reputation by staying out of the country and criticizing the status quo. Development in my understanding  would have been accomplished or achieved by Liberians residing abroad agreeing to render services to their country. It was solely based on this premise that I chose to accept the offer from the President of Liberia, to serve as her Minister of Information at a time when our national image and pride was severely battered both at home and abroad.

The second and equally compelling reason for this recollection was my conviction then and now, that Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s leadership provided the best platform and strategy for national recovery and renewal. Her impeccable record of public service, astute and ingenious leadership credentials were sufficient assurances for the birth of a new Liberia, which we had all dreamed and longed for in decades.

From that moment up until now, I vowed to protect, promote and defend the works and policies of this administration in fulfillment of my commitment to national service and my duty to country and people. The image of this country before I rose to the helm at the Ministry of Information, compared with the changing complexion of our national identity in recent years, attest to the hard work, vision, dynamism an drive we engineered when we assumed the mantle of spokesmanship.

Liberians abroad and at home can fairly attest to the rapid swell in recognition our country has gained by and through our branding and visibility strategies and efforts. This, we must note and insist with emphasis, was not accomplished alone. Many of our civil servants within MICAT, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at our various embassies helped substantially in providing the leap toward image reconstruction. To them we are very grateful.

But I also was fully cognizant that coming home and contributing constructively with political innocence would be at a price. I knew would be sacrifices, and as I prayed about the decision to return to my home country and give to the various communities that helped to shape me, I braised myself for the unforeseen . And indeed the unforeseen was felt drastically when evil persons set my home ablaze a little over a year, destroying  everything I ever worked for around the world except the clothes I wore when I left  my home.

I recall it so vividly because it was the day after Christmas and, on Christmas day, while celebrating the birth of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with several Imams and friends from the Muslim community, I received a text message that reminded  me that I was protecting and making to look good a president they did not like and that I would pay the ultimate price. This did not deter me as some would have loved, for when I accepted to serve this government and this President; I knew that there would be  crucifixions. But as an imperfect individual who believes in and submits to the rubric of the sufficiency of God’s grace, I fortitudinally affirm that empower our young people and old alike with a new understanding of how we must live together as a people, seeking to transform our minds and attitudes for the new Liberia, I see a resurrection in the horizon.

I will for the last time publicly state that I am innocent and I have been implicated in this scandal out of mere, petty and obvious peer envy. Till the case reaches its finality, I will submit to whatever process including judicial proceedings to ensure I prove my innocence and shame my detractors and those bent on destroying the image of the state and the reputation of this government. As I have indicated time and again, the current audit and the unprofessional nature of its conducts are clear indications of a ruthless desire to dent and undermine the gains made by the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf administration since in fact the draft report is both wanting in substance and in facts.

As I move to provide the appropriate defenses to the array of misconceptions, false interpretations and clear fabrications concocted by Mr. Morlu and his General Auditing Commission, I shall without coercion, voluntarily resign as of this pronouncement by virtue of my dedication to the people of this country and the values and principles that must govern public service practice.

This I believe also will provide me the required latitude to mount an effective defense in clearing, not just my name but restoring quickly the momentary lapses that has caused my integrity and that of the image of this government.

Going forward, I will submit in the coming days a comprehensive technical analysis of the John Morlu Draft Audit Report for the public to understand and appreciate the flaws, inconsistencies and mere fabrications put together simply out of envy.

This delay retaliation on the part of Mr. Morlu as mentioned in previous press conferences, stemmed from the misguided corruption comparison comments he made intended to demean this government and our president and his scuffle with security personnel at the Roberts International Airport. Both times, as government spokesman, I challenged Mr. Morlu to not make statements without the facts and as a public servant; he must adhere to the rule of law. He did not take this kindly and is on record condemning me. This is why I have said emphatically that if a professional, Mr. Morlu should have recused himself from the audit at the MICAT because he had already formed a bias.

I came to the position of Information Ministre quite conscious that in a society recently made democratic was challenging because not clearly articulating and disseminating the information of government in the context of a democratic society could lead to a cacophony of misconception and misinformation, which I believe, is counterproductive to our efforts to building a democracy.

I have always held that as a nation, we have succeeded in transforming to democracy. But it appears that we have not succeeded in changing some of our ways and attitudes necessary to appreciating the opportunities that come with living in such a society.

Unless we change the way we perceive politics, the manner we think of government, the way we interact with our neighbor down the road, the benefits that come with living in a democratic society will so often be lost by the trivial and frivolous issues that tend to divide us as a nation. So, as I believe then and now, we need to experience something of a renaissance that will spread all across the length and breadth of our society, inspiring our fellow citizens to lay aside our pedestrian and mundane political, social, cultural and ethnic differences and embrace a more noble class of working in tandem as a people interested in changing our nation positively.

Hence, I commit myself even more now, to continue the Liberian Renaissance: Changing Minds; Changing Attitudes; a social campaign that has caught on like wild fire throughout our nation and is showing real and pragmatic change for the betterment of our nation. We will continue to inspire and motivate our young and old alike, taking this campaign beyond the studio microphones and making our way to every village, every clan, every city, and every county, for if Liberia must truly become a stronger nation, Liberians must value each other, support each other and lift up each other to become wholesome functioning citizens. That is the only way we can lift Liberia

Finally, I would like to extend thanks and appreciation to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf for the opportunity afforded me to render my services to our people  by my servant leadership in her government in the last few years. For this, I am and will remain grateful. I would also like to thank my family for their support,  and the friends who have stuck by me during this time momentary diversion. I am grateful to the Liberian media for working with us to advance our development agenda and the image of Liberia.  As we prepare to take on this ploy against our person, we will also remain active in commenting on issues of national concern bordering on the development and sustenance of our democracy and running of government.

May God bless the President of the Republic of Liberia, the Liberian people everywhere; and bless my colleagues at the Ministry of Information and throughout the government, with whom I have enjoyed working.

Thank You.




Comments (9)
RSS comments
1. 17-01-2010 22:14
 
VR - I am very depressed
VR, 
I don't know what to do now. I am feeling like my whole world is caving in with all these bad news we are getting on the ground. First, Harry Greaves, now Bropleh - both Albert and Laurence. This is bad. Where are we going wrong, VR, when all our people are being fired by this President that we have served so well? Is she giving in to the enemies and letting us down? I don't know what to do VR. This is right out of the horse's mouth and it really hurts. 
I love you man.
 
THE LIBERIANPEOPLE
2. 17-01-2010 22:31
 
One Thing I Understand Not
Thanks Dr. Bropleh for coming out publicly to enlighten us on some of the burning issues that led to your suspension as minister of information of a government that has put in place 'governance indicators' like fighting corruption from top to bottom and bottom to top. A country that had been robbed of its natural resources in two fashionable ways; 1.) by strong and powerful western allies and 2.)by its own corrupt, wicked,white collar gangs, political and economic criminals. I am taken aback into what you said that the 'audit findings' on your ministry and subsequent implication of your person as head which indicted you into this audit is politically motivated by Mr. Morlu. My question here is why would Morlu a young man like yourself who is also doing a piece of professional job for the same country and Liberian people would want to wickedly seek your downfall especially a guy of high profile like you in a society where people have begun to develop a sense of respect for you owing to the good and hard work you have done?. I don't understand why would this take place at this point in time in the history of Liberia where the world is watching us. This is very embarrassing on the part of your family also for the two brothers (you and Albert) who were imported into the country to help with the reconstruction of the Liberia to be indicted for corruption this is pathetic.Something is going on somewhere and we need to get to the bottom of this thing. Please give us more clarification on this as the days, weeks and months come by.  
I wish you well as you go through this nightmare to exonerate yourself and the injury cause to your person. 
God bless Liberia.  
 
Regards, 
 
Edwin B. R. Gbargaye 
Doctorate Student 
Public Administration 
National College of Public Administration & Governance (NCPAG) 
University of the Philippines 
Diliman, Quezon 
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
 
Edwin B. R. Gbargaye
3. 18-01-2010 00:12
 
One Thing I Understand Not
Let the nigger to and wash his uniformed. What Ellen have to do with that? His hand were caught in the Cookie jar. 8)
 
alarm blow
4. 18-01-2010 11:32
 
Generocity
Giving presents is a talent; to know what a person wants, to know when and how to get it, to give it lovingly and well. Unless a character possesses this talent there is no moment more annihilating to ease than that in which a present is received and given.
 
B.Augustus Gbain
5. 18-01-2010 23:55
 
OUR PEOPLE WICKET
LIBERIAN ARE WICKET PEOPLE.ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE RETURN TO LIBERIA TO HELP OUT AFTER LEAVING THEIR GOOD JOB IN AMERICA HAVE EITER BEEN KILLED, BEEN MAKE SICK, BEEN LIED ON, OR BEEN SET UP SO THEY WILL RUN AWAY BACK TO AMERICA. OUR PEOPLE TOO WICKET.
 
JEREMIAH
6. 20-01-2010 06:13
 
OUR PEOPLE WICKET
Look my brother, be not deceived as no one left their good job(s)in America to come here and serve Liberia. You think Bropleh was getting 15g per month plus 2,500 for housing allowance and other benefits when he was permanent representative ? The answer is a big no but all these guys run over here to Liberia to pay their mortgage, pay their children college tuitions and exploit the country. You think Bropleh can try what he did here in America where he came from to enrich himself in Liberia ?
 
Navamaga J. Navamaga
7. 21-01-2010 17:31
 
"Our People Wicket"
Jeremiah and Navamaga could both be correct. It could be that many Liberians return from abroad with the wicked intention to steal from their own people when they meet other wicked people in Liberia. 
I have heard many Liberians express the feeling that their countrymen are more evil towards one another than other nationals are to one another.  
Whether this is a perception or not, it has negative consequences for the Liberian society.  
More respect for one another and more cooperation will improve Liberia at a faster pace. How long will Liberia beg for help from other nationals? How long will Liberians be servants to foreigners in their own Liberia?  
The answer lies in the way Liberians cooperate, respect and care for one another.
 
Kaka Kola
8. 01-02-2010 12:06
 
Scene of the Crime
Let's assume Mr. Morlu made a "demeaning" statement about this government being thrice more corrupt, and therefore has set out to prove this point. 
 
But what I still don't get right is how does that relate to Larry Bropleh being "on the scene of the crime." Did Morlu go to MICAT and plant the evidence? Was it the GAC that first notice the payroll paddling? Is Morlu responsible for the coincidence: Big Brother from LTA & Small Brother from MICAT; all tangled in corruption web? Did Morlu plant a seed of corruption in the Bropleh Family?  
 
I candidly think that there are some missing links here; and until we find those links and put the pieces of the puzzle together, we will be dissuaded by the demagoguery of this enviable orator. Yes! That is what Larry Bropleh is. An excellent orator; with yet flimsy social and financial records.  
 
The odds have outweighed the goods. SAY SORRY BROPLEH! The sooner is better.
 
The Acid
9. 16-02-2010 01:09
 
YOU HAVE BEEN CAUGHT!!! STOP TALKING!!
My favorite quotation by Dr. HB Fahnbulleh quotes: The wretchedness of our inner soul is determined by our interaction with colleagues, acquaintances and friends." the wretchedness of Dr laurence bropleh's inner soul, former information minister has been manifested and revealed. from the onset, i knew he was a political vampire disguised in a religious sanctity. He came with inane rhetoric on how we should change our "minds and attitudes," and with verbosity, preaching on moral issues,which he knows nothing of. Bropleh and his cohorts have been indicted with theft of property, forgery abd criminal facilitation. Charges which he purportedly disdained and preached against. what a betrayal of trust and an act of treachery to the liberian people? you and your accomplices must face the law with equity and justice. 
when i was i liberia, i would listen to Bropleh's skew and tawdry trites perspectives on changing minds and attitides, his analyses were comical and lackadaisical. unconcionable Bropleh refused to have empathy for the downdrodden masses of liberia, instead he and his fellow scavengers, with perfidy consumed over two hundred thousand USD. this is sickening and vicious.  
ellen johnson sirleaf has shown true leadership and is worthy of my praise and commendation. she is uprooting political leeches from public offices, who see themselves as pre-eminent to the general good of the masses. A complete negation to public service. 
let all buffons like Bropleh who use public money for personal aggrandisement be expunged and expelled from offices. he resigned or vacated his former so-called post at the UN to show his wretched and vicious personality. And now we have seen it.  
"when you look for it you will see it"
 
siddiq konneh

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