| By Musa V. Sheriff (Oct 3rd 2005)
"...we, Liberians have been accorded this golden opportunity, another chance to carefully think about what values and heritages we take along with us to the future, and to think of what future we need. We have been challenged to carefully ponder or think, as true citizens of this land, about what we can do for our nation towards national development, what we can contribute in promoting peace and unity; I think our vote is one of the precious and valuable contributions now and forever...." |
After 15 years of civil unrest or conflict, a period in which, your right to vote, your right to express your views and your right to move freely were all seized, this sad and frustrating period has finally and firmly come to an end. Thanks to the international community for their good efforts, and we of Liberia will remain grateful to them.
Truly the nation, our dear mother land, has been destroyed; schools, hospitals, roads and basic infrastructures are in deplorable conditions, nearly two years back, after the meeting in Ghana our hopes of repairing or revamping some of these basic infrastructures were dashed down by the so-called Religious and Businessman, appointed in Accra, Ghana as a Caretaker of our nation.
The nation has been transformed into what we term in local Liberian English, “chopping spot”, so sad of them - Mr. Bryant and his team. State revenues are used to satisfy personal goals, sponsoring political campaigns and buying expensive cars for luxury, so frustrating it is.
Why vote?
Now these are questions on many intellectual Liberian’s minds:
1. Should we support or cash our votes - the votes that will determine the destination of our nation in favor of those notorious, greedy and dishonest guys running in the race that misled our nation and dashed our hopes. But I, as writer of this Article, am really worried and placed in a corridor of confusion; I cry every day and night. Oh my country! What will become of us again! I am worried because many Liberians don’t have control over the sense of judgment to select the right people to lead our nation, or who to vote for or who to support. I am worried because my beloved country is at the verge of success and failure… success, if we vote for the right people, failure, if we vote for the wrong people.
2. Should we vote for those that did the architectural design to support and finance the war, the war that killed over 200.000 of our people, destroyed our homes, properties and made us refugees in the world and turned our nation capital, Monrovia into the biggest village in the world – no water, no electricity and limited internet services?
Will they, not come back to kill us and take away our resources? Surely they will, so be very careful of them. These are the questions in the air; I am in dire search of answers like most Liberians too.
Finally, we, Liberians have been accorded this golden opportunity, another chance to carefully think about what values and heritages we take along with us to the future, and to think of what future we need. We have been challenged to carefully ponder or think, as true citizens of this land, about what we can do for our nation towards national development, what we can contribute in promoting peace and unity; I think our vote is one of the precious and valuable contributions now and forever. Make a sound judgment of choice, think well and vote for people that have never supported the past atrocities in Liberia and have never served the so-called Bryant Government, elements using our national resources to campaign or vie for state offices.
If the future is where we have go for the betterment of our nation, then we should vote for people with clean hands, professional, honest and patriotic managers with long term experiences in Human and Natural resources management and good governance. We don’t need people that will transform the Executive Mason or public offices into a High School.
We have suffered enough, we need peace and unity, we want our children to go to school, we need to walk and travel in this land freely. We don’t want to be asked who we are, so please vote for the right people - to lead our nation forward. At this point, as part of my contribution towards change and the art of nurturing good judgment in electing people to state offices or bureaus, I proposed a new slogan or motto for peace and unity: Forward ever backward never, in the name of God.
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