29 October 2008
The phrase often indiscriminately used in acknowledging the birth celebration of friends, relatives and loved ones is "Happy Birthday". Granted; everyone's birthday is a happy day for the parents, if not the community and the larger public.
However, it is not true that anyone's lifetime is happy-time, be it for the parents, the family or the public.
The birth of some can be a total catastrophe for others. History is replete with countless cases of men and women whose births brought untold sorrow to their relations and the wider public.
However, there are those who are distinguished and destined to live their lives for the benefit of others.
The list of this category of mankind is acutely short.
Today, as President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf celebrates her birthday, and a lot of "Happy Birthday" greetings would be flying here and there, the Analyst Staff Writer delves deep under the pleasantries, finding out reasons why the President's Natal Day is worthy of all the celebrations and adorations.
"Madam President, I have come to respect you and admire you because of your courage, your vision, your commitment to universal values and principles."
Those are words uttered by George W. Bush, President of the United States, the world's sole superpower and a leading voice of the free world.
Pres. George Walker Bush is widely considered a no-nonsense world leader, very hateful of and intolerant of dictators and tyrants. He's fearless, and tells despotic leaders and nations what they are in their faces.
It was Bush who branded North Korea, Iran, Syria, and other radical nations as "Axis of Evil." And these are industrious or semi-industrious countries having vast amount of resources, some of which could be useful to the United States.
Yet, he chastises them without shrink and respect. But this is the same man, George W. Bush, who adored President Sirleaf with these words: "I respect and admire you."
This contrast in favor of Ellen and Liberia could not have been a result of charm. Bush, by his records does not flatter. In fact, there is nothing in Liberia that pet words would unlock.
ndeed, the Liberian woman who is celebrating her Birthday today must have done great things to advance the cause of not only Liberians but also all peoples of the free world.
Yet at home, some citizens assert: President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf celebrates her 70th Birth Anniversary today; so what? Skeptics and optimists, detractors and supporters are debating that subject question today, and the debate might linger on for some days to come.
Whether or not the debate ends sooner or later, and whether one party wins the debate or not, it might take only God the Father and the wisdom of a truly neutral observer to see and acknowledge the myriad reasons why Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's birthday is a reflection, an inspiration and a blessing for many here in Liberia, Africa and the world.
Tracing Honorable but Tortuous Route
That Ellen, born on this day of this month some 70 years ago, reached the pinnacle of international prominence and managing to remake Liberia and finds its place in the community of nation is no accident.
In other words, her three scores ten years of existence on Planet Earth is not a sojourn of milk and honey, even though she is an offspring of an elitist family and ethnic hegemony.
Her intrinsic quest to spend her life for the good of others subjected her to horrendous treatments. The prevalence of social inequalities in Liberia particularly during the youthful days of Ellen drove her more and more to seeking ways and means to break the back of the pandemic.
Not consumed by the parochialism of the day, where the Americo-Liberians to whom she holds one-half of her family affinity played the dominant and privileged role, Ellen identified with the impoverished majority and allied with activists who sought better living condition for all Liberians without discrimination.
But her power and desire for comprehensive social, economic and political change in the country was not without solid educational background, as the economist-turned-politicians studied both in Liberia and the United States.
Untypical of most Liberian girls, her tender marriage at age 17, did not inhibit her academic and intellectual pursuits, because having graduated from the College of West Africa she moved on to the United States where she earned a masters degree in Public Administration.
Probably thinking that a foothold on the state bureaucracy would be an eye-opener in the general quest for social, economic and political equality, Ellen upon return to Liberia accepted an appointment in the True Whig Party government of President William R. Tolbert, Jr.
But the True Whig Party, well entrenched and psyched in its exclusionary rule, would hardly pay heed to the counsels of the likes of Ellen who were opting for a more inclusive and just society.
The only option left for the emergent activist was to quit government in order to concentrate on other honorable measures and strategies necessary to bring all Liberians aboard the Ship of State regardless of social, religious or political backgrounds.
Backed by an elitist background and sound educational training, others would choose to take on private ventures or take lucrative jobs elsewhere; but Ellen did not. Even when the Truth Whig Party, which she served as Finance Minister, was dethroned in a bloody coup, Ellen did not shrink.
Along with her male activist counterparts, Madam Sirleaf rose to the challenges of the day, which included but not limited to the new political regime's perpetration of social injustice, political marginalization and human rights abuses.
As probably the only female to tower in active politics in Liberia, it was not long when Ellen was noticed by the notorious eye of the military junta, which was on opposition elimination spree.
Having already been imprisoned under dehumanizing conditions by the junta, she thought the second brutal encounter with the regime would end the crusade of liberation to which she so much dedicated herself. A good warrior recoils briefly to fight the next battle.
Thus, Ellen found sanctuary in East Africa and other regions of the world. While in exile in the early and mid 1980s, Sirleaf rendered consultancy services to various international institutions and served as Director of Citibank in Nairobi, Kenya.
Those assignments did not however deter Ellen from the politics at home, particularly the network of opposition collaboration amongst homeland and exiled activists and politicians.
When the People's Redemption Council Government mustered the courage under severe international pressure to announce the lifting of the ban on politics, Ellen was one of few Liberian exiled and targeted activists who defied all odds, returned home and participated.
Her participation in the elections, as her participation in most political activities, was not done on silver platter. She was bruised. The Doe rulership put her under house arrest.
She was also once sentenced to ten years in prison but served the sentence briefly before fleeing back into unwilling exile. Madam Sirleaf is one Liberian woman and one Liberian politician who has sought something worthwhile to do while forced out of active politics.
And democratic politics eluded the country for several years in the aftermath of the military insurgency launched by the National Patriotic Front of Liberia in 1989.
Beginning the early 1990s, she got a prestigious job with the United Nations, serving as Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, an equivalence of Assistant Secretary General of the UN.
This international placement gave the Liberian female exile adequate latitude and advantage to keep the Liberian conflict on African and world agenda throughout the duration of the war.
While the conflict was raging, Ellen, amongst other things, was networking with various Liberian and international groups, shuttling all over the world to find lasting solution to the woes that were being visited upon her people and nation.
Ultimately, in August 2003, the end of the Liberian war came into sight, and Ellen returned to her homeland submerged in the pleas and lamentations of Liberians to take over the political leadership of the country.
The people's petition and supplications being sincere and well-meaning in content and context, this great daughter of Liberia succumbed. It can be recalled, however, that the political activist contested the Presidency in 1997 and announced second place winner to rebel-leader-turned politician Charles Taylor out of a total of 12 contestants.
As if the stiff race put up by Sirleaf cast political doom for the Taylor leadership, and as if the thing the ruling elite had to do was to keep her at bay, the Unity Party candidate was charged with treason and ordered arrested.
But the intensification of war between insurgency forces and the Charles Taylor administration probably did not permit the regime to set into motion the preliminary formalities of litigation against Madam Sirleaf, who was then already in exile.
Others said at the time that it was an intimidation ploy by the Taylor regime to frighten her away.
So, as the political whistle sounded in 2005 in the absence of Charles Taylor, Ellen heeded massive calls again to contest the Liberian presidency. And on November 11, 2005, the masses of the people of Liberia voted overwhelming to make her the first elected President and Africa's first head of state.
Performing the Magic Wand
The ascension of Ellen to the political leadership of Liberia follows many decades of political upheavals - some subtle and nonviolent while some were violent and catastrophic; all combined not only to give the oldest African nation an odd international image, and make it a no-go area for world-class people, but also led to chronic poverty, underdevelopment and bad governance.
Since independence, and from one political leadership to another, the hope and cry of the people has principally been to situate the country in the comity of nation with a honorable voice; to eradicate poverty and injustice; and to attain a political space in which the voices of all Liberians will be heard and respected.
These essentials of democratic statehood had defied most Liberian political regimes, if not all, and underpinned the vicious cycle of poverty, conflict and war.
At Ellen's inauguration, those who had prophetic minds knew that the first magic wand was already producing fruits of hope, as some of the attendees of the colorful ceremony epitomized an end to the nemeses that the nation and people had grappled with for decades.
Amongst several world-class personalities who attended the Inauguration were United States' First Lady, Madam Laura Bush, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Soon after the inauguration there came an avalanche of distinguished leaders from the civilized world. Nearly endless as the list is, it might prove healthy to name the likes of two sitting secretary-generals of the United Nations and sitting presidents from the United States, France, etc.
The records available about world class leaders visiting Liberia at any other time in far and recent past speak of the visits of an American President who actually made a stopover at the Airport and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain.
In a every effective way, Ellen has broken the record, not only because her advent as head of state of Liberia open the floodgate of world-class leaders' visits to the country, but also because she has been able to open the doors of many other great nations; doors which were closed to Liberia for so long.
With the dividends of this diplomatic revolution paying off in the scrambling of Liberia's international creditors to wave our debts and the honorable return of the long quarantined nation to the comity of civilized nations, Ellen's magic wand has brought under control one of Liberia's troubling woes.
In the last three years of her incumbency, Ellen not only proves to both friends and foes that she an indisputable maestro of international diplomacy, but also makes herself and Liberia an international icon.
As praiseworthy as that move is, it is not without a precondition: exhibiting the democratic credential. And this is the second magic wand, because for so long the Liberian presidency has not been so evenhanded and kind as Ellen has made it presently for nearly three years.
Since the days of old, the Liberian presidency is deemed an oracle reserved only for demigods whose deeds are sacred and unchallengeable. That Ellen is so celebrated and has managed to de-stigmatize Liberia in less than three years is a magic that comes not from her outlook and mere words.
Even in the community of ignorant people, no one can be publicly exalted and esteemed simply because of his or her past or beauty or sweet words. And more so, the international community of superb scholars and diplomats don't esteem their counterparts on blanket admiration.
Their acknowledgement and admirations are based on demonstrated qualities and deeds. Having shown via myriad international groups with whom she had worked, Ellen did not forget to bring to the Liberian presidency those qualities, traits and charisma for which she is hailed everywhere.
Taking over the mantle of power, she has unveiled and brought to bear her long-held vision of creating an efficient and responsive government--not government just for the sake of government--and the dream of establishing a non-hostile social, democratic, political space that encourages all Liberians contribute to national recovery and development.
It is not a surprise that for the first time in several years, civil servants take-home pay jumps from US$15 to US$70 and the pay comes far before the month ends. It takes only an effective and responsive government to do so.
But that is not only the mark of a an efficient and responsive government; more interesting to note is the kind of organization and reform being put into the revamping process of the current government.
Ellen has ensured that every ministry and agency does not operate in the vacuum as it was in the past when the statutory mandates or Acts creating those institutions were, in addition to presidential directives, solely relied upon to direct the work of public workers.
Under the Sirleaf government, there is an annual plan replete with clearly delineable and measurable deliverables and every agency and ministry has a set of assignment to achieve during the year.
Even when the government was in its puberty, and it only had six months to complete the fiscal responsibility of its predecessors, Ellen ensured that nobody worked in the vacuum but within the context and confine of what was dubbed 150-Day Action Plan.
The 150-Day Action Plan was followed by the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy before the emergence of the main PRS phase.
These are plans not merely intended to restrict and refine the inputs and outputs of government officials or only to achieve maximum benefit, but also to make national development agendas more inclusive and participatory, as the formulation process of these plans involve Liberians at the level of the village, town and district.
Without being a soothsayer reading the minds and dreams of others, it is not difficult for anyone to say emphatically that Ellen's strategy and vision for efficient and responsive government comes from the backdrop of political and economic marginalization characteristic of the past and resulted into the problems of political upheavals and poverty that haunted Liberia for so long.
Another appreciable dimension of Ellen's magic wand is opening the political space, a long unachievable task achieved by Ellen, which distinguishes her from most of her predecessors, if not all.
Nearly three years running now, Liberia has not recorded political prisoners and state-masterminded brutality and manhunt against citizens of the critical opposition stock.
This is a queer achievement because, judging from the past, one year is enough for a Liberian leader to perceive enemies and their designs and to find their places either behind bars or beyond our borders and the Atlantic.
Ellen has been careful to deal with the handiwork of regime zealots, and has done much not to allow them to drive a wedge between her and the opposition community.
Her most recent action against zealots was to order the immediate release of the leader of a group advocating the establishment of a war crimes court in the country.
On the overall, however, in the short time of her leadership, all Liberians enjoy their God-given and Constitutional right to reside in their country or elsewhere without being hunted, harassed or intimidated by state agents based on political beliefs and activities here or abroad.
The media which had particularly been target of past regimes are now nearly totally free, serving as major channels for the ventilation of democratic tenets.
Are those catalogued achievements not enough and joyful to captivate the nation to join the celebration of a great leader?
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