New Democrat (Monrovia)
A. Abbas Dulleh
6 November 2009
As the Montserrado County senatorial race enters its final days, more cabinet ministers have rolled their sleeves for the Unity Party's candidate, with Planning Minister and presidential confidante Amara Konneh warning George Weah to "go back to school", adding, "We are ready for you."
Addressing dancing partisans at the UP Broad Street headquarters Wednesday, Mr. Konnneh, who the President has praised amongst others in her 2005 victory, said it is now school time in the US, where Mr. Weah is attending college. "What is he doing here?" he asked.
Last week, Finance Minister Augustine Ngafuan joined the campaign, telling students at the AME University that they should vote for the UP's Clemenceau Urey because, saying the candidate is an entrepreneur with the country at heart".
Mr. Konneh: "You have George Weah coming here and does not know the kind of school he went to. Then you come and say you are going to acquire knowledge, what is knowledge?" he asked, adding:
"The man is supposed to be school right now. This is the academic year. If it is true that he was in school, you think he will leave school to come here? I live in America so I know the system there. So he can't come and lie. He does not know that we are waiting for him in 2011," he said.
The Minister said the Senatorial candidate for the Congress For Democratic Change (CDC) Geraldine Doe-Sheriff does not understand the "constitution of Liberia. You need somebody to understand the constitution of Liberia to be able to make laws" and therefore she is not a senatorial material.
Referring to another candidate, former Finance Minister Wilson Tarpeh who is running on the ticket for Peace and Democracy (APD) as a big brother who has lot of respects for but said he (Tarpeh's) "priorities are wrong. He will not be able to figure out the winning and loosing side. So if Wilson Tarpeh did not know the loosing side and the loosing side in the 2005 elections and is still trying to understand it, can he represent us?"
"Our campaign has just started. This campaign will not be over until the ballots are counted, he said."
Reacting to allegation of corruption in the current government, Minister Konneh made reference to business centers he alleged are being operated by former government officials.
"They talked about corruption. Before this government there are so many drinking bars in the city right now, drinking spots owned by former government officials," he said while party zealots cheered.
On allegation of vote buying, Minister Konneh said the UP does not need to buy vote as its development records speaks for itself.
"You've got people talking about UP buying voters cards. Do we want it? We don't want it. Go on the old road. Look at the street and see the lights. It is UP government that built it. Look at it. Are we blind? Are we blind? Go there and see. The UP government did that."
He said had the CDC being in power, "forget it, the country would have been upside down."
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you foolish amara konneh shut up ur stink mouth .who know you in liberia? i hope you are not getten out of your mine, by telling weah to get back school. what is the problem with weah and education? imagine all your naive educators that you have now as leaders what is their functions? you stupidly incoperated a vandal like ellen in our society as president, and you have alot to say about poor boy who is trying for our country to be known. i just want you to know that a leader can be born, but can never be made. please have your mouth closed and leave Weah along for God sake.foolish glory seeker like you . im presently in los anegele if you want me to prove myself what it take im willing. and have this in mine that Weah will wine what ever it takewe are set for this time.. shame on once again i hate you for ever.
Well,brother,it's not my duty to be on this forum. But taking into account,it's about a member of a Government I have come to admire. Therefore, I must say to you Mr.Isquaye that a foolish person can't occupy a Planning Ministry in any country. This position is for people with the know-how! I believe and I'm quite sure that Amara Konneh is one of the sound and educated Minister that Liberia has got. I'm always reading developments from Liberia,from my Freetown City.
On the achievements of Ellen and the UP party,one needs not to say it because the Western World and Africa is seeing the great improvement that your country Liberia is heading to.Do not see a car running and giving smoke on the streets,then you condemn it right away. Remember that,that car once dropped you to a no go area. I'm just trying to tell you that the UP Government has done alot in Liberia. Hold it with two hands and don't let it go away from Liberia.
We're doing the same thing here in Sierra Leone.We're happy with the Ernest Koroma led APC Government.The best Government that I have seen in Sierra Leone in 35 years. No one will fool us not to give them the second term in 2012. Koroma will surely get a second chance come 2012.Please forgive me. I'm not campaigning for President Koroma for the 2012 but I do praise him for his good Leadership in Sierra Leone today.
This is the big problem in Liberia. People do not know the value of education. Lack of education is the reason why the country has been mismanaged ever since the Tubman days. This is why you commenters will praise George Weah, a man who cannot read and goes to a university that people in the US do not take seriously, but you condemn the Minister of Planning who attended one of the top universities in the world. He is right to say Liberia deserves an educated President. Nothing limits achievement like small thinking. not George Weah who takes classes online. Until we believe Liberia deserves better from it's leaders, Liberia will not get better.
I have to agree with the Planning Minister on this one. Building inclusive post-conflict governance or state building in post conflict countries is a tenious process that require people with the academic, technical skills and experience because conflict is the antithesis of development and George Weah has none. We can't put Liberia future in hand of mere footballer
I want to on the issue of our football lergent (Mr.Weah) talk to people who cleaming to be his spoke men to first talk to him to get his point of view on issues before commenting ,because there are some important information that we who live with Mr.Weah can back him on but not everything (eg. the high school he graduated (if not G. E. D he got ) web site and the name and web.site of his collage in the U S A are unknown and as Mr.Konneh said in his comment on George, we as liberians will in this new WORLD know our leaders before they sit in our leading chair(s). And Mr. Quaye,please i want you to tell us liberians besides football what else can you point to of weah that making Liberia known compair to Mrs.ellen j. Sirleaf. Please i am awaiting the answers to these questions also ask him if school close now in America ,for student to travel, leaving classes for more than a week or two.
heey have it closed my young man, i know fully well that you cant never compare your ellen with George Weah in any thing as i said. look you mr glory seeker, let me bring this to your attention that a leader can be born but can never be made, pls have this mine.so if you still want me to tell the difference, i can asure you weah is more nationalistic then your so called ellen. we the liberian today are not really concern about how well you learn, but what you can do for the country. many of you seem very naive in that you people dont make decision at the appropriate time. now the difference between ellen and Weah is confirmed if you dont know.ellen is known as vandal while Weah is also known as nationlist. i can still go on to tell you more about your ellen if you like. how fool are you to hold on to some one who is the roote cause of ur nightmare, i think know excatly what i mean. please leave Weah along for God sake if you really dont have anything to say. SHAME ON YOU AND YOUR ellen. i await ur respond.
This is the big problem in Liberia. People do not know the value of education. Lack of education is the reason why the country has been mismanaged ever since the Tubman days. This is why you commenters will praise George Weah, a man who cannot read and goes to a university that people in the US do not take seriously, but you condemn the Minister of Planning who attended one of the top universities in the world. He is right to say Liberia deserves an educated President. Nothing limits achievement like small thinking. not George Weah who takes classes online. Until we believe Liberia deserves better from it's leaders, Liberia will not get better.
I have to agree with the Planning Minister on this one. Building inclusive post-conflict governance or state building in post conflict countries is a tenious process that require people with the academic, technical skills and experience because conflict is the antithesis of development and George Weah has none. We can't put Liberia future in hand of mere footballer.
Also the most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born. I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers and I hope the Liberians can do that for the coming generation by making sure George Weah is not elected President of Liberia.
Please leave liberia redemer alone,what education Konneh has, or Ellen, before the country is looking as it is,there no youth programs, no jobs health care is poor,Konneh is just another eye servant who want to protect his job,who is he to warn a lengend like Amb. Weah about education,we know Konneh belongs to the forces of Evil that are destorying our country economically,they are the educated people who knows nothing but to steal public funds.let Konneh be warned that we are also ready for not only him but all corrupt govt.evil minded officials who going about stealing.what has Konneh education he claim to have done for liberia. a big shame on you, eye servant Konneh.we are also READY.
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George Weah,if I can be heard by yhou it will be prudent and very benificial for yhou to think about developing your talent that God had given you, and forget about politics.I mean we all know and it is through soccer that you got your blessings and fortune and it is good for yhou to keep it that way. What else do you want from this earth when yhou think about gaining thte whole world and losing your soul? I do not think so. Soccer, you can imagin yhou did your best for this country and yourself by puting your name in history as the first and ever Black man to be thte World best footballer of the year. I will like for you to undeerstand that it is about time for yhou think about how you can play your part in developing the game in Liberia. I mean since you started this quest for politics, you have turned yhour back on the area that you got your blessings from. George, for example you have not thought on how you can open a school or some training program for upcoming youthsw in the area of soccer; as how Abedi Pele, Samuel Eto and other African Greats ar doing for their copuntry. T