Photo: Liberia Government The faith based media group Christian Media Center (CMC) has accused President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of introducing the late Libyan dictator Mohammed Gadhafi's style of leadership in Liberia.
The late dictator had his children and close relatives in top government positions until his kingdom crumbled to internal rebellion with strong international backing which led to his subsequent assassination last year.
The Center says it is a complete irony and a departure from the tenets of decent democracy President Sirleaf's decision to ignore public outcry against the level of nepotism she has instituted in Liberia by appointing her biological children and other family members to lucrative public positions.
The Faith based media group in a release issued yesterday said it finds it difficult to believe that the Church, the media and civil society in Liberia will allow the President to go unhinged with such discrimination--something the Center believes will reverse the gains Liberia has made in achieving an open society.
President Sirleaf has come under serious criticisms for practicing what her critics call "nepotism" after appointing three of her sons to very top and lucrative positions in government.
President Sirleaf, before ascendency to power, criticized previous leaders, among others, for being nepotistic on grounds that they were appointing family members to key positions in government.
Sitting in the same seat today, the Liberian leader has appointed Messrs Charles, Robert and Fomba Sirleaf, as Deputy Central Bank Governor, National Oil Company Board Chair and Director of National Security Agency.
Despite the public outcries and criticisms, the President has not overturned her decision, and recently vowed that she will not dismiss them.
The Christian Media Center reminded the president that nepotism is the equivalent of discrimination, prejudice, partiality, preferential treatment, one-sidedness, favoritism and bias, words that are a complete contrast to merit-based employment within the public sector of every democracy.
The Center also noted that President Sirleaf use of the phrases "low capacity of Liberians" and "lack integrity" as justification for her action are not only insulting but very disturbing and unfortunate as tyranny is already full grown and Liberians are in for a Sirleaf dynasty that may possibly require another brutal civil war to dethrone.
Christian Media Center in a release issued on Monday called on the Liberian media especially the Press Union of Liberia, the Inter-religious Council, student groups, the Civil Servants Association of Liberia, the Federation of Liberia Youths, the Liberia Students Union and all other civil society actors to demand the president play according to the rules by ending the nepotism she has introduced in the country.
The Faith based group also challenged the religious community to consolidate the peace by openly speaking against ills in society and make reconciliation key focus of the Sirleaf administration.
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This President will say and do anything, once she realizes it will benefit her personally. She once supported President Charles Taylor, and advocated the violent overthrow of President Doe and the destroction of the Executive Mansion in order to smoke-out Samuel Doe. She calls herself Americo-Liberian when it is beneficial to her, and she becomes Gola woman when she wants the votes of the native women of Liberia. She is a typical Liberian politician who happens to be a female, a typical African politician who resides over an economic where her children and other polical elite are amassing fortunes and deposits in banks abroad while the majority of liberians live in abject poverty. She provides good jobs for her children, other relatives and friends, she provides them with jobs that pay as high as similar jobs in the United States, if not higer, while the majority of her fellow citizens (Liberians)are lacking access to basic social services such as sanitation, clean drinking water, good education(Elementary,Junior & Senior high) and affordable health care. What a scam perpetuated on Liberia?
Article 5(C) of the Liberian Constitution does not define a law against nepotism per se. The provision allows for a framework that empowers the Legislature to be able to enact a nepotism law. Such a law would define and set standards of what should constitute nepotism. It can only be said that the president breaches this article where she tries to hinder the Legislature from enacting such a nepotism law. However, until such a law is enacted, she can not be in violation of nepotism in the legal sense because no such law exist at the moment. It seems that Sirleaf's appointment of her son provides an opportunity for lawmakers to carry-out their legislative responsibility by passing a clear-cut law against nepotism in government as a whole. However, such a law will have to be comprehensive for the public sector not just meant to only target the president or a select group of people. But it seems that rather than deal with this issue in earnest some lawmakers are only politicizing the issue. I'm sure many of them have their relatives and children working right in their offices and receiving scholarships to attend colleges abroad on taxpayer's money. Therefore, it is not surprising that they lack the moral backbone to enact such a law.
Pres. Sirleaf could be testing the morality of the society thru our lawmakers like in the case of the "Code of Conduct Law" which has remained idled in the Legislature for years now. This shows that there is a problem with morality in our country. Lawmakers have no principles at all. None whatsoever! Conceptually, an appointment of a relative in itself may not be unlawful since to be in breach of nepotism it must be proven that the appointment was based strictly on favouritism without any consideration of merit. The challenge is left with our lawmakers to enact a national law. Until then, Gongloe's recommendation for Sirleaf's resignation has no legal foundation.
My personal advise to Her Excellency, Madam President of Liberia is, the sooner the better for her and our beloved Country, the Republic of Liberia.
We are not ready to compromise the Republic of Liberia for any person or family or group of individual/individuals for any reason.
Let your children leave the Government headed by you as President and let peace raise.
Enough is enough, after 14 years of bloody civil conflict, we are not ready to go on square 1, ( one ) anymore.
NB: Women are highly respected in our Country, ( Liberia ) and so as a Mother, please consider my good advise and do the rightful thing promptly before is too late for you.
Hope you will consider my advise and save our beloved Country, ( Liberia ) from another blood share.
Regards, Dr. Gaye Jamil Nuahn CEO TEE & GEE AFRICA COMMODITIES INTERNATIONAL LTD.