Photo: AllAfrica Liberia's Nobel Peace Laureate, Laymah Gbowee, has expressed disappointment in the manner and form President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is steering the affairs of State.
"If you ask me whether I am disappointed, my answer is indeed, I am very disappointed in our President, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for the manner and form she's steering the affairs of the country."
"Beware, Madam Johnson Sirleaf criticized past administration, including William Tolbert on nepotism and corruption; she also bad mouthed slain President Samuel Doe for corruption; in fact, she referred to him as 'idiot' and Charles Taylor; those things she considered at that time as form of bad governance to surprisingly see her engaged in those things, it worth disappointment. And I'm also disappointed in my very self for being silent for long time," she said in local radio show recently in Monrovia.
Madam Gbowee, who won the Nobel Peace Prize alongside the Liberian leader, indicated that she fully supported Madam Sirleaf in both her first and second presidential bid with the hope that she would have transformed the nation for the betterment.
She added that, but unfortunately, the President appears to be trending the path of the past leaders that she once criticized and condemned.
Commenting on President Sirleaf's recent description of her (Laymah) as 'too young to criticize' Madam Gbowee noted that the President could be right, but added she is not too young to know what is right or wrong. On October 8, 2012, Madam Gbowee resigned her post as head of the nation's reconciliation commission.
Speaking during the launch and promotion of the French edition of her book; "Mighty Be Our Powers" in Paris, France, Laymah attributed her decision to three major reasons: corruption, nepotism and lack of political will by President Sirleaf and her administration to promote national reconciliation.
According to her, the President has done little to tackle corruption, wondering as to 'what has really changed in Liberia'. She noted that the gap between the rich and poor in Liberia continues to grow, emphasizing "you are either rich or dirt poor, and there's no middle class."
She further criticized the President, her one-time friend and god-mother, for not doing enough to ease poverty, noting "In her first term, she developed infrastructure; but what good is infrastructure if people don't have enough to eat?"
On the issue of nepotism, the 2011 Nobel laureate accused the President of appointing her relatives, including her sons to lucrative positions in her administration.
For example, she named Charles, Robert and Fumbah Sirleafs as some of those closed relatives holding positions such as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Senior Advisor and Chairman of the Board of the National Oil Company of Liberia, as well as Director of the National Security Agency, respectively.
Laymah frowned at President Sirleaf for failing to promote the spirit of national reconciliation, stressing that much progress is yet to be made by the President in healing the nation, adding that in view of the foregoing, she stood guilty to continue in the government and saw her resignation as the best way out.
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Laymah, I 100% agree with you. Do you have the political will, the gut to fight corruption in Liberia, stop nepotism, invest in the Liberian people, build strong institutions instead of strong men and women, allocate our resources so that it benefit the Liberian People, invest in the rule of law and strengthen the judiciary by prosecuting corrupt Liberian Government officials from Ellen's Administration if the Liberian People give you the opportunity to serve as President of Liberia? President Sirleaf has certainly burned the bridge for women like you who may want to be president, but with the corruption and stealing with impunity that the current woman president has promoted, Liberian Women must convene the Liberian People why they can become a better leader than president Sirleaf.
I knew the Nobel Peace Prize waswrong to give our president the prize. SHe did noting to bring peace to lLIberia and under her rule the level of nepotism and cronyism has reached unprecedented levels. Leymah, we support you. Let those sycophantic women in liberia read position statement and continue to support Ellen just because she isa woman, but we know better. We are all very disappointed and yet the international community continues to force this charlatan on us.
This is a call to All LIBERIAN WOMEN. If you don't speak out now, the rest of the world will not realize that there are many more smart and capable Liberian women in this world--- besides Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. This is your moment!!!! Please speak out, whether you support Ellen or not; you need to be heard and Liberia really needs you all.
thanks Laymah for all of the issues raise with President Sirleaf and her Government. mind u those who point finger are also point at, this is what is happening to President Sirleaf according to your deliberation. instead of we as liberian people pointing fingers always let find a common ground and find a way forward. " A GOOD PATROIT IS SOMEONE WHO IS PREPARE TO ACCEPT THE PAST OF HIS/HER LEADERS, SUPPORT THEM TO MEET THE PRESENT REALITY AND ENCOURAGES THEM TO FORFEIT THE FUTURE" WE AS LIBERIANS NEED TO LEARN HOW TO WORK WITH OUR LEADERS AND NOT TO LEAVE THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WATER TO GET DROWN. THIS WILL NEVER HELP US AS A NATION. A SUCCESSFUL NATION IS A NATION THAT PROTECT ITS CITIZENS AND CITIZENS IN TO PROTECT THEIR LEADER. MY PARTING WORD WILL BE, SINCE YOU HAVE SEEN AND RAISE ALL THESE ISSUES WHAT IS YOUR WAY FORWORD?
Leymah you are not disappointed like I do; since you were appointed head for the Nations Reconciliation Commission, there is nothing you can tip finger at by saying you transform it…not even a group of two that you ever transform after a lots of post election dissatisfaction amongst youths. Lastly, would you please come back home and tell us how the fund was used? After that you can continue with your campaign or else stop talking about others when you more or less the same fooling the Liberians.