Liberia — Former presidential policy advisor Bai M. Gbala says it is true that Liberia is the oldest independent country in Africa, that is has enjoyed a decade of postwar peace, but that Liberians have nothing for which to celebrate and be happy.

He says this does not mean that he is not grateful to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and her administrative lieutenants “for the[ir] dedicated diligent leadership of this land of ours for the past 8 years of these turbulent, critical years”.

It meant then, he said, that the administration needed to redouble its efforts and recommit to removing the bottlenecks its stalwarts have erected against national progress.

The veteran politician's views were contained in his “Patriot's Reflection on Independence Day Message”, which he released on July 23, 2013.

Mr. Gbala said there were five reasons majority Liberians have had to go through the motions of Independence Day celebration this year in spite of themselves.

The first of these reasons, he said, is that they continue to face economic hardships worse than was possible prior to the civil war. The second reason, he claimed, was that the opportunity and income gap between the governors and the governed continued to widen even as the government claims success in the implementation of its economic recovery and reconstruction agendas.

To the extent that the average Liberian does not feel the success the government is claiming, according to the former presidential policy advisory, indicated that the government's priorities were opposed to the aspirations, expectations, and hopes of the people.

“Poverty, discontent, no-where-to-turn, helplessness and anger have become the order of the day. Almost all of the young, including 4-5 year-olds (the nation's future leaders), go to bed on empty stomachs - hunger and our medical facilities are very, very poor, with JFK Memorial Hospital described by a visiting, US medical delegation as ‘a place one goes to die',” he claimed further.

Another reason, he said, is that despite being the oldest independent nation in Africa at 166 years, Liberia's major cities remain inaccessible during the rainy season, as government is yet to build all-weather roads connecting cities such as Voinjama, Sanniquellie, Zwedru, and Harper in the north, northeast, east, and easternmost tip of Liberia.

Not only has the lack of these highways stifled the movement of goods and services for the benefit of the people, he said, but that also it has triggered a wave of rural-to-urban movement that has overwhelmed the capital, Monrovia, and made it overcrowded, congested, and inoperable.

“Making matters worse are the city streets and roads built, paved and unpaved, some 40-45 years ago that cannot, now, hold nor facilitate efficient, smooth, safe and orderly flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, due to the increased number of automobiles, much more than the volume of traffic for which the streets/roads were designed. Apparently, all the motor vehicles imported to Liberia are in the Monrovia area, with no roads to ply,” he said.

Mr. Gbala promised, in coming days, to present a “comprehensive proposal” for the best way out of the quagmire; but meanwhile, he said the Sirleaf Administration could reverse the situation simply by reviewing its priorities and taking actions to reduce official graft.

This she could do, he said, if she went beyond declaring corruption “Public Enemy #1” and clipped the wings of the “corps of highly-placed government officials” in her administration who have made corruption a business venture called “Corruption Inc.”

The reason she must do this immediately, he said, is that “Corruption has captured control of the corridors of state power and has become a major, dominant political force.” He gave no details.

Another thing he said President Sirleaf do immediately to reverse the fortune of the Liberian people for the better is to begin reviewing existing policies and programs to make them “rational” and to develop the political will and the dedication for diligent to enforce them.

The place to start, she said, is by trimming the 2013/2014 National Budget by removing the strings of unexplained allowances that cost taxpayers millions of dollars - millions of US dollars that he claimed are destined for foreign banks.

He “unexplained and unjustified allowances”, which the veteran politician described as “the abuse of the lawful policy of salary and wage allowance system” include special allowances, local scholarship give-away, repairs, vehicle and generator fuel, special services, and rental expense.

“Recipients of these dubious allowances are all ministers, their deputies, executives of state enterprises, justices of the Supreme Court, and members of the National Legislature. There may be more,” he claimed.

He claimed further, “Other payments, in billions of US dollars, made to the dealers for these generators, fuel, spare parts and service, including the popular SUVs, parts, service and fuel, also end up, but as revenues (and out of Liberia) to the foreign business organizations operating in Liberia.”

Mr. Gbala said were these funds to be trapped and appropriated appropriately, they would go a long way to alleviate the suffering of the Liberia people and give them reasons to celebrate in coming years.