Many must have thought that those who support the current government, particularly from the echelon of ruling party, were blind to the grey areas until the man who pilots the country's ruling party, the Unity Party, took the platform in Tubmanburg on Independence Day and spoke his mind out. Cllr. Harry Varney Gboto-Nambi Sherman betrayed critics and other pundits who had conjectured prior to that instant date that his selection as Independence Day Orator this year would have been a recipe for honeyed tributes or fragrant whitewash of the nearly 8-year old Sirleaf administration. And neither did he speak like an opposition. His nearly 15-page oration was what a journalist colleague called "bite and blow," largely clad in diplomatic expressions pointing to myriad achievements and shortfalls, including little done to eradicate poverty. The Analyst leafs through Cllr. Sherman's statement and report.

"Let us make no mistake that the greatest unspoken cause of our civil war was the extreme poverty, social-economic deprivation and drudgery that too many of our people suffered from; it is the reason why a civil war that appeared to have started on the basis of differences between two counties or tribes eventually involved the entire Republic of Liberia and affected every nook and corner of our country."

That is how the Unity Party Chairman brought the fore the issue of endemic poverty in his marathon speech on July 26, 2013, when he served as the orator of the nation's Independence Day.

Urging Stiff Poverty Fight

In energetic tune, Cllr. Sherman asserted that it was because of poverty that drove many to participate in the conflict: "What were the combatants doing in the villages of Lofa County? What were the combatants doing in the villages of Grand Cape Mount County? What were the combatants doing in the villages of Gbarpolu County? What were the combatants doing in every village and nook and corner? Everywhere they went, my people, using their guns, they seized our people's properties and destroyed what they couldn't carry away. Then you say it is only tribal conflict between two tribes? Were those tribes situated in every nook and corner of the Republic of Liberia? Then I propose to you that we pay attention to the extreme poverty, social and economic deprivation and drudgery that our people experience."

As much as this government has done to reduce extreme poverty,to improve the lives and livelihood of our people and remove them from the experience of drudgery, the Unity Party strongman said, "there is still much more that needs to be done. Some of the things that need to be done are not too expensive or too difficult to be done."

Then he gave supportive examples: "Madam President and Members of the leadership of my country, we all know that a large majority of our people do not have clean, pipe-borne water and human waste disposal facilities even though these are an absolute necessity for their health and personal well-being. Too many of our people have never had the comfort of electric light; and I need not tell you the transformation that electric light brings to any community. As much as we appreciate the big infrastructure development projects carried out since peace returned to Liberia, I suggest that now is the time that we begin to think about small projects, such as the installation of water pumps and solar lights in all the villages of Liberia – projects which directly impact the lives of the greatest majority of our people."

The ruling party boss suggested to Government that big national projects be implemented as one way of alleviating the extreme poverty and drudgery that they live in. These undertakings, he noted, even though insignificant in their appearances, will make tremendous difference in the lives of the Liberian people and cause them to renew their loyalty and commitment to the Republic of Liberia.

He put nearly bluntly: "If our government was to invest in such things, and I mean real serious investment, we will be considered a pacesetter and trendsetter; that is what the Liberian people elected you for, Madam President. So I call upon you, Madam President and the other Members of the leadership of our country, to explore the possibility, during the current six-year term of office, to make a difference in the lives of the majority of our people by installing hand pumps and solar lights in each village in the Republic of Liberia."

Implement Implementable TRC Report

The Independence Day Orator also commented on the controversial TRC report which had been on the shelf since the Commission charged investigate causes of the conflict submitted its report three years ago. There are those who believe the report's recommendations are parochial should not be implemented as required by the Presidency, while others say otherwise.

Reacting, Sherman said: "genuine peace and reconciliation is not possible unless we squarely face the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Report, legally discard those recommendations which are unconstitutional and are in conflict with our laws, and implement those recommendations which will foster the unity, integration and reconciliation of our people."

He said the nation cannot afford to ignore the TRC Report and pretend that it does not exist, as this will not auger well for us as a people and for our country.

The UP leader said: "There can be no genuine reconciliation without disposition of the TRC Report; and I am one of those who believe that, after setting aside the unconstitutional and illegal recommendations, many portions of the TRC Report are very useful for the reconciliation of our people and the transformation of our country. It should be recalled, also, that some of us, given the position where we are, have already offered ourselves to challenge in court, if necessary, the unconstitutional and illegal recommendations of the TRC Report."

He said Liberians we should seriously pursue implementation of the legally and constitutionally implementable recommendations of the TRC, and we should make sure that the Liberian people throughout the nook and corner of our country know that Government is doing just that.

He reasoned that there is nothing written in the report to be afraid of. "Every day that we delay in the disposition of the TRC Report," he added, "we give the false impression that those who wish to criticize us, demean us, and abuse us tell the Liberian people that we are afraid of its contents. You, Madam President, know that we are not afraid of its contents."

Tackling Corruption Menace

The Independence Day Orator also drew the attention of the nation, particularly President Sirleaf, to the country's number one enemy, corruption, opining that for all what President Sirleaf has done and achieved and hopes to accomplish will not be recognized and appreciated if corruption remains on the lips of the Liberian people up to the day she retires from office in January 2018.

"So, Madam President," he said with emphasis, "you must remain resolute and strong in your personal conviction and actions to stamp out corruption from our country; you must not be deterred by the indifference of others or by a failure, for example, to get a legislation or two passed to enhance the work against corruption."

He said further: "We need to change the conversation. We need to change the debate. We need for the Liberian people to talk about your achievements and accomplishments in tackling corruption just as they talk about your achievements and accomplishments in getting our international debt waived. That is the conversation that we need to be making."

In the next couple of years, Sherman said, "we need to change the subject matter of the public debate or discussion from corruption to genuine peace and reconciliation and to development and social-economic progress," asserting further: "We need to be aggressive, tenacious and consistent against corruption or else our legacy as a political party, the Unity Party, which took over the helm of this country after the civil war, will be marred forever; and neither we, as a political party, nor you, as our Standard Bearer, can afford that. Now is the time for strong and decisive policies and actions; waiting for 'tomorrow' is not an option. It will be too late."

Cllr. Sherman said while he doesn't think the nation needs a special court for corruption, as one of the many existing courts could be designated by law to handle corruption cases, he strongly believes that prosecutorial powers to the Anti-Corruption Commission will expedite the management of corruption matters.

"So, I recommend to both you and Members of the Legislature to reconsider the actions that have been recently taken in this regard, and reconsider to pass the necessary law to enable us to more vigorously fight corruption in our country," he said, adding, "For our political governance, Liberians asked themselves whether the Government of Liberia is sufficiently pluralistic, transparent, accountable and responsive to their needs. They especially test for policies, programs and sanctions against corruption and the establishment of effective institutions and mechanisms to give effect to those policies and programs. We know this to be true because, as much as this government has done to stamp out corruption from Liberia, including the enactment of a special law against corruption and the establishment of an Anti-Corruption Commission, all the time and everywhere we hear the Liberian people's cry against corruption. There must be something that we have not done right. There must be something that we have not done right or something that we ought to do that we have not done that makes our people, including some members of the very Anti-Corruption Commission itself, to criticize us for corruption in our society every day."

The UP Chair said further: "I know what you, Madam President, have done so far. I know your personal abiding commitment to eradicate this cancer from our society, and I also know that some of the acquisitions of corruption have no basis. But, again, I submit to you that our country cannot be transformed when public service is evaluated by the Liberian people at large as the place where corruption exists, persists and is practiced as a matter of course and with impunity."

Revamp PR Architecture

Cllr Sherman used the occasion to acknowledge numerous strides he said the administration of Madam Sirleaf had made but alarmed that these achievements aren't visible in the public mind due to poor public relations mechanism.

The recalled that President Sirleaf has been vigorously pursuing investment in infrastructures, such as road networks, which have direct impact on economic and social development, available, efficient, and affordable public utility and social services, including but not limited to power, potable water, sanitation, transportation and telecommunication services as the foundation for economic recovery and national reconstruction but these developments are rarely heard off by the Liberian populace.

Sherman said despite the accolades and honors which have been bestowed upon the President by governments, academia, international governmental and non-governmental organizations and other institutions, attest to the success of your policies, programs and endeavors, he said he was concerned that enough information about these achievements and accomplishments has not flowed to the Liberian public at large, and too many Liberians, even within Monrovia and its immediate environs, don't know enough about these achievements and accomplishments.

"Tremendous progress has been made in restoring the credibility and integrity of our country with the international community and getting the international community to waive our daunting foreign debts and to allow new credits to us," he said. "You led the reinstitution of political governance, especially the holding of two presidential and general elections in a rather harmonious way, the restoration of normality in social interactions among our people, and the resort to the courts of law to settle grievances are all indications that we have come a long way from the days of our civil war."

He said the absence of information to the Liberian people about these achievements and accomplishments is a serious deficiency that must be remedied immediately.

"It should be acknowledged that these accomplishments and achievements contribute to peace and reconciliation in our country," Cllr Sherman said, recommending "very strongly that the information dissemination structure and process of this government be revamped and adequately supported to provide all information about the accomplishments and achievements of your government – information that permeates every sector of the country."

Do Something Substantive

The July 26 Orator said despite all that President Sirleaf has done and accomplished, her administration has a singular responsibility and obligation to be just as visionary as her predecessors were or even more visionary than they were, to be just as bold and courageous as they were or even bolder and more courageous than they were to tackle head-on our fundamental problems and differences so that genuine peace may be used as the foundation to restore our country to its pre-war status and genuine reconciliation may be the fulcrum for its transformation.

In a country where nearly every successful political program or action must be driven by the highest political office, Sherman said, President Sirleaf was elected to set the examples of good governance – examples that would be worthy of emulation by your successors.

"You were elected because Liberians believe that of all the contestants for the presidency of this country, you were the best prepared and most qualified to be the trendsetter and pacesetter for the progress of our country and the fulfillment of their individual and collective dreams," he said, and added: "This means that as much as you have done, it is imperative, absolutely imperative, that your government engages in one, two, or three policies and programs which makes significant difference in the lives and livelihood of ordinary Liberians – policies and programs for which your government will be long remembered and many of the people of this country would be able to say that it is because of you, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, that our country is where it is or they are where they will be. I submit, further, that among other things, public service gives the public servant the greatest opportunity to do good for so many people in the shortest possible time, to change the lives of so many people and to make fundamental difference in how things are done."