Today’s gathering is one of the many that brings joy unspeakable to my heart; a gathering that provides me a medium to communicate with one of the very best groups of our nation’s population (the young people) who I consider the gems in my heart.
Therefore, I am greatly elated but more so humbled to have been selected by you from among many of my kind who are selflessly working to move our nation forward, to be your Lead Communicator for this auspicious occasion, where history is again being made.
Mahatma Ghandi once said: “The future depends on what we do in the present.”
It is not a normal phenomenom in the history of Liberia for young students like you, most of whom have not had the privilege of voting before, to evaluate those wanting to lead you, and to voluntarily avail yourselves, mustering the alacrity, as major partakers of the national decision-making process of our nation. To this, I am proud. You are making a decision in your present that will hold benefits for your future.
To this, I harbor sentiments of hope that you will become responsible leaders of tomorrow who will at all times, take on initiatives against all odds.
To this, I am even more convinced that Liberia, this sweet land of liberty, is by far better off today than it has ever been in our nation’s most recent history. Though it is not what it ought to be, but thank God that Liberia is not what it used to be in years past. This is only because of the humility of spirit and the fortitudinal stamina that are embedded within the human composition of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Such are attributes that have exposed her natural leadership abilities, passion and compassion of which you have recognized and have decided to take such bold step.
You see, my dear Gems in my heart, Harold R. McAlindon once said: Good Leaders do not follow where the path may lead. They instead go where there is no path and leave a trail. By you congregating here today, you are agreeing with McAlindon that in 2005, Liberia had a path, but any good leader would know that following that path would have led Liberia to oblivion. So, having received sufficiently the mandate from the Liberian people, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf began the process of taking Liberia down a path that was developmentally oriented and people-centric.
A path that placed confidence-building in the young people of Liberia first, while affirming the efforts of the elders. A path that boldly tackled fiscal mis-management and corruptability, reaching the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiatives completion point, subsequently untieing the knot that strangulated the Liberian nation – making Liberia debt free. Now, you have seen the trail and have embraced the idea that it is better to follow this trail which promises to eventually arrive at a destination where Liberia becomes a wholesome, functioning, democratic society. I must tell you – you have chosen wisely.
My dear young friends, today you make me a proud parent for the fact that you can think about charting the course which our nation would trudge now and onward. I am proud of you because you refused to be kept at the back of the happenings, rather you have chosen to take the seat of full involvement; deciding what you think and believe is best for Liberia at these intricate times in our nation’s history.
Now that you have joined the process of dreaming along the Liberian Dream, it is equally important that you be guided against the inter-playing factors of the day.
The inter-playing factors are often times spewed forth by politicians who bemoan the passing of an era of laceration and bad-mouthing, and think they can selfishly buy you into their abyss of falsity.
The inter-playing factors appear when politicians consider you “precious jewels” and ‘the crème-de-la-crème” of Liberia only during elections because they need you to entrust them with power.
The inter-playing factors occur when politicians pretend to know your needs more than you can explain them and they even appear to be overly good to you only during elections. Yes, the inter-playing factors are seen when politicians seeking elected offices tend to be too accessible, availing themselves to everyone only during elections period.
The inter-playing factors occur when politicians seem to know all the right answers to Liberia’s problem, even offering to build bridges where water cannot be found; the inter-playing factors occur when politicians would offer to build a college in a particular school district though not even a Junior High School exists there; the inter-playing factors occur when politicians would offer to rehire all those who were affected in the government’s right-sizing exercise, while on the other hand criticizing the government for being over bloated with too many employees. What a paradox?
Then comes the question that I challenge you to ask them all: WHY NOW?
Why Now are they presenting themselves as characters from extra-terrestrial heaven, castigating what you and I have worked for over the past five years?
To answer the many WHYS that will arise, you will have to muster the will to seek information. But not only that, you must be bold and bodacious in saying to those who have not met the fundamentals of your evaluation, “please, wait a little, the days of rhetorical jargons are over”. The hard fact remains that it is not about friendship or personal interest, it is about putting Liberia’s interest above ours. It is about spreading across the waves of our nation the vision that has been envisioned by President Sirleaf and ensuring its achievement even after her next term of office because it is in the national interest.
Yes, it is your right to vote, but it is also your responsibility to make the right decisions that will raise Liberia and not erase what we have achieved. You have made the decision but your work does not stop here. I encourage you to take the process outside of your various Institutions. I implore you to begin telling the story as I continue to do in spite of the mud slinging and castigations.
You must tell the story to your colleagues of the Education Trust, a vision of President Sirleaf’s to secure an endowment for you young people to advance yourselves in preparation for greater tasks ahead.
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You must tell the story about the President’s Young Professionals Program that seeks to identify the talents of young Liberians who have obtained first degrees, and provide opportunities for them to develop their talents and advance themselves in the competitive career market.
You must tell the story of President Sirleaf’s vision of total inclusivity; especially mainstreaming young people’s involvement in the national re-visioning of Liberia.
You must tell the story of how you can now attend the University of Liberia uninterrupted, benefiting from ideal learning facilities and Instructors’ commitment to duties.
You must tell the story that Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is God’s best gift to Liberia politically at this time in Liberia’s history and a blessing to all of Africa, indeed a beacon of pragmatic hope to African women and girls; someone who demonstrates integrious leadership, seeks collective wisdom; a reconciler; a fiscal manager and a bulwark for justice, human rights and a source of knowledge and healing to Liberians, Africans and the world’s population; a woman who believes in religious tolerance while maintaining a deep and abiding faith in Jesus Christ;
Your decision is applauding, your resolve is strong, but your commitment is required in order to achieve your objective; not necessarily for President Sirleaf but for the total renewal of Liberia and the betterment of its people.
You must tell the story………. Please tell the story!!!!!!!!!!!!
