Former Chief Justice Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott, urges Liberians, especially public officials to engage in truth-telling and exclude public service from financial gain.
Cllr. Scott describes truth-telling as a brother that stands plain next to any individual, urging Liberians to speak truth. She gave the urge while speaking in a recent forum in Monrovia.
"I am here with you today, for the celebration of courage, strength, and bravery. The last thing before I sit down is for us to think about truth. All of us have to speak truth. And I say next to the power of God is truth. Truth has its own force. Unaware to you, truth stands up and stands up plain and you can't do anything about it" she continues.
She underscores that the only way Liberia can go forward is when all Liberians develop the courage to serve excluding financial gain, adding "So wherever we find ourselves, whatever relationship, circumstances, lets speak truth.
"The woman who raised me, my father's wife taught us to tell truth, even if you have a prize to pay, you will suffer once but tell the truth. All tell the truth and you will not always be searching it up."
The former Chief Justice explains that public service positions that people are called to serve are not about themselves, but rather the people who gave them the power and opportunity to serve.
She adds that public service is also about people having confidence in the democratic society.
"Our people having faith and confidence that they are included in the democratic process is important. And by that, we will have peace and stability because everybody will have something to protect in this Republic. And that is the only way our country can go forward when we have the courage to serve excluding financial gain."
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She points out that many people who are making contributions to the stability of the country and doing it quietly as Jesus Christ told his disciple Peter, 'laid your fishing net down where you are', they are helping peace and stability greatly.
She calls on Liberians to collectively work for Liberia yet they may not be respected but they have to do so for the good of future generations.
"I call on my sons and daughters to work collectively for Liberia. Yet, you may not be respected. Yet if you [do] truth-telling you will suffer. You will suffer sometimes at the peril of the night but that is what we have to do. So that we can't continue this slide that we have allowed our country to continue to slide", she further urges.
She maintains that this is the only way Liberia can be brought back, adding that it's not about how much they acquire.
"Tell me, if all of us know, we experience it here. When everything falls to pieces, the only thing that matters is what defines us as Liberians. Many of us here have lost so much over and over. But, the courage, strength, and bravery, all of us collectively wherever we are, we have to prove it" she concludes. Editing by Jonathan Browne
