The Commitment of Liberians on National Affairs and its Impact on Development

Over the period of time in the history of Liberia, in fact since independence in 1847, the leadership of the country has plundered the wealth thus enabling the country to suffer a massive underdevelopment. Those wealth are mostly taken to the Americas and other parts of the world while majority of the country suffered poverty. The leaders help to exploit their homelands. Frantz Fanon (1966) refers to those leaders as Phantom Bourgeoisie.

When 2003 Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in Accra, the various actors of the civil conflict decided to improve the socio-economic and political situations of the country. They agreed to develop mechanisms through which the wealth of the country can improve the living standard of the people by conducting free and transparent elections and setting up structures or improving the agencies of government that will control the rampant corruption in the country. The international Community ensures that the transitional Government of Gyude Bryant signed the Governance Economic Management Assistance Program (GEMAP) in 2005 to provide financial control and avoid corruption that has broken the governance system in the society. In essence, the GEMAP program was to reshape the governance system of the country.  This effort proves fruitless because the members of the GEMAP were not appreciated in the agencies of Government. The European Union and the Government of President Ellen Sirleaf improved the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to audit agencies of government. President Sirleaf nominated John S. Morlu as the Auditor General and he demonstrated the task by sincerely auditing major agencies of government and stating that these agencies were corrupt and weak. The Auditor General has become the enemy of the state for performing such enormous task. Why are Liberians not committed to national affairs that will impact the development of the country? The actions of the Government to ignore the various audits and to allow some eminent Liberians to disrespect the decent work of the auditors prove no commitment to the development of the country.

How long will the oldest African Republic continues to be in a socio-economic fragile condition? The basis of corruption and the lack of development have led to the death of two hundred thousand in a brutal civil conflict, yet the leadership of the country is not committed to improving the lives of the people. Even the ordinary Liberians always applaud those who get ill-gotten wealth from the resources of the country. Some of the parents will encourage their children to always get in touch with the phantom bourgeoisie to get some of the ill-gotten wealth. The resources of the country seem to belong to one group or few Liberians who are committed to the outside World.

For Liberia to be a better place on the continent, we need to be committed to national affairs and ensure that our resources are managed and strictly intended to improve the lives of the people. It is only Liberians who can build and strengthen the socio-economic & political conditions of the country. The leadership must be committed to the structures of government that intends to improve the status of the country. The ordinary Liberians need to participate in community initiatives, and be committed to statehood.