MONROVIA- The political leader of the opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC), Mr. Alexander B. Cummings has given reasons for him contesting for the highest seat in the land presidency.
Basically, to stop what he says to stop ‘business as usual.
He made the disclosure on Thursday at a press conference in Monrovia on June 9, 2022.
To achieve this, he has called on political, religious, traditional, and legal as well as community leaders, to join his campaign in cleansing the soul of the nation. “The duty falls on all of us to become better examples because the peaceful and prosperous future we seek depends on the values we embrace and nurture. Most importantly, our children need us to provide them with better examples, as our society needs us to become leaders of higher standards.”
According to the ANC political leader, his party focuses on moving forward, as they will continue to take the high road, and for the good of the country, focus on the future of Liberia, and not the attacks and sights of their recent past, even by friends and colleagues.
Mr. Cummings and two of his party officials, party Chairman Senator Daniel Naatehn and party Secretary General Cllr. Aloysius Toe were accused by a former constituent member of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Benoni Urey of the All Liberia Party (ALP) of forging and altering a framework document of the CPP.
Mr. Cummings and his two officials were indicted and charged to court on what he terms as ‘bogus charges without any merit’.
After months of the trial, the Solicitor General of Liberia, Cllr. Seyma Syrennius Cephas dropped charges against Mr. Cummings and his ANC officials following a Supreme Court ruling that the exit clause contention between the ALP and another constituent member of the CPP – the Liberty Party, was unconstitutional, thus the Government of Liberia said there was no reason to continue to prosecute the ANC leaders.
In the aftermath of the Government’s decision to drop charges, Mr. Cummings in his statement on Thursday asserted: “We will continue to oppose and disagree with the Weah-led Government, and even members of the opposition, who view public service as a chance to be served, to steal and to abuse the trust of the Liberian people. The mindset that we should take turns to continue to keep our country corrupt and our people poor is offensive and unacceptable, and the belief that politics is a dirty game where the ends always justify the means has only helped to keep our country backward. It is time to change these mindsets and beliefs.”
Speaking on the current hardship Liberians are facing, Mr. Cummings has this to say: “It is time to change these mindsets and beliefs because rich as our country is blessed to be, Liberians do not deserve to be so poor, No family needs to go to bed hungry; no child needs to sit on dirt floors or stand under leaking roofs to learn; public hospitals need to have beds, medicines and modern equipment so that the best care for the sick is available everywhere in our country; and no one who is working needs to earn a wage that is not enough to minimally feed and care for their families.”
“It is time to change these mindsets and beliefs because rich as our country is, we do not need to be beggar nation that is constantly looking for handouts, and for others to do for our country what we can, and should be doing, for ourselves. We do not need to have families grieving repeatedly because of recurring mysterious deaths, murders and rapes, including of babies.”
He furthered: “it is time to change these mindsets and beliefs because Liberians do not need to accept that their streets and communities are to be crime and drug-infested. Liberians do not need to accept that public officials can only be partisans and incompetent. And Liberians do not need to resign their country into being considered as amongst the poorest, most corrupt and dirtiest in the world.”
“They believe we should lower out expectations, settle for doing less work, accept cosmetic changes, and agree to continue governance as ‘business as usual.” This is why he indicated: “I, Alexander B. Cummings, am running for president to stop ‘business as usual.”
He described Liberia as a bleeding place.
“Our country needs help, including in international support and investments. But we also need more than a cosmetic change in personnel to get the international trust and support we desperately need. We need bold changes in vision, policy and leadership. We need the international community to trust us not to steal, disobey our own laws, and manage what we have more accountably and transparently. We need to raise the expectation levels for ourselves, set higher national goals, and work even harder to achieve them.”
Commenting on the future of Liberia, the ANC political leader and standard bearer expressed optimism that the future of Liberia is not buried in its past. He noted, traveling the same road will never lead Liberians and their country to a new destination; and putting love of party over the country will continue to see the country and its people suffer. “To lift our country up, and end the sufferings of our people, we must change. Change is hard, but continuing as we are doing to ourselves, or going backward, will only make our problems worse.”
He indicated that things can be better for all Liberians in the country, where young people should be able to find jobs upon graduation after their parents sacrificed themselves, some selling like his mother did, to send their children to school.
Wants no old people begging:
He said, his quest is for a Liberia where those who are old and retired should not have to become beggars and feel abandoned by the county they served for many years. “They can, and should be cared for, as respected senior citizens, after years of service to our country. Our leaders should really be doing better for our country and our people, and because I see that we are not, this is why have decided to get involved.”
“We must change – not for ourselves but for Liberian mothers, and fathers who continue to do the best they can, sometimes overworked and overburdened by the things they must do, just to make ends meet; just to get a better life for their children. To all Liberian mothers, rural and urban, married or single, in you I see my mother. I know and understand what you have to do to carry your families through, everyday. I am running to help ease the heavy burdens unfairly placed on your shoulders.”
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.