By Reuben Sei Waylaun
The President of the Liberian Senate, Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor has outlined challenges in Liberia that need to be addressed sooner. In her opening statement at the 4th session of the Liberian Senate, on Monday, January 11, 2021, VP Taylor said the challenges are ranging from ‘high insecurity, lack of banknotes, high cost of living, a sluggish economy, lack of basic social services for the majority of the citizens, distrust, mistrust, allegations and counter-allegations on many issues,’ but said a glimmer of hope subsist.
The first female Vice President said in spite of it all, the democracy of the country is alive and growing stronger.
She reminded the Senators that the voices of the Liberian people were loud in the just ended 2020 Special Senatorial Elections.
“They have sent a clarion message to all and sundry that they no longer accept things as they are; but they expect much more from their representatives at all levels,” she reminded the Senators.
The Vice President added; “The great news however is that we have a brand new opportunity in a brand new year, in a brand new decade; to change the trajectory of our national walk together. One which we know can produce fruits of unity, peace, development and progress for all.”
She wants each of the Senators to commit and be cognizant of what she calls ‘glaring fact that the people are the true custodians of the democracy and they long for a more united, equitable and prosperous Liberia.’
The National Patriotic Party (NPP) political leader also named ‘ever-rising cost of living, limited basic social services for all, minimum opportunities for growth and development, high taxes and the high crime rates across the nation among others as some of the critical things that should claim the attention of leaders of the country.
“Being the first female Vice President and a Gender Advocate, these prevailing issues are compounded by the alarming incidences of Sexual and Gender Based Violence being perpetrated against our most vulnerable citizens, girls under the age of 18 and at times as young as two years old and the sodomy of our sons,” she added.
She added “Our society is slowly degenerating at an alarming rate with very little permanent solutions at hand. I am thus reminded of a quotation that a nation unable to secure optimum care and protection for the most vulnerable is also unable to provide protection and care for the majority.”
According to her, if permanent solutions to what she calls ‘societal ills’ are not found and measures are not put into place to secure a safer society, these lapses will not only cast doubts on their collective ability to govern, but they will also cast doubts about their ability to give the citizenry the nation they truly deserve.
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