STOP FOOLING CITIZENS FOR POLITICAL REASONS; LET THE TRUTH BE SAID

Liberia-AS IF THE LIBERIAN Government did not learn good and enough lessons from the poor information dissemination about the status of the controversial 285 Yellow Machines Acquisition Deal that nearly wrecked and dampened its governance ability, preparedness, commitment to transparency and accountability which they pledged to uphold, there is a glaring sign of another attempt to mislead Liberians for another political stun in relation to the outcome of President Joseph Boakai’s engagements with partners during his trip to China and Indonesia. In an overzealous mood, Liberians, especially supporters of the government’s agenda went crazy about unedited reports that the government had secured over $3 Billion from China in support of the government’s transformation agenda encapsulated in the Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation and Tourism (ARREST).

OF COURSE, THERE SHOULD be no pretense that such news – another country committing billions of dollars to make Liberia a better country worth of its credentials as Africa’ Oldest Independent Nation – is worthy of national celebration and appreciation. So, those who welcomed the news and expressed optimism that Liberia was on the verge of picking up the broken pieces, were not in the wrong. Rather, they chose national interest over political affiliation, allegiance or mediocrity. In fact, such a news emanating from a trip sponsored by taxpayers’ money unarguably deserves a hugely unhindered attention and support, no matter one’s side of the bargain. Most Liberians felt the President had made a significant breakthrough and a milestone representation, showing his juice, his ability, his experience and connection, as promised, to rekindle the lost hope and reclaim years eaten to the locusts – the elite of vampires who sucked every cent out of the country for self-elevation.

THE SEQUEL OF INTERNATIONAL engagements with foreign governments and partners should be positive and celebratory news, and government should be fair to itself to provide clear, fair and balanced information to its people, rather than engaging in deliberate over-amplifying of information to the public to satisfy its ego. Listening to three officials of the government, including Information Minister Jerolimick Piah, Press Secretary Kula Fofana and Public Works Minister, Roland Giddings, talking about the different issues from the President’s engagements in China and Indonesia, not in a coordinated, balanced and crystal-clear manner, with the Press Secretary, to some extent, trying to create a picture of “all is well and set,” and also explaining the two types of memorandum of understanding – binding and non-binding. The unanswered question is about which of the MOUs the government signed with China and Indonesia falls in the ‘Binding and Non-binding category. The information was not synchronized and well analyzed to clear citizens’ doubts. Rather than achieving the intended purpose, it further created and widened confusion. Sometimes, the real mark is missed when one’s intention is to pretentiously prey on the intelligence of the Liberian people, supporters or not, to feed them with half-truths and no truths, and this is what the government is attempting to do. In the first place, the government is not in competition with anyone, and it be foolhardy for it to have a beclouded mind about outpacing the former government in its development agenda, knowing that it beclouded mind is a befuddled mind. Instead of attempting to surround itself with the childish mentality – trying to measure arms with the former government, it should see itself not an extension of the former government, but a new government desirous of meeting the socio-economic and development needs of Liberians and the nation in general.

OF THE DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS or inputs from them, the twisted-tongue clarity of the 285 highly publicized yellow machines arrangement was the most concerning, if not troubling. To suggest to Liberians that the initial actions were political, and now the government has righted the process to include other interested bidders of companies for the purpose of getting the best pricing is a complete miscarriage. It is normal that people get overzealous when talking about issues of concern, especially in highly volatile and paranoid environment where politics seem to overshadow people’s psyche, but professionals don’t necessary play to game because doing so could prove dangerous for their hard-earned characters. Lying to defend or sell the image of the government is not profession one called to, but deciphering actual and real information from falsehood for politically-laden reasons is tantamount to doing nothing, but thinking you doing something.

WE THINK IT IS good for government officials to feed citizens with information on policy issues, on plans and agenda hatched to elevate the debate about development, but it should be done in a matured, professional, synchronized and coordinated fashion to clear all doubts, and give Liberians reason to believe in the government. Yes, governments hardly say truths about happenings, but allow yourselves to always be caught pants down; meaning that the truths will always prevail in real times because “truths crushed to the ground always arise.” Keep the overarching propaganda approach, and embrace truth-telling to be able to save your image and that of the governments because when government comes to power on deceitful platform, not too, it finds itself in trouble, and before it adjusts, credibility is lost and only waits for its death and burial in the following elections. It is hard time you stopped Liberians for political reasons, because Liberians are not in competition with you as their government.

Wilson