By Gideon Nma Scott, Jr.
Let me add my small voice to the million big voices from both local and foreign partners to say, congratulations to you, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, on the occasion of your inauguration to the country’s highest office, as its 26th President. I am particularly pleased to extend to you my warm and heart-felt congratulations, as well as my wishes for success in the discharge of your lofty duties.
The Author, Gideon Nma Scott, Jr.
As a journalist, I can assure of my constant readiness to work with you towards maintaining and consolidating the excellent multifarious relations existing among the presidency, the media, and the citizens; and lend you some of my personal and professional experiences as you serve your people.
Accept, Mr. President, the assurances of my highest esteem.
After serving as Vice president for 12 years in a government that you said squandered opportunities, and as well as being in opposition for another 6 years, the Liberian people are giving you a chance to correct what you considered as squandered opportunities to the benefit of the nation and its people.
It is no doubt that the overwhelming support you received during a campaign that was characterized by violence, deceit, insult, disrespect to the tradition and culture of the state, misinformation, disinformation, blemish, and a host of other negative vices that flooded the environment, should speak to you of the explicit trust that majority of the people have in your wisdom and charisma to lead them.
Regardless of what people said about you and the doubt they cast on your health, age, and ability to lead, many of those who love you trooped in their numbers in the rain and sun, walked and bathed in dirty water, and also faced some of the insults that were directed at you, just to ensure that you got elected.
Your supporters count on your wisdom and age as their father, and expect that your judgement of their confidence in you will address some, if not all of the issues, including job creation, youth and women empowerment, education and health, and all pressing socioeconomic concerns that previous governments failed to address.
For the record, President Boakai, many Liberians, including myself, believe that on November 30, 1944, in the little village of Wasonga in Foya District, Lofa County, a true national hero, with the vision to rescue this nation from the abyss of thieves and corrupt officials, was born.
In that 79-year-old man, we are looking for such a great day, when we, as a nation, can smile and rejoice again. No, not because of your age and wisdom, but your victory over a party whose name is not worth mentioning. We are looking forward to a day when “Papa will actually come home and be able to put food on the table; when the children will sing, “Long live Liberia, happy land,” when I can say to my foreign friends, “Yes! Yes, I am proud to be a Liberian, though I do not have a pair of shoes.”
You know, as well as I do, that we have been through some difficulty under the past regime and were desperately looking for a savior until you appeared with your Rescue Mission that gave us hope for a better tomorrow.
Needless to remind, as you steer the running of the train, there are places we need to go together, farms to plow together, as well as mountains to climb and rivers to cross. As the chief captain, we cannot be on board with differences of heart and minds, but rather in one accord so that when we fall, we fall together, and when we rise, we rise tighter, and you are the one to make this work.
And I know, Mr. President, that you will make it work because you are a blessed man who is loved by your people. You are truly a great strategist who understands the difficulty of the office you are entering, for your appearance on the scene has already brought some sense of relief to the people.
It is no doubt that you are my President, Head of State, and Commander-in-Chief, and I can bet my shoes that Liberians did not make a mistake in electing you, but the burden of proof lies on your head.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The view expressed in this article is sorely the opinion of the author and not the paper’s editorial judgement.
