Historically, it has been proven that students do not make revolution. This is why; the Massescratic Vanguard Student Unification Party/SUP offered itself to serve as the precursor Organization to birth the Movement for Justice in Africa/MOJA to serve as the antidote or antidote to the True Whig Party/TWP and its precursor organizations cancerous virus of Exclusion and Social Injustice that it used to infect Liberia with at the formation of the Liberian State.
The birth of MOJA served as a catalyst to hasten or accelerate in the wind of change that was blowing in the air of Liberia. The birth of MOJA solidly laid the foundation for the struggle for rice and rights in Liberia as well as set the agenda to address the question of national development in Liberia, and subsequently began the advocacy for the answer to the national question, which is Inclusion and Social Justice policies as the antidot or treatment to the virus of exclusion and social injustice that infected Liberia’s governance and development processes.
A functional Liberian State is being heavily undermined by the TWP Virus of Exclusion and Social Injustice, which is why; Liberians, as advocated by MOJA must learn useful and correct historical lessons based on the leadership and governance practices from 1847 to present.
In a determined effort to disinfect Liberia of the TWP Virus with the MOJA Vaccine of Inclusion and Social Justice, MOJA formed SUSUKU to work with Liberian Farmers and Workers. MOJA also formed the All Liberian People Freedom Alliance or ALFA FANGA to give voice to the ideals and values of MOJA. The birth of MOJA also led to the formation of the Progressive Alliance of Liberia/PAL and the Progressive People’s Party/PPP to broaden the debate and advocacy for the use of the MOJA Vaccine to disinfect Liberia of the TWP Virus.
Further to these determined efforts, MOJA moved to reorganize the Liberia National Students Union /LINSU and the Federation of Liberian Youth to elevate the struggle of Liberian youths and students to the national and international levels against exclusion and social injustice.
At the close of the decade in which SUP and MOJA were birth and at the height of the cold war or wars of witts between the United States of America/USA and the United Soviet Socialist Republics /USSR, the Military through the Armed Forces of Liberia/AFL, and under advisement of the USA Military and its shadow Government, the Central Intelligence Agency/CIA, rudely intervened into the body politics of the Republic of Liberia -thereby militarizing politics in Liberia and politicizing the security of the Liberian State.
Because MOJA is not an advocate of armed conflict and political violence; but an Organization that promotes peaceful and non-violence democracy, through a national democratic revolutionary practice,, the MOJA banned itself and went underground in 1980 after the Coup-thereby celebrating its 7th Birthday and aborting its Congress that was slated for April 1980.
In the absence of MOJA, SUP, FLY and LINSU stepped up to fill the gap created by MOJA and continued the struggle for rice and rights as we all are aware that the struggle for rice and rights simply means the struggle for self-sufficiency in food and fundamental human rights in Liberia.
While under its self-ban, MOJA Cadres help to hasten the transition from military to civilian rule by spearheading the rewriting of a new Constitution, now called the 1986 Constitution of the Republic of Liberia, which helped to usher in a multi-party democracy, that we all now enjoy in Liberia, advocated by the MOJA as one of its cardinal principles.
MOJA responded to the clarion call and efforts by the military regime to civilianize itself as a Civilian Regime, by forming the Liberian People’s Party/LPP to participate in the multi-party democracy it had long advocated for in Liberia. LPP was not only banned but outlawed and denied participation in the 1985 General and Presidential Elections.
The ban led MOJA Cadres to spreads into other political parties that were allowed to participate in the 1985 General and Presidential Elections. The MOJA Cadres found themselves in political parties such as: the National Democratic Party of Liberia/NDPL, led by the Late Samuel Kanyon Doe, which was declared winner of the 1985 General and Presidential Elections of 1985; the Liberia Action Party/LAP led by the late Jackson Fiah Doe; the Unity Party/UP led by the late Edward Beyan Kesselly; and the Liberia Unification Party/LUP led by the late William Gabriel Kpolleh.
As stated earlier, LPP and the United People’s Party of the late Gabriel Baccus Matthews were banned and did not take part in the 1985 General and Presidential Elections.
After the 1985 Elections, TWP virus continued its infection spree to the extent that it infected the NDPL-led Government and this did not only lead to the intensification of the militarization of politics in Liberia, but was deepened at the close of the decade of the 80s.
Thereafter, the TWP virus again infected the National Patriotic Party/NPP-led Government after three transitional administrations and caused the Liberian State to fail and collapse.
Between 1980 and 2005, MOJA and its Satellite Organizations such as the Liberian People’s Party/LPP and the National Democratic Alternative for Liberia Movement, the New DEAL Movement for short and now the lead Party in the National Democratic Coalition/NDC, became polarize and/or fragmented and this fragmentation continues to today, wherein some MOJA Cadres have infected themselves with the TWP virus and want to make us believe that the struggle for rice and rights advocated by MOJA should end with this Coalition for Democratic Change/CDC-led Government, which is also infected with the TWP virus should end.
It is after the two regimes of the Unity Party/UP-led Government; through which MOJA was still under its self-ban, that MOJA has chosen to unban itself and to take a look at itself, through a process of a sober reflection, wherein Cadres of the Movement are conducting a soul-searching of themselves and the Movement so that history can absolve them and the Movement.
As MOJA celebrates its 47th Birthday, we want to urge the Movement to continue its advocacy of the Agenda it set itself to Disinfect Liberia of the TWP Virus with its Vaccine of Inclusion and Social Justice, which answers the National Question, which is Leadership- a Leadership that will be Inclusive and that will practice Democratic Governance as well as Social Justice. Like it is often said that “Practice is the criterium of Truth,” “Necessity is the Mother of Invention or Innovation”.
This is why; as MOJA celebrates 47 years of existence, it must set itself a new agenda to transform Liberia. And to transform Liberia, it must reorganize to organize itself to capture State Power and by reference the Liberian State and its Power and use the power of the Liberian State to better the lives of the Liberian People.
To do this , MOJA should not only organize its own Congress to move away from Interim to Elected Leadership; but must reorganize its Satellite Organizations such as LPP and NDC and use them as united common front to democratically capture the Liberian State and use the Power of the Liberian State to better the lives of the Liberian People.
When MOJA, through the organization of its Cadres, captures the Liberian State, the Liberian State will become functional and made a living State that will not fail and collapse, because the People of the Republic of Liberia, who are the ultimate beneficiaries of a better life, will come to appreciate the Liberian State, after learning useful and correct historical lessons about and of Liberia from the different perspectives of its history. And then, it will dawn on us as a People and Country, we must reconstruct and reconstitute the Liberia State and put in the necessary safeguards to prevent it from failing and to collapse by making the People of Liberia appreciate Public Service over Private Service.
LONG LIVE MOJA IN THE STRUGGE FOR RICE AND RIGHTS IN LIBERIA! LONG LIVE THE LIBERIAN STATE!