By Bill W. Cooper
The 177th Independence Day orator, Robtel Neajai Pailey, says a re-imagined Liberia intentionally seeks to reduce the ‘unfreedom’ of poverty and the inequity of ‘structural violence.’
According to the orator, the contrast between Liberia’s haves and haves not is entirely too stark; citing that over 50% of Liberians live in multidimensional poverty.
As part of her appraisal of governance in Liberia, Dr. Pailey is calling on the Boakai-led government to address structural violence and ‘unfreedoms’ that has plagued the country.
The orator also emphasized the importance of creating a more just and equitable society where all citizens have to live freely as well as tackling the root causes of Liberia’s problems.
Speaking on the theme: “A Radical Agenda for Re-imagining Liberia,” Dr. Pailey asserted “So, a re-imagined Liberia is one in which we claim rights, we fulfill responsibilities and we cultivate/maintain wholesome relationships with one another.”
Dr. Pailey also described as ‘unacceptable and needless’ for a country that can boast of 177 years as a sovereign state with resources both human and financial to achieve its development dividends to be lacking behind in every aspect of life.
She therefore called for a change of the country’s economic model of extracting and exploiting finite resources, and focus instead on building an industrial base for manufacturing and exporting finished products such as steel rods from our iron ore, condoms from raw latex, furniture from timber, country cloth textiles hand woven from locally-grown cotton.
The Orator maintained that some of these assets may not last forever, but the resilience of the Liberian will and as such, government should invest heavily in Liberians, noting, “We can begin to do this by allocating extra revenue generated from manufactured goods to expand ‘freedoms’ such as access to quality education for all.”
“A re-imagined Liberia rejects anti-intellectualism, develops critical thinking skills and invests in lifelong learning from cradle to grave. When I worked in government over a decade ago, we developed a capacity building strategy that aligned with our development needs,” she asserted.
“So, in addition to educating geologists, engineers and epidemiologists in our universities, we also focused on training electricians, carpenters and plumbers in our technical and vocational education institutes,” she intoned.
Dr. Pailey further narrated, “This is a model worth replicating because everyone does not need to attend university to contribute to structural transformation. Having said that, I must stress that a re-imagined Liberia requires an autonomous tertiary education sector that is fit for purpose.”
She asserted, “I must also insist that we shift our attention away from the extractive industries, which make us vulnerable to the vagaries of global capitalism, and focus instead on developing our creative industries.”
Pailey wondered, “Why not empower cultural and creative entrepreneurs so that the work of craftspeople, writers, musicians, visual artists, actors, designers, dancers, etc, is valued, protected through our copyright laws and fairly compensated?”
“This brings me to Liberia’s extreme levels of income inequality. The unregulated accumulation of vast wealth amidst cumulative want in this country is not only obscene and callous, but also structurally violent,” she stated.
“So, a re-imagined Liberia reduces poverty and inequality, yes, but it also redistributes wealth, invests domestic revenue in basic social services, protects land and labor in the midst of capitalist re-integration, and expands prosperity for all. This is how we address ‘structural violence’ and ‘unfreedoms’ head-on,” she asserted.
Speaking directly to President Joseph Boakai, Orator Pailey urged the President to deliver on his campaign promises to the citizenry, stating, “The Liberian people elected you to ‘rescue’ them and six months in, expectations are high and morale low, but all is not lost because true change takes time.”
“Though you inherited a laundry list of priorities to tackle, I urge you to focus on a handful of tangible goals in the next six years and work on achieving results. Forget about political niceties or partisanship and institute swift reforms that will cement your legacy as a respected statesman,” she cautioned.
Pailey admonished, “Do you want to be remembered for condoning lawlessness or respecting the rule of law? In regards to the former, you have made some mistakes along the way; from the tenured positions debacle, to the appointments of questionable characters in key positions of trust (you know who they are), to the controversy of what I call ‘Yellow machine gate.”
“I urge you to course correct before you lose the confidence of the Liberian people. Assemble a diverse and nationally- representative team of competent and committed Liberians with integrity; devise mutually agreeable, time-bound deliverables for them to achieve; and hold them accountable. Demand that all appointees roll up their sleeves and get to work or move out of the way of progress,” she charged President Boakai
Having said that, the ARREST Agenda appears to be more of a multi-sectoral development wish-list that a broad-based vision for our future. I propose using the phrase ‘dignity must define us’ as the unifying anchor for this administration’s national development plan. The process of managing change and delivering public goods must be Liberian-led, Liberian-financed and Liberian-managed.
I urge you to run the executive branch like the well-oiled machine it should be, President Boakai. Schedule quarterly presidential town hall discussions on the state broadcaster so that citizens can converse with you in real time. Mandate your ministers and heads of state-owned enterprises to do the same. The Liberian people elected an executive they presumed would be accessible and accountable. Please, please, please, do not disappoint them,” she added.
Meanwhile, is calling on all Liberians particularly the women and youthful population to help her re-imagine Liberia anew something she emphasized the women and youth are the ones they have been waiting for.
She pointed out, “So, in this, our 177th year, I urge us to re-imagine what it means to be one nation indivisible. Oh, how sweet this country could be if we only rebuilt it for all of us to enjoy. We must believe that there is sufficient space to accommodate our differences and our shared experiences”.
“There are enough resources to supply our basic needs and cultivate our God-given talents. And, so, we must narrow wide gaps between the poor and prosperous, the powerless and powerful, women and men, girls and boys, young and old, rural and urban, domestic and diaspora,” she added.