By Gideon Nma Scott, Jr.
“In 44 BC Julius Caesar was stabbed to death outside the senate in Rome. A year later, Rome stands on the brink of civil war between those who want to restore power to the people and those who want it for themselves. Everything is about to change for everyone.” He was accused of being a tyrant.
These statements are taken from one of my favorite movies, ‘DOMINA’, which points out the struggle for power in ancient Rome following the death of one of the world’s greatest leaders in Julius Caesar whom his assassins described as a tyrant. Under his reign, Rome was the most powerful nation in the world and ruled over most parts of modern Europe and as far as Sicily, Jordan, Nazareth and parts of present-day Gaza.
Caesar’s death was allegedly triggered by his ambition to take over the entire senate and the republic, make himself a dictator for life and a demigod, something that was common among most Roman rulers. Even his successor Gaius Caesar opted to be made a dictator for life but was denied by the very senate that murdered him. But his closed allies including a trusted brother and friend, Senator Antonio Brutus, were in total disagreement to his godship and plotted his (Caesar’s) assassination, which they achieved to the dismay of the republic.
On the contrary to his execution, a commoner, Mark Anthony, paid a staggering tribute that took the senate and some republicans of balance. Anthony’s famous “I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him” speech exacerbated the issue which put the senate against the republic, thus dragging Rome in series of war with their enemies including Sicily were Ponpae commanded the Roman Army.
Fast forward, unlike the Julius Caesar scenario in 44 BC, in 2023 a hand full of selfish and greedy individuals, especially some of those in his inner circle, decided to make George Weah a benevolent dictator and at the same time sought to politically stab him in the back, not as the Roman Senate did to Caesar with knives, but to damage the image of his government that would prompt the republic to remove him from power through democratic means. And I can safely say that was achieved with a 1.26 percent of vote count against him on November 14,
Interestingly to note that like Caesar, following George Weah and his Coalition for Democratic (CDC) government ascension to power, some of his folks earnestly decided to restore power to the people and others passionately wanted it for themselves. And many things changed in the process that prompted his political defeat by an already 80 years old man whom he, Weah, and his followers bad mothed for almost 18 years.
I believe that the Julius Caesar story was a lesson learnt for George and his people, especially after their pitiable performance during the election, and I think that President Joseph Boakai should take cue from these two gentlemen and begin to put his house in order as the intentions of some members in his camp who fought George viciously out of power are not to basically restore to power to the people, but to use it for themselves while he who bears the standards of the party will have the Liberian people to content with.
As for former President Weah, it was said in our Liberia lexis and sometime sarcastically too through his presidency that, “The boy geh the kontray in hey hah.” This statement spoke to the amount of love he expressed for the people which was testimony from his glorious days on the football field that led him to the presidency. Among many things, he promised to restore “Power to the power” once given the opportunity to serve the people he so cherished.
His campaign and presidency were filled with visions including his dream to lead a country that would be safe from violence, disunity and confusion; that he would defend the liberties of the people and fashion them into one united people with a strong economy and fill their land with honorable industries, sound learning and that there would peace at home through his commitment to promoting the rule of law, the promotion and protection of human rights throughout all sectors of the country. In his dream, Weah built a coastal highway that ran through the port city of Buchanan to Rivercess, Sinoe, Grand Kru and Maryland Counties that connected the southeast to Monrovia. He also built express highways that connected Monrovia to northern and western Liberia and constructed modern cities with skyscrapers and overhead bridges in the 15 counties. And above all, he restored the lost image of the country through agriculture, tourism as well as institutional and infrastructure development. But all that left in his dreams so much so that even the Liberia Airways, the refurbished runways at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) and new Liberian flag designed by Finda Bondo and daughters of Weah left on the platter of an icing cake that was eaten and drowned with some expensive wine and gin by only a few top government officials including McGill, Snowe, Korgee, Finda, few daughters of Weah and himself. Still in his sleep, Weah sought to protect the country’s natural resources including its vast forest and endangered species, minerals and aquaculture. But all that did not materialized since it was only in his dream.
But the truth remains that Weah actually loves the motherland to the extent that he is not deterred by his defeat in 2023 and is set to return to power in 2029. Maybe by then, he would right the wrongs and undo the US$25m mop up exercise, properly account for the L$16b, resurrect the auditors, Precious Cooper and other who were prey of alleged extra judicial and ritualistic killings, revisit many cases at the high court including the one involving Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott and other that he allegedly manipulated, bring back the three missing boys at the St. Moses Funeral Parlor, build our coastal highways and the Bali Island where I too was dreaming of building my dream house and account for the 25 percent cut from his salary for the past six years. Restitute all money he took to stay 48 days in Qatar to see his son play in a world cup where Liberia was not participating. With the resurrection of the victims, the restoration of monies that were allegedly misappropriated by his government and re-adjudged the Gloria Scott case, the construction of our overhead bridge, modern cities in leeward communities, there and then I believe that the families of the victims and all who fell prey to his government and all Liberians will lead his “Setback to come back” campaign or else he would forever setback to stay back.
While stay addressing the Weahic governance system, some people in country and abroad attributed his dismal perform at the Executive Mansion to some of his top government officials like Nathaniel McGill, Samuel Tweah, Thomas Fallah, Speaker Bhofal Chambal, Edwin Snowe, Jefferson Korgee, Finda Bondo and many others based on is inexperience in government affairs and exploited him and the Liberian people, thereby taking the power from the people as they have promised and used it against the people for their personal benefits.
“Power to the people” was a popular phrase used by the Roman Government to assure its citizen that its leaders especially the emperor would not be a dictator or use the army, the most powerful tool against them, but would rather work through the senate to include citizen participants in the running of the affairs state to the extent that senators would be required to report to the people on the decisions of Caesar and solicit their views and inputs and reported back to the senate.
“Power to the people” was Weah’s major campaign slogan in 2004, 2011 and 2017, claiming that upon his election to the presidency, promising that the people would preside over decisions that affected their socioeconomic growth. But on the contrary, for the past six years, that was not seen in his actions, and that anything he did was for his benefit and the benefit of a few associates. And like Weah and his failed CCD, this is the same “Power to the people” Boakai has promised through his Agriculture, Road, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation and Tourism (ARREST) agenda, which he believes would incorporate the participation of the ordinary Liberian in his government. Despite his abstruse development agenda, the “Power to the people” philosophy may not be achieved under the Joe Boakai presidency if not mindful.
As I try to look through the ambiguity of Boakai’s ARREST agenda, and compare his early days in office to that past government, the old man has started making some efforts through what he termed as a ‘Gentleman Agreement’ to secure over 280 earth moving machines that are in country, the conditioning of major highways, especially in my native southeast and the Bong to Lofa road, the reconditioning of major routes in Monrovia and its surrounding like the cheapo Road in Caldwell, the Momo Town road leading to Duala Market and as far as the Monrovia-Bomi road. These undertakings are worth commending of a less than a year-old government. But are these projects also done under another Gentleman Agreement?
In just few months of the Boakai administration and while some may think that it is too early to match achievements versus failures or challenges, I think that it is also convenient to stop managing our expectation and begin to ensure that the promise of power to the people are achieved through government continuous engagements with the ordinary people through various aspects of their ARREST agenda simply because there are no more expectations to manage. The Liberian people had managed their expectations for more than six years and their hope for a better Liberia was dashed by the wayside by a 58 years old boy who presided over the affairs of the state. For each time they begin to build their expectation on a particular development project, the president was either dancing Buga or dropping another hit song, or may be discussion serious government issue meant for the Executive Mansion from a podium in his church or was at the Jamaica Resort having fine time with his beautiful blue beret daughters. To be true to the discussion, the ordinary people will no long manage any expectation, but would rather expect those in power to perform to their expectation. So, the issue of managing expectation will not survive under this 42 year of experience president.
In few months of his administration, Boakai’s reputation on his claims of accountability and transparency that he so much bragged about in his over 42 years of experience in government are placed in the bar for questioning as some of his people have started being reckless in dealing with government affairs and behaving like some of the folks in the Weah’s government through their activities both in private and public. While we were not able to independently verify their financial standing before coming to government, some have begun erecting huge palaces, reroofing and refurnishing their homes, wardrobes, driving expensive cars, displaying their new-fashioned cheap Nigerian and Chinese suits as well as their rubber and donkarflag shoes all on the social media; something they did not do in the past six or more years. This is why the people will not manage their expectation, but expect them to behave as expected.
I am also inspired to add that we too should not be left outside of our own stadium while some self-imposed political figures, party surrogates and few foreigners continue to run our economy and decide our destiny as a people. Some of us, if nor equally, are even more qualified than some of those who asked to decide on our behalf.
If “Power to the people” must be a reality in this government, Joe and his son Jerry should begin to see the ordinary people including persons with disabilities as key partners in their endeavors to rescue this nation or I can assure them that unlike Caesar, they will be stabbed not in their backs but in their faces by their own people before they can even realize it.
Lest they forget, like Julius Caesar in 44 BC and George Weah in 2023 who were stabbed physically and political by trusted allies, it is seemingly appearing that Boakai has armed some of his trusted allies with major position in government who are hiding political knives under sleeves, and if not careful, he may end up like Julius Caesar or George Weah. A hint to the wise…
The thought of the son of a professional Kru woman.
