By Gideon Nma Scott, Jr.
“Reconciliation must be encouraged and embraced, not resisted,” says Winnie Saywah-Jimmy, Managing Editor of the Inquirer Newspaper.
She believes that though the task is formidable, it must be the country’s highest priority if social and economic justice are to be achieved. According to her, reconciling the state and people should take center stage if the government will succeed in the rollout of its working for the public.
But the biggest question is, “Who has the blueprint for reconciliation? Boakai or Weah?
Like we were told, or may have seen, that Liberia was once a peaceful and quiet nation on the face of Africa. It played host to many persons including Nelson Mandela who fled their countries for political reasons. This little country on the West Coast of Africa was a beacon of hope to many nations and supervised gaining of independence of countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, among others.
But in the late 1980s, this once peaceful country was plunged into a civil war-something that has divided its people for more than two decades.
Following the war and the restoration of calm in the country, various actors, both local and international, have tried every means possible to reunified the country that was divided on political, tribal, cultural, economic as well as social fronts. Many symposiums, synods, workshops and gathering have stressed the need for a national reconciliation-many efforts were put into it though, but it appears that the grain fell on the rock instead of the soil.
Following the election of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, her government established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission with a specific mandate to ensuring that the once divided nation is reconciled through truth telling, reparation and penitence. Something the Commission tried to accomplish but soon its tenue was expired and the Independent National Commission on Human Rights was established by an Act of Legislation in 2005 but began functional in 2010.
With all these reconciliatory mechanisms put in place, the key drivers for reconciliation are national leaders who will present a roadmap that will lead the process.
On November 20, 2024, former president George Weah conceded to candidate Joseph Nyuma Boakai in a tight race for the presidency. The former Peace Ambassador, President George Weah led the country for six years. Under his rule, the country witnessed some of its devastating moments including the deaths of professionals, economic shortfalls, bad governance as well as an impoverished society.
But on a positive note, the nation enjoyed relative peace, the construction of community roads, press freedom (though few antigovernment media houses were sanctioned by the government) and night jolly-jolly.
But since his coming to power on January 22, 2024, President Joseph took a front door approach to reconciliation. I think Boakai’s march to reconciliation is based on meeting of the minds, melting of the stone and heart driving; which are more traditional that is soul searching.
On Decoration Day, the President spoke more on reconciling the nation through healing the wounds of the war, engaging communities with development programs, putting medicine and personnel in health centers, equipping schools with qualified teachers and essential teaching and learning materials, connecting towns and villages with improved road networks, encourage the respect for the rule of law, press freedom, and moreover, putting food on the table of the ordinary Liberian family. With these infrastructures and institutions in place, the people forget the evil that begot the nation and move ahead with their lives. This is a long-term approach to reconciliation which may take long to be adapted in Liberia.
Indigenous reconciliation in Liberia is missing a key element: a clearly understood end goal. Boakai’s recent Unification Day speech described reconciliation as a “process,” reinforcing the open-ended nature of this effort to change the relationships between political parties and rivals, the working class and the stay-home dads and moms and traditional and religious people.
The blue print for reconciliation defies political mischaracterization and anti-government sentiments; it cannot be reduced to a strategy, but recognizes rights, re-establishing political autonomy, improving infrastructure, overcoming entrenched social pathologies, and more.
Reconciling this country needs a full commitment and the political will of the government to champion the cause of bringing every actor to the table; recognize its weakness and provide a platform where all are given equal access to participate in national dialogue that promote peace, foster youth and indigenous empowerment, protect women and children against all forms of discrimination and exploitation as well as ensures that the workings of the government are felt in every sector of the country.
The blue print for reconciliation, whether in the hand of President Boakai of our immediate past President, Liberians are getting weary of their political taunts at each other, and desire last peace and reconciliation for the forward movement of the country.
I encourage President Boakai to take seize of the blue print of reconciliation and begin to lead the process of meeting all Liberian; from Cape Palmas to Cape Mount, from Lofa to Sinoe, Nimba to Bassa, Rivercess to Bong- all towns and villages, come to together under the One-Liberia-banner; where we will once again shout, “Long live Liberia happy land, this home of glorious liberty by God’s command.”
The thought of the son of a professional Kru woman.