Liberia:Who Was at Fault for Monrovia Riots?

The Liberian capital Monrovia has been experiencing chaos and violence at the hands of angry students. What started less than a month ago as the presidential vacation job scheme for students turned Monrovia into a scene of violence. Government structures, public schools and vehicles were destroyed by angry students.
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had earlier mandated the Monrovia City Corporation to design a scheme to get some 3,000 students employed under the auspices of a vacation job scheme. A program that was intended for 3,000 students turned out to be a chaotic 20,000 or more student vacation job program that soured the relations between the students and the Liberian government .
The riots are said to have erupted after the students who reportedly worked for around a week or so doing sanitation related works in Monrovia turned out for the promised $35 but could not get their pay in time and thereafter ran out of patience.

Liberian police battling to quell rioting students. Photo courtesy of Earnest Garbleejay Smith Facebook page.

The violence has left so many with hundreds of unaswered of questions regarding the path of national development. Did the future leaders of Liberia behave like decent people with integrity? Nathan Patio Charles lamented:

@NathanPatio: for the second time vocation job students in # Liberia have gone on the rampage in Monrovia , burning gov't and private #cars,

Svaye saw the problem from a spiritual perspective:

@beSassic: Sending prayers to my sweet #Liberia

Samuel Herring weighed on the other side of the coin:

@theboyfromlib: Heard its not really the youth who worked. It those tryna get paid and can't provide identification. #Liberia

Le Patron Vonk quickly diagnosed the problem and recommended a remedy:

The hungry man is an angry man…Pay the students for the job they did…No curfew will solve this problem…blame it on Mary Broh.

Commenting on Le Patron Vonk's observations, Massa Johnson noted:

ur know we liberians are full off corruption.ur hired ppl with out proper id i myself if i was in lib i will be standing on line with my family.

Clarence Pratt wondered why will the students who will eventually get paid want destroy their country:

@Arsenalistical: They going to get pay so why are they overreacting and destroying homes, business and cars. Come on # Liberia

John Kantan, a victim of police brutality. Photo courtesy of Liberian Observer Online. 

Moses Carter pointed out the source of the problem:

I think the problem here is there was error on the part of the recruitment process.. I see it as done in bogus manner.. many youths managed to squeeze their names on the lists through the printing of their own membership forms.. The Government also made mistake by converging over 10,000 youths at one Center to pay them.. something which became very impossible to have been done in time given the bogus recruitment that they had to verify names before payment which took some considerable time… The youths also failed to exercise patients.. the fact that the Government promised to pay them before the season, they needed to have exercise the wait and see action to see what was going to be the outcome of the process.. but instead they ran too fast out of patience… Hope lessons are learnt for future initiatives…

The government of Liberia announced last Friday that it would suspend the payments to all beneficiaries of the Christmas vacation job scheme because unscrupulous individuals infiltrated the process and caused damage to public and private properties. Who was at fault? The debate will certainly continue.

Written by Counselor Track

Liberia:Dark Cloud Hangs Over Liberia's November 8th Runoff Elections

As the clock ticks toward Liberia's scheduled November 8th presidential runoff elections,the cloud of doubt and uncertainty seem to be engulfing the process. Despite the fervent call by the Congress for Democratic Change for a boycott, other stake holders are determine to adequately prepare for E-Day/Elections Day: Tuesday, 8th November 2011.

Cllr.Winston Tubman‑CDC Standard Bearer. Picture courtesy of africatv1.com

Upon his return from Abuja,Nigeria last Friday where he attended an ECOWAS consultative briefing, the standard bearer of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) Cllr. Winston Tubman in an address delivered to his partisan categorically stressed that CDC won't part-take in the forthcoming next Tuesday runoff elections.
The CDC chief's proclaimation has stirred up far many views both at the home and abroad: Mardea Wiles had the below to say and concluded with a question.

Cllr. Winston Tubman has reiterated that CDC will not participate in the November 8th runoff for allegations of fraud and biases. If CDC is convinced beyond all reasonable doubts that the process was fraudulent, their Representatives just elected in the October 11th election should also boycott the process by not taking up their seats in the House of Legislature. With such action, the Liberians will know that they are determined to pursue this claim to a logical conclusion. Can you honor part of a process and disregard some under the same NEC Administration?

The New Dispensation an informative blog broke the CDC's runoff elections this way:

Liberia’s controversial next Tuesday run-off election is postponed and President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf will address the nation at which time she will officially inform the Liberian people of the government’s decision.
The run-off election has come to be one of gridlock as the opposition party and presidential candidate Cllr. Winston Tubman withdrew in protest to boycott the run-off. Cllr. Winston Tubman who returned from Nigeria yesterday after having talks with Nigeria President Goodluck Johnathan and Chairman of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), reiterated his call for boycott of the Tuesday election, calling on his supporters and partisans to peacefully boycott the Tuesday polls by staying home.

The National Elections Commission under the leadership of its newest supremo acting chairperson Cllr.Elizabeth J.Nelson has reassured all stakeholders that NEC-Liberia is fully committed to safe guiding Liberia to a peaceful transition via a free, fair and peaceful elections. In her first official press conference held last week Tuesday, she specifically pinpointed her entity's readiness to conduct a credible runoff.

Cllr.Elizabeth J.Nelson-Acting Chairperson Liberia Elections Commission,courtesy of necliberia.org

With respect to the status of the scheduled November 8, 2011 Presidential run-off, the National Elections Commission wishes to state that it is fully prepared to conduct the run-off as required by Article 83 (b) of the Constitution of Liberia. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that all necessary materials are in place, polling staff training has been conducted, the movement of sensitive and none sensitive materials to NEC warehouses in the South East Counties have been completed while the movement of other sensitive materials is currently underway. Meanwhile, civic and voter education activities are being conducted throughout the country, and new observers groups are being accredited.

Therefore, I wish to encourage the - Unity Party (UP) and the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) to fully participate in the contest. The Commission also wishes to urge all supporters of these parties and the Liberian people to maintain the same level of discipline as demonstrated during the October 11 elections to ensure a peaceful Election Day on November 8.

In an effort to motivate his countrymen to exercise their constitutional voting right against a boycott, Mr. Samuel Tolehyon Gbatu,Sr. a Liberia in the Diaspora chose these words for Liberians.

Wake Up Call: It is time for us (Liberians) to exhibit our patriotism,it is time for us to learn that violence is not the answer to our quest if we did not learn that in the past.This is not even based on party levels, be a patriot,support your and its people,refrain from violence and be a good citizen. Support the electoral process and accept the result for a way forward. Politicians will come and go,but the future of Liberia still remains in our hands......Their aims are unknown don't fall for them.Don't be a fool to be used to destroy your own country,remember their lives are better than the average Liberians.

Unlike Mr.Gbatu who's calling for a peaceful continuation of the runoff electoral process, Cllr.Jerome J.Verdier, Sr. the erstwhile chairman of the defunct Liberian Truth of Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has called for a complete halt to the process and give it a critical overhauling. He termed the runoff as 'Kangaroo' and urges the Liberian Senate to cease the process:

Cllr. Jerome J. Verdier-former chairman of the defunct Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission.Picture,courtesy of mshale.com

We have on hand a constitutional/political crisis which should spare no effort in ensuring its peaceful resolution founded in dialogue pursuant to a political resolution. The only other option is the legal option which is no longer viable as no one who is a major stakeholder has any inkling of confidence in the Supreme Court to dispose of contentious matters independently, judiciously and legally where the interest of President Sirleaf is concerned.

A political resolution entails that the senate which has oversight of presidential appointments must engage both parties, along with the international community, halt any kangaroo November 8 runoff and advert further deterioration of an already worsening situation.

While the above mentioned two notable Liberians chose advocacy for a peaceful continuation and a complete halt to the runoff process respectively; Ibrahim Al-bakri Nyei a Liberian Youth Ambassador For Peace commissioned by the Universal Peace Federation and an advocate thought it befitting to dived into what he termed 'products of post-conflict governance leakages':

At this point it is important to mention that the prevailing developments in Liberia are not spontaneous, but are products of pos-conflict governance leakages which the administration overlooked. There are governance leakages which have all built up to numerous political crises out of which the current situation is just one product. Two key issues can be considered here as part of the leakages. The first was the failure of the administration to lead the country into a broader national process of Constitutional reform. Constitutional reform is a key and fundamental element of postwar reform, and had this government embarked on such an initiative key issues of national controversy would have been sorted out and addressed. Rather, the administration chose to support and conduct a referendum month to the election. It was from this controversial referendum the current tension around the elections began. Second is the lukewarm approach of the government to transitional justice issues, mainly national reconciliation. Transitional justice goes in tandem with constitutional reform in postwar governance reform processes, and it is the basis upon which people deal with past grievances and accept each other for the future. Eight years after the war, Liberians are yet to have collective and clear understanding of the causes of the conflict and the role of various actors, and the way forward to a peaceful future. This is largely due to the controversy that resulted from the TRC process. Today, people feel free to issue threats of violence and even disrupt national processes without fearing consequences. At the same time, the people still seem to be deeply divided on ethnic issues, and the growing patterns of reemerging wartime alliances during these elections speak volumes of deep-seated grievances and conflict mentalities.

The United Nations (UN) in the midst of all the claims and counter claims has reaffirmed its commitment to the process. The world governing body through its chief Mr. Ban Ki-noon said the UN supports the joint efforts by the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS and his Special Representative for Liberia, Ellen Margrethe Lj, to promote dialogue and build confidence in the electoral process and stressed the need for all parties to foster a peaceful transition.

UN Secretary General, Ban Ki- Moon. Pix courtesy of www.chinlandtoday.info

The UN's commitment towards Liberia hasn't gone unnoticed as these words of Linda Koffa depicts:

UN has always committed herself to our ceaseless national crisis;I do hope we as a nation will see the ardent and rational need to go thru a peaceful transition against strives and plunging ourselves into another national madness of a crisis!Liberians should be mindful of the hrudles involved in ending crises:easy to start yet very difficult to end!

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the regional body of which Liberia is a founding member continues to urge the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) to CDC's fullest participation in the runoff elections.
In the wake of all of the fervent efforts being exerted by ECOWAS, the stigmas of ECOWAS' role in the Liberian civil crisis are still fresh on the minds of many Liberians. Joe 'Saye-Tomah' Gbaba, Sr. a Liberian has strong reservations about the regional body's sincerity and neutrality.

Given the trend of politics in Liberia the comments recently made by the ECOWAS Commission is very troubling in that the ECOWAS Commission suggested that it will “recognize” Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, even if the people of Liberia boycott the elections and reject her as their leader. Such a statement reflects the biased and prejudiced stance the ECOWAS Commission took from day one when ECOMOG’s Ghanaian Field Commander Arnorld Quinoo master-minded the brutal murder of Liberia’s sitting President Samuel Kanyon Doe at the hands of rebels of Prince Johnson’s Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL).
From that time moving forward, it became crystal-clear that ECOWAS Commission had a hidden agenda and that they would be in Liberia for keeps. For, the ECOWAS Commission would pretend they were in Liberia to secure the peace and bring the Liberian human carnage and mayhem to a close. Whereas, in reality, they would enhance and perpetuate mayhem and lawlessness in its various forms in cohort with Liberian rebel warlords and their supporters.
In view of the above mentioned, Liberians from all walks of life can now put one and one together to figure out why ECOWAS has been in Liberia for over twenty-two years as the regional peace brokers but yet Liberia is far from achieving sustainable peace. This is mainly because there are double dealers and wheelers on the ECOWAS Commission who do not sincerely support the true cause of African liberation. Instead, they are more interested in getting their ‘cuts’ from the spoils of the Liberian Civil War and to prolong the suffering of the Liberian people in cohort with Mrs. Sirleaf and Liberian Government officials.

Pres.Sirleaf speaking in Margibi,Liberia.Photo courtesy Cyrus Wleh Badio the Press Secretary to Pres.Sirleaf.

While the opposition CDC is actively fighting its cause regarding the 'credibility' of the Liberian National Elections Commission,the incumbent Unity Party (UP) led by standard bearer Mrs.Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is assiduously campaigning cross country.
Venessa Benson, a Liberian living abroad summed up the CDC's actions in her own words:

Allow me too spin this! Is it possible that CDC Boycott charade could be a planned device, for UP partisans to become complacent, feel that President Ellen has already won the 2011 elections due to CDC boycott Shenanigan?
BEWARE of the in......consistencies! Keep your eyes opened and allow your ears to hear. Do not allow anyone to take or prevent you from executing your rights to vote. People sacrificed their lives allowing us this priceless right to vote.
YOU MUST VOTE ON 8 NOVEMBER 2011! This is your future, your children's future, as well as the next generation's future. 8 Nov. 2011, Vote! Vote! Vote! No matter what, Vote! We must all participate in the second round, our future is a stake!
Do Not Be Deceived! Do Not Be Deceived! By all Means, Do Not Be Deceived! 8 Nov. 2011, Vote!

The ruling party standard bearer, sitting president, Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in a reply to CDC's Cllr.Winston Tubman boycott declaration held a press conference to address the nation and her partisans. Equally like her opponent's press briefing, Pres.Sirleaf's briefing drawn many reactions. J.Robertson put his view this way:

Unity Party Goes Into RunoffElections Alone As CDC Withdraws:

Edwina a Liberian lady summarized CDC's boycott threat in a very unfamiliar tone mixing standard English with Liberian colloquial:

On October 11, 394,370 persons voted for CDC oh. So if they decide to boycott, they better tell all 394,370 of them to stay home, bcus if 13 persons sef vote, we will count d votes, thn da na boycott again oh. So I hope yor campaigning for d boycott too. Infact sef, just in case yor fini tellin ollor dem to vote boycott, I wey beg one pekin to give yor one vote ya. Hahaha, Ma Ellen n boy Joe make d baboon dem scared!

The official elections day (October 11th 2011) that gave birth to the scheduled runoff is now history; what Liberia as a nation and people do come November 8th 2011 will determine their fate.

When Earnest Toils Are Knitted With the Selfless Desire to Dignify Lives-Celebrating Comrade Leo N.Johnson's Accolade.

By: Ernest Garnark Smith,Jr.
 
Halo Danane! Halo friends and comrades of D-Town!! Halo all near and far who sought refuge or transited in Danane,Ivory Coast!!! Today marks yet another joyous day in the history of this forum and the memory of mankind....

When the very 1st batch of our countrymen on those fateful days in Decemeber 1989 crossed into Ivory Coast;fleeing for their... lives and seeking a save haven.Little did this generation imagined that many would have sought refugee in a very dusty but warmly welcoming town called Danane.Yet,as we unleashed evils and inflicted each others with unspeakable pains and uncurable wounds on the other side of the border,Danane became our home away from home.

Through those years of our sojourn in that lively town,we were blest to have learnt some of the best of those virtues life has got to offered any generation faced and plagued by civil madness of a war.

It shall forever brightens my heart to always celebrate those tough,rough yet meaningful days of our stay in Danane whenever a comrade or former resident out of earnest quest to serve mankind gets recognized!And,it's against this joyous and inspiring backdrop that I chose to present to the world our forum's PRIDE OF THE MONTH,the humble and innovative servant of humanity,the Comrade Leo N.Johnson,the recent winner of the famous Albert Lager Prize for Student Initiative Awards.

The comrade Leo N.Johnson like us all fled our Mother's Land Liberia when anarchy was the other of the day.He dare not stood by and watch human being reduced to mere beastly treatments at the hands of the then self-style 'liberator' Charles Taylor and his bandits.He was and is still an ardent advocate and those days the resting places of youthful and progressive comrade like him were the underground prison cells,the imfaous Gbatala militia infested base,and the many torture and killing fields of Taylor!

With the flames of advocacy burning in his bones yet wanting to be alive to see the tide turned, the witty Leo fled and found solace and hope in Danane and later Budubumram Refugee Settlement,Ghana.

While seeking refuge and being hopelessly hopeful that his chance to fervently serve mankind was surest and nearest than the pessimists thought,he quietly chose to brave the storms,heat,dust,and multiple odds and built his capacity.....
As I have always said and I quote myself; the line that demarcate us winners and champions from the mere contestants is simply that,when they chose to throw in te towel and said 'it's over',we chose to press and push a lil hardest.
When destiny landed Leo into Canada,many comrades chose to yelled ' it's over and mission accomplished';unlikes those colleagues,Leo saw his then newest environment as the stage he has longed and desired for ages......Some walked into success yet others like the hardworking Leo diligently earned it!When other had slept and overslept overtaken by the 'mere triumph' of being resttled to Canada,he was awake visualizing and analytically planning for his best which is yet to come but have sincerely started.

Friends and families of our memorable Danane Days and hopefully eternity,today as I write;our brother,son,friend and source of inspiration LEO N.JOHNSON is our PROUD WINNER OF THE FAMOUS ALBERT LAGER PRIZE FOR STUDENT INITIATIVE AWARD,McMASTER UNIVERSITY,CANADA...

As we as a family,nation and people celebrate our brother's success,a success that is embedded and dedicated to us all;I do beseech you to read the historicity as it relates to the award won by Comrade Leo N.Johnson.It's my fiathful prayers that his accolade will speak to our hearts and reignites the flames of our desires to keep serving mankind in our own meaningful ways!

And,to comrade Leo N.Johnson;we'd celebrate with you and avail our shoulders if you ever needed to stand taller to visualize the farthest......

Compos mentis!

The historicity of the award:

The Albert Lager Prize for Student Initiative Awards is an award designed by the Alumni Association to recognize current students who provide outstanding support, leadership and community involvement/service to their Faculty, Program or to McMaster University.

Award Eligibility

Students:
(a) are being recognized for volunteer service, not a paid position;
(b) have completed a minimum of one full year of volunteer service;
(c) are currently enrolled in full-time or part-time studies at McMaster;
(d) are not a previous recipient of the award, as students are only eligible to receive one Albert Lager Award in their academic career.

The contributions of the nominee should encompass one, or a combination of,

the following:
(a) Significant contributions to their faculty, program or the University and its students;
(b) Improvement of the quality of student life;
(c) Outstanding leadership on committees or university affairs;
(d) Support and service to the McMaster Alumni Association.

A Woman Gives Birth To Twins — Only Thing Is, They Have Two Different Fathers!

If this isn’t weird, I don’t know what is! DNA tests reveal that a woman in Poland gave birth to one twin by her husband and the other twin by her lover.

This is worse than the tale of Octomom. A Polish woman gave birth to a beautiful set of twins, but oddly enough they’re not identical or fraternal. The truth is, this brother and sister have different dads, even though they both shared the same belly — and it wasn’t via IVF, but through old-fashioned sex.

Time magazine reports, “After paternal tests were done, it was revealed that each child had a different father.” How did that happen, you ask? This type of pregnancy can occur when a woman has sex with two men while she is ovulating and releases two fertilized eggs. It may be extremely rare, but it isn’t impossible. In this case, the Polish woman’s son was fathered by her husband, while her daughter was a product of an extramarital affair. Well, that’s awkward. This is reportedly only the seventh time this has ever happened in human history!

Mama Delight

                                     By: Ernest Garnark Smith, Jr.  (Track)
                            track2311@counsellor.com/track2311@yahoo.com

 O mama thou soul into whose soul I begun, led and flourish
Yes, that unique voice of comfort and guidance I still hear daily
With values and norms to become a blessing to mankind you fed me tirelessly
Though the storms of this life are fierce yet your breast milk of virtues keeps me nourish

Why does your heart skip beats and hurts whenever I fall and fail?
Can I know why you still pray for me even though your praying knees are weak and old?
Indeed your shoulders you sacrifice become you have always wanted me to stand tall and sail
That I’m a victor is a case you silently fervently plead on those knees while the results unfold

O blessed Mama thy woman of virtues and grace
Can I exist without those love and morals you engrave upon my heart joyfully?
Could there ever be Garnark without you normally?
Out of rare and staunch love you raised me; refill my love and confidence you give me embrace

O Sarah thou art my Mama Delight……….
Mama of Track, grandma of You-wher-jay, Garnark and Gar-blee-jay and the Ma Sarah for all
O thou soul in whose soul I begun, led and flourish
There isn’t a way I can measure what I feel for you yet I want you to know that you are my light



Author’s note: The above poem is dedicated to my mum Sarah; to my Sweetheart, the mom of my kids and the TRUEST LUV of my life who I call my Destined Queen & Luv, and to all mothers globally…Happiest Mama’s Day Ma Sarah, blissful Mother’s Day My Destine Queen and colorful Mother’s Day to all mothers……………

Unfolding the adoption story

The truth about an adopted child’s birth is best told early, says this adoptive mom.

There are two schools of thought about telling children they were adopted: ‘Ignorance is bliss’ and ‘Truth sets you free’.

In the past, blissful ignorance was the usual practice. It was believed that children did not need to know that they were adopted. Adoptions were ‘matched’ (children looked like their parents) so many people never knew they were adopted or only found out by accident well into adulthood.

However, the ‘secret’ often had a way of coming out either unintentionally (for example, a relative letting the cat out the bag by mistake) or intentionally (for example, a family ‘friend’ using the information to hurt the adoptee). The reaction of many adoptees to finding out their ‘secret’ was a breakdown of the relationship with their parents. ‘How could they have lied to me my whole life? How can I trust anything they told me?’

The prevailing wisdom now is that children have the right to know where they come from and to know the truth about their adoption. Believing that the truth will set children free raises many questions: Who should tell? When do you tell? What do you tell? How do you tell?

Who should tell?
The experts all agree the adoptive parents should do the telling. When parents tell their child about their adoption they do so with love. This open, loving telling by parents means that adoption is not seen as a dirty secret to be ashamed of.

When do you tell?
Opinions differ but most experts say that with telling, the younger the better and definitely by age 8. Telling children from day 1 means they grow up knowing they are adopted and it’s no big deal. It’s just the way their family was formed. It is important that a child knows he or she was adopted before they reach puberty. Puberty brings about many changes and raises issues about identity. Learning that they were adopted at this stage can be one huge change too many for children to deal with.

What do you tell?
A building-block approach where information is introduced little by little is often recommended. This allows the child to absorb the information gradually over the years. What you tell a 3-year old will be very different from what you tell a 10-year old, so the information should be given in age-appropriate terms.

How do you tell?
Telling a child they were adopted is not a once-off ‘serious talk’. It is an ongoing process that changes as the child develops and matures in their understanding. Many parents use stories in telling – both their child’s own story and other adoption stories. The early days of telling an infant their story is more for the parent to get comfortable with talking positively about adoption. Adoption storybooks can be used as springboards for discussions or simply to show that there are other children who were adopted too. The most important thing about telling a child is being open and honest. One adoptee whose parents were not open about discussing her adoption said, ‘I convinced myself that since no one talked about it – or if they did it was in hushed tones – it must be a bad thing.’

The child needs to be able to trust their parents to answer questions at any time. The parents need to answer these questions as simply and truthfully as they can. Children have vivid imaginations and if their questions go unanswered they may dream up answers far worse than the actual situation. Being honest with children helps them to paint a real picture of their adoption rather than create a fantasy.

Telling a child that they were adopted should be a story of love between parents and children. Openness and honesty between parents and their children builds trust and a feeling of security. That is true for every family but especially for families formed through adoption.

This is a synthesis of what psychologists, social workers, adoption specialists and adoptive parents say from their experience and research. There is one book that is particularly excellent for anyone who wants to know how to tell their child about their adoption: Adoption Conversations by Renee Wolfs. 

Should children be told they’re adopted? At what age?Please post your comments below or at track2311@yahoo.com

Would you adopt?

Is adoption natural or does it take a special kind of person?

 
For many, adoption is the only option for starting a family. Some choose to adopt and have their own biological children too. But there are those that wouldn't adopt even if it was their only choice. What would you do?

Would you consider adoption? Vote below and share with us in the comments.