Same old, same old

I repeat, please come home and contribute to your country. Please come home and help us produce stuff here. Please come home and spread your experiences with your people. Please teach us. Bah, I hold your foot, come home so that we can move foward.

Ashamed to be West African

Either you have democracy or you do not. Do not pretend to exercise it if you do not believe in it. It is 2010, and blood is still being shed in West Africa because of elections. What they do over in East Africa is another matter, but here in West Africa we are ashamed today.

If you cannot stand losing an election, then do not run, it is as simple as that.

Do not look back!

Who did what when and why. We love to discuss these things on end. Just take a look at the popular Liberian forums around, visit the Chai shops. What a complete waste of time. What happened in the past happened. It is nothing we can change, or do anything about. Let us focus on what we can influence, the future.

Wake up and smell the coffee, we live in a land of endless opportunity, but we focus on the unimportant, the trivial. We still sit on the dock waiting for a ship that might come by.

Debate this!

Our president decided to send her cabinet on administrative leave the other day, in order for those affected to contemplate wether or not they were willing to give their all during the final year of this administration. What she said in effect was "If you want to continue, let me know. If not, let me know."

There is nothing to debate, but we just love politics and discussing these things. Let our president do her job. Discuss how Liberia would become the shining star of West Africa. Discuss how you could contribute to this. Do something meaningful with your time.

What scares me most...

Our people are quick to forget.
Some of them never forget.
A suit and tie can fool most people.
A lie does not become true because the person is wearing a suit.
Our belief in the supernatural.
Our belief in the short term.
Our inability to act as one people.
Our inability to act responsible.
Some of our so called leaders greed for power.
Our tribalistic shortcomings.

Whats wrong with Liberian business

I came across this snipet of an interview i a Liberian Quarterly Magazine called "Business Liberia Magazine" that pretty much sums up my thoughts. I know very well who he is, but he pretty much hits the nail right on the head.

Read more here

Unemployment challenges facing the country

As a country where we have never had a middle class, let alone a producing middle class as in all other countries, this is a tough one. We import the lion’s share of our fresh produce from Guinea; we do not grow it ourselves. Most of our people have for various reasons flocked to Monrovia in search of livelihoods. Most academics here have studied here and abroad with one purpose, to land jobs in government or international organisations.

These are, as you know generalisations, that of course have many exceptions all around us, but in general this is the picture. What is missing here is the entrepreneur. It is hard to find entrepreneurs among people who have studied law, political science and accounting. Sure, we have businessmen/women, but in reality these are traders. Here I mean the Lebanese, the Indian, the Fulani, the marketwomen, the wheelbarrow boys. They import or buy wholesale, and sell wholesale/retail. There is no value added.

What we are missing is a group that invest and risk capital on projects that use local produce/raw materials and produce products for the domestic or international market. The first that comes to mind is the food processing industry. The farming industry is also neglected.

Sure, there have been numerous concession agreements signed. This is positive, but still the jobs created thus far have been marginal. What we need are large scale, labour intensive industries that produce what we need here.

Enough said, but the morale of the story is study business, come home and invest in your ideas for the good of the nation.

Momentary lapse of reason

To all my people out there, the time has come to appraise our lives up to this point, and decide the nature of our future. Let it be known that only we can promote our own destiny, anything else is a myth. The future is in our hands so it is up to us what to do with it.

On that positive note, I would like to appeal to my fellow countrymen/women to desist from giving up this power to imaginary forces. Look back in retrospect and check who you voted into legislature. What have they done for you lately? That bag of rice or promise of one for a vote for them is long gone now. While they are amassing wealth in their dubious ways, and planning how they can take you for a ride come the next elections, it is up to you to think of Liberias future. Find someone you can trust and petition them to represent you. In fact, why should you not be able to step up to the plate yourself. The opportunity is there, so seize it! That is what democracy is about. God had nothing to do with it.

Land mites

Despite the generous allocation our general assembly receives from the National Budget, our dishonourable men and women find it always worth their while extorting those around them. The rackets range from begging for fuel oil, per diem, bags of rice, signatures of approval, crushed rocks, water. The targets are usually ministries, the Lebanese and all the above.

Just how greedy can you get. One man alone cannot eat a whole goat, let alone a pot of rice. Oh my people, where is the sanity?

Has it ever existed? Naw, man! This has always been the norm and it just gets worse. Please remember this when you are about to vote in the next JACKASS into legislature.

Pure and utter bull

Accusations and counter-accusations hail the office of the General Auditing Commission. To top it all, National Security attempted to arrest its spokesperson for making accusatory remarks against the office of the president. I mean come on. How childish is that? And like the guy points out in his statement, how come those accused of corruption are not the ones being arrested and threatened?

Grow up minister Fombah.

Musical chairs

I just have to laugh. Ha, ha, ha. Our "honorable" lawmakers are now playing political musical chairs. Recently, one who changed parties a while ago has changed again. Is it jitters before the match that are showing or are there serious changes in policy. Well this is Liberia, whatever party you belong to merely says who you know and who you hang out with. Nothing else. Ideology, especially the political kind, does not exist in our country. The only thing that matters is hanging on as long as possible. What a pity

The shit has finally hit the fan!

"Please declare your assets."

This is the phrase that has our legislature screaming FOUL. All focus on the messenger, forget about the message. Seriously lawmakers, what is wrong with declaring what you own. Are you afraid of the Liberian people or what? There is nothing strange about this. It is not like you are being asked to shed light on you sexual preferenses or the color of your underware. You are just being asked to declare you financial standing. What do you own and what do you owe. THATS ALL.

OK, now I understand. You fear that those that voted for you will find out how well off you are an the typical Liberian envy will prevail? No. Then explain it to me.

sumo_pipe@hotmail.com