Liberia: New Nigerian Troops Is Unnecessary Neo-Colonialism
March 28, 2014 - by Chorphie Charlie (gbanapekin@hotmail.com)
The days of the antebellum plantation style democracy has ended. Therefore, the international community cannot continue to impose a bad government upon the suffering people of Liberia, in the name of protecting peace.
Recent announcement by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, to bring additional military troops from Nigeria, is nothing short but PURE TYRANNY. "Self government" is the purpose of modern democracy, based on the foundation of the "office of the citizen," not a President who has lost faith with the people and hides behind the veil of peace.
Lately, President Sirleaf has been acting like an economic predator, "a voracious, greedy, and murderous animal that exploits the helplessness of another to cannibalize. When situated amongst the suffering people of Liberia, a predator adopts a chameleon character, by pretending to rescue the people from their economic misery and provide equitable life, only for the predator’s selfish interest-to live fat and large while the people wallops in extreme poverty. This is the nature of an economic predator-to use and abuse the loyalty of the people [for peaceful coexistence] without regard to help create opportunities for improving the living condition of the people." (Chorphie Charlie, 2013: "Economic Predators, Not Solution to Liberia's Problems")
The moral compulsion here resents the disinformation campaign, by the President and her supporters, that those opposing her bad governance practices are beating drums of war. How comical, if this issue was not about the lives of suffering pregnant mothers, who cannot access basic healthcare for themselves and their dying children; suffering mothers who cannot afford (one dollar a day) to feed their children; suffering mothers, who children cannot access basic education, and the list goes on; while President Sirleaf and her cabal continue to loot the public treasure, and feed off the collective riches of the state, with reckless disregard to the suffering of the people.
The false consciousness, since the inception of this administration, to simply rely on international goodwill, without appealing to the desires and needs of the suffering Liberian people, posits the real problem which has ignored basic political rights and freedom of the people. The Sirleaf government has failed to seriously combat, the critical issues of an education system that is a "mess," increasing hopelessness among young people without jobs; compounded by the heartless action of the government, to undermine the disruptive innovation of the youths, who have found their own means to create jobs, especially phen phen riders and street peddlers. The international community should ensure the social protection for a venerable population, not providing more military protection for a government on the verge of despotism.
Simply put, "Leadership is a legitimate contract founded upon the leader’s promised to obey the commands of citizens. Hence, for political legitimacy of the state, citizens will their autonomy to a leader, this being a fundamental principle of political philosophy. However, such legitimacy also claims a deeper justification in the leader’s exercise of authority, then merely an original social contract. It presents itself as the only viable form for political community, in which the citizens maintain self-rule, by preserving their natural autonomy, while collective individual authority merge into the authority of the state. In Liberia, it is the reversed." (Chorphie Charlie , 2005: "Political Judgment Against Miseducated Liberians.")
Thus the real threat to Liberia's peace, is not some mythical figure or group attempting to disrupt social cohesion- but the willful abused of power, as exhibited repeatedly by the President and her cabal's callous disregard to the suffering of the people, while normalizing governing social pathologies of public theft, electioneering fraud, injustice, bad economics, and the whole behavior of arrogant unaccountability. So, instead of a desperate attempt, to exploit international sympathy for the need to deepen peace and harden stability in Liberia, our president must create abiding democratic conditions, foundation on political and economic rights, to secure the blessings of liberty.
Bringing in more Nigerian troops does not addresses the crippling social dislocation of the suffering Liberian people, except to remind us about the profound words credited to that great American founding father Thomas Jefferson, that "Tyranny is defined as that which is legal for the government but illegal for the citizenry." So the question must be ask: what is the purpose of bringing in men with guns? Is this is signal that our President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is finally admitting she had never enjoyed the trust of the Liberian people- due to the huge presence of UNMIL? That considering UNMIL draw-down, she is exposing her tyrannical tentacles? If President Sirleaf cannot govern the nation, on her own, to inspire confidence from the people: then she should simply do the honorable thing, to resign from office, instead of imposing a regime of political suppression.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is simply exploiting international commitment to see continue peace in Liberia, in order to protect an elite power structure. We the people, patriotic Liberians, from across the world, are fed up with armed men imposing their crude anti-democratic governance upon our people. We need a government of the people , to allow the free will of citizens in a democratic society, to pursue life , liberty , and happiness. Again, Jefferson reminds us, citizens do not need more government but "That government is best which governs least."
President Sirleaf should send her Nigerian troops back to Nigeria, and focus on rebuilding our army, providing more peace training to our national police, and deliver basic social services for a suffering people.
"Dissent is the highest form of patriotism"- Thomas Jefferson. Vox populi !
On the altar of Jehovah, I pledge undying resistance to political tyranny. Above all else, the people's struggles must continue. Excuse me , while I throw out-gosh!
About the Author: Chorphie Charlie is a Social and Political Commentator residing in Philadelphia, USA. He can be reach at Email: gbanapekin@hotmail.com.
