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Social Injustice, Other Vices Impeding Reconciliation In Liberia
Mar 20, 2007
Sidiki Trawally
 Reconciliation in Liberia is impossible in the absence of social justice, economic empowerment, and civil liberties, observes a former Liberian presidential candidate in the 2005 elections.
Sam Mohamed Kromah noted there is too much at stake to proceed on personal aggrandizement and called on Liberians to develop and nurture a common core by putting Liberia First as without it, the term Liberia is only an illusion.
Addressing the fourth lecture series of the King Sao Bosso Forum in Philadelphia Saturday, Kromah, who is also former president of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) urged his kinsmen to focus on practical peace based not on a sudden revolution in human nature, but on a gradual evolution in institutions and on a series of concrete actions and effective agreements which are in the best interest of all concerned.
“By defining our goal more clearly, by making it more manageable and less remote, we can make everyone to see it, to draw hope from it, to move irresistibly toward it. Let our attitude produce an actual national reality that will reinforce humanity’s belief and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all concerned,” the keynote speaker emphasized.
Cause of war in Liberia
Kromah blamed the civil in Liberia on the suppression of the true history and the unfair distribution of wealth. He added that one could not imagine any political arrangement without giving a serious consideration to these two sensitive Icons. “One could remain aloof if the lives of our people and the future of our country were not sliding towards an abyss of violence due to joblessness, hopelessness and unfair distribution of wealth. The saddest reality that continues to dawn on some of us is that we do not find enough people on our side to fulfill God’s will for the final reconciliation for all Liberians.”
 Sam Kromah called on Liberians to emphasize the importance of a free and fair election process, social justice and the protection of individual liberty, which he termed as foundation of democracy. “The manifestation of a fair play by the judicial system as it discharges its constitutional duties and responsibilities, taken under oath, will guarantee the sustenance of that foundation,” he added.
He warned the citizenry about illegal land encroachment and occupation. “As we observe the trajectories of our fragile peace process, we must be mindful of flammable elements that could easily ignite our futile lives. We should therefore take the preventable steps of putting more efforts in making sure of returning properties to their rightful owners, as it makes no sense for an individual to squat on a property, after a while, and claim ownership.”
The keynote speaker furthered that it’s equally important to note that as Liberians resume this national reconciliation voyage and nation building they must make sure that their hands are clean and their instruments are sterilized as they extract the “malignant cells from our system.”
The outspoken former managing director of Liberia’s Freezone Authority called on Liberian authorities not to ignore the existing realities that have the propensity to plunk Liberia into another around of chaos. “When leaders continue to ignore, disregard, or compromise the fundamental rule of law, it creates a barrier between civility and decorum. Eventually, it transforms itself into a distasteful social discontent and nine out of 10 times reasoning takes a backseat, emotion gets in high gear and war becomes inevitable, my plea, let us avoid it.”
He also warned his kinsmen to reflect on the impacts of dangerous ethnic loyalty along with greed, hatred, jealousy, gross injustice, vengeance, and acknowledge how they have devastated and continue to devastate Liberians way of life. “We need not be reminded that these and some of the cultural values we each endear, are repulsive and repugnant to our democratic values and nation building. Let us realize that reconciliation begins with admission of guilt or wrong doing and it ends with restoration of justice.”
Three categories of people inherited by the Ellen Administration
In his address at the edifice of the African Cultural Alliance of North America (ACANA), Kromah said the current Liberian leadership headed by Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf inherited three categories of people in the country. He said the first of this group is the amazingly and outrageously rich folks that are presumed or perceived to have stolen national wealth and have further enslaved the rest of the people with impunity, accused of owning and controlling nearly all the prime areas of Monrovia and its environ and are also determined to reincarnate yesterday.
The speaker continued that the second group comprises the admirers of the first group, adding, “The aspiration of the second group is to be like the first group, hope to one day get in position of trust where they too will be able to steal public funds. The irony is, some of them are academically sound. They ably represent the trusted institution at any level in any forum. But frankly my dear friends, that’s all there is to it, rhetoric. Many have done nothing with their own lives, have owned nothing of substance, and have managed no institution that shows results. Have managed nothing nor practicalized what is been learned from the text book.”
The third group of people, he said are the myopic minds, which “you find yourselves in the mix of too many of me, the myopic minds, unformed citizenry, unpatriotic economic, social and political bandits and gangsters along with ill-prepared self proclaimed professionals. If one add all of that up, you will then understand the reason why our nation is in the state it’s in. Coupled with that, the inability of some of us to think global and to see beyond our own little selves and tribes and protect our country could be the first major reason for the collapse of the second republic.”
In addition, Kromah said he does not know if this is due to slavery, porterism or other humiliations Liberians suffered through the years, from the hands of people in high places in government, but added that many Liberians see nothing in the dignity and glory to protect their country. “We will sell anything, if there is a buyer; will destroy anything to prove a point. One need not look too hard. The examples are all around us: The killing of William Tolbert, the destruction of the Poro schools, the burning of Mosques, Churches, the Masonic Temple, the selling of embassies, aircraft and the list goes on. If one summarizes all of this to be the cause of the 14-year war, what should be considered the biggest tragedy? Is it the lost of lives, the destruction of our cultures, personal properties our infrastructures? Definitely not, the biggest tragedy is, we did not learn anything from the war.”
He noted that change in Liberia is going to be difficult to plan, doubtful of success and dangerous to manage as one has the enmity of dealing with the status quote and mere lukewarm support from those they profess to be helping. “That explains the trajectories of our task. What I have observed from our society during my three year stay is that a large part of our population has been reduced to food gatherers. Wage earning adults’ fate is reduced to finding a meal; it’s the lowest state of human dignity”
Reconciliation, he emphasized is a process, not an event. “Let us realistically engage the three affected parties in a conflict: victim, perpetrator, and the community in which the act took place. Peace need not be impractical and war need not be inevitable.”
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