After 15 years of butchering each other and barely we begin to recover from that horror, there are signs that we are going back to number zero.

With all the investment and development agendas set by government, what need is it, if they are destroy, in case, Flomo and Mamadee fight over a girlfriend? Doesn’t it seem smart that we stand aback for a moment to reconcile our people first before jumping into building bridges and tall buildings? Yes, if only the Ellen’s Government can be proactive instead of reactive in tackling the explosive problem of tribalism.

The problem lies, not surprisingly, in the reluctance of the Ellen’s Government to take drastic measures to reconcile the people, but she has chosen the other way around for the sake of political expediency.
When Pres. Ellen took power, there was an abundance of means in reconciling the people but she wasted these opportunities for the sake of securing votes in Nimba County. She failed to address the issue of property seizure in Nimba County and in Lofa County, appointed political stooges who have no connection to the citizenry. As fragile things may look now, it is not too late to make the necessary corrections.

The first measure, I think, is for Government to make tougher laws and rules on mob violence ethnic or religious. If anyone is caught destroying properties or killing people with the intent of fighting for tribe or religion they should be sentenced to prison not less than 27 years and be liable to pay fines and damages for the property they destroyed.

Another way of fighting this dangerous firm of mind is through education. Tribalism and religious intolerance is embedded in every aspect of Liberian life and politic. The first moves will be to devour ourselves from the taught that Liberia was founded on Christian principal and so everything has to be the Christian way or else it’s not Liberian. Not all Liberian are Christian and not all Liberian are Muslims either and many Liberian, like me, hate to be cast in either, especially, in the negative connotation. The right to freedom of thought must be embedded into the educational system and government should stop using tax payer money to pay religious teachers to indoctrinate our children.

I’m fully aware that opponents of the above view have their points, but the Liberian constitution states well the right to freedom of the religion of every citizens but we tend to ignore or disrespect each other on the bases of the “Christian principal phrase” which is not in the constitution. The United States constitution from which the Liberian constitution was copycatted was written by the framers such that no one religion sect could grab control of the state to create a theocracy.

To think about Liberia in the form of a religious statehood is a fantasy and backward. The more religious we becomes the more we want to rely on miracles to solve our problems even to find food to eat we cry to God like handicaps.

In the heart of majority Christians in Liberia, I suspect, they see the need for real change but the strategy of opposing anything contrary to their believe and embracing lies and deceit when its come to the rights of Muslims  and non religious people is a hurdle for real reform.

Tribalism will persist destructively if we don’t embrace the multi-cultural tribal society.
Lastly on the governmental front, I see the government taking us toward a dangerous path by empowering religious institutions and casting people into Christian and Muslim groups.  This is very dangerous in light of all the tensional factors associated with religion. There is no question that religion has played a vital role in our society, but equally so, it has been divisive in many cases. It is very easy for religious institutions, Imams and Pastors alike, to rally people in hate than peace and love. They don’t preach tolerant! Anything contrary to their dogmatic ideology is condemnable, as such; we rather deal with situation individually than casting people as Muslims and Christian groups, not helpful. Mismanaging the Lofa situation.

Like I pointed out earlier, the Ellen’s government is mismanaging the crises in Lofa at the detriment of poor villagers.  All over Liberia, especially in Lofa and Nimba, there are signs of troubles and violence but the Ellen’s Government choose instead to ignore them, or in some cases, thrive on them to score political points.

Knowing the troubling nature of tribalism in Liberia and how easily it’s for people to take side in tribal conflict even government officials, it will be very wise for the president to recall the superintendent of Lofa County, Galakpai Kortimai, alone with all his deputies.  We have received credible reports that tension is building up as the result of Kortimai’s siding with one of the feuding parties. Kortimai has accused the Mandingoes on several occasions of being the aggressor in the recent conflict which undermined his neutrality as the highest ranking official of government. He has also ordered the arrest and detention of the District Commissioner of Quardu-Gboni District Mamadee Kamara and his status is yet unclear. The arrest of Mr. Kamara, the highest ranking government official from the Mandingoes side, I believe, undermines the whole reconciliation process.