By Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh

Setting yourself on fire to express a political grievance is not something Liberians are known for, but Archie Ponpon did just that to show his outrage.

It is a classic example of courage and selflessness combined that won him the profile in courage award in my book, knowing that a Liberian can draw attention to injustice, his suffering, and that of his people on such a global scale the way he did is touching.

Archie Ponpon was never a household name when he took matters into his hands on that near-death day in Monrovia when he set himself ablaze, but he’s now, thanks to the selfless action he took to bring to light the injustice, the human suffering, and everything bad and despicable that made headlines in the Weah administration over the years for all the wrong reasons.

Leroy Archie Ponpon sets himself on fire in protest for not getting his pay since October 2019 (can you imagine that) is just one of many crisis on this government’s plate.

However, it is one thing to the other including the never-ending line-up of suspicious and unsolved national tragedies that have engulfed the Weah administration at a time when delusional supporters of the president are relentless in their attacks on government critics.

Of course, critics will continue to go after President Weah for his lack of spine and leadership on national issues even after four government auditors died back-to-back and suspiciously without a robust and convincing explanation coming from the often laconic president and the Executive Mansion.

And this critic, as usual, will not be spared the insults from the president’s diehard supporters for standing with Archie Ponpon and questioning Mr. Weah’s sick strategy and stone-cold leadership style of doing nothing during a crisis but awaits public sentiments to decrease in strength and go away to get away from the problem.

We are all Archie Ponpon because we (Liberians) or at least some of us and our relatives can relate to his story from a painful perspective of government neglect and inaction, lies, profound ineptitude, and the criminal behavior of a tone-deaf, clueless, and unaccountable president who has repeated the shenanigans of his predecessors that he has dwarfed them in deeds and actions.

Archie Ponpon like most Liberians who are supposed to be working for the Liberian government can barely get their monthly salaries on time, and can barely feed their families daily.

And it is unbelievable that their supervisors and senior government officials are unaware that these people with families have not been paid, and their supervisors and cabinet ministers are unconcerned that the children and families of these people are not cared for when they go without a paycheck for months.

LIBERIA!

Can you imagine working for over a year and not being paid a salary for your honest and hard work?

Who can?

Can you imagine your young child or children going hungry and coming to you to buy them some food, ice cream, or candy and you are unable to buy them anything at a time when your children and family need you the most?

But you are supposedly working for an administration where you are not getting pay but members of President Weah’s inner circle can afford to take a vacation, eat well every day, and can afford to travel to Ghana or the United States to see a doctor.

This is the Weah administration that can afford to find the money to transport an ailing vice president and appointed and elected government officials to Ghana for their healthcare needs at the government’s expense, and can even afford to give deceased government officials extravagant and over the top state funerals, but is unable to pay civil servants their well-deserved monthly salaries.

Talking about misplaced priorities in the George Manneh Weah administration?

It is right there in your face and every day in that heartless, leaderless and dysfunctional country.

We are all Leroy Archie Ponpon!