IPNEWS-Monrovia: A presidential aspirant and hopeful for the 2023 presidential and legislative elections, Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe says a better Liberia is possible if it is factored on the foundation of integrity and a strong commitment.
In a special statement delivered at a news conference on Thursday, February 24, 2022 in Monrovia, intended to sell his candidature to Liberians, Cllr. Gongloe sees himself as the ultimate cure to Liberia’s age-old problems of corruption and bad governance that are menaces for the last century that roiled Liberians’ lives backward – leaving the country as one of the poorest in the world despite vast natural resources that would have made it wealthy.
And as Liberians cry for a leader who could forgo seeking personal gains for benefits of the country, Cllr. Gongloe is pivoting to a vision that he claims would lead to a prosperous Liberia.
“Our message is that ‘a better Liberia is possible’ on the foundation of integrity and a strong commitment to the rule of law and respect for human rights is possible,” Gongloe added as he pitched his presidential bid to Liberians. “With a proven anti-corruption track record in public service, we can say without any fear of contradiction that, if we are placed at the helm of power, we will deliver a people-oriented Liberian nation based on the consciousness that ‘a better Liberia is possible,’ united with one destiny.”
He added that integrity and commitment to the rule of law will be the guiding principle of improving the country’s overall social-economic development “while reducing raw material export and promoting value-addition to raw materials beginning with wood, and other natural resources.”
Gongloe’s vision for the future, which he called the Better Liberia Agenda, includes a twelve-count prescription for combating corruption, the menace that has kept Liberia poor, non-interference with the functions of the judiciary and the police, big investment in health, agriculture, and respect for human rights. It also includes a plan to create an equitable, fair, sustainable, transparent, accountable, and merit-based society.
He says he’ll be tougher on the country’s poor education system — a change that will be geared towards producing highly skilled professional Liberians equipped to lead Liberia and capable of functioning in any work environment anywhere in the world.
At the same time, he wants to promote the devolution of power, promote integrity in government from the office of the president to the lowest local government official, and invest in entertainment, sports, and athletics programs for economic growth as well.
Based on the version, Gongloe argues that the chronic deficit of leadership characterized by greed, a thirst for illicit wealth, and self-interest, as opposed to the welfare of the nation, is a significant factor for the current state of Liberia — as successive Liberian governments and their officials demonstrated no capacity or vision beyond the protection of their narrow interests.
He then added that Liberians, as one people, have been torn apart by nearly two centuries of bad governance, motivated by greed, selfishness, dishonesty, and a total lack of love for the country, which has led to public lack of trust in government and accentuated hopelessness that has led to most Liberians being angry with every government.
“The main cause of Liberia’s underdevelopment is due, in large part, to the collective failure of Liberians to work for, demand, and make the necessary hard choices and sacrifices for good governance,” Cllr. Gongloe noted. “So there will be zero tolerance for corruption under a Gongloe Government.”
He said, “Within the first 100 days, a thorough review of all audit reports done by the GAC will be carried out. That review will determine prosecutions and make recommendations on those that may be statute-barred. The administration will commission routine audits including lifestyle audits of all public servants because corruption is the major obstacle to the creation of a better Liberia.”
The core of Gongloe’s vision is that Liberia may be backward and have been poorly governed for decades, but there is a possibility for a better Liberia provided the electorate can elect him to be the solution to the country’s ills. But while his version might be a combination of old and new ideas, it is a great start since lots of Liberian politicians nowadays hardly unveil policy plans that they intend to solve Liberia’s problem.
Political pundits says, many of Gongloe’s plans are long-standing Liberian goals and, for now, they are compelling enough to get the voters he needs to win. But the fact remains, Liberia is a country with too many problems — one of them being a government that will put the country first above anything else.
Other political commentators point out: “And if Liberian voters plan to choose their next president on the basis of who presents the most compelling vision for the future, Gongloe would be a force to reckon with. He has the ability to convince voters that his administration could make Liberian lives safer and more prosperous tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, Gongloe who has a track record of facing prosecution for speaking against bad governance accused successive Liberian governments and their officials of demonstrating no capacity or vision beyond the protection of their narrow interests. This situation, he believes, has left the country with eroded work ethics, national consciousness, and productivity. He spoke also of the decadent culture of impunity and complacency, which he said is killing the Liberian nation across all aspects of governance.
“This has not only stalled but also reversed the little developmental gains the country has made. All asset declarations shall be published by the government for the citizens to be informed about their government functionaries,” he noted. This is consistent with Article 15(c) of the Constitution of Liberia.
He also noted that the salaries and benefits of the President and all officials of the government in the three branches of government shall be published and that any official of the government that interferes with the functions of the police or any law enforcement officer shall, upon summary fact-finding, will be immediately dismissed.
Gongloe added that within his first 100 days as President, a bill will be submitted to the legislature to make interference with the judiciary and police by government officials a felony.
“Without an independent judiciary, peace will not be sustained, local and foreign investors will be reluctant to invest because their investment will not be protected by the courts. The police must enforce the laws of the country without fear or favor,” he said.
Taking a swipe at President George Weah’s recent decision to suspend the prison sentence of former Defense Minister, J. Brownie Samukai, Cllr. Gongloe noted that there will be no pardon for officials of the government convicted for corrupt acts under his administration.
Gongloe, who is expected to contest on the Liberian People’s Party, argued further that a better Liberia is possible on the foundation of integrity and a strong commitment to the rule of law and respect for human rights is possible.
“Even if Liberia discovers petroleum in addition to the current natural resources that it has,” he said, “the country is likely to remain underdeveloped if theft of public resources is not stopped. Now is the time to show that Liberia can be a better place for all Liberians without discrimination or preferential treatment,” Cllr. Gongloe added.
“Now is the time to make every Liberian know that all Liberians have an equal share in the “corporation,” called Liberia or the national cake. Now is the time to change the process of governance in Liberia for the better. A Gongloe administration can change the situation for a better Liberia. This is not a speculation or an empty dream. Our track record of honesty and dedication to the cause of a better Liberia, even under risky situations over the years, is well-known to all Liberians,” the veteran human rights lawyer and presidential aspirant and hopeful added.
