By: Austin S Fallah-Nationalist and A True Son of the Soul

As citizens of the great nation of Liberia, we find ourselves at a crossroads where the glare of future prosperity intersects with shadows of past mismanagement.

Our beautiful nation, rich in human and natural resources, has been severely scarred by events under the watch of our leaders, especially the tenure of former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

The events of her reign beg the question: Should impunity be the norm in our nation?

Should we compassionately brush under the carpet formed by her legacy, those trespasses that have crippled our progress?

This adda argues that such impunity should not be fostered if justice is to truly flourish in our beloved nation.

False are the claims that Liberia progressed under the leadership of Madam President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

Scrutinize closely, and one will see the undercurrents of systematic failures.

Take, for instance, the ugly episode of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) under the leadership of then-President Johnson-Sirleaf’s appointees.

It was a sorry spectacle where the resources that should have been used to fuel national development were liquidated, leaving what was once a promising national asset through a spiral into mismanagement.

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf admitted full responsibility, yet where is justifiable retribution?

Then we consider the turbulence of 1989.

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was too liberally handled by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), ignoring her complicity.

Why should we negligently allow such actions to remain buried in the dark annals of our judicial history?

Why should we let someone who once held the highest office in our land escape the long arm of justice?

Impunity threatens the very fabric of justice and goes against the principles of equality on which every democratic nation is founded.

Despite these clear-cut violations, there have been attempts to exert external pressure, even arm-twisting tactics, to make Liberians look the other way.

We must resist these attempts guided not only by our sense of prudence but also by a strong moral compass.

Impunity breeds a culture of complacency and acceptance towards the misuse of public funds and resources.

It dims the light of justice and allows the thick fog of corruption to settle over our nation.

It is up to us, the citizens of Liberia, to take a stand.

It is up to us to hold to account those who have barreled through public trust and misused our resources.

It is we who should step up and demand justice at the War Crime Court and the Economic Crime Court.

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf should answer for her actions, not because we bear unnecessary malice against her, but because it is the just course of action.

This is not a fleeting wave of anger but a call to national action.

A call to reestablish our faith in justice and equality.

As Liberians, we should never allow our vision of a just society to be blurred.

We should not let the shadows of the past shroud our dreams for a better future.

For a country that has been through stains of leadership negligence and management malpractices, replacing impunity with accountability will sow seeds of responsibility and accountability in political offices.

It will build trust among citizens and improve the reputation of Liberia in the international community.

Trust and reputation will draw investments in human and capital development, raising Liberians from the ruins of mismanagement into an enviable pillar of growth and stability.

By insisting that former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf faces justice, we are defending the dignity of our nation.

We are proving to ourselves and to the world that we refuse to accept impunity as our norm.

May every Liberian hear this call for justice, may it resonate on the hallowed corridors of our courts, across the verdant hills of our beautiful homeland, and beyond the shimmering shores of our gleaming waters.

Let us stand together for justice.

For in justice, we shape a Liberia we can all be proud of, a Liberia where justice, not impunity, is our enduring norm.