By: Austin S Fallah-A True Son of Liberia, Africa, Planet Earth Soil, and Respecter for the Rule of Law
Liberia, a country once brandished in warfare and civil unrest, is once again grappling with a rapidly soaring wave of lawlessness, brutality, and an apparent lack of respect for law enforcement and legal authorities.
A once-stabilizing peace is disintegrating into chaos.
Hooligans, clutching the sacred tenet of free speech as a shield for savagery, roam unhindered, spreading fear and fostering atmospheres of contempt for the law in their wake.
This rampant disregard for peace and safety is but an ugly caricature of democracy and free speech, hiding a simmering epidemic of human rights abuses.
The role of a government is not simply to rule but to safeguard its citizens’ well-being, and this includes ensuring peace, security, and respect for law and order.
The sitting government, led by President Boakai and Vice President Koung, finds itself faced with a litmus test.
To see its duty execution to its final outcome lies in facing the current unrest and stemming it swiftly.
A government that shies away from dealing with threatening forces of lawlessness can hardly call itself a true government of the people.
The immediate need of the hour is to rein in the hooligans, masking their activities under the banner of free speech and democracy, who perpetuate human rights abuses.
By ensuring these agents of chaos are held accountable, the government signals its commitment to maintaining order and respect for law processes.
Furthermore, it needs to be understood that this attack on the country’s orderliness is not an attack on the government alone but also an assault on the inherent rights of every Liberian citizen.
In a bid to safeguard national peace and security, it becomes not just necessary but indeed incumbent upon Liberia’s authorities to empower law enforcement agencies.
These institutions serve as the bulwarks of a peaceful society; they need to be equipped appropriately to dispel the visible and invisible threats plaguing the nation.
Just as rainwater cascades from the heavens to rejuvenate parched landscapes, so too peace and security must wash over Liberia, bringing life back into its people, institutions, and the country at large
An uncontrolled and ungovernable state marked by lawlessness and chaos is no playing ground for investors.
Corporations and investors value stability, safety, and respect for the rule of law.
International communities, too, view these as the essential prerequisites of a viable state, a partner worth engaging.
Liberia, riddled with lawlessness, risks being alienated, cutting off potential channels of growth, development, and positive change.
The clock is ticking. The Liberian government must act, the need is urgent, and the need is now.
The government must rise to the occasion to shield the nation from those criminals skulking in the shadows, daring to challenge its peace.
These actors, boldly parading around with the false pretense of invincibility, must be stripped of their facades and brought to answer for their anarchic actions.
Swift and decisive action from President Boakai, Vice President Koung, and the Liberian government will validate their governance and demonstrate the resolve required in these trying times.
It is high time to quell the rising unwholesomeness to reassert Liberia’s peaceful standing on the world stage.
As it draws back its mantle of law and order, Liberia can once again project itself as a proud nation of peace, stability, and respect for the rule of law, ready to embrace the future and progress alongside its international partners.
With responsible action, Liberia can halt its downward spiral into lawlessness and forge ahead on its journey toward development, growth, and respect in the global sphere.
