—– As Orator Bully U.S. -Liberia Relations Prompts US Delegation Stage Walkout; Terms description as Divisive Rhetoric” And “Unfounded Accusations
IPNEWS: An unprecedented showdown ensued at the official celebration of Liberia’s 177th Independence Day when the orator of the 177th Independence Day lashed at Liberia’s most dependable traditional friend, the United States of America.
Orator Robtel Neajai Pailey, an American trained scholar, called for a revision of ties with the United States to open new frontiers for Liberia’s speedy advancement.
Recounting th odds, criticized the outsized influence of the United States in Liberia’s transitional justice process.
Pailey stated the audience that Liberia must forge new strategic partnerships based on mutual benefit and disabuse the notion that Liberia have a ‘special relationship’ with America.
“Truth be told, this so-called ‘special relationship’ only exists in our imagination. Lest we forget, the United States was one of the last countries to recognize our independence.”
“Lest we forget, the United States has taken more from us than it has given. Lest we forget, the United States will always serve its own interests above all else. Once we accept these truths, we will appreciate that a re-imagined Liberia can never be anyone’s ‘stepchild’. “Orator ROBTEL NEAJAI PAILEY stated.
She said a re-imagined Liberia is not only free from colonial relations of power, it is also free from colonial artefacts that cripple us. In this vein, I would like to renew previous calls to adopt national symbols that represent the “cultural breadth and historical depth” of our shared experiences.
ROBTEL NEAJAI PAILEY: “I urge us to forge a new political identity by re-imagining and revising these symbols. Why is the national motto on our seal not ‘the love of liberty united us here’, as suggested by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission final report? Why are we still calling our highest national honor the ‘Most Venerable Order of Knighthood of the Pioneers of the Republic of Liberia’, when the word ‘pioneers’ remains politically charged? How could renaming our capital Monrovia help us to decolonize?”
“By refashioning our flag, seal, national anthem, and national awards, among others, we can re-imagine Liberia based on a set of ideals that we all uphold. We should establish a committee of Liberian scholars, local government officials, cultural experts, and visual artists to devise new symbols of national relevance that will culminate in a referendum. “
“We must also adopt one of Liberia’s most widely spoken languages as our national language, and embrace Liberian English as our lingua franca. Now, this does not negate the need to master Standard English; instead, it promotes multilingualism as a form of nationalism. Because our norms and traditions are fluid rather than fixed, we must understand that the dichotomy between indigenous and settler, domestic and diasporic is false. One thing that unites us all is our shared history of migration.”
“Some of us are more recent migrants than others. For example, most of Liberia’s sixteen ethno-linguistic groups are not ‘indigenous’; they actually migrated in several waves from the 12th century onwards. By the time free and formerly enslaved blacks arrived on the coast of pre-settler Liberia in the mid-nineteenth century, 250 years of migration had preceded them. So, our shared historical narrative must be that we are all (im)migrants. None of us belongs here more than the other. Dignity must define us. ”
The comments prompted the America delegation led by its Ambassador Catherine Rodriguez, Charge’ d’ Affaires’ yet Madam Pailey continued that in Liberia efforts to achieve state-building, the people must build a national consensus around how we perceive and perform public service. While some people enter government to engage in post-war profiteering, others are committed to public sector productivity, stressing that while some remain political entrepreneurs, others become transformative policymakers. This duality exists in governments across the globe.
“We have to do a better job of not only scouting for competence, but also gauging who will put public interest before personal gain. “
“This is what the Liberian electorate communicated when we rejected most incumbents in the House, Senate and Presidency late last year. We said we deserve better and, contrary to global hysteria about the violence that would ensue, we delivered this overwhelming message through the ballot box rather than through the barrel of the gun. Our young post-war democracy defied the odds in a sub-region that has been wracked by political and military coups. But there is still essential state-building work to be done. For example, a recent study found that the cost of politics is too high in Liberia; so high that wealthy and/or politically connected men tend to dominate the electoral arena. This means that people who should be in elected office, like women and poor people with integrity, rarely have the resources to run successful campaigns.”
“In a re-imagined Liberia, campaign finance would be regulated to curb the misuse of state resources and to police clandestine private donations. ” Orator ROBTEL NEAJAI PAILEYspeech continues……
In a swift response, U.S. 🇺🇸 Embassy near Monrovia has Protestsled the National Orator, Dr. Robtel Neajai Pailey’s description as “Divisive Rhetoric” And “Unfounded Accusations”“Independence Day Celebrations should be a time for hope, unity and celebration. Introducing divisive rhetoric and unfounded accusations during such an event undermines its purpose. The Chargé d’Affaires decision to walk out was a measured response to maintain the event’s decorum and spirit.” U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia.
