Rest In Power Aunty Ruth!

Rest In Power Aunty Ruth!

The fight for women’s rights is left far from over but we salute your contributions.

A tribute

Thursday, December 13, 2018, was a blow to the Liberian and African Women’s Movement. A powerful voice succumbed to the inevitable call of death. If such a call came with a warning, we would’ve vehemently protested as the fight for women’s empowerment is far from over. Such is the inevitability of the end of life as it is said, one by one we must all leave this earthly abode.  If the measure of a person is reflected in the circle of his/her friends, then Aunty Ruth, as she is affectionately called, is outsized. She effortlessly connects with every generation and saw no class.  

I became aware of the name Madam Ruth Caesar during the 2005 elections when she contested to become Senator of Montserrado County. Then a high school student running for student council president myself, I became interested in women leaders and those at the time running for public offices. Liberia had finally won her hard-earned peace and the 2005 elections was an opportunity to turn a page for democratic rule. The voices of women had been resoundingly loud during the quest for peace. Women such as Leymah Gbowee, Madam Asatu Bah Kenneth, Etweta Cooper, Ruth Caesar, and many others were mobilizing locally and internationally to ensure an agreement was reached in Accra to end the brutality.

Reminded that the fight was far from over and the need for women’s political participation, reinforced by Thomas Sankara’s call that there is no true social revolution without the liberation of women, the likes of Madam Caesar, Gloria Scott, Madam Sirleaf, and others were set to change the course of history. More women would participate, even though the ‘glass ceiling’ is half-cracked, gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, women’s political participation, violence against women and girls would become part of Liberia’s social justice and everyday jargons.

Ever since then, Aunty Ruth and I have had many encounters within the women's movement in Liberia. Myself as the then head of the Paramount Young Women’s Initiative, later at the Ministry of Gender and until my last service at the Ministry of Youth & Sports. Those encounters were pleasant, respectful and jovial.  We’ve appeared on radio together, at national, local and community engagements, marches and many more, making the case for women. My last fond memory of Aunty Ruth was at a function organized by UN Women in 2016. We both shared the same table. I am always fond of the wealth and depth of knowledge these selfless women brought to discourses. A moment with them is an opportunity to benefit from their wisdom. At the meeting and before everyone had settled in, she told me she wanted to be a ‘Haja’ for the day and I would teach her how to wear her headscarf. I obliged. A selfie was imminent.

For many years Madam Caesar has been active in advocacy for Liberia and the Mano River basin. She served as a voice for peace, justice and women's rights. The lifelong activist is well known for her calmness yet fierce demeanor in the deliverance of her ideas on transformational change and justice for women.

As a founding member of the Mano River Women’s Peace Network (MARWOPNET), an organization working to promotes peace, security, justice, and women’s rights, Madam Caesar worked with her counterparts in Liberia, Guinea & Sierra Leone to ensure a safer sub-region free from violent conflicts.

Notably, between 2000-2003, the passionate and erudite servant was actively engaged within the region attending and organizing meetings, sending letters and memos, and engaging heads of states and governments, development partners to intervene and end the hostilities in Liberia. Some of those meetings included with Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, UN Special Envoy, Lansana Conte, former Guinean President, Tejan Kabbah, former Sierra Leonean President, and many others.

Liberia suffered the Ebola epidemic in 2014. As many Liberians were eager to leave the country, Aunty Ruth and others worked very hard to curb the epidemic. Mobilizing women to use unorthodox safety protocols to care for their loved ones was a strategy they devised. She will later recount her experience at the Inclusive Security Conference in the United States of America in 2015 saying, “We worked with women on the frontline and devise simple implements due to the lack of medical equipment and supplies. We used plastic bags on the feet and hands. We did not have faucets for water but we used bamboo to serve water to patients. It was more than a health issue. It was a peace issue for women.” 

She was an ardent devotee to grassroots mobilization and women voices. During the 2011 and 2017 elections, she was a regular voice encouraging women in the trenches to remain engaged in the process and young people to remain peaceful.

A fight far from over?  You will be missed

The struggle for women’s inclusive participation is far from over. With all the successes, the situation remains critical. It's 2018. In a country where women account for almost half the population, they represent less than 20% percent in their national government. The security sector representation remains low, violence against women and girls is on the increase. The Domestic Violence and Women’s Political Representation bills still linger in the national legislature.

Mother Ruth, as you take your rest and disembark the bus, the voices left behind will continue the journey where you left off.

                                           Intergenerational Dialogue Needed

There is a much needed or somehow long belated intergenerational dialogue with women leaders. It has been a long and tedious journey for women since the beginning of Liberia’s formation. As one generation of women leaders ages on, there is a need for dialogue, mentorship, and togetherness.

The war on women’s bodies, voices and spaces cannot be fought singlehandedly or by a few. Women leaders must work ‘side by side’ even in disagreement.

Aunty Ruth was a unifying force for women in and out of her generation. As she prepares for a final resting place, we must reflect on how far we have come, celebrate the successes and chart a new and collective course.

To the family of our dear patriot, mother and women’s rights activist, take heart. It is indeed a great loss. Mother and Aunty Ruth was yours personally and biologically, but she lived a selfless life for a cause bigger than herself. She worked to prepare a country for generations unborn. She will be missed dearly, but her struggles, voice, and memories live in our hearts. Take solace in her memories.

Take your rest dear powerful one. We will remember your calmness, your majestic walk, and ever smiling aura. Tell Mother Mary Brownell and others the struggle continuous unrelentingly.

Rest In Power Aunty Ruth.

"The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men [women]." Minot Judson Savage

Former President Sirleaf’s Legacy in domino effect?

Earlier this year, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf stepped down as Africa’s first democratically elected female leader after a two-term presidency to usher in Liberia’s football icon turned politician George Weah as her successor. The election was marred by controversies and allegations of malpractices by contending parties to which the Supreme Court of Liberia found non-egregious. In 2006, Madam Sirleaf took over a country recovering from over a decade of civil war that racked a death toll of over 250,000, a nearly empty  fiscal reserve, poor infrastructure, lack of basic services, non-existent electricity, exuberant young population some of whom were former combatants still in possession of firearms and  mounting of other challenges. Little did she know her country would later come to deal with Ebola and over 4000 of her compatriots, the highest in the region of affected countries, would pay a hefty price with their lives.

She would later work to restore electricity, connect counties through roads, rebuild bridges, restore pipe bone water in some communities, create a civil service that attracts some of Liberia’s best, restructured the police and army and bring dignity to the security sector and improve the education and health sectors. While she worked hard to restore, resuscitate, rebuild, and build many sectors, she also upheld the fight for women’s political and economic empowerment and has inspired many women across Liberia and beyond. Initiatives such as the Sirleaf Market Women Fund, the Economic Empowerment Program for Adolescent Girls & Young Women, the Adolescent Girls Division of the Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection and many more were all anchored during her leadership.

Despite many visible achievements that I am unable to cover here, many pundits have questioned Madam Sirleaf’s legacy, including on the gender front, noting of her failure to appoint more women at higher levels of ministerial positions even though many women were appointed as deputy and assistant ministers, deputies of public corporations and associate justices of the Supreme Court .

Although women accounted for a smaller number of her kitchen cabinet in the executive branch,, her bravery and audacity to challenge barriers of women’s political participation and contest the country’s highest public office, winning twice, not only presents a break from the “old boys club” but a domino effect that has inspired many women to step on the stage when the opportunity presents itself.

While it may appear that fewer women are getting elected, this phenomenon can be explained. In 2005, Liberia had a special election with the suspension of the constitution. New electoral rules were adopted by the National Elections Commission. One of such rule was mandating political parties to ensure a minimum of 30% representation on their political party list to be presented. Parties were obliged as a result, 14% of women were elected to the legislature. In 2011 and 2017, the elections were constitutional and the 30% clause was not enforceable. Only 10.2% and 12.3% of women were elected respectively. However, in 2017, out of 785 registered candidates, 123 were women. This accounts for the highest in recent election history. This manifest that women are beating the odds and that the legacy of Madam Sirleaf is far from complete.

One woman who is taking a note or two from Madam Sirleaf’s manuscript is Cornelia Kruah Togba. Having completed coursework for Master of Arts degree in International Politics & Economics in the United Kingdom, she saw the need to step forward and contest for the representative seat in her district that was made vacant by the election to the Senate of her- soon to be- predecessor.

With the odds against her, she is leaning on the quest to provide a different kind of representation for the people of District #13 in Montserrado County, something they have not seen since 2005.

Being the youngest in the race with limited financial and logistical resources against her major contender who enjoys not only presidential endorsement from the ruling party, state logistics and personnel at his disposal, she faces an uphill battle.

While there are structural barriers prohibiting women’s political participation, resources and attaining political party endorsements remain a challenge.

District #13 is one of the highly populated districts with a majority of young people. Challenges of unemployment, infrastructure, health care, women’s empowerment, community voices, and ownership are a major concern. These are issues that high on Madam Kruah-Togba’s agenda. 

Just in the course of the campaign, with meager resources, she has embarked on unprecedented self-help initiatives to uplift her district. Initiatives such as paving feeder roads previously impassable, providing street lights in communities that are in darkness and many others.

As the most qualified candidate in the race, who has a well-developed legislative agenda, Madam Togba hopes to bring the needed change her district in particular and Liberia in general desire.

With her years of service in the government of Liberia at the Ministries of State, Public Works and most recently Education, she comes with an understanding of government’s bureaucracy and the work it entails to getting things done.

She was also a student leader at the Stella Maris Polytechnic working to ensure cordiality with the administration and the student body. Additionally, an organization she recently established, the Young Women Empowerment Network to contribute to Liberia’s human development sector is becoming a leading voice for women in public service. These are skills important in dealing with a diverse group of people to negotiate on behalf of the people of her constituency.  As the candidate of the Coalition of three key opposition parties including Unity Party, Liberty Party, and the Alternative National Congress, she is better placed to build a bipartisan approach to passing key bills for the country.

I have known Madam Kruah-Togba for little over 5 years now. We have shared friendship, professional relationship, and sisterhood. Most importantly, our both love and passion for Liberia is invincible. More than anything else, I believe she will better serve the people of District 13. She will deliver her promises and sure protect the interest of the people.

It is my hope that she will join forces with other members of the Women Legislative Caucus to pick up the pace on the rape bill that is near amendment, the Domestic Violence Act, the political representation bill and many others.

Cornelia is a member of the new generation of Liberia’s political actors and public servants who are poised with every fiber in their being to rewrite the country’s story that is often told pejoratively. Electing a young woman like herself who have lived and understands the challenges of her district will not only be beneficial to the people of her district, it will serve as an encouragement for young people who constitute the majority of the population and young women to step up and ensure an impactful domino effect.

*Domino effect is a chain of reaction that is produced when one event initiates a succession of similar events.

Looking Beyond Katie Meyler: The "More Than Me" Saga

It's a tough one!
Sometime in 2012, a very active, friendly and passionate woman came to my office. Then I worked as the Coordinator of the newly established Adolescent Girls Unit of the Ministry of Gender in Monrovia. The woman and an accompanying male would later introduce themselves as Katie Meyler and Macintosh Johnson. Their mission?
They came to talk to my team about More Than Me- an organization that has been working to pay tuition for vulnerable girls and were looking to establish a school for them in West Point. They needed my help since I was in the sector.
We had no reason to doubt the sincerity of their intention especially with a track record of already sponsoring girls in other schools. We requested them to get sectorial clearance and that required due diligence from the Ministry's department responsible as well as work with the Ministry of Education since that was the primary sector they were looking to. This was a routine for any organization interested in working with girls. We also handed them few important contacts to work with. Macintosh became the point person between the Ministry and attended majority of the Adolescent Girls Working Group meetings then. I later left the Unit at the beginning of 2014.
It saddens me reading the lengthy article and viewing the video of the serial rape and violation of the rights and dignity of those girls by someone who should protect them. It is indeed tough! It calls for outrage, screams, the why, the how, the how come and all the lingering questions necessary-- But at the tail of it all, after all the hashtags, after all the noise, after all the posts and media coverage- WHAT HAPPENS TO THE GIRLS?- A question that has no simple "checklisted" answer... Girls far beyond the parameters of More Than Me- GIRLS IN LIBERIA...

Liberia and the culture of Silence: It sucks
Nurse Mator knew long enough, with evidence too that Macintosh was abusing those girls. What did she do? NOTHING, NADA, FWEN! She was protecting her job? What did she do when the case came to light? She stayed with her job. When did she resign? 2017, that's just last year.
To you Michelle Spada- wherever you are- THANk YOU! You did well by reporting this to the police! Something that our own Liberian sister could not.
What did West Point (the community) do? They stood up behind Macintosh and isolated the brave girls who came forward!--If this is not sickening, I know not what it is!--Sadly, this is the Liberian story!

Our legal system is another challenge.
When the case went to court, 8 out of 12 jurors believed that the girls lied against Macintosh. He only needed one more to side with him and he would be a free man. REALLY? 8 JURORS? Now, this brings me a whole fresh memory- That will be for another day.
Macintosh died of AIDS-AIDS-AIDS! The girls?

This is not about Katie!
More Than Me needs to take responsibility but at several levels, many of us do too. WHERE ARE THE PARENTS? Nurse Mator, the legal system especially the prosecution team, the government and all.

We are noted to be an emotionally triggered society who do not follow through issues to the end. Please let us not fail those girls for the tenth time again. While More Than Me needs to be held accountable, at the center and end of it all, the interest of the girls must be our primary concern. Here are few recommendations

1. The ten girls need to be cared for every way possible (Psychologically, medically, physically, educationally etc.)
2. The current students at MTM who are sexually active need to be tested for HIV and provided the needed care. (Shutting down More Than Me would create more problem)
3. A thorough background check of all the current staff at MTM must be done.
4. Despite Macintosh is dead, any current or former staff who was part of the rape spree must be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice.
5. The government must ensure proper and regular monitoring of the school and other schools.
6. A total institutional restructuring needs to take place at MTM
7. The GIRLS must at all time be monitored and protected!

Now here is why I don't think shutting down MTM is a solution.

West Point and many slum communities in Liberia represent a bitter truth of the Liberian narrative.
Very poor families, densely populated community, poor sanitation, health care, poor infrastructure, high rate of unemployment but to name a few.
This is definitely not about a "white savior" mentality. Many local organizations are working in West Point and Liberia as a whole. Their efforts must be applauded. Liberia's problem is multilayered. It requires all hands on deck. Local and international partners. MTM has worked to transform the lives of some of those poor families. Inspiring those girls and giving them hope, a school, a meal, a healthcare that their families couldn't afford.
It was absolutely wrong what Macintosh did. The nurse and all those who were aware not to protect those girls is unthinkable.
The government, MTM, the community must address the root cause of the problem and wholesomely deal with it. Taking away what has become a family will not be in their best interest. Uprooting the nightmares, the predators, pedophiles, and everything that made that space uncomfortable will be the route to take.
Many lessons to be learned, many stories go untold. Hope this triggers a called to us all not settle rape and other SGBV against our girls the family way.

In all of this #ISTANDWITHTHEGIRLS

Open Letter to Mr. President-Elect & Madam VP-Elect

Dear Amb. George Weah- President-Elect & Madam Jewel Taylor- VP-Elect;
Like 2017, elections are now history.
It was a well-fought campaign and the majority of the voters selected you both. We did not support you because we believe your opponent was the better candidate. Unfortunately for us, the majority saw it differently. In every contestation, there must be a winner. As a growing democracy like ours, the loser must be gracious enough to see beyond the binary of winner and loser. The bigger picture is Liberia for which we all cherish so dearly. First time in our growing democracy, the defeated candidate called in to congratulate the winner and extended an olive branch. For our generation, it is a welcoming development. Congratulations to H. E Joseph Nyumah Boakai Vice President for setting the pace. As a Liberian, I owe it to my conscience, the young people who look up to us and generations after us to express congratulations to you and your team for the victory. This, in no way, means we do not stand for our held principles during the campaign period. We do now and will tomorrow. With that, let me offer you my cents.

You are inheriting a challenging country at a difficult time- a divided country, a broke government, a country in need of reconciliation like yesterday, an extractive industry based economy where market values of raw materials continue to drop, high unemployment rate, exuberant youthful population etc. We know the pressure will mount on businesses and taxpayers but you must be careful because the higher the tax, the higher the price of local -everyday commodities that families need. (Hope you are following the development in Iran) We know "friendly" governments may come in to support but they too have an interest. In the world of governance, there is no free lunch. Be careful about how wide you open your arms. We know, you may want to look to transnational corporations like the World Bank, the IMF, and others, but they too have conditionalities that adversely affect important sectors like education, healthcare etc Be careful of how you borrow. The exchange rate seems to be the stubborn child who refuses to climb down that ladder. Your financial team needs to study this carefully. Printing more banknotes is not a solution.

While the economic bit is very important, here are few areas you must think critically about:
1. Critical Voices and Dissent
For the most part, your party ran a campaign on hate and fought to silence critical voices for opinions different from yours. Anyone who disagreed with you or your party was insulted, abused and in some instances assaulted. As a party, you were at liberty to have a thin skin, but as president and VP, you must be prepared for dissenting views and opinions. You must grow a thick skin. You must protect freedom of expression and of the press as upheld by Madam Sirleaf. That is indeed a big shoe to fit..(lol..not size 10 1/2)
Remember only 55% of registered voters of the 2million plus voted. Out of that 38.5% did not vote for you. That's a good number of people who didn't believe you can. Not all of them will grill you fairly. Some grilling may be gruesome. Be prepared Mr. President-Elect

2. Managing Expectations
This is indeed a tough one. As listed above, the challenges are enormous. Your campaign promised Dubai out of Liberia and St. Paul and Minneapolis (Twin Cities) out of Monrovia. It was understandable because political campaign is about telling voters what they want to hear. In all you do, manage the expectation. How you do it will be difficult but do your best.

3. Information
One of the major challenges of this current government was information dissemination. This government achieved a lot given the envelope and timeframe. There were also difficult days. Failure to inform the public create information gaps. Make sure you fund the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (MICAT).

Now, Madam Taylor, I was very critical of you during the campaign period. It wasn't because I didn't believe in your ability. It was because of the divisive stance you took on your Christianization campaign. Now that elections are over, I hope you do not see yourself as a Christian VP but VP for Liberia. As I stated earlier, our country is divided. Religious and ethnic divisions only inflame the situation. Our people are concern about the bread and butter issue. Hope you can apologize to the Liberian people in general and the Muslim population in particular.
Apparently, our people are tired of the Charles Taylor story. Our country is moving forward. They want Charles Taylor to be history already and to focus on other issues. Hope your campaign on bringing back the NPP Agenda doesn't resurface.
As VP, hope your justification for the mayhem Charles Taylor committed is not amplified. You are Liberia's VP and as such, everything that will be said and done will carry that tag.

Being the first Female Vice President and for all its symbolism, congratulations. As you know the fight for inclusion is an unending one. Hopefully, you will pick up where Madam President stopped. The rape bill that is near amendment, the Domestic Violence Act, the political representation bill and many others. Of course, I do not expect you as an individual to achieve all of this. Building a critical mass is important.
Please Madam VP-Elect, your campaign for salary increment for senators or top elected officials must remain in 2017.
Liberia needs policies for all and not few.

Elections are now over, we have returned our political ammunition in the warehouse for safekeeping. Your collective success is Liberia's success. The opposite is Liberia's burden.

We wish your team well.
God bless the motherland. Liberia first, Liberia last!
Think, Love and Build Liberia!

Kula V. Fofana
A Liberian Activist

I am not a Unity Party Partisan but I’m supporting Joseph N. Boakai for Liberia’s Presidency and I think you should think about it too. Here’s why

Kula V. Fofana- Liberian Activist

kvf2007@yahoo.com

October 8, 2017

In few minutes, election campaign activities will come to an end in Liberia. The country is expected to hold a third in a series of elections since the end of the civil war in 2003. This election will be recorded as a historic one as it will be the first time in more than 70 years that a democratically elected government will be turning power over to another democratically elected president.

Liberia story is not a unique one. The challenges are many. The war years left indelible scars that may take forever to heal. More than anything else, Liberians need an assurance of a secured nation. Security in this sense goes beyond tradition security. Human security is what is necessary for Liberia's transition. A 1994 United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report defines security as for people rather than territories, with development rather than arms. It further equates human security to economic security, food security, health security, environmental security, political security, community security, personal security etc. 

For Liberians, what matters is the economic viability for all and not the 1950s "growth without development" under President Tubman's leadership. 

In these elections, there are twenty presidential candidates in the race to replace H.E President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Each of these candidates has sold to you their platforms throughout the campaign period. Some did so explicitly while others did vaguely. Some used larger stages like debates while others thought there isn't value added to debates and boycotted. However you received the messages, some are meant to be given serious thoughts. Electronic and Print media were flooded with those messages. 

Yes, you have heard and seen a lot.  If you are a non-partisan like myself, it makes it challenging to pick a choice as elections are not of saints. It took me a long time to finally decide who to support in these elections. Though primarily it was due to the respect of the Code of Conduct. This also is in no violation of the Code as it protects respect of opinions of public officials. After several pondering, and in my opinion, the best choice for Liberia's transition is H.E Joseph N. Boakai, Vice President of the Republic of Liberia. 

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ran a "transitional government" and we must all give her a standing ovation and due credit. Before 2006, Liberia was a total mess. The physical and mental shells of the guns and bullets were present everywhere. Education, health, infrastructure, social services were all non-existent.  The country's image internationally was bleak. Being a Liberia outside of Liberia drew pity and sorrow. She knew it was not going to be an easy task.She was the "Danielle" thrown in the Lion's den.  

The destruction of more than 14 years cannot be built in 12 years.

Under her leadership, Liberia has done amazingly in many areas and will do more with JNB at the helm. The last 12 years was a transition from our bitter past to a more sustained and prosperous nation. 

Looking ahead, we must own up to our challenges of reconciliation and corruption and JNB has promised to do just that. 

When he said and emphasized ROAD, ROAD, ROAD as a necessity for development, I couldn't help but nod in agreement. In 2010 as a research assistant on a project to study Liberian schools with the American Research Institute, we traveled across the country and saw how deplorable roads were. Again in 2012, as Co-Chairperson on Liberia's Vision 2030, I had the opportunity to travel to majority of the counties and saw how access to market was impeding growth and development. In 2009, on my way to Grand Bassa for a project, we had to sleep in our truck because the roads were damaged and impassable. I partly grew up in Caldwell. For the longest i could remember, Caldwell Road was a messy stretch. It took us hours from Samukai Camp to Caldwell Junction. When the road was paved, my elder sister decided to pay a visit to relatives in Samukai Camp. She drove less than 20 minutes and was in Lousiana very far from Samukai Camp. She had to be reminded by passersbys that she has passed the Camp and was redirected. Today, many of those stories have changed and others would change with JNB. 

Opportunity squandered and parked Race Car Anology

Many people like to make a mountain out of a molehill. When VP Boakai talked about squandering opportunity, he meant collectively as a government- including the legislature- there were many missed opportunities. Squandered may have been a harsh choice of word but the legislature and judiciary had a role as well in the governance.  His reference to a race car was not to blame in any way H.E Madam President but to state the limation within our constitution for the role of the VP.

He has been a loyal, down to earth, and humble Vice President with integrity and I believe his Presidency will do more and make Liberia work for us all in continuation of Madam President's legacy.

Think Liberia, Love Liberia, Build Liberia

Vote Wisely! 

Colleagues have asked why do I hate Senator Taylor this Much? No, I don’t and here’s why I’m critical of her. Kula V. Fofana, a Liberian Activist kvf2007@yahoo.com

Well, I do not hate Sen. Taylor and do not hate anyone for that matter. As a matter of fact, I love humanity and humankind hence my advocacy role throughout these many years. Madam Taylor and I are members of a network and at some point, we both worked briefly on the “Affirmative Action for Political Representation Bill of 2016”. Our relationship has been cordial and respectful. She is a beautiful woman with admirable eloquence.

However, my love for Liberia supersedes everything else. I began closely following Mrs. Taylor a few years ago when she publically supported a divisive call by few Liberians to “Christianize” Liberia. As a senator of a religiously and tribally diverse county such as Bong, she has stated on many occasions that she is “going to work for the Kpelleh people”.[1] This piece intends to summarize why my critical stance is nothing “personal” or hateful. However, my love for Liberia is personal.

In 2012 during an interview with the Voice of America (VOA),[2]  Madam Taylor craved the indulgence of the Liberian people to see her for who she is as an individual and not align her with her ex-husband Charles Taylor and that she was not responsible for crimes he committed. Ironically in the same interview, she said she is proud to associate herself with the name and is honored to carry it. "But I am just happy to say that that name also carries a lot of positivity because I work for the people of my country and that has enabled me to be the senator you see today. So, some people might look at the negatives, but I’d like to look at the positive”.[3] Madam Taylor intoned. Many politicians today associate themselves with the successes at the same time distance themselves from the failures of their associates.

Critics of Madam Taylor often question her role during the crisis her ex-husband led. During a town hall meeting in Philadelphia[4], quizzed about her role in the crisis as her ex-husband reined terror in Liberia, Madam Taylor said she provided relief items to victims.

Marriage to Mr. Taylor, sudden rise to the Bong Legislature and women’s rights advocacy

The two were joined in holy matrimony in 1997 few months before he would be sworn in as Liberia’s 22nd President. A wedding that was televised by the national broadcaster. Before their marriage, the two dated for many years while he was married to Mrs. Enid Tupee Taylor and had their son [first and only for Madam. Taylor-one of 14 children for Mr. Taylor].[5]  In December of 1989, he launched the revolution that displaced, killed and raped many as well as using young children as members of his Small Boys Unit (SBU). During Mrs. Taylor reigned as the first lady of Liberia, many Liberians were in exile in neighboring countries and some in displaced and refugee camps in Liberia. Under their rulership, Liberians lived in fear and intimidation. While she does not want to be associated with Mr. Taylor’s crimes, she believes that he did nothing and that he is and was being misunderstood. In a video interview with the Guardian News Agency, she defended her ex-husband that he shouldn’t be held liable for crimes committed in Sierra Leone as he was in Liberia and could not have been actively involved.[6] Mrs. Taylor returned to Liberia in 2004 after spending some nine months with him while in exile in Nigeria. She filed for divorce in 2005 and was grated in 2006 the same year Mr. Taylor was arrested for crimes he committed in Sierra Leone. 

Jan 1996. Mr. & Mrs. Taylor Photo Credit: BBC

 

Madam Taylor is aware of the benefits of the Taylor name that she enjoys today. Bong County was Taylor “Country” where he settled and had his military base. Madam Taylor herself is from Zorzor, Lofa County. Citizens of Bong County are sympathetic to Taylor and see him as their “godfather” or their protector. By herself, she couldn’t have won the Senatorial seat of that county. Before 2005, Mrs. Taylor wasn’t an active politician. The 2005 election was a special one and special rules were adopted by the National Elections Commission as an outcome of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement.  The National Elections commission encouraged political parties to ensure that their final listing must include at least 30% women candidates. That call enabled the NPP to bring on board Mrs. Taylor and CDC submitted the name of the late Hannah Brant. Many parties followed. Women occupied 14% of the Legislature in 2005[7].  2014 senatorial election came rather quickly. This time the contending parties were many and Madam Taylor saw that she was losing the county. In the eleventh hour of the campaign, she allegedly used a voice recording believed to be Mr. Taylor’s calling on his loyalist to support his former wife. It can be argued that that was a game changer for Mrs. Taylor. She became senator for the second time. Madam Taylor was never a women’s rights advocate but only became a beneficiary as the result of the 30% representation call in 2005.  

Christianization Campaign 

Liberia being a Christian nation is a faulty assumption but widely spread by divisive religious clerics. Prior to 2008 when the most recent census was conducted, about 40% of Liberians practice Christianity while 40 percent were believed to practice Traditional African Religion and 20% Muslims with the remaining distributed among Bahai’, Hindu etc.[8]  The 2008 census placed Christianity at 85.5% while Islam was at 12.2%. Many Islamic clergymen contested this but there wasn’t any empirical evidence to prove otherwise due to resource -financial & technical- challenges. They believed the census report was an attempt to marginalize a certain group of people.

Madam Taylor joined[9] the call to make Liberia a Christian nation in order to put Liberia into chaos as if the mayhem her ex-husband did wasn’t enough.

Religious identities and other lineages have led to the destruction of people and places. And for a fragile country like Liberia and someone who wants to serve as Vice President to join such a call only shows how divisive and intolerant they are. 

In retrospect, 2004 an alleged land dispute between two people metamorphosed into religious violence and landed the city and its surrounding in total chaos with the burning of mosque, churches, schools, and businesses. There was also a spillover impact in other counties.[10] 

The Resuscitation of Charles Taylor’s NPP Agenda    

Charles Taylor came to power with guns. His rebel group the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) was transformed to the National Patriotic Party and the leaders of NPFL were all active players in the Taylors administration that came to power in 1997.  What is the NPP’s agenda that Madam Taylor is using the Congress for Democratic Change platform to resuscitate? [11]

Mrs. Taylor Comforting her then-husband.video Photo: CNN

In his six years rule, Liberians lived in fear. His military groups, the Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU) and Special Operations Division (SOD) of the Police instilled fear in peaceful citizens. For the most part of his presidency, we lived in the Sierra Leonean Refugee camp in Caldwell and later fled to neighboring Sierra Leone as a result of constant harassment from his boys. During his presidency, the economy was at its lowest. He was a tyrant and dealt with everything in similar form. For instance, he dealt with issues of price control with a radio announcement. “All foreign exchange bureaus and businesses must reduce their rates now or else their businesses will remain closed”. He warned. Without studying the economic implications, he would make those decisions and the after effect would be devastating. Freedom of speech and of expression was none existent. Critical journalists were intimidated, abused, harassed, imprisoned and their establishment shutdown and some were forced to leave the country.[12] The widows of the Armed Forces of Liberia and any pressure group couldn’t dare come on the streets to protest or they would meet Taylor’s ATU and SOD well-armed. As if that wasn’t enough, Mr. Taylor himself would use the radio to warn citizens not to take the streets else, they would bear the consequences. Is that the NPP agenda Madam Taylor wants to revive?[13]   Fear, intimidation, suppression, violence, rape, etc. During all of this, Mrs. Taylor was the First Lady of the Republic of Liberia. Liberians must think! 

Salary increment and financial autonomy

In April of this year, Madam Taylor spoke to an audience in the United States at a Town Hall meeting. In her meeting with a cross session of Liberians, Senator Taylor justified the necessity to increase lawmakers salaries because as she put it, “they cater to their constituents who come to their offices daily for assistance and in some cases they pay tuition, underwrite burial cost and make other expenditure for their constituents”[14]  and that they complain about the huge salaries they are making. She further stated that while their constituents lived in so much poverty which “is demeaning” so their salaries need to be increased because it is not “enough”. She says the ten thousand monthly salary excluding benefits is insufficient. In 2016, Madam Taylor was a key proponent of the Financial Autonomy Bill[15] that intended to give the Legislation full leverage over the decision of the finances they receive. Since its formation, the National Legislature has not been audited. They approved the final budget. How can you be the referee and the player at the same time? Where is the accountability?

Conclusion

Many would ask with all these views you hold of Mrs. Taylor why now and why only George Weah and Madam Taylor and not the other candidates? Is it because of job protection (as is often insinuated)? Well, to simply put it, there is a place and time for everything and they are the closest opposition to the Presidency with the most divisive agenda.  Prior to entering mainstream government, I was actively involved with advocacy and activism and was satisfied with the impact and inroads I was making through the several organizations I served. In 2012 I applied for a job vacancy (Adolescent Girls Unit Coordinator) at the then Ministry of Gender and Development and was interviewed, assessed and given the job. I later became the Director when the Unit was elevated to a division.  In March of 2016, I was appointed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as Assistant Minister for Youth Development a position that I am honored to serve. (Thankful to Madam President) I began work in May of 2016 after confirmation hearing and it has been less than two years. If the argument of job protection is valid, all those who worked with Madam Sirleaf in 2005 and supported her should have still been around. This is for the greater good of the Liberian people and I owe it to my conscience and love for country. Additionally, my advocacy for religious tolerance dates back as far as 2006 when I joined the National Muslim Students Association of Liberia to advocate for Muslims holiday and remove the teaching of Bible from the National Curriculum to replace it with General Religious knowledge among many things the organization did.

As someone who wants to serve the country at that higher level, Madam Taylor needs to understand she cannot use the “divide and rule” theory. Liberia’s path to sustained peace has been long and challenging. Many of our compatriots shared their tears, blood, sweat, and life for this great nation. She must understand that the Vice Presidency is a powerful space that can be used to unite instead of divide. The thought of reigniting the Taylor’s NPP agenda scares me terribly with nightmares too. With all that has happened and all that she continues to portray is as if she is a selfish, divisive, and intolerant senator. Liberia needs a unifier; certainly not Madam Jewel H. Taylor. 

As she is intending to reinstitute Taylor’s agenda, George Weah, on the other hand, doesn’t understand simple rudimentary of governance. It makes it even scarier.

For me, this election is about sustaining the gains, strengthening the peace and making Liberia work for all Liberians. I will hope that Vice President Joseph N. Boakai wins. However, I wouldn’t mind if Liberians decide Mills Jones, Alexander Cummings or Charles Brumskine but certainly not a Weah Howard-Taylor Presidency. If Weah and Howard-Taylor take on the leadership the motherland, I pray a million times not, I will join the intellectual and armless revolution to save the motherland.

For me, Liberia before anything else!

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men (and women) to do nothing"- Edmond Burke

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[1] https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=716256281864574&set=pb.100004406254932.- 2207520000.1507341352.&type=3&theater

[2] https://www.voanews.com/a/liberian-former-first-lady-on-first-us-visit-after-nine-years-of-sactions/1519310.html

[3] https://www.voanews.com/a/liberian-former-first-lady-on-first-us-visit-after-nine-years-of-sactions/1519310.html

[4] https://thenewdispensation.com/2017/04/10/liberia-for-me-usd10000-00-salary-not-enough-says-vice-standard-bearer-of-opposition-party-senator-jewel-howard-taylor-

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Taylor_(Liberian_politician)

[6] https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2012/apr/25/charles-taylor-wife-war-crimes-video

[7] http://www.necliberia.org/others.php?&7d5f44532cbfc489b8db9e12e44eb820=NTk3

[8] https://2001-2009.state.gov/p/af/rls/24149.htm

[9] http://www.theperspective.org/2012/0301201202.html

[10] https://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2005/51480.htm

[11] http://frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/politics/5474-liberia-taylor-s-agenda-back-on-the-table-ex-wife-deals-weah-cdc-a-major-conundrum

[12] https://www.ijmonitor.org/2010/02/charles-taylor-did-not-encourage-press-freedom-in-liberia-prosecutors-say/

[13] http://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/politics/5406-coalition-for-democratic-change-echoes-fulfillment-of-charles-taylor-return

[14] https://thenewdispensation.com/2017/04/10/liberia-for-me-usd10000-00-salary-not-enough-says-vice-standard-bearer-of-opposition-party-senator-jewel-howard-taylor-

[15] https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/legislature-wants-financial-autonomy/

Diaries of the Innocent: The story of Salimatu (Part II)

At home, she was cut!
We grew up speaking Vai. Mommy is Vai inside out. Daddy, hmm, he got a whole lot of ethnicity thing going on. But one thing crystal about my family is that we are of the Mande speaking group. There you will find Vai, Mandingo, Gola, Mende etc. Put daddy there, he would speak all those languages perfectly. I wouldn't be a stranger in Cape Mount, Bomi, Gbapolu, Lofa and Sierra Leone. Daddy shares all those lineages and because he did, and as patriarchy depicts, I share similar. To sum this up, we are of the Mande clan. The Sande Society is a big deal for my people. It is a cultural practice that has lasted for as long as life itself. It is a way of life of my people. There is the economic part too. Unlike Matu and the Fula tradition, there is a whole lot of ceremony about the Sande Society. Families lived to see their daughters initiation. I know this not just by reading literature and being of the Mande clan but by the proximity of how close I came to it for several years. We lived in Samukai camp, Upper Caldwell where Sierra Leonean refugees sought refuge during their crisis. We were not refugees neither were we Sierra Leoneans. We were too poor to handle the challenges of Liberia at that time and with the rumors of war, a refugee camp was the safest zone. That meant free school, free medical, free food and most importantly safety. Though it came with its own baggage, my parents would settle for a better system for their children then-refugee life- We became "Sierra Leonean Refugees". The Camp was predominantly occupied by the Mendes.(the largest in Sierra Leone ) When they came to Liberia, of course, their culture would follow especially when culture is a people's way of life.We lived about 5-7 minutes walk from the Sande Bush. We could hear the girls sing daily, we would pass by the bush to fetch water, to go to the creeks to do laundry.(Washing) Our kind of laundry was nothing fancy" no electricity involve, no washing or drying machine whatsoever. In fact, we never knew what those were. We only read about them on the tags of our clothes with instructions like "Machine Wash with like colors, tuber dry, iron as needed"..lol...we didn't understand what those words were. Our kind of doing laundry was like you taking a tub full of dirty clothes to the creek, dip the tub in the running water, get some water, throw in your clothes, rub soap on them, hit them as hard as you can on those huge rocks until the stains are out. Rinse them with clean water and lay them on the street, grass and whatever was available. That was our dryer.No, we didn't die and didn't get any rashes from the clothes being placed on the ground for drying.Normally, when we were going to the creek as young girls we would go in group or supervised by an older person for fear of us being caught by the ladies of the Bush and send to sande or on the other hand some girls would want to put their families in "problem " they would escape home and run to the Bush.. Once you are in there, your family will have to do everything to cater for your needs. Food clothing and everything. The ceremony is huge no joke. And that also lured young girls into it. The ceremonies are like: after the girls spend some time in the bush (here, timing varies. From 3 weeks to several months and it also depends on how financially fluid your family is.), when it is time to brought out, there would be dance everywhere on the camp for the members and it's like all day all night. Now finally the girls made their first outdoor appearance- they would be dressed in all white. White satin like shorts and bras made of white wool beautifully patterned and white headties. They would all be covered in white chalk from head to toe, face included beautifully designed. Of course as a young child who wouldn't want that? They would sing and dance the whole time. They would visit the elders and zoes in the town singing and greeting them. They would go home to greet their families too.This would take up half the day. Of course, we would leave our chores and follow them around the whole day to every corner of the town. When they are about to retreat to their bush we would run from them. On their first appearance, they don't sleep in the town. At the end of the day, they would go back to their bush. The bush was like a house with one entry faced outside and fenced with Palm tree branches all around in a circle that you wouldn't see a thing from the outside beside the face of a house outside and the fence. I was the quiet but stubborn one. My kid sister was the outgoing and frisky one. We would do all our ish, but we'd dare not venture closer to the bush. On their final appearance, mannn, this was the thing! The night before, it is like no sleeping in the town. Drums, Sassas and all kinds of traditional instruments. Singing, dancing and everything in between. This would go on until the girls are prepared to come out. There is an obvious OMG moment when they step out.This time, they would be beautifully dressed in all kinds, colors and make of fabrics. Their makeups would all be "fleeking", hairstyles would be popping and footwears wouldn't be left out of the party. Indeed the occasions are colourful. Unlike their first appearance, this time they wouldn't be doing any dancing. People would do all of that for them.They would only walk slowly around the town and return greetings. There would be someone holding for them an umbrella over their heads. This whole celebration would also involve the drumming, singing etc. During both appearances, they would receive money, gifts and any token of appreciation. From this time to about two weeks, they would be treated as queens. During the first days at home, their porches would be redesigned to welcome the new queen. The porches would be covered with new fabric to create a cover for where the queen would sit. A chair would be designed with beautiful soft pillow where she would sit. A table to put her feet on. She would eat three times a day. Someone would be on duty at her call. There would be someone there to fan her. She would change outfits twice or three times a day. This was no joke. Indeed a queen! She would sit from A.M. TO P.M. People would troop in to greet her. On the fourth day, she would go around dressed up to greet people and receive gifts. They would take their umbrellas along. This was so beautiful and colourful. As kids my sister and I had one day plan to mimic the ceremony. Our mom and aunt weren't home and we decided my kid sister and myself would be the zoes. Our two cousins were the girls. We took mom's hair relaxer and relaxed our cousins hair. We took everything from mommy's makeup to shoes to new outfits and everything. We dressed up the girls and sat them down on our porch and used mommy's wrapper (lappa) to create the blinds for the girls. After our hard work, the girls were both seated and we decided to go get them food. Before we turned, we saw our friend running toward us nearly breathless. By this time now the news had gone around in our neighbourhood to let our friends come and join us to play Sande. Jumah, after managing to regain her life, tells us that there was one of the Sande women coming in our neighbourhood.She was the Sande announcer going around with announcement for the members. If she catches us playing Sande, we would all (the girls, my sister and I, our friends who'd come to witness) be taken to the bush. Upon hearing that, oh boy, our cousins started crying, we all were confused. They jump down from their chair. We begin ripping everything apart.Removed the blinds, tried to undress the girls to their normal self and reset our house. We tried. we failed . You see, in our town they provided "safety nets" for all their members. You are not allowed to talk back at a member or even exchange words harshly. You and a member should never fight even if you both are age mates or classmates. You both are not on the same level. You are called names and provoked. In school, you can be the smartest, you are still ranked lower as per their scale. 
After I left Matu's house that day, I couldn't sleep. My head would go all over just asking myself why...I would retrospect on our life in Samukai Camp and my Sande experiences and would say to myself, poor Matu didn't get all that celebration that would've made her mentally escape her agony for a little while. She didn't get that!
The Sande Announcer arrives at our Sande Playing station, we have not succeeded in clearing everything and certainly, the girls aren't completely undressed. What happened next? Follow the story.