Liberian Literary Magazine
( Unification Day) through an act of Legislature in 1960 was a unique step forward to defeating disunity and disintegration in Liberia, especially between the Americo-Liberian elite and the indigenous majority. However, after 56 years since the introduction of the Unification Policy, the fostering of national unity, reconciliation and brotherhood among all Liberians irrespective of culture or creed remains an unachievable dream for reasons stated above. Greed and unpatriotism have overshadowed the collective interest of our nation. Public service in Liberia nowadays is no longer about integrity, credibility or transparency. This is the dilemma of celebrating Unification Day.
When President Sirleaf announced through a proclamation on Friday, May 13, 2016 that all citizens throughout Liberia should remain home and observe Unification Day on Saturday, May 14, 2016, I was wondering whether the President is unaware that vast majority of our people do not remain home to observe holidays( or day of rest), because they have to go out and hustle for food and money. Even on this holiday, our people are out en-mass in search of survival. They are selling in the marketplaces, loading cars and gambling. They are crushing rocks and riding motorbikes under the rain and hot sun. They are mining sand and hunting in thick forests. Some of them have to walk far distances to farm, fishing and fetch water while others are compelled to push wheelbarrows and wait for night hours to carryout business as usual( prostitution and robbery). These are the predicaments of today. How then can we celebrate Unification Day when public discontent is growing as a result of these predicaments?
The people of Liberia can only commemorate Unification Day in a blissful mood when rampant corruption is minimized and economic criminals are unsympathetically reprimanded for raiding State coffers. National Unification starts with patriotism, and not patronage. National Integration comes through public transparency, and not fiscal indiscipline. It begins with the proper management of the people’ s resources and power. How do we expect unity to prevail across Liberia when over 83.8 percent of our people still live on less than US $ 1.25 per day while top officials of government continue to receive bribes to alter our laws and auction our
Promoting Liberian literature, Arts and Culture
natural resources? It is a paradox to celebrate Unification Day in the midst of mass unemployment, rampant corruption, inequality, nepotism and bad governance.
The gap between the rich and the poor in Liberia is too wide – there is no middle class. The people’ s children who are currently working on goldmines in leeward counties and selling cold water in street corners deserve to be in school like the grandchildren of those in authority. Our young mothers, sisters and brothers deserve empowerment opportunities through quality education, gainful employment and profitable enterprises. The Liberian people have been through a lot and it is sad that no one is listening to their cry. There comes a time when they become constrained to reshape their own destiny and redefine history through genuine democratic actions( April 14, 1979 is a unique example to reference).
The people have lost hope and confidence in a government they gave power to about 12 years ago. Were they wrong to cast their ballots? I hope 2017 will make a lot of difference. We have a choice to make in 2017. We either stay with poverty or embrace prosperity. We deserve better than what we have now. There can be no unity and cohesion in any sovereign state until public welfare becomes a matter of national imperative. A nation with a hopeless and jobless citizenry is far from achieving genuine unity. This is the dilemma of Unification Day in Liberia!
A teenage girl crushing rock in Liberia
About The Author: Martin K. N. Kollie is a Liberian youth activist, student leader, an emerging economist and a young writer. He is currently a student at the University of Liberia reading Economics and a loyal stalwart of the Student Unification Party( SUP). He can be reached at martinkerkula1989 @ yahoo. com
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