Liberian Literary Magazine
Liberia would be virtually empty ( almost a ghost land ) in a day ’ s time if Liberians are given an immediate opportunity to resettle in Europe and America . I know this for a fact , because I am aware of what our people go through every day . I share in their affliction and frustration . I empathize with them during these troubling times . The mass suffering and subjugation of our people is despicable and what is even more tragic is that nothing seems to be changing . Instead of moving forward , they are moving backward .
When a country we cherish so much has nothing rewarding to offer us in return , but a gloomy and devastating future , then it justifies our stance that celebrating unification day with economic thieves and career-crooks is worthless . When a nation we hold dear to our hearts offers us no genuine solution ( s ) to poverty , illiteracy and disease as a result of bad governance , then it means that unification day is just another big fiasco . When a country we have pledged our unflinching loyalty to cannot give us safe drinking water , electricity , better housing , quality education , improved health care , sanitation , food security and social welfare , then its means that unification day has lost its real essence and taste .
Partial view of slum life in Liberia
Can a group of poverty-stricken , marginalized and humiliated people celebrate Unification Day ? Can a large group of choiceless , jobless and hopeless people unite with a small group of wealthy and powerful people ? How can we celebrate Unification Day when our people have been subjected to modern slavery ? How can we celebrate Unification Day when vast majority of our people still sleep in shacks and huts ? This is the dilemma of celebrating Unification Day ! Celebrating Unification Day with a handful of economic pillagers and bourgeoisies falsely
Promoting Liberian literature , Arts and Culture
parading as patriots is an affront to this generation . It makes no sense to celebrate Unification Day when few self-seeking rascals and so-called leaders have intentionally failed to ensure that the nation ’ s wealth is equitably distributed .
They ( bourgeoisies / capitalists ) embezzle our resources to sponsor their children at topnotch foreign institutions while education is a mess in our country . They seek medical treatment abroad with tax-dollars while our people die every day from curable sicknesses like malaria , cold and fever . They live in mansions with 24 / 7 electricity while our people live in slums with mosquitoes , rats and cockroaches . They drink imported mineral water and eat good food from supermarkets while our people drink from creeks / open-wells and sometimes go to bed hungry .
They ride flashy cars and entertain themselves at the best resorts and restaurants while our people struggle for public transport . They have the names of their family members on public payrolls when our brothers and sisters graduating from local Universities are in search of jobs . They sign bogus concession agreements to fill their deep-seated pockets with illicit wealth while students at the State-run University lack access to internet basic academic facilities . This is the dilemma of Unification Day !
The rights of their kids are protected while the rights of kids belonging to the downtrodden class are abused . They have access to justice and security while our people are slapped by unjust verdicts . They wire millions of our country ’ s money to foreign bank accounts and buy homes abroad while our people endure hard labor and abuse under the Lebanese , Indians and other foreign nationals . Even though they are claiming that Liberia is experiencing economic meltdown or recession , but they are still living like Kings and Queens at the expense of the ordinary people . When the people want to protest in demand for their rights , they unleashed police and military personnel with guns and tear-gas to intimidate them . This is the dilemma of celebrating Unification Day .
These are the very same causes or reasons for which Unification Day was first declared on May 14 , 1960 by the administration of William V . S . Tubman . These causes or reasons are even more visible today . The declaration of May 14
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