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OP-ED

Liberia: The Emergence of Greatness Out Of Controversies

A Glance At Tpp’s Chosen Personalities In Liberia’s Hall Of Greatness

Great minds are not stagnant; nor do they carry persistent air of unbending pomposity and un-gainful pride even at critical suggestive points of agony and destruction. They seek but one thing- the good judgment from posterity and enabling environments capable of producing generations of great thinkers; great leaders; great intellects and a great nation.

The goals and virtues of great leaders are understandably not to impress people; but to appreciate their abilities and short comings; to treat them as integral part of society and not to alienate them or make them subjected to other people’s egos; to give them a dream and help them achieve it. Indisputably, those being governed always want to be treated as an end in themselves and not a means to an end to fulfill and enhance the over blown importance and gratification of the governors. Great leaders build friendships and regain lost friendships. They take bold steps toward what is most feared to loose and what breaks one’s ego to meet the happiness of others. They take interest in reconciling differences and making them work to better humanity.

Leaders’ ambitious thrust is therefore gear towards success and developing the potentials of the led. In the process, they are not despaired by failures encountered. They realize that success, like a desired business, has rules; and failure has its own kind of valor and weakness. Hence, every success attained has, along the way, encountered its own challenges or failure. But it’s the kind of valor demonstrated and positive attitudes that makes success possible. When fear and failure are mastered, resilience and resistance is built against negativities. At the end of the day, though they exist, yet we become their masters and not slaves to their innocuous tendencies. No doubt that the world’s most successful men know they cannot always be successful. When they fail, they understand that the future is still ahead and has not ended. They muster up renewed courage and learn from where they failed.

It is an agreeable fact that the past few months have dragged Liberians to the verge of explosive divide with fear assembling a retinue of destructive agents in the hearts of Liberians. Its source of strength came from the power of political differences and abuse of democratic privileges over who assume control of state power. It was not a conflict; but the dramatization of threatening confrontation between Tubman/Weah CDC and allies as well as Sirleaf/Boakai U.P. and collaborators. With equal committed supporters from both sides, the lines were drawn and Liberia stood waiting for the inevitable.

Each day, radio talk shows exacerbated the confrontations. Print media reporters, editors’ comments, columnists, and political commentators equally contributed to the tense political environment. This columnist cannot be excluded. But in each opinion, it was conviction of service to our common patrimony and a driving force to exercise constitutional franchise. Thoughts were challenged to do the right thing and to do so, there was the need to speak out. In the consideration of the opposition, it was their constitutional and democratic rights. In the judgment of the ruling party, it was taking defensive measures and exercising similar rights as the opposition.

The CDC leadership, especially Winston Tubman, came under draconian condemnations. The reasons were obvious. Tubman has been a man considered to be a beacon light of democracy in the same way as President Sirleaf is seen. His exposures to world legal systems and democracies as well as his education distinguished him as a prepared leader and light of hope for a Liberia that Liberians dream about. His divergent views and postulations however were not seen to precede the glory his entry attracted to Liberians. In other words, the nation did not see in him to be the kind of leader to forge for a greater Liberian society and democracy under an atmosphere of peace, understanding, and self-control. Thus, he attracted the worst criticism not with bitterness but with disappointment and love attached.

Ambassador Weah had his fair share of condemnations not with bitterness but with disappointment and love also attached. Often times described as a man of peace and loved by every Liberian for his remarkable talents which streamed Liberia’s name into the ocean of prominence and delight at the worst historic period, George was expected to build on that record of peace in his political sojourn and help in molding the minds of the youths who loved him so dearly into adopting a generational posture for leadership and not aggressive negative aptitudes and attitudes.

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On the other hand, Professor Dew Tuan Wleh Mayson is a man long sought by those who believed in him to bring attraction to the topographical political history of Liberia after the successful end of President Sirleaf. His breakaway from the Ellen’s camp and his ferocious opposition and support of the CDC hostility also attracted condemnations. Also on the receiving end of criticisms was Senator Jewel Taylor viewed by many Liberians to be a replica of President Sirleaf. But her conciliatory decision earned her an admirable place in the hearts of Liberians.  Nevertheless, it was envisaged that through turbulence, hope would be restored and all these notable sons and daughters of Liberia would reach a point where homage to Liberia would dominate personal and political differences. Today, Liberians are seeing that hope alive. In the midst of controversies, greatness has sprung forth.

Hopes for tomorrow can only be dead when minds fail to attain greatness.  To mildly quote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “verbs and adjectives don’t have to agree to be great. One does not have to understand thermal dynamics; nor the theory of relativity to be great. One does not have to know Aristotle to be great. All one needs is a soul generated by love and one can be that Great leader Liberians seek.” When love and compassion become preeminent to one’s ambition, humility takes control and greatness is given birth to.

Liberia is indeed blessed. Between the 7th of November 2011 and the 16th of January 2012, Liberia proved to the international community that she is indeed a great country prepared to be an example of democratic virtues in Africa. The uneasy calm which took over Liberia and the concerns of the international world was brought to an end by the great minds of Cllr. Tubman, Professor Mayson, Senator Taylor and President Sirleaf. These political leaders realized the hopes of the youths; the hopes of the women; the hopes of the children; the hopes which comes with democracy; and the exaltation of the nation above personalities. These hopes were announced to Liberians when they reconciled their political differences.  The uneasy calm hanging over Liberia evaporated when they all agreed to work together and make the inauguration crisis free.

Majestically perfecting the reconciliation, Tubman, Weah, and Professor Mayson and Senator Taylor made their patriotic entry at the inauguration; thus removing the last vestige of any illegitimacy they claimed of the presidency of Liberia. Liberians have collectively overcome their trials and Thoughts, Politics, and People (TPP) gladly commission President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as a skillful conflict resolution expert of our time. Cllr. Tubman, Weah, Taylor and Mayson as Great Liberians and Peace achievers of our time.

It is expected that over the next five years beginning from now, all hands would be on deck and all other acrimonies would be buried. The nation is expected to forge ahead. Greatness can only be great when it survive through impasses and controversies. Liberia has shut its way to greatness in Africa and this is born out of deep political controversies. This success is a perfecting process to Liberia’s democratic maturity. At the end of President Sirleaf’s last term, elections would still be held. Hopes of leading Liberia did not end with the 2011 Presidential and General Elections. All Winston, George, Dew, and Taylor need to do to be preferred is to inspire Liberians through service to the nation and positive actions. Unfortunately, Dr. Chamber is still missing in the Hall of Greatness. To God be the glory for a great thing He has done for Liberia.

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