Editorial: 2013: Envisaging Better GOL, Media Cordiality for national Progress

After a break for the Festive and Holy Season, we are again grateful to the Almighty God to be ‘in the number’ entering the year 2013. And of course, we do this with renewed professional vigor and more patriotic determination to see Liberia- the land of our nativity, on the right political and socio-economic development trajectory.

Considering the patriotic enthusiasms which characterized last year’s National Vision 2030 Conference in the City of Gbarnga in Central Liberia’s Bong County, we are hopeful that such national dream can begin to gradually and positively impact the lives of citizens of the 156 Districts of the country and Diaspora compatriots.

In her Near Year’s Message to the people of Liberia recently, the President of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, in the eyes of faith, envisaged progress in the areas of reform included in the Agenda for Transformation, assuring that her administration will push ahead with its reconciliation program by implementing the ‘Roadmap, which aims at accounting for the past, managing the present, and planning for the future’.

“In 2013, we are placing great emphasis on infrastructure, with power, ports and roads as our three areas of concentration. These, in turn, will facilitate the education, health and agriculture sectors. We expect 2013 to be a good year of demonstrable progress, so that our people will see what this government is doing; what we’ve accomplished not just in Monrovia, but elsewhere in Liberia,” President Sirleaf told the people of Liberia in her message.

The Liberia Leader expressed the fervent belief that 2013 will be a year when Liberians, through changed minds and attitudes, will appreciate not so much the heights the nation has reached, but the depth from which it came.  Buttressing the President of Liberia, in view of the foregoing, we, at the New Dawn-Liberia, can only admonish us all-in and outside public service, to approach and assist our the national visioning process this year with openness and patriotism because such national  development agenda is our making.

In our strife to develop our country, individuals and institutions charged with the responsibilities of executing/implementing the agenda set forth by last year’s Gbarnga Conference must also exercise the highest degree of commitment and sincerity devoid of personal interest and un-necessary public relations as we saw in the past years.  As the administration goes ‘full blast’ in an effort to make practical development initiatives ear-marked for 2013, we, the Liberian Media must see our role as very integral in the process as it relates to success.

With professionalism and also patriotism, we must track the process, ensuring that the people of Liberia are presented the facts about the execution of such national development agenda. We must also isolate ourselves from all forms of bad journalism in the presence of sincerity and commitment on the part of those undertaking or spearheading such national tasks.

Public officials on top of our national development agenda and the Liberian Media must forge a stronger cooperative relationship this time that would trigger down to the general interest of the nation and its people. Such relationship must be cultivated with openness and cordiality in terms of information-gathering, sharing and dissemination for awareness and understanding of Liberians to avoid doubts and negative perceptions.

As we go through the New Year, we pray God’s guidance in leading our nation in the direction of peace, reconciliation and development.

God Bless Liberia.