Like Ghana, Liberia must shine again

THE EUPHORIA THAT characterized the smooth democratic transition of political leadership in Ghana last week is still settling down in Africa, particularly West Africa where the ‘Black Star’ remains illuminated, providing the light to democratic path.

FOR SEVERAL DECADES now, Ghana has remained politically peaceful, serving as a beacon of hope not only for Africa, but the rest of the free world where leadership is meant for service and political participation.

ABOUT 12 YEARS ago in 2005, Liberians took a bold step after 14 years of bloody civil war and went to the ballot box where they elected a democratic leadership, enviably producing the first female President in Africa, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

COME OCTOBER, LIBERIANS have another opportunity to demonstrate political maturity when they return to the ballot box to change leadership after end of tenure of the Sirleaf Administration.

THE PATH TO October 17, and subsequent inauguration of a new President in January 2018 will say a lot about us both as a people and a nation. The world is watching with all interest, especially after it has invested and continues to invest human, material and financial resources to restore a rather failed state.

LIKE PRESIDENT SIRLEAF, also Chairperson of ECOWAS, hailed Ghanaians at the Independent Square in Accra, we Liberians must shine again by capably and peacefully transitioning political leadership in our country. We have no other choice, as our recent past has shown, but to continue to shine like Ghana.

DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP IN this country and in Africa generally, should not be about a particular political party or politician, but an opportunity for one statesman to enter the stage, serve and leave after his tenure expires so that another fellow compatriot is provided similar opportunity to offer his or her expertise for the common good of the nation and its people.

PERHAPS NOWHERE THIS was recently demonstrated than in the United States, the world’s greatest democracy when after a very acrimonious and divisive campaign, the ballot box albeit contentiously, produced least expected Donald Trump as the next President of America, a decision upheld by all Americans – Democrats and Republicans.

LIBERIA, AND THE rest of Africa should learn to embrace this level of political and nationalist maturity, where love for country is placed above self. Liberia should win on October 17, no matter which party or candidate is freely, fairly and transparently declared winner by the National Elections Commission.

BY THIS WE would have kept the torch of the Lone Star illuminating the rest of the continent, like the Black Star of Ghana. This should be the dream of all Liberians as the nation moves towards elections barely nine months from now.