Transformation, not continuity

The Standard Bearer of the Movement for Economic Empowerment or MOVEE, Dr. Joseph Mills Jones, is calling for transformation in Liberia, rather than continuity as being proffered by the ruling Unity Party.

“This is the time for choosing transformation, not continuity. A captain who cannot rock the boat we are in, and have been in so long, unable to determine the direction in which the wind of change is blowing, is not one who will take us to the destination called The New Liberia,” Dr. Jones says when he names Baptist Preacher Dr. Samuel Reeves as his vice standard bearer on Tuesday, 27 June in a ceremony at his party headquarters in Monrovia.

The Governing Unity Party has put forth Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai to succeed President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at the poll after two terms in office as the country’s second in command.

But Dr. Jones argues that the captain called continuity is not the answer; the captain called big promises is not the answer; the captain called fame is not the answer; rather,
Liberians must put their trust in the captain called prepared, committed, visionary, and ready to act, and that the captain he says is a MOVEE leadership for the country.

Dr. Jones emphasizes that 170 years of Independence is enough time for any nation to get away from drinking from creeks, as Liberians have seen during trips across the country; to get away from schools without chairs, textbooks and toilets, as Liberians have seen in places not even far from the capital city; to get away from a poor health care system, which all citizens are aware of, including bad roads and not being able to take advantage of the land for agricultural purposes.

According to the former central bank governor-turned politician, Liberia spends about US$200 million on importation of rice annually, and is not able to make good use of its fishery resources, despite having the Atlantic Ocean running from Cape Mount to Cape Palmas, among other imbued natural resources.

“As I always say, this is not a criticism, but a disturbing fact which requires a new breed of leadership: new faces, with new ideas. I appeal to all Liberians to put Liberia first. We must not gamble the future of Liberia on the basis of sentiment,” he further cautions.

The MOVEE Standard Bearer promises that if elected President in October, he would ask the Liberian Legislature to recast the draft national budget for fiscal year 2017/2018 currently before the Liberian Legislature to set the stage for refocusing attention more towards the development agenda of the country.

“We should not wait for six months for a new budget to find ourselves in the rainy season when little development work is possible.” Meanwhile, as reported by this paper, Dr. Jones announces Rev. Dr. Samuel Reeves as his running mate for the impending presidential election.

Giving reason for the selection, he says the decision is in keeping with the party’s call for change in the Liberian body-politics, adding, “It is in keeping with the call for new faces, with new ideas.”

By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor-Editing by Jonathan Browne