Wrong Timing, Unsafe Zone, Risky Adventure – An Open Letter To GSA Director General Mary Tanyonoh Broh

February 21, 2020

Madam Mary T. Broh
Director General
General Services Agency (GSA)
Monrovia, Republic of Liberia

Dear Madam Broh:

As our Republic under President George M. Weah strives to remain democratically afloat during these very tragic times of governance breakdown and leadership shortfall, I am compelled to adorn you with esteemed compliments. On my behalf, please divulge similar sentiment of best wishes to your staff at the General Services Agency (GSA).

Out of concern to safeguard your political future and out of curiosity to shield your legacy, I thought to pen this open letter to you for two (2) strategic reasons:

1) To caution you not to contest as a Candidate for Montserrado County in this upcoming 2020 Midterm Senatorial Elections;

2) To beseech you not to ruin your hard-earned image by running on a CDC ticket. Doing so might rob you of almost everything you’ve ever sacrificed for in your political sojourn. The stakes are too high.

The price to pay for such untimely decision would be too huge and hurting. The demerits of contesting in Montserrado County now are far more than the merits. The costs associated with such risky adventure, especially in a politically unsafe zone like Montserrado, overweigh the benefits after taking my time to run an unbiased assessment/evaluation through three (3) scientific approaches:

1) Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA);
2) Random Voter Perception Survey (RVPS);
3) Random Sampling of Public Opinions (RSPO).

As a 2019 Graduate of Economics and Political Science of the University of Liberia, I had to use simple techniques to carry out all of these systematic analyses in order to help you safeguard your political future. The possible outcomes from these analyses are not in your favor. I did choose to conduct this inquiry out of love and concern mainly to advise, guide, and caution you. But you have a choice to listen or not. You have a choice to contest or not.

I do not intend to be agreeably definite about this news that I have been hearing which somehow reveals your ambition to run as a candidate for the 2020 midterm senatorial election in Montserrado County. Of course, it is your right and this communiqué poses no objection to that right. Though this news is coming from some credible sources, but I still consider it a rumor until you can confirm yourself. Do you care to confirm, General Broh, because I have begun seeing some political flyers with your picture “making rounds” on social media already?

Like I said, I am not going to consider this news as authentic until I hear from you. Amidst lingering public doubts and debates, I would like to plead with you to unapologetically reject any petition or proposal from CDC or any group of Liberians to run in this upcoming senatorial election as a candidate for Montserrado County. Here are my reasons why:

a) The timing is very wrong;

b) The electoral zone (Montserrado) is politically unsafe;

c) The decision to contest against an incumbent opposition candidate (Sen. Abraham Darius Dillon), who still remains popular and enjoys huge public support, would be a risky adventure. In politics as well as linguistics, such eerie undertaking is called “Bravadoism” – a Spanish terminology which depicts a form of unreasonable confidence or boldness only intended to falsely impress.

Madam Broh, though you currently serve at the will and pleasure of President George M. Weah as Director General of GSA which is statutorily permissible according to Article 56 of the Liberian Constitution, but nothing compels you to submit or cave in to any form of coercion pertinent to defining your own political life. The Presidential Power of H. E. George M. Weah does not extend this far. Anything beyond this limit is an abuse of power on his part.

The fact is that the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) under the political leadership of George Weah is not only cracking, but has gone out of touch with the masses after just 24 months in power. This egregious effect or downhill political reality can be largely blamed on GREED and CORUPTION being purveyed on an industrial scale. Currently, there is vast scarcity of electable CDCians. The CDC does not have sellable and electable candidates to fuel for the 2020 Senatorial Elections in all 15 counties.

President Weah and his Party (CDC) have become so desperate to ride on the image and influence of reputable characters who aren’t CDCians. Up to date, they do not have a winnable candidate for Montserrado County, a county they often consider their stronghold. Public opinions through random surveys have shown that diehard CDCians like Rep. Munnah Pennoh Youngblood, Rep. Hon. Thomas P. Fallah, Rep. Acarous M. Gray, Hon. Paulita Wie, Mayor Jefferson Koijee, Hon. C Mike Doryen, Chairman Mulbah K Morlu Jr., MD Bill Tweahway, Min. Samuel D. Tweah, Min. Nathaniel F. McGill, et al are not sellable and winnable to stand for this year’s senatorial election in Montserrado.

Even President Weah himself is most likely to be politically flogged if he chooses to ever contest this senatorial election in Montserrado County. The odds are against CDC as a result of misrule (bad governance) which has predominantly resulted into high unemployment – job losses – shortage of petrol – hike in rice price – spiraling inflation – food insecurity – liquidity crisis – hike in tuition – unjustifiable cut and delay in salaries of civil servants – rationing of electricity – scarcity of safe drinking water – high tariffs/taxes on imports – fall in domestic revenues and grants – high transport fares – increased rape and SEA cases – alarming police brutality and armed robbery – closure of local and international business firms due to economic decline – zero foreign direct investment – decline in inward remittances and the inflow of foreign currencies – huge capital outflow – cancellation of 3 days free calls – decline in exports – institutionalized corruption – lack of press freedom and justice – heightened incompetence in public service, etc.
To make matters worse, Weah and his cronies are building and buying giant-sized private mansions/palaces at the expense of the ordinary people. They have become kings and queens overnight while the masses remain hopeless and miserable more than ever before. The facts can never lie.

Madam Broh, CDC is an unsellable ticket to contest on in this upcoming election and elections to come. The CDC has become a tasteless political commodity. The Party’s image has been terribly ruined and it lacks every ounce of integrity to serve public interest and public good. The Liberian people are quite aware of this unchallenged reality. I am only advising and pleading with you not to ruin your hard-earned reputation you’ve built yesteryear. This should not happen simply because you want to appease Pres. George Weah. I have surmised that it is the Kru solidarity or kinsmanship that is evoking such placation. Even though you might not win if you still insist on contesting, but you could gain more political traction as an independent candidate than a CDC candidate. Think about this!

Recently, President George M. Weah preferred you as the Keynote Speaker of the 63rd Armed Forces Day of Liberia. In my opinion, this preferment was primarily intended to woo and pacify you to run as a candidate on CDC’s ticket. You must not give in or yield to such futile enticement. Doing so would be politically detrimental. Your willingness to contest in Montserrado will not only bring your character, as a workaholic, into public disrepute, but will hasten your political demise. PLEASE do not entrap yourself, Madam!

You have a good public record to protect. Such legacy must not be muddled. Even though I still have problem with your combative human relations/approaches during the period of your service as Monrovia City Mayor and Director of Passports, but you proved to be result-oriented, innovative, hardworking, and progressive. Of course, I can sincerely admit that you are a charismatic and transformational leader judging from your past as a public servant (political appointee). However, I do not know the extent of the impact that you are capable of making as an elected official. I have got no reason to deduce either because an appointed post is quite different from an elected post.

On the other hand, let me be just to my conscience by saying that you also have a history of controversies and poor human relations. While serving as the City Mayor of Monrovia and the Director of Passports, your outbursts/attacks led to the physical, psychological, economical, and emotional injuries of a segment of the voting population in Montserrado. You are on record for insulting and assaulting peaceful citizens including journalists and lawmakers. You demolished marketplaces, destroyed businesses, damaged homes, defied laws, flogged and detained peaceful citizens, etc.

There is still a segment of the voting population that is ready any day to pay you back for severely injuring them. They are prepared to vote against you no matter what. What I have seen, heard, and analyzed so far is that the legitimate voters in Montserrado County do not favor you at the moment. Do not take risk to contest now. Probably, you could consider Grand Kru County as a convenient option to test your political strength. The CDC is deceiving you bigly to contest in Montserrado.

This was the same CDC that described you as a “non-governmental material” in July 2013. Are you a “governmental material” now in 2020? How come? How come your once fierce critics (CDCians) have become the “town criers” of your senatorial bid. The sudden shift of their political allegiance or loyalty to a nonpartisan like you is not only sensational and sentimental, but romantic and short-lived. I suggest that you do a sober reflection and a critical introspection of their real intent that is solely characterized by deception in my opinion.

When you served as City Mayor of Monrovia, they (CDCians) aggressively muzzled you everywhere you ever went. Madam Broh, do not be lured into this shenanigan because it is a premature political project. The CDC must be left alone to carry and crumble under its own load. The CDC must not use you as a sacrificial lamb to shield itself from the looming political catastrophe awaiting it this election year and beyond. You’ve done nothing wrong to deserve a massive political flog in this upcoming senatorial election.

The timing is not only wrong for you to contest, but Montserrado County is an unsafe zone for now. The Opposition has captured it since July 29, 2019 Senatorial By-Election. The County is no longer a stronghold of CDC as some CDC faithfuls or diehard partisans are making you to believe. CDC, as in Congress for Democratic Change of ex-Soccer Star George Weah, does not have a stronghold anymore. PLEASE do not be deceived to gamble your political future.

But again, the choice is up to you. As the debate ahead of the 2020 Midterm Senatorial Elections takes center stage, I am compiling a list of 20 genuine reasons to justify why you are not a perfect choice or a suitable pick for Montserrado at this time. This unbiased paper would be STRICTLY academic, analytical, and technical in all dimensions. As an activist and a columnist, I shall endeavor to remain unprejudiced for the sake of my country and readership.

Beyond this end, I admonish you to reject any petition calling on you to run in Montserrado County because caving in to such call would be a risky adventure. Any action contrary to my advice would end up as a mere political fiasco. To conclude, let me reecho my thesis: Wrong Timing – Unsafe Zone – Risky Adventure. Let this be a resounding reminder as you contemplate on deciding your own political fate. The worst decision would be to contest as a CDC Candidate. The CDC only wants to use your face to repair its defaced political stature.

As I hope that you consider my letter in good faith, I wish you well in your future endeavors. Let it be made clear that my letter is not intended to disparage and demotivate you, but to admonish and advise. It is intended to safeguard you from a predictable political crash or annihilation.

With a sense of preserving our cherished heritage and protecting those inescapable democratic values our nation espouses, I remain. In pursuit of nationalism, patriotism and social democracy, best regards.

Yours cautiously and courteously,

Martin K. N. Kollie
Liberian activist, columnist, and emerging economist living in exile
martinkerkula1989@yahoo.com
WhatsApp +231 776572334

By Martin K. N. Kollie
Activist and Columnist, martinkerkula1989@yahoo.com