Part I: Presaging Liberia After Sirleaf Regime

-An Introspective Post-Ellen Analysis

By Gibson W. Jerue

Late Liberian President Samuel Doe

It was 133 years, eight months and 12 days when 17 enlisted men of the Armed Forces of Liberia seized political power by force on April 12, 1980. The regime change was not from bad to good, rather it was from bad to worse, from the educated to the novices, and the consequences were enormous and grave. Seventeen half-baked semi educated hardcore infantry soldiers assumed political power that crack politicians often fumble with. Their mentors were the likes of Dr. Togba Nah Tipoteh, Gabriel Baccus Matthew (the late), D. Karn Karlor, Dr. Geroge S Boley, and an array of the progressives of the 1960s. These mentors were later fled into exile, either in self-impose exile or government triggered exile.

By the time the People Redemption of Council of the enlisted AFL men spent four years, their numbers had reduced drastically—most were executed for alleged plot to overthrow the regime, others died from mysterious and/or violent circumstances. The tension and political feud that developed consumed every one of the coup makers that they became enemies of themselves. Decrees one to five of the PRC declared, “Anyone who attempts to overthrow this government must be executed…” Whether or not the conspicuous absence of “will be prosecuted” was probably the bottom-line for the disregard to rule of law, pundits are still wondering how fast the heroes on the morning of April 12, 1980 became so engrossed with the “water dry fish eats fish” mentality.

Every PRC member became a monster, and law and gospel, in himself; Samuel Kanyon Doe was too, and with every ounce of his life and powers to protect himself and his government, he dared anyone raised a finger. Before ten years elapsed, Doe had made for himself enemies from within and without. He struggled with compassion and iron fist rule. While he was ordering his defense minister and chief of staff to quell university students' riot with a strongly worded command—“move or be remove—he was pardoning Kaloungo Luo and seven others accused of coup plot and Nimba Raid in 1983. He tried to turn around his political outlook when he sat under the tutelage university professors, who were themselves hypocrites playing in Doe’s pockets. Truly they were working for the money, and it did not matter if Doe learned anything from their tutorial. Doe did learned but it was late to turn around the perception of the populace; hence, the war and his assassination on September 9, 1990.

All this time there was one female voice. It was that of Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, nicknamed “Iron Lady” for her defiant and strong stance against human rights abuse, flagrant disregard to the rule of law, disrespect for human dignity, violation of democratic tenets, among other vices. Her voice sank deep into the hearts of Liberians, and the more she spoke the people loved her. She was the singular beckon of hope for true democracy, rule of law, respect for human rights and dignity, good governance and social justice, no more, no less. Watch out for part II.