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Campaign
to oust Honorary Consul-General premature
Saturday,
March 18, 2006
By Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh
There
is an effort underway by certain Liberians in Atlanta
to oust Dr. Walter Young, the long-time Honorary
Consul-General of Liberia in the State of Georgia.
Businessman Eric Bracewell, a key
supporter of President Ellen Johnson Sireaf and leader
of the group is not shy about his desire to replace
Dr. Walter Young, announced his anointed choice John E.
Scott, former president of the Liberian Association of
Metropolitan Atlanta at a recent gathering.
Mr. Bracewell brought with him a letter
addressed to the President of Liberia and a petition
to the regular monthly meeting of the Liberian
Association of Metropolitan Atlanta on March 12, for
the signatures of those who share his views.
Unfortunately, the meeting was cancelled due to
the tragic deaths of the Liberian immigrant Felicia
Jackson’s three children and the daughter of a
family friend, 3-year old Hawa Ali who also perished
in the Dekalb County apartment fire on March 8.
Liberians couldn’t enter the building for the
meeting but gathered in front of the venue, Bethel
World-Atlanta Church on the day of the scheduled
community meeting, which was cancelled due to the fact
that president Sue Yancy Williams and her team were
across town attending a fundraising drive/prayer
meeting with Liberian community leaders as well as
American civic and religious leaders from all across
metro Atlanta to help the bereaved families.
Mr. Bracewell never got the signatures he
wanted from the group that gathered in front of the
Church on that day, but made sure he got his message
through on a day many were still mourning in our
community.
John E. Scott claimed not to have any interest
in the job, but joined Eric Bracewell in his public
criticism of the dentist-turned consul-general and
brother of the former Mayor and Ambassador Andrew
Young, but threatened to picket his (dental office),
which is the same building he uses as his consul
general’s office “if Dr. Young is not replaced,”
Scott said.
A portion of the letter seeking the ouster of
the Consul-General reads:
“Dr. Walter Young has served Liberia and the
Liberian Community for over 15 years as the Consul
General here in Atlanta, Georgia.” As Consul
General, Dr. Young has played a low-key role when it
came to participating and responding to Liberian
issues, activities and functions in Georgia and the
Southeastern United States.”
“With the New Liberia it is appropriate to
make a change that will represent the effort and zeal
being put forth by your new Governmental
Administration in Liberia. As Liberians at home and
abroad work to rebuild, it is time to put in place
someone with ties to the community who will work with
enthusiasm to promote Liberian business development.
It is time to bring in someone who will attend or
respond to Liberian Affairs. It is the time to promote
Liberia’s unique culture and historical ties to the
United States of America. “
“The consul-general should be a citizen of
Liberia, whether through birth or naturalization, and
should have the country of Liberia at heart.”
I did not sign the petition because of my
disagreement with Eric Bracewell and John E. Scott
about the whole issue concerning Dr. Young, and
whether the duo honestly understands the role of a
consul-general.
I also have serious problem with the part of
the letter that wants only “a citizen of Liberia”
to occupy the position of consul-general – an out of
country job which is open to citizens and non-citizens
of a particular country, whose purpose is to network
with and lobby civic and political leaders as well as
to encourage business leaders to invest in a
particular country; to promote trade and promote the
country’s image to the outside world, in this case
Liberia.
As I read the Liberian citizenship clause, I
thought I was once again reading the Liberian
Constitution and its racist exclusionary policy
barring non-Negroid from becoming citizens of Liberia,
which is a threat to the development of Liberia.
John E. Scott and Eric Bracewell are friends of
mine, but I strongly disagree with their tactics and
positions. I also doubt it seriously whether Mr. Scott
is even ready for a job of such magnitude that pays
nothing in terms of salary, but requires one’s time,
creative energies and resources to be successful.
The letter to the president cites Dr. Young’s
“low-key role when it came to participating and
responding to Liberian issues, activities and
functions.”
The consul-general is not a babysitter for a
selfish Liberian community whose own members doesn’t want to
be “bother with Liberians,” and don’t care about
their own community and its activities.
With the proliferation of the various schools,
county and ethnic associations whose members care less
about attending the greater Liberian community
meetings or it annual Independence Day celebrations in
Atlanta but their own, I wonder Bracewell and Scott
expect the consul-general to attend the functions of
the various associations during our country’s natal
day?
I did not see John E. Scott or Eric Bracewell
at the 2005 Independence Day programs in their own
backyard. I wonder what happen to them on this very
important day? The consul-general was at the event. He
spoke. I saw him because I was there.
Since his tenure as president of the Liberian
Community concluded in 1991, I hardly see Mr. Scott at
community meetings or events.
So where did these guys get their new sense of
activism from lately? Are they trying to exploit their
political clout because their friend, Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf, a “LIFE,” (Liberians in support of
Ellen), whom they help elect is now president of
Liberia?
It has been extremely hard on our country’s
diplomatic missions all over the world during the past
15-25 years, because of political upheavals in
Liberia.
Phone lines and electricity are often
disconnected; successive dictatorial governments that
don’t understand the role and meaning of foreign
missions don’t care about its survival; employees
are not being paid and are doing their own thing, poor
services or no service at all and low morale among
workers has contributed to the problems in our
diplomatic missions worldwide today.
If the natural born citizens of Liberia who are
working in those diplomatic missions cannot do his or
her job because of mounting problems beyond their
control, do we expect a non-Liberian whose hands are
tied to be effective under similar circumstances?
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, this recall
drive should never see the light of day.
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