What's Wrong With This Picture?  1             1940 - 11112008f- Two- Soccer Legends

  Wednesday, June 10, 2009             

Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh

     When he accompanied President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to Atlanta, Georgia in 2007, Information Minister Laurence Bropleh did what he thought was right for his boss’ ears when she met with the Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta (LAMA), that day.

     During the question and answer period, Bropleh distributed pieces of papers to the audience in advance for individuals to write down whatever question they wanted to ask the visiting president, who perhaps would have gone out of her way to either explain or not explain to the Liberian people her goals and plans for the war-torn nation she inherited from successive interim leaders and dictatorial administrations.

     Surprisingly, and right before our eyes and after the questions were written and given to the Information Minister, Bropleh gently sifted through the questions then screened them before reading to the president one-by-one the ones he thought were appropriate for her attention.

     During that period of anxiety when Liberians were doggedly determined to ascertain information about their country and war-weary relatives, Bropleh’s concern was not about releasing credible information but to protect a president who lived her entire political life campaigning for accountability, press freedom, openness in government, genuine democracy and the rule of law.

                                            Information Minister Bropleh

     However, when an individual in the audience asked whether it was censorship, Jerry Mwagbe, who assisted Bropleh at the podium said: “This is not censorship but about time,” and that “the president had a long day.”

     Bropleh’s behavior was an interesting exercise that resembles censorship, indeed, and an attempt to protect the newly elected president who did not know what to expect from Liberians living outside of Liberia, who were happy to meet with her but were also concerned about the well being of their relatives after the protracted civil war that made them beggars and homeless in their own country.

     Bropleh is at it again, this time is reportedly angry about the way the media is publishing “negative stories” about the Liberian government; believing such negative stories about the government could possibly drive away potential investors who wants to do business in Liberia.

    According to news reports out of Liberia, Bropleh, who was speaking during a press conference wants the media to write positive stories “that will promote peace and build the image of the country.”

     A desperate man, Bropleh also believes he is doing his job by trying to end the endless negative stories about corruption that continues to take the wind out of a government that came to power with such political capital; but saw it varnished after President Sirleaf – the “traveling president” failed miserably to live up to expectations three years after she was inaugurated to the highest political office of the land.

     “Although there are some good journalists in the country that write stories of peace and development, there are also few that are in the practice of assassinating people’s character. I am being embarrassed by many Liberians at home and abroad about the kind of stories coming out of the Liberian media,” Bropleh said.

     This is not the way to react when one actually attempts to solicit the cooperation of a diverse group of men and women at home and abroad, whose agenda is not to intentionally destroy the Liberian government but to advocate good governance, to get the government to genuinely address chronic unemployment and poverty issues in the country, and to also investigate and prosecute corruption happening day and night on the president’s watch.

     But how can the media make up or write, (Bropleh’s words) positive stories about the government when there seems not to be courage on the president’s part to go after her friends, to have a bold vision and a coherent domestic policy that tackles unemployment (85 percent), poverty and hunger in a country where two-third of Liberians live on less than $1 a day? 

     Instead of blaming or pleading with journalists to write positive stories about the Johnson-Sirleaf administration, Bropleh obviously should advise the president about changing her governing style to reflect sensitivity and compassion, accountability and transparency, respect and less arrogance, and to address those crucial bread and butter issues that affects ordinary Liberians at home.

     President Sirleaf cannot continue to be loyal to her friends and cronies at the expense of the citizenry whenever they (her cronies) violate the laws of the land, or whenever a Harry A. Greaves Jr., disrespects the legislative branch of government like he did recently when he reportedly said he is not “answerable to the people and the Representatives,” after that body refused to go along with his more than $28 million unilateral investment signing spree with a company known as ZAKHEM International, but expects positive stories from journalists at home and abroad?

     However, when the Liberian congress did not go along with his twisted criminal deal, Greaves sued and then suddenly withdrew his lawsuit barely 24 hours after he filed it.  President Sirleaf should have jumped all over Harry A. Greaves Jr., immediately after hearing about this mess and not wait days and weeks to broadly address the crisis of corruption in her administration at a press conference. The press conference did not help the president’s image at home because the personal and political damage has already been done to a president and government that appears to be overwhelmed, paralyzed and drowning in incompetence.

     How can a distraction like this, a public relations mess; an obvious poor judgment on the part of Greaves, who already is a very unpopular figure and a negative influence in that government warrant positive spin from journalists? What is the purpose of writing positive stories, anyway? After all, good policies and good attitude will attract positive stories, as such, Bropleh didn’t have to complain or feel embarrassed that journalists failed to carry positive stories about the Johnson-Sirleaf administration. The administration wrote the bad stories by their own actions, and the journalist just carried those bad stories.

     In his report to the Security Council on the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), calling for international partners to continue to support Liberia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: “Since last August, Liberia has continued to make “steady progress” towards achieving its four-pronged poverty reduction strategy which focuses on security, economy recovery, rule of law and infrastructure and basic services.”

     I don’t know which Liberia Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is referring to that made “steady progress” towards achieving the poverty reduction strategy.

     Is the Secretary General talking about the same Liberia I know – the Liberia where phone calls originate daily and weekly telling/demanding me and other Liberians abroad to send money because a relative, friend or neighbor is going hungry and cannot afford to buy a cup of rice, cannot afford to pay the month’s rent, his or her kid cannot continue to go to school because of the obvious lack of school fees, university students cannot afford to enroll because of the high cost of education; a country where Liberians are dying constantly of diabetes, high blood pressure and other preventable diseases, or a Liberia where armed gangsters and criminals roamed daily prying on innocent Liberians?

     If “steady progress” is a code word meant to calm down our fears and give the Liberian people hope, the steady progress the Secretary-General sees and whatever aid money that comes into the country from friendly donor countries is not trickling down to ordinary Liberians, who are finding it extremely difficult to survive in Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s Liberia.

     This is not “steady progress.” It is called suffering.