Seton and Larsah are Encouraging Lawlessness 

Friday, June 12, 2009egends            

Rufus N. Darkortey

The creation of a second leadership structure by Mariah Y. Seton and James N. Larsah within the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA), while the duly elected administration of Anthony Kesselly still exists, is a very dangerous precedent that will encourage lawlessness within the Liberian community in the Diaspora. This act is completely wrong, illegal and will only continue the negative efforts that are undermining unity, growth, and the pride of our communities and country.

Although it is understandable and appropriate to protest and seek valuable solutions to the contentious issues surrounding the electoral process that produced the Kesselly administration, the illegal creation of a second leadership structure is a very bad approach that must be immediately abolished. The best approach to resolving these contentions is to seek legal action against the process by filing a lawsuit.

 Instead, Seton, Larsah and their associates have chosen to take the law into their own hands by breaking away and illegally declaring themselves leaders of the same organization that already has a legitimate leadership. This act is rebellious, and symbolizes the level of rebellion that has engulfed our beloved continent, Africa.

The message that Seton and Larsah are sending out to community organizations is that it is fine to breakaway and form a second, third, fourth or fifth leadership structure within the same community organization when you no longer agree with the policies or acts of the current administration.

 As the president of the Liberian Association of Cleveland, I am terribly frightened by such message because I don’t know which one of my members will pursue the Seton-Larsah approach by taking the law into their own hands to illegally form a second leadership structure within my community, when they no longer agree with my leadership. I believe all counties and schools should express the same because of the possibilities of their members breaking away like Seton and Larsah to form parallel leadership structures within their organizations.

This ugly act is psychologically, politically, socially and economically damaging to our communities and country. Psychologically, it is very painful to note that our community and country’s image and cultural heritage is being negatively portrayed by such declaration. By this act, other communities will see us as troublemakers and unserious people that do nothing but create chaos all the time. In as much that this action doesn’t speak for all Liberians, it is only logical to note that other people will first see us as Liberians before they see us individuals.

Politically, this act will undermine unity within our community because it will leave our communities vulnerable to rebellion. That is, people will continue to think that it is fine to breakaway and illegally form another leadership structure within the same communities, if they no longer agree with the policies of the current leadership.

Economically, this could also undermine the immigration fight because it leaves approximately 60,000 Liberians vulnerable to deportation. The new leadership of Dr. Seton is fostering the same immigration battle that the Kesselly administration is currently fostering. If Senator Jack Reed and others that are assisting with this fight in Washington are overwhelmed by the two leaderships calling on them for the same issue, might terminate their assistance; thus leaving our people exposed to deportation. The potential deportation of these people will have a damaging impact on the struggling Liberian economy and families that will be left behind in the United States.

Therefore, I am calling on Seton, Larsah and their supporters to put an immediate end to the illegal leadership structure they created within ULAA. The best way to address the electoral grievances being expressed is to bring a lawsuit against the electoral process that brought Kesselly to power. In the absence of a legal remedy to this problem, their action can never be justified, and history will not be kind to them for exposing our communities and country to ridicule by this act of lawlessness.

I am also calling on all individuals, leaders and various organizations within the Liberian community to immediately abstain from supporting the leadership structure of Mariah Seton and James Larsah, because such support will only encourage lawlessness within our community. It should be noted that the concerns of Seton and Larsah are understandable and appropriate. However, the formation of a second leadership structure within the same organization is just completely wrong, illegal and should not be supported by anyone.

In conclusion, I am also calling on the Kesselly administration to seek legal action against Seton, Larsah and their associates, for the emotional pain and suffering they are unduly subjecting Liberians to by exposing our communities and country’s image to ridicule. The failure of this administration to bring legal closure to this ugly act is also a dangerous precedent that will encourage lawlessness within our community as well.

This failure will suggest to the rebellious elements of our communities that it is fine to hijack power and disrupt our communities in any shape or form, because nothing will happen to them just as nothing happened to Seton and Larsah during the Kesselly administration.

Rufus N. Darkortey is the President of the Liberian Association of Cleveland. He can be contacted at darkort@aol.com or pres@liberianscleveland.org or 216-577-3177.