Did Mulbah Morlu Really Meet With President Obama in Ghana? Of Two Soccer Legends

Sunday, July 19, 2009   

Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh

        Mulbah Morlu did what most inexperienced activist would do when they think they just hit the political jackpot. In this case meeting with President Barrack Obama in Ghana during the president’s visit there would have been the political jackpot Morlu and his fledgling pro-war crimes court organization won, which also would have perhaps given his group the political legitimacy they sought all these years. 

       It turned out Morlu must have stretched his claims of meeting with President Obama for six minutes in Ghana, which the U.S., embassy in Liberia denied and has now undermined the young activist’s credibility, and has fragmented the organization he led over the years that called for among other things the establishment of a war crimes court in Liberia and the resignation of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for her role in the Liberian civil war. 

                             Mulbah Morlu Jr.                        Boakai Jalieba

     The idea that Morlu could have told a lie to boost his image and that of his organization is not pretty at all and could do exactly the opposite, because of the mere fact that even though Morlu has been radically visible and outspoken in his quest to keep his message and hopes of a war crimes court in Liberia alive, he has not been taken seriously by the mainstream political and human rights organizations.

     Making matter worse, however, are the premature comments of secretary general Boikai Jalieba and others in the leadership of the Forum for the Establishment of a War Crimes Court in Liberia, who immediately jumped on the bandwagon calling for the resignation of Morlu, who also fired back according to reports calling Jalieba and others “stooges” in their attempts to have him expelled.

     Even though the United States embassy in Liberia went out of its diplomatic comfort zone to quickly deny the report and clear the air about Morlu’s not so diplomatic and ill-planned announcement that he met with President Obama in Ghana, the leadership of the Forum for the Establishment of a War Crimes Court in Liberia should have thoroughly investigated Morlu’s claims then after exhausting every available avenue in finding the truth then air its findings to avoid this bitter public acrimony, which is not helping Morlu, Jalieba and their organization.

     With Ellen Johnson Sirleaf still a sitting and constitutionally elected President of Liberia, and the United States government with its new president still trying to define his African foreign policy, put the embassy in Liberia in a predicament.

     To be on the safe side and avoid this public and diplomatic embarrassment, the best thing for the embassy to have done - and it actually did in my opinion (that is if Morlu ever met with President Obama in Ghana), is not to allow itself to be ensnarled in the domestic politics of Liberia by admitting publicly that the meeting ever took place, which would have been seen as endorsing the politically unsavvy and lightweight Morlu over President Sirleaf, who is seen as a friend and a historic figure in Liberian politics.

      On the other hand, Morlu cannot continue to carry himself as an undisciplined talker who lacks judgment - a one-man show whose public campaign to have President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf impeached has taken on a singular meaning. The campaign should not always be about  Mulbah Morlu, but should include a broad coalition of like-minded Liberian human rights and other political activist organizations coming together to speak with one clear voice that advocates genuine change and a better standard of living for all Liberians and the country.

     The release of the TRC final report, which implicates President Sirleaf would have been a perfect time for Mulbah Morlu and his organization to glow and feel vindicated because the report acknowledged the civil war wrongdoings of President Sirleaf – which are the same issues raised over the years by Morlu’s groups and other human rights and political activist organizations against President Sirleaf.

     The TRC final report damaged the president’s credibility, her moral authority and political standing, and tarnishes her reputation as a selfish, evil and opportunistic person who pursued the presidency by sacrificing the lives of innocent Liberians and the destruction of the entire Liberian nation.

     What happens in the future after President Sirleaf is no longer on the political scene to influence policies, and the United States embassy in Liberia finally admits that Mulbah Morlu actually met with President Obama in Ghana for six minutes?

     What becomes of The Forum for the Establishment of War Crimes Court in Liberia now that Chairman Morlu and his lieutenants are each expelling and suspending the other, and are also fighting publicly not over Morlu’s claims of meeting with President Obama in Ghana but according to secretary general Boakai Jalieba, over the “misapplication of funds meant for the upkeep of the Forum?”

     If the leadership of The Forum for the Establishment of War Crimes Court in Liberia did not expel Mulbah Morlu over his disputed claims of meeting with President Obama in Ghana as Boakai Jalieba acknowledges in his press conference, why was Morlu’s expulsion from the organization announced just around the same time Morlu made his own announcement of meeting with President Obama?

     This is a power struggle and the aggressive take over of an organization whose leader, Mulbah Morlu single handedly got our undivided attention over the years by pursuing a cause dear to his heart.

     To his credit, Morlu was steadfast in keeping President’s Sirleaf’s involvement in the civil war on the front burner and into our minds; however, his over zealousness could also be his downfall.