Liberia: ‘Liberated’ But Looted! Only $500,000 Left in Treasury, Weah Unable and Unwilling to Arrest Sirleaf!
By Mainda Simataa | ELA General Secretary’s Comment on the Looting of Liberia’s Treasury | 8 January, 2018 | Lusaka Zambia |
Whereto with Weah? Nowhere!
With Liberia broke beyond belief, and needing financial relief because of Sirleaf the thief; it is certain that the very first act of office for humble President-elect of Liberia, George Weah, will be to run to quickly run to Trump’s America with a begging bowl, asking for financial bailout, and thus plunge Liberians into a deeper debt-trap which they, or their children’s children will never escape until they find or found a revolutionary party and leader armed with a Socialist program of Liberation!
Sirleaf the thief
Sirleaf, the handmaiden of American capitalism in Liberia, is the first African woman (President) to loot over $2 billion dollars in 10 years, and stole millions more in the name of funding the just ended campaigns, and thus left Weah with only $500,000 United States dollars in the national treasury to run Liberia for the next 10 years of his tenure (assuming he makes it past the first 5 years). But the curious thing is this: either by sheer ignorance, or criminal collusion, Weah has not firmly decided to prosecute and jail tricky miss Johnson despite the overwhelming evidence against Sirleaf! Weah’s rhetoric on fighting corruption is just that – rhetoric! Most likely, behind the scenes, Weah and Sirleaf have already kissed and made up since it is common knowledge that Sirleaf is something of a political godmother or guru to Weah!
But we should not be surprised at this political prostitution that has come to plague African politics, for it has always been the standard tendency of all outgoing and degenerate African pseudo-democratic Presidents and tin-pot dictators to loot as much as they can, however they can, and then rig the elections in favour of a gullible and pliable puppet-successor (which is what Weah is) who is both unwilling and unable to investigate their predecessors for crimes against humanity, or the economy. In the name of forgiveness, unity and forging ahead, or avoiding a resurgence of the bitter national sentiments that may culminate into internal strife, justice is sacrificed and former leaders are allowed to getaway with economic plunder in broad-day light!
Such is the relationship between outgoing Liberian President Sirleaf Johnson, and her man-friday, President-elect George Weah, the prolific football icon and now amateur politician who’s inexperience and unwitting gullibility will cost Liberia more billions, not to mention more buckets of tears, sweat and misery! Weah simply has no balls to stand up to Sirleaf and fix her as any moral leader would; and it has nothing to do with his lack of articulation prowess, for Weah has always depended on millions to do the talking and winning for him! Its no secret that the purported degree Weah holds in God-knows-what field, was written for him online; all in an effort to prop-up his dismal academic profile, not to say that the best ‘educated’ are the best leaders. Question is, doesn’t forging academic credentials and thus instilling a false sense of confidence in the Liberian electorate qualify as corruption?
Weah is in way over his head! Listening to the mediocre sub-substance of his Vice President; the oddly named ‘Jewel’ Howard Taylor, will tell you that Liberia is in trouble and racing to the bottom under a khakistocracy (leadership of the mediocre). Serving as senator, Weah was fine, he could do less damaged there! But as President, Weah is a ticking time-bomb; he as dangerous to the well-being of the Liberian people as he ever was to his opponents on the football field! But in football, when one loses, they lose only money and some pride, and these can be won back again. But in politics, to let political renegades like Sirleaf and co run-riot, ransack the Liberian economy to the tune of over $2 billion dollars, and then let them walk free, is criminal. Weah will cost the Liberian people their lives and future prosperity while the looters retire safely to Washington or New York. Sirleaf and Weah are two sides of the same coin, cut from the same cloth. Though they cry crocodile tears for the poor, both are appointees of Washington, they represent the interests of the rich and comfortable middle-class!
The facts are that Sirleaf, who’s blood relations presided over Liberia’s key oil industry, looted a staggering $2 billion US dollars in a span of corrupt scandals in a record 10 years! In addition, Sirleaf, in a bid to cover herself from prosecution, deliberately jeopardized and systematically decampaigned her own Vice President who promised to carry out a comprehensive audit on the utilization and misappropriation of state resources, and further vowed to punish the culprits! There would be no sacred lambs, he proclaimed. These proclamations, meant or not, obviously unsettled Sirleaf, who then made up her mind that the unsuspecting political novice, George Weah, was perhaps a safer bet for successor than her own VP. Mind you, Liberia has a history of executing Presidents accused of corruption, and that thought isn’t lost to Sirleaf who also served in Samuel Oddo’s regime! But Weah is a nice guy, he won’t shoot anyone!
These are the latest disturbing revelations coming out of Liberia, and they show that the celebrated and overrated election of George Weah as Liberia’s President will, and can only end in tears! His election has come at a great cost to the Liberian public though they do not know it yet because the government is covering up the grossly corrupt practices of Sirleaf Johnson, who’s corrupt escapades and looting of the Liberian treasury would make the Gupta’s and Nkhandla scandal of South Africa’s Jacob Zuma seem like Child’s play!
The way Forward – Keep Looking!
Liberia has not found the Revolutionary Party and young radical Leaders that it needs to take them forward, and past the American intrigues of political domination and economic exploitation. Liberia needs a Socialist revolution, not one driven by guns, but one driven by brains! Weah is definitely good with his feet, no doubt; but is he good with his head? No. If Weah can’t throw Sirleaf in jail, then how in Liberia can he throw off the Americans from profiting off the backs of Liberians? Liberians need to look elsewhere, not to Weah!
*Forward with the Liberian Revolution!
*Down with American Capitalism in Liberia!
*Down with the Sirleaf Regime!
*Down with the Weah Regime!
The author of this article is a Revolutionary Socialist, Pan-Africanist, and Leader of the ELA Zambia | maindasimataa@gmail.com | Twitter: @MSimataa | Facebook: Economic Liberation Association – ELA | Website: www.elazambia.org |