-ISAAC W. JACKSON, JR. writes
Undoubtedly, the visa restriction announced by US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is in response to the threats emanating from UP Standard Bearer, JospehBoakai and Prince Johnson – Liberia’s well-known and intransigent mass murderer-in-chief. It is less difficult to decode the diplomatic signal being directed to Liberia because in recent times, the United States Government issued similar visa restrictions on Nigerians who were involved in undermining their democracy through threatening patterns of attitude and behavior.
I was bewildered to have heard Oldman Boakai – the man who takes absolute delight in arrogating to himself the title of ambassador – issue threats recently to subvert Liberia’s democracy when he asserted that “Liberia will end if the elections were rigged against him”. The remark properly attributed to Boakai, which has not been denied, is so profoundly unwise that a positive spin cannot dilute its threatening effect. One wonders why a long-serving politician who parades himself under the banner of an astute diplomat would use such undiplomatic language to convey his message? Could this be attributed to senility; or Boakia’s desperation for power; or has he been contaminated by his close proximity to prince Johnson, the notorious killer and dangerous free-range war lord?
The point is that in 1927 Liberia went down in the Guinness Book of World Records as holding the most corrupt and fraudulent election in world history. Yet, that situation did not lead to Liberia’s demise! In 1985, Liberia once more experienced a rigged election which did not terminate its sovereignty. In fact, amidst public outcry that the elections were rigged in 1985, Jospeh Boakai, in reckless disregard for public outcry, worked in Samuel Doe’s NDPL Government that retained power as a result of the rigged elections. So, what moral authority does Boakai have to talk about rigged election, least to say ending the existence of Liberia?
Besides, in recent times, when the elections that brought the CDC Government to power was denounced by Cllr. Charles Brumskine of Liberty Party to have been rigged, he went to court. Brumskine did not talk about ending Liberia. At least, he showed Liberians a civilized example of what should be done when elections are deemed to be rigged. Liberians cannot afford to bypass the rule of law; and talk ending Liberia because elections are rigged. All across Africa, and I dare say the world, when elections are deemed to be rigged, the disputes are settled in courts. So, why is Boakai spouting inflammatory and violent rhetoric?
Aware that Liberia is recognized as a bastion of recovery from the ashes of war, nobody who genuinely cares for the country should be using the language of violence to communicate their “strong” concerns. Instead of spouting the rhetoric of ending Liberia’s existence, we should be talking about ending mysterious ritualistic murders, proliferation of drugs throughout the length and breadth of Liberian society, hunger, poverty, and curable diseases that are still killing our people.
Hence, we applaud US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and the United States Government for their swift and impactful reaction. Undoubtedly, Boakai is not just a desperate oldman in a hurry for the presidency; he is now egregiously contaminated by his close and inseparable proximity – through professed tribal roots and links – to Prince Johnson, the mass murderer-in-chief. Consequently, the Liberian people should reject the Unity party and its affiliates because the Party has transmogrified into a doomsday’s cult, pushing Liberia towards interminable disaster.
