President George Manneh Weah is poised for rapid development, despite challenges (Part 1)
ABUBAKAR HASHIM/Monrovia
As Liberia celebrated its 175th years of independence on 26 July, 2022, its African neighbors, including Nigeria, joined in the celebrations. President Muhammadu Buhari was in Monrovia, Tuesday 26 July 2022 to felicitate with his colleague and brother, President George Manneh Weah.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Liberia, Ambassador Godfrey Odudigbo was explicit in an interview with this medium in Monrovia, on the cordial, bilateral relations between the two countries and President Weah’s determination for rapid development in his country, particularly youth transformation and development, popularly called “zoggos”, the flagship program of the President Weah.
Moving around down town Monrovia and is counties, Liberia, the oldest African Republic, now wears a peaceful outlook, a far-cry from its ugly past. A devastated 14 year-old brutal civil war has now completely faded away, with major state institutions, like the Military, Police, Judiciary, along with a vibrant private sector, now thriving, forging ahead for a major transformation toward rapid development.
Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who was also winner of Mo Ibrahim Award for good leadership and also won the prestigious Nobel peace prize for literature, told this medium in Monrovia that she recalls, with pride, of “putting Liberia positively on the international map, by peacefully conducting a free, fair and credible elections that brought President George Mannel Weah to power in 2017”.
Sworn in as Liberia 24th President in a colourful ceremony at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Central Monrovia, President Weah, who was 3 times best African, European and World footballer of the year, has focused, since assumption of office, primarily, on youth empowerment, as his flagship program to development.
Emerging from a slum community in central Monrovia, President Weah, many say, put the youth empowerment philosophy in the front burner, as he feels the pulse of poverty of the down-trodden, who have long been marginalized.
As the country clocked 175, the economy, as in other African countries, has been hard list. There was shortage of rice, few weeks ago, the country’s staple food, with inflation souring. The country uses dual currencies, the local Liberty and the US Dollar for all major transactions.
Though poised to transform Liberia, for rapid development, with prime focus on the youths, President Weah’s journey, since assuming power in 2017, with few months left to the next elections in 2023, has been filled with twists and turns.
Three of his key appointees, his gate-keeper at State House, Nathniel McGill inclusive, tendered their resignations recently, over allegations of mismanagement. But President Weah, however, remains determined to steer the affairs of governance, despite challenges. His prime achievement since he came to power almost 6 years ago, is the relative peace and tranquility in the country, that is, today, being rated as the most peacful country in West Africa.
Relations with Nigeria, Africa
The bilateral relations between Nigeria and Liberia remains strong and cordial, remarked the current Nigerian Ambassador to Liberia, Godfrey Odudigbo, recently in Monrovia.
Going down the memory lane, Ambassador Odudigbo told this medium that despite the lead role of Nigeria in ending the 14 year-old civil war in Liberia, Nigeria brought back political sanity that the country enjoys today.
In Africa, Liberia played a prime and cordial role in the formation of ECOWAS in 1975, then OAU [now AU], in 1963. The country was also in the front burner in the liberation struggle for the independence of many African countries, particularly its critical role in ending apartheid in South Africa. The country’s founding fathers are among the promoters of democracy in Africa.