Open e-Letter To Gus Majors, ULAA Board Chair

January 12, 2002

Open Letter To
Honorable Augustus E. Majors, Former Chair, Board of Directors,
Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas, ULAA

Dear Hon. Majors:

I trust you are enjoying the grace of God!

The date is January 12, when a copy of your "Open Letter" to the Honorable National President of ULAA, Her Excellency Madame Mydea Reeves-Karpeh reached my desk. Four points captured my attention: First, you uprightly rejected her offer to honor you for your service to the Union. Second, you strongly criticized and relegated her to a secondary position. Third, you proposed her immediate resignation. And fourth, you charge her of destroying the image of ULAA and accuse her of engaging in "corrupt" practices.

Your letter is filled with platitude of charges and claims for which I'm sure you have evidence. Though I am neither a judge nor a jury, I find a high level of frustration in your expressions. I'm inclined to agree you have worked very hard so that ULAA reached a considerable level of progress. As such, like anyone else, you expect a high level of responsibility on the part of any of its leaders. But the truth is, in community development, there are builders and destroyers. Madame Karpeh may be one of those. However, you have to allow her to demonstrate her leadership to the best of her ability. So I draw comfort the fact that you understand history, you will agree it will judge each and every one of us when the time comes.

In specific reference to your rejection of the honor, I think it is a sad mistake on your part. I believe, base on her letter to you, Madame Karpeh and her Staff realized and recognized your selfless service to the Union. While they may have qualms with you, they performed their administrative duty in compliance with the required understanding of giving dues where they belong. Therefore, whatever disagreement exists between the both of you, should not deprive you of your dues. Permit me to encourage you in rethinking your position; accept the honor when it is offered again. You deserve it Mr. Chairman!!

All being said, the following points summarize my concerns and observations or should I say, they baffled my mind:

1. In your letter you clearly agree that President Mydea Reeves-Karpeh is “corrupt”, and guilty of "deliberate constitutional violations." You make specific mention of the case of UNIBOA. UNIBOA is a community organization of the Bassa tribe in Liberia. According to you, she had a "hard time managing the Organization's money." You also make mention of her refusal to conduct fair and free elections at the completion of her Constitutional term of office a year ago. You advanced your point further by stating, she "abused, mismanaged", and “misused” power as president of ULAA. Under the same roof of your tongue, you considered her “morally incompetent” and that she "eroded any respect and credibility ULAA has tried so hard to build over the past seven years." What baffles my mind is when did you know all this? Was it prior to the 1999 Election in Columbus, Ohio or just recently? Because it is common knowledge; you were very instrumental in electing her to office. You single-handedly instituted a "delegate System" which deprived me of all my rights as a presidential candidate under the Union's Constitution to seek leadership. The Board of Directors under your chairmanship altered the Constitution and hand-in-gloves with the Election Commission created a "smoke room" caucus illegitimately electing her to the highest office of our Union against the Will of the Significant Majority. I didn't win. I shed no tears then, nor do I now. Though you knew and agreed that my leadership would resolve the conflicts existing in ULAA and that it is the only hope of our people at home and abroad, yet you selected her over me. The same bleeding hands dripping with "corruption, guilt" and "incompetence" of hers that you are highlighting now, were and are still there. According to you, you knew and you did nothing to relieve our people of more corruption. Why are you talking now?

2. In the letter, you asked her "to do the proper thing, RESIGN." Is this the best you can suggest or this is the only solution to the problem? I'm baffled in the mind the very fact you have just realized that she's incompetent to run the state of affairs of the Union. If you knew her character and reputation prior to the 1999 election and still supported her quest for the leadership, then I like to consider you apprehended. Notice, on the Liberian national platform individuals who were once hands-in-gloves with the national leadership fell from favor and suddenly became whistleblowers and stone throwers. Your attitude in this case is no different from the culture of backwardness that exists in our society today. This is causing our people grief, pain and despair.

You see Mr. Chairman, "Many are the ways of coping with the world's vicissitudes. Some people fear and propitiate evil spirits. Others order their schedules according to the display of the planets across the zodiac. There are those who assume that they carry, somewhere inside of them, a thing called the unconscious. It is mostly invisible, although it can furtively be glimpsed in dreams and heard in slips of tongue. But the unconscious is not a passive stowaway on the voyage of life; it has the power to make its host feel very sad or behave in strange, self-destructive ways. When that happens, one recourse is to go to the office of a specially trained healer, lie down on a couch and start talking".

Mr. Chairman, why are you talking now?

I propose you get your hands off Madame Karpeh! I suggest you permit her perform her task and let history be the judge. You will agree her predecessor, Hon. Dr. Joseph Korto hung on to power for ever so long at the expiration of his Constitutional term of office. You, the Board of Directors, including other so-called Liberian progressive organizations (LDI, COPLA, MDCL, etc.) sat supinely while democracy was strangled by a single individual and did nothing to discourage this tendency. Mind you, these very organizations are the ones crying foul each and every day against Liberian National governments as if they can do any better. They sit here in the Diaspora and let democracy perish right before their open eyes. I say woe on to them! The suffering people of Liberia will not forgive them! They may remain barricaded in their air-cool homes paying lip service to the people’s struggle, but when the time comes, the people shall reward them according to their deals.

Mr. Chairman, you will agree, Liberia has serious problems and needs serious people to solve them. Liberia is advanced citizenship! In order to maintain it, we must fight for justice, acceptance and tolerance for each and every Liberian person. Unless we do so, we cannot sing "All hail, Liberia hail..." with the deepest pride and dignity our Foremothers and Forefathers left us.

Mr. Chairman, just so you don’t get me wrong, I do not and never supported Madame Karpeh’s policies and activities neither did I support most of yours. But frankly speaking, you've done better for the Union than she's doing. You are more committed than she is. (This is my personal opinion) But all the same, you both lack innocence in the ills that befall the Union today. You've done your best and will continue to do so in the name of progress. I believe the Board, under your chairmanship, has achieved its maximum goal - saving ULAA from the scavengers and the political constipated gypsies who fight for her demise. For this, you are my hero! Be Good, Mr. Chairman and Do Good. Let not your little heart be troubled. Believe in yourself and your God. When powerful nations tested the will of our Foremothers and Forefathers, God helped through. So Liberia emerged as Africa’s “Lone Star” and its “democratic” aspiration. This has been written, so shall it be!

Finally, Mr. Chairman, in all these different circumstances, we cannot betray our country nor let down our Dear Departed on whose shoulders today we stand. I wish you the best in life and Godspeed!

Thank you again for your service to your people. I am,

Respectfully,
T. Gbuo-Mle Bedell/Presidential Candidate, ULAA (1999)