January 6, 2009
I’ve been in Liberia on a
working-visit for more than a year now. I know this situation of mine confuses
too many people. But that’s what I always do best – confuse people till the end
when the light shines so brightly. My working visit is a Re-evolutionary task.
At least, that’s how I describe it. It is a radical departure from things as we
know them. It comes after a 14-year generalized anarchy of violence when
infrastructure and human resource destruction reached astronomical heights. It
demands everyone to chip in and make the Reconstruction effort a success. So my
NGO is helping. And I am personally making a difference. Thanks to those who
are supporting me in their own unique way!
My whole intent when I came to
Liberia was to work in other counties other than Maryland. But I was convinced
to go to Maryland.
Why did I want to go to other
counties to serve besides being in Maryland? Simple! I am a student of history.
And I have read history widely on men and women who tried to identify with
their homelands but were ostracized. For it is said in many books and the Books
of books that no village has ever embraced its own.
Jesus’ experience tells it all
including that of many more prophets and revolutionaries around the world. I
found mine out quickly.
To date, it is Marylanders,
especially current leaders, who are attempting to destroy the work we do. Why
do they do so? Simple! They want to say, “Aha, aha, there he is. He said he
came to help. But there he is struggling. He has done nothing to help!” And
then they can lower citizens to sleep and marginalize them. But I am measured
up to the task!
Anyways, let get to the focus
of this Article.
It’s all about Senator John A.
Ballout’s final admission of my claim. I say the split in the Maryland
Congressional Caucus is responsible for the County proliferation and the lack
of infrastructural and human resource development.
It is also responsible for the
backwardness in the County. It is also responsible for the emerging armed
hostilities in the County. Senator Ballout had no choice but to openly admit on
UNMIL radio station on the program, “The Palaver Hut” that my calculations
against his is correct. I was on the show with Mr. Thomas Collins when Ballout
made the confession.
Let’s start with the actual
split Question. Then we can go to its negative impact. And then to why Ballout
admits now.
Split -There are five members
on the Caucus.
Three are Representatives of
the Lower House. And the other two are Senators from the Upper House. The
Representatives from the Lower House include James Bannie (Harper District),
Bhofal Chambers (Pleebo/Sodokeh District), and David Sidee (Barrobo/Karluway
District).
The senators include John
Ballout (Senior Senator) and Gloria Scott (Junior Senator).
All of these elected officials
do not see eye-to-eye.
On the Caucus, all of the
three Representatives are hands-in-glove with Gloria Scott except for John Ballout
who is the only one that is all by himself.
So the split is between Gloria
and Ballout. Whatever the four other members agree to, Ballout’s vote is
insignificant.
Although he is the Senior
Senator, but he is powerless on the Caucus. Democratically speaking, within the
split on the Caucus, Gloria has the edge over Ballout. If Ballout refuses to
submit to democratic centralism, he cannot influence any decision, whatsoever.
Because of this, all development packages are shredded all the time.
The Caucus never comes out
with a single decision. Ballout goes his own way. And Gloria Scott goes her own
way. But what's good for Gloria (I mean in terms of democratic understanding)
she always carries along with her three others Caucus members. And that always
make them four in number against single Ballout.
So democratically speaking,
Gloria has the majority. As a sign of dissatisfaction, Ballout goes out and
musters his supporters on the ground to oppose the Caucus’ decision. Gloria
Scott too, in return, musters and energizes her base both on the Caucus and in
the County. And when this happens, the supporters of both senators collide
either on the streets of Maryland or on the farms and villages of Maryland.
Each time this happens,
everything in the County crumbles. The evidence is well and alive. President
Sirleaf knows this. Because she has seen this split-attitude in her presence
many times.
My forecast – having traveled
in-and-out of Maryland on numerous occasions and worked with several local and
Congressional leaders as well as youth groups, I came to the conclusion that
the split in the Caucus would provoke serious problems in the County including
armed hostilities amongst ethnic groupings.
I was right.
Rocktown and Wetchukeh
clashed. And two citizens died. To date, the case is still in court. And both
groups are being ripped apart at the seams by the very Caucus. I saw this and I
warned the officials. They refused to listen. So here we are locked in a legal
case in court with one time good neighbors now turned into "enemies."
My Proposal – Looking at this
situation which is eating up the very fabric of our County and that is holding
down progress, I propose the problem splitting the Caucus be first resolved
before approaching anything concrete. Otherwise, the entire County will remain
split right at the seams. And that could damage the entire County. I discussed
this with most local government officials including the previous
Superintendent, Hon. Neufville, and the Caucus to find time and resolve these
differences. I helped set November 29 for Reunion and Reconciliation activities.
But the Local and Congressional leadership have not giving it the required
support it deserves. Even though the Caucus has seen all my forecasts come
true, it still continues to live in denial. But not too long, the truth broke
loose on Xmas Eve when John Ballout could no longer hold the truth in his
stomach.
Ballout Confession &
possible Solution - Recently, the senior senator of Maryland County, who is the
lone wolf on the Caucus, submitted an admission and confession. He said
everything I have charged the Caucus of is indeed true. He admitted the Caucus
is in fact sharply split! This is the first time any member of the Caucus ever
admitted to a split in its rank-and-file.
Ballout went on to say the
split is responsible for the proliferation of the County citizenry. Another
thing none of the Caucus members ever admitted to.
So to change this dull
reality, Ballout said he has begun to make sincere peace efforts. How sincere
these “peace” efforts are will be determined by time and conditions.
Another thing he did on the
nationwide radio was to openly inform the Liberian nation and Marylanders that
he had extended several “olive branches” to all his colleagues. One to Gloria.
One to Chambers. One to Bannie. And the last one to Siedi. Lots of “olive”
branches were extended by Ballout prior to Xmas. According to him, all his
colleagues have accepted his gesture and are willing to put behind them all
their differences.
Whether or not this is true
remains to be seen. But there is one important thing out of all this: he has
admitted what I have been saying all along. Not only has he admitted it, but he
did so on nationwide radio. So it reached every hamlet, village and squalor of
the land. And it is on tape.
Ballout made the admission and
confession on December 24, 2008, Xmas Eve. Not only did he confess, but he
agrees with me unless and until the Caucus reconciles its differences, all the
crises in Maryland will remain unresolved.
The only thing he did not
allude to is if the Caucus refuses to resolve its differences, it should be
kicked through the back door. And that we can go shopping for new candidates
and/or leaders. He made his confession on air.
Mr. Thomas Nma-Mle Collins,
secretary of the Klemoweh Chiefdom Association in Monrovia and its Environs was
on air when Ballout said this. I was one of the panelists on air when he made
all of these confessions. So they are recorded and legitimate.
Additionally, Ballout promised
all Marylanders and the country he would reunite the Caucus and the County. He
said this was his New Year’s gift to the people of Maryland. He also promised
to extend an “olive” branch to the people of Rocktown during the New Year’s.
When and how he plans on doing
this is something everyone is waiting to see. At least that’s exactly how the
radio moderator put it to him at the end of the Program. I am not alone.
There are many others waiting
to see how John Ballout's "peace" initiatives and "unity"
move will unfold in and among the people of Maryland and the Caucus!
All eyes are wide open!
I am T. Gbuo-Mle Bedell; volunteer
worker, speaking and working on the ground in Liberia, social justice advocate
and a victim of police brutality
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