It is difficult to comprehend the low depths to which some of Liberia’s leaders have sunk in recent times. Since the weekend up to Monday, social media has been inundated with posts about which of the two embattled Speakers—Fonati Koffa or Richard Koon—received an invitation to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. These Facebook stunts, intended to validate the legitimacy of one Speaker over the other, are nothing short of a national embarrassment.
Let’s not mince words: Liberia gained its independence 110 years before Ghana. Yet here we are, debating the social media posts of which Liberian leader got to attend a national ceremony in Ghana as if that’s some kind of badge of honor or validation of leadership. Have we sunk so low that we need to cling to an invitation as proof of political legitimacy? This is shameful and demeaning for a nation with Liberia’s storied history.
Let us be clear: this is no slight to our sisterly bond with Ghana. Liberia has deep historical and cultural ties with Ghana, and we respect their milestones and achievements. However, our concern is how our leaders—or supposed leaders—are reducing this bond to petty political point-scoring. The Liberian people do not care who gets invited to attend a ceremony or not. It simply does not matter because it does not address any of the pressing issues we face as a nation. It does not solve our bread-and-butter issues—the issues of unemployment, poor infrastructure, inadequate healthcare, and rising poverty.
Over the past three months, the leadership crisis within the House of Representatives has devolved into a pathetic spectacle of self-aggrandizement and democratic hijacking. What should have been a noble pursuit of governance and service to the Liberian people has been reduced to shameless self-promotion. It’s all self over country—a disheartening reality that has robbed the House of its dignity and effectiveness.
This ongoing drama has done nothing to improve the lives of ordinary Liberians. It has done nothing to create jobs, build schools, or fix roads. Instead, it has sown division, distracted from governance, and tarnished the image of our nation. We deserve better. Liberia deserves better.
Politics is a noble calling—or at least it ought to be. It is about service, about putting the interests of the people above personal ambition and petty rivalries. Yet, all we’ve seen from our so-called leaders is the opposite. Instead of addressing the critical issues that plague our nation, they are more interested in who gets to bask in the reflected glory of a ceremony in Ghana. This is not leadership; this is a disgrace.
It is high time that national leaders elevate the discourse above these petty squabbles. Let them focus on the issues that truly matter to the Liberian people. Let them work to restore the dignity of our democracy and the credibility of our institutions. The Liberian people are watching, and they are tired of the nonsense.
To Fonati Koffa, Richard Koon, and all those embroiled in this embarrassing saga, we say: Enough is enough. Stop the games. Stop the social media posturing. Get back to work and address the real issues facing Liberia. Your legitimacy will not be determined by an invitation to a foreign ceremony but by your ability to deliver for the people who elected you.
Liberia is a country with a proud history and immense potential. We must stop looking to others for validation and start setting the pace for the rest of the continent.
The Liberian people demand and deserve leadership that is focused, visionary, and selfless. We do not need leaders who waste their time—and ours—on meaningless gestures and petty rivalries. Liberia is too old, too proud, and too important to be dragged down by such mediocrity. It is time to grow up and lead.
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