BY: IBRAHIM AL-BAKRI NYEI
It has been almost a year now since the series Critical Issues of National Concern under my authorship appeared in the public domain as a contribution to the national recovery, reconciliation and reconstruction process. This is an attempt to spark debate and sharpen contradictions on issues affecting the country. Interestingly, the series have remained vocal, constructive, and unequivocal in its advocacy for social and economic justice, and fundamental changes necessary to remake a nation espousing democratic credentials. Towards that end, I have always attempted to call public attention and awaken mass consciousness on malpractices in society. Unlike those who chose to fight for their freedom of speech in the bush, most of us today, aware of the human toll and tragedy that attended such violence and uprisings in our country, have resolved to counter every form of injustice, or official misconduct that has the proclivity to undermine the democratic aspirations of our people. This is why the theme of the series has been ‘In the Cause of Democracy and Social Justice, The Pen Shall Never Dry’. And to rekindle this, I can affirm again, that no amount of intimidation or heat can dry out the ink.
While preparing series XIII of Critical Issues of National Concern, I stopped to collect papers from which I collect basic information and news in the country. In the Friday, June 12, 2009 edition of the Inquirer Newspaper, I came across a farrago of misinformation, loosed arguments, and a laughable diatribe prepared by the Research Department of the Central Bank of Liberia. This was, in the limited wisdom of their apparently vacant seat of thought, a reaction to the 12th edition of ‘Critical Issues of National Concern’. In that diatribe, the research department pretended to respond to the major debate, but in a rather confrontational style, with rudimentary and disjointed arguments far removed from the real debate. Whether this was an attempt to evade the issues and shy from the main debate or to have me distracted and placed in a trench of self defense, is left with the consciousness of the intelligentsia. But what is clear is that the duffers and greenhorn researchers at the Central Bank of Liberia could not provide any relevant information to disprove the arguments of edition 12, but chose to run after eavesdroppers around town seeking to know who the author is, and how can he be tracked down. And the result was a publication of frivolous and malodorous bravados on my person. The failure of the CBL Research Department to respond to the issues instead of my person validates the popular maxim that says ‘great minds discuss ideas, little minds discuss individuals…’
In their futile adventure to discredit the content of my argument and to lure the public to believing that there is no stealing going on at the CBL, three things were simultaneously happening: A consistent campaigner against corruption was on a hunger strike displaying placards before the CBL with the slogan ‘fifteen shares 1.1 million, while 2 million people sleep hungry’; public opinion was against the CBL, and on nearly all radio talk-shows, the victims of their gluttonous predatory behavior were calling for an immediate and unconditional change in management; the Deputy Governor of the Bank, apparently on the basis of personal principles red-carded herself. Where were the researchers, and what defense can they build on these issues. There is no reason to wonder why the CBL is a vulnerable institution in our financial and monetary system. The utter shortsightedness of its research department, displayed by its inability to regularly inform management and keep the public abreast with major issues reference to the economy, banking, and foreign exchange keeps the bank and the Liberian people in a complete shadowy cloud. Let it be emphasized that the research department of the CBL currently suffers chronic intellectual poverty. And it has now resolved to adopt propaganda and PR activities to secure a reputation.
In their rambunctious fallacy, they opined that the 12th edition of Critical Issues of National Concern was a sponsored article, and as if they are in possession of receipts, the intellectually-malnourished ‘researchers’ put the price of the publications at 300 USD, and with a baseless inquiry to know: ‘How could a student afford US$300 purchase of a center page in the Analyst newspaper which carried the publication for three successive days, June 8th -10th?’ I intend not to delve into the shallowness of a logic lacking epistemological foundations, but for the record let it be made clear that as a campaigner for social justice, I have been involved with the media for many years. Many newspapers have expressed interest in publishing my articles, and this has gone for about four years without paying a cent. In fact, my commentaries are regularly published by four papers: The Analyst, The Public Agenda, The Renaissance and The Daily Observer. Most editions of the series are sometimes repeated on the basis of the relevance and national frequency of the issues discussed. The 11th edition that discussed the issue of poverty in Liberia was carried in the Analyst for a week. And during the peak of the debate of the President’s appearance before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, my commentary on that issue was published continuously in three papers with the Analyst carrying it for about four times.
In the wake of the resignation of the Deputy Governor of the CBL, it is saddened to note that one of the miscreants at the Research Department of the CBL dubbed as ‘Advisor’ has launched a serious public relations campaign in a bid to have himself sold as a possible replacement. This individual with no experience with a financial institution in the world, even a local ‘susu club’ was brought back to Liberia as a campaigner for the Liberty Party. He would later fall-out with the party and its leaders as a means of getting closer to those controlling the ‘gravy’. It is laughable and completely delusive that he would dream of becoming deputy governor. His only recorded and official job experience is that of a motorcycle rider for the DHL in the United States responsible to transport packages from door to door. He has been at the center of controversies and is only known for his role in undermining credible people through mediocrity and well organized hypocritical flatteries wherever he works. I will however not waste public space to say things that everyone knows him for.
This is also the man who held the pen to demean what have had much pubic applause. In their collective reaction, the ‘advisor’ to the research department pointlessly stated that I am yet to reach where they are. On the basis of sincerity and consistent principles, let it be made clear that no one wishes to reach a peak in society where he will use his position to rob his country and keep the suffering masses in agony of dispossession and intentional deprivation. Again, no one wishes to reach a peak of riding motorcycle for DHL in the United States where he will be dismissed for stealing customers’ packages.
Central to currency and foreign exchange regulation, the issue of national reserve is very important. This information is a chorus to high school students reading fundamentals of Economics. But what save an economy from running out of reserves are effective management and a transparent and accountable system that can properly control the banking system. In a situation where our national treasury suffers serious leakages at the Central Bank of Liberia, the issue of reserve remains a farce. This is because what should be calculated and declared as reserves continuously leaks in private pockets through ‘professional robbery’.
Finally, as we all strive to consolidate gains of peace made in our country, we look forward to more contextual debates in all aspect of our political and socio-economic existence. Let the Research Department of the CBL now begin to do ground-breaking research in the country to help address the monetary concerns of our war-torn economy, and should refrain from callous propaganda meant to defend acts of fraud and economic gangsterisms in their own ranks and files. This is very critical to our economy and the current Poverty Reduction Strategy. The next publication will take an in-depth analysis of the CBL Research Department with much emphasis on the credentials of each of the chaps perambulating as researchers.
