Monrovia- February 17, 2022: Long time Politician, Dr. Togbah Nah Tipoteh has written a lengthy commentary on the Bicentennial celebration and statements made during the celebration from foreign guests especially the United States.

The Greek aphorism or expression Know Thyself has been with humankind for more than three thousand years, since the founding of Greece, 700 years before the coming of Jesus Christ and before the coming of Muhammad. This expression became necessary because Greeks were of the view that it would be impossible for anyone to solve any problem without knowing his or her background/culture. Here we are in Liberia still struggling to solve the longstanding and widespread problem of poverty which has become the pretext for violence, including coup d’etat and civil war

At this time when people are in a celebratory mood about the landing of freed slaves from the United States of America (USA) and the founding of the University of Liberia (UL), not forgetting the founding of the Baptist Church and the Methodist Church, it is most appropriate to bring out the problem of poverty, which remains vexing. On the part of the Central Government of Liberia (GOL), invitations were extended to foreign governments, especially the USA government. The UL invited Dr. Molefi Kete Asante of Temple University, USA, to serve as Keynote Speaker at the UL Founders Day Celebratory Program.

The USA Representative told the GOL to take immediate steps to end corruption because corruption and democracy do not mix. Dr. Asante told the UL Family that to Know Thyself through knowing history is the Way Forward For The Better. With the over three hundred years of history provided, what is the expectation of the lessons from history being well learned to avoid the making of the same mistakes? Given Overamericanization as the culture of the powers that be in Liberia, the USA Representative to the Celebration has provided a lesson about stopping corruption but the same USA government is supporting corruption by just giving the GOL USD55 million, presumably to improve health in Liberia. With no systemic approach to end systemic corruption, more money in the hands of corrupt people means that more money is available for corruption, and corruption will be increased.

This is the same USA where racism prevails to the point where supporters of former USA President Donald Trump violated the Consitution of the USA by attempting to overthrow the USA government through the Siege of the USA Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021. Some leaders of former President Trump’s Republican Party are calling the Siege a legitimate political engagement. A high-level GOL delegation to the USA had a photoshoot with a racist USA Senator and supporter of former President Trump, boosting that Liberia has his support and that support will bring gains to Liberia. Telling the Truth, Dr. Asante mentioned that the USA remains a racist country but the struggle against racism continues.

As Ngala ( the Kpelle language for Our Creator) does not do anything bad, we have learned from the ending of the ebola crisis in Liberia that Community Ownership of the problem-solving process is the way to end societal problems. And it is the same Community Ownership that is most likely to end the corona pandemic in Liberia. This Community Ownership might be slow in working but it is working well. Witness the evidence that nearly all of the Legislators of the 52nd and 53rd Legislatures who wanted to be re-elected were not re-elected. Now, for the 54th Legislature, Community Ownership will result in the non-re-election of Legislators and the non-election of Candidates with bad records, despite the flawed electoral system, which is being transformed from UNFAIR to FAIR through community-based awareness-raising, using the Rule of Law.