The Ebola virus and the vampire state
Coming back to Sierra Leone at the end of June and traveling on to Liberia in July, I’ve seen a big change. There have been hundreds of deaths, and people are definitely taking the issue more seriously now. The virus is primarily spread by contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, so one […]
EBOLA: President Sirleaf, Liberia’s ‘guide’ leads nation into chaos
The Ebola virus outbreak has refocused attention on Liberia, a country that has lurched from one crisis to another since independence in 1847. Many Liberians are openly angry at the government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who has ruled unchallenged for most of the post conflict recovery. The Ebola epidemic in Liberia is without no doubt […]
African leaders’ children succession, is Liberia next
Robert Sirleaf on Wednesday announced his Montserrado county senatorial bid, breathing new life into President Sirleaf succession plan. Robert Sirleaf is the son of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, current President of Liberia. Robert Sirleaf speedy ascent to the top—he only came to Liberia when his mother became the President of Liberia—feed into the narrative that proximity […]
Lessons from the ArcelorMittal violence
Some called it the Nimba ‘scare’, others termed it Nimba disturbance; for some, it was the ‘Yekepa Raid’, among others. But what is clear is that last week’s violent incident in Nimba is a national wake up call that must be checked on from all fronts; behind-the-scene happenings, hidden but eventual causes, and mechanisms that […]
Liberia’s outrageous recurrent expenditure
The 2nd quarter of the fiscal year has practically ended, the beginning of the 3rd quarter has started, yet Liberia and Liberians are yet to know how a portion of the projected US$582 Million budget are being spent and how much more is going to be borrowed in our name to provide for services that we […]
Suggestions for reconciliation in Liberia
My suggestions toward truth and and reconciliation in our beloved country Liberia are as follow: 1. The government needs to set aside a day, as a national holiday, to remember all those who died during the one and a half decade of civil-war that killed about 500,000 people in our beloved country, Liberia. People should dress in white […]
Liberia: Both Sides of the Sande Society
The Sande or Bundu Society for girls is very popular in West Africa. African historians believe the society originated among members of the Gola tribe as an institution to train girls. Later, other Liberian ethnic groupings like the Vai, Mende, Lorma, Kpelle, Mano, Bassa, and Kissi adopted the whole concept of the society.This secret society […]
Why Liberia should stop celebrating Tubman’s birthday
Last year, the birthday of the late president, William Tubman, was celebrated as a national holiday. This year, 2014, I suppose that as November approaches, the government of Liberia, in collaboration with the family of Tubman, will begin making plans to celebrate his birthday. I suppose because Tubman’s birthday was celebrated as a national holiday […]
Sweden talks about Roma abuses
Today, I present the White Paper initiated by the Government on abuses and rights violations of Roma in the 20th century. The White Paper is based on interviews with Roma and Travellers, on archive material and research studies. It provides a description of a dark period in Sweden’s history that is more complete […]
Oil, family ties and corruption
Since 1990 the petroleum industry has invested more than $20 billion in exploration and production activity in Africa. A further $50 billion will be spent between now and the end of the decade, the largest investment in the continent’s history. But most Africans in these countries where oil are being produced are seeing little […]
