By Hun-Bu Tulay
“Who does not know the truth is simply a fool. Yet, who knows the truth and calls it a lie is a CRIMINAL.” Quote from Bertolt Brecht.
Bertolt Brecht quotes above suits many Liberians, especially politicians. We are where we are because we turn truth into lies in pursuit of favor from the gullible stratum of the population, particularly officials of government and leaders of political parties. Liars are criminals, and many good people. Presidents (Tolbert, David Coleman, Edward James Roye) and Thomas Weh Syen, J. Nicholas Podier, these people were killed because people lied to them. We also need to remind you of the BIG LIE told of three of the four superintendents of the four counties created by Tubman in 1964, in persons of James Y. Gbarbea Sr. of Bong County, Gabriel Farngalo of Nimba and Robert Kennedy of Lofa in 1967. And if this country must develop and occupy a respectable place in the comity of nations, we must stop the lies. We addressed this in one of our features titles “200 Years of Lies and Jabbing, the Story of Liberia.”
This feature is online; everyone is encouraged to find and read it.
Another problem with many Liberians is we believe we are smart and understand everything; this may not be true. We would like to refer you to a statement made by one of the greatest philosophers (Heraclitus). We know that many of you reading this feature right now have not heard of Heraclitus. He was a Greek philosopher who predated Socrates. His contemporaries were Pythagorean and Parmenides. His writings are complicated and difficult to understand, therefore his contemporaries referred to him as the Dark Philosopher of Greece. His writings influenced two groups of philosophers that arose after Socrates and Plato, the Cynics and Stoics. His writings have exerted a wide influence on Plato and Aristotle as well as many Western Philosophers. He once said, “Dogs bark at what they cannot understand. We all have limits to understanding. No matter how smart, experienced, and learned we are, there will always be things we cannot understand. We fear the criticism and hate of others but don’t fret dogs’ bark. Just treat the criticism of others trying to tear you down as barking dogs.”
Heraclitus is telling us that barking dogs cannot hurt you. And we should not take the advice and feedback from a confused barking dog. We should focus and listen to ourselves and our conscience. Until Liberians understand the meaning of Heraclitus’ statement it will be difficult to make progress. Most of our leaders believe they know and understand everything. Cabinet ministers are advisers to the leaders and the leaders should listen and allow them to give their opinions on critical issues in the country. No matter how educated, smart, and experienced the leaders are, there will be many things they will never understand. In the Con Artist’s press conference, he said that he is the most qualified, experienced, educated, and prepared for the position of Vice President of Liberia than any of the other vice-presidential candidates. When we heard these words, we were saddened and said that Liberia is in serious trouble. We believe that after reading those words above, you will treat Con Artists and many others in our society as BARKING DOGS.
This feature is a Rejoinder to the Con Artist’s July 10, 2023, Press Conference
What you read above is the preamble to the rejoinder. The rejoinder is divided into five parts as follows:
- Triple Bypass graft coronary surgery
- September 7, 2020, Prophecy
- US$30 Million Campaign financing.
- Analysis
- Conclusion
Part one: Triple Bypass graft coronary surgery
Con Artist alleged during his press conference that he made arrangements with doctors in Minnesota for the former Vice President to undergo a Triple Bypass Coronary Surgery. The question is why the Triple Bypass Coronary Surgery, when in-fact the former Vice President already has a Pacemaker? According to many experts, Pacemakers have a lifespan on average of 7 years. In fact, modern pacemakers are designed to monitor their own battery life. The device alerts the user well in advance of a possible battery failure so that the patient has plenty of time to schedule replacement. Pacemaker implant is a very safe procedure and complete failure is rare, say around 3% or 97% success rate. Recharging the pacemaker battery is even much safer. Patients with pacemakers have lived with pacemakers for twenty years and beyond.
The question is why did Con Artist arrange for a Triple Bypass Coronary Surgery? In carrying out triple bypass coronary surgery both the heart and the coronary arteries that supply the heart with blood are vulnerable during and after the surgery, particularly during the first 30 days after surgery according to experts. Some patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass graft have a heart attack during the surgery, or shortly afterward. Did Con Artist consult the former Vice President before making the arrangement for the Triple Bypass Coronary surgery? Does he know the risk associated with this type of surgery? Did Con Artis arrange payment for the surgery? These are questions that needed answers because triple bypass coronary surgery is awfully expensive. It is estimated to be between US$100,000 to US$125,000. We believe that Con Artist knew about the risk that is why he recommended the coronary bypass graft surgery because he knew that after the surgery, the former Vice President would be too weak to physically involve himself in campaign activities. And this would signal the seriousness of his illness and the Liberian people would have considered an alternative person for the presidency. It can be assumed that this is something the Con Artist wanted to achieve. Maybe the Con Artist would be the agent of DAEMON? The mission of the Con Artist was to prevent the former Vice President from participating in the October 10, 2023, presidential election.
The next question is, who was he working with? This is the million-dollar question. Considering all that, you have read, and the risk associated with the triple bypass coronary surgery, if you were the former Vice President, would you have accepted to undergo the surgery? Do you think the former Vice President was right in rejecting the offer for the triple bypass coronary surgery, especially if he was not consulted prior to the arrangement? Con Artist stated in his press conference that the former Vice President rejected because the former Vice President believed that he, the Con Artist, had arranged for the doctors to kill him. We have not heard from the former Vice President on the Con Artist’s alleged reason for rejecting the operation. We have only heard from the Con Artist. The press needs to contact the former Vice President because he rejected the offer for the operation. Do you think this offer was in GOOD FAITH OR BAD FAITH? Considering the risk and the condition of the patient after such an operation what do you think was the intent of the Con Artist? Can we say that the Con Artist is a TROJAN HORSE? You all know the story of the TROJAN HORSE. If the Con Artist had succeeded in getting the former Vice President on the operating table, he would have truly become the TROJAN HORSE IN LIBERIA. Or should considered him the Brutus of Liberia?
Part two: The Prophecy on the October 10, 2023, Election: According to the Con Artist, a man of God informed him on September 7, 2020, that he would be elected President come October 10, 2023. If this revelation were true and he strongly believed in this man of God, why did he announce in early part of 2022, that he would be contesting the Senate seat in Montserrado County? Something must be wrong with this Political Chameleon for leaving the Presidency for the Senate. What this Political Chameleon did not understand was that the prophecy of the Presidency was a distraction. The man of God, who prophesied that this Political Chameleon would be president on October 10, 2023, was a paid agent of someone who felt threatened if he entered the senatorial race in Montserrado County.
Part three: US$30 Million Campaign support: Political Chameleon claimed during the Press conference that he had a meeting with some serious and powerful people who informed him that they had conducted a survey and he was a front runner in the presidential race, and they were willing and ready to bank roll his campaign in the tone of US$30 Million. According to him, this meeting was held on January 13, 2023, in room 309 at Boulevard Palace Hotel on Tubman Boulevard, Sinkor. However, Political Chameleon did not give the names of these serious and powerful people, nor did he give their nationalities. However, he said he informed them that he would rather have them support the former Vice President. They promised to take the message to their superiors. The following day, January 14, 2023, he left Liberia for the United States of America. He informed a close relative of the former Vice President about his decision, and he later met the former Vice President, and they discussed the US$30 Million support to his campaign. The former Vice President, according to this Political Chameleon, thanked him.
On February 11, 2023, he got word that the superiors of the people he met had agreed to support the former Vice President but with a condition. That condition was that the former Vice President carries him as his running mate. According to him during the press conference, he informed the former Vice President and the former Vice president agreed to the condition. Does anyone reading this feature believe that the former Vice President would agree to the condition as mentioned to him without meeting the financiers or members of leadership of his party?
According to the Political Chameleon, another meeting was arranged on March 16, 2023, with these financiers in Accra. The question is during the meeting that was scheduled on March 16, 2023, by him with the former Vice President and the financiers, did this Political Chameleon attend the meeting, if not, why? The former Vice President had never met these people and he (the Political Chameleon) who made all the arrangements for the meeting refused to attend. Does this raise questions to you the reading populace? However, he claimed that the former Vice President attended the meeting. According to him, the former Vice President badmouthed him to the financiers during the meeting. And the former Vice President promised the financiers the Wologisi Mountain in Lofa and many other things. If these statements were true, if you were the financiers, would you have continued the discussion? During the press conference, the Con Artist did not say that he was quoting from the minutes of the meeting. Instead, he said that the financiers told him. Something is not adding up here. In fact, this Political Chameleon said it was one of the financiers who called and told him all that happened in the meeting with the former Vice President.
Analysis: Who recommended the surgery? Was the surgery recommended by the doctor hired by the Political Chameleon? What was this Political Chameleon and his hired doctor thinking when he recommended the triple coronary graft surgery for the former Vice President, considering the risk associated with such surgery and the cost? Was it intended to incapacitate the former Vice President thereby eliminating him in the October 10, 2023, Presidential and General Elections in Liberia? Was this Political Chameleon working with a group that does not want the former Vice President to participate in the election? It seemed this Political Chameleon was working with a group that wanted the former Vice President eliminated from the race of October 10, 2023. It is this group that promised to bankroll the cost of the surgery, if the former Vice President had gone for the triple bypass surgery.
After the former Vice President rejected the triple bypass surgery scheme, he collaborated with his partners after he had told them that the former Vice President was broke and he needed money for his campaign, and they jointly developed the scheme of the US$30 million; and he was to sell this to the former Vice President, which he did. But the question is, was Con Artist successful in selling the deal? Here again we believe that this Political Chameleon failed for the second time because the Former Vice President did agree to the surgery nor the US$30.0 million scheme. However, the trip to Accra on March 16, 2023, was for the former Vice President to get the identity of the so-called financiers.
One interesting thing to note is that the Political Chameleon met the serious and powerful people in room 309 at Boulevard Palace Hotel and seven days after his press conference, a political leader of one of the original CPP met, according to Frontage Africa, another high-power delegation at Boulevard Palace Hotel in the same room 309. Was this a coincidence or can we say that these were the same people that the Political Chameleon met on January 13, 2023. It seems that room 309 at Boulevard Palace Hotel is reserved for such meetings. Were these the same people that were/are bank rolling the Political Chameleon? In fact, was there a US$30 Million? Our answer to this question is a big “NO”. There was never US$30 million to support a campaign. Selecting the Con Artist as a running mate would have driven 90% of the Former Vice President supporters. And this is what the Con Artist and his financiers wanted.
Was the prophecy given to the Political Chameleon real or false? Because the Con Artist is a GREEDY MAN, that is why he felt for the prophecy and the US$30 million campaign financing stories. It seems that these same people arranged with the Man of God to sell the presidential idea to the Con Artist to distract him from the Senatorial race, since it was observed that he might be a threat to the current Senator in Montserrado County. Fortunately, Henry fell for the presidential prophecy and the US$30 million.
Greed is a human vice that if systematically cultivated the inevitable result is nothing less than the collapse of human intelligence. Anyone driven by this vice loses the power of seeing things as they really are, and such a person becomes incapable of understanding and solving the most elementary problems of everyday existence.
A man of greed lacks the power to comprehend what he is told. He loses his sense of judgment and ability to rationalize what he is told. Because of greed, the Con Artist forgot the Election Laws of Liberia-1997. Let me refresh your memory. Article 8.3–Limitation of Election Expenses, expenses per party/coalition/alliance. “Election expenses shall not be incurred or authorized by a party/coalition/alliance more than Three Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$3,500,000.00).” It is alleged that the CDC has purchased approximately 100 pick-ups and over 250 motorbikes for the campaign process. The National Elections Commission needs to investigate this, because the cost of the pick-ups alone at US$35,000.00 per pick-up equaling US$3,500,000.00 excluding the cost of the motorbikes. These costs exceed the limits of expenses as per the law.
The Con Artist ran for Representative seat in District #6, and his performance was very poor. Is this the person that financiers would support for the presidency? This Con Artist just wanted publicity and this he got. Maybe what they wanted was to get the former Vice President to buy into the scheme and they would arrange for a non-Liberian to give some money to him, and they would record the scheme and give it to the Election Commission. And this would be used to ban him from contesting because the Election Laws forbid receiving money from non-Liberians.
Conclusion:
There was never a PROPHECY or US$30 Million. What is true is that the Con Artist was an agent of one of the presidential candidates, who felt that the former Vice would be a threat to his or her presidency. But many Liberians believe the stories of the prophecy and US$30.0 million.
Liberia has become a gullible society. This means the failure of social intelligence in our society. Gullible people are easily tricked or manipulated into an ill-advised course of action. Even some of the so-called well-learned executives have become gullible and the Political Godfathers/Godmothers have taken advantage of their gullibility to control them. These Godfathers/Godmothers have planted their political gigolo in many of the political parties and these political gigolos are pretending to be genuine supporters of these parties. Political gigolos bear more than one political party membership. They are often aligned with the RULING PARTIES and because of the role they are playing in these parties, the political leaders trusted them. Do not trust political gigolo. Today these political gigolos/prostitutes are now leaving these parties and returning to the parties where their loyalty lies. As we approach September ending many of them will return to their original parties or the parties they supported in the past. Someone has observed that many of the political advocates might contest as independent candidates and the question is, why?
The Big Lies
Many years ago, Dr. Amos C. Sawyer ran a program on ELBC Radio and ELTV called “University Hour”, where he invited guests to discuss the issues of the country. We remembered one such program with Dr. Joseph Saye Guannu. Dr. Sawyer asked Dr. Guannu asked, “If you were asked to name three GREAT PRESIDENTS OF LIBERIA, what would your answer be?” Of the 20 presidents at the time, he named Joseph J. Roberts, Edwin J. Barclay, and William V. S. Tubman. This was in the late 1970s. Many of us were disappointed because he did not name Tolbert, who was president at the time. When he was asked by Dr. Sawyer why these three, he said “Joseph J. Roberts because he proved to the world that a black man can manage and run a democratic government, Edwin J. Barclay because he prevented Liberia from becoming a protectorate of the League of Nations after the Fernando Poo Crisis and Tubman for the modernization introduced along with the Open Door Policy”. He continued and said that the greatness of a leader is not determined during his or her administration because he or she might do something that would wipe out all the good deals. He said these words because he knew that people would ask why he did not name William R. Tolbert, Jr. If we were not lying to President Weah, maybe he would have done much better than he is doing. We know what Big Lies have done in many countries (Germany 1929, Haiti 1959, Italy 1930, America 2020, Rwanda 1994, and the list goes on. If the Big Lies continues in Liberia, we might experience violence during and after the October 10, 2023, elections results are announced. We are living watches of what happened in districts #13 and #15 in 2020. That was just the tip of what might happen in 2023 if the Big Lies continue, Liberia will become a Nazi Country. You all know what happened in Germany when it became a Nazi’s Nation under Adolf Hitler. If we continue the BIG LIES, this country would be sitting on a SILENCE BOMB. If this BOMB GOES OFF, MANY MIGHT DIES AND MANY MORE WOULD BE INJURED. If this happens, the blood of the innocent people, who might be affected will be on the hand of the political leaders. We encourage political leaders to start educating their supporters now and stop encouraging lies if we want PEACEFUL Elections.
We will leave you with these words, IGNORANCE ALLIED WITH POWER IS THE MOST FEROCIOUS ENEMY OF JUSTICE, PEACE, and GOOD GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT. THESE ARE WISE WORDS TO ALL LIBERIANS, YOUR VOTES COME OBCTOBER 10, 2023 WILL DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF LIBERIA YOU WANT FOR YOURSELF, CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN.
