Liberia needs to Invest in Agriculture and Transportation to End Extreme Poverty

                                                                                  

                      

Liberia needs to Invest in Agriculture and Transportation to End  Extreme Poverty

Development is the sustainable availability of socio-economic opportunities for everyone in a particular society. The Government has the authority and responsibility to ensure this happens. This simply means that development must be inclusive, and rights based and intentionally deliberate. I chose to define development in such simple manner because I want my readers to grasp the context of this paper from the very beginning. There is a need for social economic opportunities for all Liberians. When all Liberians thrive, Liberia will prosper. Liberia’s longstanding development strategy has not worked for centuries because it has focused on the exportation of primary goods or commodities. The ongoing Liberian development plan that is being formulated should therefore be focused on a social economic and environmental phenomenon that relies heavily on the export of finished products and manufactured commodities rather than primary products from the country.

In Liberia, the population that lives in areas where natural resources are extracted from for export are worse off than the Center that is better off in terms of all opportunities. The gap between the rich (Center) and the poor (periphery) has been widening for decades. It still grows bigger today. Majority of Liberians survive on subsistent agriculture. Agriculture is therefore one of the key investment sectors that the Government needs to invest in as an economic growth corridor. When the country invests in Agriculture, food crop farmers and their cash crop counterparts will live profitably and the middle class in the country could grow bigger. Farmers’ income  might increase; their living standard might equally improve, and their lifespan could rise. Thankfully, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai comes with huge experience from the agricultural sector. Therefore, his campaign agenda, the ARREST Agenda, begins with an “A” (which stands for Agriculture). 

AS I SEE IT, to score significant points in reducing poverty and inequality in the country, Liberia needs to increase the production of food. Once the country can produce more for its own consumption, the surplus or excess products could be exported. Increase export from Liberia will bring in more foreign currency (fx). When the country exports more and attracts increased FX, its balance of trade condition might improve. This might lead to an increase in the income of all including rural farmers. This means that the income of those rural farmers would rise once they are able to freely access both domestic and international markets and easily transport their excess goods to markets locally and internationally. This is why the Government needs to invest massively in economic infrastructure especially roads or transportation. Connecting rural farmers to local and international markets is quintessential to bridging the poverty and inequality gap in Liberia. If other countries can lift millions of their citizens out of poverty, why Can’t Liberia lift its entire population of a little over 5 million citizens out of poverty?

AS I SEE IT, huge investment in the agricultural sector might lead to balanced political and socio-economic national development. With adequate linkages to other existing sectors, Liberia could develop into a private sector driven economy with inclusive and strong political and economic institutions. This could lead to the creation of more economic opportunities including job creation. Liberia needs to therefore invest heavily in agriculture to create a larger middle class.  An investment in agriculture requires substantial investment in the construction of roads across the country. Therefore, the National Legislature needs to place a priority on Agriculture and Roads in the 2^nd National Budget of the country under this Government. You may wish to ask, does Prof. Kaydor farm? Yes, he owns over 20 acres sugarcane farm in Harrisburg, Montserrado, his birthplace. He also engages  in other agricultural activities in his home county, Grand Kru.

About the Author: Prof. Tom Kaydor, Jr. serves as an Assistant Professor at the IBB Graduate School of International Studies. He holds a PhD from the Department of Government and European Studies, the New University, Slovenia where he specialized in International Development and Diplomacy (with Security Aspects). His dissertation topic was ‘Reconceptualizing Africa’s Regional Integration for Peace and Sustainable Development.’ He earned a Master of Public Policy (MPP) specialized in Development Policy or Development Economics with Distinction from the Crawford School of Economics and Government (now the Crawford School of Public Policy), Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. He also obtained a Master of Arts (MA) in International Relations (Highest Distinction) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) Magna Cum Laude in Political Science from the University of Liberia. Tom holds a Diploma in Leading Economic Growth from the Kennedy Graduate School, Harvard University, USA; and he holds other diplomas and certificates in professional fields from Italy, UK, Pakistan, China and Israel, Prof. Kaydor is also an Adjunct Professor of Development Studies at the AME University Graduate School. Dr. Kaydor is an evidence-based researcher, a blogger, a columnist, and a published author. One can reach him via (kaydorth@ul.edu.lr or thkaydor@gmail.com).

Prof Tom Kaydor books

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Government of Liberia Needs to Investigate the Nekoteck STEM Scholarship

 

Government of Liberia Needs to Investigate the Nekoteck STEM Scholarship

The Government of the Republic of Liberia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a Stem Scholarship for Liberian students wishing to undertake master degrees studies in the United States of America and Canada. STEM stands for Science, Tehcnology, Engineering and Mathematics. This means that for any Liberian student to qualify for such master program, he/she must have obtained a Bachelor degree in the natural Sciences. According to the Foreign Ministry, “the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are handling the  processes for this scholarship and the scholarship has been negotiated by a third party named NEKOTECH under a loan scheme” (MFA Press Briefing, 2024). The Liberian Constitution indicates that if any entity in the government would like to contract or secure a loan for Liberia, such loan must first be ratified by the Liberian National Legislature. What are the terms and conditions for the loan to fund this scholarship? Has the National Legislature ratified the loan? The President of the Republic of Liberia officially launched the scholarship program. After this, debates abound in public that the scholarship program is a “scam.” Was the President made to launch a “Scammed scholarship program”? God forbid. The President launched the scholarship program out of love for building the capacities of Liberia’s future generations. It is therefore my hope that the Scholarship program is not a “scam” as is being debated.

From my experience, the Foreign Ministry does not need a third party company to find scholarships for Liberian students wishing to write their master degrees in the Stem or any other areas. The Foreign Ministry gets scholarships from several countries around the world. For instance, the governments of Israel, India, China, Australia, Pakistan, Austria, Morocco, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Italy, the United States, Ghana, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Turkey, Mexico, and several other countries have been offering scholarships to Liberia through the Foreign  Ministry. Simply put, most if not all governments in the world have given Liberian scholarships. So, why should the Foreign Ministry get third parties like NEKOTECH involved to front for government scholarship program that is being considered a “scam”? Traditionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gets scholarships for technical, undergraduate, master, and even doctoral degrees in some instances. All that is required is that the Foreign Ministry needs to express Liberia’s interest in the areas of preference (s) that the country wants its citizens to gain an education. Interestingly also, this is a “loan scheme” that must be ratified by the National Legislature. Has the National Legislature ratified the Loan of about $26Million US?

AS I SEE IT, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can attract thousands of undergraduate, graduated/post-graduate or tertiary scholarships. The Ministry simply needs to express its interest and lobby with friendly governments. So, why should Liberia vouch for a loan scheme for 250 Liberians to study abroad for master’s degrees in the STEM area? The government does not need loan (s) and third parties to negotiate scholarships with other governments. In time past, some governments gave about five hundred scholarships annually to graduates of high schools to study from bachelor’s to doctoral degree levels. Thousands of scholarships have come through the Foreign Ministry. For example, this writer competed for and won the Australian Awards Scholarship. This was how he studied for his second master’s degree (master’s in public policy-MPP) at the Australian National University where he specialised in Development Policy or Development Economics with distinction in 2014. Why going to school, he was paid $3,000 Australian Dollars monthly ($1,500.00 biweekly) by the Australian Government. This was not a “loan scheme.” After graduation, you were required to return home and work for your county for at least 3 years before migrating back to Australia if you wanted to. Today, Liberia does not qualify for the Australia Awards Scholarship Program. Why? Because the Government through the Foreign Ministry has not requested the Australian Government to renew the program. Why can’t they? The Ministry simply needs to write a justification why Liberians need to benefit from such program again. I am certain that the many graduates from Australian Universities could help the Ministry/Government to prepare the documentation for this process based on request from the Government.

AS I SEE IT, the Government of the Republic must investigate news about the scholarship program being a “scam” so that it can quickly inform the public on the truth because students have already applied and are applying. Many more will apply because they believe in the Government. Immediate steps should/must be taken to arrest this globally embarrassing situation. Adequate steps must also be taken to tell Liberians the truth. The Government needs to urgently address this embarrassment. Therefore, the Government needs to thoroughly investigate the veracity about this scholarship program to get the facts and share with the public as soon as possible. This could help to restore and increase confidence in all scholarship processes by the Government. The Government and people of Liberia are not prepared to belief this information about a “fake scholarship” deal led by the Government. It is hoped that the Government will do the right thing.

About the Author: Prof. Tom Kaydor, Jr. holds a PhD from the Department of Government and European Studies, the New University, Slovenia where he researched International Development and Diplomacy (with Security Aspects). His dissertation topic was ‘Reconceptualizing Africa’s Regional Integration for Peace and Sustainable Development.’ He earned a Master of Public Policy (MPP) specialized in Development Policy or Development Economics with Distinction from the Crawford School of Economics and Government (now the Crawford School of Public Policy), Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. He also obtained a Master of Arts (MA) in International Relations (Highest Distinction) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) Magna Cum Laude in Political Science from the University of Liberia where he currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the IBB Graduate School of International Studies. He also holds a Diploma in Leading Economic Growth from the Kennedy Graduate School, Harvard University, USA; and he holds other diplomas and certificates in professional fields from Italy, UK, Pakistan, China and Israel, Prof. Kaydor is equally an Adjunct Professor of Development Studies at the AME University Graduate School. Dr. Kaydor is an evidence-based researcher, a blogger, a columnist, and a published author. One can reach him via (kaydorth@ul.edu.lr or thkaydor@gmail.com).

 

 

 

 

A Call on the Government to Implement Article 10 of the Liberian Constitution

In Chapter II: General Principles of National Policy, the 1986 Constitution of the Republic of Liberia states in Article 10 that “the Republic shall ensure the publication and dissemination of this Constitution throughout the Republic and the teaching of its principles and provisions in all institutions of learning in Liberia”. Since its passage, the Government of the Republic of Liberia has failed to fulfil and fully implement this part of the Organic Law of the Land. Therefore, several Liberians including scholars or researchers do not seem to understand what the Constitution says or entails. Children that were born when the 1986 Constitution was formulated and ratified by the people through a referendum are now about 38 years old. Some people blame the war for this, but this writer disagrees because the war ended in 2003 with the election of Africa’s first woman Head of State and Government, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2005.

The Liberian Constitution has not been fully disseminated by the Government, AS I see it. Those who possess printed or online copies of this Constitution either purchased it for themselves or got it through other means. The Constitution should be made a compulsory subject or course of study by the Liberian Government. This might help to remedy the knowledge or constitutional awareness gap. H.E Joseph Nyuma Boakia, President of the Republic of Liberia indicated that “there will be no business as usual” (Boakai, 2024). This agrees that there should be no bad business as usual. One old business that should not be a usual thing is the Government’s failure to fully implement this Constitutional Article or National Policy-dissemination and teaching of the Constitution of the Republic in all institutions of learning. This Constitutional clause might be simple, but it is very essential for state building of the Nation-State and the bridge of existing knowledge gap.  

Constitutional law is a body of law which defines the role, powers, and structure of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the parliament or legislature, and the judiciary. It prescribes the basic rights of citizens and, in federal countries such as the United States, Nigeria and Canada, the relationship between the central government and state, provincial, or territorial governments. Not all nation-states have codified constitutions, though all such states have a ‘jus commune’, or law of the land, that may consist of a variety of imperative and consensual rules. These may include customary law, conventions, statutory law, judge-made law, or international rules, or norms, etc. Constitutional law deals with the fundamental principles by which the government exercises its authority. In some instances, these principles grant specific powers to the government, such as the power to impose taxes and spend for the welfare of the population. Other times, constitutional principles act to place limits on what the government can do, such as prohibiting the arrest of an individual or a group without sufficient cause, etc.

In most nations, such as the Liberia, United States, India, Nigeria, Singapore, etc., constitutional law is based on the text of a document ratified at the time the nation came into being. Other constitutions, notably that of the United Kingdom, rely heavily on uncodified rules, as several legislative statutes and constitutional conventions, etc. The 1847 Constitution was suspended by the Military Junta on April 12, 1980, when the Military overthrew the Government then led by former President William R. Tolbert, Jr. The Military later transformed itself into a civilian government and enacted the 1986 Constitution of the Republic.

As I SEE IT, there is a need for the Liberian National Legislature to allocate resources in the National Budget to print and disseminate the Liberian Constitution. Some Non-Governmental Organizations in Liberia could and should take an advantage of this national gap to raise funds for the education of Liberians on their Constitution. The National Legislature and the President as Head of State need to ensure that this Constitution is taught in all institutions of learning in the Republic of Liberia. This is paramount because so many literate Liberians who should be able to understand and interpret the Liberian Constitution are simply unable to do so. Some Leaders in Liberia do not also understand the Constitution. Such people are found in all branches of the Government, the academic community and anywhere else in the Country. This is a national problem and catastrophe that must be urgently addressed. At the primary and secondary school level, the Ministry of Education needs to introduce and enforce teaching of the Liberian Constitution. As part of this subject, Liberian Civics could be lumped in and taught. At higher education and technical schools’ levels, there should be a national enforcement of the compulsory teaching of the Constitution of Liberia. AS I SEE IT, the Liberian Government needs to take an Affirmation Action to ensure that Article 10 of the Liberian Constitution is fully implemented and enforced.

About the Author: Prof. Tom Kaydor, Jr. holds a PhD from the Department of Government and European Studies, the New University, Slovenia where he researched International Development and Diplomacy (with Security Aspects). His dissertation topic was ‘Reconceptualizing Africa’s Regional Integration for Peace and Sustainable Development.’ He earned a Master of Public Policy (MPP) specialized in Development Policy or Development Economics with Distinction from the Crawford School of Economics and Government (now the Crawford School of Public Policy), Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. He also obtained a Master of Arts (MA) in International Relations (Highest Distinction) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) Magna Cum Laude in Political Science from the University of Liberia where he currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the IBB Graduate School of International Studies. He also holds a Diploma in Leading Economic Growth from the Kennedy Graduate School, Harvard University, USA; and he holds other diplomas and certificates in professional fields from Italy, UK, Pakistan, China and Israel, Prof. Kaydor is equally an Adjunct Professor of Development Studies at the AME University Graduate School. Dr. Kaydor is an evidence-based researcher, a blogger, a columnist, and a published author. One can reach him via (kaydorth@ul.edu.lr or thkaydor@gmail.com).

 

 

The Need to Conduct Chieftaincy Elections in Liberia

 

The Need to Conduct Chieftaincy Elections in Liberia

The 1986 Liberian Constitution was adopted on 6 January 1986, replacing the 1847 Constitution that had been suspended in 1980. The 1986 Constitution guarantees the rights of all Liberians, regardless of their background, tribe and religion and establishes a democratic society. 

The constitution protects fundamental rights such as the right to liberty, life, and property, as well as the right to equal protection under the law. It also prohibits slavery and forced labour. The constitution guarantees equality for all people, regardless of race, gender, origin, political party, or creed. It aims to strengthen national unity and integration and encourages citizens to participate in government (see Article 1). The president is the Head of State, Head of Government, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia. The Constitution provides for periodic elections so that the people of Liberia can freely elect their leaders. It is organized into chapters, including the structure of the state, fundamental rights, the Legislature, the Executive, the Judiciary, etc. Article 56 of the Constitution indicates that:

a.       “All cabinet ministers, deputy and assistant cabinet ministers, ambassadors, ministers and consuls, superintendents of counties and other government officials, both military and civilian, appointed by the President pursuant to this Constitution shall hold their offices at the pleasure of the President.

b.      There shall be elections of Paramount, Clan, and Town Chiefs by the registered voters in their respective localities, to serve for a term of six years. They may be re-elected and may be removed only by the President for proved misconduct. The Legislature shall enact laws to provide for their qualifications as may be required.”

Members of the House of Representatives were reminded by a communication from Nimba County District # 3 Representative, Nehker Gaye. Rep. Gaye who claimed that “the prolonged delay in conducting such elections violated Article 56 B of the 1986 constitution”. According to him and this writer agrees that “the law provides that there shall be elections of Paramount, Clan, and Town Chiefs by the registered voters in their respective localities, to serve for a term of six years, and that they may be re-elected and may be removed only by the President for proved misconduct”.  This action was in the right direction and the National Legislature must take it seriously through an affirmative action. It has been 21 years since the end of Liberia’s Civil War.

To the best of my recollection, Liberian has not held any chieftaincy elections since the end of the Civil War in 2003 that witnessed the arrival of ECOMIL which later became UNMIL, the largest UN Peace keeping troops globally then. The fulfilment of the Constitution assures democratic governance. It guarantees peace, security, and national unity. The basic unit of any society is the family. Families in Liberia have their roots from villages, quarters, towns, clans, chieftaincies, districts, and counties. The national traditional structures are organized in ways that accommodate for Quarter Chiefs, Town Chiefs, Clan Chiefs, and Paramount Chiefs. Once these traditional structures are effectively organised; they will help support the county and national government to preside over the state substructures and regulate the Republic in a decentralised and acceptable manner.

AS I SEE IT, Liberia’s acceptable cultural or traditional values could gain prominence and be upheld. I can recall that back in 2004/2005 we formed part of a research team sponsored by UNDP through a national NGO called RECEIVED that undertook a research project on the traditional forms of peacebuilding in Liberia. That research found out that the traditional structures of the state, which help to build and keep peace locally and nationally, have broken down. That research also found that intermarriage can promote peace and curb national, tribal cultural and religious tensions and existential conflicts in Liberia. Without doubt, all chiefs around the country are acting. They are not elected in line with Article 56B of the Constitution.

AS I SEE IT, after electing a new national government in 2023; this is another opportunity for the government to restore an elected national structure in line with the Constitution of the Republic. Constituting this community-based leadership structure will not only help the leadership and governance of local communities, but also, support the national government to lead legitimately. The National Legislature needs to ensure that these local elections are held across the country to help resolve the crisis of legitimacy. Liberia needs elected chiefs in the villages, towns, clans, chiefdoms, districts, counties, and country at large. By so doing, Liberia would have a constitutionally recognised national and local constitutional authority. The National Government with its authority will not be every where but these locally elected traditional authorities will be there to administer and lead the local communities. The National Legislature must ensure that the National Elections Commission appear before its relevant budget committees to present and discuss the budget for these elections and put this in the National Budget for the Executive to sign. The Liberian Immigration Service (LIS) is present at 48 of the 178 entry points around Liberia. Undoubtedly, these local authorities have also been keeping the borders and entry points intact. They help to keep law and order as well as build or and make peace.

 

About the Author: Prof. Tom Kaydor, Jr. holds a PhD from the Department of Government and European Studies, the New University, Slovenia where he researched International Development and Diplomacy (with Security Aspects). His dissertation topic was ‘Reconceptualizing Africa’s Regional Integration for Peace and Sustainable Development.’ He earned a Master of Public Policy (MPP) specialized in Development Policy or Development Economics with Distinction from the Crawford School of Economics and Government (now the Crawford School of Public Policy), Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. He also obtained a Master of Arts (MA) in International Relations (Highest Distinction) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) Magna Cum Laude in Political Science from the University of Liberia where he currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the IBB Graduate School of International Studies. He also holds a Diploma in Leading Economic Growth from the Kennedy Graduate School, Harvard University, USA; and he holds other diplomas and certificates in professional fields from Italy, UK, Pakistan, China and Israel, Prof. Kaydor is equally an Adjunct Professor of Development Studies at the AME University Graduate School. Dr. Kaydor is an evidence-based researcher, a blogger, a columnist, and a published author. He can be reached via (kaydorth@ul.edu.lr).