I must admit that history serves as a lesson so that mistakes committed either advertently or otherwise would be avoided. I must also agree that it is sometimes expedient to use the immediate past history of a nation and a people to examine and predict the future. However, I found it difficult to accept the assumptions and suppositions by Rodney D. Sieh, under the above title on his analysis on what he felt Liberians were waiting to see if Mr. Willis D. Knuckles, who is appointed to head the Ministry of Public Works, would use his position to enrich himself.

It is important that all of us become vocal on national issues so that we can examine individuals who are being appointed to head positions of trust and contribute our share to the improvement of the nation. The freedom we have to speak must be backed by a determined desire to respect others’ honor and reputation. If writers do not have facts to back their assumptions, and they go ahead and make them anyway to injure reputations built on hard work and self-sacrifice, then they have downrightly failed to uphold the tenets of journalism.

We then abuse and as a result undermine press freedom. This way, we hurt democracy in all its forms.

It will be laughable for me to remind readers in detail that our nation is recuperating from a severe war. It is a known fact and hence it is correct to assume that the new government is considering every decision it is taking to ensure that Liberians being appointed are men and women who have the country at heart. Not only that it is also to ensure that such Liberians are men and women who would sacrifice to ensure Liberia is first at all times.

Now the job of the journalist and political commentator is now in focus. The writer must create awareness by informing readers what they should expect as the national train moves from one point to another. So in discharging such a duty, the journalist and the commentator would have to be careful since he or she is also accountable to the people by not making assumptions and suppositions that cannot be backed with facts. This is important because the unfortunate war situation in the country and the perceived actions in the past have created a situation where trust is eroded. Our society has the mistaking principle to assume that the next person is not going to be honest or cannot be honest and sincere in his or dealings with himself, and placing any Liberian in any position of trust is like sending the individual to “steal” for his or her own benefit.

So now that trust and honesty have lost their place in the Liberian’s vocabulary, overwhelming numbers of Liberians have frozen their minds and would not agree that there are God-fearing Liberians who are making honest living and may not, under any circumstances, steal from the people. This is, truly, a sad situation indeed!

In Rodney’s analysis of the situation, he wrote: “He (Knuckles) is not an engineer. He is not a known administrator. He is a sport fanatic…Liberians are suspicious that he would channel monies for reconstruction contracts through his multiple, interlocking business interests.” How did the writer arrive at such a sad and hurtful conclusion? True, Knuckles is not an engineer, but he is a known administrator. I would be correct to point out that Rodney does not know Willis D. Knuckles, since it was Knuckles’ administration as the Vice Chairman of the Liberia Football Association, under the late president Samuel Doe that Liberia’s soccer talents came to light. The nation’s legendary soccer stars including super star and world renown George Weah, James Debbah, Kervin Sebwe, Jonathan Sogbie (Boye Charles), Pewou Bestman, and a host of others all came to light because of the consistent and effect administrative supervision of Mr. Knuckles at the LFA. As a sports reporter for the erstwhile DAILY STAR newspaper at the time, I witnessed the effective overseer of Willis Knuckles at the football association, which was my concentrated assignment. Not to give Willis the credit he deserves is tantamount to unfairness and lack of information needed to make a sound judgment on Rodney’s part.

As an administrator, Knuckles was consistent with policies of the LFA administration. He lived by every policy decision of the football association and he introduced youth soccer throughout Liberia. He was careful with the finances of the football association. During his tenure as the vice chairman, Liberian clubs participated in continental and sub-regional competitions. His effective administrative performance ensured that the association’s finances were judiciously used.

I’m inclined to believe that though not an engineer, President Ellen-Johnson Sirleaf was interested in someone who can make things happen. And as Rodney admitted in his piece, Mr. Willis Knuckles is presently and has always been a “successful businessman.” Knuckles’ success did not originate from his past association with the government of Liberia. And presently, he does not need any government job to improve on his business interests. He is a man who has seen the tragedy in his homeland and is desirous of serving and ensuring that she regains her glory. So to compare him with Emmanuel Shaw, Harry Greaves, Dew Mason, Charles Taylor, Stephen Tolbert, etc in his “alleged” roles with certain business partners is sadly unfortunate. I must admit to Rodney that the celebrated Adam Smith coined the phrase, “invisible hand,” but never had a hardworking man like Willis Knuckles in mind.

Though an imperfect man like any of us, Willis Knuckles has always been a man of transparency in his dealings with others. His businesses in Liberia have provided jobs for other Liberians. At the time when hundreds of Liberians were emigrating to the United States and Europe, Willis, and others stayed behind. So to think that a man of such character would abuse his position for personal gain is to miss the mark. We should be reminded that when the Liberian people chose Mrs. Johnson over other candidates, they trusted in her maturity to make decisions that would better the nation. While we have the right to question and examine all appointments being made, we should exercise a high degree of responsibility so that our zealousness does not overlook an individual’s honest reputation and his or her commitment to work for the nation. To assume to speak for the Liberian people must place a high responsibility on our shoulders. To forget that would not only be diabolical but unpatriotic.

Concluding his analysis, Rodney sadly commented: “Knuckles seemed to have a very simple goal in his business plan. He wants to become like Emmanuel Shaw. He wants to amass wealth in the shortest and surest possible way by controlling our land, our water, and our air.” Rodney’s judgment on Knuckles can make anyone cringe. I am not sure how Mr. Knuckles is taking these unwarranted analyses on his character, but one thing I can say is that we would stand accountable for whatever we say about others.

As a business man and like all business principles, profit making is its major objective. And in the case of Knuckles it is claimed that he has been overcharging Liberian consumers at his car rental business. The Liberian capitalist system makes that assumption suspect. I am aware that Willis Knuckles is not the only Liberian with a car rental company in Liberia. Since there are several car rental companies there, and the objective is making profit, how can anyone convince me that only Knuckles is overcharging Liberian consumers?

Unless we are careful in our dealings with others, we would stand accuse of our ignorance of the very democracy we are charged to defend and protect. My appeal to Rodney is that he must be careful since reputations are involved. There may be others who may have an axe to grind with others, but we should be rather careful that we are not cleverly manipulated and used to further the revenge and opposition of others.

Today, Liberians are at a crossroad. That the word “corruption” is king is no understatement. However, the assumption that any successful Liberian might have stolen the money from his or her association with the government or government entities is miserably dangerous and we must be prepared to change. There are many instances where other Liberians have been accused by others without any iota of truth. And the case with Willis Knuckles is similar. It is now time to become God-fearing once again. We should begin to respect the institution of government; we must trust ourselves to trust others.

Sorrowfully, the more we distrust others, the more we drag Liberia’s name into the mud. I know Knuckles has the necessary emotional qualities to deal with such reports about him. He would not allow unsubstantiated statements about him to overcome his desire to work with others to expend their administrative skills to salvage the responsibilities they have. I admire such tenacity, since Liberia will benefit in the end.