Posted July 13, 2007
Prioritize Security Now Or Dark Cloud Hangs Over Liberia
When UNMIL pulls out.......
By Thomas Kai Toteh
Senior Staff Writer
tnyantk@yahoo.com
Every stable nation derives its strength from the
security of the state. A powerful nation is a result of a well trained,
reliable, trustworthy, and disciplined security system as well as the armed
forces. Every sector of a nation can be effective, fruitful, and rewarding
only under a fair security atmosphere. To have a workable criminal justice
system is to first have a workable and a well coordinated security system.
To have a protected border, free of insurgent activities is to have well
prepared and nationalistic armed forces.
Let us hit the nail on the head now-and stop going
around the bush. Liberia is in the state of uncertainty ever since the Unity
Party-led government set up or began the restructure of security in Liberia.
The incident at the Free Port of Monrovia on July 9, Monday morning, was not
the first of its kind; it has just reminded us again that yet, we have
problems with our civil security system. But many Liberians believe these
incidents are inevitable after 14 years of civil war.
However, when Liberians went to the polls in 2005 to
elect a post war government, the first and most important thing written on
their faces and manifested in their resolution was to elect a government
that would ensure the overall security of the nation. This was the priority
of the voters (security). As stated above, a good security breeds so many
good things of life: peace, free movements and happiness, profusion of food,
education, and all other basic human needs by all.
This is not the time to compare and contrast
administrations. This is not the time to shift blame. This is not the time
to play party politics. This is not the time to let history repeat itself or
to believe that because history can repeat itself so it must always repeat
itself in Liberia. This is the time to not let history repeat itself. The
saying “Let bygones be bygones” means we don’t want history to repeat
itself, especially in Liberia. History has repeated many times in Liberia
and its repetitions left nothing but abject poverty, and diseases, hatred
and malice, destruction and immoralities.
The current state of affairs in Liberia is very urgent
and needs careful and serious attention. The Unity Party led-government must
begin to re-examine the components of Liberia’s national security. The Unity
Party led-government must yield to good and constructive advices from
citizens, journalists, political activists and oppositionist as well as
students on how to build a well trained, disciplined, responsible, and
patriotic security. The Unity Party led government must begin to start
reading letters to the editors, editorials, commentaries, and begin
listening to radio talk shows and all other programs that aim at the
sustainability of Liberia.
Let the government be transparent. For the government
to be transparent is to make the people participate fully in critical
decision makings; such as the appointments of heads of various security
divisions in the country. The recent security fracas at Monrovia Free Port,
no doubt suggests that Liberia is in the state of uncertainty, and a thick
dark cloud hangs over her when UNMIL pulls out. This is serious, whether we
believe or not; today is Liberian National Police (LNP) vs. Liberian Seaport
Police (LSP) and tomorrow it could be Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) vs.
National Security. We either act now or become a state that never rises
again; God forbids
