has been a common practice for past and present administrations.  

The common people, whom government usually blames for dirtying Monrovia, would play their part by agreeing and cooperating with City Corporation by relocating to government’s designated market grounds.  The primary explanation that government gives to street peddlers and marketers, in addition to keeping the city clean, is to reduce traffic hazards, fix the streets for free flow of traffic and beautification.  

Sooner or later, it is realized that the only works done on those streets are what Liberians call, “patched-patched” a temporary reconditioning that lasts only during dry season. Since 1847, streets of Monrovia, our pride and dignity, had benefited only from “patched-patched” when guests were and are expected in the city. In fact, the roads and streets’ reconditioning is mainly focused on Broad Street, and the road leading from Robert International Air Port through Paynesville and Somalia Drive to OAU/Hotel Africa, the suburb of Monrovia.   

The outskirts of Central Monrovia, including Gardnersville, Duala, Paynesville, Logan Town, Caldwell, and so on-did see and may not see good roads forever, or for centuries. It is amazing to know, that, top government officials, driving fabulous cars and SUVs reside in these areas full of dilapidated roads.  

When a Liberian becomes a government official, the first dream, is a nice car; the second dream is to steal and build a mansion in the shortest possible time. This practice had been and is, and maybe forever, God forbids.  Every Liberian regime had promised to develop Liberia, beginning with the nation’s capital, but would later ask the people to be patient-as “patient dog eats the fattest bone.”  Patient dog doesn’t get at all sometimes. 

“Yor wait, wait, wait, things will improve. The investors will come. The blue print is in the making. Yor know the problem we inherited from the past regime,” government would tell the citizens. The people have been waiting since J.J. Roberts, Stephen Allen Benson, all the way to William VS Tubman, William R. Tolbert until the civil war, yet, the heart of our capital remains disgusting.  

Frustratingly, while waiting, the term passed by so quickly or they are removed by force as “time waits for no man.”  

The next regime continues the old song and slogan, “Yor wait, wait, wait, things will improve. The predecessor stole all the money, and so and so,” Amen, Hallelujah! 

“No money, the country is broke,” government would tell the citizens. How big is Monrovia by the way? How many millions do we need to fix our streets in Monrovia-not even including the suburbs? The millions stolen by pre-war regimes can not easily be traced, but right before our eyes, how many millions is Edwin Snowe sitting on right now? How many millions is Gyude Bryant sitting on? How many Millions are Urey and Allen sitting on right now? What happens to Taylor’s millions in Swiss bank? Yet, we appear poor to international donors.   

But Hundreds of fabulous cars and SUVs belonging to government officials, and paid for by tax payers, ride around on deplorable streets of Monrovia shamelessly. What time? How long should the poor people wait to enjoy the comfort of their city and country as a whole before death strikes?  

Why it must always be the poor people to bear this patience? Senators and representatives grumble if their checks and allowances are not fat. They grumble if their fabulous cars are not purchased by government. How many laws have they passed aimed at stopping unnecessary expenditures to substitute for lasting pavement of our streets?