The "All Liberians Are Related" Mentality: Will President Weah Go After His Relatives?

By Abdoulaye W. Dukulé
Contributing Writer

Many scoffed when President George Weah said that corruption could not be fought in Liberia because everybody is related. It sounded like a naïve statement to some while others argued that he was accepting and condoning corruption. What if he was right? A few years back Dr. Elwood Dunn told me that power will always be a family thing in Liberia, and for a long time. The colonization has created a class of dominants, who did whatever they could to preserve their wealth and power through lots of means. In reaction, the oppressed people developed their own system of resistance and strengthened their bounds. The nucleus of each system was the family. The family extends into religious, fraternal and generational cubs.

In Liberia, once you introduce yourself to someone, the first thing people ask is “Which Kamara?”. People always attempt to link everyone to the family. President Sirleaf was called the Old Ma. Mr. Weah proudly wears his Country Giant jersey. The future military hospital will also wear his football jersey number. Institutions are corrupt or weakened because of the incestuous relationship between social actors. It’s a small town and everyone knows everyone. President Sirleaf complained about the fact that whenever she wanted to fire or prosecute someone, the whole town, from the Imam to the Pastor to her own family members would come begging.   

I saw it at play very close. In 2015, I decided to stay in Monrovia away from the July ’26 celebrations that were being held in Sinoe. But on the eve of the festivities, a friend called from Greenville and asked me to come to see him right away. When we met, he gave me a document. “I just received this from some young people who have been hired by some officials to review and make changes to it. They said they know how to manipulate the numbers, but they were not good writers. They came to me to help them with the language. I read it. I think the President should see this GAC Audit. I don’t want to touch this, for a few thousand dollars. The Old Ma and I are not in too good terms presently, but she needs to see this. The guys are working now, right here. From NOCAL to inside GAC. Some of them are here.”

I took the audit report and schemed through it. It was disheartening. It was bad. I gave it to Mrs. Ethel Toles who passed it on to the President. Later, she came to me and said: “thank you.” I left for Monrovia.

The next morning, someone from NOCAL came to my house at 8 and spent thirty minutes trying to convince me not to “circulate” or pass the documents to the Ol ma. I listened to the arguments the person raised. It was all about how many people and families would be hurt by something that would also embarrass the President. The person promised to be very grateful. I just listened yet along and finally, the person asked how we can’t make this thing get out in the median and suggested that the press is not always free. The person added: “I have been trying to reach you all know but I know you were attending the beach party behind the residence.” I finally said: “I am sorry the President has already the report.”

A week later, the President dissolves the Board of NOCAL and hundreds of people were let go. The country suddenly found out the national oil company was a dry pit. Honorable Jay Nagbe Sloh, in the current House of Representatives, was the person who called me and gave me the Audit Report. The President stopped the bleeding but failed to prosecute anyone. The board was filled with people she had “known” for decades. They come to her house for breakfast or late-night snacks. She took the blame for the family, the friends, and the church. Will President George Weah go one step further? Not just stop the bleeding but punish the thieves and criminals?

Liberians accept the existence of corruption. They see people who enter government one day and the next day they are building castles, sending their children to school in Japan or America, taking medical trips to India or London. In rare cases, political rivalries catch up with some people, but the system continues.

The clan mentality born out of the colonial system is a reality. Its effects are disastrous on the nation. This is not something anyone can legislate but a true leader would enforce the laws.
Minister Eugene Nagbe is said to have promised that heads would roll at the end of the investigation of the “disappearance of 16 billion Liberian dollars” between the port and the Central Bank… Really, Mr. Minister?