For A Better Liberia, Coca-Cola Factory Resume Is Not Sufficient

The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
November 16, 2022

Alexander B. Cummings

During the 2005 and 2011 Presidential and general elections, widespread slogans centered around the credentials of Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf- that her credentials would transform Liberia into a better country. She was widely perceived as the most qualified among the presidential wannabes that flooded the political pitch. Voters found no other candidate whose credentials matched hers.

Madam Sirleaf was the favorite candidate because she had worked for several international financial institutions including the IMF/World Bank, African Development Bank, Citibank, and as well as the United Nation which afforded her a network of international contacts. It was widely believed that these contacts would in turn help add value to her presidency, thereby making a prosperous West African nation.

With her ostensibly impeachable resume, Sirleaf’s supporters heralded her as a postwar leader who would uplift the nation from the ruins of war. Under her presidency, Liberia would be a better place. Since she was well known in the world, they argued, her stewardship would impact the economy, and infrastructure development would be accelerated at a high speed with the construction of modern buildings. Social and other essential services would be good. Business would boom which would make Liberia a new market hub, especially for European countries. And that there would be lots of investors. Job opportunities especially for youth would be un-measurable. Our educational system would be revived, and modernized with every school child having access to the internet. Education would get priority especially budgetary allotment so as to ensure that it becomes viable and unmatchable.

Ellen Sirleaf is a Conguar oldma, her supporters argued to convince voters; and, you know, the Conguar people are Americans. Some even argued: “The oldma has speed. You know Conguar people know how to run and manage the country. They are good and the best people for our country. They have the contacts.” They further argued that native people don’t know how to run the country and that they are tribalistic. If a native became president, he would give good or lucrative jobs to his tribal men. For the time Doe had power, they mismanaged the country. He gave all the good jobs to the Krahn people. Ellen, the iron lady, would straighten things up. One supporter further quipped: “You see da oldma is just waiting, as soon she is elected and inaugurated, you will see the country will open up. There will be lots of investors. The jobs will be flowing and even unqualified or illiterate people will change from job to job.

Liberians walking the streets of Monrovia will give a vivid picture of her 12 years in the Executive Mansion. The conditions in Monrovia clearly speak of the damages this Harvard-trained woman has brought to Liberia and to Liberians. Very disappointingly, instead of leaving after her failed and dismal performance, she brought in and installed this incompetent individual thus further exacerbating the worsening conditions of the people of Liberia. During a visit to Monrovia, I looked around Monrovia, trying to convince myself. I looked around to find her footprint for the 12 years and what I found was STEALING of the Taxpayers’ money. I found killings of innocent and poor people. Very disappointingly, I found insecurity in Monrovia reached to the point that one cannot pass through Waterside Road to go to my hometown, a peaceful and enterprising community, KEY, at 6 pm. I walked Mechlin or Waterside Streets to enter the people’s community for over 20 years without any intimidation. But it is a different story now. If 6 pm meets you around uptown Monrovia, you dare walk down Mechlin Street, you will have to call your mother’s real name, many told me. There is nothing in Monrovia to point at to match the Harvard-trained economist whose competence and agility in restoring Liberia amongst the comity of nations was trumpeted by her surrogates. I will suggest that Harvard should withdraw the Degree.

Just as much was said or publicized about Ellen’s credentials, so too was the whistle is blowing on the political pitch in these pre-elections seasons. A good number of friends and other political fanatics are trumpeting Mr. Alex B. Cummings and his credentials. Firstly, Mr. Cummings seems to be a good man just like any other Liberian except those who have proven themselves unworthy including Sayman Syrenius Cephus, Nathaniel F. McGill, and Bill Twehwah, three of whom are under sanction for rampant corruption, suspended and subsequently resigned.

Cephus seems to be a criminal and being implicated is not by accident. This is a young man who adopted a name that cannot be traced to any family in Liberia. He allegedly denied his own identity and refused to use his family’s name as other families do. His alleged late father popularly known as PAYME WEAH was a decent man. He was a distinguished Liberian advertiser who honestly earned a living while struggling but entertaining people in a cruel system masterminded by a handful of insensitive elites. Cephus arrogantly refused to use the surname of this nationally renowned figure. And the result of denying your identity is what he is faced with today.

Additionally, Cephus has displayed too much of arrogance and disrespect to the Attorney General, Hon. F. Musa Dean. I don’t know what his thoughts are about being Solicitor General. Anybody holding this position is answerable to the head of the office, and that happens to be the Minister of Justice otherwise referred to as the Attorney General of the Country. But Cepheus in the public has demonstrated enormous disrespect to this man who conducts his duty with diligence.

Others have served in this position but the level of insolence displayed by Cephus is very concerning.  Irrespective of who that person is, as long he has been designated as your head, it behooves you to show that respect to him. More than that, Cllr. Dean is a Professor of Law, who may have taught him. In our culture, whether he taught you or not, as long it is recognized that the person is or was a teacher in the school you attended, as a student or former student, you have to show some level of respect. But in the case of Cephus, nothing of that was shown. Prince Nicole said: “Child who says his mother will not sleep, that child too will not sleep.” Cepheus is not sleeping now. Good luck!  

For Nathaniel McGill, he was not sworn in when the news broke out that he bought a house worth more than his annual income. It will seem to me that Weah and his group had a pre-plan just to steal. This is a group of people in the first 90 days of the Government, who went to Asia to borrow money for some dubious projects and from a fictitious bank. When that news broke out, I knew right and then that Weah was for a real steal. How would you go to another continent to borrow money when the African Development Bank is in a stone-throwing area, Abidjan? Weah and his group of thieves should have started with ADB which would have helped Liberia undertake infrastructural development if they met well. But because they came with the intention of stealing, they went to Asians Bank where they would have shared the money by the time they reached Robertsfield. SO, SO CRIMINALS!  

Now without shame, McGill is claiming that he is not corrupt rather someone is using his name and the American government has it wrong. A laughable talk! Who McGill thinks he is or how is he taking the Liberian people? He wants to see himself as being so indispensable that without him, Liberia will come to stand still. Liberia is bigger than him and anyone of us. Without him, Liberia will prosper. GOODBYE, MR. THIEF.

Mr. Cummings, according to the information, worked in Corporate America. Co-cola is a worldwide company producing and marketing its products, and serving there, especially at the level Mr. Cummings has reportedly served is a laudable accomplishment not only for him but also for his country, Liberia. We are very much proud of him. By serving in a senior position in such a company confirms that Liberia is blessed with lots of talented people. Hats off to Mr. Alex B. Cummings (ABC)! We give Mr. ABC a standing ovation for the reported accolade. He brought pride and honor to mama Liberia

While we celebrate all these reported accomplishments about Mr. Cummings, basic fundamental questions need some redress. Does working at such a level in Cooperate America qualify Mr. Cummings to be President of Liberia? Is this a new standard/requirement to be the President of Liberia? Does this guarantee any good for Liberia? Hmm, why then did Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who had both cooperate/private and public sectors experiences fail as she did in her 12 years at the Executive Mansion? Mr. Cummings by all standards is very much qualified. Not only because he held a position in Cooperate America, but as our organic laws stipulate, Mr. Cummings by the fact that he is a Liberian and over 25 years of age and in good standing meaning, no criminal records like McGill, Cephus, and Tweah, is qualified to contest the Presidency. These are simple and basic requirements to be President.

Liberians, let’s get serious with solving the problems in Liberia. We have long since diagnosed the problems, and our struggle is finding a lasting or durable solution. We have, over the years, felt that we have identified the cure. In 2005, we chanted the slogan that Ellen Johnson would provide a solution to our aging problems. To justify the claims, her credentials were used. In 2017, President George Weah was referred to as someone with a big and loving heart. As a boy who grew up in a poor urban community, people thought he understood the problem, and henceforth if entrusted with state power, he would restore the hope of the urban and rural poor. This young man did not campaign and worst of all dodged debates. Is there anything happening in Gibraltar, his home community? 

Again, let the word goes forth, Mr. Cummings is a very good man. We cannot discount him. From what we are told, he did exceptionally well in corporate America. But that does not qualify him to be President of Liberia. Being a Manager for Coca-Cola is not a prerequisite to becoming President of Liberia. His credentials are being overblown by some Liberians some of whom have defended Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. In 2008, a young and one-time Senator from Chicago challenged a veteran and fine American, Sen.  John McCain. Barak Obama was discounted by Conservative Americans. Too many things were not in his favor. Firstly, black man, and little or no experience. Contesting against Sen. John McCain was an uphill battle. On the campaign trail, Sen. John McCain’s record of serving in the US Navy was a great advantage. He was seen as the favored candidate against a black man. He had all the credentials that were needed to serve as Commander in Chief of the greatest country in the world. Sen. McCain with many years as Senator coupled with a military background deeply rooted in his family, would not doubt easily walk over a new and inexperienced Senator and especially a young black man. Conservatives mainly Republicans were struggling with pronouncing his name. Sen. McCain’s record of being a POW in the Vietnam war was reverberating on the campaign trail.

But something very surprising happened that Liberians need to know this. As Sen. John McCain was using his military background to win more votes against Sen. Obama, veteran military personnel just like Sen. McCain, Rtd. Gen. Wesley Clark told him that serving in the military was not a pre-requisite to the White House. He cautioned candidate McCain to rather focus on explaining what he is capable to do and try to convince the electorates. At the end of that campaign season, an inexperienced Senator, a black young man, Sen. Barack H. Obama defeated veteran Senator John McCain, a white man.  In subsequent elections, he again beat another white American, Mitt Romney.

Liberian people, the first fool is not a fool but the second fool makes you stupid. Do we want to be stupid in 2023 and onward? In 1997, we elected a notorious criminal. If credentials were the solution to our multitude of problems, we shouldn’t have one by now. As mentioned supra, Madam Sirleaf beat everybody even including Mr. Alex B. Cummings when it comes to credentials. But what did this Harvard-trained Economist, IMF/World Bank Expert, Former Minister of Finance, and Citibank tycoon do in 12 solid years that a Manager from Coco-Cola will do? Madam Ellen John Sirleaf had both public and private sector experiences that seemingly put her in a better position to redeem Liberia and make it second to none but did that happen? Shamefully, she promulgated failed policies and endorsed massive corruption. She introduced a huge salary structure that the country’s domestic revenue cannot service.

Government is a complex entity and one must learn it to be successful. Such learning does not in any way suggest that there is a specialized institution to go to. You can do so by working in Government. But even at that, there is no guarantee.  The dismal performance of again Ellen Johnson Sirleaf defeats all purposes of arguments. But it is better than nothing. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf knew what to do but with criminal intent, she disregarded all norms and took advantage of the poor Liberian people.

The argument that Mr. Alex B. Cummings is well suited for the Executive Mansion because he served as Manager for Coca-Cola is again another deceiving tactic. A manager position in every entity is a good position. But the role of a manager is defined in keeping with the nature of the entity. In cooperate America, managers are guided by a set of principles to work by. As a manager, you have a role to play but that is minimum as compared to the owners. You are not confronted with complex and multiple situations as President of a country.  As a Manager in a company, you have to work to ensure that your assigned task is done.  To be successful, you have to work with others. TEAMWORK! One other point, we must bring to bear is unlike Cocoa–Cola, a non-governmental entity, the government is a service-oriented enterprise, not profit-driving. As such, politics or gossip does most of the work. 

Now, how can Mr. Cummings claim to be a successful manager when he failed to handle the crisis in the CPP? CPP, as we all know is a combination of many political parties with the prime objective of capturing state power. To do so, all the parties must hold together very firmly and any dispute arising within must be hammed and amicably resolved. Very strangely, under the watch of Mr. Cummings not necessarily as head of the CPP but as a very important person and official, the CPP crumbled and Mr. Cummings is seen as the head of a fragmented CPP. For Mr. Cummings to accept an endorsement from a faction of Liberty Party which was an integral part of the CPP, raised more questions about his managerial skill than answers. As a Manager, as Mr. Cummings has been portrayed in the Liberia political theater, I anticipated him using those skills from Coca-Cola to ensure that the CPP holds together. Unfortunately, Mr. Cummings is seeing swimming with another faction of the Liberty Party. 

Another area that concerns me about Mr. Cummings is integrity.  If we want to build a decent country, it suffices to say that individuals who want to lead us must exhibit character that is worthy of emulation. Their lives must be exemplary.  What I am hearing about Mr. Cummings, again, I have no reason to out-rightly doubt his credibility but doesn’t convince me of the kind of person he is being portrayed to be and paraded here. Inasmuch I think Mr. Cummings seems to be a decent man, I am wondering why is he aligning with people who seem to be tinted. Are we waiting for court conviction before we will know? Why would Mr. Cummings be seen with individuals who have been accused of lots of improprieties? More than that, some of the individuals on his campaign list have questionable characters.  It is an open secret that some of his close associates especially some of whom are on the list of his recently announced TEAM CUMMINGS are individuals who have sided with a regime that murdered our people. Some of them served in key positions in which decisions were made that affected the lives of many Liberians.

One of the complex natures of Government is politicking. This is the art one must understand and master to be effective. In Liberia’s case, the best credential is that of character. A very good character embedded with honesty, sincerity, and above all LOVE for the land is a good attribute. The latter is very important because without love, nothing will/can be done. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf pretended to love Liberia and the people, but as things stand with her 12-year rule, one cannot argue that she has a love for the country.  I can safely say, she did not love Liberia but hated Liberia. As a result of her hate for Liberia, she hurt Liberia very badly. The wounds she inflicted on Liberia are so deep that they will take a very long period of time to heal.

As we are gradually moving towards October 10, 2023 general and presidential elections, one candidate who seems to understand and live the Liberia situation is Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe. Cllr. Gongloe is an embodiment of Liberian society. As a demonstration of such phenomena, his plans for Liberia are very simple and not difficult to understand. On his pre-campaign drives, he has been very consistent about what he intends to do when he is elected, President of Liberia. He has all the credentials, not the one of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf neither ABC has, but one that will take Liberia to be where the country is supposed to be. Cllr. Gongloe will indeed build a country based on the rule of Law. This principle when practiced and live by it, will make Liberia to be one of the best in Africa, to say the least. Rule of Law encompasses every other thing one may think to make a country better.

In addition to the Rule of Law which will be the hallmark of his government, Cllr. Gongloe will build indeed a functioning and wholesome society. A society in which Liberians will have the opportunity to realize their God’s given talent. In that society, Liberians will not be denied the opportunity to pursue their dreams and excel in the area they wish for. He will ensure that people are lifted from mats to mattresses. He will also ensure that there is sufficient food in the country by creating the means for Liberians to grow and produce their own food especially rice the staple. For a better Liberia, Cllr. Gongloe is the best candidate.