A February 22 news article published by the Ledger-Enquirer carried the bold heading: “Liberian candidate makes visit to Randolph County”. Underneath the bold heading was the subheading: “Visit to ancestral home prompts call for racial unity, cooperation”. Mr. Harry Franklin, state editor, wrote the article. The subject of the article was one George Kiadii. I found certain aspects of the news story quite troubling and outright misleading, and in a few instances, comical.

In the first sentence, the reader is told Mr. George Kiadii is a presidential candidate in the upcoming Liberian national elections. But is Mr. Kiadii a presidential candidate for the upcoming national elections? He may have intentions of declaring his candidacy, but has he officially declared his candidacy? I am quite familiar with the list and that list does not include Mr. Kiadii’s name. So why does the story refer to him as a presidential candidate?

The article also refers to him as, “Liberia’s former ambassador-at-large for trade and commerce”, as if it were a job title he actually held at one point. According to my understanding, the title was a ceremonious title bestowed upon him under some dubious circumstances. What trade deals did he negotiate and for whom?

Obviously, his audience was impressed by his revelation. Here is what Randolph County Commission Evans Simmons was quoted saying: “I can’t see how Randolph County can’t benefit from developing relationships with African republics. We can build trade tides to gain strategic materials such as cocoa, rubber and precious hardwoods. They have tremendous resources. Our people need to see what a real business presence is and get oriented to present themselves to business”.

The preceding quotation leaves one baffled. Is Mr. Kiadii seeking mutual benefits for citizens of Liberia as well as the citizens of Randolph County or is he seeking to mortgage the resources of the Liberian nation in a one-sided deal? In other words, is he attempting to exploit the Liberian people for whom he declares his love and concern? The most pertinent question is, does he have the ability to deliver what he is promising? I invite Mr. Kiadii to respond openly to these questions herein raised, if he chooses.

The further one reads the article under review the more perplexing it becomes. Speaking of Randolph County, he is quoted saying, “When we traced our departure, it seems like some of our great-great grandparents that were there before the 1800’s later left and created a settlement in Liberia”. One wonders whether Mr. Kiadii is referring to the general Americo-Liberian ancestry or his personal ancestry. Is it not time to start working as one group of Liberians? Why is it necessary to trace our origins elsewhere? Can’t we simply be Liberians? Must we continue to play that same old tired game of division?

According to the article, there are about “12 candidates seeking the presidency”. The presidential list of contenders is over-crowded, to the dismay of many including myself. The fact is there are about three to four times as many candidates as Mr. Kiadii claims there are, and Mr. Kiadii knows it, or at least he should. How did he narrow this huge list down to just 12?

The article tells us that Mr. Kiadii is “chairman and a bishop in the United Nations of Churches for the Service of Christ, which has some 3,500 churches…” I find that simply amazing and perplexing simply because there doesn’t seem to be as many as 3,500 churches in the country all together. If we counted all the mainstream denominations such as Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, etc, we simply don’t have that many churches. But Mr. Kiadii (or shall we say Bishop Kaidii) claims he controls that many under his pastoralship alone, yet he lives in Georgia. The fact is many of us have never heard of such a church organization: United Nations of Churches for the Services of Christ. I invite Bishop Kiadii to tell us more about his church organization.

According to the story, Mr. Kiadii believes he has “an excellent chance of being elected…” He makes a number of promises he intends to implement “when I am elected president”, according to him. Did someone forget to tell his Excellency George Kiadii he needs to officially enter the race first in order to win? If this whole business of running for the presidency to save the Liberian nation were not a tragic-comedy, it would be laughable. However, some of us don’t get the humor, we shall press for answers and let’s begin with His Excellency Ambassador Chairman Bishop President-to-be, the Honorable George Kiadii.

Finally I wonder if the “former ambassador-at-large” is using his vast knowledge in trade negotiations to convene mutually beneficial deals or is he simply on a begging tour. Here are his final comments: “We need utility trucks, trucks for the post office, vehicles for police, walkie-talkies and instruments for a marching band”. Are these for the Liberian people or the church or simply for the inaugural marching band? I can’t resist the urge to laugh, but I’ve already said this is no laughing matter. What do you think, shouldn’t Mr. Kiadii be telling the Liberian people about his candidacy first before seeking foreign assistance and alliance? I hope Mr. Kiadii seizes the opportunity to respond accordingly.