Interview With Maritime: A Job Well done
A Letter From Arthur Doe
The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
June 7, 2006
Maritime Commissioner
John S. Morlu |
I am very much grateful, first, to God for our existence,
for at least we can breathe air, and second, to you
for the exclusive interview you held with Mr. John Morlu,
Liberia's Maritime Commissioner. I must admit that the
interview was to the point, and I think that the learned
Commissioner performed to his best.
However, I must say here that the Commissioner has been
with the Maritime Organization for over twenty years
now and all that were said would have been done before
the civil war. Even before the war, there were greater
opportunities for the Maritime to excel in its short
and long terms goals. The then President at the time,
the Late President Samuel K. Doe, though as it was said
in the Liberian quarters that he was illiterate, was
developmentally prudent. He engaged in the building
of our country infrastructures, to include roads, public
buildings such as the damaged Libyan building in Sinkor,
the unfinished Defense Ministry in Congo Town, the Liberian-Japanese
Friendship Hospital in Sinkor and many others. Although
the Late Doe's human rights record were disgraceful
and draconic, He had infrastructural vision for the
country. The Maritime Commissioner and its staffs, including
Mr. Morlu, sat there and did nothing to advance or compete
with other non-Liberian maritime operations. Maybe,
the learned Maritime veteran may argue that he was not
the head of the organization at that time, and so he
could not do anything. Okay, I will pass by this. Is
he really ready to take the Maritime Bureau to the next
level? Yes, Liberian Maritime has a good program but
only benefit certain individuals. To name them, don't
ask me.
Now, having said that I am recommending to the Commissioner
that a Maritime Building be constructed in Liberia to
attract international ship owners; that maritime offices
be increased and established in every maritime member
country or ; that the Liberian representative to the
IMO and the Commissioner make quarterly report to the
Liberian government and said report be published in
the electronic and print media for the Liberian people
own education; that the Maritime Bureau be autonomous
and a Board be established to include the Ministries
of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Commerce, Transportation,
Planning and Economic Affairs, Justice, Defense, Liberia
Chambers and Commerce, Liberian Bar Association and
at least three Prominent Liberians.
The Bureau of Maritime Affairs is a strategic entity
that all eyes are on. In this new Liberia with our Iron
Lady being the Head of State is doing all within her
means to put Liberia first above all. We must rally
around her to deliver the good, despite our political
ideologies. If you can take a shovel or broom to clean
the streets, please don't wait for approval; do it and
do it good. I have no doubt that the Maritime and its
Commissioners can make the different. With President
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in power, every official in this
government will strive to do it right or else your ass
will be kicked, oops! I am sorry.
Therefore, I urge Commissioner Morlu to take the Maritime
serious and avoid partisans’ politics. Work with
the President and the Liberian people and stay away
from the pockets of individuals who are bent on swindling
our coffers. We have come a long way, and we will forget
the past. Now that we are here, the question we should
ask ourselves is: what next? Liberia needs basic infrastructures,
and it is depending on the proceeds from the Maritime
and other income generating areas to engage in such
infrastructural development. So, please do it right.
Arthur Weah Doe
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