Charles Taylor’s Bush Mansion Discovered

Forum
Monrovia, Liberia

Distributed by

The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia

Posted April 5, 2005

 

When he sounded his revolutionary bell under the banner of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), he was not hanging in the air nor sitting upon branches of trees calling and evoking pro-Quiwonkpa sentiment aimed at winning the crusaders who galloped for spears, stones, machetes, guns, and other warlike materials but it was right in this house from which he would blow his bugle. This discovered Executive Mansion located in the bordering town of Gborplay, Nimba County, certainly provided taste not only for state power but created deep into Taylor’s dream and vision, a time when he (Taylor) would ever rise to the Executive throne at the Executive Mansion in Monrovia.

Although far away was the Gborplay Mansion from Monrovia, it helped to rehearse the then rebel leader sit like president, act like president and talk like president. He would promise to raise the standard of the little hamlet, upon his ascendancy to state power as well as its deserving sons and daughters. But unfortunately so, the impression and image being built in the minds of the citizens soon turned the other way around as he (Taylor) could no more remember the look of Gborplay not to mention those fine revolutionary songs being sung under the jubilant dust of this town thereby infusing a true sense of heroism in the then rebel leader. If it was Gborplay, it was Taylor all the way and nothing else even in the face of unjustified executions of prominent sons and daughters thereof. If it was Gborplay, it was regarded heaven or hell-heaven because freedom to life depended upon the decision of him (Taylor) while hell because it was when many persons perceived to be anti-revolution were “zeroed”.

Our reporter who traveled to that part of Liberia on a site seeing tour discovered a visible regret of the citizens who said they and their towns were being used by Taylor only for his selfish political gains.

“Just as he left this building, just as it is”, said an elder who preferred not to be named. “We regret that untold innocent blood was wasted on our ground and we find it difficult to justify, “said a young man who claimed to be professional builder.

Chatting with several young men and elders of the town our reporter also discovered the glaring neglect of Mr. Taylor not only the cause and principle upon which his NPFL revolution was launched, but from where he had come and to where he was leading.

“While the Gborplay Mansion was being consciously forgotten, his White Flower in Monrovia was receiving marble tars and highly sophisticated building materials from France and Europe,” observed a staunch member of the NPFL revolution.

Many Nimbaians are left to wonder why Taylor, like previous leader including Samuel Doe elected to consider and treat them like devils when in fact they respectively embraced their ascendancy to power with all of their might, hearts and love.

Nimba County is regarded in most circles as political triumph card, not only due to its size and population, but owing largely to its deceit less and unconditional love for leaders along the roadway to power.

As it appears many Nimbaians are refusing to jump down the fence and partake in revolutionary songs and actions given their fresh lessons from the class of Taylor. Their traditional method of uniting to award or grant unconditional passports to hunters of state power seems to be revisited because according one opinion leader,” we are tired of making our ourselves as bread for others.”

With Nimba appearing to be sitting on the fence, it looks difficult for one to draw a conclusion as to who could possibly lead the race come next election.

Thus those seeking power depending on their strength of mere rhetoric will have to correct the wrongs of Taylor in terms of doing practical things that the eyes may see and the hand feel if they are to reach their desired political destiny.

Believably as for the citizens of Gborplay taking into account Taylor’s abandoned Executive Mansion they are reminded of how most politicians are good at making promises but poor at transforming them into practical reality.


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