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This article does not
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In
Defense of the Moniba
Family
POSITION STATEMENT
In
Defense of the late
Dr. Harry F. Moniba:
A reaction to John Morlu
Campaign's scathing
assaults on the legacy
of Dr. Moniba and the
honor of his family
(Part II).
June
13, 2005
Background
On
May 20, 2005, the John
Morlu Campaign issued
a statement announcing
Morlu's defeat of Edwin
Selee, for the Standard
Bearership of the Liberian
National Union (LINU).
What hit home the hardest
was not the victory
of Morlu, but rather
the venomous outpouring
coming like a bombshell
from the John Morlu
Campaign that, "Anyone
who stands in the way
of John Morlu will be
crushed. You and your
family (Dr. Moniba)
tried to do that and
you are history. Get
used to it. This is
politics. You are mad
because John Morlu beat
your man Edwin Selee
42 to 1. John Morlu
will take LINU to a
place that you and your
entire family would
never had done".
The
John Morlu Campaign's
attacks
In
their May 20 statement
titled:" John Morlu
Defeats Selee 42 to
1 and becomes Standard
Bearer of LINU",
the John Morlu Campaign
deliberately, maliciously
and recklessly castigated
the founding father
of LINU (Dr. Harry F.
Moniba) for allegedly
failing to accomplish
what they claimed John
Morlu has achieved in
a short period of time.
They claimed: "John
Sembe Morlu has accomplished
in three months what
has taken some 3 years
to do; Today LINU is
a household name in
Liberia, a party that
was barely known three
months ago."
Whatever
the goal, the John Morlu
Campaign disregarded
basic human decency
in its mean-spirited
attacks on the Monibas.
The Campaign wrote:
"You guys are a
nobody. Moniba [Harry
Moniba] was lucky to
have been selected to
be VP [Vice-President]
over qualified people…"
It continued:"
You are jealous because
your father could not
make it so you hate
everyone…"
The John Morlu Campaign
further falsely accused
the widow and children
of Dr. Moniba of allegedly
supporting Edwin Selee,
Morlu's opponent during
the LINU Standard-bearer
race. In an e-mail exchange
with Gladys Moniba,
the youngest daughter
of the late Vice President
who questioned their
claims about LINU and
her family, the John
Morlu Campaign said,
"The Moniba's family
support for Edwin Selee
over John Sembe Morlu
did not work."
Understandably,
it is not possible,
at least for now, to
publish, "the John
Morlu Campaign's attacks"
in its entirety because
of space, despite the
overwhelming demands.
Our
Position/Reaction
We,
the supporters, friends,
and admirers of the
late Dr. Harry Fumba
Moniba, former Vice-President
of the Republic of Liberia,
are outraged, disturbed,
and disappointed with
the John Morlu Campaign's
heartless, insensitive
and unconscionable assaults
on the cherished legacy
of Dr. Moniba and the
honor of his family.
We
condemn, in the strongest
possible terms, the
reckless bluster, hateful
venoms and unwarranted
insults unleashed on
the Monibas by the John
Morlu Campaign.
We
strongly believe that
these malicious castigations
deserve denunciation
from all Liberians,
especially those who
bear ample testimony
to the selfless, invaluable
and sacrificial services
the late Vice-President
rendered to Liberia
throughout his memorable
life.
For the record, our
goal is not to elicit
guilt in a campaign
tangled in a complex
web of lies, denials
and distortions, because
the verdict is resounding
and unanimous, but rather
to jealously defend
the proud legacy of
Dr. Harry Fumba Moniba,
a great Liberian statesman.
Significantly, we are
saddened by the realization
that presidential aspirant
John Morlu has not personally
called Mrs. Moniba to
apologize or publicly
express disapproval
for the reckless attacks
on the Monibas.
We,
however, take solace
in our people's disappointment
and disgust with the
John Morlu Campaign.
It is now evidently
clear that Lofians and
Liberians in general
are troubled by the
Morlu Campaign's heartless
display of hatred and
resentment towards the
Monibas, so much so
that they are now demanding
answers to the serious
and hard questions---
Does John Morlu Campaign
understand that speaking
ills of a dead person
is nothing less than
committing a sacrilege
in the Liberian tradition?
Why has John Morlu given
silent approval to the
unprovoked onslaught
on the Monibas for the
past three weeks?
LINU
and the Monibas
Indeed,
the childish lies and
malicious distortions
the John Morlu Campaign
spewed can only amuse
those who know the history
of LINU and the roles
of the two men (Dr.
Moniba and John Morlu).
LINU was established
in 1997 by a group of
Liberians headed by
the late Moniba who
became the party's first
standard-bearer in the
1997 elections. As its
first torch-bearer during
the 1997 elections,
he, along with the hardworking
partisans of LINU, tirelessly
toiled and profusely
sweated to sustain and
expand the presence
and message of the party
throughout Liberia,
albeit the mounting
economic challenges.
As always, Dr. Moniba's
mission was to use LINU
as a bridge to national
reconciliation, reconstruction,
and reunification. From
the formation of the
party to his recent
death, Dr. Moniba walked
and drove on dangerous
roads and in inclement
weather conditions to
preach the party's philosophy
to Liberians everywhere,
both in Liberia and
abroad. He gave his
all, including his life,
to the struggle for
a bigger LINU and a
better Liberia. He died
traveling on the snow-filled
highways of America,
for a meeting to discuss
the future of Liberia
for which he cared so
dearly.
LINU
and John Morlu
Interestingly,
in all of the struggles
Dr. Moniba, his family,
and other patriotic
Liberians mounted to
build, sustain and promote
LINU, John Morlu was
nowhere to be found.
He was, in the words
of a widely-acclaimed
political observer,"
busy working very hard
for foreigners who pillage
Liberia's maritime coffers".
Thus, we are treated
to a tragic circus when
the Morlu Campaign brags
about Morlu's wealth
against his opponents,
without disclosing the
sources of his wealth.
But this is something
for an elected Liberian
government to worry
about!
Incensed
at John Morlu's heartless
silence, two disgruntled
officials of the John
Morlu Campaign revealed:
"Morlu knew he
would go nowhere near
the presidency, but
his strategy was to
buy the standard bearership
of a political party
as a bargaining chip
for an alliance with
a serious candidate
in another party who
may want a Lofa running
mate that also headed
a legalized political
party. In the end, even
if he missed the presidency
and vice presidency,
some government of inclusion
would lend him back
to his maritime job."
Now we know!
All
along, even when Dr.
Moniba was alive, Morlu
did not see LINU as
a viable political entity
into which he would
invest any time and
money. Surprisingly,
he surfaced in LINU
as lately as April of
2005 when his fishing
net failed to catch
the National Democratic
Party of Liberia (NDPL).
Morlu
Campaign's Motives
It
does not require a stretch
of imagination to unmask
the motives behind the
malicious and vicious
campaign launched against
the Monibas by the John
Morlu Campaign. Their
motives are clear and
simple: (1) To minimize
the legacy of Dr. Moniba
and humiliate his family
in order to create the
false impression that
Morlu is the most powerful
political force in the
history of LINU; to
raise the profile of
Morlu from an unknown,
untried, and questionable
foundation; (2) To settle
scores with the Moniba
family for its assumed
support for Selee, Morlu's
opponent at the LINU
convention; 3) To unleash
an entrenched animosity
on the memory of Dr.
Moniba and the honor
of his Family.
We
challenge the John Morlu
Campaign to prove otherwise!
We Challenge the John
Morlu Campaign to summon
the decency and say
what the Monibas have
done for anyone, let
alone a beneficiary
of Dr. Moniba's sweat
and looming leadership
shadow, to subject them
to hatred, resentment,
humiliation, and mental
torture!
In
defense of the Monibas
Comparing
the imaginary achievements
of John Morlu with the
admirable accomplishments
of Dr. Moniba at LINU
in three weeks, months,
or years, is as ridiculous
as weighing a mosquito
against an elephant
and judging the mosquito
heavier or larger. Morlu's
victory over Sele might
have blinded the wiseacres
hanging around John
Morlu to the hard fact
that John Morlu has
yet to go beyond the
perimeter of Monrovia
to the rest of Liberia,
where Dr. Moniba had
already taken the party.
Contrary
to the false and misleading
allegations of the Morlu
Campaign, the Moniba
family has not supported
any candidate of LINU
or any other political
party in Liberia. Prior
to the LINU Convention,
Mrs. Moniba publicly
announced that she and
her family are not supporting
any candidate, because
they were still mourning
the irreplaceable loss
of Dr. Moniba.
The
Morlu Campaign's claim
that their candidate
"helped Liberians,
Lofians and Gbandi people
more than Dr. Moniba"
is stupid since their
myopic political lenses
failed, as always, to
see a wider prism of
the help that this exemplary
public servant gave
to all Liberians. Dr.
Moniba was a leader
of integrity, committed
to putting the national
interest above individual
interest, and the only
thing he refused to
do for people, including
his own family, was
to engage in nepotism
and corrupt practices
in order to help them.
As Vice-President, he
resisted the temptation
of accepting bribes
and turned down an offer
by a government agency
to furnish his residence
in Monrovia.
Dr.
Moniba, they need to
know, helped Liberians
write their first homemade
constitution that guarantees
greater liberties and
rights for all of our
people. Dr. Moniba also
helped our country put
in place the multiparty
system that broadened
the base for citizen
participation in the
political process today,
a system that guarantees
even a John Morlu the
right to run for president.
Highlights of Dr. Moniba's
Contributions to Liberia
It
might interest the John
Morlu Campaign to look
at the highlights of
the public service credential
of Dr. Moniba. In 1975
Dr. Moniba was appointed
as Director of Research
at the Ministry of Education.
From 1976 to 1980, he
served as the First
Secretary & Consul
of the Embassy of Liberia
in Washington D.C and
Ottawa, Canada. From
1980 to 1981, he functioned
as the Assistant Minister
of Foreign Affairs for
European Affairs at
the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Monrovia, Liberia.
From 1981 to 1984, Dr.
Moniba served as the
Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary
of the Republic of Liberia
to the Court of St.
James, London, England,
the Holy See (Vatican)
and the Sovereign Military
Order of Malta, Rome,
Italy, with residence
in London. In 1984,
he was appointed as
the Vice President of
the Interim National
Assembly Government
of Liberia. In October
1985, he was elected
Vice President of the
Republic of Liberia
on the ticket of the
National Democratic
Party of Liberia (NDPL).
As
Vice President, he served
with distinction and
consistency of character
and integrity, as he
never allowed himself
to be mired by corruption
or civil or human rights
violations. His dream
was to make Liberia
a peaceful nation while
helping to build freedom
and prosperity for its
people. Throughout his
lifetime, Dr. Moniba
received numerous honors,
recognitions and awards.
However, the Human Rights
Award he received from
the Liberian Human Rights
Chapter in 1994 was
held closest to his
heart, for it highlighted
his tireless efforts
and unwavering dedication
to the protection of
human life and dignity.
In
addition to his selfless
and outstanding works
for Liberia, he was
also an accomplished
writer completing two
books. The first, written
in 1992, was "Liberian
Politics Today: Some
Personal Observations."
Dr. Moniba stated: "In
this work, I attempted
to tell my fellow Liberians
some problems in national
leadership from my vantage
point as Vice President
of Liberia from 1984
to 1990, and how Liberians
can avoid future conflicts
and dangerous pitfalls
of blind partisanship
and ethnicity in good
governance. In "A
Vision of the Future,"
an unpublished manuscript
which was written in
1994, Dr. Moniba stressed:
"In this second
work, I, again, tried
to advice Liberians
about what we need to
do in postwar Liberia
in order to ensure national
unity, political stability
in governance, and socio-economic
development. I further
emphasized the need
for every Liberian to
have a new vision of
a Liberia based on social
justice, respect for
human rights and the
rule of law. I also
admonished my countrymen
to remember that what
had happened to us during
the civil war should
be a lesson for everyone
to learn from in our
arduous task for national
reconstruction and reconciliation."
During
his lifetime, Dr. Moniba
generously donated to
several charities including
the Group of 77 (handicapped
Liberians). He sponsored
two schools-a Junior
and Senior High School,
named in his honor,
to which he continually
donated and assisted
during Liberia's civil
war. Additionally, he
was a strong supporter
of youth development,
sports and recreational
activities, not to mention
his passionate affliction
with soccer.
Dr.
Moniba's overarching
goals were working to
encourage fellow Liberians
to bring reconciliation,
peace, stability, and
national unity. With
the passing of Dr. Harry
Fumba Moniba, we have
lost a great husband,
father, brother, uncle,
friend, political icon,
and patriot. He can
never be replaced and
will be sorely missed.
With his unwavering
and relentless dedication
to the Liberian society,
we have truly lost an
exemplary leader.
Conclusion
We
are humbled to pay glowing
tributes to the officials
and partisans of LINU
for their dedication
to the cause of a stronger
LINU and a prosperous
Liberia. We are also
proud to express the
sentiments of our highest
regards to the distinguished
partisans who were elected
as officers of the party,
at the recent LINU convention.
We are of the strongest
conviction that they
would courageously respond
to the call of history
and catapult LINU and
Liberia to a higher,
better and nobler height.
It
is only befitting that
we conclude by issuing
a strong warning to
the John Morlu Campaign:
Leave the Monibas alone
as they go through the
agony and pain of an
irreplaceable loss.
After all, this is not
a contest between a
John Morlu and the late
Dr. Harry Fumba Moniba.
Signed: ____________
Kamaty L. Diahn
Spokesman
Friends of Moniba (Friends,
Supporters and Admirers
of the late Dr.
Harry F. Moniba)--FOM
Attested: ________
Paul A. Wie
Senior Advisor
Friends of Moniba (FOM)
(952)-261-8628(716)
886-8042(952) 412-2379
Email: friendsofharrymoniba@yahoo.com
