You are a successful businessman who reportedly added eight new businesses to the Liberian economy in just 10 years, such that you were recently recognized as Liberian Businessman of the Decade (2006-2016) by an advocacy group. So, why do you seek political office?
As I developed my businesses over the years, my primary goal was job creation for my people. I knew then that whenever you invest in Liberia and especially by creating jobs for the people, it would improve their lives and build the economy. I seek political office to serve all Liberians and bring the same out-of-the-box thinking and the smart business acumen I’ve used over the years to build businesses, create jobs and spur the Liberian economy. I am confident that my creator the Almighty God will guide me to succeed at this, alongside a team of professionals, experts and the ordinary Liberians.
What’s that thing in you that made your party to select you as its presidential standard bearer in the coming election out of several other candidates that may have shown interest? Do you have what it takes to win?
Honestly, the best answer to that question would come easily from the party officials and partisans. But frankly speaking, I believe I was elected as standard bearer of this party because my fellow partisans believe in me. They have seen the works I have done over the years in the private sector and the impact it has had on the lives of so many Liberians directly and indirectly. They are aware that I am a man of strength and conviction – and that my word is my word. I am also a man of strong Christian beliefs who serves the Lord openly and not in shame or fear. I am a family man and a people’s person. I am a guy from a humble background who rolled up his sleeves and worked hard to have what I have today. I could go on and on – but the bottom-line is the partisans of the United People’s Party (UPP) believe in the Wento-Bleah ticket and that is why we were chosen.
How are you selling your candidacy to the Liberian people? What are your key selling points?
Quite frankly, the Almighty God is our number-one salesman simply because in all we do we seek the guidance and direction of the Lord. We are laying bare our record of farsightedness and real-time accomplishments to a population that is so fed up with the status-quo; they crave change. A simple question I oftentimes ask the people is, “Are you better off today after 12 years of this United Party-led government?” And no matter where I go and ask this question, the answer is a resounding no! Then I go ahead and begin to lay out some of my party’s policy prescriptions for jobs creation, education, health-care, building of roads and bridges, food production and agriculture, inter-alia. We also tell them how we are going to solve the problems.
You have criticized the lack of political will by the current administration in your country, saying it has reduced Liberians to nothing more than refugees in their own country. Do you think you and the UPP have enough political will to tackle Liberia’s numerous challenges?
I do not think we have the political will, I am twice as confident that we do have the political will to clean up the calamitous economic chaos the Unity Party government will leave in its wake. It is not going to be an easy task and/or a walk in the park. But with the support of the Liberian people and a team of professionals ready to run things from day one – we will do all we can to bring some financial sanity back to Liberia. Recently there were reports of huge deficits incurred by this government with barely six months left and this is so hard to swallow. From a clean slate of indebtedness after our debts were waived – now we are on the fast track of massive foreign debt accumulation that we don’t have the parallel tangibles to show.
External food dependency, unemployment and widespread poverty are some of Liberia’s major setbacks currently. In your party’s Policy Statement delivered by you on March 4, you said the country spends over US$200 million annually importing rice. How would you reverse this trend if you become president?
To reverse the negative economic trend will require a herculean effort, but as the old adage goes, “Where there is a will there is a way”. And as such our core agriculture plans for Liberia will include mechanized farming, providing seeds to farmers to plant locally-grown Liberian rice on a large scale. Providing incentives and other amenities for small and community-oriented farmers is also a part of our food security framework. We will not shy away from seeking technical and material support from our partners and friends so as to cut back on such an enormous amount of dollars being spent unnecessarily on imported rice – when we could have been self-sufficient in rice production by now.
Speaking specifically about poverty, you were quoted as saying 70 percent of the people living outside Monrovia cannot afford US$1.25 for a day’s meal, despite Liberia’s many natural resources. Why is this so and how would you tackle poverty?
You asked what has happened to Liberia’s many natural resources. The simple answer is that it has been pillaged. The national coffers have been mismanaged and the taxpayers’ money has been stolen and abused. The world must know that the next president of Liberia will walk into the office with lots of problems to solve. It is not going to happen overnight, that is why we are putting together a fine team of communications experts who will educate and inform the people as to what the government is doing to help raise them out of poverty and improve their lives. In areas of massive poverty, we may have to implement price reduction and control to relieve the suffering of the people as well as to maintain stability and enhance national security.
Not long ago you issued a stern “notice” that “UPP-led government will not give sanctuary to corruption”. How do you intend to fight corruption in Liberia, knowing that it always fights back?
Corruption is an age-old menace to the Liberian society. But truth being told, no Liberian my age and above who has lived in this country has ever seen such massive corruption as is seen under this Unity Party-led government. As a result of this Unity Party-led government’s carte-blanche, free-for-all corruption, no-one-goes-to-jail card being distributed amongst the Unity Party cronies, corruption now is deeply entrenched in Liberia – it would have to be vigorously fought. We intend to put systems in place for monitoring and we will be a policies-driven government. And there will be serious punishment resulting to going to prison and seizing of assets if government officials are caught in corruption. We also intend to empower the agencies responsible to deal with that act and use the best electronics and other technologies in the UPP’s fight against corruption.
“Within the past 11 years, the Unity Party-led government has signed away 40 percent of the land to concessions where 30 percent of our rural people live.” That’s a quote from your press statement. What would you do with these concessions if elected, seeing that reversing them may send the wrong signals to foreign investors?
It important that those investing in Liberia be well protected and will be protected under a UPP-led government. It is also important that Liberians who are the real owners of the land be protected on their ancestral lands and other properties. Where there is foul play and/or dubious means by which land was obtained illegally to mislead investors, our government would file legal briefs in the courts to seek restitution and redress in the interest of the investors and the people violated.
Under your government, what would be Liberia’s foreign policy focus?
Liberia has many challenges and as such our foreign policy focus will be tailored around maintaining good relationships and alliances and where necessary forming new ones. We will maintain and stand by all protocols and agreements signed, as well as review ones we deem questionable. We will continue to maintain our membership in all organizations we are currently a part of. We will seek to maintain relationships with emerging powers and democracies such as India – as well as unquestionably stand by the One China policy.
Liberia has many domestic, societal, economic and political issues to sort out and as such we will seek expertise from many of our foreign partners. We will also seek to understand the relevance of our cooperation with the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). We will continue to maintain our relationships with the G-7 nations (the United States, Canada, Japan, England, Italy, France and Germany).
In Africa, our ties to the AU, ECOWAS, Mano-River-Union and others will remain firm. Our membership with the United Nations is also a key component of our foreign policy pillars.
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