Liberia: Bong County Has a Lot – Give Us a Chance to Drive Change

Madam Morris is the current president of the National Health Workers Association, Bong Chapter, and County Chairperson of the ruling Unity Party.

Recently, much attention has been drawn to the debate of which folks are qualified, competent and experienced to occupy certain appointed positions in government, and which category of people are not.

By Charles Kellen, Contributing Writer

Then, I eavesdrop a conversation in which it was asserted that Bong County strong woman and Chair lady of the Bong County Chapter of the Unity Party, Madam Martha C. T. Morris, was deemed not qualified and experienced for one of the deputy ministerial positions at the Ministry of Health.

I further inquired and unearthed that this is an opinion being expressed and propagated by some folks in the circle of the high-level presidential kitchen cabinet, almost all of whom have never been qualified and experienced to occupy the positions they have previously occupied, and are currently opting for.

I worked closely with Madam Morris before and during the 2023 elections campaign, and I can say, for a fact, that she sacrifices everything for the Unity Party’s success.

Her leadership, resilience and work output, along with those of many others, were the deciding factors of the party’s victory in the 2023 presidential elections. It is clearly documented by state security apparatuses and international media outlets that Madam Morris literally almost got killed in Gbonota by Rep. Marvin Cole and his thugs while unrelentingly fetching votes for JNB and the Unity Party. It seems everyone forgets everything in a twinkle of an eye.

But the real issue is, Madam Morris, and many non-Monrovia-based Unity Party supporters who have given their all for the success of the party are being judged using different standards.

By the very theory being propounded by her detractors, many of those who have, and will be appointed in the days to come, are seemingly unqualified and inexperienced.

Martha cannot be downplayed only because she is a native kpelleh woman from Bong County. She, plus many other natives, more than deserve to hold positions at the helm of government, and no one should be standing in the way.

Martha has all of what it takes to supervise most of those who are claiming that she’s not qualified and experienced to serve in the role earmarked for her.

She’s always been a leader, standing in the gap for thousands of her colleagues in the medical field, seeking commensurate incentives for them, and advocating for the dignity of their labor. Most of the accusers cannot even stand for a single child being abused before their very eyes.

Because of her uncompromising stance in elevating the plights of her people, she’s been ostracized and has suffered many personal consequences.

Usually, when I interact with these Monrovia-based folks, I see absolutely nothing they can offer better than us, the rural boys and girls.

It’s all about being lousy and noisy, and nothing more than that. I do not see how many of them match our success in driving change, transforming institutions and generating outcomes.

I have, and always will resist marginalization in all of its forms. I will continue to stand in resistance of any attempts to degrade some of our best and brightest only because they are not part of the everyday Monrovia hustle.