Opinion: So-called Progressives’ Silence Amid Weah-Government’s Woeful Performance Renders ’79 Rice Riot Unjust

MONROVIA – In 1979, a suggestion to increase the price of rice led to a major uprising that saw a government that meant well for the people of Liberia toppled for a regime that swallowed several lives along the way.

This was followed by a rigged election which subsequently led to back-to- back- civil wars that ended only 14 years later, and before ending, took away over 250 thousand lives, left millions homeless, and damaged the entire fabric of the nation. The scars of these barbaric wars still linger on, evidence of mass poverty, people suffering from shocks, serious bodily injuries, till date.

Today, the price of rice, the nation’s most staple food, has increased by 31% and it seems normal to all, not even the so-called Progressives- the likes of Boima Fahnbulleh, Sam Jackson, Togbah Nah Tipoteh cannot say or winch a word to oppose or speak to the damage such increase will have on the living conditions of the masses.

Five years after the Weah led government came to power, it has failed to live up to its many promises; especially promise made that at no time during the regime, the price of rice will rice for no reason, with good incidents that have taken place, there was no doubt in the minds of Liberians that the government of Liberia could and would not be able to keep the promise as made.

In a news circular issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently, the wholesale price for a least valued 25kg-bag of rice is now sold for US$17 and its retail price US$17.50.

Today, the price of rice, the nation’s most staple food, has increased by 31% and it seems normal to all, not even the so-called Progressives- the likes of Boima Fahnbulleh, Sam Jackson, Togbah Nah Tipoteh cannot say or winch a word to oppose or speak to the damage such increase will have on the living conditions of the masses.

This tells clearly that the fight in 1979 was unjust, unfair and in all sense of the word, counter-productive to the growth and development of the nation. And not just it, but all who lost their lives for such fight did so for nothing.

The increase comes in the wake of President Weah’s marathon trip abroad. I am of the opinion that this was planned long before the President left the country and it was best, he left before these acts began taking place, so as to wind down any uprising the increase may cost in the first place.

The next question would be, what else will be rolling out before the President of Liberia returns from his long trip which has created so much pandemonium amongst toothless opposition Political leaders, institutions and pressure groups in the country.

President Weah was clear during his inaugural speech, that the hope for the masses would be brighter than anytime during the history of Liberia. The President also informed the World that Liberians will henceforth be participants of, and in the economy and not spectators.

Almost five years later, either plans to put the President’s words to action are still being formulated or these promises may remain illusional and never see the light of day, giving that importation of the important food commodity is still in the hands of foreigners and cannot be de-monopolized to allow Liberians to partake.

Liberians will have to rethink the best option to bring about self-governance at the polls comes 2023, as this one is failing woefully with every passing hour where the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) at no time have seen fruition, nor benefitted any major group of masses.

No doubt that the Ukraine-Russia war would be used as a scapegoat for such astronomical increase in cost of a bag of rice. This is because of late, every government’s action and inaction has been blamed on the war which they would say has affected production, transportation (global logistics).

However, in this case, such position will unfortunately not hold grounds. One would wonder what in the world was the reason for “subsidy in the first place? Was awarding subsidy to foreign rice importers in the tune of millions of United States Dollars an unwise decision? Should the money have been saved to continue constructing roads and servicing the health system? At what point and where did it go all wrong?

I can emphatically say that the belief that things would have gotten better during the first term of President Weah’s regime have completely blown away with the electoral year kicking in so quickly.

So, the truth of the matter hence, President Weah and his cronies completely lied to the people of Liberia, without boundaries, limits with their blanket promises.

The million dollars question is where are the Progressives and agitators who would at anything pray so hard for good policies to be kept? Have they been caught up with age? Or has their silence been bought as it has been so often since the coup d’état of 1980?