Rape is Serious - It should not be exploited to Score Political Points
Rape is serious- it is destroying the lives of our girls and young women. This is not politics, and neither is it a joking matter. We must act to end such unprovoked violence. To the credit of our government, there have always been efforts over the last fifteen (15) years to stop rape. Notable actions along these lines is the establishment of a rape court, the enactment of the most formidable anti-rape laws ever and the amelioration of the vigilance of ordinary citizens in exposing alleged rapist. Unfortunately, these actions have not served as deterrence, and hence we are experiencing an upsurge in incidents of rape.
It is thus understandable that ordinary citizens will organize a “Stop Rape” campaign. We applaud those well-meaning people who planned, marched and participated in the campaign. History will never ignore the contribution of those who, legitimately fed up with rape, stood up to exercise their rights and intimate their disfavor with this egregious act. There are many of us who, because we are not in the country, could not participate but yet encouraged our relatives to join the campaign.
Regrettably, this campaign has morphed into a quest for political points, international accolades, and personal recognition. The weak and infantile opposition sees the resentment of our people for rape as an “opportunity” to reap political remuneration. This is quite obvious - when out of ideas, lacking a vision and sensing an inevitable defeat, deception becomes a lifeline. Then, there are others like our “distinguished” noble peace prize laureates, Ms. Leymah Gbowee and former President Sirleaf, whose unquenchable thirst for international favor has suddenly had an epiphany. The truth of the matter is this rape thing is serious, and deception cannot be the instrument to weed out this malaise. Ridding our society of rape requires intentionality, a holistic approach, and more than anything else, a genuine commitment of all of us. We cannot be pretentious in such an issue of national significance. This is why I concur with President Sirleaf that “it will take an honest reckoning and a collective effort to end rape in Liberia”. Well, that’s where the convergence of our perspective end.
President Sirleaf commended the protesters for bringing the “issue into the light”. Wow! Really? No, Madam President, we are not just bringing the “issue into the light”. We have long spoken about this issue. Have you forgotten? Was it not for this very reason your government passed perhaps one of the strictest ever anti-rape laws? Rape, you know, unfortunately, is a sequel of war. It was your initial contribution of $10,000 that started the war in our country. Did you not know that with the end of such senseless civil war usually comes vices like armed robbery, juvenile delinquency, prostitution, and rape? Did you consider these before your “investment” in war? What did you do during your leadership to address these anomalies?
I am baffled by the selective amnesia of President Sirleaf that engendered her to think that rape is now being brought “into the light,” especially cognizant that it was during her administration when perhaps one of the most despicable and most talked about violation of a minor happened. Have you forgotten about the alleged rape and murder of Angel Togbah? Did the people not bring rape “into the light” when countless young babies, girls, and women were violated during her administration? It was even alleged that a young girl was “groomed” from the age of sixteen (16) by someone very close to President Sirleaf. Did she not see that statutory rape was being committed in, literally, her back yard?
Some claim the boiling point was reached when one Tobias Bowen, a former administrator of the Redemption Hospital, was arrested for allegedly raping a minor. Mind you, it was Madam President who allegedly facilitated the appointment of Mr. Bowen. Mr. Bowen, we were told, enjoyed the confidence of President Sirleaf while Interpol relentlessly sought the cooperation of her government to have him arrested. Was rape not yet “into the light”? Madam President, stop making a mockery of our people. You allowed rape to fester in Liberia. You are not a campaigner against rape. She, as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has the platform, recognition, and power to be more assertive in this fight, yet she prefers a route of chicanery and demagoguery. And she is not alone in this - her partner and nemesis Leymah Gbowee is now speaking.
Leymah Gbowee is perhaps the first person to win the Nobel Peace Prize on an account that is questionable, mythical, and outrightly false. She lacks any meaningful connection to our people and has been ineffectual. This is however not about Madam Gbowee nor is it about attacking her character. We are more interested in the obliteration of rape. So, that is why we deemed Madam Gbowee’s recent statement on rape as welcoming. At least, it is good to know that she still possesses the ability to speak. With such expansive contacts, one would expect that this honorable woman would be attracting resources to aid in the prevention and eradication of rape. Sadly, Madam Gbowee thinks it is the sole responsibility of the Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection. This myopic perspective amounts to a lot - it unfurls the ignorance of this supposedly honorable personality. No, Madam Gbowee, this fight is not a fight for the Minister of Gender alone - rape is a national stigma, and only when we harness can we defeat it.
It is exhilarating that Madam Gbowee has decided to arise from her slumber to take on national issues. Sadly, talking and doing nothing solves nothing. Our Constitution gives us the freedom of speech and, at the same time, inspires us to be the agent of change we aspire to. We cannot only speak, cast aspersions on others, find all the wrongs with society, and hide behind the thin veils of a worthless title and expect problems to be solved. No - issues are resolved by our actions. Where have you been? What have you been doing? Where are the rape victims you have been identifying and helping? What ideas have you brought to the table to end rape? How have you used your status to help women and girls in Liberia?
As for those in the opposition, this is not about the girls and women whose lives are being destroyed- this is a selfish attempt to wrestle power because defeat at the polls is imminent. With the payment of salaries on time, a budget surplus for the first time in the lifetime of many of us, free tertiary education, students are getting allowance as they sit the WASSCE, public tertiary education is free, our health care system and workers are chasing the coronavirus out of our country, roads are being built, the energy grid is expanding and strengthening, Arcelor Mittal and many other corporations are unveiling plans for massive investments, and the war on corruption is yielding fruitful dividends it is not astonishing that the opposition is in pandemonium. And, rather than join in the appreciation of these successes, the opposition will stop at nothing in engaging in activities that will make our society ungovernable and our government ineffective. That is how desperate politicians and politics have become in our country.
Such selfishness is a menace not only to the Stop Rape Campaign but also to the many little girls and women who could become the next victim as we play politics with such an issue. Can’t we, for once, rise above our desperation for power and stand with our children, sisters, and mothers? How does presenting the “petition” to the President directly impact on combatting rape?
Who has done more to combat rape in Liberia? Let’s talk about facts. Let’s not bring politics into this serious matter. The truth is, the government of Liberia has a plan to rid Liberia of rape. We have been very unequivocal. Unlike past administrations, our government is not stopping at just condemning- it is investing resources and putting a robust plan together to end rape. The Minister of Gender, who is on records for her harsh stance against alleged rapists, is leading the charge. To refresh the memory of President Sirleaf, it was Madam Saydee-Tarr that chased Katie Meyler out of Liberia for her assault on young girls. The systematic raping of girls at the More Than Me Academy was brought “into the light” during the leadership of President Sirleaf. She elected to look the other way as Ms. Meyler and her criminal band preyed on our children. Katie Meyler was stopped by the fast action and vigilance of the inter-ministerial committee set up by President Weah with Minister Saydee-Tarr leading the charge. It was Minister Saydee-Tarr who acted, to have the police arrest, on allegations of rape of a minor, a former official of the Ministry of Health of the Sirleaf Administration. The Ministry of Gender under the leadership of Madam Saydee-Tarr has not been silent in this fight. Besides, our government has not left this to the Ministry of Gender alone - President Weah has provided the resources, hosted discussions, and personally spoken out against rape as a scourge.
Unlike the past government of Liberia, Madam Gbowee, and the disenchanted opposition, our government has a strategy, the commitment and preparedness to end rape. Our strategy is simple, plain, intentional, and all-encompassing. We will end rape not because a weak and worthless opposition thinks exploiting the situation will give it political capital. We will end rape because our approach has all the tenets of an effective plan. Our approach begins with our young boys and extends to the oldest men in our society. Our approach will permeate our churches, mosques, our entertainment centers, our sports arena, our schools, our backyards, and front yards. Our approach will accelerate the prosecution of the alleged perpetrators. Our approach will use the latest advancement in technology to generate evidence. Our approach creates empowerment opportunities for our girls and women. Our approach will be rooted in prevention through education, engagement, and appropriate legislation for making reporting mandatory. Our approach will not use uncivilized methods of punishment to serve as a deterrence. Our government realizes that we are a nation of laws, a very important part of the civilized comity of nations and as such, we hold as sacrosanct, all treatise to which we are signatory. We urge the organizers of the anti-rape campaign to shed the initiatives of the power grabbers. Rape is a national crisis and we can only defeat it when we agree to work together. Stop the grandstanding - your hypocrisy is easily discernable.