Maryland County Senator Gloria Musu Scott says that for the work of the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Liberia
to be meaningful and long lasting, Liberians must deal with the issues that
divided the nation.
Senator Musu-Scott said the reason for the disintegration of Liberia
is because a section of the population felt excluded.
She was speaking Friday at the first Thematic and Institutional Hearings as
part of the Nationwide Hearings of the TRC at the Harper City Hall, Maryland
County.
"I believe in my mind that the reason for that is because a section of the
population felt excluded. They felt excluded from opportunities, from benefits
from everything. They felt they were onlookers, they felt they didn't own the country.
So that is why it was easy to destroy public buildings, to kill ourselves. I
call ourselves because initially we were two groups separate but over the years
we became one group of people, but we didn't recognize each other as one group
of people, because the line of demarcation could be seen easily," the senator
said.
Senator Scott said she believes the TRC should go beyond the 1979 mandate,
adding that the situations in the country's history still loom and are even
worse.
Scott: "I believe for the work of the TRC to be really meaningful and long
lasting we have to find a way to deal with issues that divided us, that erupted
in to the 1979 rice riot, which erupted into the coup d'?tat and why it was so easy for the youthful population
to become what you may call killers. It was so easy for them to listen to the
rhetoric and for them to get so moved and driven to destroy ourselves. I think
the TRC should go beyond 1979." See full text of Senator Musu-Scott's
statement:
Thank you very Much, My name is Gloria Maya Musu Scott, I am a citizen of Maryland
County. My parents went to Monrovia,
and I was born in Monrovia. In your
letter, you gave me a topic to talk about: The rapport in my constituency but
what I really would like to talk about is what you might call that which
contributed to the situation we find ourselves in as a nation today. In my mind,
I believe this is the reason this whole nation could disintegrate. I believe in
my mind the reason for that is because a section of the population felt
excluded. They felt excluded from opportunities, from benefits, from
everything. They felt they were onlookers, they felt they didn't own the
country. So that is why it was easy to destroy public buildings, to kill
ourselves. I call ourselves because initially we were two groups separate but
over the years we became one group of people, but we didn't recognize each
other as one group of people, because the line of demarcation could be seen
easily. This is why I believe for the work of the TRC to be really meaningful
and long-lasting we have to find a way to deal with issues that divided us,
that erupted in to the 1979 rice riot, that erupted into the coup d'?tat and why it was so easy for the
youthful population to become what you may call killers. It was so easy for
them to listen to the rhetoric and for them to get so moved and driven to
destroy ourselves. I think the TRC should go beyond 1979.
The situation that came from our history is still with us today and is even
worse. We stop that which held us together as a people?respecting our tradition
and culture and practicing the positive aspects of our culture and tradition.
In other West African Countries, the traditional leaders are respected and are
held in high esteem. It is recognized by the government and is recognized by
everybody. So that keeps the people together. They have something to look up
to; they have something to define them. We don't have a culture, we are trying
to be Western, and we are not Western. At the same time, right now the Liberians
as we are, we are not traditional; we are not cultural. So we are just a lost,
youthful population looking for something to hold on to, but the center is not
there anymore. The centre is no longer holding; the centre is no there anymore.
So I think as a people we should begin to put back those landmarks, those
traditional landmarks to find a way to give respect to our culture and
traditional people.
It is the case even in the family. Like I was saying to a young man as we
were getting on the flight, even some of us who are leaders today, you look at
our family lines there is nothing, so we are not even role models for the
youth, as to those family values. Those things are so very important. As a
result it is the norm these days to be very corrupt. If you had a government
position before and you don't have a mass wealth, you are considered stupid. But
if you had a lot of wealth, they say you were smart. It is the norm now to do
things outside the established way of doing things. From the business community
to the government agencies to the church to the schools, it is the norm not to
do things properly. So if you ask me how we can remedy this, what is the way
forward, I think the way forward is with each of us. We start in our homes with
our children; we begin to bring them up in the fear of God. Whether we call him
Allah, whether we call him Jesus Christ, we need to have, for we know that we
are not only accountable on earth,but also in another life, which causes
us to exercise restraint, to make sure that you live your life in keeping with
established principles. And through that, you will have people who will be
taking over the mentor of this country with those principles because they are
universal principle. Where as thou shall not steal is universal, thou shall not
kill is universal, respect for constituted authority is universal. They cover
all cultures. So these basic fundamental principles that keep a society
together, we need to instill them in our homes, in our various organizations,
religious organizations, the schools. We need to do that.
And like I said before, we need to start to give stature to our chiefs and
our elders. They themselves need to develop that self esteem, because before,
when we were going out, when a chief enter somewhere, you knew that it was a
chief. You knew a chief had entered and you knew that you had to give him the
respect. But these days the chief will come to the superintendent office many
days and the superintendent will not see him. The chief will be walking and
going back and forth and he can't get his little check. It is not only the
elders in Maryland, it is also throughout
the country. As I was thinking about it, I said we need to repair the chief
palace on Camp Johnson Road
where the president used to consult the chiefs on national issues. And when
they came to Monrovia, they did not
necessarily have to stop with relatives, they had a place to live and that
place was been maintained by the government. We need to repair that building,
it is still there on Camp Johnson Road,
so that they can be respected and they can feel a part of national affairs.
I could go on talking; a lot has happened in our country. I don't want to
get personal as to what happened to me?that could be volumes. From growing up, real
situations erupted and I have friends on both sides who can admit that indeed
we did this. Some of my peers would say what I used to see my parents do wasn't
correct. So I knew at some point in time these things would have broken down.
And even we from the traditional side, like I told somebody when they went to
collect the taxes, the Congo
people were not the Red Cap, it was us. We put the chiefs in the sun and said
bring me goat. As soon as you gave us a little bit of power, we went overboard.
So all of us contributed to this thing, and there were times that when some of
us were given a little authority, we wanted to prove that we belonged with the
status quo at that time and went overboard. These things happen, and these
things cause us to be where we are today.
There are small, small things we can do to correct it. Like you go to apply
for a job. One time I saw a form and it asked what tribe you come from, I don't
know if that is necessary, to say what tribe you come from. In fact, I saw when
I was at the Justice Ministry and they were bringing the statistics for crimes
that have been committed, when you are arrested they will ask for your tribe,
and I wonder why is this necessary. If you add "nationality" I can understand,
but your tribe? These small, small things maybe that is why people said the
Bassa people are rogues (laughing) because maybe when they did the statistics
most of the rogues were Bassa people. You know this will create a stigma, but
those are the things we got to look out for.
So basically I really don't have much to say except that we as a people
should be conscientious. We should stop generalizing; if one person does
something, we should not ascribe it to the larger group. If the Grebo person
does something, you say this is what the man did and the Grebo people are Gboyo
people. You say the Kpelleh are stupid because they are humble and love to live
freely with people. I told somebody one time that it is the stupidity of the
Kpelleh that makes them plenty. I think they are the largest tribe, they have
survival instincts and that is why they are many.We, the Greebo, we have
plenty and we are always fighting war. We do not have a Kpelleh war in the history
of Liberia, but
you hear the Grebo war, the Kru war, the Gola war and so we are not too many.
You have to learn to live with people. We have to stop stigmatizing people and
tribes. So basically that is all I have to say, and I must say congratulation
to the TRC for coming way out here. At least you have taken the TRC to the
people. You come to the people to listen to them. But maybe you don't see too
many people because most Liberians when you talk to them, they will say, "After
that, what happens?" It is a question of poverty now. Maybe if the TRC had come
when people were a little relaxed, when they weren't worrying about their food,
their living and their children, you would have heard a lot. But right now,
they are saying, "They are not even taking the people to court, so while waste
my time. What benefit? They will not reward me or compensate me. So why waste
my time to go over there? The thing has happened and is behind us." That's the
mood; that is why you don't see this place packed. There are a lot of things
that happened here; people were slaughtered in their homes. I think you see a
lot of building burnt here. They were burnt in their homes, and people came and
gave these testimonies.
A lot of things happened here, even in the interior part. But right now it
is the question of survival. So that is how things are. So thank you for coming
and thank the people for coming to give their testimonies. I think we the
leaders, we have to set the example because of the issue of impunity. There is
the question of how to go forward, because the Liberians are resilient people. If
what had transpired here in Liberia
had transpired in Europe, you will have a lot of people
killing themselves. It is not happening here because we are a people full of
humor. When we sit discussing what the people did to you and we laugh about it,
it becomes fun. At that time it wasn't funny, but is how we get over our trauma.
Some of us are indeed traumatized, but we find our own way of getting over our
trauma. So thank you for the opportunity. And I say thank you to the church,
for I see some religious people on the TRC and the church has played a role. It
has helped some of us to grow up in a good manner. When somebody says, "Forgiveness
is divine," it is really divine. For forgiveness is a very difficult thing, but
that is the only way you can go forward. You have to let go; you can't carry it
with you. So the religious organizations will have a role to play, and it is a
huge role. I hope they realize that they have a role to play, and they help us
to overcome all of this. So thank you for the opportunity.
