By George S. Tengbeh
Introduction
“Before the True Whig Party, there were Liberians. Before the Unity Party, People’s Redemption Council (PRC), and the Liberian Action Party (LAP), there were Liberians. Before the Unity Party (UP) and Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), there were Liberians. Before the Alternative National Congress (ANC) and the All Liberian Party (ALP), there were Liberians. Liberians will always be there, whether before or after.”
These words are not just reflections; they are a warning. They remind us that Liberia is bigger than political structures, tribal affiliations, or temporary alliances. Our nation, founded in 1847, predates every political organization that has ever risen to prominence, and it will exist long after today’s political parties fade into history. But the question we must ask ourselves is this: In what condition will Liberia remain after we are gone? Will it be a nation united, or a nation still wounded by hatred and division?
Today, I call for a rebirth of unity, love, and national consciousness in Liberia. Our Constitution demands it, our history warns us about the consequences of ignoring it, and our people are crying out for it.
Liberia’s Founding Principles: Unity Before Politics
When the founders of our Republic declared independence, they were not speaking as members of a political party but as a people determined to govern themselves. The Liberian Constitution of 1847—and later reaffirmed in the 1986 Constitution- did not declare sovereignty for the sake of partisanship or tribal supremacy. Instead, it boldly declared in Article 1: “All power is inherent in the people. All free governments are instituted by their authority and for their benefit.”
This line is the foundation of our democracy. It is the people, not the parties, who are sovereign. It is unity, not division, that makes government legitimate. Yet, in our present day, we have allowed partisan politics, hate speech, tribal segregation, and class arrogance to weaken the very fabric of our society.
The Constitution also speaks of the duty of every Liberian to live in peace and harmony, to show fraternal love, and to promote unity. These are not suggestions; they are binding national obligations. But where is that harmony when political leaders trade insults daily on the airwaves? Where is that fraternal love when tribal identity is weaponized to exclude others from opportunity? Where is that unity when Liberians are made to feel like strangers in their own land because of their political choice or ethnic background?
The Disease of Hate and Segregation
Liberia has fought too many battles against itself. Our civil wars did not begin with bullets; they began with hatred, marginalization, exclusion, and words that dehumanized others. When we say, “You are not one of us,” we open the gates for violence. When we treat our fellow citizens as inferior because of tribe, religion, class, or political alignment, we sow the seeds of destruction.
Today, that old disease is creeping back into our national discourse. Hate speech floods our radios and social media. Young people are recruited not with job opportunities or skills but with divisive slogans and partisan propaganda. Tribalism, once buried under the ashes of war, is resurfacing in ugly tones.
And while we fight each other, what happens? Our resources are looted. Foreign corporations pay poverty wages while extracting millions from our soil. Corruption bleeds our treasury dry. Poverty deepens. The poor remain poor, and the rich grow richer.
The enemies of Liberia are not our fellow citizens; they are exploitation, corruption, inequality, and injustice. Yet instead of uniting to confront these real enemies, we turn on each other, as if insulting our neighbor will put food on our tables or heal our sick. It will not.
Political Parties Are Temporary, Liberia Is Permanent
Every political party in Liberia’s history has claimed to have the answers. The True Whig Party ruled for over a century but eventually collapsed under its own weight of exclusion and stagnation. The People’s Redemption Council rose in the name of revolution but failed to deliver lasting liberation.
The Unity Party, the Congress for Democratic Change, the ANC, the ALP, all of them are but chapters in our political story. But Liberia itself is the book. And that book must be preserved.
If we continue to believe that our future lies only in the hands of political elites, we will continue to be betrayed. Leaders come and go, but the people remain. And the people are always the ones who suffer when division triumphs. It is time we reminded our politicians that they serve Liberia—not their tribes, not their parties, not their pockets.
Lessons From Our History
Our history is not kind when it comes to division. Every major national crisis in Liberia was born from exclusion and segregation:
- The dominance of a small elite minority for over a century excluded the majority and built resentment.
- The 1980 coup, though promising inclusion, ushered in military rule that further destabilized the nation.
- The 14-year civil war, one of Africa’s bloodiest, was fueled by tribal hatred, power struggles, and the failure to see ourselves as one people.
How many more lessons do we need before we accept that division is fatal? How many more graves must we dig before we say enough?
The Constitution’s Mandate for Unity
Article 5 of the 1986 Constitution is clear: Liberia must take steps to “eliminate sectionalism and tribalism.” It also mandates us to preserve national culture and promote national integration. This is not a dream; it is a legal responsibility.
Yet, when politicians deliberately stoke tribal fears to gain power, they are violating the Constitution. When media outlets broadcast hate speech without accountability, they are undermining the Constitution. When ordinary citizens insult each other over political loyalty, they are abandoning the duty of citizenship. We cannot call ourselves constitutionalists if we only quote the parts that suit us and ignore the parts that bind us to unity.
The Way Forward: Reclaiming Our National Spirit
So, what is to be done? How do we reclaim Liberia from the grip of hatred and division?
- Confront Hate Speech Head-On: Let every community, school, church, and mosque become a sanctuary of peace where hateful language is rejected. Words are weapons; let us disarm them.
- Put National Identity Above Political Identity: No party should be greater than Liberia. No leader should be worshipped above the Constitution. We must remind ourselves that citizenship is the highest title anyone can hold.
- Demand Accountability from Politicians: We must tell our leaders: stop dividing us for votes! Stop using tribe as a campaign tool! Stop trading our unity for your personal ambition!
- Build Unity Through Justice: There can be no unity without justice. Workers must earn fair wages, communities must benefit from their resources, and corruption must be punished. Equality is the strongest glue of unity.
- Empower the Youth With Purpose, Not Propaganda: Our young people must be builders, not tools of division. Let us invest in education, skills, and innovation, not in slogans and street violence.
The People Must Listen to this Call
My fellow Liberians, unity is not an abstract idea; it is survival. It is bread on the table. It is peace in our homes. It is a hope for our children. Without it, everything else crumbles.
Let us not deceive ourselves. If we fail to unite, no foreign donor will save us. No international institution will heal us. Liberia will only be saved by Liberians when we choose love over hate, inclusion over exclusion, justice over corruption, and unity over division.
Remember this always: before parties, before leaders, before governments, there was Liberia. And after all of them, there will still be Liberia.
My Supposition: Liberia First, Everything Else Second
We have fought wars and buried too many brothers and sisters because we allowed hate to guide us. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past. Let us instead reclaim the dream of 1847, the dream of a united people, free and equal, sovereign and strong. Let us honor the Constitution not just in words but in deeds, by living as one nation, indivisible.
I leave you with this call: Liberians first, everything else second. Let this be our creed, our prayer, and our commitment. Because only then can we build a Liberia that is not just surviving, but thriving, a Liberia where the words “We the People” are not a slogan, but a living truth.
Long live Liberia! Long live the unity of our people!
About the author:
George S. Tengbeh is a Labour & Environmental Justice Advocate, researcher on climate change, and expert in Public Sector Management, Labour Economics & Policy, Governance, and Water Resource Management.
He is the founder of the Liberia Labour and Governance Alliance (LILGA), a non-political civil society organization dedicated to exposing unfair labour practices and promoting good governance.
Contact me: Email: gstengbeh@gmail.com | 📞 Tel|Whatsapp: +231 880 767 070
