THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS

THEME: "DRIVERS OF CHANGE EXPLORING NEW BEGINNINGS"

Delivered by

Mr. Emmanuel N. Smith

Baltimore, Maryland - September 17, 2011

The Chairman & Members of the Board of Directors of UNIBOA,
Mr. National President,
Officers and members of UNIBOA,
Mr. President, Officers &Members of ULAA,
leaders & members of other organizations represented,
Friends of Liberia,
Distinguished Ladies & Gentlemen:

I am honored tonight, as a son of Grand Bassa County, to deliver the keynote address for the inauguration of the officers of the 21st Convention of UNIBOA. You have tapped your own as the keynote speaker. To Mr. Emmanuel Smith, President, and your national corps of officers, I thank you for the preferment.

You have asked me to speak on the topic "Drivers of Change Exploring new Beginnings" Let us poise for few minutes and ask ourselves questions such as "Are we willing to be drivers of change? Are we prepared to help be better drivers for a changing tomorrow? Are we prepared to take the lead in driving changes or are we going to remain back seat drivers full of criticism without any help?"

For the purpose of our beloved Bassa counties, there are many opportunities for new beginnings to be explored as drivers of change. Indeed, as your letter stated, “When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion”. This means, in unity there is strength, and we the people from Grand Bassa, Rivercess, Margibi, & Montserrado need to unite to strengthen our counties.

Drivers of change are factors that have the potential to bring about change such as poverty reduction and finding ways to enhance the quality of life in our communities. There are several approaches to bring about change. Obviously, a long term approach is best, however, employing short and medium term approaches will also work in this endeavor as it is an ongoing process. Drivers of change have to be linked between what we currently have in place in our counties such as the Government, businesses and organizations (NGOS), churches, etc. (i.e., we must use our natural and human resources as well as those economic and social structures in the Bassa counties) All these groups need to work together to guarantee success.

We have several areas in which there are potential opportunities for new beginnings. I will attempt to look at five (5) of these area. They include:

  1. Technical Training

  2. Natural Resources

  3. Community Development

  4. Civil Society, and

  5. Existing Facilities.

(1) Technical Training:
It is an excellent endeavor on the part of the Government of Liberia to set up community colleges in the counties. So far, the Grand Bassa Community College, which is currently under construction, is operational, with classes being held at Bassa High School. In my recent meeting with Dr. Levi Zangai, President of the Grand Bassa Community College, few weeks ago in Buchanan, he indicated that the first building in Paynesberry will be completed by March, 2012. One of the primary objectives of the community college is to focus on Technical Vocational Education and Training. Instead of citizens going to Monrovia or other parts of the country for schooling, students can study right in Grand Bassa County. We must continue to drive our change until the other Bassa Counties can be inclusive. Another important aspect of technical training is that citizens of the Bassa counties can be trained right in their counties to be productive mechanics, plumbers, electricians, welders, construction workers and other trades that are in demand.

(2) Natural Resources:
There is prospect of oil in Liberia. The new Chevron deal which has been widely reported in the news affects our dear counties. On August 8, 2011, African Petroleum began its first exploration drilling off the coasts of Grand Bassa and Rivercess Counties, making it the first wells ever drilled in the deeper waters off the Liberian coast. There is a strong possibility that oil will be discovered, which will boost the Bassa counties with jobs for our citizens and development. With more jobs, we need more housing and other amenities will accrue to the county as a whole. However, to rise up to the challenge of the oil prospects, the citizens have to be properly trained to handle jobs that may come available.

In the absence of trained local manpower, companies will have no choice but to bring in skilled labor from other parts of the country, if not outside the country. Let us rise to the challenge of doing our part to have our citizens prepared to be absorbed in the work force. There are other companies that are doing business in the counties (Arcelor Mittal Steel, Buchanan Renewables, African Petroleum, Port of Buchanan (APM Terminals), and we need to ensure that we have the skilled workforce.

(3) Community Development:
A lot of us from the Bassa counties have left the country and live abroad. One way of exploring new beginnings is by us giving back to the communities in which we grew up. There are a lot of projects to be done that don’t necessarily have to be done by Government, and probably won’t be done by Government in the near future due to the enormous responsibilities of the Government. For instance, safe drinking water is very important. Each of us living abroad can contribute resources to provide for the installation of a good public well water system (hand pump as it is commonly called) in our little village or town. This is the efforts of true drivers of change exploring new beginning.

Tonight, I will start a keep-off rally by contributing $3,000.00 (Three Thousand Dollars), to jump start the UNIBOA Scholarship Fund by providing financial assistance for deserving students to attend college for the 2012 academic year. We are proposing that one student be selected from each of the Bassa Counties and that the emphasis is placed on technical/vocational education. Perhaps we can review the nursing program once started by the Joseph D. Sinyan Administration to determine how successful that was. There is also a need in the county, and throughout Liberia, to build public restrooms/toilets. The lack of public restrooms/toilets provides a health problem for the citizens and need to be addressed immediately. Citizens currently have to resort to using the facility in the oceans, the same place where we buy fish for consumption and trade or to use the bushes/woods.

There are many other examples of giving back to our communities that time will not permit us to name. We, the people from the Bassa Counties need to return home to help develop our counties. Everyone cannot remain in The United States of America or Monrovia and expect the Bassa counties to reclaim their stature. I remember way back when Grand Bassa was noted for the rail service, and other forms of trade. Rivercess was also noted for trade and fishery at the Cestos River. Margibi was and still is a beacon of light as it welcomes foreigners into Liberia. We have the only International Airport (Robert’s International Airport) located in Margibi County. Kakata, Margibi County was noted for the great vocational Institute of BWI named after Booker T. Washington. My friends let us not use lip service here. Let us not just criticize without doing anything. If we criticize, we must be able to offer alternatives and be a part of those alternatives. Remember, No one will or can build Liberia other than you & me, the citizens of Liberia. People will help us but the responsibility of nation-building rest upon us.

(4) Civil Society:
We need to hold the people of the Bassa counties accountable to each other. When you are accountable to each other, you are responsible for your communities as a whole. For instance, when an individual becomes Senator or representative from one of the Bassa Counties, that person is accountable to the people of that county. There are certain campaign promises that were made, and a senator/representative was voted into office based upon that. The senator/representative has to ensure that those promises are kept once he or she is in office. Out with the old, and in with the new. We cannot do business as usual. People cannot be voted into office, and left to their own devices without demanding accountability. The same thing applies to other jobs that any citizen from the Bassa counties holds.

(5) Existing Facilities:
The Bassa counties are very rich in natural resources, especially the ocean and now oil. We need to learn how to become proud of who we are. Let’s set up means by which we can be proud of where we live. Let’s keep our communities clean. Let’s institute clean-up campaigns on our beaches so that we can open up the way for tourism. However, the beaches have to be clean for people to want to visit. We need to also help clean up our villages and towns.

The Bassa counties are very well-known and abounding with opportunities. We need to reclaim our counties, and put them back on the map. If we the citizens don’t love and develop our Bassa counties, who will?

Finally, my fellow officers and members of UNIBOA, today is a new day and you have been elected to serve as the new drivers of change. Please use your driving skills for positive change to effect the destiny of our people, and lift them out of poverty. Our counties are very rich, and our citizens should enjoy the resources that Grand Bassa, Rivercess, Margibi & Montserrado counties have to offer.

I challenge you today that in unity there is strength, so let’s unite for the good of all the Bassa counties, yea our country Liberia. My friends, let us be true "drivers of change"

I thank you and God bless you.

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