By James T. Brooks
MONROVIA — In a blistering critique of Liberia’s political landscape, Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) political leader Musa Hassan Bility is warning citizens that politicians who weaponize tribalism and religion on the campaign trail do so precisely because they have nothing else to offer.
As the country moves toward its next election, Bility urged voters to reject identity-driven fear tactics and instead demand integrity, competence, and concrete governance from their candidates.
In a powerful written statement titled “Never Again: Liberia Must Reject the Politics of Tribe, Fear, and False Religion,” Bility argued that Liberia’s fundamental issue is not its rich ethnic or religious diversity, but rather a predatory political class that exploits these identities to escape accountability for its failures.
“They divide us because they cannot develop us,” Bility wrote. “They frighten us because they cannot lead us. They manipulate our faith because they cannot defend their stewardship.”
According to Bility, politicians routinely resort to tribal and religious appeals when their administrative failures become impossible to conceal—specifically when rising poverty, systemic corruption, broken infrastructure, mass unemployment, and collapsing healthcare systems demand explanations they simply cannot give.
“Because they know one thing,” he noted. “When their incompetence becomes visible, when the people begin demanding answers, they have only two weapons left — tribe and religion.”
Bility argued that leadership quality has absolutely nothing to do with ethnic origin or faith, pointing out that every single tribe, county, and religion in Liberia has produced highly capable individuals. Despite this, ordinary citizens across all demographics continue to suffer under poor governance, thoroughly undercutting the claim that electing “one of our own” translates to better lives for the community.
“Tribe was never the solution, religion was never the solution, and fear was never the solution,” Bility stated. “Character, competence, courage, stewardship, and principle were always the solution.”
The opposition leader took direct aim at politicians who display intense religious devotion during campaign season, only to completely abandon those values once they secure office. He argued that if the core teachings of the Bible and the Quran were genuinely practiced by the officials who invoke them at the ballot box, Liberia would not find itself in its current governance crisis.
“They use God to gain power, then abandon godliness once they have it,” Bility wrote. “Religion condemns corruption, greed, deceit, wickedness, hatred, and division. Yet the same people who wave religion before elections throw morality away the moment they enter public office.”
On the critical issue of political reform, Bility called on the Liberian electorate to stop allowing public service to function as a transactional marketplace where political loyalty is blindly traded away without any expectation of commitment or results.
“We cannot continue choosing leaders based on fear manufactured by warmongers and ethnic merchants,” he warned. “We cannot continue allowing politicians to reduce Liberia into a battlefield of tribes while they sit comfortably, enriching themselves.”
Closing his statement with a call to action, Bility urged everyday citizens to actively confront and reject bigotry in public discourse rather than quietly tolerate it.
“We must challenge them directly, reject them openly, and expose their hypocrisy loudly,” Bility declared. “Every time Liberia has listened to fear instead of vision, division instead of ideas, and tribe instead of competence, the Liberian people have suffered.