The Exceptionalism of Senator Abraham Darius Dillon’s Vision

Ansu Opa Dualu |

Senator Abraham Darius Dillon

Iacta alea est, “The die is cast!” Liberia must be punched out of this shameful state of dejection and take its proper place of dignity, nobility and full adherence to the tenets of citizenship. We must birth a Liberian Resurrection that has been impregnated by the likes of President William R. Tolbert, Albert Porte, Baccus Mathews, Didwho Welleh Twe and most recently, Abraham Darius Dillon (ADD). Although the senator still has a long way to go to be put in the same class as these giants, his message seems to be taken directly from their playbook.

ADD’s vision is simple: Understand and appreciate the power of your citizenship and demand it works for you in your own country; view governance as a calling to a higher purpose and make leaders fully accountable to their oath of office; say no to “bigmanism”; ensure full equability in public asset distribution across the country; eliminate every trace of brownnosing, nepotism and the deification of our leaders – your patriotism is not to any political party or an individual but to your country; and restore national dignity to the people through civic and broader education, right to work, law and justice and their God-given rights to self-actualize in Liberia! Senator Dillon believes in full constitutional devotion.  How can anyone be opposed to such message?

Irrespective of how you feel about this man and what affiliations he may have had in the past, he is writing a new chapter that puts Liberia – not an individual – at the very center of political life. This chapter seeks to free us all from unbridled illiteracy and gullibility that have engulfed the country; put an end to the “servant submission politics” that have come to define and relegate some of our fellow countrymen to vagrants; curtailing dangerous tribal politics that we all have come to know so well; ensure the realization or fulfillment of one’s talents and potentialities in the country of his nativity without having to give up his self-worth.

This exceptionalism endeavors to confront ignorance, disease, joblessness and poverty with a kind of national determination that shines a brighter light on our national ills and how to fix them. Moreover, the senator sees transparency, accountability and meritocracy in public service as the norm and not the exception. Senator Dillon aims to part the curtains and allows full illumination in national political life! His ideal is a noble one: Give the people a new lighted hope and how to transform this vision into the Liberian Dream of a decent education, adequate healthcare, an infrastructure that supports modern life, and a dignified existence in your own country. Like the senator, we all believe this hope can be made possible through collective efforts, and by joining of hands behind a benevolent leader and demand a new Liberia that works for every single one of us – those at home and in the diaspora. His vision reaches far into the future, recognizing that what we do now affects all of posterity – good or bad.

Consequently, anybody who listens to the senator knows he’s a man on a mission – fear or state sanctioned criticism will not stop him. He has set a course of wholesomeness and service to the people, and he will travel on this path come what may.  He is fully committed not only because it a cause far greater than himself, or because too many Liberians have come to place tremendous faith in him but most importantly, his failure will kill the last hope in most of our people. Secondly, the senator is a man possessed with lifting Liberia out of this wilderness of despair – his commitment is grounded in virtuous principles; he will not stop on this match for a better Liberia, even if he wanted to! He sees this particular time in history as a turning point for the country to usher in a new period of national responsibility that caters to the wishes and aspirations of the people! We as a people have a patriotic duty to stand alongside this luminary and equally share in this burden of nationalism – this period in time demands it.  We cannot let our country down this time around; our children are counting on us.

I will close and remind you that the senator is not perfect, but I assure you his message and the intent it carries are noble. It is exactly the kind of message this country must hear and follow through on. Dr. King once said, “The mind is a terrible thing to waste.” What is more horrifying is a mind that’s not only wasted, but controlled by greedy politicians simply to be used as they see fit – the senator intents to swiftly counter and punish this avarice with responsible governance under constitutional guidelines. Let the people control their own minds, not politicians.

Liberians cannot continue to expect the change we desire when they oppose the common sense and constitutional mandates that bring about those changes. Senator Dillon’s message of full constitutional devotion, removal of the “big man syndrome” in public life, ensuring proper oversight by the legislature, and demanding the courts rule in accordance with law are not farfetched ideals. These are the simplest things we can do to get the changes we want. This harms nobody; it actually helps everyone. Furthermore, do not allow yourselves to be “muyanized” to the detriment of your kids’ futures; your dignity must not be monetized! Embrace the forward match of Senator Dillon and let’s together build a Liberia that works for every single one of us.

About the Author: Mr. Dualu is the author of several articles including “Common Sense Economics for Liberia” and “Restart Liberia and Build a New Foundation”. He works as a financial professional out of Boston, Massachusetts.

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