Africa-Press – Liberia.
Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh, the internationally renowned Liberian Statesman, Economist, Politician and Founding Leader of the Movement for Justice in Africa (MOJA), has commended The Analyst on its 23rd Anniversary. Issuing a statement over the weekend, Dr. Tipoteh said that he is commending The Analyst because it has withstood the storms of media-unfriendly dominant and controlling regimes over its existence in the pursuance of justice.
In withstanding the storms, Statesman Tipoteh noted that The Analyst has published consistently, prioritizing democratic institution-building, rather than the building of populist personalities. This mode of publication, according to Economist Tipoteh, contributes positively to the solving of the longstanding and widespread poverty in Liberia, which is the most vexing problem in Liberia, to the extent that it has become the pretext for violence and even civil war, as seen in the Liberian Civil War of 1989 to 2003, in which at least ten per cent (300,000) of the population perished, billions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure destroyed, while the Liberian economy remains unsound, unsafe and unsecured, as it has not recovered to its pre-war level.
A most crucial aspect of the work of The Analyst and other relevant media entities is truth-telling, the Politician Tipoteh insisted, because it is truth-telling that is most useful in raising the awareness among the people to motivate them to take non-violent actions for justice to prevail so that peace can come, as justice remains the only ingredient for peace. More than anything, Dr. Tipoteh continued, the people of Liberia want peace, as heard in their daily cries: “WE WANT PEACE! NO MORE WAR!”
Tipoteh recalled that it was the lack of truth-telling that influenced considerably the flow of rebel activities in Liberia, when government officials reported publicly that there were no rebel activities in Nimba County, as the Civil War overwhelmed Liberia and made the living conditions of Liberians worse.
In closing his statement, Dr. Tipoteh praised the people of Liberia for encouraging the truth-telling media and wished for The Analyst the wisdom to continue publishing the TRUTH, even with “bullets to its chest”.
