We, a group of concerned citizens of the Republic of Liberia, having heard from some officials of your government, as well as supporters of yours, the statement “Rome was not built in one day,” somehow as a defense for your government’s apparent failure or inability to carry out certain needed development projects, write to make a few comments in this direction.
You see, Madam President, we are sick and tired of hearing this usually wrongly applied statement. We are really sick and tired of it. It seems they – those of your officials and supporters who are fond of making this statement – want to use this as an excuse for your government’s apparent failure or inability to undertake quite simple development projects in the country, especially in the capital.
Madam President, everybody may not know that Rome was built in one day’s time, but many of us know. Besides, many consider this statement a trite. Moreover, this statement is usually misapplied or loosely used, which is sometimes deceptive. Furthermore, it seems the utterance of this statement is an attempt to deride or silence those who have the nerve to challenge your administration on its apparent inability or failure to undertake orimplement certain requisite projects.
It is like those of us who comment on your administration’s slow pace in instituting and implementing people-centered or needed projects and programs are blind to or ignorant of the fact that everything takes time – that is, that Rome was not built in one day’s time. We are conscious of this.
However, to use this as a defense for your government’s apparent failure or inability to fix 9th Street is hilarious. It is a disgrace for 9th Street to look the way it has been since you became President of the republic, especially in the face of the numerous resources your government has received and continues to receive, whether from taxes collected or from friendly international governments and organizations.
The Rome-was-not-built-in-one-day argument is also laughable because Liberians and the international community know that your government is very corrupt. In other words, most of the resources lost to the corrupt practices of your government could fix 9th or 11th Street. This is a fact.
Are we going to continuously hide behind “Rome was not built in one day” and let 9th Street remain like this for the rest of your second term? But it is not only 9th Street that is feeling it. Many other streets, including 11th Street, 14th Street, 15th Street, 18th Street, 19th Street, 20th Street, 22nd Street and 24th Street, streets that are right in the city or close to it, also remain deplorable all because “Rome was not built in one day.” It is embarrassing, Madam President.
Wait a minute, Madam President.Because “Room was not built in one,” you will let all these streets remain like this until you leaven office? By the way, Madam President, are you really aware of the deplorable conditions of these streets, or you know nothing about how they look? We, the citizens, would have loved to mention Smythe Road and Chu-gbor Road, all on the Old Road, the Police Academy Road, Jamaica Road, Chicken Soup Factory and many other places, but it would be a waste of time because, if 9th Street, 11th Street, 14th Street, 15th Street, 18th Street, 19th Street, 22nd Street, 24th Street and other streets and roads near the capital are not yet fixed all because “Room was not built in one,” why would we venture to mention Police Academy Road and others?
It seems people are hiding behind “Rome was not built in one day” to neglect or sideline many important projects and programs. Some are taking “Rome was not built in one day” to some ridiculous extent. Isn’t this interesting? To be continued…
