Lofa County Federation: Which Way?
All Roads Lead To Detroit, Michigan Convention

Once a commercial, agricultural centre,
now in ruins. Voinjama, Lofa County
headquarters,was the hardest as home
of various rebel factions--from
Charles Taylor to LURD rebels

By Daniel N. Solee 

7 May 04

This year’s Loffa Convention Convention scheduled for Detroit, Michigan on Memorial Day weekend is important and significant to all Lofa County citizens. If I were in the initial preparation of the theme of the convention, I would have suggested, “Lofa Federation: Which way?” This theme reminds me of the biblical anecdote. A question was once raised to a pastor. “Why did it take Moses and the children of Israel forty years to reach the Promise Land?” “The answer is very simple,” replied the pastor. “Moses did not bother to ask for directions.” It therefore seems to me that the theme, “Lofa Federation: Which Way?” would have been a provocative way of asking for the direction towards the future of the Lofa County Federation in the Americas. 

As members of the Lofa Federation, we have journeyed together for more than ten years, negotiating our way through rough seas, rugged mountains, deep valleys, swollen rivers, dense tropical forest and wilderness of harmony, confusion and disunity. Today, we are standing at the crossroads of a millenium. It seems to me that the Detroit convention is an opportune time for us to pause and ask for directions. We need to survey the terrain we have traversed so far and begin to indicate some broad markers for our collective journey towards a meaningful future for the Lofa Federation. 

Interestingly, there is something profoundly Lofian about pausing and asking for directions. At a symbolical level, it means to reflect, meditate or ponder about who and what we are as we search for new directions in our journey. “Which way: Lofa Federation” is a concept so rich and vivid as we map our way forward for the future of the Lofa County Federation. 

Anyone familiar with Lofa County knows that finding your way in that part of the world is not easy. In most western countries, finding your way requires you to possess the right address and looking it up the map for directions. In fact it is much more simplified now by just going to Map Quest. Unlike the west, finding your way in Lofa County is close to an adventure. You need more than a street address. The houses and buildings are not always arithmetically planned and arranged. Maps in Liberia do not always indicate every street. Finding your way means that you have to know the significant landmarks such as hospitals, schools, mosques, churches, temples, markets, swamps, historical trees, creeks and society bushes in the area. Even that is not enough. Sometimes, you may have to stop and ask someone for directions. I can recall my school days in Voinjama, every time I traveled to the Kissi quarter or the Mandingo quarter to find someone, I had to stop and ask for directions. It just became a fundamental norm. 

It is therefore helpful to keep this analogy in mind as we assemble in Detroit and reflect on the metaphor “Which way, Lofa Federation?” As Lofians, we do have numerical strength. We are the most educated in Liberia in all fields of study. But throughout this terrible war that engulfed Liberia we have left our people in the midnight of desolation, despair and hopelessness. Certainly, throughout this terrible midnight of discomfort and war that was inhumanely imposed on us, men, women, children and the disabled from Lofa County have been languishing in refugee camps, in foreign countries. For over fourteen years, these people have knocked on the doors of the Lofa County Federation in the Americas for the bread of hope and comfort but we have greeted them with cold indifference and blatant hypocrisy. 

Even in the United States, thousands of Lofa citizens are coming daily to be resettled. Some are old and disabled. Some are young and in search of role models. They, too, have received nothing from us. Not even a warm hug of welcome. They are in the United States fighting for survival and terribly disappointed in the Lofa County Federation. It is a shameful tragedy of history that the most powerful county in Liberia with such talented and vital human resource is unable to unite and help assist her people. Other county associations have websites and have made significant progress. Unfortunately for us, all we do at these Annual Conventions is disagree on insignificant issues and hold internal tribal grudges. We are more concerned about formalities, semantics and grammatical errors than substantive positive actions. While other counties are sending massive assistance to Liberia, we are still looking for a “way.” 

“Which way: Lofa Federation?” How long do we have to traverse the terrain before we know that our county is reduced to ashes? How long do we have to traverse the terrain before we know that our historical monuments are gone? How long do we have to traverse the terrain before we know that the youth who are the future leaders of our county are nothing but dope addicts and child soldiers? How long do we to traverse the terrain before we know that at this very moment that I am writing to you, thousands of our people are hiding in bushes and thick forests running for safety? How long do we have to traverse the terrain before we realize that at this very moment, thousands of children are dying from hunger and starvation in Lofa County? How long, ladies and gentlemen, how long, before we know that qualified Lofa citizens are being denied jobs and their right place in the Liberian society?  

Undoubtedly, we have to realize the fact that we are in state of national tragedy. Politically, we are now left in the cold. Political subdivisions that once looked up to Lofa County for national leadership have now become our political masters. Educationally, we will become zero especially with every institution uprooted and the materials taken into Guinea. With the current government of Liberia in a dire state of wanting coupled with rampant corruption, I can foresee a pathetic situation were our county will result to the period of the sixties. In those days, there was only one public high school in Voinjama for the entire northern part of Lofa County. All the students from Foya, Kolahun and Vaihun had to come to Voinjama for high school education.  

Let the word therefore go out from this upcoming convention to every Lofa citizen that we can no longer afford to look the other way. There is too much at risk for Lofa County. We have to tell every Lofian that it is time to stare into the face of reality. It is absolutely necessary that we recognize the fact that the face in the mirror is our own. We have to understand the fact that the future of Lofa County depends on us. If we cannot unite during this period of national crisis and anarchy and speak collectively for our people, then Lofa County will continue to fall. 

As we therefore gather in the historic city of Detroit, Michigan during this coming Memorial Day weekend to find a way, let us take the convention serious. I challenge you to respect the views of each other and speak with clarity and honesty. We must not condemn each other. We should do every thing to avoid tribal and ethnic fragmentations. Let us use the qualities and talents that God Almighty and Allah has given us to elect leaders for the federation at the Detroit Convention on the basis of merit, capability, competence, dedication and commitment. 

Also, in finding the way, let us begin to embrace the wealth of experience from the former leaders and educators from our county currently in the United States. We must encourage them to join us and have them share their wisdom and opinions with us. We must avoid referring to our fathers and mothers who served our country with dedication and commitment as “recycled politicians.” Experience is a useful tool in every society. The current reductionism of Liberia to a failed state is a perfect example of what lack of experience and honesty does to a society.  

Above all, during the convention, we should challenge ourselves to come up with a clear sense of direction, mission and vision for this Federation. Most of all, we must pray that at the convention; we should begin the process of reconciliation and reunification of Lofa County. Most of us may not want to admit that there are internalized ethnic tensions mainly between the Mandigos and Lormas and then other ethnic groups in Lofa County. It would be prudent if we can form a committee during this convention to begin the process as the people of Nimba County have begun. Once the process begins in the United States, it will extend to Liberia. While there is a need for social and economic recovery plans, for post war Lofa County, we must all agree that the need for healing and forgiveness is paramount in Lofa County. The cohesiveness that once held the county has been destroyed. This is where we will need the wisdom of our educators, former leaders and politicians. 

Finally, in our search for a provisional direction for the future of the Lofa Federation during the Detroit convention, let me thank the Detroit, Michigan Chapter for her hard work. The contacts and publicity have been overwhelming. We must applaud your efforts, commitment and dedication and urge every citizen of Lofa County to attend the convention. I hope that at the convention, we will briefly pause at Kiliwu, Bokeza, Karmatahun, Mendicorma, Salayea, Foya, etc. for directions and try to find a way for Lofa County.
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Note: Daniel N. Solee is the current president of the Washington DC Chapter of the Lofa County Association in the Americas and founder of the Liberia Project Ministry.