Introduction
Hi, Everyone
I have found it significant by writing to contribute to the peace process in Liberia towards better development as a Future Guardian of Peace through one of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (Unmil) Radio Programs. The program is called Unmilpostbag. This program addresses the concerns of the public with regards to the peace process in Liberia, the activities of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (Unmil), the Government and NGOs on various issues effecting Liberians; be it health, education, economy, politics, road construction, poems or anything that is a concern to Liberians. This is the program that airs Liberians’ views every Sunday at 1:30PM through letters.
You can get answers from the relevant authorities in response if concerned. You can suggest solutions to any issues or concerns. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, you just have to write your letters. You can writes to the program if you have access to the Internet by using the address unmilpostbag@unmil.org or you can drop your letter in a box in front of Unmil Head Quarters, 1st street Sinkor African Anxel in Monrovia. If not, you can take your letter to any of the Unmil Head Quarter in the sectors. This program is contributing to the peace process in Liberia by highlighting Liberians views all over the Country.
To close, I will say that the excess of education is to create a positive change in Society. Education plays a vital role in building a strong nation. But how do we get it? How do we ensure that the children get the education they need? I can now see from the great Ricks Institute, the land of transformation, intellectual, physical, emotional, culture and social learning. The mentioned letters below I wrote when I enrolled in Ricks Institute in 2009. It is my hope to continue such acts, as I become a prospective Journalist in writing. Some of these ideas have been implemented through the relevant authorities the letters address, and many have responded to them on air. My wonderful people please read and read! The below letters have been aired through the media around the Country some months ago.
September 12, 2009
DearUnmilpostbag,
Thanks for the opportunity to write on your program. I am very glad, and may the almighty God bless the chief for Unmil Radio, Joseph Mensah, including his work mates, especially you Martina Brooks and Julie Garpula. My name is Lassana Kanneh. I am a high school senior, student journalist of Voinjama Free Pentecostal Mission School, Voinjama, Lofa County. I am very appreciative to all the newspaper institutions in Monrovia, Liberia for their jobs well done, including the present. When I visited Monrovia during my vocation break, I saw and read many newspapers like the New Democrat Newspaper, the In Profile, and Daily OBSERVER. In points, I am kindly appealing to all newspapers institutions in Monrovia to please extend to rural areas of Liberia to spread the information of news, comments, analysis and suggestions, which I think and believe will help our people to understand how the Government is fighting against Rape, murders and illegal crimes towards good development. I’m also grateful to Unmil for their Sentinel newspaper, which I consider to be the monthly newspaper. We always received the Unmil Sentinel newspaper here in Lofa, especially in Voinjama, and we understand the stories of how the Liberian Government is operating for a better Liberia. Thanks also go to the two Radio stations, Unmil Radio and E.L.B.C Radio, for their efforts of entertainment and educational programs.
For E.L.B.C Radio programs, I really like to listen to Executive diary, safely, and you. And for Unmil Radio programs, I usually listen to Capital Reports and Palaver Hut and many other programs including unmilpostbag, which I will give my thanks and appreciations to you Martina Brooks and Julie Garpula and kindly ask for a repeat of this program, which will be very important for late Listeners.
Thanks
Lassana Kanneh
Voinjama, Lofa County
September 22, 2009
Dear Unmilpostbag,
I am very glad and wish to continue writing on your program. Thanks for the privilege given to us Liberians to raise our concerns, suggestions and questions to the government of Liberia. My name is Lassana Kanneh. A formal high school student Journalist of Voinjama Free Pentecostal Mission School in Voinjama city, Lofa County, who has been elevated to Ricks Institute, Virginia, Liberia for the academic year of 2009 to 2010.
Unmilpostbag, my letter of concern is mainly addressing the minister of Ministry of Public works of Liberia concerning the bad condition of roads in Lofa County. Leaving Lofa, my beloved home to be transferred to Virginia, Liberia was a shame leaving my County in such condition. Mr. Minister, I am very sorry for not putting your full name in this letter because I do not know, but I wish to know as time goes on. What are your plans toward the bad roads in Lofa that we citizens are now facing this rainy season? Two hours drive has become a one-day drive, and a one-day drive comes out to approximately one week.
Motorcyclists are all suffering to move their Motors from place to place in remote areas. What is happening Mr. Minister? Will this be a sign of good development in Lofa? We citizens are not able to transport our cash crops to urban Liberia, especially Monrovia, to sell and buy national and imported goods for our needs if the roads are in such bad condition. Will this also help us in Lofa regain or accelerate our title of breadbasket of Liberia? Lofa roads are all spoiling towards the Guinea and Sierra Leone borders, including the entrance from Gbarnga, Bong County. What are the plans of this present government, Mr. Minister, concerning the bad roads? Who says their aim is to fight the poverty Reduction strategy, including changing the minds and attitudes of people, and providing good security. Will this be well? When we citizens’ hearts are burning all days, will this be sworn that Lofa will always suffer for good roads? I stop this far, and wish to continue addressing my concern.
May 23, 2010
Dear Unmilpostbag;
It is so sad, but exciting when I made a visit to Voinjama on May 16, 2010 in order to meet and greet family members and friends. Looking at the environment of Voinjama and its people interacting seemed like nothing that lead to any tribal fight, which likely turned into religious conflict on February 26, 2010. Now, people are interacting in a normal situation. Merchants are coming in with their goods to satisfy consumers’ needs. Buyers and sellers are like sugar and ants. Villagers are free to tour in and out of Voinjama with their crops. I say everything is normal and becoming normal in the hands of the people. Lofa County, particularly Voinjama is my home of residence, where I did my primary and middle high school education. I am now a senior high school student of Ricks Institute. Lofa County is the homeland of my beloved mother and late father, and my place of birth is Kakata, Margibi County.
Through my visit in Voinjama, I walked around and saw burned structures belonging to both the Mandingos and Lormas, including the Catholic compound where I completed my primary education, especially the Father’s house and the Justice Peace Commission (JPC) office, a building that was burned down and many were killed. I wept and wept even though I read so many newspapers, but I never believed such acts when I was out of Voinjama. We Liberians have a saying that says, “Seeing is believed”. May the dead ones souls rest in perfect peace! Many thanks to the Government of Liberia for her smart efforts in stopping the destructive conflict among the Uncles and Nephews (The Lormas’ and Mandingos’) by sending the ERU force and other securities who handled the situation peacefully. I wonder or speculate what our County authorities were doing at the start of the conflict. In another point, thank you to our traditional elders for their strong prayers and many sacrifices. I must appeal to them to please continue their efforts by doing many sacrifices to wash away our ethnic differences among tribal groups and the youth of Lofa County.
If you are a Gbandi, Kissi, be it Lorma or Mandingo, we are all brothers and sisters with the same red blood. We have to stop the differences and look forward to good development. With our differences, will it satisfy us, the youth, to accomplish or achieve quality education and our goal to extend it to our future generations? Please, to our brothers and sisters, we have to discontinue conflict that will bring set back to our beloved country, Liberia. We have to remind ourselves that the war is over and there should be no internal and external conflicts. Liberians need peace for development. Please, I beg you all.
Thanks
Lassana Kanneh, Student journalist
Ricks Institute
Virginia, Liberia
June 18, 2010
Dear Unmilpostbag;
I must congratulate this program especially you the hosts and presenters, Sister Martina Brook and Aunty Julie Garpula, for the wonderful work done. Thanks for this magnificent program, which enable us Liberians to air our views; like questions, suggestions, comments, analysis, or anything that is our concern, be it health, education or development. Today, my idea is mainly addressing our president Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for her great job she has done and continues to do for us Liberians. Our city roads, particularly Monrovia, are turning out to be well. The economy and education system are improving. I hope that we Liberians are seeing such good doing. I believe after my birth that this is the only Government that have fought against corruptions towards good development for us the youth of Liberia to have a better future and brought in the poverty reduction strategy. Who’s fought and persisted to fight Rape against our mothers? To you Madam Sirleaf, may our almighty Lord bless you and provide long life to expand your high-quality objectives for us Liberians. I hope we Liberians have the same mind to have you again, or such a leader like you for the next election.
To us Liberians, let us make wise decisions and place our votes in the right box. Do we need a ruler or a leader? We have to think of this and get a trustworthy leader who will guide and provide us the way to development. With our wise decisions, I hope in the next term Liberia can be one of the developed countries in West Africa, and in Africa at large. I beg that all Liberians, eighteen years and above, have to be very wise in our decision making process to elect a good leader that will serve us to our goal but not to discriminate against us. However, I beg to you Madam Sirleaf to please improve the security sectors by securing our various borders areas. Thanks to you for your great efforts towards Liberia and we Liberians.
Thanks
Lassana Kanneh, student journalist
Ricks Institute
Virginia, Liberia
July 5, 2010
Dear Unmilpostbag;
I use this time to give many thanks in praising the Government of Liberia, and the United Nations Mission in Liberia (Unmil), including the International donors for keeping peace in Liberia. It’s seems that Lofa County wants to regain its status as the bread basket of Liberia by playing a leading role in making sure that Liberia becomes self-sufficient in food production, since the launching of June 2008 “back to the soil” campaign in Liberia.
For my part as a boarding student, I have begun the vocational school breaks a few weeks ago from Ricks Institute-Virginia, Liberia. I toured in some parts of Lofa County, especially Foya and Voinjama districts, observing my own people so excited in their farming systems to ensure the County regains its household status as the bread basket of Liberia. Oh Lord’s! Thanks for putting us Liberians back to the soil after the hardship of a 14-year civil war, in particular the citizens of the victorious Lofa County, which was damaged during the Liberians’ years of tragedy. So long there is life, there is hope for everything. Life is real. Life is earnest. Let us then be up and doing, with the heart of destiny.
I recommend to the Government of Liberia to please empower the Ministry of Agriculture to encourage farmers who want to see the positive success of the Green Coast by providing farm tools to get their farming activities done. With this knowledge, I assume it will help to eliminate the poverty rate in Liberia, and bring us to development. Liberians, please let’s look at our own markets and see what is unfolding before us. I surmise it is the Peanut, which we called in simple English, Ground Pea. I do believe that 85 percent is from Lofa County, speared all over the urban areas especially Monrovia, the Nation’s capital City. We also can’t forget our planted Rice called Country Rice at the Market along with other harvest crops.
To bring to a close the above statements mentioned, I would like to stop this far. Martina and Julie, of course self praise has no recommendation, but I’m one of the best listeners’ of all Unmil Radio programs, especially this program Umnilpostbag. And I hope to become one of the numerous writers of the Umnilpostbag as I elevate in life. But, sometimes I’m so obligated with a lot of work and the writing of articles. Nevertheless, I’m always glad to write on this program.
“Our charity begins at home, and mostly ends where it begins.”
“Hope is the only good which is common to all men.”
Thanks
Lassana Kanneh
Voinjama
Lofa County
