Perhaps now appearing fun-like to this columnist, a little man and no longer boy in the agricultural sector, and daring to become emphatic at what Agriculture Minister Dr. Florence Chenoweth was recently quoted by the Media to have said whilst speaking at the Fendell campus that employment opportunities were momentarily not available for students graduating from the Agricultural college thereat, should I say then that there is a dying need to fully reactivate Liberia’s Extension programmes throughout the country?
With “strongman” like Sizi Zubah who has since been shifted from the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) to the Ministry, having earlier been greeted by former Agricultural Research Manager Alhaji Ansumana Henries of the Lofa County Agricultural Development Project (LCADP) but was perhaps undermined, leaving him to have found greener pasture, where comes the new but very old ideas in agricultural production? A computopia?
Still believing that Dr. Chenoweth who I truly knew whilst serving the agricultural sector between the years 1974 to 1980 in very strategic positions, not even a Mr. Daniel T. Goe who I understand is now in Liberia would accept the toying experienced at the hands of playboys over the years.
Thus and indeed concerned about my “agriculture boys” from whichever university they may come from, least mentioning other areas such as the Booker Washington Institute (BWI), the Agriculture Training Bureau in Bensonville, Montserrado County and many others now established around the country, one would simply wonder where the thrust at agricultural development enveloped.
Would people now believe that the Managing Director of the Daily Observer newspaper, Mr. Kenneth Yarkpawolo Best is an Extension Officer, having worked in the 1960s in Lofa County? Smaller boys not prepared to pursue such path but ready to take on roles that they certainly will not understand, other than been called Pressmen with big badges but empty-headed, democracy has a tag attached to it and those who wish to thread the path cannot use kinship, cocktail and general order as means to confusing readers, listeners and viewers.
No job opportunities for our agriculture school graduates? What if this columnist had just gone to the University of Liberia in 1982, having desired to major in Political Science with minor in Economics, only to realize that he did not have a job? Will the Liberian people sleep? No Way!
Been quite obedient and disciplined, years have rolled by and we continue to see many individuals who are not up to the task. Documents are all that they present but with inputs very minimal --- That’s the fact!
For those coming from abroad, we understand. Speak the serifs and bull-shit but the actual work of meeting the real people has become the real matter.
Most times reminded about a very true friend, Mr. Rufus Karmorh, who happens to be the Public Relations Manager of Firestone Liberia, Liberians are very ugly and if you mind them, you will beat them to death. That also is an agricultural sector!
For me, however, the time is here for the production of rice, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, coconut, soy beans, fish-ponding, piggery, poultry and other areas that our people truly desire.
To therefore say that employment opportunities are not available in the agricultural sector, when many of us are desiring to return home and meaningfully contribute to the growth and development of the Liberian society is outrageous. My little swamp or upland is sufficient to tell all Liberians what can be grown here locally than pursuing the dependency syndrome.
The late James T. Phillips, Moses D. Elliott, Deputy Minister Sirleaf, Deputy Minister Mason, Public Affairs Director Wilson, Bisi Klah, Arthus R. Tucker and many others, including the ministry’s Radio Operator have given me the green-light in telling it as it is to give the current leadership the breathing space in reading between the lines.
Don’t play with AGRICULTURE, and these are the little things that matter.
