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INAUGURAL ADDRESS
By
Emmanuel S. Wettee
NATIONAL PRESIDENT
UNION OF LIBERIAN ASSOCIATIONS IN THE AMERICAS (ULAA)
December 9, 2006
Grand East Host
Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Our Honorable Guest Speaker, Dr. Stephen Lubkermann,
Mr. Installing Officer, Father James N. Wilson, II
Officials of the Liberian Government present
Chairman Anthony Kesselly and Members of the National Board of Directors,
Members of the National Leadership Council,
Colleagues in the National Administration,
Our ever-supportive members of the ULAA Eminent Persons Council,
Her Majesty Miss Jacqueline Acqui, our Reigning ULAA Queen,
All of the Royal Highnesses Present:
Miss Liberia Ms. Ro-Pauline Doe,
Miss Liberia in the USA, Ms. Tammy Garr,
Miss Black USA, Ms. Dean,
Heads of National County and Tribal organizations,
Fellow Liberians and friends of Liberia,
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen.
About two months and three weeks ago, delegates from the various chapters of our Union bestowed upon us the honor to steer the state of affairs of our great Union for the next two years.
We are immensely grateful to all of you for this tremendous demonstration of confidence in us. As indicated during the campaign, you can be assured of our commitment to move forward by building one strong Union for our common patrimony Liberia.
As we celebrate this day, permit me at this time to express profound thanks to Liberians in the Buckeye State, Ohio, who have supported my leadership over the years and extended such support throughout, leading to my election.
I also like to express special thanks to my family for their indulgence of my taking away much needed family time and resources to the service of our Union and people.
Fellow Liberians, we are indeed embarking upon a very important historical journey today. As we assume the leadership of this Union, we are not unmindful of the many challenges facing our various Liberian community associations and other organizations throughout the length and breadth of this country. We are also quite aware that, accompanying these challenges is another set of challenges spelling the urgent need for us to contribute to the socio-economic-and political reconstruction of our country. In full recognition of these challenges, allow me tonight to focus my short message on the theme: Leadership is Partnership.
At the height of the just ended election season, we marketed ourselves to you on four core campaign promises. They are (1) expanded social service delivery Union-wide, (2) forming partnership with the Government and various Liberian organizations, (3) continuing the Union’s advocacy mission, and (4) strengthening and improving the Union’s image.
To fulfill these core promises, we have to ensure that the pillars of our Administration are built on first taking leadership and building a network of relationships and collaboration with both Liberian and non Liberian organizations. In this venture, partnership will require not only the sharing of resources, but also engagements and interactions that eliminate the rancor and the endlessly and pointless debates in our respective communities.
We must galvanize ourselves in the direction of getting things done for our people. And this cannot definitely be done with us having to expend so much energy, time, and resources on self-destructive discourse. Our Administration has abiding faith and confidence in our people in the Diaspora, that if we pull our resources and re-orient our approach, we can definitely make a dramatically qualitative change in the conditions of our people both here in the USA and in Liberia.
I therefore call on all Liberians to unite and forge ahead under the banner of ULAA. It has become clear time again that the splintering of the national effort has not yielded the desired results for us and our country. Hence, I cannot but implore all Liberians to unite under this big ULAA umbrella, where as the saying goes, “there is room for everyone,” As we advance the national agenda.
Within the spirit of leadership grounded on partnership, ULAA will continue to play the premier role on issues affecting Liberia, while at the same time reaching out to county, alumni, and other Liberian organizations that are skillfully carrying out other programs effectively and efficiently. This is what I mean by assessing and pulling our resources.
As envisaged in our platform, our Administration will work closely with the Government of Liberian, using the Liberian Embassy near Washington, D.C. as our immediate point of contact in building the much needed collaborative relationship. Consistent with this belief, we have already set the ball rolling by meeting with the Ambassador, Honorable Charles A. Minor and other staff at the Liberian Embassy accredited near Washington, D.C.
Our discussions unveiled new grounds of cooperation and collaboration in many areas such as the holding of joint Independence Day celebrations and the need to jointly establish a data base for Liberians residing in this country, among many other issues. In all of these efforts, ULAA will solicit the support and involvement of our various organizations.
Follow Liberians, in order to foster the new era of leadership and partnership, we will take urgent steps to ensure that efforts at producing a revised ULAA Constitution materialize. The goal here is to finalize the Union’s organic laws in ways that address the needs of some organizations that are desirous of joining the Union. In so doing we hope to create the necessary constitutional environment and framework that will encourage the kind of partnership we seek.
Additionally, in order to ensure that the concept of partnership is extended to all Liberians, the Administration is shortly to establish an ad hoc task force under the Chairmanship of the Chairman of the Union’s Liberia Affairs Committee.
And speaking of the Liberia Affairs Committee, permit me to state publicly our gratitude to our friend and colleague, Mr. Wilmot W. Kunney, who has gracefully agreed to postpone his retirement and remain in active service to help us lead this very important Committee. As one who remained active while serving two successful terms in the Union as National General Secretary, Mr. Kunney has also being asked by us to further lend us his experience and expertise by also serving as Chief of Staff in the Office of the National President.
The task force which he will head will undertake the task of identifying other Liberia professionals and friends of Liberia whose expertise are critical to the advancement of social services and developmental objectives.
Finally Fellow Liberians, let me again assure you that using the above principles of leadership and partnership, we are very confident that we will deliver on our campaign promises. As a matter of fact, we have already started out on this road. We are pleased to report that regarding our immigration agenda, the Administration met with the leadership of the Liberian Community Association of Rhode Island on November 17th, 2006. The leadership of the Association assured the Union that Rhode Island will not only continue to play their lead role in the immigration advocacy issue, but even strive more to increase such role.
We have also held face-to-face discussions with leaders of the Staten Island Liberian Community Association and the Liberian Association of Pennsylvania on the need for us all to pull together in the face of the daunting challenges that face us at this point in time.
One crucial area that must claim our attention, if we are to operate at our full potential, is the perennial problem of internal crises in the chapters. Having spent the best of our time performing conflict resolution and mediation functions, we see the need to give strong focus to this area.
My dear ULAA Family members, when will we actually realize the popular maxim that “A House Divided against Itself Cannot Stand”? We must eschew those tendencies that put us at logger-heads with each other. This Administration, with the firm support of the Board, will move with force to try to quell these crises. Let us be on record here today that the Union is tired sitting helplessly while elements in its member organizations devour themselves on the smallest of misunderstandings. This is to the detriment of the Union as a whole and we will move to contain it. In the same vein, the Union will extend its trouble shooting exercise beyond its borders to other Liberian organizations that are currently stranded in useless crisis.
Regarding our Liberia Agenda, the Chairman designate of the External Affairs Committee, Mr. Samuel Togba Slewion, who is currently in Liberia, will meet top Government officials and other community leaders to hold discussions on important issues such as providing assistance in the areas of education and health and on the critical issue of “out of country” voting. Mr. Slewion will meet with officials in all of the three branches of the Liberian Government.
In a few days also, our new Chairlady-designate for the National Social Services Council, Dr. Mariah Seton, will be in Monrovia. While there it our hope that she can use some of her time to make some quiet preliminary contacts with relevant personalities and organs of government that impact social service delivery.
Further, in order to make a more meaningful impact on the development needs of our people, our Administration is considering the holding of a Donors’ Conference on Liberia under the auspices of ULAA that will seek to mobilize financial resources for Liberia. This major National Conference, which could be modeled after the April 2005 All Liberian National Conference, will see the highest manifestation of partnership between ULAA and the various Liberian organizations. This is planned to be the biggest demonstration of how we can pull ourselves in a positive sense and mobilize some help for our country.
In support of our domestic social services agenda, the Administration will establish the mechanism to partner with our member chapters and other organizations in conducting chapter and regional seminars as well as co-sponsoring specific projects in the area of social service delivery. Specific budgetary appropriations will be sought from the National Board of Directors in the Union Budget to support such programs.
Fellow Liberians, the road ahead of us appears very rough but, with determination, commitment, willingness, and above all unity of purpose, we can all partner together under an effective leadership and come out with great success.
Leadership is indeed partnership. And we plan to showcase that.
One UNION, One LIBERIA! We are moving forward.
Long Live ULAA.
Long Live Liberia.
Together We Struggle for a Better Liberia
I thank you
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