The Marriage: Ellen Sirleaf & Amos Sawyer

By: ralph geeplay

This week, Professor Amos Sawyer was in Manila, the Philippines to collect the prestigious Gusi Peace Prize. When you consider that the prize received 1,490 nominations annually, from which 10 to 15 recipients are called, you have a sense of appreciation that it is a laudable honor. This year, the erudite former interim president shared the stage with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. 


At the twilight of his career, Amos Sawyer must sense vindication that he is getting recognition for his efforts both at home and abroad. In its citation to Mr. Sawyer the peace foundation said it was recognizing him, because of “his work in promotion of democratic governance and socio-economic development through regional integration. The Manila based foundation also said; Sawyer “has led numerous missions on peace building and elections observation and has been deeply involved in the strengthening of civil society and the building of African capacity to sustain institutions and processes of democratic governance.” Gusi Peace also paid tribute to him “as a Member of the Panel of Eminent Persons of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), an affiliate of NEPAD. The Panel of Eminent Persons, at full strength, consists of seven distinguished Africans.” Amos Claudius Sawyer, 66, is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Centre for Development, and Chair of the Liberian Governance Commission.

 

It is no secret that though out the 1990s when Mr. Sawyer served as Liberia’s interim president under his then Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU), he engaged in a marathon and exhausted process of luring Charles Taylor to peace table in an effort to find lasting solutions to the Liberian cause, but in every step and effort, he was rebuffed; Taylor had the biggest gun and territoriality! Taylor mind was made up, unless he was the president of Liberia, everybody else was wasting their time. Sawyer finally gave up the quest of convincing Ghankay Taylor after four years of trying. His Gusi Peace nod also coincided with his long time political partner and friend, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf winning reelection and the celebrated Nobel Peace Prize. Observers believe, Mr. Sawyer was instrumental to Sirleaf’s reelection bid, providing profound political strategy and critical advice on her way to the Executive Mansion. Sirleaf is thankful to Sawyer and she let it be known.

Barely a week when the National Elections Commission certificated her as the winner of the run off election, Johnson Sirleaf first public act was to adorn Mr. Sawyer. Using her executive powers, she summoned and admitted him at an investiture in the Charles Cecil Dennis Jr. Auditorium at the foreign ministry building on Capitol Hill. Sawyer was decorated Grand Master of the Order of Distinction, in the Most Venerable Order of the Knighthood of the Pioneers with the grade of Grand Cordon. Besides their political partnership, most of the reforms initiated by the Sirleaf administration came out of the Sawyer’s Governance Commission (GC). Where the Liberian Legislature could not made an impact, it was the Sawyer’s GC that has been the force drafting laws that the president has forwarded to the Liberian Assembly: The acts that established the Anti Corruption Commission, Law and Land Reform Commissions, Whistle Blower Act, Corrupt offenses Act (proposed) Etc, were all executed under his supervision. The commission has also been busy crafting strategies to decentralized political power to the counties and shrink the powers of Liberia’s age old imperial presidency. But more than that, both Sawyer and Sirleaf have been stuck in a political marriage for well over 20 years now, say analysts.

Sawyer has always been good to, and have stood by Sirleaf, even when major political players in the country have deserted her. Their days date back  according to their friends in the trenches of advocacy when Liberian politicians had had enough of Samuel Doe and were now ready to give him the taste of his own 'kanyah pepper'. Having chased most of them out of the country and into exile, Liberian politicians and the larger community back home felt Doe had lost his mandate and legitimacy; the causes for which he first came to power in the first place in 1980 were repeatedly betrayed and abused; they now decided they would oppose him and bring his government down! 

Even ordinary Liberians of all stripes were fed up with Doe and his excesses. He was leading arbitrarily by degrees, and poking his fingers in everyone's eyes! “The Association for Constitutional Democracy in Liberian (ACDL), which was actually based in the United States, was one of such platforms. Together with Dr. Patrick Sayon, they dug their heels in, lobbying the United States Congress, while finding other means to fight Doe," says a former Liberian Ambassador accredited to Washington DC. As the Doe government was crumbling from within, Sirleaf support to Sawyer was crucial in Banjul, the Gambia in 1990, when he secured the interim president position. 

“Matter of fact, it was Sirleaf's influence that landed Sawyer at the ACDL, because Sawyer was neither a founding member of the organization, but he brought leadership and insight to its advocacy,” says a Liberian residing in Philadelphia. Sawyer since then, have always paid back Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. When David Korti disrespected Sawyer few years ago, she publicly chided him, "I have a lot of respect for Dr. Sawyer," she said. Sirleaf met Sawyer's wish immediately, pulling Korti from the Governance Commission. She has always been grateful to him. Sawyer has been one of her key strategists, says an insider.

In 2005 when Sirleaf launched her bid for the Liberian presidency, the political wizard was right there by her side. As the founding chairman of the Liberian People’s Party (LPP), many observers thought he would support his long time friend in academia and advocacy, Togbah Na Tipoteh. Tipoteh and Sawyer have a close kinship from their days at the University of Liberia (UL), and  the now frail grass root Movement for Justice in Africa or MOJA.  Sawyer went the other way, casting his net with Johnson Sirleaf, breaking away to the surprise of many. He formed the flagship Liberian First Group, taking with him critical components of his loyal cadets, amongst them: Tiawon Gongloe, Brownie Samukai, Philip Banks, Chris Massaquoi and a host of others, leaving the LPP an empty shell. Tipoteh was surprised, say sources close to both of them. 

To a large degree say observers, Sawyer feels unacknowledged at home considering his struggle for multiparty democracy and human rights. He was chased out of the country twice both by Doe and Taylor, and his house brunt down.  His political activism during the Tolbert years can not also be denied.

Of his generation, Sawyer feels unappreciated, just like Sirleaf. In an interview with the ever trendy FrontPage Africa a year ago, he told journalist Rodney Sieh, that most of the criticisms against him were unfair and untrue. He took pains to explain that he has always been in the vanguard for Liberia’s interest, and that the house he bought in the United States during his IGNU days was purchased with his own money. Some analysts lend credence to Sawyer’s assertion, while others disagree: His critics say he was a weak interim president who dished out state own vehicles, some Mercedes Benz as honorarium to former IGNU officials at the dying embers of his administration. 

Other charges include halting Nigerian General Joshua Dogonyaro onslaught on Taylor's 'greater Liberia,'  when Gen. Dogonyaro had the upper  hand to have finished Charles Ghankay MacArthur Taylor once and for all. "I was behind 'the lines' at the time, so the those of us who resided in Monrovia at the time would say about 'Taylor's country','' says Eric Johnson who lends credence to the fact Taylor at the time was handicapped. 

Sawyer thinks those criticisms are harsh and have resisted. But what is not in doubt is that, he is a progressive icon and mentor. It was him who challenged to the True Whig Party (TWP) oligarchy in 1979 for the mayor ship of Monrovia. 

That event can be said to be an important moment in the progressive struggle for multiparty democracy in Liberia, because for the first time in long while, the TWP hegemony knew times would never be the same again. As head of the 1986 Constitutional Convention, Sawyer and his group of scholars and team of professionals produced the legal frame work that currently governs the country. 

Like Sawyer, Sirleaf have also said criticisms against her have been biased and untrue. The dichotomy is that they both have international respectability and links abroad unsurpassed by any Liberian living today. At the investiture a week ago Sirleaf thanked her friend and said “I have worked with him; I know him…he is consistent in terms of courage; he’s consistent in principle, commitment and work. Dr. Sawyer, thank you for always being there,” she said gracefully.

According to some administration officials, Amos Sawyer is poised to be the next Foreign Minister (FM) of Liberian as Johnson Sirleaf consolidates the peace and reconcile the nation deeply wounded from war and electoral dispute. 

Sirleaf prized loyalty and the foreign ministry has not seen a career diplomat since she became president, besides the soft spoken Ambassador George Wallace, who lacked the eloquence of Charles Cecil Dennis and charisma of Gabriel Bacchus Matthews. Even though, Wallace was qualified for the post; Sirleaf quickly pulled him out and made him a special adviser after months in office. Sirleaf have been deliberate in trusting the ministry to her close friends to avert the so-called 1980s 'Ethiopian covert maneuver,' under then FM Boimah Fahnbulleh, who is her current national security adviser.  

Sirleaf traveled a lot during her first term for which she has been criticized severely. Say some analysts, it was time she stay home consistently and concentrate on the ever pressing domestic affairs, that include but not limited to: national reconstruction and development, youth unemployment, health, national security, and of course reconciliation. 

Liberians are divided as never seen, and the Congress for Democratic Change has contributed immensely to those cleavages, because of its recent behavior. Sawyer and his team at the GC have already put in the necessary reforms to move Liberia forward, predicting that Liberia should be a middle income country by 2030; the blue print is laid, say some GC aides. As foreign minister, he would command respect abroad and project the image of the country positively as an elder statesman with many awards and connections under his belt, like Sirleaf.  He is in a position say some diplomatic confidants to better articulate the cause and vision of Liberia and Sirleaf's second term agenda on the world stage. "Sawyer have his flaws, but he is a leader," say those who are still loyal to him. 

Whatever the case, Sawyer knows their generation which include: Winston Tubman, Chea Cheapo, Togbah Na Tipoteh, Charles Walter Brumskine, Joseph Boakai & etc are all riding on the last leg of the Johnson Sirleaf administration. This he acknowledged, when he accepted the nation’s highest award a fortnight ago. “Like you,” he told President Sirleaf, “I also believe it is now legacy time; time for our generation of actors to leave our mark and leave the scene,” he told the gathering at his recent celebration on Capitol Hill, Monrovia. Even if not the coveted FM post, Sawyer say some pundits, will command a lot of influence and respect during the next six years.