MONROVIA: When the final version of Liberia’s democratic history is done and sealed, few names stand out in their firmness against omission. Those are citizens, living and dead, whose lives are inextricably tied to the narratives of the country’ long, tortuous struggles by their exhibition of selflessness and audacities which formed the composts that have given birth the politically and socially pluralistic, stable and freer society now prevailing. One of such a few Liberians is ace economist and progressive, Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh, fondly simply called Tipo. Through the vicissitudes of time and the tensely foggy conditions characterizing the country’s recent trajectory, Tipo has hit his 83rd birth anniversary, and he’s yelling on top of his voice in a mix of vernaculars describing God Almighty, saying, “By the Grace of God, I [am 83 years of age today]. Glory to Our Creator N’Yalla/Kamba/Nyihnswa – Tipo.” The Analyst reports.
When it is said by a Liberian politician or public servant that they have left the comfort and grandeur of life abroad to come home and contribute to Liberia’s growth and development, not many merit such a claim. But when the likes of patriarch Togba-Nah Tipoteh make such a claim, history validates it.
This is so because the Grand Kru progeny, having obtained a doctorate at a very young age, and was being celebrated by most Africa nations regarding him an economic wizard to whom they sought relief, he could have made it a huge enterprise of his life. But he abandoned those pursuits, came down to Liberia, fought along his compatriots to uproot one-party system and oligarchic rule, remained in-country throughout a long war, making peace and barking at autocrats and still merit his popular epithet, “the Only Man on the Ground”.
That epithet, many pundits say, is well-deserving of Dr. Tipoteh for being consistently with the masses of Liberians throughout the struggles dating back to the early 1970s up to now, save for taking a brief exile sabbatical in flight from tyrants but returned and has since never left the country.
Looking back the memory lane, many would admit that the 1941 born has paid his due for Mother Liberia, being an educator, a fighter for democracy and pluralism and for working out for peace in the bleakest of times.
As someone wrote, the ace economist, in the last five decades has been in the forefront of struggles, actively involved with democratic activities in promotion of human rights, liberties, constitutional rule and growth with development in Liberia and throughout Africa.
He is President of the Movement for Justice in Africa (MOJA); was founding Chairman of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), an alliance of Liberian political parties; was founder and Director-General of Susukuu Incorporated, Liberia’s oldest non-governmental development organization.
Tipoteh’s Susukuu played an important role in bringing peace to Liberia, for it is credited by the West Africa Peacekeeping Force (ECOMOG) as helping to disarm over 10,000 combatants and child soldiers in Liberia during the 1997 disarmament program through a school for gun program.
Along with a horde of other compatriots, in his capacity as Chairman of the Interest Groups of Liberia, a consortium of 32 national organizations with a collective membership of well over one million persons, Dr. Tipoteh was a leading voice for peace and national renewal.
Togba-Nah Tipoteh was born in Monrovia in 1941 to Reverend and Mrs Samuel Togba Roberts of Grand Kru County. He was educated at the College of West Africa (high school) and at the University of Liberia.
He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Ohio University (Athens) and Ohio State University in Columbus, US, in June 1963 and 1964 respectively.
In 1969, he earned a doctorate degree in economics while studying as a Harvard University/United Nations Special Fund Fellow in Economic Development at the University of Nebraska. In the early 1970s, Tipoteh was associate professor of economics, chair of the Economics Department and director of the Management Research Institute at the University of Liberia (1971-1974).
He was Liberia’s national tennis champion for 30 unbroken years (1964-1994)
In 1973, Tipoteh founded the Movement for Justice in Africa (MOJA), a pan-African political organization which played a pivotal role in the struggle for social justice and democracy in Liberia in the 1970s.
He served as a Budget Advisor to Liberian President William R. Tolbert, in which position he expressed concerns about government waste and advocated public management reforms.
He was the first Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs (1980-1981) under the regime of Samuel K. Doe which overthrew President Tolbert, but resigned after 15 months in office, citing human rights abuses by the government as his reason for leaving.
In 1983 the Liberian People’s Party (LPP) was formed as the electoral wing of MOJA. In Liberia’s 1997 elections Tipoteh ran as the presidential candidate of the LPP. In Liberia’s 2005 elections, Tipoteh was the candidate for the Alliance for Peace and Democracy, an alliance of the LPP and another veteran opposition movement, the United People’s Party (UPP).
In Liberia’s 2011 elections, he was the candidate of the Freedom Alliance Party of Liberia (FAPL). After being knocked out in the first round, he endorsed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for the second round, saying in a statement that his party’s decision followed observation and evaluation of the two parties in the run-off, based on the issue of societal transparency.
Tipoteh is also a businessman, and serves as chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Kukatornon Reconstruction Corporation.
Through his scholarship program, he mentors and sends hundreds of students (mainly children) from all counties of Liberia to schools and colleges in Liberia.
He has worked in international development in the United States, the Netherlands, Mozambique, Ghana, South Africa and other countries, as well as for the United Nations system: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), International Monetary Fund (IMF), African Economic Community (ECA) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), among others.
His Personal Birthday Post
In a short statement he shared with The Analyst, the veteran politician wrote: “Making me 83 years of age. Graduated from St. Patrick’s Elementary School in 1955 with Kenneth Yarkawolo Best, Stephen Dunbar and Lionel Keller as some of my Classmates.
“Graduated from CWA in 1959 with Carney Johnson. Esli Holder. Grace Worjloh. Rose Mendscole. Wokie Tubman and Baldwin Banks as some of my Classmates. Earned a PhD in Economics under a Harvard-United Nations Special Fellowship at the age of 27. Lectured in Universities in Asia. Europe, America and Africa.
“Served as Professor of Economics. Head of the Economics Department and Head of the Economic and Management Research Institute at the University of Liberia. Served as Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs. Budget Advisor to President Tolbert. Chairperson of the African Group of Governors of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and Senior United Nations Advisor.
“Married to Fatu Ruth Tipoteh. Head the Procurement department at the University of Liberia for over 27 years with hundreds of Children being supported to go to school In Liberia and abroad. Several siblings’ blood and non-blood. Only blood Sister with PhD in Health Science at the age of 65.
“In the Christian religion and Member of the First United Methodist Church in Liberia. Musician/Composer of Liberian songs. Retired Undefeated Tennis Champion of Liberia from 19964 to 1994.
Founder of Susukuu the fifty three years old poverty alleviation NGO. Founding Leader of the Movement for Justice in Africa (MOJA), Founder of the Liberian People Party (LPP).
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