MONROVIA – A strongly worded public reflection by Citizens Movement for Change Political Leader Musa Hassan Bility is generating fresh discussion about civic responsibility, accountability and citizen engagement in Liberia’s democratic process. Drawing inspiration from George Orwell’s classic political allegory, Animal Farm, Bility employs the character Benjamin—the skeptical donkey who recognized injustice but failed to act—as a metaphor for what he describes as a growing culture of silence in the face of national challenges. The commentary arrives amid continuing public debate over governance, public services, resource management and economic opportunity, and challenges Liberians to move beyond awareness and embrace active citizenship before today’s unresolved problems become tomorrow’s irreversible crises. THE ANALYST reports.
BILITY ISSUES PASSIONATE APPEAL
Citizens Movement for Change Political Leader Musa Hassan Bility has launched a passionate appeal to Liberians to abandon political indifference and become more actively engaged in confronting the social, economic and governance challenges facing the nation.
In a public reflection entitled “Don’t Be Benjamin,” Bility draws extensively from George Orwell’s Animal Farm to argue that awareness without action ultimately serves the interests of those who benefit from injustice and poor governance.
The piece, framed as a “Letter From Saclepea,” uses one of the novel’s most recognizable characters to illustrate what Bility believes has become a troubling national tendency to observe wrongdoing without taking meaningful action to challenge it.
According to him, many Liberians recognize the country’s challenges but have become resigned to accepting them as inevitable.
THE BENJAMIN ANALOGY
Central to Bility’s argument is the character Benjamin, the elderly donkey in Orwell’s classic novel.
In the story, Benjamin is portrayed as intelligent, perceptive and fully aware of the injustices unfolding around him. He understands the deception of the ruling pigs and recognizes the gradual betrayal of the revolution’s ideals. Yet despite his awareness, he chooses silence and inaction until events spiral beyond repair.
Bility argues that Benjamin’s greatest failure was not ignorance but passivity.
“He knew everything, but Benjamin did nothing,” Bility writes. “While others were deceived, Benjamin was informed. While others were fooled, Benjamin understood. Yet understanding without action proved worthless.”
The political leader contends that this lesson remains relevant to contemporary Liberia, where many citizens acknowledge serious national problems but often stop short of collective action.
CRITIQUE OF NATIONAL CONDITIONS
Using the Benjamin analogy as a foundation, Bility proceeds to outline what he regards as some of Liberia’s most pressing challenges.
He cites inadequate healthcare services, struggling educational institutions, persistent poverty in resource-rich communities, unemployment and corruption as examples of problems widely recognized by citizens but insufficiently confronted through public action.
According to Bility, Liberians are well aware of the difficulties confronting ordinary citizens.
He points to pregnant women and children lacking access to adequate healthcare, students attending under-resourced schools and communities surrounded by natural wealth but unable to benefit meaningfully from the resources extracted from their lands.
The CMC leader argues that these realities are no secret to the population.
Rather, he suggests that the challenge lies in converting awareness into sustained civic engagement and advocacy.
WARNING AGAINST COMPLACENCY
A major theme running throughout the commentary is the danger of waiting too long before responding to injustice.
Bility notes that in Animal Farm, Benjamin eventually speaks out when his friend Boxer is being taken away, but by that point the opportunity to prevent tragedy has already passed.
The political leader warns that Liberia risks a similar outcome if citizens postpone action until problems directly affect their own families and communities.
“The suffering we ignore today may become the suffering of someone we love tomorrow,” he writes. “The injustice we tolerate today may become the injustice inflicted upon our children tomorrow.”
The observation forms one of the central arguments of his piece and serves as a warning against civic complacency.
WHO IS BOXER IN LIBERIA?
One of the most striking sections of Bility’s commentary is his effort to localize Orwell’s narrative within the Liberian context.
He asks readers to consider who “Boxer” represents in modern Liberia.
According to him, Boxer symbolizes the ordinary Liberian citizen carrying the burden of national challenges while receiving little reward for his or her sacrifices.
“Boxer is the struggling farmer. Boxer is the unemployed graduate. Boxer is the pregnant woman who cannot access healthcare. Boxer is the child sitting in a classroom without books,” Bility states.
He extends the metaphor further to include families living near valuable natural resources but remaining trapped in poverty despite the wealth generated from their communities.
The examples are intended to illustrate the human cost of poor governance and societal indifference.
CALL FOR PATRIOTIC ACTION
Moving from criticism to prescription, Bility calls for what he describes as a new culture of patriotism and civic responsibility.
He argues that Liberia’s future will not be determined solely by those who exploit weaknesses within the system but also by the willingness of ordinary citizens to defend the public interest.
According to him, the country requires individuals willing to demand accountability, challenge misconduct and reject hopelessness.
“Libera does not need more Benjamins,” he declares. “Liberia needs patriots.”
The statement forms the philosophical centerpiece of his message and reflects his belief that meaningful national progress requires broader citizen participation.
A QUESTION DIRECTED AT THE NATION
Bility ultimately frames the discussion as a personal challenge directed at every Liberian.
He asks whether citizens will remain silent until the consequences of national problems arrive at their own doorsteps or whether they will choose to engage while meaningful change remains possible.
The commentary repeatedly returns to the notion that the future of the nation will be shaped not only by political leaders but by the decisions ordinary citizens make regarding what they choose to tolerate and what they choose to confront.
In that respect, the piece functions as both a political commentary and a civic appeal.
MESSAGE LIKELY TO SPARK DEBATE
The publication of Bility’s reflection is expected to generate discussion across political and civic circles, particularly because it arrives at a time when issues relating to governance, accountability and public trust continue to dominate national discourse.
Supporters may view the commentary as a timely call for greater citizen engagement, while critics may interpret it as part of a broader political critique of current national conditions.
Regardless of perspective, the message underscores a recurring theme in democratic societies: that awareness alone is insufficient if it is not accompanied by action.
As Liberia continues to navigate complex economic, social and governance challenges, Bility’s warning against becoming “Benjamin” adds another voice to the ongoing national conversation about responsibility, citizenship and the future direction of the Republic.