Cllr. Jallah Allen Barbu (Keynote Speaker National Flag Day)

Your Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia;

✓ Honorable Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Vice President of the Republic of Liberia; and

✓ Honorable Richard Nagbe Koon, Speaker, Honorable Thomas Paingor Fallah, Deputy Speaker, and the Honorable Members of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Liberia;

✓ Honorable Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, President Pro Tempore; and the Honorable Members of the Senate of the Republic of Liberia;

✓ Your Honor Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, Sr., Chief Justice, Your Honors JamesettaHoward Wolokolie, Alhaji Yusif  DiajiteKaba, Ceaineh D. Clinton Johnson, and Boakai Narmah Kanneh, Associate Justices of the Honorable Supreme Court of Liberia; Circuit and other Judges;

✓ Honorable Jarso Marlay Jallah, Minister of Education;

✓ Honorable Natu Oswald Tweh, Minister of Justice & Attorney General;

✓ Honorable Brigadier General Geraldine George, Minister of Defense; Major General Davison Fayiah Forleh, Chief of Staff; and other Leaders and Members of the Armed Forces of Liberia;

✓ Honorable Members of the Cabinet and other Officials of Government;

✓ Your Excellencies Beng’yela Augustine Gang, Doyen, and Members of the Diplomatic Corps;

✓ International Partners and Organizations in Liberia;

✓ Invited Guests;

✓ Chiefs, Elders and Traditional Leaders of the Republic of Liberia;

✓ Heads and Members of Women and Youth Groups;

✓ Leaders and Members of Civil Society and Community-Based Organizations;

✓ Leaders and Members of Victims of the Civil Crises; Transitional Justice Advocacy and Support Groups;

✓ Persons with Disability, and Leaders of Groups involved with Anti-Drugs and Anti-Violence Campaigns;

✓ Administrators of Schools in Liberia, Teachers and Students;

✓ Religious Leaders, Members of the Clergy and Worshippers of God;

✓ Media Institutions and Members of the Fourth Estate;

✓ Chairpersons, Executives and Members of Political Parties; 

✓ Public and Civil Servants;

✓ Business People, Marketers, Transport Unions and Labour Unions of all Categories;

✓ Executives and Members of Professional Associations, Institutions and Organizations;

✓ Leaders and Members of various Sporting Institutions;

✓ Disadvantaged persons and Illicit Drugs Providers and Users;

✓ Parents, especially Young and Single Mothers;

✓ My Fellow Liberians in Liberia and the Diaspora;

✓ Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am from the Office for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia (OWECC-L), the government office that is legally responsible to lead the establishment of two courts that the Country will have for the first time since its founding, more than 178 years ago, before and since it became a Republic.  The courts are:

1. The War and Economic Crimes Court; and

2. The National Anti-Corruption Court for Liberia.

According to Executive Orders Number 131 and Number 148 issued by His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. President of the Republic of Liberia on May 2, 2024 and April 30, 2025 respectively, the purposes for establishing these two courts are:

1. To investigate and prosecute people who are responsible for human rights and Humanitarian Law violations and who committed atrocities from 1979 up to the launch of the 14 years of civil war on December 24, 1989 and for the entire period of the war up to 2003.  The goal is to bring to closure the pains and sufferings those abuses caused the Nation and provide relief to the victims of our civil crises; and,

2. To develop appropriate draft laws that the Honorable Legislators will consider to address and solve the chronic and stubborn problem called “Corruption,” described by our leaders as “Public Enemy Number One,” running from 1979 to current.

In short, Liberia is establishing these two Courts to help this Country to get rid of impunity by setting examples that will deter people from carrying out such acts of violence and dishonesty.  We are not there yet and the victims are hurting every moment of their lives, and we cannot ignore them.  Therefore, in honor of the memory of the more than 250,000 people who lost their lives, and as a mark of solidarity with victims or survivors, and to hail the efforts of all Transitional Justice Actors, I ask you to kindly join me in a moment of silence, sitting or standing just where you are.  Thank you. I also express the OWECC-L’s sympathy to the Government and people of Liberia, and to the family of the late Min. Sylvester M. Grigsby.

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen; kindly permit me to thank the Almighty God for the Special Blessings and Grace He Has Bestowed on me to be worthy in His Sight, despite my iniquities, to speak to this Nation in particular and be heard and viewed in other parts of the world on such a historic national day.

I would be remis were I not to acknowledge God’s Instrument whose authority it is to select an Orator for these anniversaries, and to accordingly thank our result-oriented and patriotic Minister of Education, Honorable JarsoMarley Jallah, for graciously selecting me on behalf of the Government of Liberia, as the Keynote Speaker for the 178^th Anniversary of our National Flag, our National Identity, the Lone Star Forever.

I am exceptionally honored by my selection and further challenged to remain steadfast in my service to nation with credibility, and once again, affirm that I accept this invitation with great humility and gratitude.  Thank you, Honorable Minister Jallah, for finding me worthy of performing this national service.  Thanks also to all those who expressed their satisfaction at my selection as the 178^th Flag Day Keynote Speaker, most especially Senior and other members of the Government of Liberia. I am eternally grateful for this privilege and honor.

When I received the letter of invitation to serve as the Orator for today’s occasion, I was awed after reading it, as I felt a sudden elevation as a member of our society.  Without a second thought, I asked myself, “Why me?” In the twinkle of an eye, I heard this soft, soothing and unpretentious voice, “If not you, who else at this time?” I recovered quickly and responded, I am Yours, Lord, I’ll do as You Say.” 

The theme of this 178^th Anniversary celebration of our National Ensign is “The Flag We Raise, the Values We Uphold.”  At this time of our governance and rebirth as a ranking member of the comity of nations justifiably credited to the wisdom and astute leadership of the President, Head of State, Head of Government, and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia, His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., this is the most appropriate and riveting theme for this auspicious occasion.  On the strength of the appropriateness of this theme and my promise to Honorable Minister Jallah to speak within its context, I respectfully seek your permission, Your Excellencies and Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, to allow me to speak on the topic:

“Liberia -The Flag We Raise, The Values We Uphold:  One Nation, United Under God; With Liberty and Justice For All.”

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, in my salutation, I tried to mention every sector of our Country. I apologize for any oversight, and assure that it is not deliberate. I did so because I intend to speak to the entire nation, primarily to Liberians in this hall, within the confines of our Country, and in any other part of the world; and then, to our counterparts and friends.  I ask you all, especially students and young people, to kindly give me your attention.

Historians, Researchers, Publishers and National Flag Day Orators long before me have repeatedly written and spoken on the genesis of our Flag and its importance to us as a people.  By now, those lessons should have settled in our being such that they would be inseparable from us, as a part of our culture, tradition and way of life.  Unfortunately, this is not the case. It is the other way around. The honor and respect we as a nation, had and boldly upheld for our Flag has drastically declined.  As I discuss a few of these reversals in this address, I admit that all of us are to be held responsible for failing our Flag and devaluing our oneness rooted in our national colors, the Lone Star.

Ladies and Gentlemen, is Liberia still the “Lone Star” to the rest of Africa, going back to and relying on History? The answer is a “Resounding Yes.”  Liberia is the ONLYCountry in Africa that has set aside special holidays to commemorate the making and hosting of its Flag.  On October 24, 1915, His Excellency Daniel E. Howard, Liberia’s 16^thPresident, signed the Act of the Legislature which declared August 24 of each year as national holiday. This happened sixty-eight years after a group of seven distinguished Liberian women, namely, Susannah E. Lewis, (Committee Chair), Matilda Newport, Rachael Johnson, Mary Hunter, Sarah McGill Russwurm, Colonette Teage Ellis, Sara Draper, were commissioned by President Joseph Jenkins Roberts on July 10, 1847 to design a flag that will represent us as a nation.  I believe President Roberts’ wish was to fly that flag on the day of independence but the care and honor that the making of the Liberian Flag required, did not permit its completion in time.  Yet still, it’scompletion was within proximity of the Declaration of Independence on the one hand, but on the other, God’s own plan to have Liberia stand out in Africa, up to today, as the only African Country to have a special day to celebrate its independence and a special day to sacredly honor its National Flag. This is a testament that God’s Ways are not our ways, nor are His Thoughts our thoughts; it is proof that we are called by His Name, and, we are His people. May the handiwork of those women be forever remembered by our Country, and may their souls rest in perfect peace.

Further, please permit me to publicly acknowledge the invaluable contributions some of our other mothers and sisters, the women of Liberia, have, and continue to make to our Country.

• Chief Madam Suakoko or Nye-Sua-Coco, an indigenous Liberian Woman, a well-known graduate of the Sande School, whose role in Liberia’s early governance still stands out. Chief Madam Suakoko was a strong advocate for and contributor to the establishment of Cuttington Collegiate and Divinity School, now Cuttington University and the Central Africa Experiment Station (CAES) now the Central Africa Research Institute (CARI) in Suakoko, as well as the Phebe Hospital in Gbarnga, Bong County.

• Madam Angie Brooks-Randolph, a revered professional, first Liberian female lawyer (1949), first female Liberian professor of Law at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, first female Assistant Attorney General, first female Assistant Secretary of State, She was also the first African woman to serve as President of the United Nations General Assembly, Liberia’s first female Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and the first female Associate Justice of the Honorable Supreme Court of Liberia. Her Honor Justice Brooks-Randolph remains an acclaimed advocate in the annals of our history for good governance, transparency and accountability.

• Her Honor Judge Emma Shannon Walser, Liberia’s first female Circuit Judge (1971), whose tenacity and courage to uphold justice and the rule of law is exemplary up to this date.

• Honorable Madam Lango Lippaye, a venerated Paramount Chief and the first-ever female to become a Chief through an electoral balloting process. She is hailed for her great works, including in academia, for many reasons including the naming of a school in her honor.

• Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel Laurette and first democratically elected female President in Africa.

Then comes the collection of all women of Liberia including our other Nobel Laurette, Madam Laymah Robertta Gbowee; our own OWECC-L Anti-Corruption Director, Cllr. Asatu Bah-Kenneth; our Distinguished Rural Women of Liberia’s President, Madam KebehMonger; our unwavering transitional justice advocate, Mme. Celestine G. Sepoe (R. L) Ma Nowah Gotolo, aka “Boakai Da Baby?” and thousands more. These women braved the bullets, the bow and arrows, cutlasses and knives, torrential rains and scorching heat of the blazing sun, and unimaginable insults, successfully demanding cessation of the civil war and return of our Country to civility. They and many others still continue in the nation building process. Admittedly, we cannot thank these heroines sufficiently but must do so at every opportunity.

As we extol these nation builders, I avail myself of this opportunity to thank the Government of Liberia under His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., for recognizing them, as exemplified by the establishment of the Madam Suakoko Graduate Program for Female Diplomats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the direction of Her Excellency Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, an achiever par excellence. I also congratulate His Excellency the President for attending the maiden Ambassadorial Lecture and Seminar Series of the Program.

Earlier in my address, I asserted that our Flag is the visible identity of our existence as a sovereign nation, and it commands the highest degree of respect, whether in national security, maritime, politics and political governance, education, or celebration for any victory or national growth, achievement, or success. This is why in times past, people from all walks of life stood at attention and obediently saluted the Flag when it was being hosted or brought down.  This is why our grade schools’ curriculum included lessons on the Flag, its colors, composition, and who, why, and how it was made. ‘Why the “Lone Star?” And most important, how is our Flag the bastion of our sense of pride and unity?

For me, and I know for all adults who experienced the hosting of the Flag during their school days, I still cherish the experiences of running to get in the queue, or as we say sweetly, on line, to host the Flag, to salute the Flag in an attentive and nationalistic manner, and to say “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of Liberia, and to the Republic for which it stands; One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” The same thing applied to passers-by. They knew that they must stop and stand at attention when the flag was being hosted or brought down; men knew that they must remove their caps or hats from their heads and hold them to their chests firmly. People carrying the Flag knew that they cannot drop it on the ground. Students learned to draw and color the Flag correctly. I wonder if the same can be truthfully said about us today? Do we salute the Flag properly? Do most men remove their caps and hats when the Flag is being put up or brought down? In fact, do we wear our lapel pins depicting our Flag correctly?  Your Excellencies, Madam Minister Jallah, people of Liberia, this is an issue touching on our national values to consider for our schools’ curriculum.

Our Flag that we raise dictates that we honor its deep and entrenched pillar of national unity.  When our mothers made the Flag in 1847, they made it for the Republic of Liberia. That is, for every person belonging to the Republic, whether we call them Americo-Liberians, Congos, or Indigenous Liberians.  We are all here, under the Constitution and other laws of the Republic of Liberia. Under one Flag. Everyone is entitled to equal treatment under our laws, and we, as a people, are bound to uphold not just our western values, but also our traditional values.  Our traditional institutions are as important to our national unity, reconciliation, peace and justice as our western and other institutions. Therefore, I hold the view that traditional and cultural institutions and schools are absolutely important and necessary for our Country’s growth, development, fight against drugs and violence, and the training of our young boys to become useful male adults, and our young girls to mother our Country and continue to broker peace as their forebears I referenced earlier.  In this regard, I respectfully recommend to Your Excellency Mr. President and our national leaders, to lift the holistic suspension of all Poroand Sande schools, the traditional educational institutions of our people and a cornerstone of our body politic, and if you may, put in place workable regulatory means that will apply not only to traditional groups, but to all organizations similarly situated.

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen; Liberia is on an upward development and leadership trajectory.  We are not slowing down because our Race Car to which we are hinged, is accelerating, although with caution. This is exemplified in the Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) of this government, “No Business as Usual.” As it is said, lead, follow, or get out of the way. Therefore Mr. President, on this day of upholding our national values embedded in our Flag, I want to go back to July 26, our 178^th Independence Day, this year, and borrow from the Distinguished and Erudite Orator, Dr. Emmett Lafayette Dunn, when, in his recommendation to Your Excellency “to take decisive actions against corrupt and incompetent officials” he urged, “Don’t Suspend, Fire Them.” I agree with Dr. Dunn because we are fighting the problems of corruption and incompetence, but with a small modification. Your Excellency, when you suspend, do not appoint a permanent replacement until you take the decisive action; that is, UNTIL YOU FIRE. This removes any hope of returning to that position and gives sufficient reasons not to even consider that person for another position. At the same time, it provides clarity, transparency and justice that a person suspended on allegations of corruption or any malfeasance was given his or her day in court, because Corruption is not addressed or reprimanded by administrative actions, but judicial determination and corresponding penalties.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen; Anuncompromising set of Liberian values is respect for the sanctity of life, for the rights of other people, honor for our leaders, and owning up to our actions.  In this way, we as a people have nurtured our peace and unity.  When we wear our red, white and blue jerseys at soccer and other matches against other countries, we hold together and respect each other, show love, and give helping hands. We must continue to do this.  In our pursuit for peace, reconciliation and unity, we must do away with the idea of “Let By-Gone be By-Gone.” A nation that disowns or pretends to love justice will never experience genuine peace and joy, because God says, “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to the evildoers (Proverbs 21:15); and, “It will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come to them (Proverbs 24:25).” Similarly, Allah says “Indeed we sent our Messengers with clear signs, and sent down with them the Book and the Balance that people may uphold justice. (Surah 57:25).

A part of justice is to acknowledge your wrong and truly repent.  Repentance is two-fold, first an apology and second penance.  Today, I once again publicly highlight the humility and wise leadership of Your Excellency President Boakai, Sr. when you made a “Public Apology” to the entire Country at the Ellen Johnson SirleafComplex on July 5 this year on behalf of all the governments that have administered our Country, for the wrongs meted against the people of Liberia. Thank you, Mr. President. 

Under the same tone, I draw attention to the pressing need for accountability, and the urgency to complete the establishment and operationalization of the War and Economic Crimes Court and the National Anti-Corruption Court.  On this note Mr. President, I thank you again for preferring me to lead the process of establishing these courts by appointing me as the Executive Director of the Office for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes for Liberia and for providing funding grants for the Office. I commit my entire self to rendering this service at the peril of my life. I am pleased to state that I have the full commitment of the staff of the Office and the assurances of the members of the several technical committees that they will remain steadfast and loyal to this process until its logical conclusion. I therefore affirm that we have determined, as reported to Your Excellency and later the public, that the National Anti-Corruption Court will be established and operationalized in November 2026, and the War and Economic Crimes Court will be established, operationalized and commence trials in November 2027. (I repeat…)  These schedules have been made with great caution and study. 

While we are confident of meeting these due dates, if not earlier, let me be quick to note that we are relying heavily on the Government for both political and financial support as this is a Liberian-owned and Liberian-led process. In this regard, I respectfully request Your Excellency to instruct all relevant government authorities to scrupulously execute the terms and conditions of Executive Order Number 148, especially as to making available the funds Your Excellency mandated therein, to the Office, and on time. Let me make it clear that when a public official disregards the dictates of the law, including an executive order, or a Presidential mandate, it is a misuse and abuse of power and a clear act of corruption; and such a conduct should not be condoned. 

Honorable Speaker, Honorable President Pro Tempore, and Honorable members of the Legislature, thank you for passing Joint Resolution #JR 001/’24, a critical piece of legislative instrument to the transitional justice process. I ask you Mr. President to pardon me as I describe this process in this fashion to our Honorable Legislators. The making of the courts is not a Joseph Boakai project. It is a national initiative. This is why I always thank the Honorable Speaker Koon for his interest he has shown in the process. I ask all of you to be vested in this process. We will soon submit to you, as His Excellency the President may determine, the draft legislation for the two courts. We need your support now and at that time.

Your Honor Chief Justice Gbeisay, Sr. kindly accept again congratulations on your elevation from Associate Justice to Chief Justice. It came as a result of hard work and dedicated service to nation. We also congratulate Associate Justice Boakai N. Kanneh for the same reasons. We commend Your Honor for the plans you revealed for the Judiciary at your formal seating on the 20^th of this month. The OWECC-L looks to you for a strong collaboration rooted in our unitary system and the coordination characteristic of our Government.  

As we look to the Government to lead the funding of the Office and the courts’ establishment, it is important to state here two things:

1. The Office is carrying out a robust nation-wide outreach, public education and public awareness campaign alongside civil society, women, victims, youths, religious institutions, and other organizations as well as ministries and agencies of the Government.  I am pleased to report that since its establishment and to date, all monies/cash that have entered our bank accounts or laid in our hands and used for our work, including the ongoing national outreach program, have been exclusively provided by the Government. This is a reflection of true ownership of the process, and I urge the Government to continue. At the same time, I emphasize that we, the people, are the Government also.  Therefore, I appeal to each of the categories of Liberians I named in my salutation to contribute to this process – we need the requisite finances and energies to enhance our work.

2. Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen; the international community, the UN, the EU, the Swedish Embassy in particular, ECOWAS, and others have been very engaging and supportive and have themselves provided logistical and technical support to the Office.   The preparation of the Roadmap, the Outreach and Media Strategy, travels, meetings, furniture and office equipment are dire needs that these partners have and are still helping to address. I thank the international community for providing such invaluable assistance through coordination by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the Liberia UN Country Team.  That said, I appeal to the international community to consider the fact that the Office needs your help in other areas.

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I have highlighted some of our values we uphold and must continue to uphold.  They speak to our sovereignty and the right to self-determination.  So, as we shall be taking our seat as a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council, I urge us to watch our surroundings so that we do not make avoidable mistakes. Those who represent us internationally must be worthy of being our Ambassadors; they fly our Flag outside our Country.  We cannot afford a representative who is carrying a stigma of the very things we are fighting against.  The fight against impunity and for accountability and transparency cannot be undermined or compromised.  In a few days we hope to have a conversation with His Excellency the President and other Officials on this concern of the OWECC-L and all Transitional Justice stakeholders, as we fast approach the setting up of the two courts.

Fellow Liberians, I shall soon end this long keynote address.

If we are to honor our shared history, we must also take bold steps toward inclusivity and justice.  Today, I stand before you not only as a citizen of Liberia; not just as the Executive Director of the Office for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court (OWECC-L); but as a humble agent of our collective conscience.  And in that spirit, I respectfully proffer the following recommendations:

1. Let us establish a national honor to recognize the contributions of our indigenous forebears, brothers and sisters – an Order akin to the “Grand Order of the Pioneers,” but one that uplifts and honors the indigenous peoples who equally contributed to building, defending and sustaining this nation. Let us call it the “Grand Order of the Indigenous Star,” or any other suitable title, ensuring that their names and sacrifices are forever etched in the chronicles of our history.

2. Let us take a thoughtful approach to our traditional and cultural societies – the Poro, the Sande, and others. These are not misfits to be discarded but traditional institutions that can be reformed and respected. Instead of banning or suspending them, let us reframe and regulate all fraternal organizations in our Country, preserving their positive cultural and educational roles while eliminating harmful practices that no longer align with our constitutional values and human rights obligations. The truth is this: “Nations do not progress by erasing their history – they progress by reconciling with it.” (Rev. Jesse Jackson, 1988).

3. Let us go back to the days of respect for our Flag. Revise the school curriculum if that is the way to go and strengthen civics and the teaching of basic constitutional and other responsibilities. We have built and continue to build decent school facilities under this Government, thanks again to His Excellency the President and to the Minister of Education and all development partners. We must match those facilities with quality education.

4. Let us remind ourselves that a Liberian is always a Liberian; let us be receptive to our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world who are trying to return home. They are very important to our Country and they have the same right as we have, to be here, to live here, and to serve their Country.

5. The proliferation of illicit drugs is an early warning signal as it once was a weapon of war. It can be again. There is need to pay attention to the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) and to correct all problems therein swiftly. We cannot deny that there are administrative and operational problems in that institution that is very important to the future of this Country. It is clear that jealously protecting our national security, our borders, and the eradication of mob violence and eradication of drug abuse cannot be overemphasized; but, arbitrary actions in the name of securing the community and fighting drugs are not the way to go because they are not structured. Perhaps it is time to seek assistance from the National Community Watch Forum of Liberia (NCWFL), an institution that has substantially assisted in the fight against crimes in this Country. 

6. It is time to pay greater attention to our historic items; Battle Shields, Horns, Graves, Swords and others for history and tourism. I recommend a national program that will not again be for the rewriting of our history that we still have not realized.  Let us do the little achievable things and then slowly but surely, build on our achievements.  The graves of Chief Sao Boso, Madam Suakoko, Madam LangoLippaye, a lot of the cannons used in early war fares, battle shields, horns, swords, and others are around.  Let us locate and preserve them as fast as lightening.  This is our moment.

7. Fellow Liberians, beneath this Flag, there have been both honor and horror. We have known courage in the face of tyranny; but we have also known silence in the face of atrocity.  Through the years of civil conflicts, when children were conscripted, women violated, men tortured, civilians gruesomely massacred, and the very existence of Country threatened, the Lone Star did not cease to fly. But it flew as a plea for justice; as a silent witness to crimes yet to be answered for.

Today, we must confront that past with honesty and resolve. Accountability is not revenge.  It is not tribal. It is not political or religious. It is not witch hunt. It is moral. It is constitutional. It is absolutely necessary.

The establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court and the National Anti-Corruption Court is not about reopening old wounds. In fact, we do not have old wounds. We have wounds that are hurting. Establishing these courts is about healing those wounds with justice, ensuring that NEVER AGAIN shall Liberia be plunged into the darkness of impunity.

As the Reverend Jesse Jackson said in his historic 1988 address, “We are all standing on someone’s shoulders.” So, you see, our Flag waves today because generations before us – settlers and natives, men and women, the powerful and the powerless – paid the price. If we are to be true to their legacy, we must build a Liberia where every Liberian counts; where the Lone Star belongs to all of us: red, brown, black, and white; united in one destiny.

So let this 178^th Flag Day Anniversary be more than a ceremony.  Let it be a national awakening – a call to live the meaning of our Flag.  Let us honor the Red by not shedding blood anymore. Let us honor the White by speaking truth even when it is difficult.  Let us honor the Blue by embracing justice and inclusivity as the foundation of lasting peace. And let us honor the Lone Star by standing as one nation to remain a relevant part of the comity of nations.

Finally, to the Victims of our national crises and corruption, to the Forgotten, to those still waiting for justice, I say to you: Your Nation sees you. Your Flag sees you. Your President is resolved. I, your Humble Servant remain steadfast. And Justice will soon be your portion.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen; May God continue to endow our President with wisdom, patience, excellent health, and a spirit of nationalism. May God bless the Republic of Liberia.

May the Lone Star Forever wave the brightest – untainted, inclusive and just.

I THANK YOU.