LETTER FROM SACLEPEA – The Fear of a Lingering Decline

By Hon. Musa Hassan Bility

There is a growing fear in me, a fear of a lingering attitude of decline, of a quiet but steady dismantling of the order and system that once held our nation together. It is a fear that the very foundation upon which our society rests, the rule of law, is being eroded piece by piece by those who should be its primary defenders.

We are beginning to witness a government that is becoming more and more lawless, one that takes the law into its own hands, and an executive that seems increasingly determined to muzzle its opponents. When the founders of our country established the law, it was not designed to serve the whims and caprices of politicians. It was meant to preserve order, to protect justice, and to keep everyone, including those in power, accountable.

My greatest worry is that the judiciary, the last bastion of our democracy, is being slowly awakened not by its own moral strength but by the persistent actions of an executive branch that flouts the law with impunity. Ministers, managing directors, and even the President, through executive orders, have disregarded contracts and violated legal boundaries. This behavior has not gone unnoticed.

Recent international reports have begun to reflect this troubling trend. The United States Department of State report on Liberia specifically mentions our persistent lack of respect for contractual agreements. This is more than a diplomatic embarrassment; it is a dangerous signal. It tells the world that our nation is losing its moral and legal compass that our word is no longer our bond, and that chaos may soon replace order if this continues.

The consequences of such lawlessness go beyond politics. They strike at the heart of our economy. When the rule of law weakens, distrust rises. Investors retreat. Jobs disappear. Our people suffer. The cost of executive recklessness is not just legal; it is social, economic, and generational.

It is my hope that even in the midst of our political struggles, we will summon the courage to defend what truly matters, the rule of law, the sanctity of contracts, and the principles that ensure justice for all.

Those in power today will not be in power tomorrow. But what must endure, what must prevail, is the rule of law. For without it, there can be no justice, no peace, no stability, and no nation.