Why I'm upset with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf...

...When I want so much to love her.
You see...when I perused the credentials of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf I simply thought .. 'wow, this is impressive'.
This is a highly intelligent and serious woman

Lets take a look at a few of her outstanding accolades ...

Nobel Peace Prize (2011)
France’s highest award and public distinction, the Grand Croix of the Légion d’Honneur (2012)
The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development (2012).
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor bestowed by an American President. (2007)
The Global Citizen Movement Award for championing the cause of gender equality (2013)
Entrepreneur for the World Award,(2013) in the Policy-Maker Category, and recognized her leading the way not only for the African continent, but every policy-maker willing to transform his/her community

Shall I go on?... yes, I feel I must...

...the Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Medal and Alpha Award of Honor (2012); the African Gender Award (2011); Friend of the Media Award (2010); FUECH Grand Cross Award (2009); FAO’s CERES Medal (2008); International Women’s Leadership Award (2008); International Crisis Group Fred Cuny Award for the Prevention of Deadly Crisis (2008); James and Eunice K. Matthews Bridge Building Award (2008); American Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award (2008); National Civil Rights Museum Annual Freedom Award (2007); National Democratic Institute Harriman Award (2007); Bishop T. Walker Humanitarian Award (2007); Gold Medal of the President of the Italian Republic (2006); Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger (2006); National Reconciliation Award (2006); International Woman of the Year (2006); and the International Republican Institute Freedom Award (2006).

....honorary doctorates by over 17 institutions, among them: Tilburg University in the Netherlands; the Nigerian Defence Academy; the University of Massachusetts Medical School; Harvard University; Rutgers University; Yale University; Georgetown University; the University of Abeokuta, Nigeria; the University of Minnesota; Furman University of South Carolina; Brown University; Indiana University; Dartmouth College; Concordia University; Langston University; Spelman College; and Marquette University.

..ranked among the top 100 most powerful women in the world (Forbes 2012); the first most powerful woman in Africa (Forbes Africa 2011); among the 10 best leaders in the world (Newsweek 2010); among top 10 female leaders (TIME 2010); called “the best President the country has ever had (The Economist 2010); and as one of the six “Women of the Year” (Glamour 2010).

click [here] for source.

This is impressive by any standard...

Yet...the country that Ellen Johnson Sirleaf leads, has NO functioning Health Care System. In fact, health care is woefully inadequate, and Liberia remains one of the the poorest countries in the world, with 73% of its gross national income coming from foreign aid.
That's 73%.

*Kiss my F*****g Teeth*.
..*and roll my eyes in disgust*

'There are literally hundreds of international NGOs with offices in the city, and in addition to the 800 million the country receives in foreign assistance each year, the UN spends an additional $500 million annually on maintaining a peacekeeping force.'

Source 'Africa is a country' [click]

Okay...I'm being harsh perhaps.. after all.. the war decimated the country in more ways than one. It will take time to rebuild. That is true. My question is... how long?

So now...I'm torn.
Here is a woman of whom it's often stated champions the causes of women, and is a strong advocate of women's rights
A woman who has been dubbed the 'Iron lady' for her grit and determination
A woman who by all accounts has achieved in a male dominated arena, what is possibly the highest honour a country can bestow.
A woman who for all intents and purposes is a role model to me.. and perhaps to many ohers..
But tell me this...What does all that matter, if it fails to improve the lives of the people?.
Will selling swathes of her countries land to foreign investors and logging companies help to rebuild it?.
No. I don't think it will.

*Recruited by the UN, 'elected by the people'*

It often occurs to me that too many African countries have long been accused of being a haven for puppet governments, a place where western backed puppet leaders fail to make the changes the people desperately hope they will see, and desperately need.
All too often these governments are accused of nepotism, tribalism, and misappropriation of funds.
Whilst i'm not suggesting this is the case with President Sirleaf's government, we all know the song.. and it's sung often.

Any country crawling with 'overfed' aid agencies denies the people what they really need...
Their own sense of Agency...in the very real sense.
They take away the people's ability to take care of themselves. To think for themselves.. to see a life beyond 'western aid'
Too often.. thier life, is a life on continuous sociopolitical life support..
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is an extremely intelligent woman..
So what..as Marvin sang..is going on?

Liberia; The Pan African dream became a nightmare long ago.
Nkruma is gone, but he was right.
Neo colonialism has that country in its grip...
So what will President Sirleaf do?

The faces change, but the game remains the same.

Don't get me wrong.. President Sirleaf seems like a nice lady
But if that were my country... I would be embarrassed
In fact.. I kinda am
I'm upset for the people. They deserve better.