Karl R. Smith Wonders...

There can be no doubt that next year will be historical for some of us who have never witnessed a peaceful transition of power from one President to another or from one political party to another. With my limited knowledge of political science, let’s consider that I don’t know what I am talking about regarding the transfer of state power. However, there is one thing I do know for sure is that whoever the next president of Liberia is – there are some technology refinement that will be expected. Some of my colleagues think I can be an excellent technology advisor to any elected President due to the multitudinous ideas I have in using technology to make Liberia better. I cannot agree any less with them since it will give me added clout in the society and the rebuilding of Mama Liberia. Notwithstanding, I have asked myself over and over if this is what I do want to do and the only answer that continues to ring in my ears is NO. I do not want to be an advisor, at least not right now.

It is the constitutional mandate of the President of Liberia to address the National Legislators at the beginning of every year but this year seems to be very different and momentous. It is the last time she would make such an address to the nation as President of the Republic of Liberia. I have always been an admirer of the President as it relates to the way she speaks and her addresses to the nation. I often tell others that she is a very good sales professional. In the President’s final annual message, she spoke on different issues, ranging from national security to elections, from education to health, from job creation to “papa na come” but she failed to address technology as I would have expected. While it is clear that the President’s objectives have not focused on technology over the years, I was baffled that technology was not exclusively discussed in her message. Her message as like always was about the big (5) five sectors: economy, health, education, security and ag