[Music] this program I mean the conf wasend to start at 11:00 we already behind so we will not uh take a long time to make intructions Here We Came as an committee that's headed by what I can say is U even though there are some committee members in the room if there's a need for any of them to make clarification in terms of what they did or what they were supposed to do then of course that Committee Member or chairperson will come but not a waste of time any longer we will like for me for example I was a committee on on media Communications and so if there will be some some issue that have to do with communication you can direct that to me but the chairperson of this committee will give an over all view of what transpire so first of all let me say thank you to his Excellency Joseph boa for the recognition and the call to perform a national patriotic through our advancement the president recognized our life's work dedicated to the Arts advocacy for enhancing gender equality by choosing me I believe President boa wanted to elevate the showcasing of our Rich cultural heritage through our arts and crafts fascinating history Delicacies music po and other Performing [Music] Arts president wer made it clear that he wanted a modest celebration that was inclusive of all citizens irrespective of our various divisions preferring an event that encouraged building a breach rather than one that widen our gaps he wanted an event that extended beyond the unity party Alliance on December the 10th rather December the 8th I was informed publicly of my appointment as the head of of the inal committee plenty news around my name compliments opinions but I'd like to inform the press and everybody here that I was the inaugural chair in name only the unity party ran a second alternative Inaugural Committee from their office on Broad Street and then the government of [Music] Liberia also became an inaugural head by controlling the budget and every other plan that we [Music] had I control no budget for those who have clutched on to the report of the 650,000 for that you will be able through the audit to see that during this entire period of putting this program together my team was considered non-government actors meaning we made no demands we could carry out no problem solving because because I was reminded on a daily basis that the go this inauguration was that of the government of Liberia we put everything in place by his excellency's orderorder of wanting a small modest dignified inauguration we went in search of the venues I recommended the Centennial Pavilion for its hyos for its convenience and for it having less work than all of the other venues that was the plan I presented to to the jtp and from there my trouble started Centennial was too small Centennial could not accommodate Centennial was not large enough and I said we can host 4,000 [Music] people in the hall outside Under The Canopy I even went to the extent of conferring with Bishop Samuel Reeves asking if he would permit us to use his aircondition large church as an overflow and we will put strings inside he agreed but there were those who had decided that it was not to be when I presented that proposal I was reminded by the legislature that they had oversight for the inauguration also the the question of crowd control like I said I was the N head in name but other people made the decisions and when I think about it now there was a stage when I realized I was not in control and I sincerely gave it a thought of relinquishing the position but of course in liia you know everybody oh why you tell the president you can't do it how would you do that how would you do that yes I was probably being selfish thinking about myself and so we continued on the exercise funds were made available funds were made available to quote the committee to begin their work on December the January the 15th counted to the 22nd even if you a miracle worker the first event was the 19th the Muslim ceremony that went in order because the powers that be were not really interested so the Muslim ceremony turned are fine on Sunday we went to the effort Baptist Church for the service everything put in place for media for choirs for everything by the time I got to the church Chang changed the choir have been put one way the put and the Press was all over the place and it's very interesting that Sunday evening I met my cousin hul at the capital and I said to him I do not want to see what happen today in Calvary Baptist Church at inauguration tomorrow get your journalist under control you don't need to credit everybody he's here asking Sunday afternoon I go to the capital on my way to my sister jul and's beautiful exhibition that went well I don't hear anybody talking about this you got people there worked in Harmony and we work together and they listen to in a here as announced by Joseph wer on my way to the capital and getting at the capital I saw that work was half done in fact a quarter done no carpets nothing the things we talked about the things we said we would put in place when I asked I was told that it was the GSA that was responsible who is the head of the GSA my sister Mary bro my sister Mary bro received the funding for the upliftment of the capital the preparation of the capital and the events not my subcommittee um [Music] chair and so I went and approach Madame bro mam tomorrow is the day look at the state what happened to this what happened to that what happened to this but I'm bro proceeded with home I don't have this I don't have that I don't have the you are GSA it is your responsibility to put things into place when they official and occas I can't accept excuses from you of course that went in the media another way that I shouted at her yes I was a little angry who wouldn't be angry I got an inauguration tomorrow morning everybody thinks I can do wonders and the people who supposed to do the Wonders are telling me they can't do anything and to the members of the legislature who today want to shy far from this National disaster as you all call it those who claimed they had oversight where were they how many of them came to the capital the night before or the day before to check and see how many of them asked do we have enough water how many of them ask do we have enough chairs how [Music] many I thank him the person Pro Amo former Senator sand Johnson ndcr chairman Sai who who came to find out how they could help and what was going wrong before the inauguration now committee were not responsible for the printing of any invitations just to show you the disrespect so as a result where I thought the understanding of the number 4,000 was complete I'm finding out this morning that 7,000 invitations were PR by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs protocol I only found out this morning so why is somebody going to hold me responsible ible for not having 7,000 chairs how was I supposed to know that the government security that control the entire process in terms of security how did I know that government EPS officers would stand that Gates and just allow people to walk in invitation or no invitation or you didn't see that you from the very direct entrance that very direct entrance people walked in and out including the grandp sellers to the situation of water I came out of the hospital on the 20th Saturday and one of the orders of my doctor was to consistently drink as much water as possible because I was Qui dehydrating so I went to the capital with water for me but on iing like 10 minutes I realized it was hot so of course I turn to those responsible for the catring and all the water we had received and we had enough water thanks to Aqua life thanks to D thanks to um you and others yes we have enough water now from the beginning of the stage to the end was where the caters were right I walked that distance twice a pealing for water I was told the water would be served for the lunch and my son was with me as so you prefer for the people to die until your you would even listen to me you know with for me you say so I'm saying all of the issues I heard a journalist yesterday on the radio what happened to the fans what happened to the F did you give me money for fans I'm not the GSA woman GSA got a budget to make the place equipped and at that particular stage at that particular stage we were at I really couldn't care less because I saw in front of me all rules all bounds broken the protocol we put together a fantastic Pro team who would control our day with the likes of Ambassador bro Nelson from Japan former Ambassador jaline bass they didn't come on our committees to make money they came on the Committees to show us direct us the protocol Department of the min of Foreign Affairs scrap all of them push all of them aside and say we will take care and let me just add this I did not choose the acting chief of protocol as my MC I did not I envisioned on the stage is NPC a Liberian who would make us proud who would be able to pronounce who would be able to recognize African leaders give them the right title and perspective and I wrote as the head of the Inaugural Committee to quing Clement one of the best voices of Journalism in this country yes he consented the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told me that nobody nobody else could do that job on that morning except the ministry ofe Affairs you know I'm a rebel yay but not everything you want fight for like that I can fight I'm in Aries I'm a afraid of a fight but it was just going on and on and on I didn't even argue that is why you did not see as your MC someone who could pronounce the names of our visiting heads of state someone who could tell you that the vice president of Nigeria is alaji [Music] shiman not somebody who would be afraid to announce the governor of Bea State we are our own W enies so in another week I hope bring on the Auditors nobody's running for auditor around here it say flow living before c I not waiting for in buet to live the AUD will come I want the audit I want the audit my father worked hard for his name my mother worked hard for her name and I will not allow Petty minded people to tarish me and my reputation yes the work stops with me but I just explain to all of you I was never in control never and I wasn't going to go run into me and no he expected much more from me but at this stage a lots of people have said don't say nothing tell leave it no I will not leave it I will not leave it when known criminals in this Society can sit on public viewing in radio and castigate me I will I will basically that is the reality that we saw any questions you want to ask you are welcome please please let me introduce you you yes um but please let me introduce a brilliant woman a friend of mine uh she's supposed to be traveling out there came to give me her support one of Liberia's best I invited for the vation a woman who has made so much contributions to our academic excellence and writings respected all over Africa and the world but yet she comes to her country and this soal protocol MC because she doesn't know her value or who she is actually attempts to to stop her from reading her entire poem that she had sat down to write for this occasion so please let me introduce my friend and sister Dr Professor P ja Westley of the University [Applause] Pennsylvania you so much name I think the clarification was important because our society is gullible since inauguration we've heard a lot and it was just good for the person who was named to chair this commit to come to make the clarification that she just made everywhere I go people say $ 6,000 was taken and given to a committee so you have PR for this money that not a DME was ever s there so even the Committees that the government work with individually committee chair person went to the foreign Ministry to receive checks for whatever they were to do I'm heading or I was heading the Media communication committee for example the letter that they give to was sent to the ministry of information from the foreign Ministry before the information ministry will REM some money to us so this was the bureaucracy in the protocol and so we just wanted to take this time to make a clarification it's not a big confrontational but it's about be real so that the facts can be known and so before the question come so we don't forget there are some members of the Committees here call their names I course K work with the with the transport committee that was to be the transport committee headed by Mr K dber but they two were not allowed to really do that work GSA had to do everything that they want to do we de there to on the committee Secretary of the committee we have one of my committee members in the corner there just who was aut person between our committee and the Ser committee s veteran broadcaster my co-chair we have M Marilyn Alison was in a pral committee but she wasn't also allowed to do the work for which was the committee was put there Charlie K was on the committee to recruit volunteers people who wanted to come to to help and of course they have introduced you people broadcaster 1980s Dr were also my committee so we'll stop here if there are some questions for chairman hey the B stops with me we do apologize and U and I'm sure it will happen begin and what was the second P whe you oh whether I ever took to president Bo I don't know if when you are doing a birthday party for a loved one surprise party or whatever and planning something for somebody you don't normally go running to there and say what cake you want what you do Etc so basically like I said I didn't want to go running uh and and whining to his Excellency he had given me a responsibility and um I I try to protect him I tried to protect him from what was going on because basically a lot of things coming like I said not only from the government but his party I didn't wish to pitch him against his party so yeah I tried to exclude him from those things they didn't have transportation for media people but the money was later given to theair people here when you were promised $10 at that time right came here that day promis [Music] $10 first question to the how much actually receive committee received nothing uh there's a fantastic 650,000 budget but that is what we're trying to say my Inaugural Committee like the media like the transport like the events were all received by government agencies they said that they could not pay individuals our committees so Logistics whatever that fell under GSA GSA received the money I mean I can give you the budget here and you make a copy and go and see all right but this So-Cal wonderful $650,000 I me went nobody attention tell the truth and the third one was the second question was which institution or exactly who to [Music] not last but I already said the legislature the legislature reminded me loud and clear that they had oversight of the inauguration and that they wanted it at the capital I explained the challenges at the capital I did last r b and you little bad blood no we didn't have any bad blood her blood is good mine is good we had a disag we had a disagreement okay we had a disagreement there's nothing wrong in people having a disagreement if at the end of the day we accomplish our I wanted caret there and they told me mared BR was responsible for having the carpet there and I went and made it clear that hello I Waters I should see okay so no no bad blood I see Mar today we can sit and have a beer together than you you're welcome have you explain what has this embarrassment caused you what you explain and secondly is we have any recomendation what happened on Monday you have any recommendations um you know my my my my feeling like I said at one time uh realizing I actually had no control was to Simply throw in the towel and just leave it I could have preserved my own reputation okay but this is why I felt it was necessary for us to come and explain I'm not afraid of taking the responsibility of a failure I'm not afraid of that because we can all fail at something but for everyone or most people to put it all on my head I think that is unfair it's unfair and then leaders at the legislature want to question me like I said where were they they were the ones who had who wanted oversight I tell you a little joke I never watched a whole lot of the inauguration but the morning after I decided to check out some videos and the camera was on the legislature and may bers were fing with the newspaper they were fing and I knew they were uncomfortable and I mean they were looking left right the only person there I really felt sorry for was my Senator James by me I saw him VI trying to make himself comfortable and I laughed for show off I would have had you in an air conditioned environment where the would be perfect everything would be perfect a thousand of you in a comfortable space and we provide no y wanted to show off the place was not ready you saw when we started cleaning so hey you know you want to put it on me but it will not stick it will not stick yeah last question yes sir thank you so much for coming my name is and I work for SPO Network few concerns with me you know I I really I'm not a diplomat I realize that his entity is probably one of the most famous and Powerful but I will not entertain any kind of questions from your entity your entity has no moral right to question citizen are you beginning with trying to censor sir I'm simply being polite and say thank you for [Music] coming my concern is uh your boss president of the Republic of Liberia since this incident have you been able to talk to him if you did what did he say your business that's one and secondly are you listening to me go ahead this is National platform and we asking question ask a question the question that I have for you right now is uh I see the panel and I see people who are in their 40s 50s why didn't you include young people who have the capacity to do certain [Music] job so you trying to say all my Comm people you know but just by an on the side thing as a result of what I've seen from my young people and trust me I produced them they my cheering they my cheering you go prepare yourself you're not ready that what we hear today young people were in charge for the past 6 years you're clean the date you couldn't clean the dirt in our city I've never seen so much dirt in the city I born young people were in charge of financing this store half of the money and you won't come here think you can bully me with young people I no good young people I know good young people Sant former minister of Youth and sports was my administrator on my committee P Blackie my personal assistant another young person Charlene K they all here what is this young people thing what is this young people thing I have to Mentor young boys and girls is the place to step in after we leave nobody wants to hold on to any power here I can't even climb the steps here in the ministry of information I know that I won't be minister no but everybody can't just all the time the young people the young people take some responsibility take some responsibility every single young person in this country no longer wants a profession they want a political space to steal to steal we don't have enough doctors we don't have enough nurses we don't have enough technocrats teachers but every single high school drop up College dropper has his eyes set on a representative seat for what for what to do what and look at our country look at our country 1980 we said we took over took over from what and and and just by way I never thought I was hurting or insulting liberians on Monday by reaching out to them and asking them for our guests to sit down they acted as if I was insulting say Minister get a seat oh my God in 1971 72 I wouldn't have had to make that announcement because it was our way of life liberians would have gotten up to surrender their seat are anybody asking them today everybody went sat down we saw older women older men foreigners and we felt calm to sit there we felt calm to sit there so please people I got enough children Grand so I know y I won't be long I'm not politics I'm about education my name is Patricia ja not I'm not from I'm from I will not be long I understand everything about the young people okay and I'm also concerned that you all need to go to school I'm an educator I've been teaching for 43 years yes I'm old I started teaching at the University of Liberia in my 20s i t a lot of the people running around City the government officials okay and I've Tau the America for many years but what I'm interested in is documenting our history through literature through our poetry to our culture and I'm afraid that you journalist are all caught up with politics and politicians I cannot remember who was Minister when I was in sixth grade minister of anything but I can remember that b Mo was writing poetry you understand me who turn the light off okay I cannot finance minister well I can remember that H thas was wri poetry come on I'm a professor you can't disturb me so I love you this is why every year I want to come home and sit in my house in C Town yes you're right but I challenge the young people this is this is the latest book I've published I've been writing Liberian poetry for 25 plus years say publishing I don't I don't pay for people to publish the book you know everybody say they wrote book you hear it they pay money to get it published no Publishers publish it with their own money and they promote it and advertise it that's the right way you publish people read it to find a good before they put their money in it this book is historical I challenge you journalist to ask the education Minister and all the people that will come in power why I children are not study our poetry in the schools why our children are not studying our literature in the schools why my books are not in the schools that will be my campaign our children need to go to good colleges they need to go to good schools we need to start building stores and and and Supply Center that LE needs are using we need to build schools in those places and you people are the young people that should be your concern not to be representative and and whatever okay if somebody is a representative go check his village then you know he representative okay look here this is one of the latest book this book won a major award in America no African have ever won it but when I come to this country people think I'm you knowwhere somewhere okay so I want to tell you that I'm not you know I'm sorry I'm this important committee that has done this work but this is my sister and she supports my work when I was reading I have read in China in Europe all over the world I've read in the smithsonia in the Library of Congress in the for foundation all the big places I read at all those universities you heard of I'm a professor at that has what 9 5,000 students I'm a four Professor I'm at the top of the ladder she did not they didn't give me any respect and when I started reading they started harassing me over and over to go down that was the greatest insult from our country I'm ashamed to go back to my university and say and and show that video the only time St me was when I was almost finished the only time they sto Bing me was I didn't even see until I saw the video I did leave me alone man and you watch that video you will see how m I was she wanted to confuse me so I would start breathing nobody scares me my father's name is Moses you know what mean what mean LI or Le so that's my greeting WR write right go to school and learn how to write document our history thank you