The Standard Bearer of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Alexander B. Cummings, has rejected claims that one must have prior work experience in government to solve Liberia’s century-old problems, emphasizing that all Liberia needs is someone who knows how to lead, manage and inspire people to deliver results.
Cummings said Liberia needs public servants who are honest, disciplined and prepared to work, as he has exemplified in his 40 years of enviable record at the multi-billion Coca Cola Company.
According to him, if “government experience” is what is required to solve the nation’s problem, then after 175 years Liberia should have been one of the most developed countries by now.
He made reference to President George Weah, who served three years in the Senate before becoming president, and many of his current officials who also served in previous administrations.
“The fact that this administration has performed so poorly shows that prior experience in the government is not a necessary condition for national leadership,” the CPP Standard Bearer said. “In fact, in some cases it might even become a hindrance if people become too used to the culture of corruption and mismanagement, which characterize much of our current administration.”
Cummings said, “I have managed people and highly successful teams all around the world. Achieving success in any leadership team requires a set of skills that I have mastered in my 40-plus career in business.”
Cummings assured with certainty that a CPP government can solve Liberia’s problems, noting that the challenges are many, and the road ahead is long, “but our collective will to succeed is stronger,” he said.
Cummings said in the coming months, he intends to travel to every county, district and corner of Liberia to make his case to the Liberian people. “We will sit with you, listen to you, learn from you and share our own ideas with you on how we all can work together to create the better Liberia we all want,” he said in a statement released on January 2, 2023.
He said a CPP government will tackle the most important issues to build a solid foundation for the future, by working with all Liberians from all backgrounds, regardless of ethnicity, religion or gender. “Anyone who has what it takes and is willing to work, we will work with you in the interest of Liberia,” he added.
Cummings claimed the Weah administration has done enough harm to Liberia, and that it failed its Constitutional responsibilities to the Liberian people.
He said 2023 is a critical year because “our future and children depend on it, and we should be asking ourselves, ‘Are our children really in a position to become the best person they can be?’
“Have we seen the kinds of investments in the education system to really prepare our children for the opportunities of this 21st century? Do parents have access to the kinds of jobs that will allow them to provide a decent livelihood for their children?” Cummings lamented.
The CPP Standard Bearer continued, “While we do not expect all of Liberia’s problems to be fixed within five years, Liberians expect to see forward momentum.
“We need to see basic systems in place—an economy that works for all Liberians; equal opportunity for Liberian entrepreneurs to compete and to grow their businesses in an environment that is totally dominated by foreign businesses.”.
Cummings said Liberians expect a health system that will provide reliable standard of care for the sick, noting that JFK Hospital should not turn patients away because they do not have money to pay up front, or because the hospital does not have beds available.
Cummings spoke of the need to promptly pay civil servants better salaries, as well create opportunities for farmers to expand their farms and make money by being able to sell what they produced.
He underscored the imperative need to provide youth with the critical skills needed to be on par with their peers in the region, with reference to 21st century skills such as IT, computer programming and software engineering.
“How do we create an environment where our young people can have the resources and support needed to start their own businesses, grow those businesses, and move from being job seekers to job creators?” Cummings wondered.
He said to create a wholesome functioning society is his primary reason for contesting the presidency, noting that Liberia needs serious people to fix the problems and meet the challenges of nation building.
The CPP Standard Bearer said he has traveled throughout the country and have seen the longing on the people’s faces for a better life, a government that will work for them and not just focus on squeezing citizens’ pockets to collect taxes but to use state resources to actually create wealth for its citizens before taxing that wealth.
Cummings reacted to claims of his desperation for the Presidency, saying, “If you are a patriotic Liberian, you should be desperate too.”
The CPP Standard Bearer said he is desperate to see a Liberia where children are not out of school because their parents cannot afford it.
“[I am] desperate for a future where parents don’t have to go through the pain of seeing their children going to bed hungry at night and where people don’t have to die of simple, preventable diseases,” he said.
