An employee of the Ministry of Local Government, formerly Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Jalloh, has urged employees of various ministries and agencies of government to prioritize professionalism over bootlicking, noting that this is the only mindset Liberia needs for real development.
Jalloh observed that professionalism is one of the missing ingredients slowing down the growth of the nation. “Some of us have worked hard to become professionals, not for personal praise, but to contribute meaningfully toward the improvement of our country and the future of our citizens,” he said.
He said since his return from China, where he obtained his MPAcc in accounting from the Shanghai National Accounting Institute in 2024, he has observed something deeply concerning: in many places, bootlicking is celebrated more than professionalism, competence, and independent thinking; as such, people are often rewarded for noise, blind loyalty, and unnecessary attacks, while discipline, maturity, and professional conduct are misunderstood as weakness or silence.
According to him, many people ask why some of them remain quiet on social media. “Sometimes, I laugh and simply say, ‘professionalism matters’. Not every issue deserves public drama, and not every educated mind must respond to every distraction. Development begins when we train our minds to value ideas, discipline, respect, and solutions over confusion and attention-seeking,” Jalloh observed.
Jalloh however made it clear that choosing professionalism does not mean fear, weakness, or intimidation; instead, it simply means focusing on building, contributing, and helping Liberia grow beyond the culture of insults and personal attacks.
“If we truly want development in Liberia, then we must begin developing our mindset first. A nation cannot move forward when professionalism is treated as a crime, and mediocrity is rewarded above competence,” he further observed.
