elect leadership with quality track records

The Analyst (Monrovia)

Clemenceau Urey Cautions AMEU Students

February 22, 2005: An aspirant for one of the senatorial seats of Montserrado County, Clemenceau B. Urey, has cautioned students of the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU) on Camp Johnson Road and Liberian youths in general to elect a responsible leadership with quality track records in the forthcoming 2005 Presidential and General Elections.

He told the students to take seriously the choice that they will make in October by electing a matured and committed leadership that will be keen and focused on good governance, as well as place the public interest first and last. "When I talk about leadership, I'm not only talking about the presidency as everybody wants to be president. Most of the time people tend to forget about the first branch of government, which is the Legislative Branch. If that Branch is strong, matured and composed of good and qualified people, we can help the president to promote good governance," Mr. Urey stressed.

Commenting further, Mr. Urey, who is the owner and CEO of the Atlantic Life and General Insurance Company in Congo Town said, Liberians need a leadership with people who are tested and have quality track records of the past and present, as well as profound characters. "We are not here to learn to be president or leaders. The problems ahead are too grave and compound complex to be left to people to learn when in leadership," he added.

He then called on the AMEU students and Liberians youths in general to reflect soberly and vote right to install a leadership that will free Liberia from the ills of society and give the country a bright future; or vote wrong and give Liberia a path of more corruption, destruction and underdevelopment.

The Insurance executive made this passionate plead to the AMEU students last Friday when he addressed A Special Edition of the Albert Porte Memorial Lecture Series. He spoke on the topic: Amidst the Emergence of Abortion and Same-sex relations in Montserrado County, What are the Intentions to make them legal? If no, what will be the future of those involved?

He told the students as an aspirant lawmaker, he does not foresee the issue of homosexuality and abortion being legalized because of Liberia's culture.

"Homosexuality is unclean, unbiblical, unacceptable and unhealthy. Those who practice it are sick," Mr. Urey pointed out.

Commenting on, he said homosexual and lesbian tendencies exist because of environmental factors, pier pressure and hormone in-balance. "Those who engage in such acts become outcast in certain societies and opportunities to advance may be denied them, Mr. Urey disclosed.

He said the Liberian law defines marriage as a union between opposite sex and does not recognize same-sex marriage. Therefore there is no way future lawmakers can make laws to legalize homosexuality in the foreseeable future.

On the issue of abortion, Mr. Urey said he was told by medical practitioners that abortion is criminal in Liberia, and it can only be performed in case of a rape or incest with the approval of a court order. He said his only regret is that what exist on the books in Liberia is different from what happens in reality.

"We have problems in Liberia with enforcement of the laws. We lack the capacity and will power to enforce our laws," he noted.

Concluding, Mr. Urey said one reason why the law preventing abortion is not implemented is because the Liberian Medical Association is very weak. "There are no standards for the admission of foreign practitioners into our medical system. Individuals who dispense medication in pharmacy are often untrained.

And, the sale of prescription drugs is unregulated.

Indeed, our entire medical system needs to be reorganized. As a result of the situation in our medical system, we have several consequences-you have unqualified individuals performing abortion, you find unscrupulous doctors who only concern is to make money. This lead to poor care, complications and sometimes death," he related.

He then added that to curtail this remedy, the need to enforce the laws on the books have to be taken seriously. The way forward, he reveals, is to take seriously the choice Liberians, and especially the youths (who make up about 50% of the voting populace), will make in October to elect a matured and committed leadership.

Meanwhile, as a supporter of youth development, Mr. Urey has offered 10 academic scholarships (five for male and five for female) to deserving students of the AMEU with the minimum average of B. He said it was his initial contribution to the AMEU Student Union.