People and Environment Must be prioritized in Any Oil Contracts in Liberia, Fallah Urges
(Jul 13, 2012) By: Ralph T. Tolbert
Austin Fallah, a US-based Liberian financial expert, has called on the government of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to take seriously into consideration the interest of the Liberian people, the environment, and the entire nation when negotiating oil contracts with investors.
He said if the interest of Liberians, including the environment, is not taken seriously in any negotiations, such contracts will meet what he termed “inflexible resistance” from the Liberian people. Any government, he added, “must prioritize its citizens, the environment and the greater good of society in dealings with investors.”
Fallah, a member of the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA), said Labor pattern of economic growth through the creation of a middle class is the best way forward in the socio-economic development of Liberia. He said if there is a strong middle class in any nation, that nation is bound to be crisis-free.
He said the Sirleaf government must do more to improve the living conditions of its people “from poor to good, better to best.”
Fallah, who holds degrees in economics, finance, business administration and software systems from several universities in the United States argues that when those steps are actively pursued, Liberia will stand a greater chance of being a more prosperous country in West Africa, especially at a time when the region is moving towards a common currency.
Speaking to a cross-section of journalists in Brooklyn Park, Minn., on current events in his native Liberia, the outspoken Liberian professional, who is completing his fourth and fifth Master’s Degrees at the prestigious Hamline University, also known as Minnesota First University, called on Liberians to resist the temptation of supporting subversive acts that will undermine the peace and security of their nation.
The emerging Liberian legal scholar noted that Liberians have struggled too long and are now on the road to democracy, urging, “They should not allow anyone or anything to undermine the progress made thus far.”
He praised the international community for its continued support to Liberia, paying tribute to the state security apparatus and UNMIL for doing a good job in ensuring that the security of the Liberian people is guaranteed.
Fallah, who many view as a potential aspirant for the 2017 presidential election, said he has been recently overwhelmed with numerous calls to declare his intent to contest for the Liberian presidency, noting that “my team is carefully sifting through those pleas, to make a determination as to whether this is the best way for me to serve my country.”