Introduction
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is a woman of many firsts. The greatest among her firsts is being the first woman president in Africa and also the first woman to hold the position for two consecutive terms. The African political scene is, however, so complicated that rarely does greatness come without great controversy (Jideonwo, 2017). In her greatness, therefore, a lot of controversy lies going back two decades within a long and illustrious political career. Yet, her greatness is not just limited to political prowess as Sirleaf has also succeeded as an employee in the finance sector. A second story that can be told about Sirleaf is that of her surviving and even thriving as a woman in a male-dominated world. This story might even be remarkable that her political success also made a major contribution to her being awarded a Nobel peace prize (Jideonwo, 2017). Some people may consider Sirleaf as controversial while to others amongst her friends and foes, her greatness is not in dispute based on her achievements in near impossible circumstances as this research paper will reveal.
The Life of Sirleaf
Despite her name, American education, accent, and mannerisms, Sirleaf is not an Americo-Liberian. Her heritage can be traced back to the local Gola tribe where her father hailed from in a poor family. Her mother on the other part was born of a German father and a Ker mother (Cooper, 2017). Her paternal grandfather had to flee for Germany at the advent of the First World War leaving his mother in near destitution. The name Johnson was assumed by her father due to his support for then-president Hilary R. W. Johnson the first native president. Indeed, her father was a remarkable politician and parliamentarian. At the tender age of 17 when most western girls are still in school, Sirleaf was married to an abusive James Sirleaf with whom she bore four sons (Cooper, 2017). Under a normal African setting, this would almost have relegated her to a life of being a home-maker for the rest of her life. Her determination would, however, see her go to the USA where she attended the Madison Business College and the Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government where she graduated with a Masters in public administration. It is also worthy of notice that within a few months of stay in the US, Sirleaf divorced her abusive husband in 1961.
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Career in the Civil Service
Her first stint in the civil service came as an assistant minister of finance under President William Tolbert. Her service would be tumultuous because of seeking to protect public funds from misappropriation, a fact that saw her fired soon after. She was, however, vindicated and appointed as a full minister for finance in 1979 (Cooper, 2017). She only served as such for one year before the government was overthrown by Master Sergeant Samuel Doe. Although Doe offered her a seat in his cabinet, Sirleaf only served briefly before leaving the country for the USA and later to Nairobi where she commenced a career in finance.
Career in the Private Sector
Three major institutions hired Sirleaf when she left government service and in all of them, she excelled just as she did in the Civil Service. Sirleaf serviced briefly in the World Bank in New York then got a place within the senior management of the African Regional Office of Citibank which saw her return to Africa as it was situated in the East African city of Nairobi. She left Nairobi to vie in the 1985 elections in Liberia within which she was successful and for some time also worked for Equator Bank, a subsidiary of HSBC (Cooper, 2017). She also served in the United Nations Development Program’s Regional Bureau for Africa and run several missions as an eminent leader on behalf of both the UN and the African Union, then called the organization of African Unity (Jideonwo, 2017).
Running For Office
Sirleaf first runs for political office in 1985 when she was the running mate for Samuel Doe who was running for president. She fell out with Doe and was persecuted for it, including arrests and being charged for treason. Once again, she left to work in the private sector. In 1997, she supported and helped bankroll Charles Taylor in a rebellion against her former allay Samuel Doe (Cooper, 2017). Taylor was successful and in the subsequent elections she ran against Taylor and lost but contested the outcome leading to accusations of treason that saw her flee Liberia. When the Taylor government fell, Sirleaf once again ran for the presidency in the 2005 elections. She lost to George Weah in the first round but won the second round. She also ran and won her second term in 2011, a term which is now in its incumbency as presidential elections are underway (Jideonwo, 2017).
Impact and Achievements
Among the greatest achievements of Sirleaf is to expand democratic space in a country that was famous for suppressing dissent. As president, Sirleaf moved to ensure freedom of the media as well as freedom of speech in Liberia. She also got another first for being awarded Friend of the Media in Africa Award from The African Editor's Union (Jideonwo, 2017). Soon after assuming office, President Sirleaf made elementary education free and compulsory thus changing the lives of tens of thousands of children (Munu, 2017). Her major impact came from the exponential reduction of the country’s national debt. Through her excellent diplomatic effort, large chunks of the foreign debts owed to the USA and European countries were canceled . The cancellations were made inter alia because of the positive economic reforms that she instituted in Liberia.
Controversy
Whereas Sirleaf has never been personally accused of wayward activity, she did associate closely with some of the evilest leaders in Africa as well as express a lack of loyalty. Samuel Doe, a man who gave her a cabinet job in 1980 and whom she was running mate to in the 1985 elections was a cruel and dangerous man (Kristof, 2009). A famous video that has been beamed all over the world showcase Doe sipping in a Budweiser as he ordered the torture of then sitting president William Tolbert. The torture included the cutting off of Tolbert’s ears before his eventual murder. Yet Sirleaf did work for Doe immediately after. Secondly, Sirleaf helped finance John Taylor one of the most sadistic warlords Africa has ever seen (Kristof, 2009). These associations will always taint the legacy of Sirleaf.
Conclusion
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf the incumbent President of Liberia has made a major impression in the nation of Liberia, the African continent, and the world at large. Her contribution to the civil service has always involved standing for the oppressed including women and the poor, eventually earning her a Nobel Peace Prize. She also served with distinction in the private sector more so in the finance sector. Many African women considered as eminent persons in Africa have the basis of the same being the success of their spouses but Sirleaf, a divorcee earned that on her own right. Expansion of a chance for children to have an education as well as the expansion of democratic space through freedom of the media are some of her major impacts. She did associate with some questionable, even criminal characters but her greatness is unquestionable.
References
Cooper, H. (2017). Madame President: The extraordinary journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf . New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster
Jideonwo, C. (2017, October 14). Why Africa owes a debt of gratitude to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf . Retrieved October 14, 2017, from http://www.phillytrib.com/commentary/why-africa-owes-a-debt-of-gratitude-to-ellen-johnson/article_701bcfe5-6583-5afa-8cb6-27c74e02cab2.html
Kristof, N. (2009, July 03) . Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and war crimes?! Retrieved October 14, 2017, from https://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/03/ellen-johnson-sirleaf-and-war-crimes/
Munu, A. J. (2017, October 11). Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: Feminist icon or femocrat ? Retrieved October 14, 2017, from http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/ellen-johnson-sirleaf-feminist-icon-femocrat-171010075855263.html
