A delegation from the Liberian Revenue Authority is in town to pick a leaf from their Rwandan counterparts. Well, one would be tempted to say “so what? It is not the first or last time foreign delegations come to Kigali to learn best practices. They have been coming and going uninterrupted for the last decade or so”. The importance of the visit is that both countries have similarities. Both have a violent past and were victims of grave human rights violations. This “intra African cooperation” has been an unending refrain whenever African heads of state meet, but little is done about it. Instead, many prefer to go on “study tours” in the developed world instead of seeking success stories closer to home. So, if Rwanda has succeeded to rise from the ashes, why can’t Liberia do the same? It doesn’t have to follow the “Rwandan model” because every country has its own peculiarities. The key is identifying them. The best advice one would give the Liberians or any other person seeking some clues on how to steer their countries on the right path is; sit back and identify your priorities, weaknesses and strengths and tailor your solutions around them. Home-made solutions is everything, not borrowed templates from the West, East or wherever. Copy-cat solutions do not always work. We should wean off the “expatriate” mentality and learn to do things ourselves.
