By Mohamed A. Kamara
June 14, 2009
When President Barack Obama announced his candidacy for the White House a few years back, many people saw him as a big dreamer; a dream that will not be fulfilled easily by him or the possibility of any person of color ascending to the presidency in America. Mr. Obama being hopeful and committed toward the cause, today that big dream has finally come true. It is not a comparison between Mr. Dukuly and President Obama but to demonstrate the importance of perseverance in every adventure in a man’s life.
Our current situation cannot be compared to national politics or any form of government since the core mandate of FELMAUSA is social advocacy, justice, peace and reunification within the Mandingo community. Yet, our various communities are polarized by people with indifferent motives for personal gains. If we were to succeed collectively, we need to set aside our differences and never give up the fight until our dream come true. As Mr. Dukuly rightly stated, “Remember: The easiest and most effective means to failure is to quit” should enlighten the minds and souls of every man that success is only sure through hard work.
Decades ago in Liberia, the Mandingos were popularly known for petty trades and income generating activities with less concentration on Western education but those days are gone while we find ourselves at the crossroads exploring opportunities in various disciplines including engineering, computer science, medicine, political science, economics, law and many other competitive fields significant in nation rebuild. Thanks to Allah the Almighty, we were able to present a predominant Mandingo political party in the 1997 general elections thereby conceding to Charles Taylor. Many who witnessed said era might have regarded it as a complete defeat but that was the period of renaissance for the Mandingos. Today with decent education, we compete in various job markets for lucrative employments both within and outside Liberia, and our brothers and sisters hold strategic positions in Government, United Nations, private and public corporations, etc.
Taking into context FELMAUSA as a case study, let me post this question, “What do we Mandingos want and what direction are we heading?” I think it is too early to be disservice to ourselves and the deployment of our education as propaganda machinery to segregate our community, a total loss of focus. The entire idea of FELMAUSA is becoming like a political party rather than a non-profit community-based organization. Base on unfolding issues, FELMAUSA electoral guidelines appears to suit a handful of members who considered themselves “the brain and heart” of the organization. For instance, one must be a college graduate in order to be elected to any executive office; a criterion even the presidency of the Republic of Liberia does not require. From statistics, the education ratio in our community is far less than most communities in Liberia and said should not be an impediment to lead the community if the wisdom of leadership does exist.
In light of the aforementioned, progress is expected to be retarded to a greater extent. Acknowledging that there is no problem without a solution no matter its characteristics of the problem; a brilliant, dedicated and educated man of wisdom has vowed to weed out the arising problems faced in FELMAUSA as a contribution in keeping the dream of the organization alive.
In acceptance of the fact that FELMAUSA needs someone with a broad spectrum of knowledge not only in leadership ability but financial and income-generating responsibilities coupled with multi-cultural leadership background, at the same time the possession of bold initiatives to make sound judgment, Mr. Mohammed Dukuly, a Morehouse graduate with international exposure and an immense financial discipline, has gone public in various chapters of FELMAUSA in a bid to lead the organization from its current state as more social-like club to a full blown institution.
Accordingly, polls conducted in most chapters of FELMAUSA rendered Mr. Dukuly victorious if there were any elections held today. Although Mr. Dukuly meets all criteria laid by FELMAUSA electoral commission but what interests most community members is the platform being presented by such a young and brilliant financial expert in an attempt to render such a huge assistance to the community. At such time in his life, does he possess the requisite experience and leadership ability to continue the work of Mr. Konneh? Is he like one of those politicians with sugar-coated words who get to public office by hoax or croak? In brief, what portfolio has Mr. Dukuly got to lead FELMAUSA to a more social advocacy and justice group on one hand and community reunification on the other hand? One of the current deficiencies of the leadership is the lack of financial accountability; can Mr. Dukuly fix the partially enlisted problems?
To begin, let’s dive a little bit into Mr. Dukuly’s background in an effort to clarify several speculations surrounding his candidacy. Taking a keen look at his role in student politics alike most leaders will help assess some of his leadership skills thereby serving as key factors in justifying his bid to lead FELMAUSA to success. Being a champion of change and advocacy for the voiceless student population at the Morehouse College, one of the nation’s finest black liberal colleges, Mr. Dukuly served as the president of the International Student Organization for two consecutive years, 2001 to 2003. Because of his outstanding performance and academic excellence, Mr. Dukuly was honoree of the Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Gamma Sigma, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Golden Key International Academic & Leadership Honor Societies from 2002 to 2004 respectively.
Apart, the contributions of Mr. Dukuly in community volunteering and services were immense. Not only he volunteered with the Joe & Adams Public Service, Atlanta, Georgia, in tutoring and mentoring students in becoming leaders of tomorrow, he sees volunteering as a passion and a way of life. Instead of working on Wall Street, he has chosen to lead FELMAUSA to a brighter day. Community members from the Atlanta, Philadelphia and the D.C. areas can attest that Mr. Dukuly is a born volunteer. In Atlanta for example, he offered free tutoring services in Islamic studies; helping our sisters and mothers acquire basic knowledge of the Islam religion.
In terms of academic credentials, Mr. Dukuly holds Master’s degree in Accounting with emphasis in Auditing from the Mason School of Business Administration, The College of John and Mary, Virginia. As a distinguished collegian, he acquired BBA in Accounting (Magna Cum Laude) from the Morehouse College in 2004. As a scholar and seeker of knowledge, Mr. Dukuly’s presence in the Mandingo community is a motivational tool for most of our brothers and sisters in pursuing higher education.
Going back to Mr. Dukuly’s professional achievements, as a financial analyst for Morgan Stanley, one of America’s financial house-powers, he analyzed over $500 million dollars Initial Public Offering financial models for Sunstone Hotel Investors and GMH Communities Trust respectively. He modeled out $1.82 billion dollars portfolio of forty-three(43) hotels and four restaurants owned by Omni Hotels by applying Comparable companies, Discounted Cash Flow, Net Asset Value, and Precedent Transactions Analyses to execute accurate valuation, analyzed capital structure, and value debt at its net present worth. As part of his responsibilities, he participated in strategic credit facility assessment by drafting Credit & Equity Commitment Committee memos; prepared prospectuses, selling memos, and roadshow presentations for shareholders and potential investors and many other financial.
With such an impressive curriculum vitae, what do we expect of Mr. Dukuly in term of change in leadership style and policies? What strategies will be put in place to have a more unified and progressive Mandingo community? Can he succeed if he were to be elected as president of FELMAUSA without the support of Mr. Konneh and his key strategists? Based on his background as a corporate financial analyst and a multi-cultural oriented person, Mr. Dukuly believes in bi-partisan, transparency and consultative leadership.
As a man of wisdom, he has identified the numerous problems and sees no need of re-inventing the wheel in its entirety but to bridge the gaps between those disjointed pieces thereafter polishing them in a definite path as per the core ideology of FELMAUSA’s formation. In summary, Mr. Dukuly is open to working with anyone including Mr. Konneh in taking FELMAUSA to the next level but what should be expected is a change in policies in addressing several issues and adhering to new strategies to attract more funding from the donor community.
In term of reunification strategy, Mr. Dukuly has promised to establish and lead an administration that believes in consultative dialogues rather than working in isolation or embracing a blue-print approach with little or no possibility of change. Many would concord that it is time for FELMAUSA to adopt new strategies as a medium of bringing onboard those undecided community members sitting behind the fence skeptical about the possibility of a unified Mandingo federation. It might be considered as a campaign strategy but the fact is that Mr. Dukuly should be given the opportunity to take FELMAUSA to a new dimension.
The argument being put forth is that, Mr. Dukuly has broad vision about implementing changes in leadership etiquette, financial accountability, community empowerment and the solicitation of resources to implement short and long-term projects. To support my argument, Mr. Dukuly will not be a “pupette” leader who wishes to satisfy certain community members or chapters for the purpose of re-election, but to closely consult with the Board and local chapters in the appointments of officials. The planning and implementation of activities will be done with inputs from all chapters and those to head will be scrutinized by the Board.
People may think that I am being pessimistic about Mr. Konneh’s efforts in building FELMAUSA from an embryonic stage, but what I am trying to portray is the need to establish a vibrant Mandingo community. It will be disservice to the organization to discredit Mr. Konneh’s efforts in taking FELMAUSA thus far but the reality is that, Mr. Konneh seems not to have much in term of governance, financial accountability and strategies in the solicitation of funds to implement projects. Even in student governments, the key to successful and transparent governance is proper financial ethics.
Contrary to Mr. Konneh’s administration, publishing a comprehensive financial report whether quarterly, semi-annually or yearly is a thug of war. How would you expect to be trusted to lead us for the next term of office when those are not being done? If the Board of FELMAUSA were to audit Mr. Konneh’s administration, nothing of substance could be presented in accounting for all monies acquired during his term of office since basic book-keeping or accounting principles are not being followed. Do you think that with such a financial misappropriation, FELMAUSA can benefit donors’ funding? Absolutely not and said is a justification to give chance to people who demonstrate great financial and leadership abilities.
Supporters of Mr. Konneh might be offended but my advice is that our struggle for change should not be considered on personal ties but a thorough assessment of an individual’s ability in taking FELMAUSA to the next level. If for some reasons Mr. Dukuly cannot live up to his promises when elected, which is highly doubtful, then he must be ready to step aside for a successor. We are not operating in the context of a political ideology where people are life-time supporters of a particular group or association rather the concept of dynamic and appraisal.
Again, the services of Mr. Konneh are highly appreciated but I don’t think Mr. Konneh does have much to offer to FELMAUSA and its members. As a way forward, Mr. Dukuly should be provided the support in discussing his prospectus and the final decisions will be yours.
About the Author
With over seven (7) years of experience working in the field of Information Technology, Mr. Kamara led one of United Nations High Commission for Refugees’ volatile documentations and registrations of refugees from the Ivory Coast through the implementation of a-million-dollar global registration system (proGres) in Liberia. Previously, he worked with United Nations Special Court for Sierra Leone with the primary functions of network infrastructure design, implementation and support. While working with Save the Children (UK) in 2002, he provided technical support to the Government of Sierra Leone in the reunification of over 10,000 children separated from their biological or legal caretakers due to the civil war.
When Madam Sirleaf came to power, Mr. Kamara provided capacity building to the Government of Liberia through a UNDP-funded project, nimac (national information management centre) in database development, systems analysis and design, and technical consultation. Mr. Kamara being a result-oriented person brings a wealth of skills and expertise in research, project management, technology to the Minnesota Mandingo Association on humanitarian ground and the community should be blessed to have such a personality at its disposal.
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