On July 26, 2025, during Liberia’s Independence Day Celebration in Monrovia, Dr. Emmett Layfette Dunn delivered a powerful oratorical speech emphasizing national unity, inclusion, reconciliation, and responsible governance.
By Austin S. Fallah, contributing writer
The speech highlights Liberia’s resilience while calling for decisive action, inspiring hope without ignoring harsh realities.
Dr. Dunn affirms the essential role of the opposition in a healthy democracy, insisting they should not be demonized but respected as crucial for accountability and national progress.
This is not a defense of wrongdoing, covering societal corruption and evil.
Still, a call for mutual respect within a multiparty system, recognizing that constructive disagreement strengthens institutions founded on civility, law, and dialogue.
However, some might see the focus on reconciliation, apology, and restorative justice as potentially lenient on accountability, especially since the orator accepts the President’s public apology on behalf of the people.
While advocating for a national reconciliation commission and healing, the speech stops short of explicitly demanding prosecutions of war criminals or full implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations.
This raises a critical personal question.
Does prioritizing healing risk allow wrongdoers to evade justice?
Nevertheless, Dr. Dunn’s call for the President to “fire and not suspend” officials and to “enforce the laws” indicates that justice and reform remain priorities, though unity is emphasized over retribution.
The speech clearly does not endorse impunity but urges Liberians to reject vengeance and political scapegoating in favor of legal accountability, inclusive governance, and institutional reform.
It distinguishes national healing from national forgetting by proposing a commission dedicated to truth-telling and civic education.
The speech encourages respect for political opposition and aims to break cycles of retribution, but it does not advocate ignoring the law or shielding the guilty.
Instead, it calls on the government, opposition, youth, diaspora, and civil society to uphold justice, combat corruption, and focus on Liberia’s long-term transformation beyond short-term political interests.
