Until the accession to the presidency of Liberia's First Female President Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the country's transport sector had been dormant and in almost disarray. Due to financial constraints little action was done to ensure the construction of roads and highways throughout the country.

A cross-section of Liberians at home and abroad have been full of praises for the eloquent message that was delivered by Dr. D. Elwood Dunn to mark Liberia's 165th Independence Day Anniversary at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion. Nothing could have been far removed from the truth and sincerity.

Among the highlights of the July 26th Independence Day message of this year's National Orator Dr. D. Elwood Dunn, was the emphasis on the promise made by the framers of Liberia's declaration of independence in July 1847. It is significant to note that they promised that they were forming a free sovereign and independent state, by the name of the Republic of Liberia for the purpose of establishing social justice, insure domestic peace and promote the general welfare.

A significant point to note is that this promise was made within the context of Liberia's triple heritage and experience that the renowned orator mentioned in his address, namely before the founding constitution was framed by the settler population, all of whom migrated from the United States of America under the auspices of the American Colonization Society (ACS), Liberia was inhabited by the indigenous traditional Africans as well as Muslims that had been converted into Islam that drifted from North Africa around the 7th Century.

The saying goes that it is better to be late than never. The ongoing United Nations Conference of arms control treaty stakeholders which includes top government officials, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to negotiate a workable arms control treaty binding all parties that is being convened at the UN headquarter in New York, would never have come at a better time although long overdue.

The fact is that if one considers the large volumes of arms and ammunition that had been purchased by warlords on the international black-market to fuel wars that had torn apart many countries especially in African Countries that have gone through regional destabilization such as Liberia, Chad, Congo Democratic Republic, Angola, Rwanda and Sierra Leone to name a few, one would be tempted to inquire as to who are the hidden hands behind these arms trade? In other words who are the sellers and the buyers?