…As JNB’s Children, Others Linked To Jobs Sale
News & Analysis By Our Staff Writers
MONROVIA: Ahead of his official inauguration which is scheduled for 22, January, this year, it seems that the Nation’s President-elect, Ambassador Joseph Nyuma Boakai (JNB), is fast heading for trouble as his presidential surrounding is said to be infested with what has been characterized as “some good, some bad, and some ugly people.
Highly placed and unimpeachable insiders of the Liberian President-elect’s “kitchen Cabinet” hinted that some of Boakai’s closed associates, family members and friends are allegedly embroiled in lobbying for, and offering bribes for appointment to influential, powerful and lucrative government jobs.
Others including business institutions and groups in the country are being given assurances of state protection upon the formal inauguration of President-elect, Joseph Nyuma Boakai while other closed associates of the incoming President are, according to the insiders, leaking ‘sensitive’ state information to the public for self-serving and other pecuniary gains.
Recently, social media was awash with leaked reports, said to have emerged from the corridors of President-elect, Boakai, highlighting what was considered a list of potential cabinet officials for the incoming Boakai-led administration after January 22, 2024.
The ‘Investigative’ INDEPENDENT Newspaper has gathered what also appears to be cogent information from the corridors of the incoming government as it relates to the presumptive first batch of presidential appointees whose names would be announced by Boakai upon his formal inauguration on 22, January, 2024.
According to some members of the ‘Boakai Kitchen Cabinet’ who prefer anonymity for administrative and political reasons, the incumbent Minister of National Defense, General Daniel D. Ziankahn, Jr., (Retired), is the only Minister from the George Weah`s government that is expected to be reappointed by President-elect, Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
It is further gathered that several persons within and out of the Unity Party Alliance are being considered and listed as part of the first batch of people who may benefit from the appointing power of incoming President Boakai upon his pending induction.
This paper has been tipped on several prominent names or persons who are likely to be appointed to various cabinet positions and as heads of public autonomous agencies and commissions.
Some of the high-profiled names that are reflected on the leaked Presidential appointment list include Madam Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Cllr. Cooper Kruah, Minister of Justice; Amin Modad, Minister of Commerce; Madam Vambah Gayflor Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, among others.
Madam Nyanti participated as the lone Presidential candidate in the just-ended 2023 Presidential and Legislative elections. She is a former Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, an international development expert, and a Liberian Pastor.
Moreover, she has more than 20 years of professional experience, and also served as a UN former Resident Coordinator for Nepal.
On the list is Cllr. Cooper Kruah, according to insiders in the corridors of the President-elect, he may likely become the next Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Liberia.
Cllr. Kruah is the former Minister of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in the Weah-led government who was dismissed for attending a Unity Party political rally in Central Monrovia.
He serves as Chairman of Nimba County’s charismatic and powerful Senator, and Political God-Father, Prince Yormie Johnson (PYJ’s) political party, styled: Movement for Development and Reconstruction (MDR) which is in collaboration with the Unity Party (UP). Cllr. Krauh has practiced for over thirty-five years in the legal profession.
The leaked list also includes the names of former Chairman of the Unity Party and renowned business tycoon, Amin Modad.
At the Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), this paper gathered that Mr. Sam Gaye and Abraham Kromah are the two top individuals on the list to be chosen as Director of the anti-drugs agency, Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
Sam Gaye is a retired Supervisory Special Agent with the United States Department of Justice and the Drugs Enforcement Administration, as well as a former Director of the Executive Protective Service, during the reign of former President of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
He reportedly played an indelible positive role in the tracking and arrest of a notorious Russian national, Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was arrested in Monrovia in May 2010 and subsequently convicted of drugs smuggling, as Senior Security Consultant for the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), while Abraham Kromah alias “AB Kromah” is a former Police Deputy Inspector General for Operations (102) of the Liberia National Police (LNP) with a wealth of experience. AB Kromah is said to have merited two Masters’ degrees in Police Administration and other related disciplines.
According to our tip-off, Mr. Sahr Johnny is being considered to replace Madame Mary Broh as Director-General of the State-owned General Services Agency (GSA).
Mr. Johnny is a former Minister Plenipotentiary of the Liberian Embassy in Sierra Leone and Permanent Mission of Liberia to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland; He is a career Diplomat, who moved to Canada and formed the JNB Movement, New England Chapter, USA; Rhode Island, Canada; the United Kingdom, and continental Europe; Africa; Asia; Australia; New Zealand; the Caribbean, and among others.
He currently serves on the Boakai-Weah Joint Transitional Team as a member.
Going further, Mr. Gregory Coleman or Col. Abraham K. Kromah are also the two top names on the leaked list to be possibly considered as Inspector General of the Liberia National Police.
Col. Kromah who has also been considered to head the LDEA, currently operates a private security firm and is credited for his robust stands against terroristic acts, unlawful behaviors by some motorists, commercial bikes ridders and crimes in general.
He served as Deputy Police Director for Operations under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf while Gregory Coleman is the former Inspector General of the LNP with a reservoir of professional, hands-on experience, spanning more than two decades.
We have also gathered that Mr. Sylvester Grigsby is likely to be named as the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs.
Grigsby is a former Minister of State, and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs while Mr. Jacob Karba-Kollie, believed to be a relative of President-elect, Boakai, is being highlighted for the position of the Managing Director of the National Port Authority (NPA), which is considered as the ‘Gateway’ to the Liberian economy.
Mr. Karbakollie commonly known as (Jake), is a nephew to the President-elect and has remained a committed and dedicated servant to Ambassador Boakai over the years.
Mr. Prince Mulbah is also captured on the list but as Commissioner of the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS). Mr. Mulbah is an excellent career Police Administrator and former Deputy Inspector-General of Police for Operations.
In additional developments, former representative Francis Saah Nyumalin has been earmarked to be announced as the next Minister of Internal Affairs, per the leaked presidential appointment list.
Former Representative, Nyumalin served the people of District#1 Lofa County, and was recently defeated by Representative Thomas Fallah of District #5 Montserrado County.
Mr. Austin S. Fallah is also reflected on said list for possible appointment as Minister of Finance and Development Planning.
Fallah is grounded in finance, business administration, economics, leadership, public administration, and law.
He is a resident of the MidWest in the United States of America and a dedicated advocate for democracy, and a holder of several undergraduate and graduate degrees from Prestigious Universities in the United States.
Also reflected on the leaked list are the names of Dr. Louise M. Kpoto and Dr. Francis Nah Kateh, for the position of the Minister of Health.
Dr. Kpoto bagged a Ph.D. from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom and is a Panel Physician, MD, MPH Epidemiology while Dr. Kateh is a well-experienced health expert; Kateh has served the Ministry of Health as Deputy Minister for Health Services and the Chief Medical Officer of Liberia for over 15 years.
Either of the two is expected to be named as the Minister of Health.
Another famous name within the Unity Party Alliance is Madame MacDella Cooper; she has been tipped as the Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC).
Madame Cooper is a former female presidential candidate and philanthropist. She is the Political Leader of the Movement for One Liberia (MOL) and one of the persons who played significant roles in the election of Baokai as President of Liberia.
On the other hand, Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo is likely to be named as the new Managing Director of the Roberts International Airport (RIA), according to the list. He is an academician and former running mate to former Presidential candidate and respected human rights lawyer, Cllr. Taiwan Saye Gongloe in the 2023 elections.
Dr. Kimie Weeks and Mr. Larammand Nyontoon are the two names on the list for Minister of Youth & Sports, with many watching to see who will be the preferred choice of the President-elect amongst the two young fellows.
According to Article 54 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, the President shall nominate and, with the consent of the Senate, appoint and commission — a) Ministers, deputy and assistant cabinet ministers; b) Ambassadors, ministers, consuls; and c) the Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court and judges of subordinate courts; d) superintendents, other county officials and officials of other political sub-divisions; e) members of the military from the rank of lieutenant of its equivalent and above; and f) marshals, deputy marshals, and sheriffs.
Boakai, though President-elect has no legal backing to nominate or appoint anyone now, according to the above restricted positions outlined in the 1986 Constitution until after he is duly inducted and or sworn in on January 22, as President of the Republic of Liberia.
Interestingly, however, re-elected Representative of Montserrado County District#10, Yekeh Kolubah, has alleged that Liberia’s President-elect, Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s two biological children including his nephew and few other individuals are selling appointed positions of trust to unqualified individuals at home and in the Diasporas at the detriment of the Nation and its people.
Representative Kolubah named the President-elect’s two sons as Joseph Boakai Jr. (Joe-Joe), and Tan Tan Boakai along with the president-elect’s nephew, Jacob Karbakollie.
Representative Kolubah alleged at news conference held in Monrovia over the weekend that President-elect, Boakai’s two sons and his nephew have been selling government jobs following the pronouncement of Boakai as President-elect by the National Elections Commission (NEC) in November, 2023.
Representative Kolubah is a re-elected Lawmaker of Montserrado District# 10. He has been a fond critic of the outgoing President, George Manneh Weah-led administration for alleged corruption, abuse of power and bad governance.
In an interview with a group of journalists on Sunday, January 7, 2024, Representative Yekeh Kolubah acknowledged that Liberians elected Boakai on the mantra of change, but it beats his imagination to see Ambassador Boakai’s children and relative “taking money from the very Liberian people for jobs”.
“I will say this for the Liberian people to hear it. J. Karbakollie and Joe-Joe are all around collecting money from people for jobs,” the fearless and no-nonsense lawmaker asserted during the press conference in Monrovia.
Though Representative Kolubah refused to name the concerned individuals to whom the President-elect’s two sons and a nephew sold jobs but he also alleged that Jacob Karbakollie has been taking money from Lonestar Cell MTN, with a promise to protect the company’s corporate interest, when Ambassador Boakai is inaugurated.
He, however, did not provide any evidence to substantiate his claims against Lone Star and Karbakollie.
Lone Star Cell MTN, has not been immediately reached for comment on the populous lawmaker’s allegation made at the recent news conference held in Monrovia.
The tough-talking Montserrado County Lawmaker said it is unfortunate for some individuals in the circle of the President-elect to, at this early period, embark on deceiving Liberians who voted Ambassador Boakai for cause of national transformation over personal wealth seeking.
Representative Kolubah: “Look, J. Karbakollie, who told you I don’t know the wrongs you have started ahead of the inauguration. Since the Oldman was announced President, you’re always crossing the road to Lone Star with the intent to protect their businesses. But you lied. Our people didn’t go through the rain and sun for this. I will not allow this to happen; When some of us took the risk to tell President Weah his wronged doing. This is not what Ambassador Boakai was elected for.”
He also further alleged that a Lebanese business man (whose name he did not also mention) has taken, one of the President-elect’s sons, Tan-Tan Boakai, to Lebanon for bribery for commercial purposes.
“Tan-Tan, you will have to stop what you’re doing. I know exactly who took you to Lebanon, so you can sell our market to them,” Kolubah alleged again.
When this paper, in an effort to get their respective reactions sent called two mobile contacts of Mr. Karbakollie and Joseph Boakai jr. but rang many times without any response. This paper also sent separate text communications to Joseph Boakai Jr., and the president’s nephew, Jacob Karbakollie for their reactions but up to press time, none of them responded to our text messages. Tan-Tan mobile phone was reportedly switched off.
Representative Kolubah to President-elect, JNB: “President-elect Boakai, you will have to go back to the people who gave you the L$10 million so they can take their money back, or else, I will expose you. All of us know you were begging around here, and you were even living with Stanton Waterspoon. How come you get ten million to help fire victims?”
The tough-talking and fearless lawmaker has issued seven-day ultimatum to the President-elect, urging him to explain the source of the L$10 million he provided to families of the recent gas tanker tragic incident, in Totota, Bong County.
Recently, President-elect Boakai offered his heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the incident and provided ten million Liberian dollars (10,000,000) and 200 bags of (25kg) rice.
This assistance aimed to aid the hospitals, the county health team, and the national disaster management team in their relentless efforts to save lives. About 70 persons lost their lives in disaster.
Expressing concern, Kolubah predicted a potential rise in corruption within the upcoming Unity Party administration as compared to the outgoing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led government, headed by President George Manneh Weah.
