The Unity Party, while in opposition, strongly criticized former President George Manneh Weah and his officials, then, for what was described as their display of luxurious, deluxe and lavish lifestyles while they were at the zenith of state power.
Ambassador Joseph Nyuma Boakai, during his time as the country’s main opposition leader, also decried, and for all the right reasons, the flashy and well-appointed living standard of former President Weah, who, during his administration, often charted affluent private jets, and traveled around the World with sundry delegates, to various international forums which outcomes, pundits believe, have had little or nothing rewarding for Liberia while the vast majority of ordinary citizens were grudgingly surviving on less than US$2 a day.
Apart, during the 2023 Presidential and Legislative elections, Ambassador Boakai, now President of Liberia, promised the Liberian nation to drastically cut-down some of government’s non-essential spending if he were to be elected as President of Liberia.
At the time when Ambassador Boakai was an opposition political leader, he also assured millions of his fellow compatriots that his government would save money to improve education and healthcare services for the citizens.
Also, the former opposition leader, now President, vehemently condemned former officials who they slammed, then, as being lawless and abusive in the governance of the country.
At the time of his opposition leadership, Boakai frequently spoke against state officials and aides, who used ‘third lane’ in blatant violations of traffic and public safety rules and regulations.
Surprisingly however, seven months into the leadership of the country, many, if not all officials of the Unity Party-led administration, headed by him (President Boakai), appear to be following the apparent ugly governance footpaths of the immediate past regime, including living wastefully and extravagantly at the expense of Liberian taxpayers while the vast majority of the citizens are painfully and agonizingly surviving at the bottom of the nation’s economic ladder.
For instance, several officials or elites of the Boakai-led government are now ridding on potholes-affected motor roads, newly acquired luxurious and capital-intensive vehicles, some of which costs range from US$45,000 to a whopping US$90,000.
In a country like Liberia that is struggling with its economy as approximately 70% of the population survive on less than US$2 a day, for its national leaders to bath themselves in luxury and affluence is, to say the least, very troubling, unexpected and unimaginable.
Frankly, no serious country in this new millennium will see the vast majority of its citizens effectively awash by misery, disease, hunger, severe climate change impacts, as well as dearth of basic social services such as pure and safe drinking water, electricity, quality education, among others and embrace bankrolling a handful of its ruling elites to acquire and use exclusive and posh cars, and spending vacations abroad at the expense of limited state resources.
For instance, Vice President, Jeremiah Kpan Koung has significantly increased the fleet of vehicles in his convoy that is always on high speed.
Other Senators and other state officials are now being accompanied to, and from work, by chains of convoys, containing posh, upper-class and blue-blooded vehicles.
During rush hours from and to work, some state officials brazenly demonstrate affront against upholding traffic and public safety rules and regulations.
They are taking ‘third-lane’ with loud sirens and often move with heavy speed, at time, splashing muds and dirty waters on poor pedestrians with glaring impunity.
It seems in the governance of the Liberian nation, barefaced abuse and /or desecration of law and order is increasingly becoming a new culture.
Even members of some security forces are linked to desecrations of laws and orders including the fatal shooting and /or wounding of some members of the public in recent times, with some of the accused officers charged and sent to court for prosecution.
Other abuses range from illegal removal and replacement of tenure officials to making appointments in Government, sometimes, without effective exercise of the necessary due diligence.
At times, such situation leads to either the revocation or withdrawal of the names of previous appointees.
There has also been a noticeable increase as it relates to the abrupt dismissal of civil servants at the behest of some powerful state officials, using their job influence, political connections and /or close proximity to the ruling Unity Party (UP).
Another factor seemingly appeared to be a complete abuse of power has to do with the suspension of the Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia, which many citizens believe is inimical to provisions of the Act creating the CBL. However, we are delighted that the Supreme Count of Liberia is scrupulously looking into the merits and demerits of the issue.
The interesting aspect of Governor suspension is the immediate appointment of acting Executive Governor and the subsequent induction of a new economic team, without allowing the Deputy Governor to act, instead.
Moreover, the rampant dismissals at almost every state entity are worrisome.
For a government that should be creating jobs for its citizens to effect such multiple dismissals in the public sector speaks volumes, to say the least, and it leaves much to be desired.
To sum it up, we are feeling heartbroken and terrified over these unfolding developments in this new dispensation.
This is why we, at The INDEPENDENT Newspaper are calling for a paradigm shift towards upholding justice and the rule of law.
In the words of former Justice Minister and Attorney General of Liberia, who is also former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Cllr. Chea Cheapoo (late), “What is not done by law is not done at all.”
This is why we are cautioning the President of Liberia, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, to fully apply his constitutional authority by reducing wastes and abuses that are fast emerging in Government.
We, at The INDEPENDENT Newspaper think that President Boakai and his party officials who once criticized the immediate past Government should snub such ugly governance practices that have the potential to undercut the hard-won peace and stability of Liberia.
Everyone must be seen acting not above the laws of the country but in consonance with provisions of the Nation’s Constitution and other statutes.
By the way, why Vice President Koung is using ten-car convoy in Liberia, a country which is among the poorest of the poor in the world?
Indeed, President Boakai must take control of his administration, by telling his officials nothing less than the hard truth about the prevailing bad economic situation in the country, and need for state officials to rise above lavish lifestyle while Liberians are walloping in abject poverty and misery.
All these are happening when almost 70 percent of the current state officials from the three branches of government including the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary miserably failed to declare their assets, and no any disciplinary action is yet to be taken against any of them.
A hint to the wise.
