The Start of the Boakai Era: After the First 100 Days

AS A NEOPROGRESSIVE free thinker and sociopolitical activist interested in the sociopolitical and socioeconomic development of Liberia, I have observed with deep interest, the trending issues in Liberia over the past six months. I do not deny the necessary limitations or the potential bias of my observation and opinions, but I do believe that there is substantive credibility to them based on my technical expertise on these matters.

AS LIBERIA TRANSITION once again, a political change made possible through the peaceful transfer of power from one elected government to another, I can’t but take a moment to thank H.E. George M. Weah, former president of the Republic of Liberia, for conceding defeat to his fellow contender and now President Joseph N. Boakai. His unprecedented decision to place a congratulatory call to President Boakai while votes were still being counted, especially in a very close election, is very much commendable.

IT IS IMPORTANT that we celebrate our democratic gains, especially for a country that is coming from a horrible past of brutal civil unrest that lasted for over fourteen years, and claimed approximately 250,000 lives with millions more internationally and externally displaced. To the extent that the trauma is still felt after 20 years, and Liberian refugees are still being repatriated as we pen this opinion. Though still fragile as a democracy, some commendable and enviable gains have been made.

FOUR MONTHS into the presidency of President Boakai, especially with reflection on the first 100 days in office starting January 2024, leave much to be discussed. A local nongovernmental organization called NAYMOTE which is known for tracking government performance graded the first 100 days' performance of the Boakai administration at 10%, using campaign promises as primary indicators. Also, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) scored the first 100 days at 74%, tracking to President Boakai’s documented First 100-Day performance plan. Either way, the results are telling.

IN THIS ARTICLE, I provide my personal opinion on the critical issues I find to be of interest, highlighting what I termed the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The good covers what I think the president needs to be commended for; the bad takes into consideration the things he didn’t do well; and the ugly covers the things he did that I think totally sucks. It is important to clarify that in this opinion, actions that could’ve been attributed to associates of the president, are considered his full responsibility as the head of the team.

THE GOOD:

1. President Boakai must be commended for the inspiration his presidential win gave to his voters to participate voluntarily in a pre-inauguration clean-up campaign. Not only did this exercise prepare the capital for the inauguration, but it also provided a model for a citizen approach to keeping the capital clean.

2. President Boakai must be commended for restoring confidence in the reconciliatory journey of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) process, by leading the country to cement a political commitment to the establishment of a War Crimes Tribunal (WCT) and an Economic Crime Court (ECC). This, when achieved, will ensure the end to impunity that has alluded many Liberians for over two decades since the end of the devastating civil war.

3. President Boakai must be commended for the establishment of the JNB Digital Transformation Project aimed at promoting a new platform for the advancement of the youthful population into the digital age. This is not just overdue for the country, it is one of the core determinants that have held Liberians back, and negatively impacted the entire educational system across the country. Technology and the internet represent powerful tools and sources of developmental capacity.

4. President Boakai must be commended for his administration support to educational support for international and local students. Though his support is a continuation of the past administration policy prescriptions for education, there were doubts that said support that included tuition-free education for tertiary public education and payment for national examinations fees, would have been halted. Maintaining this policy, including catching up with tuition areas and living expenses of Liberian students studying are all very important gains by the administration.

5. President Boakai must also be commended for taking the final steps on the heels of the past administration's efforts to complete the restoration of pipe-born water to Central Monrovia. This last mile $42,000 World Bank support helped the country repair a reservoir in Monrovia, relieving residents and businesses of the burden of accessing safe drinking water in the capital. It will be interesting to see how these gains are sustained.

THE BAD

1. I am certain that in hindsight, President Boakai will regret having to skip the presidential transitional period, entrusting the Joint Presidential Transitional Team (JPTT) to his Vice President and other stalwarts of the Unity Party Alliance (UP-Alliance). This is not to suggest incompetence on the part of the UP-Alliance, but the missed opportunity in terms of the influence and importance of his presence as President-Elect would have added to the process, ensuring the utmost best results. This would have positioned the incoming administration in a far better place of readiness to hit the ground running, something which was not achieved and severely undermined the new administration takeover.

2. It was a misstep for the president-elect to have skipped the presidential certification ceremony as initially scheduled by the National Elections Commission (NEC). This move was another misstep that helped to take the wind out of the sails of the urgency and need for presidential change. The optics of neglect and lack of enthusiasm of a team lifting the trophy did much to hurt the win, than propel it to the inauguration for both the UP-Alliance supporters and officials.

3. Then came the appointment debacle, which demonstrated complete unreadiness, lack of leadership, and urgency. One would have thought that to the degree that the past administration was considered incompetent, the incoming administration would seize the moment to demonstrate a high level of competence and integrity over such an exercise. Quite to the contrary, Liberia was shocked to witness one of the most embarrassing exercises of forming a government that the nation has ever seen - multiple names to the same position, dubious appointment lists and letters, ridiculous recalls, poor vetting of candidates, credential fraud cover-ups, and appointments to tenured positions undermining the very tenured acts that were enacted into law under the watch of President Boakai when he served as Vice President and President of the Senate during the Presidency of Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The length of the tenured discourse if left to further debate in light of the Supreme Court classification of such appointments as in error, despite President Boakai both welcoming the Court ruling and disregarding it at the same time. This appointment failure was epitomized in the dismal performance of the Asset Recovery Team.

4. Early occurrences of extrajudicial killings in Liberia in the early stages of the Boakai administration is worrisome. The murder of civilians by operatives of the administration over electricity theft and other unspecified reasons involving police brutality and the discharge of live firearms at peaceful protests are all alarming. Even more disturbing is the failure of the administration to investigate the deaths of civilians that happened during the just-ended campaign. The fear associated with a lack of investigations and corrective measures under the rule of law is that it sets precedence for future reoccurrence.

6. Corruption remains a primary concern for underdevelopment in Liberia. Early alleged acts of corruption by the Boakai government are beginning to call into question the credibility of the government to fight against corruption. A number of these allegations include reports that in December 2023 the now Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Grigsby requested over $300,000 from NASSCORP before the inauguration and used the same to procure vehicles outside set requirements; that in January 2024 the Unity Party Chairman Rev. Tarpeh misappropriated over $300,000 intended for the inauguration; that in March 2024 Mr. Kabakole a close family friend of President Boakai appointed as Officer in Charge (OIC) to the NOCAL misappropriated over $700,000; that between February-May, 2024 the Minister of Public Works Jallah dubiously expanded $22 million without due diligence; and that the Minister of Liberia Water and Sewage Corporation Mr. Ali awarded a $55,000 contract to a company just one month into its existence.

7. Communication is vital to any political institution. Communication is not necessarily the abundance of information; rather, the professional and effective dissemination of information. It is yet to be established that the Boakai administration has an effective communication strategy. There is a divide in the communication apparatus between the office of the President through the Press Secretary, the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism, and the Liberia Broadcasting System. This has resulted in contradictions and miscommunication of government functions, challenges, and accomplishments.

THE UGLY

1. The inaugural ceremony of President Boakai held on January 22, 2024, was a disaster and a national embarrassment. The worst in the nation’s history. The event was characterized by poor preparation and management, and horrible security arrangements. The most embarrassing was the fact that the event had to be abruptly canceled after President Boakai lost consciousness while reading his inaugural speech, ruining the rest of the day’s activities. This resulted in some international guests departing the country prematurely.

2. For some unknown reasons, widespread fire disasters have engulfed Montserrado County after the inauguration of President Boakai. Whilst the actual cause of these fires has not been identified, some Liberians attribute them to a bad omen hunting the country as a result of President Boakai’s presidency. Others point accusing fingers at the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), while still others blamed faulty wiring in homes. Whatever the cause, there have been tens of homes that were burned to ashes and several Liberians lost their lives. Fire disasters haven’t left the elite unscathed, as the homes of Senator Saah Joseph and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Koffa were both burned to ashes. Notwithstanding, there seems to be no presidential urgency to address the cause of these disasters.

3. It is understandable that the judicial system of Liberia needs strengthening; however, there has been immense investment in the judiciary by development partners. It also must be noted that Liberia has made some strides in strengthening the separation of powers between the Executive and the Judiciary. Notwithstanding, the nature of politics in Liberia is not void of judicial manipulation by the Executive Branch, especially since Liberia has always had a superior presidential model of government. During the last few months, the Boakai administration has been accused of manipulating cases in court in favor of individuals of interest. Some Liberians believe that there were judicial influences in high-profile cases in Liberia. In February 2024, a case associated with Cultural Ambassador Juli Endee who sued social media talk show host Justin Yeazeahn alias “Prophet Key” who is noted for vilifying the person of several Liberian women under the guise of political activism was dropped allegedly on the orders of the President Legal Advisor Cllr. Keita. Also, some Liberians blame the Boakai administration for not doing much, and that the American Missionary Lucas Richards, who stood trial on allegations of Aggravated Assault and Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder against Jessica Lloyd, was adjudged not guilty by Criminal Court ‘B’ at the Temple of Justice on Wednesday, April 17.

4. Many Liberians and international partners were pleased under the expectation that the Boakai administration would have been committed to transparency and the fight against corruption. A key part of that fight was an initial audit of the past administration, declaration of assets for both outgoing and incoming government officials, and especially the willingness to publish their assets in full disclosure to the public. Sadly, adherence to these commitments are yet to be fully satisfied. President Boakai is believed to have declared his assets, but the public is yet to see that declaration as part of the confidence-building process. Over 99% of the cabinet of President Boakai have not declared nor published their assets, undermining public trust in the government’s commitment to fight corruption.

5. Liberians do desire development, but it is no secret that the country is one of the poorest in the world with increasing rates of poverty as projected by the World Bank. The World Bank's 2023 Liberia Poverty Assessment Report: “Towards a More Inclusive Liberia” highlights that poverty is more prevalent in rural areas than in Monrovia. The report states that while 30% of people in Monrovia live in poverty, 80% of people in rural areas are affected. Despite these dire circumstances, the Boakai administration approaches development with reckless disregard by deepening poverty by demolishing street-business stalls, confiscating market goods of street marketers, and severely disrupting one of the most dominant sectors of youth employment - the motorcycle sector. Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in Liberia was reported at 77.19 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. I cite these statistics to highlight that development strategies must be carefully designed, taking into account the socioeconomic, sociopolitical, and conflict sensitivity approaches. Growth must drive development, not a heavy-handed quick-fixed model premise on the political jargon “Development comes with pain.” Such an approach is insensitive and unsustainable.

6. Political shenanigans of the Boakai administration involving seeking to undermine the integrity of the previous administration are most absurd. The denial of the former president's use of the Robert International Airport (RIA) new VIP lounge at the newly renovated terminal constructed by him just after an emotional and closely contested election wasn’t only petty, it endangered the peace and security of the country. Also, making the need for the security of the former president and vice president a matter of public discourse is petty and unhealthy. These matters should be addressed discreetly and efficiently without reason for discontent on all sides. Lastly, the mass dismissals of civilians and layoffs based on political divide is preposterous for a Rescue Mission.

7. It is imperative to list a few stand-out flops of President Boakai's early performance. Poor high-level travel arrangements in which he flew to visit with the President of Ghana in his absence, traveled to the U.S.-African Summit 2024 when other major African leaders were sending their under-ministers, missing his first attendances to both ECOWAS and AU 2024 Summits for Heads of States, canceling celebrations of Liberia Armed Forces Day, and boycotting the first National Unification Day after very competitive elections that left the country split in the middle. The failed politically motivated Assets Recovery Team that headed out prematurely before getting checked by the Supreme Court, and the most recent announcement of bringing 285 earth-moving equipment without having sufficient information to educate the nation on the source of funding, the specific need for the quantity, and the government’s capacity to operate and maintain them. These amateur moves leave the country doubting President Boakai’s claim to superior leadership experience, having served over 42 years in government.

GOING FORWARD, I strongly recommend that President Boakai demonstrates leadership by:

1. Providing a clear direction to his cabinet on the core issues despite the broad ARREST agenda:

1. Providing hope to Liberians who are yet to see a clear path to how his administration tends to proceed from a short-term perspective that speaks to their bread-and-butter concerns,

2. Publishing his assets and encouraging his cabinet to do the same,

3. Investigating and prosecuting persons responsible for deaths that occurred during the elections and the first four months of his presidency,

4. Proceeding with caution and being more strategic in his development strategy to avoid the unintended consequences of deepening poverty and risking increased crime rates as a result of economic hardship,

5. According to his predecessors (former presidents and vice president) due courtesy befitting their place in Liberian society, and

6. Ensuring a reform and strengthening of the communication apparatus of the government.