Paynesville — The Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia (EFFL) has called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to immediately suspend Liberia National Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman, accusing the country’s security leadership of failing to provide the accountability and decisive action needed to confront Liberia’s escalating drug crisis.
Speaking Thursday at a major press conference at the EFFL headquarters in Paynesville, EFFL President Emmanuel D. Gonquoi said the government’s response to the country’s drug problem remains inadequate and warned that Liberia’s security institutions cannot be allowed to investigate themselves when questions have been raised about their own conduct.
Gonquoi, whose party supported President Boakai during the 2023 elections and remains aligned with the government, said the EFFL would no longer remain silent when it believes the interests of Liberians are being compromised.
“What we will not compromise is the interests of our people,” Gonquoi declared, calling for what he described as a “decisive” response to the country’s drug crisis.
EFFL Calls for Coleman’s Suspension
Gonquoi argued that the suspension or dismissal of lower-level security personnel allegedly linked to the drug controversy should not end the government’s accountability measures.
He specifically pointed to individuals he said are closely associated with the Police Inspector General and questioned why senior leadership has remained in place while subordinate officers face sanctions.
According to the EFFL leader, the situation amounts to a serious national security failure and warrants scrutiny at the highest level.
“There is a classic national security failure, so therefore the Police Director should be dismissed or suspended with immediate effect,” Gonquoi said.
He maintained that President Boakai should suspend Coleman to create an environment for an impartial investigation into the police leadership and its handling of issues surrounding the drug crisis.
Gonquoi also questioned the circumstances surrounding a reported Starlink internet system allegedly received by the Liberia National Police, claiming it was provided by individuals he described as being connected to an alleged drug cartel.
He called for the reported donation and any relationship between security officials and individuals allegedly involved in drug trafficking to be thoroughly investigated.
The allegations were made publicly by the EFFL leader and have not been independently established. The relevant security authorities have not, as of press time, publicly confirmed Gonquoi’s claims concerning the alleged donation or any connection between police officials and drug-trafficking actors.
‘Security Sector Cannot Investigate Itself’
The EFFL’s strongest criticism was directed at the government’s reliance on Liberia’s existing security institutions to investigate the drug crisis.
Gonquoi said the EFFL does not trust investigations conducted solely by the Joint Security because, in his view, the institutions responsible for investigating the allegations are themselves facing questions.
He urged President Boakai to ensure that international investigators are brought in to support an independent and credible investigation.
“We strongly believe that they have created a shield around the presidency,” Gonquoi alleged, arguing that the President may not be receiving complete and accurate information from the country’s security apparatus.
He further warned that bringing in foreign investigators alone would not be sufficient if those investigators depend heavily on information supplied by the same security institutions under scrutiny.
Gonquoi said the investigation must therefore be broad enough to examine the entire security architecture involved in the country’s fight against drugs.
EFFL Questions Drug Enforcement Capacity
Gonquoi also criticized conditions within the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), arguing that poor salaries and institutional weaknesses could undermine the fight against narcotics.
He questioned how officers earning relatively low salaries could be expected to resist powerful drug traffickers capable of offering substantially larger sums of money.
According to him, Liberia needs comprehensive institutional reforms, better remuneration for drug enforcement personnel and stronger safeguards against corruption.
“The LDA is rotting beyond repair,” Gonquoi alleged, insisting that simply changing leadership at the agency will not solve the deeper problems confronting Liberia’s anti-drug campaign.
He said Liberia cannot successfully combat drug trafficking without strengthening the institutions responsible for enforcing the law.
‘We Supported Boakai, But We Will Not Compromise’
Despite the harsh criticism, Gonquoi emphasized that the EFFL does not consider itself an enemy of the Boakai administration.
He said the party supported Boakai because it believed his experience in government would provide Liberia with stronger leadership and a better future.
But he warned that political support does not mean the EFFL will remain silent when national interests are at stake.
“The Economic Freedom Fighters is not an enemy of any government. But what we will not compromise is the interests of our people,” he said.
Gonquoi urged President Boakai to take stronger action against those responsible for weaknesses in the national security system, particularly in light of what he described as the unprecedented scale of Liberia’s current drug crisis.
He further argued that the President’s legacy would depend heavily on how decisively his administration responds to drug trafficking.
EFFL Raises Concern Over Government Alliance
Beyond the drug crisis, Gonquoi accused the government of failing to maintain an effective platform for political parties and groups that helped bring the Unity Party-led administration to power.
He said political alliances that operated during the 2023 campaign have effectively disappeared since the government took office, leaving some of the administration’s former political allies without an official platform to raise concerns about national governance.
Gonquoi particularly criticized what he described as the absence of regular consultations among alliance leaders on issues including the economy, national security and the country’s current crises.
He said political partners who fought alongside the Unity Party during the campaign should not now be treated as outsiders.
EFFL Vows to Challenge Government Until 2029
Gonquoi said the EFFL will continue speaking out on national issues through 2029 and intends to expand its political presence across Liberia.
He vowed that the party would work aggressively to become Liberia’s ruling political institution in the future.
The EFFL president also outlined an ambitious political and economic vision for the party, saying an EFFL government would pursue state-led development and transform Liberia’s economy.
For now, however, Gonquoi’s immediate demand is for President Boakai to take stronger action on the drug crisis, including the suspension of Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman and an independent investigation into Liberia’s security institutions.
As of press time, there was no immediate public response from Inspector General Gregory Coleman to Gonquoi’s allegations or demand for his suspension.
The allegations concerning police leadership, the reported Starlink system, and alleged links between security officials and drug-trafficking actors remain claims made by the EFFL and require independent verification and responses from the relevant authorities.
