Monrovia – Very impeccable sources in the corridors of President George Manneh Weah’s Office, have just confided in FrontPageAfrica that Mr. Boima J. V. Boima, Deputy Director General for Rural Broadcasting at the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), is poised to be suspended “indefinitely” from his post.
Background to Boima’s Nightmare
Boima, on Tuesday, July 30th posted a long comment to Facebook against President Weah. FrontPageAfrica reported the very next day that that particular post landed him in ‘slow trouble’ with the President.
According to our sources from within the LBS and close aides to the Chief Executive, the President allegedly directly ordered, the same day, ‘JV’s seniors not to directly relate to him again and to also instruct every rural reporter, who sends their reports directly to ‘JV’, as Boima is affectionately called by his peers in the media circle, to not send him reports again until otherwise ordered.
When this newspaper contacted JV, he said he hadn’t been informed about such decision from the President, who appointed him. Nevertheless, he could neither confirm nor deny whether such mandate has been passed against him.
The LBS’ Deputy Director General’s post was made in the wake of the Montserrado County by-election, which was held on Monday, July 29.
According to JV, the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) is losing grip on its perceived stronghold of Montserrado County because the government is not living up to the promises made to its supporters.
The Senatorial and Representative by-elections were held to find replacements for the late Senator Geraldine Doe Sherriff, who died after a protracted illness and Representative Adolph Lawrence (Montserrado District #15), who met his untimely demise in a tragic car accident along the Roberts International Airport (RIA) highway.
CDC has over the years boasted that Montserrado is its stronghold and results from previous elections have somehow proved the party’s claims.
However, taking to his Facebook page barely 24 hours after the July 29th by-elections, JV declared that the overwhelming support to the opposition senatorial candidate, Abraham Darius Dillon, is a clear testament that the party’s supporters are not happy with the government because it is not seeking their welfare.
JV wrote: “To admit, I didn’t sleep last night. I struggled between sleep and wake all through last night. I was on the streets talking to people and compiling results to know whether we won the elections. Indeed the results are not what we all opted for. I, for instance wanted a result that could have given us a commanding victory. Not a slim margin. Yes, we must not be struggling to win here in this county. This is where our party started winning polls. This is where the revolution that ushered the people’s struggle was signed and sealed. I am still convinced that our two candidates would win. But to be frank, we should not be struggling for a victory in this county at this early stage of our Presidency. We came to power on a populist ideology. We made so many promises to our people that we have not lived to fulfill up till now. Majority of our people who struggled with us in the slums are yet to be given better jobs or even empowered by their own government to start a better life.”
He further claimed that his party is deserting its supporters and the by-election votes against the party were an internal revolt and a message to the President to look down on his supporters.
“Yes, this was a revolution; our people did not struggle to become beggars. The results seen out there is as a result of an internal revolt. Majority of our once zealots supporters have gone sour. They are not happy at all. They are not happy with us, Mr. President. Majority of those who voted for Dillon are our own very CDCians. Some didn’t even turn up to vote. Those who chose or opted to went against us. Their message is clear; look into our direction now too.”
No Fear of Losing Job
Writing further, JV noted that although his statement might cost him his job, he was not worried as it is better to speak out now than to pretend and live with “negative consequences.”
Addressing President Weah directly, he wrote: “I know people would advise you to dismiss me. I will not die. I didn’t die yesterday. I wouldn’t die today. Mr. President you have the power to do so. But it’s better I say this now than pretend and leave [live] with a negative consequences for ever.”
JV’s full comment can be found here.
Prediction Coming to Pass
As he directly predicted that some around the President would push the President to dismiss him, it seems it might come to pass very shortly.
FPA was surreptitiously told by insiders within the Executive Mansion that JV will be removed from his post this way: “The President will announced today that he is suspending Boima J.V. Boima indefinitely and that would be it for him. He won’t be re-instated again.”
Like JV Like Mulbah Morlu?
With results from 65 out of 94 polling centers announced by the National Elections Commission, in the Montserrado County Senatorial by-election, the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) conceded that the opposition candidate, Dillon, won the Senatorial by-election to fill the void left by late Senator Geraldine Doe-Sheriff.
In a statement Thursday, August 1st, signed by the party’s chair, Mulbah Morlu, made very similar frank assertions that Boima made, too. Might Morlu face similar fate?
Morlu: “Our dynamic Standard Bearer and supporters, we the members of the National Executive Committee of this great party are committed to all of you. Now is the time that we have to swallow the bitter pills by taking some hard decisions both in government and our party. We commit to continuously seeking the interest of Liberians. Most importantly, our supporters who stood with us during our difficult days in the struggle must continue to be empowered. We can no longer sugarcoat this reality. The moral demands to empower our people is [are] a fierce urgency that remains our first line of defense as we serve our country.
The verdict from our people in the just-ended polls in Montserrado is not only a wakeup call to action, but an insistence the party will not ignore to change course.
Our officials in both the Legislature and the Executive will have to live in accordance with our Pro-Poor Agenda or, they will have to vacate the government and our beloved party. We have reached the point where we will separate party actions from the actions of some officials of government, where necessary; the period for honeymoon is over. The jobs we gave to you is to help our President succeed and, not to undermine our hard-earned gains.
Our President is a popular person with a good heart for all Liberians. We all have to help our leader deliver for the people of Liberia. This election doesn’t mean that our government is unpopular with the people of Liberia. What it means is that our partisans and the people of Liberia in general need us most at this critical juncture in our national political journey.”