Holding President Weah Accountable by Quality of His Decisions

The Editor,

“My greatest contribution to this country as President may not lie in the eloquence of my speeches, but will definitely lie in the quality of the decisions I will make over the next six years…..”

With this line in his inaugural address, President Weah provided the criterion for evaluating his leadership viz. the quality of his decisions. However, if initial ministerial nominations offer a perspective of the change Liberians bargained for; then, Liberians have been short – changed.

By keeping some tainted officials of the past administration onboard; President Weah is harboring political pirates and economic buccaneers and may lose the moral compass required to steer the nation along the direction of positive change.

The announcement that a Minister who has mismanaged the nation’s educational sector should hold the fort is reprehensible to say the least. With a dismal literacy rate (47.5%), a depressing primary school enrollment rate (44%) and discouraging performance in the WAEC school – leaving exams; Liberia’s educational sector is tattered, wrecked and shambolic and in dire need of attention.

Widely regarded as intellectually hollow and academically shallow, the current Minster of Education is a complete misfit, a social media addict, a play boy and a poster boy for the cronyism of the past administration.

Next, the Foreign Minister – designate.  Under his leadership, the Liberian Senate ratified some of the most controversial concession agreements in the history of Liberia. Even more astonishing is that this political turncoat – a self-baptized disciple of Boakai turned Weah’s apostle – has been offered the highest cabinet position in this CDC led administration.

This presents the CDC as a non – ideologically – driven institution, undermines the struggles of long standing partisans and signifies a gradual return to the status quo ante.

And the honorable or rather dishonorable mention include Charles Gibson, Justice Minister – designate a legal featherweight, certified fraudster and shame-faced lawyer whose license has been revoked by Liberia’s Supreme Court since February for defrauding a client.

Then, Eugene Nagbe, the Minister of Information, a perennial government official since the Taylor – era and a strong adherent to the doctrine of “Kpotoism” propounded by the late businessman cum politician Kekura Kpoto. – “put your clothes where the sun shines.”

Amidst these disappointing nominations, perhaps Samuel Tweah offers a beacon of hope – a hope for positive change. Tweah is a brilliant Economist with an untainted record of service as Economic Advisor to the African Development Bank.

There are many “Tweahs” in the CDC, off course there are many “Tweahs” in Liberia, many vibrant, cerebral and altruistic Liberians.

The President must discover characters like these. Liberians voted CHANGE.

President Weah as captain of this ship must change course and veer in a new direction. He must not berth in these troubled waters, for if these initial nominations were meant to test the political waters, then, the waters are indeed troubled.

Jusu Kamara, Monrovia