
Monrovia – Willie Tolbert stumbled upon the Presidency by accident. When then Speaker of the House of Representatives, B.G. Freeman was selected by the True Whig Party to replace Vice President Clarence Lorenzo Simpson, heading into the election of 1951, Freeman died suddenly, and was replaced by Representative William R. Tolbert, Jr. Freeman’s death gave rise to the birth of the Tubman-Tolbert ticket which won, and the pair was inaugurated as President and VP in 1952.
By Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]
The pair went on to win elections every four years after the 1955 election against the independent True Whig party headed by former President Edwin Barclay up to 1971, although under a quasi-one-party state. However, before the inauguration of 1972 Tubman died (July 1971) and VP Tolbert succeeded him, tipping Sen. James E. Greene of Sinoe County as his Vice president. Vice President Green died July 1977 and Bishop Bennie D. Warner of the United Methodist Church succeeded VP Greene as the new and second vice president to President William R. Tolbert.
Old vs. New – Changing VP Trend
Until his ascendancy to the Presidency, Tolbert was unassuming, quiet and unpredictable and most Liberians considered him to be a VP who did not give or help ordinary Liberians financially like his boss, president Tubman. After he took the seat of the presidency, Liberians and the world saw the assertive side of the former preacher man. As a Vice President, Tolbert was cautious and understanding of the autocrat Tubman and his own personal ambition to become president someday. To the contrary, Tolbert the president was assertive in some public spaces, but guarded in his dealings with the “old guard” in the party and elsewhere. However, it was his inability to lead in his dealings with the old guards/Tubmanists was part of his undoing.
Vice Presidents since the old days have often had a quiet personality, just like Tolbert, with the exception of Simpson, who was passed over by Tubman, in his decision to select Tolbert as his Vice President.
Tubman was quite aware of Simpson’s political credentials and ambition. Before becoming Secretary of State, Simpson had served as Postmaster General and Speaker of the House of Representatives, from 1931 to 1934. After leaving the Department of State in 1943, Simpson was one of the candidates in the True Whig Party primary caucus that year but lost to Tubman. He served as the Vice President from 1944 to 1952 under Tubman. He had been a Liberian delegate to the League of Nations in 1934 and headed the Liberian delegation to the United Nations in 1945. Additionally, Simpson also had served as Ambassador to the Court of St. James, London, England; Ambassador to the United States, Washington, D.C.; Grand Master of Masons, Liberia and head of the True Whig Party.
Since the end of the civil war, Liberia has had two successive democratic transitions – President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to President George Weah – and President George Weah to President Joseph Boakai. Throughout those times, the vice presidents selected had quiet personalities. As vice president, Joseph Boakai was like a fly on the wall, quiet and unassuming. Although Boakai would later tell Liberians in a presidential debate that he was a car parked in the garage during the twelve years of the Sirleaf leadership, his personality, many political observers say, his personality has always been that way.
Sirleaf’s successor, George Weah tipped Jewel Howard Taylor, the former first lady and Senator from vote-rich Bong County. Although she had sought the bar for vice presidents by pledging to not be a car parked in the garage, her six years under Weah was just that.
In the heat of last year’s presidential elections, Boakai took major risks and fought off opposition to the man who would become his vice president, Jeremiah Koung.
In Koung, Boakai saw a politician with the potential for numbers. Koung, an ally to the former warlord-turned Senator Prince Johnson, was worth the risk. He hailed from a vote-rich county that was crucial to Weah’s victory in 2017 and Sirleaf’s reelection in 2011. Coupled with the failings of the Weah administration and a nation eager to see the Coalition for Democratic Change out the door, it was a gamble worth taking – and it did.
The Invisible President
One month into the Boakai presidency, the Koung risk becoming a major debacle for Boakai. Multiple aides to the Boakai inner circle tell FrontPageAfrica that the once unassuming businessman and political amateur is flexing his muscles in ways no one saw coming. FrontPageAfrica has learned that the Vice President has quietly plugged many of his allies and confidantes in key government positions at the Ministry of Finance, Lands, Mines and Energy, Labor, and LPRC, among others. Along with Bong County Senator Prince Moyer, he is also pressuring newly appointed ministers and managing directors of state-owned enterprises to appoint his allies in key positions.
At Finance, VP Koung has been successful in maintaining Tanneh Brunson as Deputy Minister for Budget and Development, a role she has been in since 2015 during the Sirleaf presidency. Anthony Myers, Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs and Dehpue Zuo, Deputy Minister for Economic Management, both from Nimba were also reportedly pushed by Koung.
At the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company, Koung successfully pushed to have his interest at Deputy Managing Director for Operation, Operations Manager and Chief of Security. Perhaps the most visible is at the Roberts Flight International Region where much controversy in recent days arose over the appointment of Daniel Johnson as Deputy Secretary General for Administrative Affairs at the Roberts Flight Information Region (RFIR).
Johnson was one of three former humanitarian aid workers accused of defrauding the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) of roughly $1.9 million that was meant to assist impoverished people and towns in Liberia.
For the immediate future, VP Koung is riding on a high, cutting deals and putting his stamp on every sector of government while enjoying the non-interference of a president who at least for now appears to be in approval of what is unfolding – even at his own detriment – and legacy. For the foreseeable future however, the end that justifies the means, has some familiar lessons from the memory lane of Liberia’s complicated past, which has led to international sanctions for the immediate past government and senior officials, treading similar roads often traveled by a few powerful people turning a blind eye to the history books.
The other two, Joe O. Bondo, 39, and Morris B. Fahnbulleh, 41, both of Monrovia, were each convicted by a jury in November 2010 of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, four counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud and four false claims counts. Bondo was also convicted of two counts of witness tampering. Fahnbulleh was also convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. The two men have been in custody since their arrests in 2009.
Efforts to have Johnson extradited to the US to answer charges did not materialize as the Criminal Court under Judge Boima Kontoe’s gavel ruled that because the alleged theft took place in Monrovia, the accused cannot be tried in the US.
In a sudden turn of events, the Senate Committee on Transport, through its Chairman Senator Saah Joseph, this week challenged the Minister of Transport-designate Sirleaf Tyler to conduct a thorough investigation and advice President Boakai on the nomination of Johnson.
VP Koung also pushed another of his interests, Cllr. Cooper Kruah at Minister of Justice, a nomination which was later reversed by President Boakai. Kruah was found guilty by the Grievance and Ethics Committee of the Supreme Court for allegedly taking US$58,814 from a client and not paying.
Many have been taken aback at not just the slow pace of the Boakai’s government formation, but the rather unorganized manner in which the process has been unfolding. The President appears to have delegated responsibilities to Koung and a few Senators, including Pro Temp Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, Senator Senators Abraham Darius Dillon (Montserrado County and Prince Moye (Bong).
The decision by the President to delegate nominating and appointing responsibilities to others has raised a lot of eyebrows with many pointing toward that as a key reason Vice President Koung is having his way. Some Liberians are concerned whether President Boakai is outsourcing his constitutional responsibility to appoint government officials to VP Koung and others in the same vein that his predecessor, former President George Weah did when he outsourced his appointing powers to his Minister of State, Nathaniel McGill.
For many political observers, Vice President Koung’s recent overtures appear to be overshadowing President Boakai.
Private Plane to Accra; Same Plane to Rabat
Last week, Koung categorically denied reports that he flew out of Monrovia on Saturday afternoon on a private plane. The Vice President’s office posted photographs with the seal of his office boarding an Accra-Bound private plane.
The VP explained that he was on his way to Nigeria where he is representing President Boakai to attend the Bayesla State Governor Inauguration.
While acknowledging that he had run into Ghanaian billionaire businessman Mahama at a local hotel and mentioned that he was on his way to Nigeria and the Ghanaian millionaire offered him a ride to Accra, from where he departed for Nigeria on Monday.
Mahama is the founder of Engineers and Planners, a West African indigenous-owned mining company, who owns several other businesses in Ghana, including Dzata Cement Limited. He is the younger brother of John Dramani, President of Ghana from 2012 to 2017. Dzata is the name written on the plane which VP Koung accompanied Mahama to Accra.

Some detractors are in ire, raising questions about timing, especially amid new report that VP Koung also flew the same plane to the Parliamentary Conference on South- South Cooperation in Rabat, Morocco.
The conference held under the High patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, kicked off Thursday in Rabat, under the theme “Role of National Parliaments and Regional and Continental Parliamentary Unions in Africa, the Arab World, and Latin America in Enhancing.
What is troubling about Koung’s recent travel via private Jet – first to Ghana, and now, Rabat, Morocco – is that he’s using a plane owned by the billionaire Mahama who is already involved in mining operations in Liberia and is looking to expand his Liberia interests through the recent deal in which U.S. firm High Power Exploration Inc (HPX), founded by mining billionaire Robert Friedland, signed a letter of intent with Liberia’s government and Guma Africa Group to develop rail and road projects linking it with Guinea. The infrastructure projects, known as the Liberty Corridor, are expected to support the West African region’s connection to world markets and are estimated to cost between $3 billion to $5 billion.
On Thursday, the VP’s office posted photographs with him along with Mr. Morley P. Kamara, Senior Economic Adviser to the President, Jake Kabakollie, former Officer in Charge at the National Oil Company of Liberia, Senator Alex Tyler(Bomi), a former controversial speaker of the House of Representatives and representatives and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The controversy over the private plane from Mahama comes in the backdrop of President Boakai’s predecessor, former President George Weah who came under fire for flying of private planes and was a major issue during the administration of the former President George Weah, who reportedly spent More than US2million on Private jet during his presidency.
Conflicting Details on Nigeria Trip
The visibility being given VP Koung so early in the Boakai presidency pales in comparison to former vice presidents, including Boakai.
While very little details are being released to the public on Koung’s mission to Nigeria, FrontPageAfrica has been informed that NOCAL’s former Chief of Staff, Kabakollie and Senator Tyler are reportedly working through a group in Nigeria in a Government to Government deal similar to Kuwaiti Oil in hopes of securing a deal for oil block allocation.
In December 2012, the Sirleaf administration announced the signing of an oil agreement with the government of Kuwait. During the same time, the LPRC disclosed that it had discussions with the Kuwaiti Petroleum Company (KPC) for the supply of petroleum products at concessionary price.
FrontPageAfrica has learned that NOCAL cannot sign any agreements with any company or country without a board which has not been named by President Boakai.
Even more troubling for the vice president and his advisors is the lack of attention to the details of his travels. The official release from the Vice President’s office made no mention of a trip to Rabat, Morocco. In a statement, the VP office said, he was going to represent the President at Baysa State Governor Inauguration. The VP’s office said while on the trip, he would be meeting several leaders of the West African Nation (Nigeria) and was expected to depart from Accra to Lagos on Monday, February 12,2024.
In 2021, President Weah wrote to his counterpart, President Buhari, requesting allocation for crude oil. This subsequently led to NOCAL and NNPC meeting, and subsequently, NOCAL was placed on the list for allocation.
Ironically, Nigeria crude oil allocation for economic growth entails that every year, Nigeria allocates crude oil to countries. In 2021 Liberia was fortunate to be given a slot with its Local Partner Gladius commodity for crude oil lifts. Unfortunately, due to covid and Nigeria using the crude as subsidy, Liberia was or other countries on that list was never opportune to receive any allocation.
For the immediate future, VP Koung is riding on a high, cutting deals and putting his stamp on every sector of government while enjoying the non-interference of a president who at least for now appears to be in approval of what is unfolding – even at his own detriment – and legacy.
What is troubling about Koung’s recent travel via private Jet – first to Ghana, and now, Rabat, Morocco – is that he’s using a plane owned by the billionaire Mahama who is already doing business in Liberia and is looking to expand his Liberia interests through the recent deal in which U.S. firm High Power Exploration Inc (HPX), founded by mining billionaire Robert Friedland, signed a letter of intent with Liberia’s government and Guma Africa Group to develop rail and road projects linking it with Guinea. The infrastructure projects, known as the Liberty Corridor, are expected to support the West African region’s connection to world markets and are estimated to cost between $3 billion to $5 billion.
For now, VP Koung appears to be amassing immense influence and power with an eye on the 2029 Presidential elections. All this coming amid recurring concerns about President Boakai’s health with many suggesting that the President may only serve one-term. VP Koung is said to be already putting together a team of Senators including Prince Moye(Bong), Alex Tyler(Bomi), James Biney(Maryland) and Rep. Thomas Fallah(Montserrado) with an eye on his own presidential future. Additionally, the VP’s play of inserting officials in lucrative government ministries and agencies also raises a red flag and unanswered questions about his motives.
VP Koung’s rising influence also comes with some risks, in the backdrop of the former administration of President Weah where most of his senior officials spent most of their time and energy eyeing the 2029 elections in hopes of succeeding Weah.
For the foreseeable future however, the end that justifies the means, has some familiar lessons from the memory lane of Liberia’s complicated past, which has led to international sanctions for the immediate past government and senior officials, treading similar roads often traveled by a few powerful people turning a blind eye to the history books.