GBARNGA, Bong County — President Joseph Boakai was able to garner enough support to win the 2023 presidential election because of an intense focus on fighting corruption, a problem that has constantly plagued successive Liberian governments.
By Selma Lomax, [email protected]
In his inauguration speech, he memorably declared that “In the face of dwindling revenues, a good place to start the re-positioning of Liberia’s economy is to swiftly tackle two ills that have ballooned under the outgoing administration: waste and corruption. There won’t be business as usual”
He promised to take concrete steps to aid in restoring transparency and accountability to the public offices in the country.
However, after a review of President Boakai’s first hundred days in office, critics declared that not enough had been done to fulfill his promises on fighting corruption.
In a seeming response, the president has taken steps in his fight against corruption by arresting key people of the former regime allegedly involved in diversion of funds.
Last week, several top former officials of ex-President George Weah’s administration were indicted by the Monrovia City Court. The indicted officials include former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh, former Solicitor General Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, ex-Comptroller of the Financial Intelligence Unit (now FIA) D. Moses P. Cooper, and former Director General of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) Stanley Ford.
Politicized anti-corruption effort?
Some Liberians have described the war as “perfect” while others described it as “selective”. Jesse Cole, a civil society activist in Bong County, described Boakai’s anti-corruption war as a step in right direction.
However, the president has been criticized and accused of leading a selective war against corruption. Several people claimed that his war against corruption has focused on members of the opposition party, the CDC.
Skipping previous GAC audit reports and cherry-picking to target only officials of my administration undermines the fight against corruption, and the Liberian people must see such a move as a weaponization of the LACC to witch-hunt officials of my administration.
George Manneh Weah, former President of Liberia
The political leader of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), former President George M. Weah, announced Wednesday that the party will use all legal and political means at its disposal to resist the UP-led government’s move to weaponize the country’s judicial system to its selfish advantage.
“Yes Mr. Boakai, your actions to politicize justice will be resisted and resisted strongly,” the CDC Political leader vowed resistance.
In a press conference at the CDC headquarters in Congo Town, the former President said that the Boakai administration ordered heavily armed security personnel to carry out a series of unlawful detentions of some former officials of government, in what is clearly a political move intended to target the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the wider opposition community.
Mr. Weah said the detained include four former members of the National Security Council, former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, former Presidential National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmo, former Solicitor General of Liberia, Cllr. Nyenati Tuan and former comptroller of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), now Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), D. Moses P. Cooper.
Liberians divided on Boakai’s corruption fight
But the current anti-corruption fight has not been nationally praised, with some Liberians supporting the general idea but criticizing President Boakai’s execution.
Speaking to FrontPageAfrica, some political watchers expressed their views on the anti-corruption war by President Boakai.
Ebee Kollie, a staff of Cuttington University, said “This war on corruption by President Boakai is a God sent Effort. A God sent man pursuing a God sent agenda to redeem the country of God from the shackles of the devil. This country has been sleazed by those who should have been in position to rectify the ills in the country but at this God’s present time we have a president who is vigorously pursuing a very serious program to see if the country can be restored to its past glory.
“Check out the mind-burgling revelation that we are seeing of how impunity was done. I am totally in support of this war on corruption praying that one day the nation will come back to its past glory. Unfortunately for the last six years the former ruling Coalition of Democratic Change was at the helm of power, disbursing resources,” he said.
We owe no apologies to anyone who consider our efforts as witch-hunt because only witches are being hunted.
Joseph Nyuma Boakai, President of Liberia
Moore Kieta, a student, said: “I wholeheartedly support the war on corruption by President Boakai. As you can see in the country some people are suffering because some are smiling and packing our money meant for nation building and security. People are suffering while some people are squandering the country’s funds.”
Continuing, he added: “The President’s decision is not witch hunting in any way because I know President Boakai will not spare anyone found culpable, there will be no sacred cow the ruling Unity Party or opposition political party.”
Also bearing his mind, Derick Peabody, a contractor and a businessman, opined: “It’s all about following the rule of law and anyone found culpable must be brought to book. So I don’t think the president is biased. People should stop preempting and counting numbers, if we will be patient enough with the system, more people will be indicted both from the Unity Party and the opposition.
C. Tarwoe Walonfah, a member of the Congress of Democratic Change, is of the opinion that the war on corruption by President Boakai is a witch hunt. “The President’s war on corruption to me is a witch-hunt because only ex-officials of Weah’s come are being targeted while corruption is being done in the Unity Party government.”
A businessman in Gbarnga market who didn’t want his name in print blasted people with the opinion that the anti-graft war is witch-hunt or one sided by partisan’s politicians.
“How can someone say that the war on corruption is one sided, they are all playing partisan politics. I want to encourage the president to continue this fight because his legacy is at stake.”
President Boakai came to power vowing to stamp out graft, fight insecurity and revive the Liberian economy. More than by anything else, the Boakai legacy would be shaped by his ability or inability to fight graft to a standstill!