The Standard Bearer of the Unity Party (UP), Ambassador Joseph N. Boakai, has underscored that, on the heels of critical national events and continued hardship being suffered by the Liberian people around the country, such as the rice shortage and the poor process of conducting the national census, Liberians continue to witness other acts of poor leadership, irresponsible behavior, lack of concern, impunity and wanton misuse of the nation’s finances by President George M. Weah.
According to Ambassador Boakai, President Weah has left the country and will be away for the next seven weeks without any tangible explanation to the Liberian people for such a long stay abroad, visiting countries and attending meetings which other government officials could have represented the country. He stated that it is needless to say that his long stay away from the country without any tangible reason is unprecedented in the history of the Liberian presidency. “Of course, we are aware that President Weah’s presence and absence are the same, but at least with minimum effect on our financial resources.
“So, it is fair to say that Liberia continues to drift like a rudderless ship on open sea without a captain,” Ambassador Boakai said, noting that Liberia’s major problem right now is the lack of leadership, as the country is on autopilot and lacks direction because there is no trusted leadership to move the nation in the transformative direction that it deserves.
Ambassador Boakai made the statement on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 when he spoke on critical national issues confronting the country and its people, including the looming threat to the national census, non-payment of salaries, the rice situation and the gloomy electoral environment.
The UP Standard Bearer, regarded as the major opposition figure in the country and lead contender to President George Manneh Weah and his Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) in the 2023 general and presidential elections, said, “Never have we seen such a display of reckless disregard for the concerns of the people of this country; never have we seen so much display of greed, selfishness, carelessness, corruption, and irresponsibility at the highest level of government; never have we seen a president of Liberia become a laughingstock or joke in the world; and never have we lived under a government that brings so much shame and disgrace to our country.” He argued that, while the nation finds itself in crises of varying propositions, President Weah is on a grand safari, using the nation’s meager resources to support his pleasurable life style. “To the best of our knowledge, a presidential tour, especially one of an extended period of more than one month, should have a clear itinerary that shows not only where the President will be at a particular point in time but also the intended benefits that would accrue to the nation. Here we are, unfortunately, with a President who leaves the nation for seven weeks with no information to the public detailing engagements he would have on behalf of the country, then he declares a public holiday that has no meaning but serious negative impact on the Liberian economy. Yes, we are aware, and with no surprise, that he will eventually end up at the World Cup events in Qatar,” he said.
