United States President, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., has congratulated His Excellency, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, and Vice President, Jeremiah K. Koung, on their inauguration as President and Vice President of Liberia, respectively, with an affirmation of partnership and continued support to Liberia’s development programs.
This message was conveyed to President Boakai and Vice President Koung by the United States Ambassador to the United Nations and Special Envoy to the Inauguration of President Boakai and Vice President Koung, Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield, at a meeting on Tuesday, January 23, at the offices of the President.
According to Ambassador Greenfield, the United States looks forward to working with the Administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to harness the resources of Liberia for the benefit of its people. The U.S. envoy stated that the United States, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), supports the private sector, and that the Boakai Administration should generate the confidence required to attract that support that is needed to develop the nation and its people, in a country where corruption is a big issue.
The United States envoy emphasized that corruption is what “has held Liberia back with all of its wealth”, and that President Boakai should hold corrupt officials accountable. She assured President Boakai, “You can depend on the United States to tell you the truth, not necessarily what you may want to hear,” noting that President Boakai and the people of Liberia are friends of the United States.
Further, Ambassador Greenfield said that there has been some democratic backsliding in Africa, especially in Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, and Gabon, and to have Liberia emerge through with a smooth transition is commendable. She said that by this transition in Liberia the West African nation is sending a strong message to the rest of Africa.
She spoke of the need for Liberia to beef up its presence at the United Nations in New York, and that “we have a commitment to do for Liberia what is necessary to enable the nation to reach its full potential” through its implementing agency, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), that has been in Liberia since 1962. She went on to say that with set timelines for development goals “we will help you achieve those goals”.
The eminent United States diplomat said she was glad to have seen out-going President George Manneh Weah, Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and President Joseph Nyuma Boakai holding hands at the inauguration, a historic picture that is making rounds in the media worldwide.
Responding to the US President’s Message delivered by Ambassador Greenfield, President Boakai told the Special Envoy, “This time it is going to be different in Liberia,” and thanked Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield for delivering the congratulatory message from the President of the United States.
President Boakai informed Ambassador Greenfield that Liberians protected their votes during the last election, which was an indication that they voted for change, and vowed to implement an agenda that will bring positive change to the country.
President Boakai further assured the American envoy that his administration continues to respect and cherish the partnership and relationship that has existed between the two traditional allies, and will work together with the United States for the realization of those goals for the mutual benefit of both nations and peoples.