The debut Armed Forces Day celebration in the Boakai-Koung administration, which was to be celebrated on Monday, February 12, 2024, was unconditionally cancelled due to continued demonstration by the wives of soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL).
The women’s protest, which started last week, was said to be stemmed from the alleged incognizance of the Boakai administration and the vicious disrespect of the Liberian Senate’s Security Committee Chairman, Cyrus Momo, to recommend to plenary the confirmation of the Minister of Defense, Retired Brigadier General Prince C. Johnson, III, amidst series of calls that the nominee has been entangled with corruption and misappropriation of funds intended for AFL soldiers and their families.
It can be recalled that the Ministry of Defense, since peace and stability was restored to the country in August 2003, has been headed by a retired army personnel. Brownie Samukai, a retired soldier, headed the ministry from 2006 to 2017. In 2018, President George M. Weah retired the Chief of Staff of the army, Daniel Ziankahn, and appointed him Minister of Defense. Prince C. Johnson was then promoted to the rank of Chief of Staff. In the same vein, President Boakai has retired Johnson and appointed him Minister of Defense. This interprets to the military being in control of the ministry since the inception of the new army, but accused of being adamant to settling the problems of the army.
But these retired men have been accused of several crimes, which former Minister Samukai was prosecuted for and found guilty of the accusation. He was later pardoned by President Weah, and the Weah administration promised to restitute the funds.
Since then, nothing much have been done to ameliorate the situation of the army, and now Prince Johnson, too, stands accused of similar unwholesome behavior.
The allegation against the then Chief of Staff Johnson heightened when rumor had it that President Boakai was contemplating on nominating him for the defense minister position. The wives of the soldiers started to cry out that Johnson did not treat them well when he served the army, and appealed to President Boakai to reconsider his decision and nominate another person to the defense ministry. The President and CIC would give deaf ear to the appeal and nominate Johnson to the position.
The women would take their protest to the ground of the Capitol, appealing to the Liberian Senate not to confirm him. The Chairman of the Senate’s Security Committee, Lofa County Senator, Cyrus Momo, would meet the women and hear their plight. However, a day after his committee would go ahead and confirm the nominee.
The women would then begin their protest. The Vice President, Jeremiah Koung, would meet with them at Schieffelin, and promised that he would get back to them within twenty-four hours. Unfortunately, Vice President Koung would not fulfil his promise.
On Sunday, February 11, 2024, President Joseph N. Boakai invited the aggrieved wives of the AFL soldiers to his Rehab office, and ascertain the facts surrounding their protest and what could be done to resolve the problem.
The women, in their interaction with the statesmen, highlighted challenges they are currently experiencing at the Edward Beyan Kesselly Barracks, including the challenge of receiving retirement benefits, low salary, corruption, lack of adequate insurance, education, poor housing, lack of electricity, social services, and their general welfare. They stated that these challenges have lingered on too long enough without redress, as the military leadership has remained indifferent.
However, after all mediations seemed fruitless, the women, on Sunday evening, returned to their protest, blocking several entry routes to Monrovia.
By Monday, the women had created blockades at Camp Schieffelin, Coast Guard Base (Bong Mines Bridge), Camp Todee (Lower Montserrado County) and Camp Nama (Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County). In one interview on Sunday, one of the protesting ladies threatened that they would seize one foot of their husbands’ boots in order for them not to attend any program on Monday, even though President Boakai had announced a low-key celebration.
Afterall, the Armed Forces Day celebration was cancelled—first of its kind during the time of peace with a sitting administration.
Fortunately, the House of Representatives, headed by Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, convened an emergency leadership meeting to address the AFL wives’ protest, working along with the Executive branch to reach a logical conclusion.
During the afternoon hours, the Minister of Defense, Prince Johnson, officially tendered in his letter of resignation to President Boakai, citing the “political and civil disturbances occasioned by the protest of women believed to be wives of servicemen”. According to him, his decision to resign was based on national interest: to preserve the peace and security of the state.
President Boakai accepted his resignation, expressed gratitude to him for his invaluable service to the country, and described him as a patriot.
Meanwhile, ex-Minister Johnson’s action of resigning amidst heightened tension has been applauded and termed as one of the best decisions in saving Liberia’s democracy in recent times.