The office of the President-elect of the Republic of Liberia, Ambassador Joseph Nyuma Boakai, has announced that he is departing Liberia for the United States of America on today, December 1, 2023, and will be away for two to three weeks. According to a dispatch from the office of the President-elect, while in the United States President-elect Boakai is expected to hold a wide range of consultations with stakeholders in the political process of Liberia, including the Unity Party (UP) in the United States and Canada to thank them for the massive and unwavering support given the Unity Party Alliance in the elections. He is also expected to pay visits to close family members while in the United States.
While he is away, the dispatch disclosed, the Vice President-elect, Jeremiah Koung, will conduct the affairs of the Joint Presidential Transition Team (JPTT), in close consultation with the Unity Party Alliance.
However, critics are contending that Boakai’s travel to the United States is mainly intended to seek medical attention, in order to strengthen his health for the up-coming inaugural program in January 2024.
But in their contention, they wished the President-elect a successful journey and positive outcomes.
When questioned about the contradiction of their statement from the communication that came from the office of the President-elect, they said they have all the facts and information about Boakai’s travel, insisting that all the matters mentioned in the dispatch are of secondary importance to the trip.
Prior to the October 10 general and presidential elections, critics of a Boakai administration had argued that if Boakai is elected President of the country the citizenry should stand ready for the country to be run by Jeremiah Koung, whom they claim would largely consult his political father, ex-warlord and US-sanctioned Nimba County Senator, Prince Y. Johnson, while Boakai spends most of his times abroad seeking medication.
During the campaign period, they accused Boakai of leaving the country twice on medical trips, even though the UP campaign team said otherwise.
But their allegation has faced stern scrutiny by political pundits who wonder whether all Boakai’s trip outside the country would be purposely to seek medical attention. They urged the critics not to be sentimental in their accusations; instead, focus on checkmating the administration for the good of the citizenry.