Editorial: The Boakai Presidency Under The Opposition’s Microscope

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐉𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐇 𝐍. Boakai administration has come under the criticism of the opposition for what the opposition terms as “impossible” and “over ambitious” promises to the Liberian people. The Political Leader of the New Liberia Party (NLP), Dr. Joshua Tom Turner, has observed that the challenges faced by the government are enormous and so President Boakai was over ambitious to have made such pronouncements in the face of such competing national priorities. The opposition leader warned that if care is not taken President Boakai will at the soonest period of time lose the trust of the majority that gave him the charge of command to steer the affairs of the state.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 had promised his citizens that “no car stuck in the mud” during his first 100 days in office during the campaign period and during his State-of-the-Nation Address. But what looks like a herculean task has claimed the attention of the opposition. “The President was in serious error to have made such a pronouncement. Being a person who spent over four decades in government and had traveled extensively across this country, he should have known the road challenges and avoid being rhetorical. There is a difference between mere political party politicking and a government. The President needs to know that he is now in government and not a political party trying to seek relevance,” Dr. Turner observed.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐋𝐏 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 leader has, at the same time, frowned on President Boakai for a series of missteps in just two months’ time, such as his decision to make appointments into tenured position and ordering the audit of the National Security Agency (NSA).

𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 President Boakai directed the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to conduct a comprehensive audit of three key government institutions: Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), National Security Agency (NSA) and Executive Protection Service (EPS). In a communication to the Auditor General P. Garswa Jackson, Sr., President Boakai requested that the audit covers the period between 2018 and 2023, and that the findings be reported in three months. The audit of the three institutions was said to be the beginning of a holistic audit of government ministries and agencies in keeping with the President’s commitment to fighting corruption as well as ensuring transparency and accountability in the governance of the country.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 was one of those who at the time expressed serious opposition to the decision on ground that it was impossible to audit the NSA, but the Chief Executive proceeded and issued the charge on the General Auditing Commission (GAC).

𝐇𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑, 𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐆 the merits and demerits of the audit and the foreseen impossibility to conduct said audit on a secret institution, the President, through the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Sylvester Grigsby, wrote the GAC informing the country’s supreme auditing institution to decommission the NSA’s audit due to the “sensitivity” of its operations. Dr. Turner believes that the President is making these “elementary” mistakes because he is being ill-advised by the folks within his surroundings.