Liberia’s political corridor is getting increasingly charged, especially with major opposition blocs completing their political teams in the middle of the crucial political race.
Arguably, the government-in-waiting, the opposition bloc, is said to be leaving no stone unturned in ensuing that they unseat the ruling establishment. However, their latest slogan, “rescue Liberia”, has come under strong criticism from an executive of the ruling party.
“I am troubled by people who present themselves in a way where their records prove to the contrary,” Eugene Nagbe said.
Speaking on national radio on Wednesday, May 17, 2022, Nagbe wondered how can a few people who served in government for nine, twelve and eighteen years say they want to rescue a country now when they failed to do so in the past.
“These same people were, and still are, in the National Legislature, approved national budgets but forget to rescue the country then. This is unfair to the Liberian people,” he told journalists.
Making reference to former Vice President Joseph Boakai, he pointed out that Ambassador Boakai said that he was a parked car in the garage but had about US$20 million for his office, yet failed to rescue 2% of the country’s population.
According to him, the “rescue Liberia” slogan is a political joke that the Liberian people should not buy into.
“They are not even creative, using the same nickname that we normally called the Chief of Protocol of the Executive Mansion, Ambassador Nora Finda Bundoo, ‘Rescue Mother’. But anyway, we have no copyright to the name, so they can go ahead and use it as well,” he added.
He at the same time stated that Senator Prince Johnson of Nimba County made a big political mistake and is now feeling the harsh reaction from the people of Nimba County.
Senator Johnson, he disclosed, is now politically shaking in the county and is playing a blame game, but the CDC, he pointed out, will field a candidate in Nimba and will unseat him. Nagbe added that Prince Johnson does not own Nimba County, as may be perceived in the political corridors of the country.
“President Weah had a deal with the Liberian people, and that is to provide development for his people, and he is doing such,” he stated assuredly.
The maritime boss also branded another senior member of the opposition bloc, Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence, as an “endorsement hero”.
“Since 2005, 2017 and 2023, she has been making multiple endorsements with no real impact,” Nagbe stated, “and her latest endorsement of Boakai again means nothing.”
As for Senator Jeremiah Koung, he underscored that he failed in the past to exclusively win Ganta City and is therefore not a force to be considered in the October elections.
Speaking about the ruling party’s strategic plan, he stated that they have been working steadily, studiously and comprehensively to put in place all that is required to ensure President Weah’s re-election.
President Weah, he maintained, deserves a second six-year mandate because he has delivered significantly on his promises to the Liberian people, especially under the government’s development plan, the “Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PADP)”.
“We cannot in full disclose our strategic plan here, but all we can say is to encourage our base and people of the gains we have made over a short and challenging period of time, with and without the COVID-19 global pandemic,” he noted.
Making reference to delay in civil servants’ salaries, he stated that he does not support such, even if past governments had longer time in terms of failure to pay their employees. Nevertheless, he praised the government for making frantic effort to raise domestic revenue in order to pay its employees and implement key development projects, like roads, across Liberia.
“In Last year’s budget, over US$600 million was domestically collected. The government is doing well, especially with little external budget support,” Nagbe further indicated.
Providing historicity, he alleged that the past government received about 40% direct budget support from external sources, unlike this government. At the same time UNMIL was contributing US$200 million to the country’s economy, none of which is happening any longer. As such, he observed that the CDC government needs to be commended and given a second six-year term in office to continue on the tangible and impactful gains it has made over the last six years.
Meanwhile, ahead of the crucial October polls, political debates, disagreement to agreement, as well as criticism will continue to be the order of the day as dialogue, not confrontation, and peace void of violence will be helpful for the democratic process.
Under the political canopy of rescuing Liberians, the opposition bloc now believes that the time to save its people is now, while the ruling party argues that it has done much and deserves a second six-year mandate.
By Julius Konton