The Political Leader of the opposition Unity Party Joseph Nyumah Boakai, has said he will lead the opposition and other like-minded citizens in a mass political action against rampant corruption in the Weah led government.
The former Vice President’s statement comes on the heels of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which sanctioned three key government officials of the CDC- led government.
Those hooked in the sanction for alleged corrupt practices were, the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff, Nathaniel McGill; the Solicitor General of Liberia, Syrenius Cephas; and the Managing Director of the National Port Authority, Bill Tweah-way.
Addressing a major press conference Friday August 19, 2022 at his national party headquarters on Broad street, Monrovia, the UP Standard Bearer described the recent pronouncement by the U.S. Government through its Ambassador, as another national and international dishonorable action, vilification and disgrace brought upon the nation by the workings of a rogue regime that is insensitive to the plight of the Liberian people.
While the unity party remains unequivocal in its support and commendation of the action taken by the U.S. Government, the lukewarm response of suspension taken by President George Weah towards the three criminal government officials prompted the need for a major address to the nation.
Ambassador Boakai at the same time, called on President Weah to dismiss with immediate effect the sanctioned and disgraced government officials and turn them over for prosecution.
He added that the reason for which he strongly refuted the mere suspension announced by President Weah is because it is weak, and will become another of the same diabolical tactics of never-ending investigations the citizens have seen by what he described as a criminal and infested government over the past five years.
The former Vice President noted that the style of sweeping things under the carpet by the CDC led government, is the actual reason for which the UP is asking for stronger actions to be taken by President Weah.
Amb. Boakai recounted the missing 16 billion Liberian dollars; 20 million U.S. dollars suspicious mopping exercise; mysterious death of auditors; secret killings; 16 million U.S. dollars COVID-19 food distribution; misapplication of 24 million U.S. dollars from the Road Funds; the gutted LACC’s indictments of the NEC Chairman and the Minister of Agriculture; as list of unresolved criminal acts still under investigation over the past five years, which are yet to produce any credible results.
The first partisan of the unity party further that the latest round of sanctions imposed on Liberian government officials by the U.S. Treasury Department, while very troubling, is no surprise to the Liberian people, who he said have for over 5 years been suffering and have become poorer because of endemic corruption and the predatory nature of the George Weah administration.
Since President Weah took office, according to Boakai, Weah and his officials of government have made a campaign of using their power to loot public coffers for their personal benefits at the expense of the people of this country.
He continued that the sanctions are the latest in an unending list of evidence; pointing to how a group of individuals in the government hold the country in a stranglehold and created for Liberia a reputation that undermines it standing in the international community and the potential to leverage opportunity at home and abroad for the good of the people of Liberia.
“The threat and the potential consequences of these sanctions go beyond the corridors of power in Washington D.C; it reverberates in the capitals of countries in the sub-region and the world, and undercut the investment climate to woe serious people to do business in the country” Amb. Boakai noted.
Meanwhile, the UP political leader is demanding swift actions from President Weah to at the minimum terminate his Minister of State, the Solicitor General, and the Managing Director of the National Port Authority employment with the government.
He cautioned that their continued presence in government at that high level, despite years of public outcry over corruption will only plunge the country and the people into further worsening economic woes.
” I demand that President Weah also mounts an all-out investigation of his entire government with a goal of delivering a comprehensive report to the Liberian people and the international community to address and cleanse the government of corruption ahead of honoring any invitation from President Joe Biden to attend the forthcoming summit on Democracy in the USA” Boakai said.
Amb. Boakai told citizens that Liberia is not a poor country, but the perennial problem facing the country is mainly triggered by the lack of a sound and honest leadership.
“This is why I ran for the presidency of our beloved country in 2017, and I will contest again in 2023, on a record of integrity and honesty because my concern remains the ensuring of a better image of Liberia that would stop the deterioration of bad governance and propel the country on a path of change and sustainable development for the good and betterment of the Liberian people.”
Emphasizing further, Boakai said he has joined the US ambassador to wake up Liberians, saying they must rise up and seize the moment; warning that they should not give these rascals more years of anguish, stealing, and public mismanagement.
” We should issue Mr. George Weah and his gang of thieves red cards in 2023 and make them accountable for bad governance and the ills done against the State and its people”, he echoed.
In closing, UP Boakai expressed his concern on the continuous printing of Liberian dollar bank notes by the current government, which he noted is not reported to the public, including information of disbursement in order to provide proper accountability.
“The question is, Why is this government printing so much money, especially on the heels of the pending presidential elections due in 14 months”, the UP Standard Bearer wondered.
Speaking further he said If the intent of the government is to use these unaccounted for money to bribe the Liberian voters to keep them in power, they should take the money and eat it, noting how it shouldn’t be seen as a favor.
