By Emmanuel Degleh
Hundreds of Margibians have commended and praised President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for nominating former Margibi County Superintendent John Buway as Deputy Managing Director for Administration at the Liberia Airport Authority.
The appointment of the former Margibi Superintendent, who headed the Rescue Mission Campaign Team that placed Margibi third among counties contributing the highest votes to Boakai’s victory, has won widespread admiration and praise from Margibians at home and abroad.
Many citizens are also calling on President Boakai to consider more qualified Margibians for government appointments.
In recent weeks, scores of Margibians, particularly Unity Party supporters, have taken to social media to vent their frustration over the exclusion of key members of the Rescue Mission Campaign from Boakai’s appointments despite the county’s overwhelming performance in the 2023 elections.
As it stands, Buway’s appointment, along with that of LTA Commissioner Ben Fofana, notably brings to two the number of key officials from Margibi in Boakai’s government.
Buway’s nomination is being widely celebrated by Margibians, many of whom believe he deserves the position because of his role in revamping the Unity Party in the county through the formation of the Friends of Boakai in 2022, which gradually evolved into the Unity Party Rescue Mission.
He served as Margibi County Superintendent from 2012 to 2014 during former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s second term and was at the center of the Boakai-Nuquay political dynamics during that period.
Buway rose to political prominence after working in the NGO sector and with the United Nations. Beyond politics, he has contributed significantly to education in Margibi, serving as a chemistry instructor, vice principal for instruction, and later principal at St. Augustine’s Episcopal High School in Kakata, his alma mater. His leadership in education led him to obtain a Master’s degree in Education Administration from Cuttington University.
Before becoming Superintendent, Buway was appointed Assistant Superintendent for Development under the National Transitional Government of Liberia led by Gyude Bryant from 2004 to 2006 and was reappointed to the same position by President Sirleaf from 2006 to 2012, giving him 14 years of experience in local government administration.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry from the University of Liberia and a Master’s in Education Administration from Cuttington University, along with several specialized leadership and public administration trainings.
Buway is a family man, happily married to Oretha Buway, and their union is blessed with two daughters and one son.
