The Political Leader of the Liberia People’s Party (LPP), Cllr. Taiwan S. Gongloe, said President Boakai’s administration has demonstrated a troubling lack of respect for some laws made for the governance of Liberia.
Cllr. Gongloe asserted that Boakai’s administration failed to follow the law established by the legislature in 1973 for the formation of the government, including Section 10.2 of the Executive Law, noting that this law has not been amended or repealed.
Cllr. Gongloe expressed deep concern about good governance for the transformation of our country for the better.
“I stand before you today, not just as a political leader, but as a citizen deeply concerned about good governance for the transformation of our country for the better,” Cllr. Gongloe asserted.
Continuing, he said: “While we must acknowledge the efforts and accomplishments of the current administration under President Joseph Boakai, we cannot turn a blind eye to the missteps and glaring shortcomings that continue to hinder our nation’s progress,” he emphasized.
The legal luminary recognizes the positive strides made by the Boakai administration.
He highlighted that the first positive step made by the Boakai-Koung administration is the efforts being made to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), especially the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court.
According to Cllr. Gongloe, the second positive steps were the interventions on some major highways in the country during the first three months in power, although the conditions of the roads are getting bad again due to heavy rains.
The efforts made in improving the environmental conditions of Liberia, the credibility of Liberia’s passports, the requirement for motorcyclists to wear helmets and restrict the number of passengers, the revocation of illegal diplomatic passports, the auditing of government agencies, and the publication of the audit reports are all positive steps highlighted by the LPP’s Political Leader.
He stated that the government should be commended for its initial steps in cleaning Monrovia and Paynesville in the first three months, though the situation is declining again.
The former president of the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) remarked that President Boakai scored a historical point recently when he increased the number of women on the Supreme Court Bench.
“For the first time in the history of Liberia, there are three women justices on the Supreme Court Bench,” he stated.
He said while all Liberians need to recognize these laudable steps, Cllr. Gongloe noted it is worth pointing out some missteps at the early stage of Boakai’s government in the interest of building a better Liberia.
He noted that governance by adherence to the rule of law is fundamental to the success of any democratically elected government.
“We have witnessed the dismissals of government employees for mere criticism of the President on social media. This undermines our constitutional right to freedom of speech and fosters an environment of fear,” Cllr. Gongloe emphasized.
According to the legal counselor, President Weah, in the first few months of his administration, repealed all the anti-speech laws, including Sedition, Criminal Libel against the President, and Criminal Malevolence.
He further disclosed that the laws on procurement and other statutes for the governance of the country should be followed without exception or excuse.
“For example, the recent violence was based on an illegal search warrant. Because the search warrant was illegal, all the actions that were based on the illegal search warrant were wrong. Therefore, the government was wrong and bears the full cost of the properties that were damaged and the treatment of those who were wounded. This government must govern according to the laws of Liberia,” he said.
He noted that the law is the law until it is amended, repealed, or until the Supreme Court says otherwise.
Gongloe believes that President Boakai lacks seriousness in fighting corruption.
He emphasized that corruption will continue to plague the country, and despite early promises of reform, the Boakai administration has not taken corruption seriously.
“High-level officials implicated in corrupt practices remain untouched, while civil servants, who struggle daily to make ends meet, see no improvements in their wages or working conditions,” he lamented.
The one-time presidential candidate stated that the fight against corruption must begin with leaders being held accountable.
He stressed that the people of Liberia will have confidence in the government’s seriousness about fighting corruption if it begins to hold its own officials accountable and does not make excuses for them.
“I want to let current government officials know that there is no secret in government. When you steal, the comptroller, the chief accountant, the procurement director will know. Even your driver, personal assistant, and security officers will know,” Cllr. Gongloe stated.
Gongloe highlighted that President Boakai promised a government of inclusion, but instead, what is being seen is an administration that is deeply exclusionary.
According to him, the government is failing to follow the long-established formula for inclusion, as mandated by the Executive Law of Liberia (Section 10.2, 1973). The Executive Law Section 10.2 states, “As much as practicable, the President of Liberia shall appoint one cabinet minister from each of the counties of Liberia.”
He said President Tolbert followed this law when in 1975 he appointed Jackson F. Doe of Nimba County as Minister of Education, Throho Kpahai of Grand Gedeh County as Minister of Post and Telecommunications, James Y. Gbabea of Bong County as Minister of Defense, and Dr. Edward Beyan Kesselly of Lofa County as Minister of Information when Liberia had nine counties.
This law provides a blueprint for ensuring that all Liberians, regardless of their political or ethnic affiliations, have a stake in the governance process. Sadly, this has not been the case.
Cllr. Gongloe alleged that the government under President Boakai has curtailed freedom of expression.
“We cannot ignore the dismissals of government employees for expressing their views on social media. This government must embrace criticism and opposition, not silence it,” he said.
The human rights lawyer emphasized that freedom of expression is the bedrock of any democracy, and this administration’s alleged actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for this fundamental right.
Gongloe further accused President Boakai of unwillingness to conduct a county tour.
“Since assuming office, President Boakai has not taken a comprehensive tour of the country to assess the state of development firsthand. How can we expect to craft a detailed and effective development roadmap without truly understanding the challenges that Liberians face in every corner of this nation? It is through such tours that past leaders have identified and addressed the needs of our people, from infrastructure to social services,” he stressed.
He accused the government of mishandling public protests, stating that the Liberia National Police has failed to follow established police protocols.
“There are standard operating procedures that dictate how the police should engage with protesters. First, the police patrol unit is supposed to intervene, followed by the Police Special Unit (PSU) in cases of violence. Only when protestors are armed with lethal weapons should the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) or military be involved. The use of the military at the airport during the arrival of former President George Weah was unnecessary and set a dangerous precedent. The people who came to welcome him were unarmed and posed no threat.”
According to Cllr. Gongloe, a missed opportunity for national unity has been President Boakai’s failure to build a relationship with former President Weah.
He noted that in the aftermath of such a close and contentious election in 2023, it is vital for leaders to engage in dialogue and reconciliation to reduce political tension.
“By distancing himself from the former President, Boakai is missing an opportunity to heal the divisions in our nation,” Cllr. Gongloe asserted.
Cllr. Gongloe accused the Boakai administration of attempting to disgrace and shame former President Weah.
“To deny former President Weah the use of the Presidential or VIP lounge is an unnecessary attempt to introduce a superficial topic in our national discourse. Entering a presidential lounge or even sitting in a presidential chair does not make one a president. Otherwise, the janitors that clean the president’s office every day would be presidents,” he stated.
He described the alleged reaction of the government as childish.
“It is a sentimental issue that has no positive value in our collective effort to build a better Liberia,” he said.
According to him, nobody can succeed in taking the place that George Weah occupies in the history of Liberia.
“He was the first Liberian player to put Liberia on the football map of the world. He is loved by a large percentage of the people of Liberia. Yes, it was not advisable for him to enter politics. It misplaces him in Liberian history. But as a professional player, he understands the rules of any game, including the political game of election. He graciously accepts defeat as he did recently. This is a good example for the young people and all Liberian politicians to follow.”
He urged all Liberians not to support any alleged effort by the Boakai government to disrespect, disgrace, or shame former President Weah in any way, form, shape, or manner.
“No effort should be made to make former President Weah uncomfortable in Liberia and to force him into exile. History has shown us that it is not good for our country. President Taylor’s government did not end its six years because he made living in Liberia difficult for Roosevelt Johnson, a key player in the Liberian conflict. Similarly, Dr. Amos C. Sawyer, Hon. Conmany Wesseh, Kofi Woods, Alhaji Kromah, George Bolay, and many other civic and political leaders were forced to go into exile.”
Continuing, he stated: “I am publicly advising President Boakai to learn from our recent history. The Mah people have a parable that says even if you want to slaughter a cow, you still need to give it water to drink. The government can do its work, such as auditing, etc., but the President has a solemn responsibility to keep the nation united, reconciled, peaceful, calm, and to rally the support of everyone in his effort to lead the country to progress and prosperity.”
Cllr. Gongloe alleged that there is a significant salary disparity between the high-ups in the three branches of government and civil servants, particularly teachers, healthcare workers, and law enforcement officers.
According to him, this administration has allegedly failed to address this issue, leaving many of our essential workers in financial distress.
“While there has been no increase in the budget for civil servants, the wage gaps between officials and civil servants remain wide and unjust. In fact, many civil servants voted for President Boakai because they had hope that he would reverse the harmonization of their salaries. They are now disappointed,” he highlighted.
Gongloe said the recent 40% salary cut by President Boakai was intended to stimulate public trust in his leadership regarding the issue of salary disparity.
However, Gongloe argued that President Boakai did not disclose his take-home pay.
Similarly, President George Weah reduced his salary by 25% but did not disclose his take-home salary.
“But he did not tell us his take-home pay. A percentage is meaningless unless the whole number is known. By behaving similarly to President Weah on the salary issue, President Boakai is engaging in business as usual!”
The LPP political leader said President Boakai’s alleged failure to eliminate graduation fees continues to burden parents.
He claimed that public schools, including the University of Liberia, are charging hundreds of dollars for graduation events.
According to him, in many African countries, such as Kenya and Ghana, public schools do not charge these exorbitant fees.
“Why should Liberians be made to suffer in this way? I did not pay graduation fees in both private and public schools, including the University of Liberia. President Boakai did not pay graduation fees at CWA and the University of Liberia. This one-day fee is imposing unnecessary hardship on parents, guardians, and sponsors of students in this period of extreme poverty in Liberia. I call upon the government to eliminate graduation fees in both government and private schools!”
Cllr. Gongloe has accused the Boakai administration of failing to strengthen relationships with Liberia’s traditional allies.
“Our relationship with the United States, Britain, Germany, and France has seen no substantial progress. These are nations that have stood by us during our toughest times, and their support is critical to our development. While we consider the importance of new and other viable relationships, we should not appear as a nation to neglect or downplay our historic relationships in any form, shape, or manner,” he asserted.
