Liberian people, where are our priorities?

Cost to pave some of the major road networks in Liberia

This is what it costs to pave some of our major highways – using the standard World Bank rate of USD500k per km. By now, Liberians should love themselves enough to demand what is good for them and stop praise-singing even when their leaders are in the wrong. For example, Grand Gedeh always votes for Mr. Weah and his CDC 80-90%. But “Dr.” Weah”was in power for 6 years and managed to find USD 178m for “covert operations” to give to the NSA but could not find the USD 120m to pave the road from Ganta to Zwedru. But they say the man really loves the country.

Similarly, “Dr.” Boakai, AKA Rescue-1, promised roads and roads and said he wanted to do Great Things for Liberia, but Ma Ellen stopped him. As Prezo, Dr. Boakai spent USD 22m on mud roads and wanted to spend USD 80m on a fake Yellow Machine deal via a gentleman agreement. Dr. Boakai has been in power for 2 years and have managed to allocate USD 20m for NSA’s “covert operation”, USD 28m for presidential affairs, and USD 17m for “executive” protection. Sadly, Rescue-1 can’t find the USD26m needed to pave the road from Tubmanburg to Bopolu. And they said the Papay is on a “Rescue Mission”. Instead of advocating for themselves, most Liberians spend their time defending for or against.

The Pillaging of the Liberian Treasury by Bhofal Chamber, Fonati Koffa, Thomas Fallah and Others of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC-House of Representatives)

REALITY CHECK 001: Donation of Money & Rice to Bong County Fire Victims

On January 2, 2024, local media reported that Mr. Joseph Boakai, then still President-elect, had donated LRD10m and 200 bags of 25k rice (i.e., total donation of about US$56, 000). This is a good act of course – donating to fire victims. What’s there to complain about such a good deed?

What’s wrong?

1. Joseph Boakai has previously said he was broke and he could barely afford to sustain himself. During the election, it was revealed that Henry Costa and Stanton Witherspoon were passing Boakai checks for monthly sustenance for years – a claim Boakai is yet to refute. So, making a donation of US$56,000 in his personal capacity, just after being declared winner of the elections, raised a lot of eyebrows, and rightly so. First, to go public with his disappointment was Yekeh Kolubah (Rep, Monts Co, Dist 10), on January 7, 2024) 2024, challenging Boakai to reveal the source of his donation.

2. Replacing state institutions with personal initiatives. We all remembered “Weah project” – it was derided in Monrovia and elsewhere that even though Weah was President of Liberia, all is charitable endeavors where never labeled as being done by the Office of the President (Liberia), but Weah’s project. Liberia has a National Disaster Management Agency (Office), but the office remains ill-funded and ill-equipped so that each politician can do “projects” in their own name, and claim the “political glory”. So, having replace Weah on the “Rescue Mission” slogan, to see Boakai going back to the “Weah project” mentality was sad and disconcerting. What’s the point in replacing “Weah project” with “Boakai project”? Business-as-Usual?

Unfinished Business.

Joseph Boakai must come clean on where this money comes from. Trying to keep silent and wishing the issue will go away will not work. Yekeh Kolubah has alleged this money came from Stanton Witherspoon. Maybe. Maybe not. Only Joseph Boakai knows the truth, and only he can clear the air on this. Liberians must insist that their President says where this money came from. Liberians have no desire to go from “Weah project” to “Boakai project”.

Liberian laws that were possibly violated

Code of Conduct Act (2014)

• Part III, §3.2 Principles of Good Conduct (Integrity)
• Part IX, §9.1 – 9.4 Gifts, Bribes and Conflict of Interests

Penal Law, Title 26, (1972)

• Chapter 12, Sub-chapter D & E (Bribery & Abuse of Office)

Rescue Mission Reality Check

REALITY CHECK 002: Declaration of Assets by President Joseph N. Boakai

The government of Liberia official website ((www.emansion.gov.lr) proudly reports that “The President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E. Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., has declared his assets in keeping with the Code of Conduct for public officials, which mandates all public officials to declare their assets upon taking office. The declaration which took place today, Thursday, February 8, 2024, at the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) was also in fulfillment of his previous promise to do so which included the president’s personal hand over of the appropriate documents containing his assets to the Officer-in-Charge of Assets Declaration, Patricia Banaba.”

Why are we not all clapping because Mr. President has now declared his assets? Well, for starters, the declaration is 20 days too late. Also, late filing is a violation of the law, and especially so in this case where it was done intentionally. If we are going for business-as-usual, then even a late filing is a good thing. Well, if we came to “rescue” Liberia, then intentional late filing is tantamount to business-as-usual. But the law itself provides no sanctions for late filing or for failure to file. One has to wonder if it is even a law. Under the new LACC Act (2022), the LACC “parliament” is supposed to issue rules for the effective implementation of the assets’ declaration regime, as provided for under the Code of Conduct Act (2014). But the LACC 7-member “parliament” is yet to develop such rules. So, while we wait on the LACC “parliament”, Joseph Boakai is leading the violation process with late filing, and others will surely follow with their own late filings or even no filing. The result is that Mr. President has lost the moral authority to speak about assets declaration and of strict adherence to law, generally.

What’s wrong with late filing?

Everything. It is a perpetuation of the business-as-usual culture – a culture of willful violation of laws because one occupies a high-ranking position, and one is therefore above the law.

Secondly, the secretive nature of the filing reminds us again about former President George Weah. Mr. Weah was criticized for not making a public disclosure of his assets. Unity Party, then in opposition, criticized George Weah daily for running a non-transparent government. Now, Rescue 1 is shielding his assets from public scrutiny? What is President Boakai hiding? Was all the promises of transparency just “liquor talk”? Weah was late and kept his assets a secret. Boakai was late and failed to make a public disclosure. What has changed?

Liberian laws that were possibly violated

Code of Conduct Act (2014)

• Part X, 10.1 § Declaration of Asset and Performance Bonds

Other violations

Violation of Oath of Office: President’s swear to faithfully and conscientiously “respect and defend the laws of Liberia” – late filing shows disrespect to laws (another reminder that Liberians are headed for business-as-usual).

Rescue Mission Reality Check

REALITY CHECK 003: The resurfacing of Alex Tyler & Co and the politics of strange bedfellows

Whoever thought Alex Tyler, the man widely derided in Liberia as Corruption King King, would resurface in Liberia’s political structure? Yeah Alex Tyler, you heard me right; the man from “Oil Block 13 consultations” and the same man from “BigBoy 1 & BigBoy 2 [mining license] scandal”. Alex Tyler, a real “gbanna man” has been forging and reforging alliances to just keep up with the game. When the Ellen/Rob show was over, Alex Tyler quickly switched over to the man who had the country at “heart”. Well, that man end up pillaging and looting the country and leaving soon thereafter – to his other country, France.

During the Rescue Mission, Alex Tyler again resurfaced on the Rescue Train and naturally people were apprehensive, given Tyler’s track record. But the Rescue Mission’s rank and file (including the likes of “Rescue Rambo“) assured Liberians that there was nothing to worry about. Grandpa Joseph Boakai (aka Rescue-1) had everything under control. Um-hum, the wise old man! The logic was candidate Boakai only wanted “votes”, and that there was nothing wrong with “dancing with the devil” and any other shady character(s). But, for sure, when it comes to governance, Boakai was going to keen people like Alex Tyler and PYJ as far away as possible. That was the campaign promise! Fast forward to today, the government is yet to take off and we have PYJ vetoing Boakai’s decision and forcing a reversal (twice for that matter). And we have Alex Tyler sitting pretty on the Boakai’s vetting committee – deciding who can and cannot get an appointment (see FrontpageAfricaonline, Jan. 29 2024 edition). In fact, according to FrontPage at least 5 Senators are on the Committee – including Nyoblee, Dillon, Biney & Moye.

What’s wrong?

1. Constitutional violation – Our Constitution says clearly: … Consistent with the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances, no person holding office in one of these branches shall hold office in or exercise any of the powers assigned to either of the other two branches. Now you have Senators, who should do “Confirmations Hearings”, trying to decide who gets appointed to the Executive Branch (a violation of art 3). It appears that the likes of Dillon (the Light?) and Nyonblee see nothing wrong with a “little violation” of the constitution. After all it’s much smaller that what George Weah and the CDC did. Our constitution is being butchered; I wonder where is Kofi Woods? Having coffee with PYJ and PYJ Jr (aka JKK)?
2. Broken campaign promise – we were right in Liberia, and we know what was said – that people like Alex Tyler & Co, would only provide votes but would not be invited to the governing table. Of course, the argument was laughable, but I’m only reporting what was said at the time.
3. Rubber stamp confirmation hearing – there is a reason why the Constitution provided for separation of powers between the three branches. To ensure that there can be checks and balances. It was said that George Weah destroyed Liberia so badly that Boakai must “rescue”. Now Boakai is actively courting the likes of Alex Tyler to help him implement his anti-corruption strategy. If this sounds crazy, hello?!! Of course it is, after all you are in Liberia.
4. Politics of Strange Bedfellows – Deacon Boakai made it clear that we would “dance with the devil”. Now, we see that devil-mentality infiltrating the entire government. We see people like Kofi Woods working hand in hand with PYJ (strange bedfellows?) and we see Dillon (the light?) forging common cause with Alex Tyler on Boakai’s appointment committee. How come our man, “the light”, is now equally yoke with undisputed Corruption King Kong? Maybe, it’s their time to eat? Now the Nyonblee-Dillon Senate will end-up surpassing Weah’s CDC 99.9% confirmation clearance. With the rate at which the Nyonblee-Dillon Senate is going, they just might achieve perfection, with 100% confirmation clearance. Hahaha, the Liberian people have just been fooled twice and this time the shame is not on the scammers. Talk about rubber-stamp senate? Well, it’s DeJa’Vu. Welcome to Liberia, the home of strange bedfellow politics – approved by none other than coalition partners Kofi Woods and PYJ.

Liberian laws that were possibly violated

• Liberian constitution (1986)
• Article 3

Other violations

• Unity Party Campaign Platform (2023)
• Governance and Rule of Law (Pillar 4)
• The Fight Against Corruption (Pillar 6)

Rescue Mission Reality Check

Reality Check 004. Joseph Boakai is Asking for Impeachment; I think the Liberian Legislature Should Give Him Exactly What He’s Asking for.

On April 24, 2024, The Supreme Court of Liberia ruled that article 56 of the Liberian constitution is no greater than article 89. The Court, in their wisdom, opined that just as article 56 gives the President the power to appoint [officials], article 89 equally gives the Legislature the power to create additional agencies of government and ascribe unto them powers in furtherance of the Constitution. The Bottom Line: Mr. Boakai’s decision to appoint officials in contravention of multiple tenure laws was ULTRA VIRES, UNCONSTITUTIONAL, and violative of the DUE PROCESS guarantees under the Constitution. An ostensibly angry Mr. Boakai, within 24 hours of the Court’s decision, has decided to undermine the Supreme Court, undermine the rule of law, and render the judgment of the Court practically meaningless. This is a whole new level of illegality, not seen since 1847. By undermining the Supreme Court, President Boakai is asking for impeachment. I think the National Legislature should give him exactly what he’s asking for. In less than 100 days in power, all Mr. Boakai has managed to do is violate, violate, violate – every possible law on the books.

1. He’s violated the Constitution – by setting up a committee of Senators to manage appointment of executive officials (a violation of article 3 of the Constitution, and the doctrine of separation of powers).
   
   
2. He’s constructively rendering meaningless a decision of the Supreme Court (another violation of the Constitutional dictate of three (3) separate and co-equal branches of Government).

• He’s violated multiple statutes on tenure (position). The Supreme Court has just told him he’s in violation of the law and must withdraw his nominees. Now, he’s angry and has chosen to brazenly undermine the Court. This is a whole new level of illegality.
  
  
• He’s twice offered to bribe members of the National Legislature (1^st) to vote his choice of speaker, and (2^nd) to consolidate forces for a possible removal of the House speaker (Hon. Kofa), as alleged by Hon. Yekeh Kolubah.  Mr. Boakai has opted to remain silent in the fact of such grave allegations, which is his right to do so. Notwithstanding, he’s tried to blackmail his accuser using surrogates, an ostensible obstruction of justice.

• He’s violated the Budget law and the Public Financial Management law by incurring US$20m in government debts without Legislative approval.
  
  
• He’s violated the Public Procurement (PPCC) law by supporting the Ministry of Public Works to award a contract worth US$ 20m without following Public Procurement (PPCC) rules.
  
  
• He’s violated the Local Government Act (2018) by appointing people to positions that should be filled by county (provincial) authorities.
  
  
• He’s connived with his Chief of Staff to solicit funds from Social Security for purchase of vehicles (SUV’s) without disclosure and without legislative approval– a violation of the PFM law, the Code of Conduct and multiple anti-graft laws.
  
  
• He’s violated the Code of Conduct Act (2014) by declaring his assets well outside of the period provided by statute. He’s continued his flagrant violation by refusing to enforce the Code of Conduct law against his appointed officials despite his presidential oath that mandates him to respect and enforce all laws of the Republic.
  
  
• He’s violated the LACC & FIA Acts by will ascribing their functions to a bunch of UP zealots, under the guise of an Assets Recovery Team, which Team has gone on to violate article 20/21 of the Liberian Constitution. It took an intervention of the Supreme Court to halt their brazen illegality.
  
  

Under this Boakai/UP regime, it’s just been one violation after another. The question is: Where is he National Legislature? Will they take the necessary action to preserve the Constitution and save the State or will party politics take precedence over the rule of law – as usual?