By Wonderr K. Freeman, CFCS, Attorney

Economics is famous for its many schools of thought. There are the Classicals, the Neoclassicals, and also the Marxists – duking it out over the role of markets in the economy. Then, there are the Keynesians and the Austrians – battling over the merits of government interventions vis-à-vis individual choice and responsibility. And then there are the economic schools of thought on the fringes, like Voodoo economics[1], where the supply siders and the one-percenters cut deals for their own benefits, and tell masses to “relax” and “be patient” – their “cut” will “trickle down” to them. And the masses wait endlessly for the goodies to “trickle down”, but it never does. However, all this is nothing compare the new school being introduced by the Liberian president – Joseph Nyumah Boakai. World famous for speaking good English, he’s now literally taking Liberia’s socio-economic problem the Lord in prayers – aka the “Fast and Prayers” school of economics. Having being elected to “rescue” Liberians from economic pillaging under ex-soccer star George Weah, Mr. Boakai has been dutifully copying all of Mr. Weah’s transgressions. Not surprisingly, the economy is hitting rock bottom, and with no ready-made solutions, and perhaps facing “principalities and powers” in high places, Mr. Boakai is now resorting to what works on the Liberian population 99.99% of the time – a call for “fast & prayers”. There is no way you can go wrong in Liberia with a “call for prayers”. From the blood-thirsty Charles Taylor, to the Buga-dancing playboy pastor, George Weah, they have all played that “Holy Water” trick and succeeded every time. And Mr. Boakai, the 50-year GOL veteran, knows all too well just what to do to pacify Liberians. Fast & Prayer economics – just sprinkle lil ‘holy water’ over your economic worries. Bingo!

So, yesterday, June 30^th was National Fast and Prayer Day in Liberia. In case you forgot, Liberia already has official holidays as National Fast & Prayers Day[2] and Thanksgiving Day[3]. And then, we have unofficial holidays like Good Friday, as well as Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr – partially celebrated nationwide. Of course, as part of the Independence Day celebrations – a National Intercessory Prayer Service is always an integral part of the festivities and this year it was held on Friday July 18, 2025. But, in the President’s thinking – all these prayers and supplications are not enough, so he must declare one more – a “National Day of Fast & Prayers”. As justification for the hastily-declared holiday – Mr. Boakai stated viz:

“…there have been unusual and extraordinary outbreaks of natural phenomena, and man-provoked national crises that have cause so much harm, devastation, and destruction, in many parts of the world, from which the Grace of God has spared our Nation…

Why is President Boakai Declaring a National Day of Fast and Prayer?

President Boakai argues that the holiday is necessary because “God has saved us from ‘natural’ disaster – in contrast to other [apparently] “sinful” nations, whom the Almighty chose not to save. Of course, the President, a supposedly 50-year GOL veteran, should know that extreme weather is now a common occurrence globally, with some island nations even facing extinction. How this scientific reality became a motivation for a national holiday to “fast and pray” beats the imagination. But this is Liberia, once you mention fast and prayer, reason goes out the window, lunacy takes over. The proponent of “sprinkling holy water” on socio-economic problems can never lose in Liberia. Never!  So, Mr. Boakai, the quintessential conman, declares a “day of prayers” by fiat, and with the legislators as his loyal accomplices in fleecing the country, it was a done deal– except for, perhaps, Hon. Yekeh Kolubah usual opposition.

National Day of Fast & Prayer: The Unstated Reasons

President Boakai does not want to say the real reasons for the “fast and prayer”. So let me just utter the “un-sayable”:

1. Budget shortfall – In it’s very first quarter (2025), the GOL faced with a USD 22 million dollars budget shortfall. At this rate, he’s staring at a USD 80 million dollars annual budget shortfall. Mr. Boakai has no answer to this impending calamity. Unwilling to cut back on his private jet use. and incapable of slashing Legislators’ USD10k salaries and numerous slush funds, he’s now sees “fast and pray” economics as his only way out.  For more on the budget shortfall see: https://www.liberianobserver.com/opinion/commentaries/the-liberia-s-budget-shortfall-dilemma/article_8b11e01d-ba99-403f-babc-6812100432de.html

• Rising prices and cost of living – Mr. Boakai’s M.O is setting up a presidential committee for every problem. So, he has now set up another presidential committee to “study” the economic hardship. Here is Mr. Boakai in his own words:

While our economy is making steady progress, our domestic revenue remains limited, and many families continue to feel the weight of high prices,… “Transportation costs are too high. The prices of flour, sugar, and other essential goods continue to be a burden. Building materials are still expensive, making it hard for ordinary Liberians to construct homes and businesses”… despite falling import costs, market prices remain inexplicably high—an issue that must be addressed immediately. “This contradiction requires urgent attention,…Therefore, I am establishing a High-Level Presidential Ad Hoc Committee to investigate these disparities and recommend practical solutions for our immediate action.”

See more here: https://www.liberianobserver.com/business/probing-the-high-costs-of-living/article_daecffe4-7e59-4f9a-9bae-80cb54e08f4a.html   

• Protest and rising public anger – On July 17, 2025, Mr. Boakai and his Unity Party-led GOL faced their first major protest that grabbed international media’s attention. While he downplayed the impact of the protest at home, because of some of the leaders (eg. Mulbah Morlu, a known braggadocio and former Weah associate), there is no denying that multiple global media aired the story – including the likes of MSN, Al-Jazeera, Reuters and DW. I would surmised Mr. Boakai is privately worried even while publicly brushing off the protest’s impact. He knows things could go from bad to worse – and in short order too.

The foregoing point only seems to underline one single point: Liberia is facing significant economic problems, and Mr. Boakai has no short-term or medium-term solutions. So, he goes for that old trick that always works in Liberia – a call for “fast and prayers”. Sprinkling some “holy water” on Liberia’s intractable socio-economic problems will definitely pacify the masses, and, more importantly, buy him time. So, in a nation with multiple official religious holidays, one more “National Day of Prayers” becomes an urgency. It didn’t matter to him that asking Liberians to stay home and don’t work amounts to USD 3 million in lost revenues.

Calling for Fast and Prayers is an Old Trick of Liberian Leaders

In 2002, Ex-President Charles Ghankay Taylor – famously headlined the “Liberia for Jesus Crusade”, and drenched in all white to signify holiness, he declared that, in fact, Jesus is the real President of Liberia and not him. Such a display in Liberia is worth more than a suitcase full of gold and diamonds. Meanwhile, Mr. Taylor, while even prostrating, was simultaneously issuing directive to his stooge Police Director to shutdown private radio stations (i.e., Radio Veritas and Star Radio) for airing news he disliked.  (TRC Report, Vol II, p. 133).

For the six years (2018-2023), and despite not having even a day of clerical training, and  without the fear of God, ex-President George Weah would often mount the pulpit at his Forky Klon Jlaleh Church to preach. Even worst, half his government officials would show up and happily participate in this blasphemy. Mr. Weah “preached” regularly while maintaining his playboy lifestyle. Not a problem in Liberia – you can steal, cheat, and even murder – no problem – just pretend to go to church and pray. That’s justice, the Liberian way.

Even deranged serial killers like the deceased Senator Prince Y. Johnson and ex-General Butt Naked (aka Joshua Milton Blayi), were successful in washing away the sordid reputation by sprinkling some “holy water” on their reputation. They smartly formed churches and garnered a significant following. In Liberia, victims be dammed, these killers have been “washed in the blood”; hence, they can only answer to God almighty, not to man anymore!

Mr. Boakai, being an old hand, knows a thing or two about the “born again” card. So, faced with mounting economic challenges, instead of fighting corruption and/or putting the GOL in austerity mode, as would be expected by any sane government, he goes for “fast and pray” economics. He won’t get rid of corrupt aides like Mamaka Bility (MOS), Sylvester Grigsby (MOS) and Roland Giddings (MPW) – as they were engaging in corrupt acts presumably at his directive. And he can’t reign in the Legislature’s SOP of allotting “half the GOL budget” to themselves. He is too weak a leader, so he chooses the easy way out – “fast and pray” economics; just sprinkle some “holy water” over these economic problems and bingo, problem solve. Whether you call it “fast and prayer” economics or Voodoo economics, this much is true: economic problems are intractable. You can’t wish it away, and you can’t pray it away! They require economic solutions – technical solutions, pragmatic solutions. The President must remember hunger is a dangerous motivator; Joblessness is a next to insanity. Hopelessness creates suicidal instincts. When the people only options are hunger, joblessness and hopelessness, one false move could create an inferno. When the people, long fed on false hopes of economic upliftment – a k a Rescue Mission – suddenly realize that nothing is ever going to trickle down – nobody is safe, especially those they hold liable for the deception.

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[1] Famously coined by George H.W. Bush accusing his republic rival (Ronald Reagan) of espousing Voodoo economic policies – a sort of pie-in-the-sky economic policy – where economic benefits will “trickle down” to the masses.

[2] National Fast and Prayers Day – is observed in Liberia every year – 2^nd Friday in April (April 11, 2025)

[3] National Thanksgiving Day – is observed in 1^st Thursday in November (every year) – November 6, 2025