By Wonderr K. Freeman, CFCS, Attorney

In 2017, many supporters of the then Liberian ruling party, the Unity Party, was up in arms about Mrs. Sirleaf’s supposedly noncommittal on the presidential ambition of Mr. Joseph Boakai, who had been her able deputy for years (2006-2017). Mrs. Sirleaf had intimated that she and her Vice President, Mr. Boakai, had “come together and would leave together”. Mr. Boakai, however, ever the schemer, had other plans, ostensibly, furthest from Sirleaf’s supposed life of quiet retirement. He was plotting a presidential campaign while she thought they were retiring together. However, even when Mrs. Sirleaf got to know of his plans, she was still noncommittal. This drew the ire of Mr. Boakai and his followers, mostly top executives of the UP, who really felt he should have the first pick. The political backlash against Madame Sirleaf from Mr. Boakai’s and followers was swift and merciless. This came to a crescendo when President Sirleaf was expelled from the UP for “failing to support UP presidential candidate”. Well, all that is water under the bridge now, as they say. Mr. Boakai, in fact, became President of Liberia in January of 2024 and is closing in on his third year in office – half his six-year tenure.

It is not known at what point the Boakai faction decided that President Sirleaf was not on their side. But looking back, it seems it was maybe late 2016 or early 2017. Then there was also the alleged push-back from the Boakai camp that Sirleaf wanted to “decide” Mr. Boakai’s running mate, which they vehemently protested. Mr. Boakai would go on to choose his running mate, the fantastically-corrupt J. Emmanuel Nuquay, the House of Representative Chair on Budget and Finance. Joseph Boakai would eventually dub his electoral ticket, the “indigenous ticket”. This choice of word, “indigenous” was an open revolt to President Sirleaf who was widely assumed to have been pushing for Charles Brumskine or at least Gbehzongar Findley. Mrs. Sirleaf (surname Johnson), Brumskine and Findley have family roots associated with Americo-Liberian ancestry and Boakai and his followers at the UP’s executive committee level were keen to exploit tribal sentiments.

Why President Sirleaf chose not to support Mr. Boakai in 2017?

In 2017, it’s doubtful if anyone knew the answer to this question. Probably, only Mrs. Sirleaf and her closed circle knew, and they weren’t talking. But Boakai’s people were as loud as they could be, crying out to anyone who was willing to listen how “wicked” and “evil” Mrs. Sirleaf was. However, in 2023, with the benefit of hindsight, and with two years of governance records by Mr. Boakai and the Boakai-led UP, it is very easy to form a thesis. Having worked twelve years with Mr. Boakai as her constitutional principal deputy, it is conclusive that Mrs. Sirleaf knew her vice president so well – and that he was utterly incompetent. But calling him “incompetent” after twelve years of closely working with him was going to be an indictment on herself. So, she apparently wasn’t talking – at least not publicly. Even worse, the open hostility and insults rained on her by the Boakai-led UP didn’t help either. So, she kept her choice to herself, or as some would alleged, secretly supported George Weah and the wannabe kleptocrats of the CDC.

Mr. Boakai was fantastically incompetent – and Ellen Johnson knew this!

Like I said in the previous section, Mr. Boakai is utterly incompetent leader and his incompetence is now on display for the whole world to see. But back in 2017, it was not so apparent. What economist call the Dunning-Kruger Effect had captured the entire UP political machinery.  The Dunning-Kruger Effect occurs when the incompetents are cocksure of themselves, fully oblivious to their inabilities, incapacities, limitations, attempt matters far beyond their capabilities, thinking that they, in fact, know what they are doing or what to do (aka overconfidence bias or illusion of skills). So, having being President Sirleaf’s number two for twelve unbroken years, he was cocksure that ‘being President’ was an easy job. You get to boss ministers around, pocket corrupt wealth for you and your close family members, take credit for all the good things that happened in your administration and blame the opposition for all that goes wrong. To VP Boakai “being President” was a such an easy job. So, he went on a criticism spree, criticizing President Sirleaf for “squandering opportunity” and criticizing Mr. George Weah for being incompetent. Of course, between, 2017-2023, nobody really knew Mr. Boakai’s capabilities. All Liberians knew was that he was a “racing car parked in the garage”. Fast forward to 2026, Liberians now realized that he is probably the most incompetent person ever to sit in the Presidential seat. Unsurprisingly, one person knew all along – ex-President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. And she was quietly trying to save Liberia from this calamity – the calamity that is the Boakai presidency. She observed his sheer ineptitude day in day out, and she didn’t see the need to punish Liberia any further.  

From gentleman agreement to the Ministry of Yellow Machines; what outrageous cluelessness!

In May of 2025, presidential aide, Ms. Mamaka Bility, ostensibly acting on orders of President Boakai, announced at a cabinet meeting the shipment of 285 earth-moving equipment (aka yellow machines), valued initially at well over USD 80 million. As she relayed in the presence of President Boakai, the machines were on their way. Someone with ordinary common sense would have asked, “But why 285 machines”? Mr. Boakai and Mamaka Bility’s response was that: its 19 machines spread across Liberia’s 15 counties (provinces). They way Mr. Boakai and Ms. Bility saw it, they were being fair – equal share for all counties. For most people with the modicum of common sense, it was not so simple. These are questions people with ordinary common sense would have asked before plunging into the yellow machine saga, which has now morphed into an albatross around their necks.

1. Were the constitutional prerequisites followed? What does article 34 [d] iii says: How were these equipment to be paid for? If via debt, did it comply with the constitutional requirement – that “no loans shall be raised by the Government on behalf of the Republic or guarantees given for any public institutions or authority otherwise than by or under the authority of a legislative enactment”?  Is this constitutional language so complicated for Mr. Boakai to understand?

• Was the Public Financial Management Law followed? Liberia PFM Act (2009) is applicated to all branches of government, all agencies, state-owned enterprise and any person or institution that receives or uses public fund (PFM Act 2009, Part I, sect. 1, §3(a)-(g), as well as Part V, section 28-29?

• Was the Public Procurement Law followed? Under Liberia’s PPCC Regulation no 3, under the PPCC Act (2010) §49, international competitive bidding must be used for purchase of goods above USD 500k. Of course, Mr. Boakai and Ms. Bility don’t think that Liberian laws apply to them.  To them, they are above the law.

• Did anyone care to ask the counties if they in fact had a need for 19 yellow machines? Under the Local Government Act (2018), Chp 2, §2.2, “powers and authority of the County Council”, the County Council is supposed to “approve county budget and development plans”. This is the law! Of course, Mr. Boakai and Ms. Bility believe the law is for the average citizens, not for “big people”.

• And if they (i.e., the counties) needed machines, how did we arrive at each county getting 19? Does it make any sense to give Nimba County (with pop. of 621k[1]) 19 machines and then give Bomi (with pop. of 96k, the same 19 machines? And, of course, what sense does it make to give Grand Gedeh County (with land mass of 10k km²) the same number of machines as Bomi County with (1.9 km²). This allocation is ridiculous, and represents shocking display ineptitude.

• Additionally, the Ministry of Public Work mostly outsources works contract to local and international firms. For those with ordinary common sense, when you hire someone to build a road, aren’t they supposed to bring their own equipment (yellow machine)? Is the Ministry of Public Works now going to pivot from outsourcing contract to building the roads themselves? Is this the most effective use of Liberian taxpayers’ money?

Mr. Boakai and his UP stooges, in full Dunning-Kruger mode, decided they were neither bound by the Constitution of Liberia, nor by the statutes and regulations governing public finance, procurement, debt acquisition or public sector ethics. Mr. Boakai had his custom-made solution: he was operating via a “gentleman agreement” with his long-time friend who loves Liberia so much. Just imagine Dr. Boakai had the audacity to make such an inane assertion in a letter to the National Legislature? This is as preposterous as it gets. But Ellen Johnson knew all along that there was no limit to Mr. Boakai’s incredulous ineptitude. She had witnessed it firsthand for years. Ellen Johnson knew all to well that gross incompetence and Mr. Boakai were birds of a feather; they always flock together.

Crowning ineptitude with unfathomable callousness – the case of Liberia’s Ministry of Yellow Machines

As if violating all Liberia’s laws were not enough, Mr. Boakai decided that he will crown his legendary ineptitude with callousness, be setting up a ministry of Yellow Machines and appointing an ex-felon and ex-Defense Minister, Mr. Brownie J. Samukai[2]. Tapping an ex-convict to lead a major government infrastructure project is as reckless and callous as it gets. What is the sense in tapping a man convicted of “financial crimes/corruption” to lead a multimillion-dollar GOL infrastructure venture? This is a callous disregard for the citizens of Liberia – crowning incompetence with disdain. But Ellen Johnson knew all along that it would come to this and she wanted to save Liberia from this calamity.

Of course, the Ministry of Public Work is responsible for “public works”. Building roads is public works, not so? Perhaps not for Dr. Boakai. The yellow machine bright color so fascinated him that he decided in fact we need a new GOL agency for this [great] new job (aka yellow machine job). Ditto, on February 8, 2026, the Executive Mansion official webpage, made the follow announcement (https://www.emansion.gov.lr/media/press-release/president-boakai-establishes-yellow-machines-management-team-tips-former)

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has announced the establishment of the Yellow Machines Board of Authority (YMBOA), appointing former Defense Minister Brownie J. Samukai as Executive Chairperson of its Coordinating Committee.

Okay, so President Boakai didn’t quite call it a Ministry, he called it a “Board”. Yet, after this “Board/YMBOA” posted two recruitment ads for nearly fifty (50) vacancies to be filled in addition to the official presidential nomination of three national coordinators, it is a definitely a GOL ministry in all but name. YMBOA had a long list of “employees” from bookkeeper to HR Manager to Logistics Manager and everything in between. By the time you round up its need for security persons, expeditors, receptionist and cleaners, you most certainly have a new GOL ministry up and running. So much for the USD 1.2 billion budget. Of course, creating a new ministry or a new board for every government challenge is President Boakai’s trademark public policy methodology. Since coming to office, his has created more agencies, duplicating functions, bloating bureaucracy and hamstringing public finance. Worst yet, he thinks he’s doing a fantastic job, Dunning-Kruger full-mode. Here is a short list of at least half a dozen new ministries and agencies I can recall.

• Office of Assets Recovery
• Tourism Authority   
• Rice & Flour Price Control
• Liberia National Railroad Authority
• Carbon Market Authority,
• Liberia Standards Authority
• War & Economic Crime Office

By the time all of Dr. Boakai’s committees, boards, ministries and authorities get through wreaking havoc on the GOL budget, our schools will be without books and without teachers, and our hospitals will be without medicines or equipment, power supply and distribution of pipe borne water will be a luxury [available] only for a fraction of society. This is what happens when you take gross ineptitude and crown it with callousness. And this is what Ellen Johnon Sirleaf knew – long before 2017 – and had wanted to save Liberia from. But the Liberian people never “copied the code”. Now they must face the consequences and reap what they sowed in October 2023.

Open apology to President Sirleaf, Liberians should have listened

I never voted for Mr. Boakai, not in 2017, nor in 2023. Plus, I would never have voted for him, even if the election had gone to the 12^th round. I just can’t “stomach” gross ineptitude, especially if it is crowned up with callousness. The majority had their way, of course; and I accept their judgment. But let’s give credit to whom credit is due. So, on behalf of Liberians, I say sorry Oldma; We tell you sorry [plenty]. We should have listened. You had your reasons why you chose not to support Joseph Boakai. Now, we realize you were right all along. You had worked with him at close range for twelve years; you knew him very well – that he was grossly incompetent, even worse, callous. You only wanted to save us from calamity.  But he said he’s on a mission – to rescue Liberia. However, from his disastrous decision making, this only thing Liberia is guaranteed to reap from the Boakai’s presidency is more unemployment, more poverty, and more hopelessness.

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[1] Liberia Census 2022

[2] In 2020, the Supreme Court of Liberia affirmed a guilty verdict against Mr. Brownie Samukai, former minister of Defense, and sentenced him to 2 year in a “common jail”. The Court also order that Samukai and his two accomplices () payback the total sum of US$1,147.656.35