Roads Maintenance, Drugs Fight, Corruption Fight, Sanitation
The New Republic News paper featuring human interest stories and other local news.
It is one year and half since President Joseph Nyuma Boakai assumed office following his dramatic victory in the 2023 elections over incumbent President George Manneh Weah, on the promise to “rescuing the country.” By that, it is interpreted that the President meant to recalibrate governance, change the old ways things were done, fight two of the country’s nightmares – corruption and drugs use – and ensure that Liberia is repositioned agriculture-wise, amongst many others.
His election followed a failed attempted in 2017, then as sitting Vice President vying for the highest of the land. Campaigning for office, he described himself as “parked race car not being used.”
The phrase was interpreted to mean that he was not given the opportunity to prove his worth, to determine what he is made up. The use of the phrase generated huge public debate about his sincerity and wherewithal.
Now that the once “parked race car” is on the track, many are wondering if it is up to the task – whether Liberia is taking shape under his superintendency over the Republic.
Also, as candidate, he made legion of promises including vehicles not getting stocking in the mud any longer, price control, corruption fought to the teeth, reshaped international engagement, refined governance processes, absolute leadership and many others. How effective are these promises with two years as President is the question begging answers.
In a toxic political climate, not every Liberian is likely to approve of the President’s stewardship, but there are many others who believe the 80-yr-old head of state is racing well, according to expectations, plans and purposes.
Roads & Vehicles will Not get stuck
One area President Boakai is getting kudos is the steady realization of the “no vehicle will get stuck promise” during the raining, which was one of his major campaign messages.
By this, President Boakai meant roads leading to the hinterland of the country would be accessible and pliable even in the middle of the rainy, the period Liberians endure terrible bad roads in a way movements of goods and services are impeded.
This commitment, according to observers flattered in his first 100 days, but the situation has improved far better than the first year in office.
According to Liberians traveling in and out, the President’s roads accessible and pliable commitment, is on course.
Though there are reported scanty bad road situations in some areas, the conditions of roads in the leeward counties are said to be more appreciable than in times past when vehicles could make weeks before arriving at their destinations.
“Vehicles are reaching Maryland county the same day; they say the road is not bad. One whole pickup just brought goods for one businessman in Harper,” said Josephine Gmah, a resident of Harper.
According to her, those traveling via the NImba-Grand Gedeh Counties road corridor speak of the good state of the road, saying “goods are coming from Monrovia almost weekly because the road is in good shape”
Ms. Gmah also told this paper that she saw transportation buses in Harper from Monrovia, something she claimed could only happen in dry season. Though she has some reservations about the prices of goods, she appreciated the fact that vehicles are plying the once terrible road corridor in the thick of the rainy.
In recent times, social media is awash with footage of the arrival of Monrovia Transit Authority (MTA) bus in Harper, the administrative Capital city of Maryland County.
According to travelers, it takes a vehicle traveling from Monrovia a day or day and half, depending on the condition, to reach zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, Fishtown, River Gee County and/or Harper, Maryland County.
Representative Jeremiah Sokan, appearing on OK FM Morning Rush Monday, hailed the good road condition made possible by the President’s “vehicle will not get stuck” commitment.
While speaking of road challenges across districts in Grand Gedeh, he said the main road was perfect and that vehicles are plying smoothly without much impediments.
Also, reports coming from Lofa County, which has terrible bad road conditions during raining, speak of improved conditions as well. Travelers are said to be experiencing minimal challenges on the stretched road corridor from zorzor to Voijama.
The stretch of road between Grand Bassa and Sinoe Counties are reportedly having some challenges, with travelers said to be enduring tough times, but not to previous levels.
It also reported that the road between Greenville, Sinoe County and Barclayville, Grand Kru County is not too up to the standard expected, as per the President’s commitment or promise, though those fond of using it speak of much better conditions.
Community roads maintenance
Besides the general cross-country road conditions, President Boakai is being extolled for the government’s focus on community roads conditioning. This paper gathered that the government, through the Ministry of Public Works, did extensive reconditioning works on roads across Monrovia and its many suburbs.
From Brewervile, Gardnersville, Redlight and other communities, there are reports of reconditioned roads that enable unhindered movements of citizens.
Our reporter in the Brewerville belt confirmed that the government touched some roads in the community. “They did not only recondition roads there, they also worked on the culverts to allow easy water flow from one end to another,” he said.
Though the roads are not in the same condition when they were conditioned due to the rains, it is much better plying them that they have been under past regimes.
When it comes to roads, the President is said to be doing pretty good, meeting his promise of making roads pliable even in the rainy season.
Corruption fight
While there are remain sticky issues in the fight against corruption including overall assets declaration by all presidential appointees, the President is said to be on course with his commitment, ensuring that officials of government account for their flops.
Since assuming office, records show that President Boakai has indirectly dismissed several officials of his administration caught in the web of corruption.
Apparently applying the parable “cats are killed many ways,” the President makes use of his powers to suspend officials in most of corruption-related cases in place of direct dismissal.
On account of General Auditing Commission (GAC) audit reports, President nailed then Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia. Though not tried in the court of law, ex-Governor Aloysius Tarlue paid the prize of alleged corruption at the CBL during his reign.
For example, Rosyln Suakoko Dennis, formerly of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) was not spared amid reports of corruption involving her. Then head of National Fishery and Aqua Authority (NaFA), Emma Glasco, three officials of the Liberia Refugees, Repatriation, Ressetlement Commission (LRRRC), former and officials of the Liberia Telecommision Authority (LTA) are in the dock in the connection to their roles in alleged corrupt practices.
The President, about three months ago, suspended all officials of his government who defied the assets declaration ultimatum for one month without pay.
Some former officials of government are currently facing trial for alleged connection to the questionable withdrawal of six hundred million dollars from the account of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) in the later part of 2023.
On top of these efforts, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) is investigating several officials, past and present, said to have been connected to corrupt practices in their respective capacities.
While several Liberians including civil society groupings continue to huge the President to make further push in the corruption fight, these efforts are seen as a good side of the President’s one and half year stewardship.
Drugs war on
The fight against drugs and other illicit substances became one of the president’s preoccupation, committing his government to launching an-all-out war against the menace which is blamed for the decimation of the country’s youthful population.
In his first Annual Address, the President declared the fight against drugs as national health emergency, set a special taskforce and announced a compulsory drug test for all appointed officials.
As a mark of good leadership, President Boakai and his Vice President were subjected to drug test, all of which that came out negative. Yet, some of his officials are not followed suit, in terms of undergoing drug test as directed by the head of state.
On the overall, the government, through the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) and other security apparatus have been gains in efforts to curtail drug and substance abuse, by arresting and prosecuting dealers of the substance.
LDEA is said to have established cells across Monrovia in an effort to deal with drug users and dealers.
Several Liberians including foreigners arrested with drug in various communities are behind bars awaiting trials, while others have been found guilty and sentenced.
While it is true that the drug and other narcotic substances remain proliferated and causing enormous damage to the youthful population, these efforts on the part of the government are said to be in the right direction. Besides, there are considered as possible developments in the government’s anti-drug war.
Price Control
Also, President Boakai and his government are being praised by the minimal control of prices despite the unstable situation with the exchange rate.
The exchange rate stands at one to two hundred – one US dollar to two hundred LD – most Liberians say the rate is having little impact on prices of goods, meaning that prices of goods remain a bit stable.
“I think the government is doing well when it comes to price control. Despite the situation with the rate, prices are normal a bit, transportation is not fluctuating – it remains constant,” said Madam Miatta Joafah.
Joafah, an accountant by training, said she has been following the price market and realized that it is being controlled unlike in the past when businesses could just increase prices at will.
“This is earnest opinion, it is not about politics. The rate is up, but prices still the same,” she further stated, making reference to the current price of a 25kg bag of rice on the market.
According to her, rice is sold below three thousand dollars in some areas and a little above the same about, adding “that is an improvement in my mind.”
In a special statement during this year’s Independence celebration, President Boakai expressed concerns over the hike in the prices of goods, transportation, building materials and other commodities.
In an effort to address the situation, he set a special taskforce headed by Vice President Jeremiah Koung to report back to him in 45 days with recommendations.
The committee is still in working though, Liberians think there are still encouraging signs that demand recognition.
Apart from these, are other good signs of how things are proceeding, according to some Liberians. They made reference of sanitation as another area that has seen significant improvements since the inception of the current government.
The streets, they said, are clean and that dirt are often removed by concerned authorities, attributing it to the President’s commitment to his promise under the ARREST Agenda.
Sanitation is one of the important pillars of the ARREST Agenda, which is the government’s national development compass for the country.
All of these are classified as good side of the President’s one and half year leadership over the country.
