MONROVIA – Former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has publicly expressed her disappointment with the Unity Party-led government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, citing neglect and the denial of benefits due her as a former national leader.
Speaking on the widely followed Spoon Talk program on Sunday evening, April 6, 2025, Madam Taylor stated that she has not received any of the benefits legally due her since leaving office in January 2024. She revealed that despite writing the government on several occasions to address the issue, there has been no response.
The former Vice President, who served under the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) administration led by former President George Manneh Weah, disclosed that not a single vehicle was allotted to her upon leaving office. She said she is currently using her personal vehicle for transportation.
In a particularly striking account, Taylor recalled that during the inauguration of President Boakai, she had to vacate her official vehicles for the incoming Vice President, Jeremiah Kpan Koung. As a result, she was left stranded at the Executive Mansion and had to wait under a tree for a private ride home.
“All my vehicles were taken during President Boakai’s Inauguration Day, leaving me stranded at the Executive Mansion,” she recounted. “There was no one vehicle given to me as I left office. I am using my own car.”
On the performance of the current administration, Howard gave the Boakai-Koung government a score of five out of nine, less than two years into its tenure. She also reflected on her own time in office, acknowledging that the Weah administration failed in adequately communicating its actions to the public.
“We did not effectively communicate our actions during our administration,” she admitted.
Howard’s comments are likely to fuel ongoing discussions about the treatment of former officials and the political tone of the Boakai administration as it steers mounting scrutiny over governance, transparency, and reconciliation.
