President Boakai says one of the biggest challenges he faces fighting corruption is that his government inherited some of the people currently in government. “And that being the Liberian way, people want to be convinced that we are serious – and we must prove that we are serious. And let them not take it for joke, we are here to fight corruption – and we will fight it to the dead end.”
Last week, Liberian President Joseph Boakak was among five African heads of states invited by US President Donald J. Trump for a three-day summit in Washington DC, eyeing what Washington described as an “incredible” commercial opportunity. Besides President Boakai, the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal were also in attendance – and all representing countries with small populations and economies.
The invite followed last month’s peace deal signed in Washington between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo which also led to the US gaining lucrative mineral access to the two countries. At a time when the US is facing increased competition from rival powers – including China and Russia – for its prized resources, eyes were focused on how the five invited countries would handle the delicacy of America’s foreign policy shift and approach to Africa.
It was the backdrop from which President Boakai and many Liberians were hoping such a meeting would focus. Chatters were also abound that the US is contemplating sending scores of deportees and vicitms of President Trump’s massive immigration crackdown to the five African countries. It is from this background that we sat down with President Boakai for a brief interview on what transpired behind the scenes, his takeaway from a summit eclipsed by President Trump’s praise of President Boakai’s “beautiful english” and his take on the controversy surrounding the Ivanhoe/HPX encroachment on ArcelorMittla rail access from Guinea. The President also addresses his reign so far and how he’s handling echoes of growing number of his officials openly harboring presidential ambitions and how it is affecting his governance and leadership.
FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Mr. President, what would you say is your biggest takeaway from the summit of the five African leaders and President Donald J. Trump?
PRESIDENT JOSEPH NYUMAH BOAKAI: I believe that it is a good opportunity to get to meet the new leadership, to also get to feel the direction that they are taking and that incidentally, this is supposed to be a foreign policy that is based on economic diplomacy and commercial – and in fact we are already on track. So, we just came to get acquainted with them – and make sure that we all align ourselves with what it is they want to do. We want to see a Liberia that will be transactional, a Liberia that will seek after developing its own resources and make them available for its own citizenry. So, it was a good opportunity to get it from the horse’s mouth.
FPA: Prior to this meeting, Liberia was elected to the United Nations Security Council. There was a lot of effort and campaign from your administration to make this happen. What are your expectations and what does it mean for your government and Liberia as a whole?
JNB: Incidentally, Liberia happens to be the country that was a founding member of the United Nations, from the League of Nations to the UN – and we believe this is an opportunity. Talking about our own history, we’ve been like a trouble child within the Comity of Nations, they have given us a chance now to show that we are matured, that we are responsible and that we will be able to bring to the table, all the knowledge we have, to contribute to a wider society. And we are prepared to do that.
FPA: You mentioned during the press call yesterday, a request for the US to undertake a survey of minerals in Liberia. What do you hope this will do for Liberia and does it coincide with a similar survey carried out by the Chinese, mentioned in your annual message in January?
JNB: China did two counties, Lofa and Maryland – and they said that we have forty-seven
minerals, very strategic. We want to know, the minerals we have in the entire country. It will give us a better opportunity to plan for the use of our mineral and the management of it. In fact, I am feeling that it is about time that we know that so that we plan which ones are more strategic – and that we can manage them for the benefit of Liberians. The US has the skills, and we believe they too, because instead of just sitting and complaining, we want them to be a part of it. We don’t have the technology they have. So, it will be helpful for all of them to share this knowledge and we can use it to our advantage.
FPA: When we spoke some time ago, prior to your ascendancy to the presidency, you were hopeful of a Liberia where corruption would not be so prevalent, that public officials would respect the wishes of the Liberian people. Has anything changed now that you are president?
JNB: I was concerned, I am concerned; and I will be concerned about corruption. I said one time that corruption is poison – look at Liberia, 178 years old we will be celebrating. What do we have to show, what does it say about our society? Why do we lose all these people that were trained to foreign countries? If we manage our resources well, if people don’t believe that they come to power just to enrich themselves, we will so find out that all can benefit, that we can gain and the society will be better. I don’t want to go live elsewhere, it’s too late now because this is a decision I made years ago. Corruption has been the problem – and I think if we fight it as we are trying to do now, we will so see that people will understand that we are in serious business to fight corruption. I’m not going to say that corruption is a vampire, so we must show that it is – and we must fight it.
FPA: How satisfied are you with your administration’s fight against graft? What are some of the challenges? Shortcomings?
JNB: Well, the challenges are that we inherited some of the people – and that also that being the Liberian way, people want to be convinced that we are serious – and we must prove that we are serious. And let them not take it for joke, we are here to fight corruption – and we will fight it to the dead end.
FPA: Prior to the dialogue with President Trump, a lot was made about concerns that the US is trying to get some African countries to accept deportees related to immigration violations in the US as prisoners. In fact, the Wall Street Journal in a report this week alludes to this, citing state department and senior administration officials. Was this part of any behind the scenes discussions with the US President?
JNB: Talking with the Americans – even before I came and after – and even as recent as yesterday I didn’t get the impression that the Americans were putting a gun to anybody’s head to sign anything. What the Americans are saying is that they have asylum seekers that have been here for years – and they like to send them out of the country, elsewhere. They are not forcing anybody but they want for us to know that it is a concern they have. And they are asking how can we contribute or how can we help and we have assured them that for the relationship, it’s an equal concern but it is something that we have to think about, if and when they decide to ask us, we will know how to respond to it.
FPA: In a meeting with Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau Wednesday, your government was lauded for the agreement to increase multi-user access to Liberia’s railway to further facilitate economic development. There are concerns that your administration has been pressured by the US on this issue when in fact, ArcelorMittal already has an agreement in place on this. How is your administration hoping to fix this and how do you think Mittal is accepting this new arrangement? Do you think the two companies can coexist in that space?
JNB: They have no choice because we need them both, we know the value they bring to the society but we are in the best position to determine how we can make use of everybody having equal access, everybody having the possibility to use it – and then, future users, including ourselves, extended use of the railway for other than iron ore. So, we are putting into place, mechanisms – and for everybody, it will be a win-win for all because, number one, we want to have a rail authority. The rail authority will put up a tender, the tender will produce a management that will be able to work with everybody on equal basis. The other one who can do this is Liberia.
FPA: Over the past few months, there has been criticisms that too many members of your Cabinet – and government are quietly harboring future presidential ambitions – and this appears to be affecting some aspect of your hope of getting a lot of things done for the Liberian people. How are you handling this issue, considering your two former predecessors endure similar challenges?
JNB: It just so happens that over the years, because of the nature of leadership, presidential ambition now had been on the rise. I think we want to make sure that we put in a government that is responsible for the current life of the people – and the future lives of the people – and those people who see, work with us and understand where we’re going – and who understand that the future leadership, it determines for the present use of the opportunities of the presidency, those who don’t understand it – and who are in a hurry, we want to tell them, they are in the wrong place.
FPA: Mr. President, what are your expectations for your legacy, what do you want to be remembered for when your presidency is completed?
JNB: When I came to power, I wasn’t looking for second term, I am here to make the Liberians know that we are here to better their lives, we are here to serve them. The bible says, he who that is faithful – in that which is least is faithful and that which is much. We must show the Liberians now that we are concerned about them – and we are not thinking about what it will be tomorrow. It’s about today. And that’s the kind of government that I’m putting into place. I’m not looking for that. I’m looking for a government that works for the people, a government that produces healthy citizens, youths and make sure there’s food on the table and that people can live in the country, have electricity, water and live the life that they yearn for. That’s my concern right now. Those who think that they want the tomorrow, they can get up and wait for their tomorrow.
FPA: Finally, are you happy with the performance of the members of your Cabinet? Should the Liberian people expect a reshuffle soon? There has been a lot of chatters over the past few months regarding this.
JNB: Sometimes, I call a simple reshuffle as rotating the rascals, you take one rascal from a position and put in another rascal. I want a reshuffle from a conviction. I’ve watched the people who work for me, I am learning now to know who I can trust, who think like me, who believe like me – and I’m going to do that. I’m not going to make anybody push me into, but I’m determined to work with the people I work with, and it won’t take long. You know, we have replaced so many people already – and we must continue to do that. Those who we believe are not there for the good of the country, they are leaving. So, it may not be a mass reshuffle but it’s taking place.
