Brewerville – The former President of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC), Bishop Kortu Brown, has called on President Joseph Boakai to initiate a reshuffle of his appointed officials and address what he described as a growing “confidence crisis” within the administration.
By Obediah Johnson
Bishop Brown said such steps are essential if the Boakai-Koung government is to meet the expectations of the Liberian people.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, June 22, at his New Water In The Desert Apostolic Pentecostal Church in Brewerville, Bishop Brown stated that the current composition of officials in the Boakai administration lacks effectiveness and needs reorganization to deliver meaningful results.
“It’s almost two years (since President Joseph Boakai took office). I think he should reshuffle his government — unless he does not want momentum. Weah government made the same kind of mistake — trying to maintain one set of people for a long time and telling you the same things. When you have a football team and it is winning, you will keep it. But even when it’s winning, at some point, some players can get tire and you sit them down and bring in some new players with new ideas,” he said.
Bishop Brown emphasized that the reshuffle would not only rejuvenate the government’s performance but also restore public trust, which he believes is waning. “If the overall goal of those who are under-performing in public service is for the Boakai-Koung administration to succeed, they would embrace the team and willingly step aside for the team to win,” he stated.
He further advised that the President must apply what he termed as “conscious efforts” to ensure that his team is functioning efficiently and meeting the needs of Liberians. Bishop Brown noted that while the recent performance review document signed by public officials is a step in the right direction, it should have been preceded by a thorough evaluation of their individual and collective output.
“To love Liberia, think Liberia is more than just saying. The President can’t delay in everything; he delayed to form the government; he’s delaying to reshuffle. Nobody compels President Boakai to delay in forming his government. Everybody expected when they won the elections, they already had a semblance of the kind of government they will have. The fact that they took so long made people to raise eye brows,” he said.
Though acknowledging that some officials are “trying,” Bishop Brown insisted that a broader overhaul of the government is necessary to meet national objectives. He warned that failure to act could lead to the Boakai administration mirroring the shortcomings of the previous government.
Bishop Brown also raised concerns about the increasing trend of public officials, particularly those in technical roles, acting as public relations officers. He said these officials are often seen on social media promoting government policies, which should be the responsibility of the Ministry of Information.
“When the government is performing, not only government officials supposed to explain it. We all supposed to explain it. The ordinary people supposed to explain it also. If water is here or rice price comes down, let the ordinary people say water is here or the rice price has come down — not just government officials,” he said.
He continued, “I see that some government officials are more interested in working in the media area. They placed you as a technician, but you are more interested in working in the media area. Why you don’t go to the media area? Because technical work requires a lot of time.”
Bishop Brown argued that this behavior stems from a confidence gap in the administration’s communication strategy. “People believe that the government is doing more than what is being reported or promoted. Everybody wants to rush into amplifying what the government is doing. That’s part of why we should have a reshuffle because these people will do better in the public relations machinery of the government. We see them every day on Facebook; they enjoy doing that. Why we don’t give them that chance to be able to promote what the government is doing instead of keeping them in one area and they are focusing in another area.”
He said such misalignment within the government undermines communication flow and hampers performance. “Communication between apparatus in government needs to be coordinated to reap maximum output and proper functioning of the government for the benefit of ordinary Liberians,” Bishop Brown added.
Addressing the recent ban on school street parades by the Liberia National Police and the Ministry of Education, Bishop Brown criticized the decision as hasty and lacking consultation with key stakeholders.
“We have to widen the space; if we make the space meager or small, then it makes it difficult to accept some of the national policies that are announced. But if you do more consultations and you help people understand why you want to do what you want to do and enlist your support, I think it will go a long way,” he said.
Bishop Brown noted that student street parades occur even in developed countries like the United States, and called on the Liberia National Police to ensure safety rather than enforce outright bans. “We agree that there is a need for public safety or the safety of the students — but can we do a bit of consultation together on what is required,” he urged.
Despite his criticisms, Bishop Brown welcomed some recent measures by the Boakai administration, including the waiver of tariffs on rice and the reduction of fuel prices. He also acknowledged the ongoing road construction efforts in some communities.
However, he warned that without enforcement, these policies could be undermined by profiteering business owners. “It’s a good thing to reduce the price of rice and ensure that the price of fuel or gasoline is manageable. But we have to ensure that we do not just announce it,” he said.
He called on the relevant government agencies to monitor and enforce these policies without fear or favor, to ensure they have a real impact on the lives of ordinary Liberians.
Bishop Brown emphasized that involving the public in the policymaking process is critical to ensuring successful implementation and public acceptance.
