Zargo’s appearance followed weeks of speculation about his political future and the reasons behind his extended silence after being suspended from his post at LIS nearly a year ago.
VOINJAMA, Lofa County – In his long-awaited public statement, former Commissioner General of the Liberia Immigration Service, Steve H. J. Zargo, has issued a scathing critique of President Joseph Boakai’s administration, accusing the ruling Unity Party — particularly its inner circle of loyalists — of political entitlement, exclusion, and betrayal of coalition allies who helped bring the party to power.
By Selma Lomax, [email protected]
Speaking on Let’s Talk So and Talk, the flagship program of Radio Wologisi in Lofa County, Zargo broke nine months of silence, leveling pointed accusations at the so-called Unity Party “boys” whom, he claims, have monopolized state power and systematically sidelined members of collaborating political parties, including his own Liberty Party.
He argued that when there are issues involving a Unity Party person in government, they are resolved quickly, but when it concerns someone from a different political party, it takes longer to be addressed.
Zargo’s appearance followed weeks of speculation about his political future and the reasons behind his extended silence after being suspended from his post at LIS nearly a year ago.
While no official reason was ever provided for his suspension, Zargo made clear that he believes his removal was politically motivated, orchestrated by influential Unity Party insiders who viewed him as an outsider despite his years of loyalty to President Boakai.
He reminded listeners that he supported President Boakai for 19 years, at a time when others now benefiting from the administration didn’t want to. He added that he even sacrificed more for Boakai’s presidential bid than his own re-election to the Senate in 2023 because he felt the people of Lofa deserved to produce a president.
As a former senator of Lofa County and chair of the Senate Committee on Defense, Security, Intelligence, and Veteran Affairs, Zargo was a key player in the opposition coalition that propelled Boakai to victory in 2023. However, he now says that loyalty was repaid with betrayal.
He recalled that he was suspended for three months without explanation and, after the suspension, was quietly replaced rather than formally dismissed. He said he feels “deeply hurt” by the process and believes justice was not done, especially considering the role he played in the 2023 election.
Zargo’s strongest condemnation was reserved for the internal dynamics of the Unity Party itself. He said those around the president misled him about his character and intentions, simply because he comes from a different political party.
He accused the ruling party’s inner circle of treating the government as a personal inheritance and downplaying the contributions of other political actors who helped secure the Unity Party’s return to power.
He did not hold back in identifying names either. Zargo accused Internal Affairs Minister Francis Nyumalin, a cousin to President Boakai, of being one of the architects of his removal. He alleged that Nyumalin, during the campaign period, openly threatened that he would suffer under a Unity Party government if the party won. Zargo claimed that Nyumalin’s influence over the president is so strong that whatever he tells the president becomes final, and that he played a major role in his ouster because of his proximity to the Executive Mansion.
Attempts by FrontPageAfrica to contact Minister Nyumalin proved futile up to press time.
Reflecting on the 2023 elections and the spirit of coalition-building that brought the opposition together, Zargo said the treatment he has received is not just personal — it reflects a deeper problem within the Unity Party’s approach to governance.
He said the government that was envisioned together has now become a one-party affair, with Unity Party members using state power to reward their own while marginalizing others. He lamented that coalition partners are now seen as intruders and that the administration has failed to appreciate the sacrifices made by the Liberty Party.
Adding insult to injury, Zargo revealed that despite his loyalty and tireless support for the Unity Party, the party went as far as to field a candidate against him — Garlakpai Kortimi — during the 2023 senatorial election in Lofa County. He said this was a deliberate effort to weaken his political base and further alienate him from the Unity Party’s inner circle.
His radio appearance attracted thousands of listeners across Lofa County and beyond. Zargo described it as a moment of truth and reckoning, saying the honeymoon period with the Boakai administration is over. He said it is time for him to speak and move forward with clarity, knowing that he did his part to help bring about change, only to be excluded afterward.
