MONROVIA – In the buildup to Liberia’s general and presidential elections in October this year, renowned talk show host Henry P. Costa and apologist of Unity Party (UP) Joseph N. Boakai, has spoken about how the UP standard bearer offered the Wologizi mountain in Lofa County to financial partners for US$30 million support to his presidential bid.
Costa claimed that he earlier had a very important meeting with representatives of some serious and powerful people who offered him millions to run for the presidency of Liberia but refused on grounds that he could not run against Mr. Boakai because he was committed to his candidacy.
Costa, who addressed a lengthy press conference Monday at which he expressed his discontentment over Mr. Boakai’s posture towards him and other officials of the opposition community, declared that through his interaction with the potential financiers, he proposed that the financial support in the tone of US$30 million be given to Mr. Boakai to finance his political campaign.
“I wanted them to kindly divert and give the entire 30 million-dollars package to Ambassador Joseph N. Boakai for his presidential campaign, while I would then focus on my already-declared bid for the Senate seat of Montserrado County,” Costa narrated.
He explained that the financial partners reluctantly agreed to his proposition, but after much hesitation agreed to pass on his request to their superiors, adding that he was not happy that he had declined the offer, but was convinced that he had done the right thing.
The explanation by the talk show host emanated from his decision to give a detailed explanation to the public on how his name was shortlisted as a potent running mate to Mr. Boakai for the upcoming 2023 general and presidential elections.
After the earlier discussions with the financiers, Costa stated, that he then received a subsequent call after he had informed Mr. Boakai about the pending support from the partners who expressed disappointment that he declined their offer, but informed him that they accepted his offer to support Boakai but with a condition that Boakai should choose him (Costa) as running mate.
“When I delivered this term of request to Ambassador Boakai, he readily accepted and agreed. I was stunned. He went on to tell me how brilliant, loyal, patriotic, I am, and what a godsend I have been to him over these past years and much more,” Costa stated.
According to him, Boakai and a delegation of four persons met with the potential donors in Accra, Ghana on Thursday, March 16, and at the meeting, Boakai used the opportunity to bad mouth him to the financiers by saying some of the most negative things about his character to them.
“He broke his promise and went on a rampage of trying to damage my reputation to people who I had brought to support him. He even went as far as blasting them for offering me such a deal rather than to him,” Costa explained.
It was at that meeting, according to Costa, that Boakai asked the partners to dump him (Costa) and give the US$30 million to him (Boakai) so that he could pick whoever he wanted as his running mate.
In exchange, Boakai promised to give them anything they wanted in Liberia if he won, Costa said, adding: “He specifically said he would give them Wologizi Mountain in Lofa County. LINA
