MONROVIA, LIBERIA – It is barely 60 days now since President Joseph Nyuma Boakai took over the mantle of authority to steer the affairs of the state, however, some promises outlined in his first 100 days deliverables during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) seem impossible, says the political leader of the New Liberia Party (NLP).
Dr. Joshua Tom Turner in a statement issued Thursday, March 21, 2024 in Monrovia, made specific reference to road rehabilitation and construction, in which the Liberian leader promised his citizens that a “NO CAR STUCK IN THE MUD” deliverable.
According to the Liberian leader, the government under his watch had begun the restoration of the County Road Maintenance Stations as a key deliverable, adding: “This is why we have commissioned a “NO CAR STUCK IN THE MUD” 100- DAY DELIVERABLE to make all major primary corridors pliable.”
But as things stand, the challenges are enormous to address and so the NLP Standard Bearer thinks President Boakai was over ambitious to have made said pronouncement in the face of competing national priorities.
Dr. Turner stated that if care is not taken, President Boakai will in the soonest period of time lose the trust of the majority that gave him the charge of command to steer the affairs of the state.
“The President was in serious error to have made such a pronouncement. Being a person who spent over four decades in government and had traveled extensively across this country, he should have known the road challenges and avoid being rhetorical. There is a difference between mere political party politicking and a government. The President needs to know that he is now in government and not a political party trying to seek relevance,” Dr. Turner stated.
The NLP political leader has at the same time frowned on President Boakai for series of missteps in just two months’ periods such as his decision to make appointments into tenured position and to have ordered the audit of the National Security Agency (NSA).
It can be recalled that President Boakai on February 5, 2024 directed the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to conduct a comprehensive audit of three key government institutions, namely; the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), National Security Agency (NSA) and Executive Protection Service (EPS).
In a communication to the Auditor General P. Garswa Jackson, Sr., President Boakai requested that the audit covers the period between 2018 and 2023, and that the findings be reported in three months.
The audit of the three institutions was said to be the beginning of a holistic audit of government ministries and agencies in keeping with the President’s commitment to fighting corruption as well as ensuring transparency and accountability in the governance of the country.
Though several persons including Dr. Turner, at the time expressed serious opposition to the decision on grounds that it was impossible to audit the NSA, the Liberia chief executive didn’t listen and issued the charge on the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to proceed.
However, upon analyzing the merits and demerits of the audit and the foreseen impossibility to conduct said audit on a secret institution, the President through the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Sylvester Grigsby, wrote the GAC informing the country’s supreme auditing institution to decommission the NSA’s audit due to the “sensitivity” of its operations.
Dr. Turner believes that the President is making these “elementary” mistakes because he is being ill-advised by the folks within his surroundings.
“This is a country of law and not man. This is a country where everyone is equal and as such, every view must be respected irrespective of the one’s political affiliation. It’s no longer about party, it’s about the state and the President needs to even listen to his critics to make amends,” he asserted.
Among the many things catalogued by Dr. Turner is his (Boakai) slow pace of President Boakai in naming officials to the Executive Branch of government – most relevant of these which have to do with the appointments of county’s superintendents to administer the affairs of the various counties.
“As we speak the government is far from being complete because one of the key components of the government is the local government structure, which is far from being complete. So far, only seven of the 15 counties have Superintendents, most of whom are not even yet confirmed. I think the President needs to double his steps and let’s move forward. I am not against him, but let him do the right thing best for the country.”
