By Socrates Smythe Saywon
MONROVIA – Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Moncio Robert Kpadeh, has lauded President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. for what he describes as a remarkable restoration of order, dignity, and nobility to the Liberian presidency since assuming office nearly two years ago.
In a reflective piece published on Wednesday under the caption “The JNB Presidency So Far: A Brief Overview,” Kpadeh credited the Liberian leader for steering the country with character, transparency, and accountability. He described Boakai’s work ethic as extraordinary, noting that the president routinely spends ten to twelve hours in office each day, extending his schedule when duty demands, and often using weekends and holidays to review crucial documents and correspondence at his Tubmanburg residence.
“President Boakai has returned respectability to the highest office of the land,” Kpadeh wrote, stressing that the Executive Mansion has remained active since Boakai’s ascension to power. He pointed to regular cabinet meetings, constant performance evaluations of ministries and agencies, and the president’s habit of consulting widely with religious leaders, traditional authorities, opposition politicians, and civil society voices as hallmarks of a leader who listens and governs inclusively.
Kpadeh emphasized that Liberia is once again earning international respect, which he attributed to the president’s dignified conduct on the global stage. “The level of honor our president receives abroad is directly tied to the way he carries himself with humility, honor, and maturity,” Kpadeh observed, adding that Boakai has not taken a single presidential leave or leisure trip since assuming office, preferring instead to focus on the country’s pressing priorities.
The IMO envoy also shed light on Boakai’s hands-on leadership style, revealing that the president actively contributes to drafting and editing his own speeches, a skill informed by his background as a writer and poet. “He talks less and works more. He is deliberate in his decision-making, preferring thorough analysis and factual review over sentiment,” Kpadeh said, while conceding that critics sometimes interpret this cautious approach as slowness.
Kpadeh concluded his reflection with praise for the president’s mental acuity, physical stamina, and emotional balance, qualities he argued were critical to sustaining stability and trust in the nation’s highest office. He promised a forthcoming detailed piece chronicling what he described as Boakai’s “panoply of accomplishments” in under two years of leadership.
His commentary came as President Boakai, in Yokohama, held a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ahead of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). Though Kpadeh’s article focused on Boakai’s domestic leadership and work ethic, the president’s engagement with Japan provided a timely illustration of the international respect the IMO envoy says Liberia is regaining under the current administration.
