MONROVIA-The political corridor of the country is getting increasingly tense, especially where major opposition blocs are competing for political dominance ahead of the much-heralded Presidential and Legislative Elections slated for October 10, 2023.
Obviously, the government is in waiting and the opposition blocs are said to be leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that they unseat the ruling Establishment of the Coalition for Democratic Change, (CDC).
However, its latest slogan rescue Liberia among others, has come under strong criticism from an executive of the ruling Party.
“I am troubled by people who present themselves in a way where their records prove to the contrary”, Eugene Nagbe, Commissioner of the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), noted.
Speaking on the Liberia Broadcasting System, 99.9, on Wednesday, May 17, 2022, Mr. Nagbe wondered how few can people who served in government for nine, twelve, and eighteen years, respectively say they want to rescue a Country now when they failed to do so in the past years.
“These same people were and still are in the National Legislature, approved National Budgets but forgot to rescue the Country then, this is unfair to the Liberian people”, he told journalists.
Making reference to former Vice President Joseph Boakai, he pointed out that Ambassador Boakai said that he was a parked car in the garage, but had about $ US 20M for his office yet allegedly failed to rescue 2% of the Country’s population.
According to him, the rescue of Liberia is a political joke that Liberians should not buy into.
“They are not even creative, using the same nickname that we normally call the Chief of Protocol of the Executive Mansion, Ambassador, Nora Finda Bundoo as Rescue Mother, but anyway, we have no copyright to the name so they can go ahead and use it as well”, he added.
He at the same time stated that Senator Prince Johnson of Nimba County made a big political mistake and is now feeling a harsh reaction from the people of Nimba County.
Senator Johnson, he disclosed, is politically shaking in the County, and is now playing blame games, but CDC, he pointed out, will feature a candidate in Nimba that will unseat him adding that, he (Johnson) does not own Nimba County as it might have been perceived in the political corridors of the Country.
“President Weah had a deal with the Liberians and that is to provide development for his people and he is doing such “, he added.
The Maritime Commissioner also branded another senior Member of the opposition blocs, Senator Nyonblee Kangar Lawrence as an endorsement hero.
“In 2005, 2017, and 2023, she has been making multiple endorsements with no real impact stating that her latest endorsement for Boakai again means nothing “, he blasted.
As for Senator Jeremiah Koung, running-mate to Joseph Boakai, he stressed that he failed in the past to exclusively win Ganta City and is not a force to be considered in these elections.
“Speaking about the ruling Party’s Strategic Plan, he stated that it has been worked steadily, studiously, and comprehensively, to put in place all that is required to ensure President Weah’s Re-election.
President Weah, he maintained, deserves a second term mandate because, he has delivered significantly on his promises to the Liberian people especially under the Government’s Development Plan, the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PADP)
“We cannot in full disclose our strategic plan here but all we can say is to encourage our base and people of our gains we have made over a short and challenging period of time with and without the COVID-19 global pandemic”, he noted.
Making reference to delays in civil servant salaries, he stated that he does not support such even if past governments had a longer time in failure to pay its people.
However, he praised the government for making frantic efforts to raise domestic revenue in order to pay its employees, including implementing key development projects like roads across Liberia.
“In Last year’s budget over 600m was domestically collected, the government is doing well especially with little extended budget support” Mr. Nagbe further indicated.
Providing historicity, he highlighted that the past government then received about 40% direct budget support unlike this current government while at the same time, UNMIL was contributing $ US 200M to the Country’s economy, all of which he said is no longer happening as such, the CDC government needs to be commended and given the second six years in office to continue on the tangible and impactful gains it has made over the period.
Under the political canopy of rescuing Liberians, the opposition bloc now believes that the time to save its people is now, while the ruling party argued that it has done much more and deserves a second-term mandate.
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.