Liberia News: Getting Rid Of Weah-Time Appointees

Liberia-Far before President Joseph Boakai suspended Central Bank of Liberia Governor Aloysius Tarlue followed by the resignation of his deputy for operations, Nyemadi Pearson, the former ruling Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) raised concerns about a potential move by the government to wipe out all Weah-time appointees and employees.

The party’s anxiety stemmed from series of removal of individuals appointed by the former President to tenure positions coupled with the mass dismissal of thousands of Liberians who entered government under him as well. The CDC and other concerned Liberians decried the government’s mass termination action as mere witch-hunt and an anti-Liberian, anti-re conciliatory and anti-peace move, as those affected are Liberians entitled to employment benefits by their government and that President Boakai was president for all Liberians regardless political lines or affiliations.

Though Wilson Tarpeh, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lost his case at the Supreme Court on technical legal grounds following his removal by President Boakai, others who won their case at the very Supreme Court – like in the case of the Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA) commissioners- were smartly butted out of office under the guise of suspension for alleged breach.

The decision to suspend the concerned former LTA Commissioners was criticized as complete undermining of the rule of law the President pledged to uphold, as such endeavors created an atmosphere of uneasiness with both legal and political commentators terming a move too far to handle as far as the rule of law is concerned.

Giving justification for the arbitrary removal tenured officials, Legal Advisor to President Boakai, Cllr. Buju Ben Keita said the President had been advised to dismiss people occupying tenure positions at entities not covered in the constitution. He argued also that the President has absolute authority under the constitution to fire anyone at his will, and that the 1986 Constitution, which is the organic law of the country, supersedes any other statutory laws.

Except for the head of the NaFAA, almost all those appointed by the former president have lost their jobs to the President’s hallowed followers or partisans, thereby creating an air of suspicion that President Boakai was on a move to get at Weah’s appointees.

House Speaker FonatiKoffa, a staunch Weah backer and member of the CDC is having tough times dealing with sustained efforts intended to get rid of him with the Executive Branch accused of being the mastermind.

While still grappling with these grave issues, what many considered as last batch of former President Weah’s appointees to tenure positions are on the brink of getting out in light of the suspension of CBL Governor J. AloysiousTarlue and the resignation of Madam Nyemadi Person.

Liberian leader recently suspended CBL government Tarlue on account of a GAC Compliance Audit which revealed hordes of alleged malpractices without laid out process of addressing GAC audit reports.

Tarlue has accordingly hit back, praying for prohibition at the level of the Supreme Court of Liberia whose rulings were not duly followed to the later by the President. Tarlue, a son of Grand Gedeh County, is close to the former head of state.

In what appears as a replay of the hunch-back man scenario, Madam Nyemadi D. Pearson, the Deputy Governor for Operations of CBL has resigned from her position, and President Boakai in no time accepted the resignation.

An Executive Mansion release of Monday, August 12, 2024 confirmed Pearson’s resignation and her expression of gratitude to President Boakai for the opportunity to serve.

Her resignation comes at a particularly tumultuous time for the Central Bank and even heightened suspicion that the Boakai administration is bent on getting rid of Weah time appointees, whether in tenure positions or not.

Pearson’s resignation has drawn anti-corruption advocates attention, like Anderson D. Miamen of the Centre for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), who in a Facebook post questioned whether her decision intended to eschew accountability for the financial irregularities the GAC audit report identified, or if it is part of a broader effort to pressure key officials to step down, thus creating opportunities for others to take their place.

He wrote: “Resignation in the middle of a damaging audit report that could be traced to her and other individuals? Has it been established that Madam Pearson is not a party to the discrepancies and gross financial malpractices reportedly carried out at the Central Bank of Liberia? Or is it about pressuring people to resign to create space for others to come in? We are closely following the saga at CBL. Hope the audit, prosecution, and other processes are very impartial, well-intention, and meant to achieve true accountability for the excesses reportedly committed and not otherwise.”

Further intensifying the controversy are allegations that Pearson has engaged in efforts to manipulate public perception in the wake of the audit findings. Reports have surfaced suggesting that Pearson has paid several prominent talk show hosts and journalists in the country to publicly praise her, allegedly as a strategy to divert attention from her potential involvement in the financial discrepancies highlighted by the GAC audit.

According to these reports, a well-known journalist is at the centre of these efforts, having recently held a meeting with talk show hosts where he allegedly distributed cash to them as an incentive to shape public opinion favourably toward Pearson. Additionally, it is alleged that several newspapers have also been contacted and compensated to present a positive narrative.

Though Madam Pearson requested to stay on until August 30 as it is done in advanced democracies, President Boakai wasted no time in filling the vacuum created by her resignation, appointing Mr. James B. Wilfred as Acting Deputy Governor for Operations at the Central Bank of Liberia.

Wilfred, who brings a wealth of experience to the role, is expected to play a crucial part in stabilizing the institution during this challenging period. As the CBL undergoes this transition, the government and the public alike are looking to Wilfred and other key officials to restore confidence in the bank’s operations and to ensure that the issues raised in the GAC audit are fully addressed.