By Festus Poquie
Joe Boakai entered the Executive Mansion on January 22 with an impressively expansive agenda that includes transforming Liberia into a middle income economy in six years, putting information Communication Technology at the heart of the economy to create jobs, tackling hardship and reconciling a divided nation.
But how the 79-year-old leader has performed in the opening months of his administration to demonstrate his ability to deliver on his commitments?
The practice of looking for accomplishments in the early months of a presidency began in 1933 When then US President Franklin D. Roosevelt tried measuring the achievements of his New Deal programs.
“The crowding events of the 100 days which had been devoted to the starting of the wheels of the New Deal,” he said in Fireside Chat
Unlike Roosevelt who is recorded in history for implementing more policy programs in his first 100 days, Boakai have had a slow start to the presidency.
The President has issued six Executive Orders. His first 100 days are probably best remembered for sealing through both chambers of the Legislature, a joint resolution on the establishment of a war and economic crimes court to address crimes committed during the civil wars; the chaos, confusion and drama that marred the formulation of the cabinet that continue beyond the 100 days, ousting of Weah-era officials holding tenured jobs and failure to agree on a spending bill with lawmakers in the first 100 days.
When serving as Vice President to Johnson Sirleaf between 2006 – 2018 Boakai described himself as “a race car parked in a garage” seeking for opportunity to get on the track. When the opportunity finally arrived, he slumped into snail motion.
In his inaugural speech and first state of the nation address to lawmakers, the President set clear and ambitious targets in relation to his first 100 days deliverable.
“We see hard times, we see disfunction, we see culture of impunity, we see corruption in high and low places. It is these and similar conditions that we have come to RESCUE. But we come with false assurance to no one. Our plan to fix the ills we are inheriting must go together with realistic expectations. We will act in the first hundred days of our Administration, and then diligently pursue our rescue mission.
“In our quest to expand the economy, we will leverage Information Communication Technology (ICT) in creating jobs, especially for our youth. To achieve this, my Administration will train up to 10,000 young people in various digital skills in the first half of 2024. The Liberian middle-class goal must be a reality in the next 6 years.”
With respect to implementation of these programs and projects, the President is behind schedule. For instance the training of 10,000 young people in the first 6 months of the year was launched at the end of the first 100 days, meaning he’s left with two moths to complete the training program designed for six months.
The ‘rescue mission” missioned here is anchored by the administration’s flagship development agenda – ARREST, which stands for Agriculture, Road Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation & Tourism.
It appears however that Joseph Boakai and his cabinet are downplaying the implementation of this agenda, which focused on addressing key areas of development in Liberia. But the President have agreed to allocate less funding to various programs and projects compared to predecessor George Weah.
For instance tourism, which has the potential to generate millions of dollars in foreign exchange earnings has zero plan, zero funding. The government agency that supervises the sector has a mere $2.8 million allocation for employees’ compensation only.
In his last year in office, Weah spent $358.5 million on what Boakai and the Unity Party called ARREST, according to the Oracle News Daily review and analysis of the 2024 Appropriation Bill, or the draft national budget.
The administration plans to spend $323.6 million on its development agenda. This represent $34.9 million or or9.7% drop in sector spending in relation to previous year allocation.
- Agriculture: The ARREST Agenda aims to promote agricultural development and food security in the country. It includes initiatives to enhance farming techniques, improve access to agricultural resources, and support farmers’ welfare.
- Road Infrastructure: The agenda seeks to improve the road network across Liberia to enhance connectivity and transportation efficiency. The development and maintenance of roads are crucial for economic growth and regional integration.
Under infrastructure and basic services, Boakai and team plan to spend $44.6 million less on this sector when compared to the $55.7 million Weah administration allocated in 2023.
- Rule of Law: President Boakai’s ARREST Agenda emphasizes the importance of strengthening the rule of law in Liberia. It aims to promote a just and fair legal system, enhance access to justice, and ensure the protection of human rights. The government will be spending $96.1 million to achieve targeted goals under this program. The Weah administration in its last fiscal year appropriated $127.5 million to implement activities in this sector.
- 4. Education: This pillar prioritizes investment in education to improve the quality and accessibility of education in Liberia. It focuses on improving school infrastructure, training teachers, and expanding access to education for all Liberian children.
In its first 12 months administration has planned to spend $105.9 million on this sector compared to the $98.1 million appropriated in the 2023 budget period.
- 5. Sanitation: The ARREST Agenda recognizes the need for proper sanitation and waste management systems in Liberia. It aims to improve the country’s sanitation infrastructure, promote hygiene practices, and create a clean and healthy living environment.
The national budget, sanitation is captured under the Energy and Environment Sector, which has an appropriation of $18.2 million. This amount is less when compared to the 28.4 million spent on the e sector in the last year of the Weah administration.
- Tourism: The agenda places importance on harnessing Liberia’s potential as a tourist destination. It seeks to develop tourism infrastructure, preserve cultural heritage sites, and promote tourism as a driver of economic growth and job creation.
According to Hesta Baker, a Marketing and Branding Consultant, tourism has the potential to generate an estimated $200 million United States dollars in revenue in a four-year period. The Boakai administration has planned to spend nothing on this sector for three end 2026.
In Summary, following his inauguration on Jan. 22, 2024, President Joseph Boakai has used his first 100 days in office filling in cabinet positions and other vacancies across government, making statement on his war against drugs proliferation, rolling out his administration’s agenda, managing nerves in the ruling Unity Party alliance over allocation of government related jobs and fighting to get his first appropriation bill through the legislature.
Below the Oracle News Daily chronicles some of the first set of decisions, policies, interactions and actions in the opening days of his reign as the honeymoon period ends.
One day after his inauguration, the President met with top US government officials in Monrovia discussing democracy, governance, trade and finance.
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield who was on post here when Boakai was vice president led the USG team promising to work with the new administration to harness the resources of Liberia for the benefit of its people and how the United States through the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, supports the private sector.
The meeting ended with the Americans imploring the Boakai administration to generate the confidence required to attract that support that is needed to develop the nation and its people in a country where corruption is a big issue.
23 January 24, the President received a donation of Firefighting equipment from the International Association of Fire Chiefs for use by the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS). He appeal to the group assist the LNFS combat growing fire disasters in Monrovia and parts of the country.
29 January, Boakai declared support for One China Policy, describing China as a strategic ally and reliable partner that has demonstrated excellent partnership with Liberia, providing substantial support in many spheres of the country’s development program. On the same day the President presented his administration’s agenda to the national legislature declaring that poverty, drug abuse, corruption, poor infrastructure, and an underperforming economy continue to undermine national development and the livelihood of Liberians.
He told lawmakers that the state of the nation was in distress and that he will build a middle income economy before leaving office in 2029.
31 January, President Boakai declared the proliferation of drugs and substance abuse as National Health Emergency, announcing series of measures to eradicate the epidemic that is taking a plague on the country’s youthful population. National secretariat has been constituted, drafting strategies to guide the war against drug. On the same day the United Methodist University (UMU) Conferred Honorary Doctorate Degree On President Boakai.
3 Feb. the president ordered former government officials to turn over all public assets in their possession.
7 Feb. Boakai directed the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to conduct a comprehensive audit of three key government institutions, including the Central Bank of Liberia, the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Executive Protection Service (EPS). The audit period spans the six-year stewardship of his predecessor George Weah. Findings will be reported in three months.
8 Feb. Boakai takes drug test, results showing negative of drugs and other illegal substances. The public test was a show of political willingness against the menace.
9 Feb. President Joseph Boakai filed with the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission the declaration of personal interests, income, assets and liabilities forms, 16 days after his inauguration.
The content of declared assets remains unknown, making it difficult or impossible to determine the actual wealth of the President at the inception of his six-year term.
11 Feb. Armed Forces celebration cutoff as military barracks across the country revolt against the President’s Defense Minister. Soldiers used wives to lockdown the country to send message about poor living conditions and wages. Defense Chief, retied General Prince C. Johnson resigned the next day as tension escalates. President addressed the nation accepting the General’s resignation while the soldiers return to barracks.
13 Feb. President makes first foreign travel away from the country to the Republic of Ghana, returning on the 14th.
21 Feb. on the eve of his first month in office, President Joseph Boakai appointed 138 government officials in a single day.
