By Fubi Henries (Stalwart, Opposition National Alternative Congress)
Inter-Party Partnership
CDC didn’t adequately keep her promises to those who supported her during the Runoff. Even members of their collaboration (NPP & LPDP) complained of being sidelined by CDC!
UP on the other hand kept her promises to those who supported.
Civil Service
CDC managed the Civil Service through her Party Chairman. He wrote lists of partisans and sent them for employment, with Positions and suggested Salaries. Mulbah Morlu assumed the role of Director General (DG) of Civil Service Agency, while the actual DG was appointed! As a result, the government payroll was flooded with Partisans of CDC! Taking the Payroll to 67,000+ employees! Mostly unqualified partisans!
UP on the other hand brought back dignity to the Civil Service! Removed 7,000+ ghost names! Reintroduced testing as a basis for recruitment. Centralizing the Civil Service processes!
Recruitment into the government during CDC’s regime was purely based on being a partisan! As they thought the country was their personal property!
Both governments claimed to have inherited empty Bank accounts.
CDC didn’t keep up with paying Civil Servants on time. UP has prioritized making timely payments!
Like I advised the CDC guys, “Liberia being an import country, the key to lubricating the economy is timely payments of salaries!”
Justice
CDC didn’t prioritize Justice! They campaigned for Justice throughout their time as an Opposition Party, when they had the opportunity they Dropped the Ball! President Weah made the statement that we are all related in the country as his justification for down playing Justice!
President Boakai on the other hand, during his Inaugural address, stressed the need for justice and is living up to that! The Endorsement of the War and Economic Crimes Court was a great move!
Massive Corruption and Poor Monetary Policy
CDC Government was very indiscipline and recklessly misusing the State’s Resources! The US$25M Mop up Exercise was the greatest broad daylight stealing planned and organized by the Minister of Finance! Even with the revealing Audit Report, the Minister enjoyed the confidence of the president!
CBL was more of a Political Hub than a professional Monetary Entity. The withdrawal of funds from foreign partners Account kept at the CBL by CDC was one of the Most Reckless and embarrassing venture! An account that prompted NINE EMBASSIES TO WRITE REQUESTING REFUND FROM THE LIBERIAN GOVERNMENT!
UP has maintained and clean sheet in this direction!
UP on the other hand has suspended, accepted resignation and dismissed key allies! Even the nephew of the President, former Minister of Commerce!
CDC – Reckless lifestyle, in less than a few months in office, all key government officials, starting with the president, were all building, renovating and buying key properties at the expense of the government!
UP – have been more disciplined during the first year in this regard!
Economy
The most important of all! CDC inherited a rather stable economy and broke it down in a few months.
UP – inherited and broken economy and is doing her best to revive it! I think it will take three years to get it done if the government is seriously pushing!
President Weah promised us not to be Spectators in our own economy! One week in office, he was pushing to open our Country to grant his Lebanese friends Citizenship! A battle we fought against and won!
We were put out of the Stadium as Liberians!
Instead of CDC driving a serious Private Sector reform to create Jobs, as promised in their Pro Poor Agenda, they increased Government’s payroll with their Salary Harmonization (Robbed Peter to pay Paul theory)! The negative impact is still being managed by the UP Government!
CDC issued a bounced check of US$3,000,000.00 for small businesses through the Ministry of Commerce and Central Bank of Liberia. That Measure was aimed at boosting the Economy. Sadly, a failed reality! UP has not driven such a measure, to the best of my knowledge. We Hope Year two will seek to drive Private Sector Growth!
Roads
Both governments tried to continue the Roads projects started by the previous governments. Good step towards continuity!
The Feeder roads projects being carried out by UP are commendable, especially the Freeport corridor!
Press Freedom
CDC refused to issue licenses to critical voices to operate Radio and TV stations! Punch FM license was paid for and never issued until the Supreme Court verdict about five years after! TV Monrovia license was denied!
Sanitation
CDC inherited fairly clean cities. But within the first year, which spilled to part of year three, Garbage took over the cities. I personally ran a campaign to pressure them to clean the cities and remove Dump sites from key locations. They stepped up in year three and there was a massive improvement! UP inherited fairly clean cities and to some extent have improved on the routine to maintain the Clean Cities!
I will give inputs on the Health, Educational, Agricultural sectors in the second year review!
Generally, the country still remains peaceful!!!
The EBOMAF, ETON Deals of the CDC resembles the Yellow Machines deal of the UP! The UP needs to do better not to repeat such!!!
In conclusion, UP’s first year is better than CDC’s first year! All is not well, but Dignity and systems of Governance are being restored!
On a Scale of 1-10, I will give UP 7 over CDC year one!
Liberia First and we look forward to a better 2025! See you all next year. May God continue to bless you all and keep our country safe!
