By Mulbah Morlu (chairman, Solidary and Trust for a New Day, STAND)
The past year of deliberate but critical governing missteps has marked a missed opportunity for the Boakai administration. It was a generational chance, handed on a silver platter, to create a legacy worth remembering. Unfortunately, the accumulating missteps have turned promises into peril, setting the stage for a governance crisis akin to a ‘Titanic’ disaster.
Too bad for the ordinary citizens who bear the brunt of failed promises, while being heavily taxed to fund the extravagant lifestyles of top officials. As President Boakai himself once admitted during his time as vice president, he has now “squandered” this opportunity, revealing himself as weak and incapable of making crucial decisions.
Despite the blind obeisance of regime supporters, who rush to defend their position with aggressive rhetoric and gangster logic, the depth of the deficits in the Boakai-led administration’s first year in office requires more than a tactical retrograde (strategic retreat) to overcome the mountains before it.
Unless a dramatic shift occurs, it seems President Boakai is headed towards becoming the ‘Captain of the Titanic,’ as his administration is steadily sinking due to the weight of the overwhelming forces of corruption, greed, and shortsightedness.
This conclusion holds practical significance when holding Mr. Boakai accountable to his own ARREST Agenda—the moral and ethical framework by which he should be judged.
One would have thought that laying a strong governing foundation, upon which President Boakai’s pursuit of change could be built, would have been a fundamental pillar of his strategy for achieving legacy-defining outcomes.
However, without a solid, practical policy foundation focused on anti-impunity, anti-corruption, and prioritizing the needs of citizens, this administration risks being remembered only for the growing hardships and deepening corruption that have paralyzed its progress.
While one can commend the President’s efforts to patch things up here and there, history doesn’t celebrate leaders for merely “trying.” Legacy is built on bold decisions, not on band-aid solutions.
Since Mr. Boakai once referred to himself as a ‘parked car for twelve years,’ he knows full well that when vehicle parts are irreparably damaged, they must be changed—not endlessly repaired. The same logic applies to governance in a decadent Liberia, floating on a broken and fragile system that must be changed, not patched up.
This is especially true given that President Boakai was elected to bring change, in line with the people’s mandate. However, it is disheartening that the leader of the ARREST Agenda has failed to take decisive action, such as holding perpetrators of corruption accountable.
Instead, he has reduced himself to tasks typically assigned to junior officials, like dedicating coastal buses for Grand Cape Mount County, while neglecting the more pressing responsibilities that are critical to the county’s survival.
It’s reminiscent of the monkey and the banana story: place a bunch of bananas next to a US$100 note, and the monkey will choose the bananas, unaware that the $100 can buy a tub full of bananas!
What if, instead of donating a few buses, Mr. Boakai held large corporations like Bea Mountain accountable for exploiting the county’s resources? Wouldn’t that generate millions in revenue that could be reinvested into the health, education, and development of the county and its struggling citizens?
It’s perplexing that he continues to turn a blind eye while Bea Mountain and other foreign companies extract and export hundreds of millions of dollars in gold, leaving citizens impoverished and without access to quality hospitals, clean water, or education!
This travesty of change, and in fact, tragedy, is certainly not a new problem—but that’s precisely why President Boakai was elected: to fix the system. Unfortunately, his inactions, rather than his actions, have created a vacuum, paralyzing the government and leaving citizens disenchanted.
No doubt, President Boakai’s reliance on his corrupt appointees has compounded already complex governance challenges. By recycling individuals with tainted records, the administration inherited their baggage’s, undermining the ARREST Agenda before it even began.
While calls for reshuffling the cabinet have gone unanswered, every day these bureaucrats remain in office, sees them strengthen their networks of corruption, making them even harder to remove.
It can no longer be argued that this current government rests on a dangerously weak foundation. Just as in geotechnical engineering, where a solid foundation is essential for any viable structure, ours is anything but solid—it’s a foundation casts with proverbial mud and straw! Unfortunately, you cannot renovate a foundation!
Hence, considering the authority of the presidency and its mandated duty to lead, it’s clear that only President Boakai can turn things around for his ‘Rescue Universe,’ that is if he wishes to be remembered for more than the suffering of ordinary Liberians.
Energized by his election victory, President Boakai initially found his task simpler, as it centered around one key goal: rescuing the country. Yet, his early missteps created more challenges than the ones he was meant to resolve.
Now, he faces a dual crisis: a) first, saving his own government from collapse due to the very problems he initiated, and b) addressing the nation’s long-standing systemic issues. It’s clear that no captain can lead a hungry army into battle, because #YouCan’tRESCUE anyone if you’re DROWNING. Therefore, it’s essential for him to move beyond temporary fixes, which are ultimately unsustainable.
Instead of merely trying to keep his sinking ship afloat, President Boakai should consider the following steps, which could serve as a remedy to the nation’s challenges and secure a lasting legacy. If he desires to be remembered as a transformative leader rather than a Pharaoh, whose reign is marked by oppression and neglect of the suffering masses, he must take bold and decisive action. Below are the critical steps that could chart a course toward meaningful change:
- Dissolve the Cabinet
The current cabinet is tainted and out of sync with the administration’s vision. Fresh minds, new ideas, and individuals of integrity are needed to inspire trust and drive meaningful change.
- Reduce Tenures for Elected Officials
Propose constitutional amendments to reduce the presidency from six to four years, senators from nine to four years, and representatives from six to four years. Prolonged tenures breed complacency and weaken accountability.
- Initiate a National Dialogue
Bring together stakeholders, political parties, civil society, and the media (witnessed by international development partners) to draft a National Development Framework. This blueprint should guide national development across administrations, replacing election-driven agendas, which often serve only to secure electoral victories but fail to create lasting impact.
- Review Concession Agreements
Conduct a comprehensive review of all concession agreements to ensure corporations contribute meaningfully to national development. Revenues from these concessions must fund critical infrastructure and public services. Without intervention, Liberia risks losing its resources without securing lasting benefits for its people.
In conclusion, President Boakai stands at a critical juncture—this is the moment for decisive action. The opportunity for course correction is quickly slipping away, and the burden now rests on him to create a legacy of progress. He cannot allow the nation to remain trapped in stagnation, with its people kneeling in poverty and hardship.
There will come a time when the people, united in their struggle for survival, will rise and demand change. And I will stand fearlessly with them, for that is where I belong—with the PEOPLE! #YouCan’tRESCUE anyone if you’re DROWNING.
