Liberia: Ex-ALJA President Urges Boakai to Audit Weah’s Gov’t, Inaugural Committee

A former National President of the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA), Moses D. Sandy, says President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s recent declaration that his administration will initiate an internationally supported audit of former President George Manneh Weah and the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led government is a gratifying stride in the battle against public sector corruption.

In December 2023, while in the US on a private visit, Mr. Boakai, then President-elect, told the Voice of America (VOA) in a news interview, “We are prepared to audit the outgoing government so that they can tell us and the Liberian people about their stewardship.”

In a press release issued on January 30, 2024, journalist Sandy said the audit is necessary because it will help Liberians to know what the Boakai government inherited from the CDC-managed leadership. 

He said it is erroneous for any Liberian or group of Liberians to equate the President’s call for an independent probe of the Weah administration for reported acts of dishonesty to a witch-hunt. 

He said there is nothing evil about asking the CDC and former President Weah to account for their superintendence of Liberia for the last six years.

 The ALJA former National President said, “Mr. Weah and his gang of criminals looted and pillaged Liberia’s public coffers with impunity, and they must account for their misdeeds.” 

In 2017, Liberians elected Mr. Weah as President. He was sworn in on January 22, 2018, for a six-year term. During his administration, Liberia gained notoriety for uncontrollable graft in the public sector and bad governance, including misrule and international human rights violations. 

In March 2021, a US Congressman from the State of New Jersey, Christopher Smith, labeled the Weah administration as “Kleptocratic” and a government of thieves. 

By the end of the Weah Administration, the US Department of the Treasury and Department of State had designated a combined total of nine public officials including the former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathaniel McGill and Ministry of Finance and Development Planning Samuel Tweah, for reported acts of brazen corruption.

Meanwhile, Journalist Sandy says while he supports Mr. Boakai’s stance for an audit of former President Weah and the corruption in his government, he believes the President and the UP must lead by example. 

To do so, Mr. Sandy proposed that President Boakai order an immediate audit of the inaugural committee and executives of the UP for the collective and individual roles they played in the planning and execution of the January 22, 2024, inaugural program. 

On December 8, 2023, Mr. Boakai, then President-elect, appointed Madam Miatta Fahnbulleh, a former celebrated female musician in Liberia as Chair of the inaugural committee. 

The US-based Liberian Journalist said an independent audit of the inaugural committee and the UP leadership is necessary because Liberians are eager to know how the US$650,000 reportedly disbursed by the Weah administration was used for the inaugural program that turned out to be a national disaster because of poor planning. 

At the event, President Boakai suffered heat exhaustion in the full view of the public, including some world leaders, while delivering his inaugural address.

Several Liberians that assembled at the Capitol Building where the program was held in Monrovia also suffered heat exhaustion because of overcrowdedness and scorching hot weather. A Liberian with residence in the State of Minnesota who traveled to Liberia to attend the inauguration reportedly lost his life as a result of the hot weather. 

The ALJA National President Emeritus maintained, “Our people want to know what went wrong, especially the management of their money.” Furthermore, he stressed, “He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.”

At the same time, Mr. Sandy has lauded President Boakai and the UP for their demonstrated commitment to ensuring accountability in government. He said it is pleasing to hear that the President and his officials are willing to declare their assets; and hire qualified and competent Liberians in the public sector.