Liberia: U. S. Gov’t Pledges Support to Boakai-Koung Leadership

The government of the United States has expressed steadfast support for the incoming Unity Party-led government. The head of a high-level presidential U.S. delegation, Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield, said the government is ready to work with the new government in order to improve the lives of ordinary people.

During her visit to Liberia for President-elect Jose Boakai and Vice President-elect Jeremiah Kpan Koung's inauguration, Greenfield expressed the U.S.'s historical commitment to

Liberia.

After a meeting on Sunday, January 21, with officials at the Providence Baptist Church, where she previously worshipped during her tenure as the U.S. Ambassador to Liberia from 2008 to 2012, Greenfield emphasized the enduring partnership between the U.S. and Liberia.

During her visit, Ambassador Greenfield highlighted the longstanding partnership between the US and Liberia, emphasizing the US's continuous support during times of crisis, including war, the Ebola outbreak, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Ambassador Greenfield commended Liberia for its peaceful transition of power and praised the country's commitment to democracy. She expressed the US's eagerness to assist Liberia in its journey towards a stronger democracy. The United States has played a significant role in Liberia's post-war recovery and has assisted in health crises.

Corruption is a cancer 

Addressing the issue of corruption, Ambassador Greenfield reiterated the US's firm stance against it.

She emphasized that corruption is a cancer and underscored the United States' consistent stance against it, not only in Liberia but globally, aiming to minimize its prevalence.

“Corruption is a cancer, and it's something that the United States has been consistently and strongly speaking against, not just here in Liberia but in other places in the world,” she said.

 She noted that corruption hinders progress in areas such as education, health, and infrastructure, and called for minimizing corruption to benefit ordinary citizens. Ambassador Greenfield's visit reaffirmed the United States' commitment to Liberia and its support for the Boakai-Koung administration in their efforts to build a stronger democracy and combat corruption.

Having previously raised concerns about corruption during her

ambassadorship in Liberia, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield reiterates the

detrimental impact of corruption on education, health, and infrastructure for

ordinary citizens. 

Her statement highlights the United States' unwavering commitment

to combating massive corruption in Liberia.

“I served here as ambassador, like I said in 2008, and made it part of my message over reports from that time to now to raise concerns about corruption wherever it is identified, and we know that corruption keeps a country from striving to move forward. It takes education, health, and infrastructure away from ordinary citizens,” she said.

The U.S. Government has been weary of pervasive corruption in Liberia in recent years prompting some decisive actions against some perceived corrupt Liberian government officials.

It is worth noting that the US government has taken action in recent years against perceived

corrupt officials in Liberia, sanctioning several senior government officials for corruption, abuse of public office, and human rights violations in recent years.

The other victims of the U.S. sanctions include Minister of Finance Samuel Tweah; former Senate Pro-Tempore, Albert Chie; Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson; and Grand Cape Mount County Senator Varney Sherman.

The rest are Margibi County Senator J. Emmanuel Nuquay; former National Port Authority (NPA) Managing Director, now Senator Bill Twehway; former Solicitor General Syrenius Cephus; and the Secretary General of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and Mayor of Monrovia, Jefferson T. Koijee.

During his tenure as Ambassador to Liberia, Michael McCarthy frequently spoke about the lack of accountability and neglect of rural Liberians. McCarthy raised concerns about county hospitals not receiving the funds allocated to them in the national budget, which he viewed as a systemic issue involving various government institutions.

He stated in the press statement: “On the trip, I was startled and deeply troubled to encounter multiple county hospitals that received not one penny of what they were promised in the 2022 budget. Hospitals on which lives depend, where outbreaks are prevented and suffering is  alleviated, did not receive any portion of the US$100,000 or more appropriated by the legislature for them to operate.”

“Lest you think this is the work of one political party, that notion was quickly dispelled by Liberians I talked to. The blocking of resources is so complete that it must be institutional: and the lack of any alarm being raised indicates a syndicate involving players in the legislature,

the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.”

While McCarthy's outbursts were seen by some as a lack of confidence in the Weah-led administration, especially at a time when the 2023 presidential elections were two months away, he emphasized the frank and open relationship between Liberia and the United States. The United States, as the largest donor country to Liberia, feels a special responsibility towards the country due to its historical connection.

However, Information Minister Ledgerhood Rennie expressed disagreement with some of McCarthy's statements, suggesting that there were factual inaccuracies and that engaging

with relevant institutions would have provided a clearer understanding of the situation.

“We believe it was riddled with some factual inaccuracies if the Ambassador’s taken his time to engage with some of the institutions he named in the press release to get a full appreciation of what the situation was when he made his visit across Liberia, he would have he would have known well what the situation concerning these institutions was,” Rennie said.