The Executive Mansion has issued a statement addressing what it describes as “misrepresentations and deliberate distortions” of remarks made by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai during a speech in Lofa County.
The statement, released on December 24, 2024, aims to dispel allegations that the President’s comments condoned corruption.
The Context of the Remarks
According to the Executive Mansion, President Boakai’s speech at the 60th anniversary of Bong, Grand Gedeh, Lofa, and Nimba Counties acquiring county status was an impassioned call for national unity, ethical governance, and accountability. Speaking at Unification Park in Voinjama, Lofa County, the President reiterated his administration’s zero-tolerance policy toward corruption and emphasized the importance of using public resources for the benefit of the Liberian people.
The statement reads: “Contrary to recent claims, President Boakai’s remarks were not an endorsement of corruption but a clear denunciation of this vice and a call for integrity in public service and judicious use of public resources.”
Anti-Corruption Efforts Highlighted
The release outlined several anti-corruption initiatives launched by the Boakai administration this year, underscoring the president’s commitment to transparency and accountability:
- Anti-Corruption Audits: In February 2024, audits were commissioned for key government institutions, including the Central Bank of Liberia, the National Security Agency, and the Executive Protection Service, to address financial irregularities and ensure accountability.
- Suspension of Officials: In July 2024, Central Bank Governor Jolue Aloysius Tarlue was suspended over unauthorized loans and overspending. Similarly, senior officials at the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) were suspended in October 2024 pending investigations into financial misconduct by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).
- Public Declarations: In August 2024, President Boakai warned newly commissioned officials against corruption, emphasizing that violators would face strict consequences.
- International Anti-Corruption Day: On December 9, 2024, the President declared International Anti-Corruption Day, using the occasion to raise awareness and advocate for ethical governance across the country.
Call for Accurate Context
The statement urged the public and media to consider the President’s words in their full and accurate context, rejecting what it described as politically motivated distortions. It added that President Boakai remains steadfast in his vision for ethical leadership and inclusive development in Liberia.
Reactions
Despite the clarification, the Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), Anderson Miamen, argues that the President’s remarks, whether misinterpreted or not, highlight a need for stronger and more consistent messaging on corruption. Activists have called for the administration to follow through with concrete actions to ensure accountability and rebuild public trust.
“The president can only regain public trust by taking concrete steps to fight against corruption because he has really not done much in the fight against corruption,” Miamen said. “That statement was embarrassing and undermines the efforts by anti-graft institutions like the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission in the fight against corruption.”
Many have also taken to social media to criticize the statement made by the president and the latest clarification of the mansion.
“You have to tell the public where in the statement was the distortion by playing the undistorted on in your possession so as to prove that the one in circulation is distorted,” said a Facebook. “It was better to have admitted that the statement was not his intent and that you wish to clarify.”
Others who support the government have also taken to social media to defend the President’s statement, with some officials using ChatGPT to interpret the controversial remarks.
The controversy underscores the critical importance of ethical governance as Liberia continues to grapple with systemic corruption. Though President Boakai’s administration has reiterated its commitment to addressing this issue and fostering good governance, many Liberians are now uncertain of this commitment.
Joseph Daniels reports for OK FM Liberia as Executive Mansion Correspondent. With a vested interest in making the voices of people from different walks of life heard, he has covered investigative stories relating to education, health, the environment, corruption, and violence against women and girls, among others. He graduated from the United Methodist University with a Bachelor of Art Degree in Mass Communications in 2020. Joseph is also a fellow at New Narratives, a non-profit organization helping media deliver independent, truthful information to its people so they can make informed decisions.
