IPNEWS: It seems that the writings on the walls are clear for a Boakai-Koung ticket for the Unity Party into the October 2023 polls.

Thursday’s late press statement by Joseph Boakai long-time political ally Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblde Karnga-Lawrence says it all.

Senator Karnga-Lawrence’s tone from her statement shows how disappointed she is after two years of political struggle to seal a Boakai-Nyonblee ticket just evaporated to a little know Jeremiah Koung who had been on honeymoon with the George Weah inner cycle just days leading to Friday, April 28, official vice standard bearer pick.

Another contender for the VP pick to JNB is Henry P. Costa, a fearless young man who stood his ground for JNB during the darkest hours of the road leading to this point.

In a podcast, Costa explains his frustrations and desire to discontinue laying down all in the interests of an uncoordinated opposition.

Observers view Costa’s comments as another show of displeasure to see a Koung pick over the rest of them that ‘ cook the food, yet cannot eat it’.

In this IPNEWS survey, take a look t the actual path for a Boakai-Koung pick. An IPNEWS observation takes a twist at the man behind the Boakai-Koung ticket, “Prince Y. Johnson”.

It was not until November 20thatwhen he made an outburst against President George Manneh Weah’s posture towards him, especially the failure to settle five years of social development funds provided by major concession Arclemittal Liberia to the government of Liberia for distribution to three counties including Nimba county.

This same PYJ as affectionately call, before the fallout with Weah had supported the government of the Weah-led government.

The Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson told Liberians and the world that his Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) was ending its alliance with George Weah’s Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) because Weah has not given top positions to qualified citizens of Nimba County who voted him to power, but rather junior minister positions among others.

Senator Johnson in his outburst stated that President Weah did not keep his promise to the people of Nimba County, therefore he (Senator Johnson) was calling on his kinsmen not to vote for the CDC and President Weah in the pending October 2023 elections.

In response, President Weah said that Nimba County was trying to blackmail him to extort money from him and that he was not prepared to give him any money. President Weah said despite the development taken to Nimba County, Senator Johnson has engaged in a move for personal gains.

A few days after his fallout with Weah, PYJ paid a courtesy call to JNB in what political pundits say was the paste setter to what is now turning out to be the Boakai-Koung ticket at the expense of all his long-time allies.

As all this is in play, IPNEWS investigation has revealed that the Boakai-Koung ticket is not a ticket for his so-called insensitivity to the livelihood of Nimbaians but to scaled another six years of protection with an eventual extension if there was a win in October 2023 polls that would propel him for 2029.

In December 2021, the United States Department of Treasury sanctioned Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson for what they term his involvement in corruption activities in Liberia.

The US Treasury Department wrote: “Prince Yormie Johnson is a former warlord and current member of the Liberian Senate. He is the former Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security, Defense, Intelligence, and Veteran Affairs. In 1990, he was responsible for the murder of former Liberian President Samuel Doe, and Johnson is named in Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Report as having committed atrocities during the country’s first civil war.

As a Senator, Johnson has been involved in pay-for-play funding with government ministries and organizations for personal enrichment. As part of the scheme, upon receiving funding from the Government of Liberia (GOL), the involved government ministries and organizations launder a portion of the funding for the return to the involved participants. The pay-for-play funding scheme involves millions of U.S. dollars. Johnson has also offered the sale of votes in multiple Liberian elections in exchange for money.

Johnson is designated under E.O. 13818 for being a foreign person who is a current or former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”

Fast forward to November 2022, United States Embassy accredited near Monrovia, Michael McCarthy ahead of the 2023 presidential and legislative elections in Liberia, warned individuals and financial institutions against doing business with former and current officials of the Government of Liberia (GOL) who have been sanctioned by its Treasury Department.

Others sanctioned include Senators Varney Sherman and Prince Johnson of Grand Cape Mount and Nimba counties respectively.

IPNEWS is understanding that several JNB allies including Nylonblee Karnga-Lawrence, Benoni Urey, and Henry Costa, among others are considering a boycott of Friday’s vice standard bearer pick program slayed to be held at the Unity Party on snapper hill, Broad Street.