-Blames President Boakai for Inauguration Ceremony Flops; Describes Planners & JNB as “Incompetent.”
IPNEWS: If there is one thing that Mr. Simeon M. Freeman, Political Leader of the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC) is known for in his political career, is that he never minces his words when it comes to talking about national issues.
Appearing on the Thursday, January 25th, Okay FM’s Okay Morning Rush, an early morning radio talkshow, which is hosted by Clarence Jackson, Freeman, who was again in his elements, didn’t do any circumlocution. He hit the boxing ring and began throwing heavy punches at President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and those he appointed to plan and execute a smooth inauguration ceremony. They probably didn’t expect Freeman’s jibes. He has become the first politician to openly criticize the new Liberian Administration, which is just three or four days old. It’s yet on unclear whether Freeman’s punches had or will have any effects on the President and his lieutenants.
Joe Boakai, as the President is affectionately known by most Liberians including kids, was inaugurated as Liberia’s 26th President on Monday, January 22nd, 2024. The ceremony was going well until the octogenarian Liberian leader, could not complete his inaugural address when it was noticed that he was “seeing many shadows”, which some have said that it was due to ‘excessive heat exhaustion.’ It was indeed very hot on that day. Some have said the weather report at that time of the day was around 980 Fahrenheit or 370 Celsius, which mean it was very hot. The podium, which had other dignitaries, including heads of states and representatives of foreign governments, never had a single fan to cool the air for those sitting there.
The President came elegantly dressed up in a very beautifully designed, traditional Liberian country cloth gown. These cloths are usually very thick in texture and some can weigh several hundreds of grams. He had on the thick hat, too, to match the gown. There are unconfirmed reports, too, that underneath that thick gown, the President also had on a bulletproof jacket. If this is true, than that day the 80-year-old’s body became a very good reservoir for the intense heat that reportedly led to the death of one adult male and several others fallen off unconscientiously on that day.
Freeman, who has contested twice for the nation’s presidency and lost, began his official statement on the radio that what happened on the inauguration day was the outcome of “incompetence”.
“Lots of the previous speakers blamed the organizers. Some of have said the President is old why did they give him a 24-page speech; some people say it was 24 pages, I have not seen that; some said he was made to put on a bulletproof and there was no fan…”
The businessman-turned politician said he was calling it an outcome of incompetence because the folks were appointed by the President.
Freeman blamed the President for the flop of the inauguration adding that because of the President’s incompetence, he didn’t follow through on those that he had appointed to head the process.
“From what is being said apparently people did stuffs and just gave them to him. People gave him a 24-page speech; they told him the place was ready and he had nobody to even give him prior information. There were dignitaries sitting and he didn’t call or maybe there was no money on his phone to even call to know the condition of the place.
“He got there and there was no water on the podium, he didn’t ask any question?”
He rhetorically asked: “Are the people in the Unity Party saying that we are taking care of a grandpa? Or we made a man President who is supposed to take care of 5.2 million people.”
He stressed that if the inauguration is a yardstick to go by, than it’s the beginning of “massive incompetence” under the leadership of Joe Boakai.
He posited that an inaugural speech shouldn’t be long but should be what he termed as a “policy speech”; adding further: “short, to the point, with strong slogans, strong lines that people can draw from and remember.” He insisted that the speech, which the President never ended, was “vague”.
“So, if that is how President Boakai is going to lead, than we have to prep ourselves for disasters. More besides, if President Boakai is going to sit there and send people to do stuffs and he’s not going to ask his Minister of Health or Minister of Commerce or Finance, ‘What’s happening, can we review this, can we look at that. Now we begin to blame the Minister of Finance and not the man who appointed the Minister. None of these ministers was voted. Only one person was voted.”
According to Mr. Freeman, the number culprit for inaugural flops “that is now being discussed all over Africa is Joe Boakai himself.”
He further argued that since the disaster, the President hasn’t punished anyone. Freeman added: “What we have seen so far from this inauguration clearly indicates that Joe Boakai has a competence issue.” He even called on the President to openly apologize to Liberians for such “incompetence.”
Among other things, he went on to offer pieces of advice on some of what the President needs to do revamp the economy. He even proposed that the President should scrap or close down most of the embassies around the world in order to save money. He even named the closing down of the Ministries of Information and Transport adding that they are not making any positive impact on the economy.
There was no one to comment from the Government of Liberia as the President is still setting up his Cabinet. It was reported lately that he had appointed Ms. Kula Fofana as his Presidential Press Secretary. Maybe a response will come out in the coming days.
