-Who Is Saying the ‘Damned’ True?
Some lines of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s first State of Nation Address (SONA) are a complete near replica of his immediate past predecessor, former President George Manneh Weah when he, too, ascended.
Informing lawmakers about the state of the Liberian economy he inherited on January 22, 2024, from Weah, the Liberian Leader similarly complained that what he had inherited was in dire need of rescue. “The state of the economy is a cause for concern, with many of our citizens facing perennial unemployment and economic instability. We must not just recognize the pain and frustration that permeate our society, but also work together to introduce and pass legislations that will prioritize economic reforms that foster sustainable economic growth and job creation.
“… economic growth slowed between 2022 and 2023, from 4.8 percent to 4.6 percent. The rate of growth averaged about 1.5 percent, compared with 3.1 percent between 2012 and 2017 due in part to an underperforming economy and the existing geo-political global environment. During the past six years, the economy faced challenges in terms of growth, job creation, and poverty reduction.”
The main contention of the speech came when the 80-year-old reported this, “The net international reserves position reported at the end of December 2023 was US$220 million. The report of US$40 million as the GoL’s consolidated account balance as at January 19, 2024 is not supported by the fact. The balance reported by the CBL as of the same date was US$20.5 million, highly encumbered, NOT US$40 million. To this end, we re-emphasize our earlier commitment to audit and ensure that regular audits will be a culture across all branches of government, not only the Executive.”
This was like directly stepping on the toes of supporters of former President Weah. They think Boakai lied on Weah, who had told Liberians in his farewell message, on the eve of him leaving office, “I must report to you that we are leaving behind a better economy than we inherited. Tomorrow, President-elect Joseph N. Boakai will inherit a stronger economy than I inherited.”
He continued: “There is a bigger net international reserve position than was handed me in 2018. I inherited about US$94,999,000 in net international reserves, and I am handing over to the next administration a net international reserve position of US$222,700,000. This is a 136 percent increase in net international reserve position.”
Weah reported that the total cash balance in the Government’s Consolidated accounts was US$40,044,365.90.
According to him, his administration had inherited from former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a consolidated cash position of about seven million in 2018; and that he was leaving Boakai in a much better position to deal with stuffs.
In fact, when he delivered his first SONA, too, like Boakai, he complained that being President for just a week, “I cannot be expected to report with authority on the expenditure and income of the Government of Liberia for the previous year, which was administered under my predecessor. Of course, during the transition process, certain information has been provided to us on both income and expenditure, containing balances, which we now inherit to carry forward.”
Weah even added that he couldn’t vouch for the accuracy or completeness of the pieces of information that had been handed to him by the Ellen Administration, in the absence of verification by a full and proper audit conducted by a competent authority.
“Nevertheless, and in spite of the above-described situation, it is possible to inform you that the state of the economy that my administration has inherited, leaves a lot to be desired. This is plain for all to see, for we are all affected by it. Our economy is broken, our government is broke, our currency is in free-fall, inflation is rising, unemployment is at an unprecedented high, and our foreign reserves are at an all-time low,” Weah had said on that January 29th, 2018 day.
Like Weah said that he couldn’t vouch until an audit was done, reports of such audit were never disclosed to the public if it was even commissioned. Boakai, too, has also made similar commitment to audit what Weah said he left in the account verses what he (Boakai) said was reported to him by the CBL.
Now, fellow Liberians and others, there is a purportedly missing 20M from the GOL’s Consolidated Account and US$2.7M from the international reserves! Did those monies walk away under Weah? Or in just a week’s time, US$22.7M has vanished under the nose of Boakai?
Weah said, Boakai says. Which of them is saying the damned true about the Liberian people’s money?
This Weah said, Boakai says thing should stop now and the actual picture of the Liberia people’s money should not end in “chey” but the real story should be opened for everyone to know whether the former President indeed left the amounts he announced to the world or what President Boakai claims to have seen.
