—As Speculation Mounts Over Inner Cycle Interest for New Defense Minister
“Enforcing the rule of law and public safety is vital to the ARREST agenda for overall national development. Our government pledges to improve transparency, accountability, and openness to promote good governance. In addition, access to justice to preserve social, economic, and political rights and freedoms and long-term stability in the country will be a top priority of our government.”
IPNEWS: On February 11, 2024, immediately after the official celebration of Armed Forces Day Call-off, and as protest of wives of AFL Solders spread across at various Military barrack in Liberia, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai appointed a special independent investigator to probe the concerns of army men’s wives, including poor living conditions, high tuition fees for their children, a lack of adequate medical care, and low salaries for officers.
Boakai said the women indicated that their most important demand was to remove retired Major General Prince Charles Johnson III as Minister of National Defense.
Prior to this appointment, on Saturday, February 10, 2024, army officers commenced by indirectly protesting through their wives against low incentives, inadequate housing, and bad labor practices and demanding the resignation of retired Major General Prince C. Johnson III as Minister of National Defense.
Addressing the nation on Monday, February 12, President Boakai said he has therefore appointed special investigators to look into these grievances raised by the army officers’ wives and report within two weeks, however, it’s now more than a month and there’s no report.
However, Boakai said the issues raised by the armed forces wives affect all sectors of the nation’s population throughout the country, as his administration inherited these problems as he had been in office for barely 21 days.
“The problems take on graver connotations when it comes to the military. The men and women in arms put their lives on the line to defend and protect us. We must be extra sensitive to their plight. The army is our collective national pride, and we must preserve its dignity,” Boakai said.
Boakai said throughout the night and day they received information that some of the wives and armed forced men had planned a protest action across the country by blocking the major roadways and highways, and others had engaged in agitation in barracks around the country.
“We have also activated the Board of Inquiry to look into the case of the several soldiers who were discharged from the AFL for various serious crimes but were said to be undeservedly pardoned and reinstated. We must never tolerate indiscipline and breakdown of order in the Armed Forces of Liberia,” Boakai said.
According to Boakai, the reconstituted AFL has won the praise and admiration of the entire country for its professionalism and has become the source of national pride for Liberians.
Boakai said the country cannot afford to indulge into anything that will dampen the morale of the soldiers and raise doubt and suspension.
Boakai indicated that on Sunday, February 11, 2024, he received information from the wives of some members of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) who had come to express their concerns on several issues.
“These issues included poor living conditions, high tuition fees for their children, a lack of adequate medical care, and low salaries, among others,” Boakai said.
Boakai said, according to the women, their husbands had told them that unless Johnson was removed, there would be no Armed Forces Day celebration.
“We made it clear to the women that we will look into their grievances regarding all the issues, but that retired General Johnson has been confirmed by the Senate and appointed by him (Boakai) as Minister of National Defense; hence, we are not prepared to discuss this issue,” Boakai told the nation.
Boakai said that in an effort to prevent violence, lives, and property, we ordered the Armed Forces Day celebration for today to be reduced to a low-key program.
“We have since held consultations with our strategic partners, the United States, and other regional stakeholders on the situation. As a true soldier and patriot, retired General Johnson informed us that he would step aside if he were an obstacle in order to save the AFL and preserve peace and tranquility for the country,” Boakai said.
Accordingly, Boakai said Johnson tendered his resignation, which the President immediately accepted and thanked the general for his sacrificial services, loyalty, and commitment to our country.
In the aftermath of this investigation, President Boakai appointed Brigadier General Geraldine George as acting Minister of National Defense.
Amidst all this, numerous sources tell the authoritative Independent Probe Newspaper, has gathered that delays over the outcome of the investigation report are predicated upon hard facts of some former and current officials of the AFL high command who are found responsible for aiding and abating the violence which rock Monrovia and its environs.
According to unimpeachable sources, the officials with heavy influence within the presidential cycle, were found responsible for coordinating protest tactics, and response.
Other questions that remain unanswered is why the Military police quiet at the start of the protest of the AFL Wives was.
Pres. Boakai Calls for Lowkey Armed Forces Day Celebration Amid Continuous Protest by Wives and Widows of AFL Personnel
President Joseph Boakai, on the eve of Liberia’s Armed Forces Day celebration, has issued a directive for a scaled-back observance. The President’s call for reduced activities comes amidst ongoing protests from the wives and widows of Armed Forces personnel. They had urged President Boakai to reconsider his nomination of the former Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. (Retired) Prince C. Johnson III as Minister of Defense.
For two days, the women had carried out protests, blocking the main route leading to the country’s only international airport and other major routes.
The women had threatened to disrupt the celebration if their request to the President was not granted.
A press release issued by the Executive Mansion on Sunday evening states:
“Directive By His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia February 11, 2024 Program marking the observance of the 67th Anniversary of Armed Forces Day will be reduced to a short and low-key activity. His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, President of the Republic of Liberia and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia gave the directive this evening, February 11, 2024. The President will lead officials on a visit with the men and women of the Armed Forces at the Edward Beyan Kesselly Barrack in Schieffelin, Margibi County on Monday, February 12, 2024.”
Meanwhile, the President met with the aggrieved women, and he listened to their grievances.
According to the Executive Mansion, the women highlighted challenges they are currently experiencing at the Edward Beyan Kesselly Barracks in Schieffelin. These include retirement benefits, low salary, corruption, lack of adequate insurance, education, poor housing, lack of electricity, social services, and their general welfare. They stated these challenges have lingered on for too long without redress as the military leadership has remained indifferent.
President Boakai reassured the women that their grievances would be thoroughly investigated with a view to finding redress where possible. He promised to constitute a committee to probe into the matter and provide a report within a week’s time. In the interim, the Liberia Electricity Corporation already restored electricity at the EBK Barrack, upon the orders of the Commander-In-Chief. The President also declared the Linda Thomas Greenfield School at the EBK Barracks tuition-free.
Over that same weekend, the aggrieved women described the new Defense Minister as a “dreadful, power-drunk, inhumane, impassionate, corrupt, and blood-sucking vampire.”
On Saturday morning, the women set up roadblocks on the RIA Highway, held placards, and chanted anti-Johnson slogans, calling on President Joseph Boakai to recall his nomination for what they termed as inhumane treatment meted out against husbands by him and his former boss, Ex-Defense Minister Daniel Ziankan.
“We have come here today as the voices of those gallant men who, by laws: the constitution, the Defense Acts, the Geneva Conventions, and rendering them as duck fowl organization who cannot voice out their pains, frustrations, deprivations, marginalization, untold poverty willfully, deliberately placed upon us and our children by the former defense minister retired general Daniel Ziankan and his chief architect, the modern pharaoh of our time in person of Major General Price Charles Johnson,” the army wives said.
The women again carried out a protest on the RIA Highway and in Duala, setting up roadblocks, causing inconvenience for travelers.
Resignation of Defense Minister Prince C. Johnson III.
As protest entered its third day, the you bright-minded and disciplined new defense minister, resigned from his post just 10 days after being appointed.
The resignation marks the first political crisis facing Liberia’s new president Joseph Boakai since his inauguration at the end of January.
Boakai “has received and accepted a letter of resignation from the recently confirmed Minister of National Defense Mr. Prince C. Johnson,” the presidency said in a statement.
In his resignation letter, Johnson cited “the current political and civil disturbances occasioned by the protest of women believed to be wives of service men.”
He wished to “preserve the peace and security of the State”, the statement added.
Major General Johnson (retired) led the army during the administration of President George Weah from 2018 to 2024.
He was nominated by President Boakai to serve as Minister of National Defense, and if confirmed by the Liberian Senate, to replace Daniel Ziankan who served in the role for the last six years under the past administration.
There was no major protest against the defense minister-designate during his reign as Army Chief of Staff. However, there were reports of disillusionment by some members of the army and their wives over the ‘maltreatment’ meted out against them by General Johnson.
“We, the wives, represented the various military centers including the Camp Tubman Military Barracks in Grand Gedeh County, Gbarnga Military Barracks in Bong County, Todee Military Barracks in Montserrado County, Lofa Military Barracks, Coast Guard and Star Base Military Barracks, the Military Police Barracks at the Smell No Taste, Roberts International Airport, and the home of the 23rd Infantry Brigade, the Edward Beyan Kesseley Military Barracks in Lower Margibi County.
They, among other things, accused General Johnson of not remitting all of the monies and benefits of AFL soldiers on UN peacekeeping missions abroad. They accused General Johnson and former Minister Ziankan of unfair employment practices. Under their leadership, they said there was no sound retirement policy and soldiers and families lived in poor housing facilities.
The protesters barricaded the main road leading to the Roberts International Airport for hours, leaving travelers departing the country at risk of missing out on their flights due to the barricade in front of the barracks.
This drew the attention of the government and the international community. The women told ECOWAS Resident Representative Josephine Nkrumah and Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman that their husbands were deliberately deprived and marginalized by Gen. Johnson and former Defense Minister, Ziankan. Despite the meeting with the Police Chief and Ms. Nkrumah, the women continued their protest until Vice President Koung intervened. The women reportedly gave a 24-hour ultimatum to convene a meeting with the President to ensure an amicable solution.
They, however, maintained that Johnson’s dismissal is not out of the discussion because he lacks interest in former and current soldiers.
What Boakai Promised the AFL Personnel Wives That Brought the Protest to A Halt
In response to the mounting tensions spurred by protests from the Military Wives Association of the Armed Forces of Liberia, President Joseph Nyumah Boakai took decisive action, convening a meeting at his Rehab Residence on Sunday, February 11, 2024. The gathering brought together a formidable assembly of national security stakeholders, including Senator Momo T. Cyrus, Atty. Samuel Kofi Woods, and several top military officials, with the primary objective of addressing a multitude of grievances outlined by the association.
The roots of this meeting can be traced back to the persistent protests initiated by the Military Wives Association, which were driven by a plethora of concerns affecting soldiers and their families within the Armed Forces of Liberia. These grievances, ranging from dismal housing conditions to stagnant salaries and inadequate health insurance, prompted a broader sense of discontentment permeating through the military ranks.
During the meeting, the Military Wives Association underscored several pressing issues afflicting them. Among these were the lamentable state of housing accommodations, with reports of overcrowding and compromised privacy due to shared apartments by two separate families in some cases. The women also voiced frustration over the absence of salary increments and promotions, which have exacerbated financial strain and hindered career advancement. According to him, there has been no salary increment in the past six years and at the same time, there have been no promotion for the past three years.
Criticism was also directed towards the inadequacies of the existing health insurance coverage, leaving soldiers and their families vulnerable to exorbitant medical expenses. Additionally, families expressed concern over the exorbitant school fees burdening their children’s education, exacerbated by the lack of budgetary allocations from the central government to the Linda Thomas Greenfield School located in the barracks. They noted that fees range from L$8,000 to L$20,000 which they have to pay from their meager salaries.
The absence of a robust pension scheme and death benefits program emerged as a major concern, amplifying financial insecurity among soldiers and their families. Persistent issues with electricity supply at military barracks further compounded the challenges faced by soldiers and their families, impacting daily life and productivity.
In response to these pressing concerns, President Boakai and other stakeholders outlined a series of commitments and action plans. These include pledges to address housing inadequacies, conduct a thorough review of the salary structure and promotion policy, and revise the health insurance scheme to provide comprehensive coverage for soldiers and their dependents.
Furthermore, the government committed to declaring tuition-free status for the Linda Thomas Greenfield School to alleviate financial burdens on military families and establishing a robust pension scheme and death benefits program to ensure financial security post-service.
Immediate intervention to address electricity supply issues was promised, with the installation of a 1-kilowatt transformer and ongoing efforts to stabilize power provision.
A comprehensive audit was recommended to investigate allegations of corruption within the military ranks and pave the way for reform. The meeting culminated in a structured action plan, including a Senate Committee review of grievances and stakeholder engagement through townhall meetings and commemorative events.
Meanwhile, the Maj. Gen. Prince C. Johnson, III (Rtd), had since resigned his post as Minister of Defense amid the protests by the women which forced the President to cancel the celebration of the Armed Forces Day.
Johnson was confirmed by the Liberian Senate a week before despite the public outcry by the women and their protests. They had earlier petitioned the Senate not to confirm him on grounds that the he inhumanely treated their husbands while he served as Chief of Staff during the Weah-led government.
According to him, his decision to resign was intended to preserve the peace amid the civil disobediences occasioned by the protests by the women.
