President George Weah’s six-to-eight weeks stay out of the country has become a topic for discussion in many quarters.
For some, mainly his critics, it is completely pointless for the President to stay out of the country for such a long period when there are major issues of national concern, especially the crisis that has embroiled the conduct of the national census.
Enumerators hired by the Liberia Institute for Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), protest almost daily in demand of monies that the government agency has promised them, but is reneging to pay.
Recently in Barclayville, Grand Kru County, protestors destroyed census materials, including banners and billboards.
These repeated protests by census workers have unarguably put a potential threat to the conduct of the national census, an essential component of the 2023 national elections, but yet President Weah will stay away for six weeks or more, making it a matter of concern.
On the other hand, as we speak, state prosecutors across the country are grumbling and have threatened to put down their legal gowns if their salaries that were grossly affected by the government’s salary harmonization policy are not revisited. If they really do, the country’s justice system will be stalled, but yet President Weah is out for those long weeks.
He departed the capital, Monrovia, on November 1, 2022, according to the Executive Mansion with a nine-member delegation to first, Morocco, then Egypt. Other reports say it is likely the President may also travel to Qatar to witness the official opening of this year’s World Cup in that Arab country. He is also likely to travel to Paris, France twice.
For some Liberians, the President and delegation’s long stay abroad is a waste of badly needed financial resources that could be used to equip hospitals, and schools and as well improve roads, particularly in the Southeastern region and other parts of the country.
From Morocco, the President is expected to visit Egypt, France, and the United States before returning home.
For former Information Minister, Lenn Eugene Nagbe, now head of Liberia’s Maritime Authority, it would be more wasteful if the President were to come back home from Morocco and after few days travel to Egypt, return home and then after another few days or a week travel to Qatar, return home and later travel to France and then the United States.
In spite of this brilliant justification by Commissioner Nagbe, some Liberians think it would have been prudent if President Weah were to delegate some of those travels to his vice President or the Foreign Minister rather than making all the foreign travels himself, thus making it a matter of concern.
