Several residents of Bong County have described President Joseph Boakai’s 100 days in office as a massive failure, and believe that his Unity Party- led government is yet to make tangible impact after its first 100 days in office for the people of Bong County.
They made the assertion in Gbarnga, Bong County, when this paper spoke with residents randomly on President Boakai’s 100-day deliverables mission and its impact on the lives of the ordinary Liberians in that part of the country.
In what appeared to be angry responses from the discussants, they claimed that the Unity Party government, led by Joseph Boakai, has begun dragging the hopes of the Liberian people who stood in the sun and rain to ensure that they got elected.
After ascending to power on January 22, 2024, President Boakai provided a short-term direction for the country which he crafted into a 100-day work plan, with top concerns being the fight against corruption and making primary roads useable in all seasons.
The President promised that in his first 100 days in office, he would focus his attention on the reduction of prices of food, like rice, and other “political” commodities such as gasoline and fuel, and as well provide electricity across the country; build new roads and maintain major road infrastructure and improve the health and education sectors of the country.
He promised, “My first hundred days’ deliverables will quickly review and find reason for the hardship in the areas that are essential to the livelihood of Liberians. If the price of rice is high, it will be reduced. I have also said that in my first hundred days, no car will get stuck in the mud on major roads. And I mean that!”
Already, the government is bragging that as part of the 100 days’ deliverables, it has initiated road projects totaling 783.5km, provided medicine to primary health facilities, and restored pipe-borne water in three counties.
However, some residents of Bong have questioned the actualization of Boakai’s 100 days in office and the impacts on ordinary Liberians, especially those living in leeward communities.
“My name is James Howard. I am a motorcyclist and a student of Cuttington University here in Suacoco,” one of the discussants began. “Boakai’s 100 days in power, he has not done most of the things he promised to have achieved. He told us that in hundred days’ time, there would be no bad roads in Liberia, but just at the birth of the rainy season, there are reports of vehicles getting stuck on major roads such as the southeast and right behind us on the Lofa road. Besides cars being stuck on major roads, there is nothing we, especially those of us in Bong, can point to as a deliverable of government. We cannot point to anything that is impacting or will impact our lives as citizens of this country. He has failed on his first promises and I know he will fail in all,” James asserted.
He wondered if the Boakai-Koung government will ever make good on any of its promises to the Liberian people, as it is still struggling to meet up with its hundred days’ promises that are far from reach.
Christian Fitzgerald Dee, also a student of Cuttington University, has also graded the Liberian leader 20 percent for his performance in his first 100 days in office, claiming that President Boakai 100-days work plan was unrealistic; something, he said, he could not have achieved within the time limit.
“I will grade the President 20 percent for his performance in his first 100 days in office. His goals were ambiguous and were not based on the SMAT principle. They were not Short, Measurable, Achievable and Timely. They were all political rhetoric intended to deceive the Liberian people,” he argued.
He continued, “The President said there would be no business as usual, but from the look of things, it is even worse now than before. He said no car would be stuck on any major road, but now in the southeast, there is evidence of cars that are stuck between Nimba and Grand Gedeh and River Gee and Grand Gedeh. He took over US$22m just to fix the road to the southeast. But just in few days of the rainy season, the entire place is a mess.”
Esther Tokpa, a business woman who sells at the Gbarnga General Market, thinks that all Liberians should benefit from all institutional and infrastructural developments in the country, and observed that President Boakai is not leading on the right path, charging, “Boakai is the President for all of us, whether we voted for him or not. He is not only the President of Lofa or Foya. Since he came to power, his attention is only on Lofa. What happened to the Kokoya road, or the road to Sanoyea or even the road to Gailah or the Kpatawe falls? Are we not supposed to benefit from the 100 days too?”
“Do these people understand what is meant by Boakai’s 100 days in office?” a local journalist, who preferred to be anonymous, quizzed. He claimed that most of the negative assertions in the county, especially via social media posts, are from those still in opposition mode and bent on distracting the government.
“These negative social media bloggers are doing all in their power to misinform, disinform, and ensure that this government is painted black in the eyes of the Liberian people. The President outlined and addressed several issues, including accessible and health care delivery. There are drugs in at least all of the health centers across Liberia, the educational system is being worked on, the President has signed up for the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court, which is intended to ensure accountability in private and public sectors, set up the Asset Recovery Team (ART), and is as well upgrading our major highways to an all-weather road,” he defended.
Most of these people are basing their judgments on the “No Car Will Be Stuck” pronouncement to grade the government. I believe that this government means well for the Liberian people. I can assure you that the people did not make a mistake in electing the Boakai-Koung government.
In reporting on his 100 days in office, President Joseph Boakai said, “Today, I am pleased to report to a hopeful nation on the state of our country over the past 100 days, including progress made, some of the challenges confronting us, and setting long-term development goals to improve the living standards of Liberians in the coming years,” stressing that the need to ensure accountability in the public sector was a major objective underpinning service delivery in the first 100 days.
“Addressing transparency and accountability in the public sector by undertaking robust anti-graft measures, including strengthening financial oversight, and promoting ethical practices across all sectors to combat corruption, was seen as a critical step to removing barriers.”
“Pivotal to our 100-day deliverable plan, was the need to introduce key legislations crucial to our governance process, and to the promotion of the potential growth-spurring tourism sector. In these past 100 days, and despite limited resources, we were able to make significant gains against interventions we set out in various sectors.”
It is important to mention that what will be outlined in this address is by no means exhaustive, as a full report on the deliverables for the first 100 days of my administration will be released to the public in the coming days,” the President said.
He reported on the state of agriculture, health, road rehabilitation and infrastructure, public administration, sanitation, education, his legislative agenda, challenges, and way forward.
