By Bill W. Cooper
The political leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Alexander Cummings has backed President Joseph Boakai’s controversial use of private jets, saying the conversation should focus less on the mode of transport, but more on government performance.
Drawing from his own experience during his active service in the private sector, Cummings also stated that private air travel can be justified in certain contexts, as he experienced during his service at the Coca-Cola bottling company and other areas of work.
He said, “As someone who’s worked at a very senior level before and therefore flew and managed a fleet of private jets, I understand the value of time, especially for someone in charge of running a country.”
However, Mr. Cummings comments made Thursday, June 18, 2025, was in a reaction to concerns raised by some Liberians following President Boakai’s BBC interview in which the President defended his use of private jet, mentioning efficiency and time management.
The usage of Private jets by past and current Liberian President’s has been an issues of contention for years, with many politicians, including some Liberians seen the decision as meas of spoiling taxpayers money at their own detriment.
Some of them, including President Boakai, then opposition Unity Party (UP) standard bearer also criticized former President George Weah continuous use of private jets on all of his foreign trips amid the high cost of living and poverty.
But the Liberian leader who vowed never to follow the footsteps of Weah in the use of private jets when elected President, is yet to fulfil such promise as he has on many occasions used private aircraft for his international travels since becoming President.
But in reaction to the ongoing debates following Boakai’s BBC interview, Cummings noted that while commercial flights are suitable for short regional trips like Monrovia to Accra or Abidjan, destinations with long and complex transits such as Abuja or New York may necessitate private flights due to time constraints and logistical inefficiencies.
He maintained, “Spending 10+ hours in airport lounges, dealing with long layovers and unreliable connections, doesn’t make sense when that time could be better spent doing the actual work of governing—whether in Liberia or abroad.”
The ANC political leader, however, cautioned that the perception of luxury at a time when many Liberians are facing economic hardship could undermine public trust, noting, “Liberia is still hurting.”
Cummings further emphasized, “And people are suffering, and when the average person cannot afford a decent meal or basic healthcare, but seeing leaders fly private can feel like a slap in the face.”
The ANC Boss also suggested that under better national conditions, the government might even consider acquiring its own aircraft for official use and leasing it commercially when idle, and said, “If the country was in a strong place, it might even make sense to invest in a government-owned plane.”
He then urged the public to focus on outcomes rather than appearances, adding “At the end of the day, what matters most isn’t the flight—it’s the results. If the President is focused on delivering real progress for Liberians, then how he gets to the next meeting becomes a lot less important.”
