The Managing Editor of the Inquirer Newspaper, C. Winnie Saywah-Jimmy, is calling on President Joseph Boakai to complete his cabinet, so as to begin the full implementation of his campaign agenda and work for the Liberian people.
Following his inauguration on January 22, 2024, the 26th President of Liberia is yet to name even 10 percent of his cabinet, something the Inquirer boss said will stall the working of the government and will not show good leadership as he prepares to address the Legislature on Monday.
Already, in a circular signed by former President George Weah on November 22, 2023, all non-tenured presidential appointees are presumed non-governmental officials and therefore should cease from doing any official business under the Boakai-led administration which presupposes that the government is incomplete.
Madam Saywah-Jimmy noted that President Boakai claimed that he was coming into government as a starter, but the delay in naming up to at least 10 percent of his cabinet is proving otherwise adding that much-more-so, his focus seems more on bringing more males on board than females judging from the names filtering into the political corridors.
“It has been almost three months since he was declared winner of the election and by now, the President should have decided who would have been the lead starters of his government. So, this unprecedented delay in naming his cabinet is worrisome,” she said.
There are over two thousand cabinet positions to which the president has to assign individuals to aid him in the discharge of his duties, but up till now, the Executive Mansion was only able to release the names of five persons to form part of his government.
Madam Saywah-Jimmy claimed that if the Boakai-Koung government wants to succeed, it should begin focusing on the full implementation of its economic and development agenda for the country, saying, “And the best way for him to begin is to name a cabinet that will help him roll out plans for the nation.”
She said the appointment of persons to key positions will help to give hope to the Liberian people and at the same time, provide a sense of security for the public.
“If he completes key positions, this will help to provide some security for us. But right now, we are like in no man’s land, where somebody is nobody,” the Inquirer boss asserted.
Meanwhile, Madam Saywah-Jimmy is urging the President and his Rescue Government to audit all those involved in the mishandling of funds that were allocated for his inauguration on Monday.
She claimed that it was early for people who were elected on the platform of accountability, integrity, and transparency, to be dragged into the mud of corruption.
“On the first day of his government, the names of some key members of his party are now in the public for allegedly mismanaging the inaugural budget, including the money that was sent to the 73 districts. He must audit them because this will tell us how serious he is with ensuring that people who mismanage public funds account for it,” Madam Saywah-Jimmy noted.
