By Bill W. Cooper
Liberians are beginning to wonder if officials of the Unity Party (UP)-led government under Joseph Boakai will be able to fulfill it 100-days deliverables.
With the remaining 16 days to the timeline, President Boakia, during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) promised the Liberian people on his ARREST agenda to improve the economy, fight corruption, and increase access to healthcare and education, among others.
Key among his promises was to jumpstart the Liberian economy, which has no doubts been struggling in recent years, thus pledging to create jobs, attract foreign investment, and boost economic growth.
In spite of the enormous challenges inherited coupled with the slow pace of appointments of his lieutenant and the setting up his government at various ministries and agencies which took almost 60 of the 100 days, President Boakai’s attention is on fighting corruption in public offices, strengthening of the rule of law as well as ending the culture of impunity by ensuring the establishment of the long-awaited War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia.
However, critics and several Liberians are now raising serious concerns that the 79-year-old Liberian leader’s pace of progress in meeting his 100 days commitments are slow; with some also accusing him of doing nothing to address most of the country’s challenges head-on.
Though some Liberians are still hopeful that the President will deliver on his 100 days promise and have rated the gains thus far as 60 percent or more.
President Boakai, in his 100 days analysis said Liberia is endowed with abundant natural resources thus placing emphasis on the importance of international partnerships for sustainable agricultural production and development.
He added that in order to recognize that Liberia’s available arable land is underutilized, his government is committed to harnessing the right resources and strengthening collaboration with international partners and local farmers to improve production.
Towards the 100-days deliverables, Agriculture Minister Alexander Nuteah has already announced the reactivation of the University of Liberia Agriculture farm including the donation of farming equipment to the university.
Minister Nuteah further affirmed that the government plans to development 2,000 acres of land for the Fiamah Cooperative in Bong Mines, Bong County coupled with the donation of some farming materials.
The President, himself has also increased the Agriculture Ministry’s budget by a million dollars in the country fiscal envelope and in the coming days, will re-launch the country’s agriculture bank and the rebrand CARI.
The President acknowledged that the country, over the last years, has witnessed huge instance of lawlessness despite being a country of law and order and frowned on the culture of impunity, assuring that his administration will take frantic steps in curtailing the malice.
To this end, President Boakai has now instituted several policy measures aimed at strengthening the country’s rule of law evidenced by the ongoing reforms in the Liberia National Police, the Immigration Service, Executive Protective Service and the LDEA, among others.
Also, the President is at the verged of making history following the signing of a resolution by the Legislature calling the establishment of the long-waited War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia.
Though the signing of the resolution is not a guarantee that the court would be established, but many have seen this move as a significant step to his quest and bravery in erecting legal checkpoints aimed at ending the culture of impunity in Liberia.
Amidst the huge importation and consumption of drugs and narcotic substances by the country’s youthful population, President Boakai manifest government’s commitment to its eradication.
President Boakai having declared drugs and substance abuse as a Public Health Emergency took the lead in introducing public drugs test followed by his Vice President Jeremiah Koung and other officials of his government who are conscious on ending drugs abuse in the country.
President Boakai also constituted a National Steering Committee comprised of the Ministries of Health, Gender, Finance, Youth and Sports as well as the DEA among others to strategize and craft a policy which will ensure a robust fight against drugs importation.
Also, despite the many challenges ranging from logistics, financial and manpower confronting the DEA, the Agency has also made some strides in arresting series of drugs importers and dealers across the Liberia thereby minimizing what was welcomed as zogoes, a ‘new normal, in all street corners of the country’s Capital, Monrovia.
Liberia, like any other nations is struggling to deal with issues of corruption, which is drastically affecting the growth and progress of the society but addressing this crisis, President Boakai vowed to support anti-graph institutions as well as the auditing of the past administration, by declaring of his assets and announcing his commitment to prosecute any of his officials found in acts of corruptions.
As his government climaxes 100 days, the President including his Vice President, Senate Pro Tempore, House Speaker, some Representatives and Senators as well as officials oh his government have all declared their assets to the LACC in keeping will law and since his appointment of his officials, he has not reneged in recalling any of his nominees who possess stained characteristics.
The President mandated the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to conduct a comprehensive audit of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) and the Executive Protection Service (EPS) to meet present-day reality.
The President also issued an Executive Order, establishing the Assets Recovery team, aimed at recovering, tracing and retrieving government’s stolen assets in and out of Liberia; he also suspended the Director of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) over his involvement in the corruption, among others.
With over 200 years of existence, Liberia is still lacking behind in terms roads connectivity despite investments in huge sum of funds from international partners and the past governments in the sector.
As a result, many parts of the country are normally cut-off from the capital during the rainy season only because of the deplorable road connections especially in the southeastern region connecting Maryland, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, River Gee, Sinoe and coming to Rivercess and Gbarpolu Counties and sometimes Lofa.
Because of this situation, Boakai then launched his “No Car Stuck in the Mud Campaign” within the first hundred days of his administration and to accomplish this promised, Public Minister Roland Giddings has embarked on a rehabilitation venture of several major corridors across Liberia.
The Minister narrated that periodic road maintenance works are taking place on various road corridors, disclosing that the availability of funding one-12 of said constructions has expedited the mobilization of contractors along different corridors ranging from the Salayea to Voinjama to Mendicorma.
Others are from Tappitta to Zwedru and Zwedru to Putuken, Brewerville to Bopolu as corridors where works are currently taking place, Buchanan to Saturday Town, Cestos to ITI, Nyenfueh Town to Greenville, and Pleebo to Barclayville amongst others.
He also reported negotiations are ongoing with Arcellor Mittal for pavement of the 30km Sanniquellie to Yekepa Road, while “39km Ganta-Saclepea Road which is the Southeastern Corridor Road Asset Management Project (SECRAMP) 1 has an asphalt pavement rating of approximately 40km, but is momentarily stopped due to cash flow issue.”
Gidding, in a relative short period noted, “The project is funded by the government and the Southeastern Corridor Road Asset Management Project (SECRAMP) 2, Saclepea to Tappitta is a 61km stretch of road funded by the World Bank, and has a completion rating of 25%. It is expected to be completed by 2025.”
According to him, funding has been secured for the 100km Tappitta to Zwedru Road Project under the Rural Economic Transformation Project (RETRAP) which seeks to connect farms to markets and said the RIA Road Dual Carriageway Reconstruction is ongoing while acceleration in work levels is satisfactory, as anomalies have been corrected and completion rating is approximately 32 percent.
The Minister added that the Sanniquellie to Louquatuo Road Project, funded by the African Development Bank and the European Union, completion level is 77 percent, with 37km pavement, as it is expected to be dedicated by 2025.
Giddings at the same time revealed that the long-awaited Coastal Highway is now becoming a reality, disclosing that with the availability of the first trunk of funding, construction works along that corridor are expected to commence soon, beginning from Barclayville to Sasstown.
Meanwhile, despite the skepticism of some critics, supporters of President Boakai are still hopeful that the government will deliver on its promises and bring about positive change in Liberia.
Yet, much more promises remain a challenge for the ARREST’s 100-days’ deliverables ranging from job creation, hike in basic commodities, the high unemployment rate, unsafe and sustainable employment opportunities, incompetence to deliver and clear vision on ending corruption, among others.
With only 16 more days left in his first 100 days, citizens, inclusive of critiques, expect the President and his officials to keep focused on their goals and work tirelessly to deliver on their promises, and as well meet the expectations of the Liberian people as some have rated him 60 percent already.
