Boakai Boasts of Foreign Trips’ Yields -‘The Trips I’m Making Are Very Important,’ the President Says

Liberian President Joseph Nyumah Boakai has, in the last nine months of his incumbency, endured mounting criticisms regarding his frequent international travels, which a number of citizens claim are costly and yield little or no benefit for the nation. As THE ANALYST reports, the president, during a special cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, emphasized the significance of his foreign trips towards Liberia’s development.

The [foreign] trips I’m making are very important. Those were the words of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai during a special cabinet meeting yesterday in apparent reaction to some pundits who have been positing that the president’s frequent, costly trips out of the country have got no tangible returns.

“You may not see them now, but eventually those commitments that were made to us, we are going to follow up on them,” the president said.

One pundit alleged that in the first nine months of his administration, President Boakai has spent a total of 54 days abroad.

But addressing concerns from his critics, President Boakai asserted that he remains proactive in seeking assistance for Liberia rather than waiting for aid to arrive.

“We need help from everywhere,” he retorted. “We can’t sit and tell who is coming to us; so, we got to move.”

While acknowledging the high costs associated with international travel, the president maintained that such expenses are a necessary part of pursuing development.

“We got to be very mindful about those trips we are making because they are very expensive. But like the saying goes, ‘if you think education is expensive, try ignorance.’ We believe that most of these moves are in place; the only thing is for us to follow up on them.”

President Boakai reaffirmed his commitment to leading the country in a positive direction, aiming to prove his critics wrong.

“My job as chief executive is to move the country in the right direction and ensure that the critics are wrong,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, the President has cautioned all three branches of the national government to be respectful of the law.

He said during the Wednesday cabinet meeting that if any government official wants to be respected, said official must respect the laws of the country.

“Even the legislature, we need to have a meeting to respect the law. If you want to be respected, you must respect the law,” he emphasized, adding that the code of conduct of Government must not only affect the executive, but the entire government.

“I thought the code of conduct was for only the executive, but it’s inclusive of the three branches. I couldn’t believe that the code of conduct is only for the executive branch,” he said.

President Boakai asserted that government cannot run with the other segments of it being above the law.

He stated: “We can’t have a country with others above the law. I don’t want people calling it a witch-hunt, so I’m going to have a meeting with the judiciary and the legislature to have all of us respecting the law.”

Leaders of UP hold GoL Jobs Must Resign

The President used the cabinet meeting to urge all ministers and directors who are working as leaders of the ruling unity party to resign from either of the positions.

“If you are working in the government and having a position in the party at the same time, you must resign one of your positions to respect the law.”

Boakai also called on all officials of government and other stakeholders to be whistle-blowers, stressing that the government must be in the know of happenings within and without.

“From now on, even for a minister car, we should be told what the amount it costs,” he warned.

“If you know it, let us know so we can govern ourselves properly.”