They Could Turn No-Business-As-Usual A Mere Slogan -Boakai’s Ally Says of Some GoL Officials, Wants Actions

As independent citizens and opposition figures continue to attract President Boakai’s attention to a couple of missteps, corruption and impunity in his barely seven-month administration, even the president’s allies and aficionados also feel the same way and are helping to amplify the same message. Like other Liberians, both foe and friends of the current administration, one of the president’s diehard supporters, journalist Jonathan Paye-Layleh, thinks things are nose-diving because some of the presidents’ officials don’t seem aligned to the Unity Party’s chief campaign slogan that promised to end “business as usual”. As THE ANALYST reports, Paye-Layleh is asking his benefactor to take a number of actions to correct the prevailing governance deficits which he blames on nonconformists to governing regime’s aspirations.

Former BBC correspondent Jonathan Paye-Layleh is asking President Joseph Boakai to establish a “president think tank” that would not only alert the president to vital governance issues as they unfold in the public space but to also make recommendations to him as to keep the president updated with campaign promises and programs at various levels of government.

The Liberian journalist, who is one of the president’s staunched allies, made it clear in an open letter dated October 7, 2024, that he feels obliged go public on his advice to the president because he had given the president tips on different issues since taking over as President but was not certain those pieces of advice all ended up on his desk.

“I am, therefore, submitting this communication to your office and publishing the content for public scrutiny,” he said.

Paye-Layleh noted that as part of the collaborative effort that ushered in this administration, he has been following developments in public places and convinced that unless the president had more honest and selfless strategists to implement his vision and strategy for transforming Liberia, a lot of important things will remain undone, without him knowing by the time the six-year period for which the placed in charge of the affairs of Liberia is over.

The Liberian journalist acknowledged that President Boakai has achieved a lot within an eight-month period and “exceptionally proud of what we’re seeing”, adding however that “some measures need to be put in place so that the attitudes of some of your trusted people in government cannot make your concept of ‘No Business as Usual’ a mere slogan.”

“Against this background, and in view of what I have been hearing from the public, I wish to recommend the setting up of a small team, like a presidential think- tank, squarely tasked with the responsibility of capturing cardinal public issues requiring strict presidential actions,” he advised.

“Pieces of information captured by the proposed think-tank would be reduced to briefs for submission with recommendations to your office weekly for prompt actions.”

Such a team or think tank, Paye-Layleh said, could be tasked to regularly review all audit and other investigation reports to know if there are names of people working in the government who need to be made to face investigations for their alleged actions.

The team, he further advised, could also be responsible to listen to and analyse issues that are raised in the public, including on radio programs, with specific calls to the President to act; review the president’s inaugural address and other presidential addresses from time to time to remind him of some key promises that are yet to be fulfilled or started.

The Boakai comrade-in-arms is suggesting that the team, if set up, also review national policies and presidential directives that are not being followed, including the assets declaration and drug tests orders; initiate the placing of comment/suggestion boxes in the public and at workplaces to allow employees and citizens pass on information and/or make recommendations to the President.

The whistle blowers do not have to write their names, he said, because such an oversight body is necessary as some heads of ministries and agencies may be busy performing their responsibilities careless about the actions and shortcomings of the other.

“Besides, if a minister, for example, was accused in an audit report, that minister would not want to bring it to the President’s attention or in cabinet meetings,” Paye-Layleh further admonished the president. “And so, you, the President, may not know. But a presidential think-tank will be the one informing the office of the President that a minister has been linked to some report and he/she needs to answer questions.”

“The task to bring these cardinal matters to the attention of the President should neither be left to presidential advisors because they are normally concerned about their specific areas of assignment,” he continued. “Mr. President, I also recommend a radical review of the advisory at the presidency with the view to making the necessary adjustments. Advisors to a soon-to-turn octogenarian president must be some of the best, most experienced and seasoned in their respective disciplines.”

Additionally, he said, instead of having just a single person as an advisor to the President on a specific matter, there should be a small team of — not more than three — advisors for one area who will brainstorm on issues before advising the President on matters of public concern.

SALARY/BENEFIT CUTS

Mr. Paye-Layleh also sees the need for a serious and rigorously-implemented across-all-three-branches of government austerity measure that will save the country more money for critical interventions than what some of international partners offer government in loans and grants.

“You need to have a ‘straight-talk’ retreat bringing together heads and influential people of the three branches of government to sincerely agree on severe salary and benefit cuts or you initiate this and solicit their agreement and cooperation,” he added. “The public sector should simply be a place to serve. You don’t seek riches in public service.”

In a post-conflict country where people still live below the poverty line, Paye-Layleh argued, what people are earning in the public sector in many places here is just too astronomical.

“In such a tiny country and small economy, there is no justification in paying anyone even up to USD $4,000 a month when some teachers and healthcare workers are paid very less than $300 and hospitals and schools are without what they need to function,” he lamented.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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