President Joseph Nyuma Boakai is on a herculean mission. How to restore hope to Liberians in a decrepit economy, is a mission Boakai is determined to achieve. His biography on his up – bringing, speaks volume of how he feels for the ordinary Liberian. Not only feeling the pulse of the people is top most in his agenda, but also how to change the country’s economic direction. How to give ownership of the economic activities back to Liberians, is another top most priority in the President’s itinerary. During an exclusive interview with ABUBAKAR HASHIM in Monrovia, he revealed his resolve to achieve these twin missions, even, according to him, ‘‘if it means riding on a wheelbarrow to the Mansion’’. This stament makes him tick. He appears to be an apotheosis of late South African President Nelson Mandela, or the Indian Independence fighter and nationalist, Mahatma Ghandi
Mr. President, you have over 40 years of political experience behind you. You were Vice President before under Africa’s first Female President, Madam Sirleaf. This means you are absolutely familiar with the inner workings of government. Now you are the President and the Captain of the Liberian ship. This makes you tick. How has the experience been and how will it impact on the lives of the Liberian people?
I wonder why people put so much premium on politics. I’m a person who is deeply concerned about humanity. I’ve conducted my lifestyle with utmost simplicity and I’m, throughout my life, people- focused. I’ve held several positions in government, but I never lose touch with the people, especially those in the rural areas.
I became the first Liberian Managing Director for Produce Export, later became Minister of Agriculture, all geared toward rendering services to the nation.
I had always been dissatisfied with the ways things are happening. I saw a lot of greed and selfishness in people in all the places I worked. So, it’s true I’ve been referred to as a politician. But beyond that, I want to see good things impact on the lives of the people. My political experience counts, but what matters most is the human concern and feeling on the quality of lives of the people.
You were Vice President, under Madam Sirleaf, from 2006 to 2018. Will your government continue where she left, in terms of policy direction, or is it going to be a new start?
That’s a very good question because when we took over in 2006, Liberia was regarded almost as a failed state. We managed to put Liberia back on track for the first six years, but for the second six years, I can’t say we did very well. That’s why I’ve always been accused that we had opportunity, but we squandered it. We had an opportunity for the first Africa female President for this country. A darling of the world. Everything could have happened. If we had given our time to take advantage of that opportunity, Liberia will have been ahead of what it is today. But we squandered that opportunity. We derailed in our second term.
A lot of things crept into our ways that derailed the efforts. So I cannot consider it as a continuation in our policy direction. In the last six years of her administration, things that were built were overturned. Even the good deeds in the first six years, that were so remarkable, were overturned. There was rampant corruption. The country was overwhelmed with lots of misguided people, who didn’t know about management but about looting, squandering, that caused more problems that were inherited. I remember, in 2006, in the first six years, we were all jubilant that it was a new start, a new Liberia. But what we saw in the second six- year term, was a derail from the first terms, that condescended into rampant corruption and squandering of the people’s wealth.
When you were announced the winner of the October elections, last year, how did you feel and what were your immediate reactions to your victory?
I’m not a person who gets excited over positions. I’m more excited over what I can do with that position. I knew the Liberian people had made their decisions because I knew how the election went. On the night of the elections, it was like a war in this country. The incumbent government made every attempt to cheat, but the citizens resisted that move. For me, that’s where my passion comes in for the people to stand on the roads, for the liberation of the country, I feel I’m doubly obligated to uphold the people’s aspirations for good lives. That is my task ahead and that’s my commitment, I’m ready to do anything to achieve this task, even riding a wheelbarrow to go to the office! I’m very honest about it, if it is the sacrifice to achieve the people’s mandate. I detest ostentacious life styles. At my age, I don’t need too much acquisitions, neither too many wants nor desires. I can’t be in a tinted window vehicle and see numerous children out of school, youths roaming about with no jobs. My task is to re-new hope to the Liberian people.
Mr. President, what have been your major achievements and challenges so far, since you assumed power about 8 months ago? You’ve embarked on lots of reforms. I covered the inauguration and I have been following your policy pronouncements since then. Could you tell the world, your achievements and challenges so far?
I try to lead by example. I told the Liberian people that I was going to declare my assets and I did. I told the Liberian people that I and my Vice would take blood and drug tests, we did. I signed a code of conduct. I also said in my first 100 days, no car would be stuck in the mud on our high ways.
You will hear testimonies of areas in our country, where, during this time of the year, people couldn’t travel due to bad roads.
The other naughty area is corruption which is a vampire to our economy. There is, absolutely no reason that the resources of the country belong to few individuals. We are fighting it, as impunity cannot continue. We are not against anyone but justice must prevail over the people’s wealth.
People who have enriched themselves at the expense of children not going to school, women in the rains eking their living, youths roaming about in the streets with no jobs, we are battle-ready, for these people to account for their deeds. These are big challenges but we know the problems and we are sincerely ready, with great passion, to rectify the problem, as enshrined in our campaign manifesto. We’ve started the journey already.
Mr. President, there are many abandoned and uncompleted projects of former President George Weah. Even though you belong to different political parties, will you continue on these abandoned and uncompleted projects?
I’m happy you are asking this question. That’s the problem with Africa and particularly this country. Every year, governments budget resources to do projects that are uncompleted or abandoned, leading to wastage of resources.
Projects, that we, as a government, think that are viable, we shall continue with them. Those projects, that we consider are misuse of resources, certainly, we shall investigate and take appropriate actions and if possible, terminate them, with full consequences.
Those projects that include security like the army barracks, we shall continue with them. Projects that are viable like schools, hospitals, we shall address them, to regain the confidence of the people, that there is a new Liberia.
So definitely, we shall not continue abandoned projects that cannot be beneficial to the people. Projects that are waste of resources, we shall not continue with them.
Mr. President, you’ve embarked on numerous robust reforms, like auditing numerous agencies, drastically reducing ghost workers. You’ve even ceded 40% of your salary to the treasury, among other reforms. How are you tackling high levels of poverty on the Liberian people, when you once remarked that ‘‘Liberians should not live in abject poverty in the abundance of numerous wealth and sub-soil resources’’?
Indeed, I’m committed to that move. One of the greatest admirations about the people when we came into power, is the steadfastness in cleaning the environment by themselves.
The next thing is to make sure that my ARREST Agenda i.e. Agriculture, Rule of Law, Road Infrastructure, Education, Sanitation and Tourism, we will follow them to the letter.
Agriculture. There is no reason that we, Liberians, should not produce what we eat. Why should we bring chickens into our country? Why should we bring the quality of rice we need into this country, when we have the land and the soil?
Education and the rule of law are vital toward encouraging investment into the country for economic growth.
Good roads and proper sanitary conditions are also indispensable to economic prosperity, so with tourism. Liberia is a tourist delight that will spin us immense revenue to the treasury.
You recently launched an investment conference, which I covered, to attract global and local investment capital. The conference was a monumental and landmark success. Is this the beginning of investments into the Liberian economy as enshrined in your ARREST Manifesto?
This investment conference, was the first to be launched in Liberia. We’ve had trade missions and conferences before. But this conference is as important as it has commenced a total restoration of confidence in the Liberia economy. It was a vivid manifestation of a turnaround of the economy. It is the beginning of many things we intend to do, to turn the country back to its past glory.
I deeply thank the organizers, as this is the first investment conference to be locally organized. It was a spectacular success, as it has opened doors to new vistas of investment opportunities the country desperately needs at the moment.
You were born in a remote village called Wasonga, in Lofa County, near the border with Sierra Leone, often called Liberia’s “Bread Basket”. In what way will your background reflect in your governance style, particularly in Agriculture, the key component of your ARREST Program?
Born in Lofa, is a mission God has destined. I didn’t do agriculture in the University. I started working with a company called LPMC that was producing and exporting commodities. They sent me to Lofa. That introduced me to Agriculture and its value chain. At that time, nobody was allowed to buy imported rice. We were self-sufficient in rice production. Then I became the first Liberian for the export of produce. Later I became Minister of Agriculture. So my orientation had been Agriculture. The first Liberian to go through the complete cycle and I know what Agriculture means to a developing country. So I believe we can produce to feed ourselves and to export.
You are championing accountability in both public and private sectors of the economy. You see it as the only way Liberia will develop. How has the journey been so far?
Accountability is a collective enterprise. I’m not alone in this fight to sanitize the public and even the private sector. We must all put our hands on deck to achieve this goal. We must see that life goes beyond ourselves, that other people have equal opportunity to the road of success. We must cultivate nationalistic instinct in all we do, both in public and private sector operations.
In your last speech, when Liberia celebrated its 177th Anniversary, you did mention, among others, that Liberians “must take charge of the economic destiny of the nation, be responsible to import and export basic commodities that border on food and security”. What steps are in place and how far is that direction?
One of the first things we did was to launch an Agriculture Program. Today, we’ve invited partners on how to jump- start agriculture, as it is a low hanging fruit. It is not something with immediate results as it is ongoing. We’ve incorporated cooperatives. We have system in place to put people to work. But people must realize more work are outside the government. We are now providing the enabling environment for our people to be gainfully employed in Agriculture.
Today, importers of our staple food, rice, are foreigners. We are changing that narrative. We must be in charge of our economy. They go to our banks, open LCs and bring in our consumables. Can’t we do the same? This is a country I know there is no Liberian that is a millionaire. You can’t be in a country that the economy is in the hands of foreigners, all the buildings are owned by foreigners. We have serious challenges in ourselves. We have to do what others are doing for us.
Mr. President, what is your relations with ECOWAS, particularly Nigeria as the current chair, AU and the International Community?
My first visit when I assumed office was in Cote D’Ivoire. President Quathara received me warmly. They are helping us with electricity. We maintained good relations with all ECOWAS countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and others.
I went to Nigeria and I met President Bola Tinubu. We supported him to continue as ECOWAS Chairman for another year, because ECOWAS will be celebrating its 60th anniversary, so we need him to continue his stewardship.Nigeria has always been there for us. Nigeria has been, and is our brother, and we have warm relations.
With Sierra Leone, President Bio and I are in constant touch. The thing I like about him is that if he has investors, he will send them to me.
We have a warm and healthy relations with other African countries, like Kenya, Rwanda and others. So with the European Union, the United States and the Asian countries.