Liberian President Joseph Boakai, on a tsunami wave of suspension of Agency Heads to implement his ARREST program

Abubakar Hashim/ Monrovia

Since I arrived Monrovia few weeks ago, to cover the forthcoming 178th independence anniversary on July 26, 2025, President Joseph Boakai is getting tougher in administering affairs of the state, particularly the suspension wave of heads of government agencies.

I saw the suspension of two heads of strategic agencies within two weeks.

Abdulai Kamara, the chairman of Liberia’s Telecommunications Authority LTA and his colleague counterpart at Liberia Commodities Regulatory Authority, LACRA, Christopher Sankolo were both suspended for gross abuse of office.

President Boakai was once head of the latter entity, when it was called Liberia Produce Marketing Company LPMC and has a versatile knowledge of LTA, when he was Vice President, overseeing all Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDAs.

As the country’s independence gets closer, President Boakai, from all indications, seems ready to position the country’s economy on a solid pace.

There is an investment conference upcoming from July 15 to 18, 2025, where it is expected to open up opportunities for investment into strategic sectors of the economy.

Without proper and befitting administrative structures to coordinate these expected investments into the country, it will be a pipe dream.

This reason, among others, is responsible for the recent suspension wave of heads of strategic entities.

During his campaign trail, Boakai promised “ rescue” of the Liberian economy.

Today, he is implementing his ARREST, ( Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation and Tourism) program, which was launched at the second Port City of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County on January 15, 2025.

The ARREST program seems workable when the implementing entities are headed by visionary leaders.

The NEWS was reliably informed from highly placed sources, that the suspension tsunami will speedily continue in the foreseeable future, as President Boakai seems determined to bequeath a lasting legacy, to rapidly develop the Liberian economy through a public- private sector-led development strategy.

*Abubakar Hashim is TheEWS’ West Africa Bureau Chief. He is currently in Liberia to cover the upcoming 178 independence anniversary on 26 July 2025.