Criticism mounts here against the size of President Boakai’s official delegation to Japan.
By Stephen G. Fellajuah
Monrovia, Liberia; August 19, 2025 – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai faces mounting criticism for the size of his official delegation to Japan, mirroring the very practice of his predecessor, former President George Weah, that Mr. Boakai’s ruling Unity Party (UP) strongly condemned in the past.
Sources reveal that the President’s recent trip to the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-9) and Expo 2025 in Japan included more than 40 delegates. The visit comes at a time Liberians are grappling with economic hardship, including delayed salaries for public sector workers such as professors at the University of Liberia.
Under former President Weah, the now ruling Unity Party frequently attacked the size and cost of presidential delegations, describing them as excessive and wasteful, ignoring national austerity. Now, many see Boakai following the same path, raising concerns over double standards.
In 2019, Senator Abraham Darius Dillon of Montserrado County was one of the loudest critics of President Weah’s foreign travels. In one memorable post, Dillon wrote, saying, “President George Forky Klon Weah and his 24-man delegation are going to boil in Senegal for a week. LRA na collects more of our taxes, hahaha.”
Now in 2025, Dillon is part of President Boakai’s delegation to Japan, prompting accusations of political hypocrisy and selective outrage.
Critics argue that the government’s justification for the large delegation lacks substance. While some officials claim Japan requested over 50 Liberian participants, and that the President reduced the number to 23, no official documentation has been presented to verify this claim.
“It seems that all the justification of the Joseph Nyuma Boakai and Jeremiah Kpan Koung administration are not necessary,” said a source close to the debate.
The Unity Party used to criticize Ex-president Weah, not for how long he was abroad, but because the country was hard and he kept traveling with bloated delegations that cost taxpayers money”, a source added.
However, President Boakai’s Minister of Information, Jerolinmek Matthew Piah, dismissed the criticism, saying the focus should be on national progress rather than comparisons with the past.
“President Boakai is not going to watch a football game. We have not left this country with a delegation of 50 persons, so we don’t want to go into those kinds of things. The country has to make progress. The variables are different,” Piah said, despite soaring inflation and a volatile exchange rate.
He further stated, “There are more substantive issues that need to be discussed, and the country needs to move forward.”
But critics contend that if such comparisons are no longer valid, they shouldn’t have applied to former President Weah either, especially when similar justifications were dismissed.
President Boakai departed Liberia on Saturday, August 16, 2025, to participate in TICAD-9 and Expo 2025, hosted in Yokohama and Osaka, Japan. The events are high-level international platforms focused on African development, trade, and global partnerships, co-organized by the Government of Japan, the United Nations, the World Bank, and the African Union Commission.
According to an official government statement, the President’s mission is to “showcase Liberia’s development vision and explore bilateral and multilateral cooperation opportunities.”
Among those accompanying President Boakai are top government officials and business leaders, including Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Minister of Finance and Development Planning; Magdalene Ellen Dagoseh, Minister of Commerce and Industry; Wilmot J.M. Paye, Minister of Mines and Energy; Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah, Minister of Agriculture, and Jerolinmek Matthew Piah, Minister of Information.
Also on the trip are the President’s communications, protocol, and security teams, tasked with providing full logistical and operational support.
According to the government, the delegation’s presence at TICAD-9 and Expo 2025 is expected to strengthen Liberia’s international partnerships and attract vital investment. The President and his team are scheduled to return to Monrovia immediately after the conclusion of the engagements. Editing by Jonathan Browne
