By Lincoln G. Peters
Main opposition Unity Party (UP) standard bearer Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai says his quest for the Liberian Presidency is to rescue Liberia and renew the country’s lost image.
The former Liberian vice president told his Friday, 28 April 2023 that Liberia has entered its lowest state.
Over the weekend, Boakai announced his running mate as Nimba County Senator Jeremiah Koung for the 2023 presidential and legislative elections.
He lamented the degradation of Liberia’s value system, unprecedented economic hardship, devaluing, and demoralizing of civil servants.
He also claimed there is an upward trend in rewarding political patronage, a practice that has undercut the merit-based system.
“My fellow partisans and Liberians, I have come to you with a message of Rescue and Renewal,” said Boakai.
“When I set out on this journey many years ago, my focus was and has always been on one agenda: COUNTRY FIRST, LIBERIA FIRST!”
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He noted that he is on record to have said to the Liberian people that “Liberia is not a poor country.”
He argued that “the perennial problem of this country is mainly triggered by greed, the lack of sound and honest leadership.”
He said he has a mission, and that mission is to ensure that the lost image of Liberia is restored.
He said God has given him the strength and His good grace to join millions of citizens in taking another step in the mission to rescue this country.
“…It is my honor and pleasure today to announce to the people of Liberia the much-anticipated selection of my vice presidential choice for the 2023 presidential Election-RESCUE 2,” Boakai said, referring to Mr. Koung.
During the naming of his running at UP headquarters on Broad Street, several opposition leaders were in attendance.
They included the Vision for Liberia Transformation Party (VOLT) political leader Dr. Jeremiah Z. Whapoe, Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia (EFFL) leader Emmanuel Gonquoi, Rainbow Alliance, and Dr. Alric Tokpah, among others.
The program was also a scene of attraction and excitement as thousands of supporters and partisans turned out for the running mate naming ceremony.
The pronouncement of Senator Koung as Boakai’s running mate was overwhelmingly accepted by supporters and partisans of the opposition UP, though other political leaders appeared unhappy.
During the program, the opposition All Liberian Party (ALP) political leader Benoni Urey, Liberty Party (LP) political leader Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, and other long-time political allies of Mr. Boakai did not attend the program.
Amb. Boakai said drug abuse, allegedly facilitated by the failure of the CDC administration to stop its inflow, and stealing in government with impunity by officials, have become an acceptable norm.
The opposition leader said violations of the country’s organic laws are no longer punishable.
According to him, all of these are happening because the current government doesn’t listen and is not responsive to the needs of the people.
“The horrible leadership that Mr. Weah and his CDC have provided our country since January 2018 is killing our people and robbing young people of a future of hope and promise,” he lamented further.
