Respect the people & be committed to their welfare 

Liberian diplomat, politician, and statesman Dr. Henry Boimah Fahnbulleh, Jr. advises President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to love and respect the people of Liberia and be committed to their welfare if he wants to succeed.

By Lincoln G. Peters 

Monrovia, Liberia, March 18, 2024- Former National Security Advisor from the administration of Ex-President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Dr. Henry Boimah Fahnbulleh, is urging President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and his administration to love and respect the people of Liberia and be committed to their welfare.

Speaking in an interview with Journalists over the weekend following the celebration of his late mother, Ma. Mary Brownell’s 95th birth anniversary, Dr. Fahnbulleh described these as attributes of a good leadership, management, and governance process. 

“What I have to advise President Boakai and his administration is to love the people, serve the people, respect the people, and be committed to their welfare. That is the Hallmark of leadership”, Dr. Fahnbulleh urged. 

Born July 16, 1949, Dr. Henry Boimah Fahnbulleh, Jr., is a Liberian politician and diplomat. His last post was National Security Advisor to Ex-President Sirleaf. He also served as an advisor on international affairs for the same government.

Dr. Fahnbulleh also served as Minister of Education and Foreign Affairs, respectively, during the Samuel Doe military government from 1980 to 1983.

According to him, those were the leadership characteristics of his mother, the late Ma. Mary Brownell. Therefore, if President Boakai wants to succeed as his mom, the President should apply these principles in his leadership. 

The Liberian diplomat noted that leadership demands commitment to the people’s progress, something he disclosed that his mother demonstrated. He hopes that President Boakai will follow a similar path. 

Also, commenting on the administration of former President George M. Weah, especially for accepting defeat following the November 14, 2023, Presidential runoff election, Dr. Fahnbulleh responded that he is not aware of Liberia having a president known as George M. Weah.

“I was not in Liberia, and so, I didn’t know that Ex-President (Weah). I heard of him. I saw him on the pitch—I mean, the football field—and he was good at football. But, as a leader of the people, I have my doubts. I used to clap for him while on the football field, but as a leader, I have my doubts,” he explained.

Speaking briefly about his late mother, Ma. Mary Brownell’s Dr. Fahnbulleh described her as a wonderful person who was devoted to her country and people.

“I feel good today; my mother is still appreciated and celebrated; that means her legacy lives on. My mother was a wonderful person, devoted to her people and country. Judging from the role she played in this country, she was a bridge builder,” he noted. Editing by Jonathan Browne