The Other Side of President Weah’s Appointments

H.E. President Weah, like his predecessors who came before him, has the sole prerogative and the constitutional mandate to make numerous governmental appointments where he sees fit and appropriate in fulfillment of his government operational theme: “Poor Pro-Government” which is by and large a normal practice that cuts across most governmental functions, especially for those in poverty striking nations like Liberia. Equally so, there are other very sensitive things that should accompany every appointment especially done within a very poor country like Liberia who has been in the begging for money business to run its holistic government operations. But the irony is that corruption begins with the employment of unqualified officials, who simply don’t know what to do in the office H.E. President Weah has entrusted to the said appointee.

The worse thing that can ever happen to any H.E. Presidential appointee is for that appointee not to know what to do in his/her new portfolio. The mishap is that said appointee can always flow with any idea that comes from anywhere. Corruption is not only limited to Liberian eating or embezzling funds. Corruption begins right from H.E. President Weah appointing unqualified Liberians to positions of trust where he/she has no prior knowledge about that portfolio of trust. That appointee will certainly create an impression that he/she is capable to do the job for which H.E President Weah did offer. In the end, the only good ideas will be the money eating ideas and how to grab more money and escapes quickly from government service to private life.

There are five unique approaches a governmental appointment is derived: First, from the inner circles of the ruling party, Second, from the coalition members of one or more parties that won the election along with the main political party. Third, from a pool of qualified Liberians whom H.E President Weah doesn’t have any clue regarding their individual’s personalities but are qualified Liberians. Fourth, from family and friends alike. Fifth, from the list of the First Lady. Sixth, the list of special financiers, donors’ and contributors, who had no membership in the CDC or the winning coalitional bloc. But in any given circumstance, the President will need to be guided by some form of selection criteria to help him make an informed judgment on his various appointments.

But in Africa, most selections are made on the basis of who might have made the loudest noise in the party, like the case of Ferguson who make a lot of noise on social media in defense of H.E President Weah and got him a Deputy Minister for Public Affairs job at Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, has no journalistic skill or qualification. There is a chief difference between a carrier job and a non-carrier portfolio. The Ministry of Information, Cultural and Tourism it is a based-Ministry.

Though credential and educational support mechanism shouldn’t be conspicuously overruled in in these circumstances, the actual missing link could be the lack of experience in such a sophisticated office where the journalism profession counts considerably than any other credentials would easily prevail. In other words, Liberians who are appointed to an office of trust by the H.E President Weah should have some level of experience either in the private or public sectors. The appointees should have some levels of major contracts or connectivity, especially outside Liberia. They should be able to use those contacts to solve some of Liberia’s systemic problems within the scope of their various Ministries, Corporations, and Commissions.

Those appointees’ contacts should be in alignment with their levels of political exposure to new ideas and better working environment on the outside. H.E President Weah should appoint Liberians who have contacts outside Liberia, who will use their contacts to lobby for supports that will help to improve their individual’s Ministers, Corporations and or Commissions. For example, the IGP should be a security personnel who will use his contacts abroad to lobby for police equipment, uniform, patrol vehicles, motorcades, etc., etc.

Another example could be the Ministry of Information, Cultural, and Tourism where the Minister should have some levels of contacts probably with the Information department of some States in the US that is able to help the dying Ministry with materials. Or the Minister and his principle deputies can use their contacts and connections to lobby for journalism equipment, including vehicles and getting expertise to visit the Ministry to establish intensive training for members of the Ministry and other journalists in Liberia. The same can be applied to other governmental entities in Liberia. Ministers, Directors, and Commissioners can always use their individual contacts to reduce some of the financial burdens on government budgetary allocation from time to time.

H.E President Weah’s appointees will be looking up to government budgetary allocation in order for them to carry out their various functions which is ridiculous. How can H.E President Weah appointment Liberians who are virtually disconnected with the outside world, when so much are needed to from them by way of contacts to run their various entities in the absent government cash allocation? This type of appointment often than none paralyzes government work because the appointees are themselves handicapped with no exposure, connections, and contacts outside Liberian to make things happened for the government. H.E President Weah’s Vice President cannot travel for fear that she could be arrested for war crime and crime against humanity, his Finance, Information, Commerce and many other appointees cannot leave Liberia for abroad, because none of them knows any foreign official abroad, neither do they have any form of contacts or connectivity or outside exposure to make thing happens in the government. H.E President Weah has enormous contacts and connectivity. Recently he visited few of his contacts, in Senegal, Morocco, and France. The appointees should also have their individual contacts to make things happened in Liberia for Liberians. H.E President Weah will need to appoint Liberians who have the contacts, connectivity, experience and the exposure to lobby for mama Liberia and the people of Liberia.