By: Staff Writer
Liberia President Joseph Boakai to commissioned officials
In Liberia, the President is an elected official who represents the country for his term of office. While the President leads and represents the country. Likewise, there are several checks and balances between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, which further limit the powers of the President.
Patriotism to the country means looking out for the welfare of the country as a whole rather than any one person.
It is based on this, that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai challenged his commissioned officials to perform their respective duties with the patriotic mindset and admonished them to help drive his government for the transformation of the country.
These commissioned on June 11, 2024, at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex, in Congo Town, Monrovia were; the Minister of Defense, Director of the National Security Agency, Deputy Ministers, and Heads of Agencies. In his speech, he called on each of them to, individually and collectively bring to his government, expertise, honor, integrity and the values they uphold to promote transparency, accountability and service to the people. According to Boakai, the expectations of the people are very high in seeing the country moving forward. “The expectations of our people are high, and rightfully so. That is why we are delighted that among those to be commissioned this afternoon are some of the country’s experienced and dedicated women and men,” the president noted.
Boakai also called on the commissioned officials to see themselves as people,who are on the right path to changing the fortunes of the country for the good of the citizens. He said, the country is beginning to take firm steps to purge itself of some of the obstacles that tend to block and undermine its development potential.
“We are not just building confidence at home with our people; we are showing to the world that Liberia is ready to reclaim itself and demonstrate the principles of a sound and responsible government that builds trust among development partners and investors, and be a country that deserves respect among the community of nations,” the president emphasized on good governance and accountability in his government.
The president pointed out that his administration is making good progress and they intend to keep the course. “Liberia will rise again!”
“This new breath of life is not simply guaranteed; it will depend on deliberate actions collectively cultivated and firmly executed by those charged with roles and responsibilities in the government to provide the service and relief urgently needed by the Liberian people.,” Boakai sa, adding “This is why we expect nothing less from those to be commissioned this afternoon but the expert execution of the mandate of your respective offices and the efficient and selfless performance of your duties for the public good.”
He however reminded them that wearing titles on their sleeves is not the way to serve the people.
“Rather, your focus should be on delivering on the government’s development priorities. Remember that you are appointed to serve, not to be served. We have a great deal of work to do for our people, including the formulation and execution of a new development plan over the next five years, so it’s crucial that everyone contributes,” he reminded the officials about the many challenges ahead of them.
On the issue of running the government on the social media platforms. the president informed them that his administration does not conduct its business on social media nor on frequent talk show appearances.
Also, on the situation of coordination, Boakai said, “We have a competent and energized Ministry of Information. Ministries and Agencies should speak through the Ministry of Information and so in doing you allow them to do their job!
I also expect all government officials to demonstrate integrity and uphold high ethical standards in their work.”
On the matter of behavior. the Liberian leader said, it is important to understand what behavior is acceptable and what is unacceptable in the course of their duties.
” As role models for our children, public officials should conduct themselves in a manner befitting their positions and any behavior unbecoming of this will not be tolerated,” Boakai remains strong on behavior changes.
Boakai told the officials that he has refused to accept the typical saying, “that is the way we have done it, and it should remain and be the way.”
He reminded his officials that the Liberian people did not elect them to continue business as usual. “We must set a new standard to achieve optimum success.
You can choose to align with these standards, or you can choose to step aside,” Boakai frankly informed them of his straight adherence to the principle of accountability. He said, public officials must learn to coordinate, be tolerant, and work with each other while respecting ranks.
” Those who believe public offices are their exclusive preserve and those who plan to express grievances in an unorthodox manner to embarrass the government should thoroughly rethink,” he cautioned.
“This government will not allow errant behavior that will deflect its focus from the people’s business,” he emphasized.
He used the occasion to admonish the officials to affirm to commit to the development of the country and the good of the citizens.
“I have confidence in your ability to perform as each of you brings particular talents and competencies to your respective roles as public servants, ” he added.
According to the President, he intends to work and coordinate with the other branches of the government to make the lives of the Liberian people better.
” In the last five months, we have had an active relationship with the leadership of the two branches of government, which we intend to maintain to ensure the seamless functioning of government,” he said.
However, he noted , “we believe ministers must be allowed to work mostly without interruption to allow optimum performance.
He also applauded the leadership of the Legislature for what he called “the openness and constant exchanges of ideas for the betterment of our Country.”
” I also understand and respect the oversight functions of the legislature,” the president acknowledges the role of the Legislature.
“As someone who has been in public service for this long, I am also aware of the thoughts of our framers of the Constitution when they spoke and wrote about three coordinate branches of government,” he noted.
He said, he finds it hard to believe that the constant summons of ministers and other officials of the administration on nearly every single matter of disagreement improves and elevates our synchronization.
“In fact, I believe that it limits the spirit of cooperation and coordination. We are in this together. The campaign is over, and the elections are won. I am convinced that all of us love Liberia and want the best for our country. We are patriots. We hope we can work together to find an alternate way to address our concerns and improve our collaboration,” the president informed the Legislature.
