Liberia president takes on former Vice President over road record

It appears like former Vice President Joseph N. Boakai, did not know that he was opening himself and his former Unity Party administration up to attacks when he criticized the Weah regime’s roads development project.

The former Vice President in a recent interview described the ongoing road constructions being undertaken by the George Weah Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government as mere sidewalk, thereby questioning its economic impact.

But President Weah addressing town hall meetings in Weala, Cotton Tree and Duazon on Monday and Tuesday respectively questioned as to what Boakai and his regime could show for the last 12 years they were in power.

“We heard some people telling you, the roads we are building are sidewalks. But they stayed 12 years in power and couldn't build a sidewalk.” President Weah said as he threw jabs at Baokai to the cheers of the audience.

President Weah in continuing his jabs at Boakai and the former ruling Unity Party revealed that under the former regime, the citizens of the slum Doe Community paid US$10,000 to the former regime to fix their road with laterite (red dirt). But some unnamed officials took the community dwellers' money and could not even put the laterites on their road.

Weah: “If you go to Doe Community, those dwellers paid USD10, 000 for them to build their roads. They were not looking for quota (asphalt concrete), they were looking for just red dirt. They took the people's money and did not build the road. We came into power and in two months the Doe Community road was paved.

But somebody that stayed in power for 12 years and did nothing will come and liken our roads to sidewalk. We are happy that we can build sidewalks. But I can say to you the hearts that we have is not the heart of those people. We have lived with you in your communities and we know what are going through.”

“So we are happy to build your sidewalk, to put light on your street, to build your hospitals. If you look at the history of this country and see how many hospitals we have built over the last 3 years then you will know that your pro-poor is working for you,” he continued. President Weah also insisted that his administration has done more in three years than what any of his predecessors did in their first three years. He told the citizens not to be fooled by anyone, because they did not make a mistake by electing him to lead the country.

On Monday, he told a huge crowd on the grounds of the Weala Public School that former Vice President Boakai whose supporters condemned him (Weah) for playing lulu games with children, was now on beaches playing checker with children.

President Weah during the town hall meeting said it was unfortunate that a man who stayed in power for 12 years and did nothing and was charging citizens USD10 per month to park their cars in his yard, would want to come back to gain state power.

VP, Baokai during his reign as Vice President did not personally collect USD 10 for parking in his compound but members of his security details did.

President Weah questioned what would be his achievement, which he could not accomplish when he was in power for 12 years. The tour of the country continues today with more town hall meetings.