Monrovia — Joseph Boakai and Benoni Urey's recent flight to Nigeria on a private jet has reawakened and shifted the criticisms of President George Weah's preferment for private jets to the opposition community, with President Weah himself also throwing shade at the opposition figures.
Speaking to a group of Liberians during a town hall meeting in Washington, D.C., President George Weah described the opposition leaders who often criticized him as "jokers" and "not serious".
"The people argue that when the President travel on a private plane, they tell him that it's wrong, but these are the same people - they're all in private jet, taking pictures and posting them on Facebook. When I get in a private plane, it's to go work for you... "
President Weah's comments come in the wake of a recent trip to Nigeria by former Vice President Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party and his closest political ally and businessman Benoni Urey of the All Liberian Party (ALP). According to the Unity Party, the pair and their associates had gone to meet some Nigerian businesspeople and politicians to discuss their plans for the Liberian presidency and the 2023 elections.
They had traveled to meet Nigerian politician and businessman Prince Nduka Obaigbena who owns the This Day newspaper in Nigeria.
Details of the discussions have not been made public, but reports say the Liberian politicians from the opposition block were invited over to discuss their plans for the country and the 2023 elections.
Amid the criticisms that Amb. Boakai who has always positioned himself as the man of the downtrodden and criticized the abuse of public resources raised a lot of eyebrows when pictures of him along with Urey and Urey's daughter in a private jet.
However, Ms. Urey - also a politician - told FrontPageAfrica that the two opposition figures did not board the private jet from Liberia, but rather, used it to travel from one state to another and was sent by a Nigerian businessman.
UP Secretary General Amos Tweah told OK FM in Monrovia that the private jet belongs to a friend of Mr. Boakai, who lives in Nigeria.
Commenting on the use of the private jet on social media, John Williams said:
"The Liberian people have the right to know who the business people are in Nigeria that are making their private jets available to presidential candidate Boakai. Because businesspeople "invest" in long-term projects! Therefore, those businesspeople in Nigeria could be "setting their traps", as Liberians say! And that's why Liberians have the right to know Boakai's business friends are. Are they criminals or not?"
Amid the criticisms, the Boakai fanatics and supporters argue that, unlike President Weah who has access to taxpayers' money, Boakai's travel on a private jet has no bearing on the economy.
Victor Davis also commented: "How is it criminal in nature for a private citizen to ride a private jet? How is it draining the economy or government budget? He is not using taxpayer money to do what he is doing. So, where the wrong in it lies?
However, Sylvester Rennie counter-argued on social media, "If your man them in opposition and ridding private jets and good cars when they control our country's resources dah when they will fly non-private jets?"
When President Weah took office in 2018, he came under immense pressure for always flying a private jet with many speculations that the jet belonged to him. It was also speculated among opposition figures that the President had secretly purchased the jet for over US$30 million as observers took note of the plane's continuous presence at the Roberts International Airport.
The Executive Mansion categorically denied that the jet which had been taking the President on many of his regional trips was been purchased by him.
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"The plane is a private plane being provided to the President to facilitate his travels. It is not owned by the President; neither is it a chartered plane. We have been blessed to have a President who has many friends," the Executive Mansion stated in a press at the time.
Some speculations suggested that the plane is being leased on a monthly basis depending on the President's travel.
The Executive Mansion: "The airplane issue is causing problems. We don't have a bus, how will we buy a $30 million plane? Where do they get this kind of news from? It is not possible for us to buy a plane for US$30 million; we are just coming to office", the President quipped.
"The airplane they are talking about is for my friend, who is the manager of a big company in Burkina Faso. He told me to use it anytime I want to travel because he has seen me use planes owned by Ivory Coast and others. He wants me to use a plane that is not labeled to boost my morale too," the Liberian President added.
