Monrovia — Liberians in and out of the country were shocked to see President Joseph Boakai flying a private jet when he (Boakai) once criticized then President George Weah for flying a private jet.
FrontPageAfrica has been gauging the views of Liberians on the matter, and their thoughts on the subject.
Eddie C. Yancy, President-elect of the Paynesville Students Union, said:
"It is a disservice to the Liberian people to see the President flying a private jet when many Liberians are poor, and where eating one time a day has become an achievement.
From a student community perspective, we have legitimate and fundamental issues with the Joseph Boakai regime.
The country has lots of issues that the President needs to be paying attention to, leaving those issues and going to fly a private plane is wrong.
As student leaders of the Paynesville Students Union, we want to call on President Boakai to pay attention to the fundamental issues of the students.
Even if the President was given the plane to use for free, it is wrong for him to accept gifts worth more than US$2,500.
President Boakai should not be doing such a thing. The CDC-led government misbehaved on the Liberian people and President Boakai is taking that same path. The issue of him flying a private jet is a disservice to the Liberian people when the people cannot eat."
Josephine Sianeh Kerkula, Resident of Monrovia
"For me, I will take it to be a betrayal and shere hypocrisy on the part of the president. These were the very things that he, Mr. President frowned upon during the presidency of George Weah. Why is it that the President is now doing something he once criticized? He who preaches equity must come with clean hands. What was wrong yesterday should also be wrong today"
George P. Carr, Assistant Secretary of the Students Unification Party
"Since the inception of the Unity Party administration, we have critiqued Boakai and Koung on their failures to declare and make public their assets, we termed their activities to be business as usual.
Today, seeing the President flying a private jet reminds me of the fact that it is the same business as usual. The government over the past time did similar thing and the Students Unification Party condemned it in the strongest term. Today, to see President Boakai who came with a promise to form a government of integrity, transparency and accountability doing business as usual is unfortunate.
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It is a double expense on the part of the President. It is too economically costly. President Boakai needs to lead by an example. Civil servants are not getting paid. He came to rescue so he needs to set a precedent.
Look at the state-run university, see how the place is filthy, nothing is happening, the country is in stagnation. So, to see the President flying a private plane is a mockery.
If this country will move forward, we need a leadership that will lead with integrity. Flying a private plane shows no level of integrity.
From the angle of the Students Unification Party, we think that President Boakai is not going to do anything for the Liberian people. He came on a notion that he going to change the country.
This is the time for people to stand up and also let the international community see this as an earmark instance against the Joseph Boakai regime that they have not come to change anything but steal and destroy the country in the interest of they and their family."
George Kiadii, Vendor and resident of Clara Town
"Six Years ago President Boakai criticized former President Weah for flying a private plane. Now, five months into President Boakai's administration, he is flying a private plane. I think the President is very deceitful to himself that he will come out and say that there will be no business as usual and he is flying a private plane, I think he does not mean well for the Liberian people."
