Liberia: Boakai Administration’s Deafening Silence On Fraudulent Schemes Is Eroding Public Trust

IN A TIME when Liberia desperately needs visionary leadership and ethical governance, the Boakai administration is floundering.

THE LATEST FRAUDULENT scandal involving the Office of the First Lady, coupled with the unresolved NEKOTEH controversy, has further exposed a troubling governance dilemma.

PRESIDENT BOAKAI’S continued silence on these matters is not just disappointing, it is alarming, as it suggests systemic corruption is being tolerated, if not outright institutionalized, under his leadership.

THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST Varfee Holmes, a senior official in First Lady Katumu Boakai’s office, are deeply troubling.

HOLMES IS ACCUSED of extorting thousands of dollars from young Liberians under the false promise of scholarship opportunities abroad.

DESPITE HIS ADMISSION to collecting funds for what he called “partially funded scholarships,” no tangible assistance has materialized, and the victims remain defrauded and abandoned.

WHAT’S EVEN MORE disheartening is the First Lady’s reported knowledge of the issue. Holmes initially claimed she was uninvolved but later admitted that she had been “briefed on the surface.”

THIS RAISES A critical question: why has no action been taken to refund the victims or hold the perpetrators accountable?

THE LACK OF transparency from the First Lady’s office only fuels suspicions of complicity in these fraudulent activities.

THIS SCANDAL ECHOES the unresolved NEKOTEH debacle, where young Liberians were similarly exploited under the guise of educational opportunities. Despite public outcry, President Boakai has failed to address the issue or provide clarity on the allegations.

HIS SILENCE ON these recurring fraudulent schemes sends a dangerous message: corruption, especially when it targets Liberia’s youth, is of little consequence to this administration.

EDUCATION IS THE cornerstone of national development. For young Liberians to be exploited in their quest for self-improvement is not just a deception of their trust; it is an assault on the nation’s future.

THESE FRAUDULENT SCHEMES rob Liberia of its most promising minds and further erode faith in public institutions.

EVERY MOMENT OF silence from the president deepens the public perception that his administration is complicit in these acts or, at the very least, indifferent to their impact.

PRESIDENT BOAKAI CAME into office promising transparency, integrity, and a commitment to good governance.

YET HIS administration’s inaction on these scandals suggests otherwise.

HOW CAN THE president expect to lead a nation when he cannot, or will not confront corruption within his own ranks?

HIS FAILURE to address these issues undermines his credibility and casts doubt on his ability to uphold the principles of justice and accountability.

CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS, the media, and ordinary Liberians have been vocal in their demand for answers.

YET THE ADMINISTRATION remains mute, leaving a vacuum of leadership and accountability.

THIS IS NOT the legacy President Boakai promised to leave behind. His administration must understand that silence is not neutral, it is complicity.

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BY FAILING to act, the president risks allowing corruption to become an accepted norm within his government.

THE BOAKAI ADMINISTRATION still has an opportunity to salvage its fame.

IMMEDIATE ACTION MUST be taken to investigate these scandals, refund the victims, and hold those responsible accountable, regardless of their position or proximity to power.

ANYTHING LESS would be a backstabbing of the Liberian people and a stain on the president’s legacy.

LIBERIANS DESERVE better. They deserve a government that prioritizes their welfare, protects their aspirations, and upholds the values of transparency and integrity.

IF PRESIDENT BOAKAI cannot rise to this challenge, he will not only fail his administration but also the nation he was elected to serve.

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