Home News 79 Year-Old Joseph Boakai Takes Office In Liberia, Promises To Tackle Youth Issues
NewsPolitics

79 Year-Old Joseph Boakai Takes Office In Liberia, Promises To Tackle Youth Issues

557

Liberia’s new president, Joseph Boakai has been sworn into office, making him the country’s oldest president ever. It will be recalled that in November 2023, the Septugenarian nicknamed “Sleepy Joe,”  defeated  George Weah – the country’s youngest-ever president – in a keenly contested election.

Running on a campaign platform that promised to fight wastefulness and corruption in contrast to the perceived spendthrift ways of the Weah administration, Boakai now faces a plethora of problems including a high poverty rate, a growing drug problem among young people, and an anaemic economy still struggling to recover 2 decades after the end of the country’s brutal civil war.

Boakai, who previously served as vice-president under Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, insists that his physical health and fitness are not in question as he seeks to institute reforms in a country with a median age of 18.5 years. His vice-president, 46 year-old Jeremiah Koung previously served as a member of the country’s Senate.

The challenges facing Boakai’s government include a lack of forex, which could soon lead to severe shortages in the import-dependent country, and a growing problem with an illegal synthetic drug known as kush or K2.

Read more: Four Survive Russian Private Jet Crash in Afghanistan

About The Author

Written by
Ikenna Churchill

Culture storyteller

Related Articles

News

Burkina Faso Abolishes Visa Fees For African Travellers To Boost Integration

Burkina Faso has announced the abolition of visa fees for all African...

Traoré inaugurate Cement factory
News

Burkina Faso: President Traoré Delivers Over 700 Vehicles To Brigades Under “Faso Mêbo” Initiative

Burkina Faso’s President, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has reinforced the country’s push for...

Kenya’s Ruto Proposes Mediating Nile Dam Dispute, Seeks to Purchase Ethiopia’s Power
News

Kenya’s Ruto Proposes Mediating Nile Dam Dispute, Seeks to Purchase Ethiopia’s Power

Kenya’s William Ruto has proposed to mediate the Nile Dam dispute between...

Nigerian Influencer Shares 4-Month-Old News, Subtly Implying Nigeria Is IMF-Debt-Free as Tinubu's Borrowing Spree Shifts to World Bank
News

Nigerian Government Pushes “IMF-Debt-Free” Media Narrative As Nigeria Becomes Africa’s Largest World Bank Debtor

A Nigerian social media influencer has resurfaced a four-month-old news report from...