Liberian National Bar Association Warns President Boakai of Looming Governance Crisis

The Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) has raised concerns about President Joseph Boakai’s leadership, warning of an impending governance crisis.

In an interview with FrontPage Africa published on Tuesday, LNBA’s President, Sylvester D. Rennie, spoke about the ongoing tensions between the Executive and Judiciary branches, especially concerning budget allocation issues. Rennie expressed worries that these tensions are causing dysfunction within the government.

“The way the government is running, it appears as if the President doesn’t have control” Rennie said. “President Boakai served as Vice President to former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for twelve years and witnessed how she maintained control despite challenges.

“Boakai needs to assert his authority, or the government will gradually collapse,” he warned.

The LNBA President pointed out that the conflict over budget allocations between the executive and the judiciary could erode public trust in the judicial system and the entire government.

“If one sector of the government is not functioning fully, it means that the entire government is paralysed” Rennie told FrontPage Africa.

He therefore called on President Boakai to engage in discussions with the Judiciary to resolve the issues and ensure proper budgetary support, before it becomes too late. He said the meeting between the three branches of government, organised by President Boakai, did not yield the necessary results to address the 2024 National Budget concerns.

Going further, Rennie rhetorically asked how President Boakai expects the government to prosecute high-profile criminal cases without the judiciary being supported financially.

As one of his main campaign promises, President Boakai has been on a difficult quest to eradicate corruption and recover embezzled funds. Recently, several former public officials from the last administration were charged with economic sabotage, theft, and other similar offences, with three of the former officials jailed.

Read More: Liberia: Former Officials Under George Weah Administration Charged, Arrested For Economic Sabotage

Liberia: Bokai Suspends Central Bank Governor For Exceeding Approved Expenditure Limits By $19.31m, Other Audit Findings

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Emmanuel Ejiofor

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