February 13, 2024
Cllr. Cooper Kruah (l) was first nominated as Minister of Justice but his nomination was quietly withdrawn and subsequently nominated as Minister of Labor while Mr. Wilmot Paye (r) served as the chairman of the Unity Party and led Joseph Boakai to election in 2017.
MONROVIA – President Joseph Boakai has withdrawn the nomination of Cllr. Cooper Kruah as Justice Minister but quietly nominated him as Minister of Labor through a communication sent to the Liberian Senate without a public announcement.
At the same time, the President has nominated former Unity Party chairman, Mr. Wilmot Paye as Minister of Mines and Energy.
Cllr. Kruah’s withdrawal as Justice Minister came amid several media reports disclosing his alleged breach of ethics in the legal profession, allegedly diverting clients’ money to personal use.
Cllr. Kruah has vehemently denied those media reports.
Cllr. Kruah’s failed nomination as Justice Minister and subsequent nomination as Minister of Labor runs parallel to Cllr. Charles Gibson, who during the George Weah regime, was appointed as Minister of Justice but had his nomination withdrawn after a FrontPageAfrica investigation unearthed that he had, on several occasions, shortchanged his clients. His nomination as Minister of Justice was later recalled, but he was subsequently nominated as Minister of Labor and confirmed by the Liberian Senate.
The latest appointments by the President, FrontPageAfrica gathered, are intended to politically satisfy Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson, who played a pivotal role in securing the vote-rich Nimba County to propel Boakai to the Presidency.
Over the past few weeks, Sen. Johnson, a former warlord turned preacher, has been using his pulpit to caution Pres. Boakai to wise up in the appointment of his cabinet and has been calling for more Nimbaians in the cabinet.
