MONROVIA — The Orator of Liberia’s 177th Independence Day, Dr. Robtel Neejay Pailey, has urged President Joseph Boakai to change course regarding the acquisitions of the 285 earth-moving machines before he loses the confidence of Liberians.
By Selma Lomax, [email protected]
The acquisition of 285 yellow machines by President Boakai’s administration has stirred significant controversy, with increasing demands for transparency.
The secrecy surrounding the procurement process has also led to public outcry, particularly regarding the lack of information from the Executive on how these machines were acquired.
During her Independence Day oration Friday, Dr. Pailey said: “Do you want to be remembered for condoning lawlessness or respecting the rule of law? In regards to the former, you have made some mistakes along the way— from the tenured positions debacle, to the appointments of questionable characters in key positions of trust (you know who they are), to the controversy of what I call ‘Yellow machine gate’.”
“I urge you to course correct before you lose the confidence of the Liberian people. Assemble a diverse and nationally- representative team of competent and committed Liberians with integrity; devise mutually agreeable, time-bound deliverables for them to achieve; and hold them accountable. Demand that all appointees roll up their sleeves and get to work or move out of the way of progress.”
Dr. Pailey said the government’s “ARREST Agenda” appears to be more of a multi-sectoral development wish-list, proposing that the government uses the phrase ‘dignity must define us’ as the unifying anchor for this administration’s national development plan.
“The process of managing change and delivering public goods must be Liberian-led, Liberian-financed and Liberian-managed,” she said.
