President George Weah and a large number of other government officials are allegedly on vacation, which is a slap in the face to every Liberian, according to Joseph Boakai, the Standard-bearer of the Unity Party. This is especially true given the unbearable hardship that Liberians are currently experiencing.

The revelation was made by the former vice president on Wednesday during a speech about the situation in Liberia at the Broad Street headquarters of the Unity Party.

He asserts that a presidential visit, particularly one lasting longer than a month, should include a detailed itinerary that details not just the President's locations at specific times but also the intended advantages for the country.

"The president is on a lavish safari, supporting his luxurious lifestyle with the nation's limited resources. Sadly, the President is leaving the country for seven weeks without providing the public with information about his engagements "said he.

President Weah has left the country and will be gone for the next seven weeks, he declared, without providing the Liberian people with any concrete justification for such a protracted absence.

Boakai continued: "We are aware that he will eventually attend the World Cup festivities in Qatar, so this comes as no surprise. His mainstay is that."

President Weah might be replaced by other government representatives, according to Boakai.

It goes without saying that his extended absence from the country for no discernible reason is unprecedented in the history of the Liberian presidency, according to Boakai.

Boakai says, "Of course, we understand that President Weah's presence and absence are same, but at least with minimal impact on our financial resources.

The Unity Party's Standard-bearer, Joseph Boakai, claims that the Weah-led government's weak leadership is to blame for the ongoing hardships that Liberians have experienced across the nation, including the shortage of rice and the shoddy way in which our National Census was conducted.

According to Mr. Boakai, it is accurate to say that Liberia is still cruising without a rudder on the wide seas.

"My fellow citizens, the lack of leadership is currently Liberia's biggest issue. Because there is no dependable leadership to steer the country in the transformational path that it deserves, the nation is on autopilot and lacks direction "Boakai, the UP's standard-bearer, remarked.

A population count corrupts its reputation

Former Vice President Boakai continues, saying that following numerous delays in the National Housing and Population Census, government officials are reportedly embezzling funds earmarked for the Census.

The National Housing and Population Census preparation has been hampered by controversies, marked by flagrant corruption and a lack of clearly defined policies, he continued.

Boakai continues: "Consider that it has been since 2008 since the last Census, which is required by law to be done every ten years. The census was supposed to be performed in 2018, but the Weah/CDC-led administration was not and still does not appear to be ready for it."

He emphasized that the disorganized partisan training, which he claimed was also plagued by unhappiness, protests, and demonstrations around the country, shows that the CDC-led Government is unaware of the gravity and importance of our National Census.

Without realistic empirical data, according to UP's Standard-bearer, all national planning will be founded on lie and lack the foundation needed to make important decisions for the country's progress.

He claimed it was not surprising that, on the eve of the census, it was allegedly reported that G. Alex M. Williams, the Deputy Director-General for Statistics and Data-Processing of LISGIS, had predicted that the exercise would be a "flop," along with media outlets reporting that enumerators would boycott the census. Williams has since been fired.

He questioned the President's position on the Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, the Board Chair of LISGIS, and other people involved in this census scandal.

"When the President decided to declare November 11, 2022 as a Census Holiday, was it not Mr. Tweah's opinion to the President that everything concerning the census was headed in the right direction? So, are we to assume that the President is being serious in this situation? Definitely not, "said he.

Boakai continued, "I believe such corrupt acts have damaged the process that is very vital to the nation and our partners for national development reasons because of the acts of severe mismanagement and unaccountability of budgeted funds at LISGIS.

He continued, "Let me stress that the terminated authorities and all anyone connected with fraud actions be quickly prosecuted and held accountable for funds squandered."

Lack of rice

The UP strongman concluded that the government's incapacity to plan for the supply of basic commodities was the sole explanation for the lack of rice and the increase in the price of a bag of rice.

The periodic lack of essentials like food and petrol in our small economy is entirely attributable to the Weah regime, according to all available data, he said.

He asserts that there is no other way for the Weah administration to prove its capacity to steer Liberia in the correct direction.

He emphasized that the Weah administration must be overthrown in 2023 in order for meaningful efforts to be made to improve Liberia and safeguard the interests of future generations. He claimed that this will be accomplished by the decisive and widespread vote of the Liberian people in that year.