EFFL dismisses Boakai’s impeachment call

The Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia (EFFL) strongly supported President Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s 2023 presidential bid and even deployed some of its supporters to protect his votes. Hence, its dismissal of impeachment call shows the party’s unflinching support for Boakai.

By Kruah Thompson

Monrovia, 29 February 2024: The Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia (EFFL) leader Mr. Emanuel Gonquoi has dismissed as mere distraction, a call by two opposition lawmakers to impeach President Joseph Nyumah Boakai.

Gonquoi’s EFFL strongly supported President Boakai’s 2023 presidential bid and went as far as deploying some of its supporters to protect Boakai’s votes.

In less than two months in office, two opposition lawmakers – Representatives Yekeh Kolubah and Frank Saah Foko are demanding that the 79-year-old Liberian President be impeached.

Foko comes from the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), while Kolubah, who supported Boakai’s presidential bid, now finds comfort in dealing with the CDC he denigrated for years for leading a bad government.

On 27 February 2024, Montserrado County Electoral District #9 Representative Frank Saa Foko announced his intention to propose a bill to impeach President Boakai. 

Representative Foko cited alleged constitutional breaches by President Boakai, including failure to represent Liberia adequately abroad and inability to govern effectively within a month after assuming office.

“We are working with our lawyers, and we will ensure that the impeachment letter of the President be on the floor today or latest Thursday,” Foko emphasized.

However, Gonquoi argued that the Boakai impeachment call is a mere distraction orchestrated by lawmakers from the CDC.

“That mere bluff from lawmakers of the CDC about impeachment is what we consider a theory of distraction. They are trying to control the narratives and keep the administration of Boakai out of focus,” Gonquoi argued.

In a statement issued on his official Facebook page Wednesday, Gonquoi accused the CDC lawmakers of attempting to divert President Boakai’s attention away from the audit of the CDC administration.

“They simply intend to divert the president’s attention away from the audit of their administration. We can’t fall for that nonsense,” Gonquoi noted.

On 8 February 2024, President Boakai asked the Liberia General Auditing Commission to carry out an audit of three government institutions.

The institutions included the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Executive Protection Service (EPS). 

The audit is to focus on the period from 2018 to 2023, with findings expected within three months.

However, EFFL’s Gonquoi observed that after Boakai’s order for the audit, they attended meetings intended for assets recovery, and their terms of reference was outlined. 

Unfortunately, he said, up to now, they are still awaiting the President’s announcement to begin going after government’s stolen assets, both at home and outside of Liberia.

“The process is taking a 360-degree backward path without any justifications from those who called us,” said Gonquoi.

“Without trying to witch-hunt officials of the previous administration, I don’t see the GAC well-intentioned about fairly implementing the President’s agenda on the fight against corruption,” he noted.

At the same time, Gonquoi highlighted the EFFL’s commitment to honest and patriotic leadership.