PHOTO: A partial view of UP supporters listening to Boakai’s announcement on Friday
By Our Reporter
Situated close to former Liberian warlord and now controversial Nimba County Senator, who is currently under United States government sanction for corruption and human rights and public corruption, Prince Y.. Johnson, the main opposition Unity Party Standard Bearer Joseph N. Boakai a short while ago confirmed Johnson’s earlier announcement that Nimba County Senator Jeremiah Koung is the one chosen to be his running mate in the October 10 presidential election.
Referred to as “Rescue 1”, Boakai told the hundreds of UP supporters converged on the party’s Broad Street headquarters in central Monrovia, that he had come to officially unveil to them the name of person who he has chosen to be “Rescue 2”.
On December 9, 2020, the United States Embassy announced that the US Treasury Department had imposed sanctions on former Liberian warlord and now Senator Prince Y. Johnson.
“Prince Yormie Johnson is a former warlord and current member of the Liberian Senate. He is the former Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security, Defense, Intelligence, and Veteran Affairs. In 1990, he was responsible for the murder of former Liberian President Samuel Doe, and Johnson is named in Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Report as having committed atrocities during the country’s first civil war.”
“As a Senator, Johnson has been involved in pay-for-play funding with government ministries and organizations for personal enrichment. As part of the scheme, upon receiving funding from the Government of Liberia (GOL), the involved government ministries and organizations launder a portion of the funding for return to the involved participants. The pay-for-play funding scheme involves millions of U.S. dollars. Johnson has also offered the sale of votes in multiple Liberian elections in exchange for money,” the US Embassy said.
Mr. Koung, a PYJ protege, was recently made political leader of Prince Johnson’s party, Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR). And Boakai’s confirmation of what the former Liberian warlord publicly pronounced on radio in Nimba clearly indicates the high level of influence he now wields in the former ruling UP, with one political commentator saying that from “king-mater in Nimba, “PYJ has now become king-maker in the main opposition UP”.
Boakai and Koung
In pronouncing the name of his choice for running mate, the former Liberian Vice President was appropriate as Kourng is the best suited for the task ahead to make President Weah a one-term President.
Friday’s ceremony to announce the UP leader’s running mate was not attended by some of his known political allies including businessman and politician Benoni Urey, leader of the opposition All Liberian Party (ALP) and Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence of the opposition Liberty Party. Urey’s nephew, popular talk show host and political active Henry Costa was on the shortlist of three individuals thought to have been tipped to become Boakai’s running mate.
Koung said Liberia cannot afford another six years of President George Weah’s CDC government which has not been accountable to the young people of Liberia.
“President Boakai and I are determined to turn this country around,” the newly picked running mate to the Standard Bearer told the crowd of Unity Party supporters.
Sen. Koung said he and Boakai with center their forthcoming campaign around the interest of the “ordinary Liberian people”.
In apparent reference to Weah and his CDC government, Koung told the crowd that Joe Boakai is not a corrupt man and that even after his presidency, if he wins, he will not steal from the Liberian people.