Politics

Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai cuts salary by 40%

Published

2 months ago

July 7, 2024

Amidst the growing call for a significant cut in the cost of governance across the continent, Joseph Boakai, the President of Liberia, has declared a voluntary 40% cut to his pay.

This was revealed in a statement that was posted on the Liberian government’s website on Saturday and stated that the action was in line with Boakai’s dedication to national financial security and fiscal integrity.

This occurred a few days after a few lawmakers protested against the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning for failing to provide them with the funds for their tricycles, or “Keke,” by riding them to the parliament.

According to Boakai, the declaration demonstrates his resolve to set an example for improving public accountability and displaying citizen solidarity.

The statement partly read, “In fulfilment of his commitment to fiscal integrity and national financial security, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr.. has announced a voluntary 40% reduction in his salary.

“According to the President, the announcement reflects his determination to lead by example in strengthening government accountability and demonstrating solidarity with the people of the nation.

“The Liberian leader said the move is aimed at setting a precedent for responsible governance and nation-building.”

Furthermore, Boakai “has pledged to empower the Civil Service Agency (CSA) to ensure that workers receive fair compensation for their contributions to the country and that public servants’ salaries are in line with the current state of the nation.”

Boakai formally introduced the Employee Status Regularization Programme earlier on Thursday to improve payroll and employment transparency and accountability within the government. The initiative is a critical step in building a civil service that is more effective, responsible, and transparent.

According to a statement from the president of Liberia, the recently established ESRP entails a thorough staff headcount as well as a physical verification operation to find and eliminate unfit individuals and ghost identities from the government’s payroll.

Along with raising the pay of lawful civil personnel, the program aims to give competent professionals more chances to provide effective and efficient services. Boakai is currently in Nigeria for the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS. Boakai succeeded previous President George Weah.

In a similar move, Kenyan President William Ruto on Friday suggested borrowing more money in approximately equal amounts and cutting spending to close a nearly $2.7 billion budget deficit left by his decision to back out of planned tax increases in the face of widespread opposition.

In reaction to widespread, youth-led protests that have precipitated the largest crisis of Ruto’s two-year government, the financial law including the tax increases was withdrawn by the president.

Related Topics:Cost of Governance Featured Liberia

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Politics

Tunisian court mandates electoral commission to reinstate presidential contenders

Published

5 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

The highest court in Tunisia has issued an order requiring the electoral commission to re-enter two candidates for an October presidential election, cautioning that not doing so might compromise the election’s credibility.

The Administrative Court’s decision was made in rising political unrest in the nation of North Africa, where opposition parties and civil society organisations are concerned that a rigged election could give President Kais Saied a second term.

In the largest demonstration against constraints on liberties and the undemocratic electoral environment in Tunisia in two years, thousands of Tunisians came to the streets on Friday. Among the shouts screamed by the demonstrators was “Out with dictator Saied.”

Tensions increased after the electoral commission, citing purported flaws in their candidacy forms, rejected the court’s decision earlier this month to restore the candidatures of Abdellaif Mekki, Mondher Znaidi, and Imed Daimi ahead of the contest on October 6.

The president himself appointed the committee’s members, and major parties and civil society organisations claimed that this meant the president was using the inquiry as a weapon against his opponents.

Regarding the charges, commission president Farouk Bouasker has stated that “the commission is the only constitutional body entrusted with the integrity of the election” and refuted them. However, the commission must carry out its mandate and, if needed, revise the election schedule, the court ruled on Saturday. It’s unclear if this entails delaying the election or prolonging the campaign.

“Otherwise it would lead to an illegal situation that conflicts with the electoral law and the transparency of the electoral process”, it said.

Following their filing of a new complaint against the commission’s ruling, the court requested that Znaidi and Mekki be allowed to participate in the race. Daimi, the third contender, hasn’t yet submitted a second appeal.

After winning a democratic election in 2019, Saied strengthened his hold on power and started governing by decree in 2021—a move that the opposition has called a coup.

Politics

Under their new coalition, Mali, Burkina, Niger to launch biometric passports

Published

5 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

As part of their departure from the West African bloc in favour of a new Sahel alliance, military authorities in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger will implement new biometric passports, the countries’ leaders announced on Sunday.

Together, the three Sahelian neighbours run by juntas declared in January that they would be exiting the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), despite efforts by the organisation to convince them otherwise.

In July, the three West African nations signed a confederation treaty demonstrating their will to forge on together outside of the regional political and economic bloc that has been pressuring them to revert to democratic governance.

Earlier this month, Burkina Faso declared that it will no longer be issuing passports with the ECOWAS emblem.

“In the coming days, a new biometric passport of the AES (Alliance of Sahel States) will be put into circulation with the aim of harmonising travel documents in our common area and facilitating the mobility of our citizens throughout the world”, Malian junta leader Assimi Goita announced on Sunday evening.

On the eve of the decision to form their alliance, the foreign ministers of the three nations will meet on Monday. He made this statement beforehand.

In addition, Goita announced that they intended to open a common information channel “to foster a peaceful exchange of information among our three states.”

Meanwhile, ECOWAS had warned that the 400 million residents of the 49-year-old bloc would lose their freedom of movement and access to the common market if the three countries were to exit,

Their withdrawal coincides with their troops fighting militants associated with the Islamic State and al Qaeda, whose insurgencies have caused instability in the area for the previous ten years and pose a threat to those bordering West Africa.