ON DECEMBER 17, 2023, the U.S. sanctioned and former Liberian notorious warlord Senator Prince Y. Johnson turned pastor, used his pulpit to threaten Liberians who dared to insult President-elect Joseph N. Boakai or Vice President-elect Jeremiah K. Koung. According to Sen. Johnson, no one will be permitted to insult the office of the president on radio stations immediately after the inauguration of Mr. Boakai.
A SIMILAR STATEMENT from the outgoing President George M. Weah in the early stages of his administration came under sharp criticism from opposition leaders including Mr. Boakai, who was also very vocal against the CDC administration for shutting down a number of local radio stations.
INTERESTINGLY, given the above, both President-elect Boakai and his ally the U.S. sectioned and former Liberian notorious warlord Sen. Johnson have themselves benefited from individuals attached to their political parties and campaigns that are on record for spewing insults at the current President George M. Weah, often considered a payback of CDC insults to Madam Sirleaf during Unity Party’s first twelve years in power.
ONE HIGH PROFILE OPPOSITION supporter who is the epiphany of the opposition insult to the office of the presidency is former rebel commander Representative Yeke Kolubah. He is on record for raining insults on the President and his family in the streets, on public radio stations, on social media platforms, and on the floor of the House of Representatives during open sessions. None of these behaviors were ever called to question by President-elect Boakai or Sen. Prince Y. Johnson.
THE CLOSURE OF TWO radio stations under the Weah-led government in 2018 and 2019 on grounds of peddling negative propaganda against the government came under sharp criticism from opposition politicians, including the Unity Party under President-elect Joe Boakai. PUNCH FM (owned and managed by Patrick Hannah), and Roots FM (owned and managed by Henry Costa), both of which were aligned with opposition politicians including Mr. Boakai at the time, became a major cause for public descent. This period included the infamous June 7 public protest in 2019.
HENRY COSTA’ ROOTS FM stayed closed until the end of 2023 December when a new permit to resume operations in the country. It is also important to note that the Civil Law Court ‘A’ Judge Peter W. Gbeneweleh restored the broadcasting rights of PUNCH FM in response to a ruling that grew out of a 13-count petition filed to the court on October 15, 2019, by One Media Incorporated (Punch FM) owner and manager Mr. Patrick Honnah. The partition was filed against the MICAT by and through its Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe, requesting the court to restore its right to operate in the country.
IN LIGHT OF THE ABOVE, the conspicuous silence of President-elect Boakai since Sen. Johnson’s threat to freedom of expression has left political commutators and pundits wondering if Mr. Boakai supports Sen. Johnson’s threat, especially since Liberia has a dark history of suppression of the right to freedom of expression under previous authoritarian regimes, including those of former Presidents Samuel Doe and Charles G. Taylor. With such history, one would think that President-elect Boakai or his political party would have robustly act to send an emphatic message that his incoming administration has absolutely no intention to clamp down on the rights of citizens with respect to freedom of expression as indicated by Sen. Johnson.
UNTIL THE PRESIDENT ELECT Boakai can emphatically disassociate himself from Sen. Johnson’s assertion that Liberians would be targeted for insulting the office of the president after [his] inauguration, the public is left to conclude that Sen. Prince Y. Johnson, who believes himself to be the kingmaker of Mr. Boakia, has clearly communicated the mind of President elect Boakai, expressing his stance on how his administration intends to deal with matters relating to freedom of expression.
Dr. Clarence R. Pearson, Sr. is a Liberian clergy and social scientist with strong interest in advancing global peace, human rights, a safe planet, and social equity. He holds a BA in Theology, and MA with distinction from the Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict Transformation, University of Liberia. He also graduated with honor from the Louisiana Baptist University and Seminary, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA with A PhD in Psychology and Counseling. Dr. Pearson is a social researcher, an educator, and an author. He has over 29 years of practical professional experience in post-conflict peace-building, recovery, and development with emphasis in both the public and private sector.