Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai has chosen a retired female brigadier general, Geraldine George, to be the temporary head of the defense department. This decision came after the wives of soldiers protested and caused the previous minister to step down.
This is the first time a woman is doing this job, but we don’t know why Mrs. George is only doing it temporarily.
She joined the army in 2006 while it was being rebuilt after a civil war and became part of the best troops. She has been the second-in-command of the staff for the past six years.
After Mr Boakai became president on 22 January, he chose her to be the deputy in charge of administration in the defense ministry.
She got a promotion because the Defense Minister, Prince Charles Johnson III, quit his job after protests from soldiers’ wives on Monday.
The senate in Liberia approved his appointment last week, but he had to quit because of the protests.
The woman said that because he used to be in charge of the armed forces, he should be blamed for the military not getting enough money and having bad living conditions.
The women put roadblocks in Monrovia and other parts of the country, so Mr. Boakai had to cancel the National Army Day celebrations on Monday.
Mr Boakai became the new leader by winning a very close election against the current leader, George Weah, last November. Neither of them won enough votes in the first round, so they had a second election to decide the winner.
Tag: Joseph Boakai
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First female minister of defence appointed to Liberia
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Liberia’s new president Joseph Boakai fails to end inauguration speech due to heat exhaustion
Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai, 79, faced health issues during his swearing-in ceremony, requiring assistance away from the podium.
While delivering his inauguration speech, Boakai encountered difficulty after approximately 30 minutes. Failing twice to continue, the ceremony was adjourned amid concerns.
Reports suggest he may have suffered from heat exhaustion, with temperatures exceeding 30°C. Video footage showed attempts to cool him before he was escorted away.
Despite this, Boakai had already been sworn in as Liberia’s oldest-ever president at the Capitol Building in Monrovia. Vice-President Jeremiah Koung addressed guests after Boakai’s departure. Boakai narrowly defeated former football star George Weah in a November run-off election.
The state of Mr. Boakai’s health was a significant concern during the election campaign. Despite assurances to the BBC that he was in good health, he emphasized that “age should be a blessing to this country.”
Before abruptly ending his speech, Mr. Boakai stated, Elections are over; partisanship must give way to the forward march of Liberia.
“I come to rekindle our hopes.” The new president emphasized the need to restore dignity in public service and uphold the rule of law.
Until 2018, Mr. Boakai served as vice-president in the government of Nobel Peace Prize-winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. He contested the presidency under the United Party (UP) banner, securing victory in a run-off election against Mr. Weah by just over 20,000 votes in November.
Mr. Boakai had previously run for the presidency in 2017, losing to Mr. Weah, who went on to become Liberia’s youngest-ever elected president.
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I will restore hope – Liberia’s new president
Joseph Boakai became the new president of Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, and there was a big party to celebrate. He narrowly won against the current president, George Weah, in November.
“Mr Boakai said in his first speech that now that the elections are done, we need to work together for the progress of Liberia. ”
Liberians are very determined to protect their votes, and this shows that things cannot continue as they have been.
The new president said he wants to bring back our hopes. He also said we need to bring back dignity in public service and follow the rules of the law.
Mr Weah was there with important people from other countries, like the President of Ghana and the US Ambassador to the UN.
Mr Boakai, who is 79 years old and used to be the vice-president, has the difficult job of trying to end poverty and stop corruption.
The country is still hurting from the civil war and Ebola outbreak that happened 20 years ago.