MONROVIA – Secretary General of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Jefferson T. Koijee, has accused the Unity Party-led government of misusing millions of dollars from public coffers to fund political mobilization activities ahead of its December 6 homecoming rally. In a statement released Thursday, Koijee alleged that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and key state institutions have orchestrated a large-scale diversion of funds, leaving ordinary Liberians to bear the brunt of economic hardship.
Koijee claimed that over US$1.3 million has already been disbursed through the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC), and the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) for what he described as a “politically staged December 6 Mobilization Program.” According to him, the administration has prioritized political pageantry over addressing the nation’s crippling unemployment, soaring cost of living, and persistent public service deficiencies.
“President Boakai vowed to increase civil servants’ salaries, yet teachers, nurses, and security officers continue to live on crumbs, struggling to feed their families as the cost of living suffocates the poor,” Koijee said, highlighting the growing disconnect between government promises and citizens’ lived realities. He accused the administration of using state resources for political spectacle while neglecting critical sectors such as education, health, and security.
In a startling revelation, Koijee presented what he described as further evidence of financial misconduct: a check from the LACC valued at 21.8 million Liberian dollars issued to a single individual. “Imagine that: the very body created to fight corruption is caught in the act of aiding it,” he said, expressing outrage that an anti-corruption institution would participate in what he calls the misuse of public funds.
Koijee criticized the LACC for issuing a press statement attacking him rather than investigating these alleged irregularities. “If the Commission can find the energy to defend power but not the integrity of the Liberian people, then it has already failed its mandate,” he said, questioning the priorities of an institution charged with safeguarding public resources.
He also pointed to the ongoing construction of a US$10 million presidential villa in Foya, the hometown of President Boakai, contrasting this expenditure with the shortages in hospitals, classrooms, and government offices. “This is not governance; it is a government consumed by pageantry and political theater while the people starve,” Koijee said, framing his accusations as a moral critique of the administration’s leadership.
Addressing young Liberians, Koijee urged vigilance and resilience in the face of political manipulation. “To the young people of Liberia: stay awake, stay courageous, and stay hopeful. We have survived the 27-year Tubman era, the scars of dictatorship, and decades of deception. This too shall pass,” he said, appealing to citizens to maintain faith in the nation’s capacity to rise above mismanagement and corruption.
He questioned the timing of the alleged payments, noting that the disbursement of large sums of money appears to coincide directly with the Unity Party’s December 6 rally. “Why all of a sudden, just on the heels of a UP December 6 rally, are individuals receiving such huge chunks of money here and there?” Koijee asked, implying that state funds are being used to manipulate political outcomes rather than serve public needs.
Koijee’s statements have intensified scrutiny of the Boakai administration as Unity Party approaches the December 6 event. The CDC secretary general positioned himself as a vocal advocate for transparency and accountability, warning that “no regime built on deceit has ever survived the truth, and this one will be no exception.” His accusations underscore the heightened political tension between the ruling party and opposition forces.
