Liberia: Senate Moves to Address Concerns of Disenchanted Wives and Widows of the AFL - FrontPageAfrica

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MONROVIA — The plenary of the Liberian Senate has reached a decision to take actions to resolve the long-standing issues and challenges affecting members of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL). However, they intend to do so based on priority.

By Henry Karmo henry.karmo@frontpageafricaonline.com

The Senate’s latest decision comes from a report submitted by its Committee on Defense and National Security, whose responsibility was to investigate the situation affecting the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) that led to recent protest actions staged by wives of AFL members.

As part of their decision, the Senate has constituted a committee of three senators: Momo Cyrus of Lofa County, Prince Moye of Bong County, and Francis Dopoe of River Gee County, who are the only three members of the committee.

The role of the three-man committee will be to liaise with the leadership of the Army to outline and list issues that can be addressed in the pending national fiscal year budget expected to be shortly submitted to the legislature by the executive branch of government.

Among many issues, the senators have agreed to ensure that the Army (AFL) has its own budget line that is program-based in order of priority. The Senate has also agreed on a one-day visit scheduled for next Thursday with members of the army leadership.

During the visit, senators will tour the army facility and hold discussions with the army leadership on some of the issues discussed and agreed upon by the Senate.

Senate Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence said: “Most of their concerns come from the lack of support in the previous budget for the army. Like other institutions, the Senate wants to exert its oversight role.”

President Boakai’s Actions

In February 2024, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai appointed a special independent investigator to probe the concerns of army men’s wives, including poor living conditions, high tuition fees for their children, a lack of adequate medical care, and low salaries for officers. Boakai said the women indicated that their most important demand was to remove retired Major General Prince Charles Johnson III as Minister of National Defense.

On Saturday, February 10, 2024, army officers commenced indirect protests through their wives against low incentives, inadequate housing, and bad labor practices, demanding the resignation of retired Major General Prince C. Johnson III as Minister of National Defense.

Addressing the nation on Monday, February 12, President Boakai said he had appointed special investigators to look into these grievances raised by the army officers’ wives and report within two weeks. However, Boakai said the issues raised by the armed forces’ wives affect all sectors of the nation’s population throughout the country, as his administration inherited these problems since he had been in office for barely 21 days.