IPNEWS: Simeon Freeman, the political leader of the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC), has labeled Liberia under the President Joseph Boakai administration a “Gangster’s Paradise”.
In a blistering public statement, Freeman accused the ruling Unity Party (UP) regime of allowing powerful drug cartels to infiltrate and run the nation’s key seaports and airports.
Freeman claimed Liberia has officially become a narcotics storage hub used for international trafficking and exporting drugs to Europe.
He criticized President Boakai’s prolonged silence regarding a high-profile $19.2 million cocaine seizure, accusing the administration of a cover-up.
The MPC Political Leaders in a social media post explicitly demanded that the leadership at Liberia’s seaports and airports be replaced and turned over for immediate criminal investigation.
Freeman highlighted an alleged mismatch in state priorities, noting the government spends $10 million annually on presidential protection while allocating only $3.4 million to combat the country’s drug epidemic.
The Government of Liberia and President Boakai have publicly and strictly denied any involvement in drug trafficking.
The administration established a Joint National Security Investigative Task Force to handle the narcotics probe, stating that law enforcement has filed criminal charges against several suspects and forwarded cases to court to clean up the ports.
It may be recalled, the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC), Political Leader Simeon Freeman denounced President Joseph Boakai’s third State of the Nation Address (SOSA) as a litany of “lies” and a failure to meet the expectations of the Liberian people.
Speaking on the Thursday’s edition of the OK Morning Rush, Freeman accused the administration of reneging on campaign promises while asserting that conditions in Liberia remain stagnant under Boakai’s leadership.
Freeman, a prominent opposition voice, lambasted Boakai for what he described as a disconnect between rhetoric and reality.
The president, who entered office in January 2024 with pledges to combat corruption, revive infrastructure, and improve public services, has faced mounting criticism for delayed policy rollouts and bureaucratic inertia.
“President Boakai came into power with grand promises to restore faith in governance and address the needs of the people, but his third SOSA revealed a stark failure to deliver,” Freeman stated.
“The document reads like a wish list, not a strategy. Nothing has changed, roads are still in disrepair, hospitals lack basic supplies, and the economy remains fragile.”
A central demand from Freeman centered on the deployment of the Government Audit Committee (GAC) and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to all ministries.
He argued that these bodies, designed to investigate and root out graft, are essential to addressing systemic corruption that has plagued Liberia for decades.
“If President Boakai truly wants transparency, he must empower these agencies to operate independently in every ministry, targeting mismanagement and resource diversion immediately,” Freeman insisted.
Freeman also raised concerns about Boakai’s proposal to establish a National Planning Commission, a move aimed at streamlining long-term development strategies.
While acknowledging the initiative’s theoretical appeal, Freeman warned that the financial burden of setting up the commission could divert critical resources from urgent priorities like education and healthcare.
“Where would the funding for this commission come from? The Ministry of Education is already in crisis, with half the schools lacking functional classrooms.
Shouldn’t we prioritize restoring basic services over creating more bureaucratic layers with no direct impact on the people’s lives?” Freeman questioned.
