Africa-Press – Liberia. President Joseph Nyumah Boakai appears vulnerable in the eyes of a potential assailant on Thursday during exhibition activities and the dedication of 35 new National Transit Authority buses.
The buses’ first batch of 35 from a total of sixty (60) buses, arguably valued at around US$ 3 million, was dedicated to enhance mobility and improve transportation across the country.
President Boakai was sitting directly at the left-hand window of one of the new NTA buses, without security protection, as part of the exhibition ride.
Boakai was beaming as he waved to bystanders and citizens who had mixed views on the president’s ride, with some jubilant and others expressing frustration with the government’s adventure, given the hard state of the Liberian economy.
Though the President was radiant, on the inside, he looked directly vulnerable to a would-be assailant, as he took his first commercial ride, as captured in a photograph by the New Dawn.
The Liberian leader might not have understood his position of vulnerability to possible threats, given the fact that he was sitting in an open area; he could easily be aimed at or stoned by an angry crowd or brave assassin, given the state of the event and lack of proper security protection.
As captured by the New Dawn Photography, gun-wielding Security men (EPS) were sitting behind the President, one at his right and another at his left; rather than placing him in the middle, they left the president exposed.
Perhaps the President worked within protocols directly guided by security. Still, the seating could have been properly arranged, despite an exciting showcase event that demonstrated the country’s progress in improving transportation for its citizens.
However, the Liberian leader smiles as he dedicates the first batches of Liberia’s first commercial digital buses, which give potential passengers the option to pay electronically to access the buses.
Addressing the event, President Boakai assures his commitment to improving transportation, describing the occasion as a celebration for a time of ownership and better leadership.
“This is not a matter of a keynote address; it is a matter of assuring the Liberian people that it is time they take ownership of their country and enjoy the benefits of their country.
According to Boakai, the dedication of the buses is his government’s fulfillment of its commitment to better leadership.
“We have told you; we did not come here to be president but to change the leadership of our country that will serve the people,” President Boakai said.
He boasted of road developments and progress under his administration while slamming critics.
“It is just going to get better, so you can go in the Southeast; even during the rainy seasons, it is not going to go back, it is just going to get better,” President Boakai stressed.
Meanwhile, President Boakai’s vulnerability might rise, and some questions and concerns about the country, presidential security, VIP protections, and protocols that are poorly directed toward open-top personalities and VIPs, including the presidency, leave them open to easy threats.
It can be recalled that in April 2020, a madman, identified as Mohammed Kamara, 33, broke into the home of former President George Manneh Weah. At the time, members of the Executive Protective Service couldn’t account for how the madman broke into Weah’s home.
Likewise, in 2024, during the 19th graduation of the United Methodist University in Domah Town, Margibi County, an unknown person broke protocol, and President Boakai was unexpectedly en route to the commencement exercise.
On the sidelines of the exhibition Ride, there were threats of booing by citizens against President Boakai in key areas like Vai town, which put his safety at risk while he sat at a window exposed.
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