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Is Enough Really Enough, or Just Another Political Posturing?

  • Writer: Michael T
    Michael T
  • Jul 14
  • 5 min read
Mulbah Morlu
Mulbah K. Morlu, STAND's Chair. Lead Advocate, Enough is Enough Protest

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai took office with a solemn vow to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia.” Nineteen months later, that promise hangs by a thread. As the nation braces for a massive “Enough is Enough” protest led by Solidarity & Trust for a New Day (STAND) and former CDC Chairman Mulbah Morlu, the question on every lip is whether this is a genuine uprising or just another round of political posturing.


The truth is, the grievances fueling this movement are neither isolated nor manufactured—they are the lived reality of a nation battered by controversy, executive overreach, and broken trust.


The Ivanhoe Atlantic (formerly HPX) deal stands as the regime’s most glaring symbol of impunity. Inking a $1.8 billion, 25-year agreement with High Power Exploration, the government bypassed existing concessions and ignored the need for legislative ratification. This is a risk that could drag Liberia into costly arbitration and scare off future investors. The initial $5 billion deal became $1.8 billion overnight. And in whose interest it is reduced remains a point to ponder.


On February 29, 2024, Kinjor became a national wound when police opened fire on unarmed protesters, leaving at least three dead and scores injured. Human rights groups and eyewitnesses allege that police commanders, some with mining interests, orchestrated the violence. The government’s muted response—limited to internal probes—has left families with more questions than answers and a nation convinced that accountability is a mirage.


The manipulation of the national budget was another story with no accountability. The delay and late publication of the 2025 budget was just another questionable move by the regime, running counter to transparency procedures and international best practices.

Tenured officials, supposedly protected by Supreme Court rulings, were swept aside without due process. Many were targeted for their political affiliations, especially CDC partisans, raising alarms about discrimination and abuse of power. The administration’s refusal to enforce the Supreme Court’s reinstatement of Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, while cozying up to rival legislative factions, has only further eroded public trust and blurred the separation of powers.


The judiciary, once a pillar of democracy, has now been hollowed out and repurposed into a partisan rubber stamp. The least qualified Supreme Court justice was just elevated to Chief Justice, not for merit or experience, but because he lacks firmness and can be easily manipulated, further undermining the independence of the courts and deepening the crisis of confidence in Liberia’s institutions.


Cherif's extradition scandal exposed the regime’s utter disregard for due process and human rights. The forced handover of Ibrahima Khalil Cherif to Guinea’s military junta—reportedly in exchange for vehicles and cash—was carried out without court authorization, in the dead of night, and under the shadow of foreign military force. Court orders were ignored, illegal searches and seizures were conducted, and the episode has been widely condemned as a breach of both national and international law.


The executive overreach to oust the legitimate House of Representatives leadership headed by J. Fonati Koffa to have a rubber stamp legislature, with millions given out in bribes, has further deepened the political crisis.


NSA torturing and intimidating innocent citizens to force them to take ownership of a Capitol arson that had police deployed is another example of the government’s controversial actions.


The infamous “yellow machine” deal was another worrisome example of abuse of power and corruption. After public condemnation, the initial $79 million dropped to $57 million and now $22 million, but the controversy continues.


As we speak, over 200 employees at the Ministry of Transport face an uncertain future as the ministry is giving away its statutory responsibility to a private company.


Meanwhile, the much-vaunted “rescue” agenda has wilted. Since July 2024, the Liberian dollar has lost at least 3% of its value, while prices of basic goods have soared by over 12%. For everyday Liberians, the promise of relief has given way to a daily struggle with poverty, unemployment, and insecurity.


The July 17 protest, though spearheaded by politicians, is widely seen as the boiling point of a nation that has watched constitutional vandalism, state-sanctioned violence, economic sabotage, and a culture of impunity become the new normal. The Supreme Court’s rulings were disregarded both in the tenured officials' case and the House impasse.


The right to protest is enshrined in Article 17 of the Constitution, and organizers have followed the law to the letter. This is not a reaction to a single scandal, but a collective demand to end impunity, corruption, and hardship. A government that swore to defend the law is now accused of desecrating it with no remorse.


Every day life in Duala, Red-Light, Soniwen, New Kru Town, and West Point over the last 19 months does not reflect the lives of people who have been rescued.

The “Enough is Enough” protest is a national reckoning. The world watches as Liberians demand answers, accountability, and a return to the promises made nineteen months ago.






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Additional Sources



[1] Civil society groups slam secretive $1.8bn Ivanhoe deal, demand transparency https://liberianinvestigator.com/featured/ivanhoe-liberia-mining-deal-secrecy/

[2] Liberia: 'Done Deal or Expression of Interest? https://allafrica.com/stories/202507090308.html

[3] Red flag hangs over HPX deal - Liberia news The New Dawn Liberia, premier resource for latest news https://thenewdawnliberia.com/red-flag-hangs-over-hpx-deal/

[5] Live Bullets Fired in Kinjor -IG Coleman Says Officers’ ‘Lives Were Threatened’ https://analystliberiaonline.com/live-bullets-fired-in-kinjor-ig-coleman-says-officers-lives-were-threatened/

[6] Kinjor Victims' Families Condemn Police Report -Insist they were ... https://analystliberiaonline.com/kinjor-victims-families-condemn-police-report-insist-they-were-murdered/

[7] Liberia: Weah Warns Boakai Administration Against Shooting at Protesters https://allafrica.com/stories/202403040339.html

[9] Liberian Government Overspending Raises Concerns Over Fiscal Accountability - Global News Network Liberia https://gnnliberia.com/liberian-government-overspending-raises-concerns-over-fiscal-accountability/

[10] Liberian House of Reps endorses report confirming 2024 budget alterations - WADR https://wadr.org/liberian-house-of-reps-endorses-report-confirming-2024-budget-alterations/

[12] Liberia: President Boakai Nominates Associate Justice Yamie Gbeisay as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court - FrontPageAfrica https://frontpageafricaonline.com/opinion/press-release/liberia-president-boakai-nominates-associate-justice-yamie-gbeisay-as-chief-justice-of-the-supreme-court/

[13] Liberia: Boakai's Nomination of Justice Gbeisay As Chief Justice Draws Mixed Reactions https://allafrica.com/stories/202507020666.html

[14] Gov't defends handover of Guinean national https://thenewdawnliberia.com/govt-defends-handover-of-guinean-national/

[18] Liberia: Criminal Court "A" Issues 72-Hour Ultimatum for Government to Produce Guinean National Amid Mysterious Disappearance and Alleged Murder - FrontPageAfrica https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberia-criminal-court-a-issues-72-hour-ultimatum-for-government-to-produce-guinean-national-amid-mysterious-disappearance-and-alleged-murder/


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