He gained energy by promising to finish corruption – however strive telling that to the individuals who need him to only hand out jobs.
“Lots of people come into authorities believing they’re there to complement themselves,” says Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai.
“They do not perceive what public service is about.”
Within the three months since he defeated President George Weah and took the reins, Mr Boakai says he has been “very selective” about who he brings together with him as a result of he blames corruption ‘”for all of the crises we have had”.
The 79-year-old is a former vice-president however doesn’t hail from a political dynasty.
“I by no means actually had a childhood,” he tells BBC Africa Every day in a wide-ranging interview. “My ambition was simply to stay a traditional life”.
As certainly one of 5 sons born to a disabled, poor mom and an absent father, he went on to work as a college janitor and rubber tapper.
It was gruelling work – inflicting him ache as a result of he did not realise he was meant to hold rubber on his shoulders as a substitute of his head – nevertheless it gave him the grit a politician wants, he tells the BBC.
These early jobs paid for 2 pairs of sensible trousers, two shirts and a one-way ticket to the capital metropolis of Monrovia.
After gaining a spot on the metropolis’s Faculty of West Africa, he may solely see his mom one week annually as he needed to work throughout the faculty to pay for his tuition and maintenance.
Now approaching his 80s, Mr Boakai acknowledges he is the age of many of the citizens’s grandparents – however sees his position as rooting out deep-seated issues and handing over a well-managed Liberia to the following technology.
“I’m right here solely to information a course of to deliver this nation to the place it must be after which they will take it over.”
So how profitable has he been up to now?
“Liberians have heard this all earlier than – the place a head of state is available in and makes these giant, far-ranging proclamations concerning the truth they are going to make corruption public enemy number-one,” says creator and activist Robtel Neajai Pailey.
Nevertheless, she provides, President Boakai declared his personal property as quickly as he got here in and made his appointees do the identical. Mr Boakai has additionally requested for an audit of the presidential workplace, and beefed up integrity establishments such because the Basic Auditing Fee and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Fee.
“This can be a manner of signalling to the Liberian those that it will not be enterprise as common,” says Dr Pailey, “and now members of the judiciary and legislature are following go well with”.
There’s nonetheless an extended option to go.
Liberians have misplaced persistence over latest years and mounted mass protests – accusing the earlier authorities of mismanaging funds and corruption whereas the price of dwelling has spiralled for regular individuals.
Greater than a fifth of the inhabitants lives on lower than $2.15 (£1.70) a day.
Final yr, when Mr Weah was nonetheless on the helm, Liberia was ranked 145th out of 180 nations on Transparency Worldwide’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
The ex-footballer’s time in workplace noticed numerous scandals, with three authorities officers sanctioned by the US Treasury and subsequently resigning – they’ve nonetheless not been prosecuted.
President Boakai too has his critics.
A decide just lately accused Mr Boakai of cronyism – claiming he favouring individuals from his house space of Lofa County for high jobs. The presidency tells the BBC this isn’t true.
“The president isn’t appointing primarily based on tribe – he’s placing competence above the rest,” says presidential press secretary Kula Fofana. Pressed to verify what number of officers have been appointed from the president’s native Lofa, he declined to say, “as a result of we’re not appointing by counties”.
‘We will feed the world’
Along with his previous on Liberia’s rubber plantations and a stint within the Nineteen Eighties as agricultural minister, President Boakai sees large progress alternatives within the county’s soil.
“In Africa, we’re not going to fabricate new plane or new vehicles however we will feed the world,” he tells BBC Africa Every day.
“Now we have the water, we’ve the soil, we’ve the land. We need not import the quantity of rice we’re importing. We will feed ourselves if we reduce down corruption and use our assets correctly – we will feed ourselves and even export.”
He additionally campaigned on a pledge to enhance Liberia’s sorry highway community.
“Based mostly by myself expertise, yr after yr, automobiles are caught within the mud, individuals cannot transfer,” he says. “You already know the affect that has on well being, schooling, on individuals’s motion and the costs of products.
“So what I’ve mentioned is that in a minimum of the primary 100 days we must always be capable to make all automobiles transfer on our roads… That is what I mentioned and that is what I am engaged on.”
He has his work reduce out for him, he is aware of, however nonetheless finds some moments to chill out.
“I by no means have time for an excessive amount of enjoyable however I really like all types of music – jazz, African music, and I am a lover of sport.
“I am an Arsenal fan – I have been to the Emirates twice and I get all their souvenirs!”
Further reporting by Moses Kollie Garzeawu