Former Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Tamba Koijee has articulated what he terms the “deficit of incumbency,” arguing that the Unity Party administration has swiftly abandoned its foundational promises to the Liberian people.
Writing in a detailed public commentary, the former mayor and current secretary general of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) stated that while incumbency offers control over state institutions and resources, it often fosters an “illusion of invincibility” that history consistently dismantles.
“The deficit of incumbency does not appear overnight,” Koijee wrote. “It grows when leadership abandons conscience for comfort and governance detaches from the lived realities of the people.” Two years into the presidency of Joseph Nyuma Boakai and Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Koijee asserts this deficit is on full display. He contends that the administration’s promised “rescue mission” has resulted in “calculated suffering for the poor and working class,” with teachers underpaid, civil servants struggling, and the state practicing exclusion while preaching reform.
The core of Koijee’s argument hinges on an analysis of the national payroll. He cites figures showing the payroll stood at approximately $296 million USD when the CDC left government in 2023. According to his commentary, it has since risen to about $354 million USD—an increase of $58 million. “This increase did not translate into salary relief for the more than 20,000 civil servants who were trapped below $200 USD and promised improvement,” Koijee stated. “Instead, it has largely financed new hires aligned with Unity Party structures, many now earning above $500 USD with generous benefits.”
He further accused the administration of allowing its “much-publicized call to undo wage harmonization” to “quietly evaporate,” arguing the policy is now selectively applied to cement privilege rather than ensure equality. Citing philosopher Paulo Freire, Koijee argued the administration is masking oppression as reform. “Incumbency has become a shield for inequity, and fiscal policy a tool of political reward rather than social justice,” he wrote, adding that institutions are being “repurposed,” not strengthened.
Drawing on Liberia’s political history, the former mayor issued a stark warning: “No regime survives the deficit of incumbency… When empathy gives way to arrogance and hunger is met with speeches instead of solutions, power begins to rot from within.” Koijee concluded with a rallying call, particularly to Liberian youth, framing the moment not as one for despair but for civic awakening. “The deficit of incumbency is a warning bell that change is near,” he asserted. “Governments write their own endings when they abandon the people.”
“History is not waiting for the Unity Party. It is waiting for Liberians who refuse to normalize suffering and who understand that liberation is never gifted by incumbents; it is claimed by those ready to rise.” The administration has not yet issued a formal response to the former mayor’s broadside. The allegations are likely to intensify political debate as Liberia continues to grapple with economic challenges and public expectations for reform.
