Bility Condemns Propaganda Governance -Says Boakai’s Promised Change Vanished

**Liberian critic Musa Hassan Bility calls for “real” change under President Boakai**

MONROVIA – In a letter published in the weekly *Letter From Saclepea*, former opposition leader Musa Hassan Bility said that nearly three years after President Joseph Nyuma Boakai was elected on a platform of change, the fundamental conditions that prompted the 2023 election remain largely unchanged.

Bility, who did not vote for Boakai, wrote that the crowds that welcomed former President George Weah in recent weeks are a clear sign of growing frustration among Liberians. “Those people in the streets were communicating something,” Bility said. “They were expressing more than admiration for the former president. They were expressing dissatisfaction with living conditions, the government’s failure to unite the country, perceived official excesses and the continued weaponization of state authority.”

The former vice‑president, who served 12 years in that role and was Minister of Agriculture before becoming president, had been praised for his experience and “maturity” when he won the 2023 election. Bility noted that many voters expected him to understand what had gone wrong and to bring about tangible improvements.

**Criticism of propaganda and governance**

Bility argued that the Unity Party administration has become “trapped by the political machinery that contributed to its electoral victory: propaganda.” He warned that “you can win an election with propaganda. You cannot govern with propaganda.” The critic said that political messaging can convince voters that an opponent has failed, but it cannot deliver roads, food, jobs, improved health care, education, impartial justice or a sense of security.

He also raised concerns about the ongoing drug investigation in Liberia, describing it as “controversial” and noting that its direction, credibility and possible conclusion remain unclear to citizens. Bility urged the administration to pay close attention to such signals rather than dismiss them as partisan mobilization.

**Calls for accountability and humility**

Bility said that the Unity Party should not spend its time campaigning against the government it had defeated. “The government you replaced peacefully transferred power to you. You asked Liberians for the opportunity to govern differently. They gave it to you. Therefore, govern,” he wrote. He cautioned against blaming the past, treating criticism as opposition, or using the same tactics that were employed to win the 2023 election.

The critic also warned that the government’s reliance on propaganda could create an atmosphere in which “everything appeared satisfactory and anyone who disagreed was automatically branded an opponent.” He said this trend was dangerous for democracy and public confidence.

**Time for change**

Bility acknowledged that President Boakai still has time to change direction, but he said that “political time disappears more quickly than officeholders often imagine.” He urged the administration to confront reality, deliver results, and remember that political power is borrowed from the people and can be withdrawn at any time.

The letter was published on the Analyst Liberia website, which reported that Bility’s assessment carries political weight because public disappointment can harden long before an election exposes its depth. The article notes that the central concern should be whether Liberia can build a government that leaves the country fundamentally better than it found it, rather than whether the Unity Party will win the next election.

Article and image source: analystliberiaonline.com