Top: President-Elect George Weah with President Ellen Johnson SIrleaf before the inauguration
Bottom: President Akufo-Addo with former President Mahama
One-time World Best Footballer, George Oppong Weah, was yesterday sworn into office at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Monrovia as President of Liberia, following the exit of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who led a government delegation to Liberia to partake in the ceremony, described the peaceful handing over of power from one democratically elected government to another in that country as a good day for the West Africa sub-region and Africa as a whole.
According to President Akufo-Addo, the inauguration of President Weah “is an extremely important development in Liberian history, and in West African history. For us in West Africa, I think the democratic consolidation that so many of us are seeking is taking place, and that democracy is gradually being entrenched stronger and stronger in the body politic of our different states.”
The swearing-in ceremony saw West African presidents such as Allasane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire; Faure Gnassingbe, Togo; Mahamadou Issoufou, Niger; Macky Sall, Senegal; Alpha Conde, Guinea and Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Mali, amongst several others, gracing the occasion.
Whilst acknowledging that President Oppong Weah has his work cut out for him, President Akufo-Addo urged the new Liberian leader to build on the legacy bequeathed to him by his predecessor, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
“President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was preoccupied with establishing the basic things after the civil war. She’s been able to do that. Now it is a question of building on them to grow the Liberian economy so that all of these young people who voted for him, who are out of work, can find work to do in the very near future,” he urged.
In his inaugural address, President George Oppong Weah pledged to build on the foundation his predecessor laid, commended her for building the structures for the take-off of Liberia’s economy and also for holding the country together during her tenure of office.
President Weah, who was later decorated with the ‘Distinguished son of Liberia’ honour, stressed that with the elections over, there were no winners or losers.
Instead, he urged all Liberians – both home and abroad – to rally around the flag, bury their differences and put their shoulders to the wheel, to build a better Liberia.
He promised to entrench freedom and equality in Liberia, saying “These are the fundamental rights of the people and they must be upheld,” assuring further of the prudent use of public resources to ensure that the nation’s resources do not end up in the pockets of a few public officials.
Whilst thanking Liberians for the confidence reposed in him, President Weah indicated, “Rest assured, I will not let you down.”