Monrovia, Liberia – The recently confirmed Minister of National Defense, Rtd. Maj. Gen. Prince C. Johnson, has resigned from his position due to ongoing protests from ladies claiming to be Army wives.
The Minister of National Defense wrote a letter to the President outlining his reasons for taking action, citing the current political and civil unrest caused by the protests of women thought to be wives of the Armed Forces of Liberia, as well as his desire to maintain the peace and security of the State, according to a Monday release from the Executive Mansion.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, for his part, acknowledged receiving and accepted the resignation letter from the defense minister and thanked Minister Johnson for his priceless contributions to the nation, calling him a patriot.
In parallel, Brigadier General Geraldine George, the Deputy Defense Minister for Operations, was named Acting Defense Minister by President Boakai.
The women discussed difficulties they are currently facing at the Edward Beyan Kesselly Barracks in Schieffelin during a meeting with the President at his Rehab Office over the weekend.
They claimed that problems with retirement benefits, low pay, corruption, inadequate insurance, education, subpar housing, blackouts, social services, and their overall well-being have persisted for far too long without being addressed.
But Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Commander in Chief of the Liberian Armed Forces, gave the women the assurance that their complaints would be looked into carefully in order to, if feasible, find a solution.
“The Army is our collective national pride, we must preserve it’s dignity. As a result, I have formed an independent special investigative team to look into these complaints; they will report back to me in two weeks.”
Additionally, the President has ordered that all EBK Barracks students attend the Linda Thomas Greenfield School at no cost, and the Liberia Electricity Corporation has returned power to the barracks per his directive.
The President has moved quickly to solve some of these problems that have been brewing for more than five years in less than a month.
He has urged everyone to maintain composure and harmony as the administration works to answer their concerns, and he has requested the women to allow him some time to look into their problems.
