By: Trokon Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
Monrovia — Former BBC stringer and staunch supporter of the Unity Party–led government, Jonathan Paye-Layleh, has called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to begin holding regular direct public engagements with ordinary Liberians as his administration approaches its third year in office.
In an open letter dated December 1, 2025, and delivered in hard copy to the Executive Mansion, Paye-Layleh urged the President to institutionalize town hall meetings and mass public forums across the country to enable citizens to speak directly to their leader without bureaucratic or protocol barriers.
Paye-Layleh warned that the presidency often becomes isolated from the realities faced by ordinary people, quoting the late Gyude Bryant, former head of Liberia’s National Transitional Government, who once told him that presidential offices can shield leaders from the true sentiments of the public.
According to Paye-Layleh, Bryant had observed that individuals with regular access to the presidency sometimes prioritize personal interests or fail to accurately convey the situation on the ground, creating a false impression that conditions are improving when serious challenges persist.
The former journalist emphasized that direct engagement would allow the President to hear firsthand from market women, students, persons with disabilities, transport workers, nurses, teachers, farmers, sanitation workers, roadside sellers, the unemployed, and other marginalized groups who rarely have access to national leaders.
While acknowledging that the Boakai administration has recorded achievements within a short time, Paye-Layleh noted that the government inherited significant challenges, which have raised public expectations and fueled growing concerns among citizens that may not be reaching the President.
He proposed that structured public forums be accompanied by a dedicated committee to document citizens’ concerns and recommendations, which would then be compiled and presented to the President to help guide policy decisions.
Paye-Layleh described the letter as a “patriotic contribution” to national development and recalled his role in campaigning vigorously for President Boakai’s election, even at a time when many doubted the President’s political comeback following the 2017 elections.
He also disclosed that the letter was made public to ensure the message reaches the President promptly, regardless of administrative delays within official channels.
