Claim: Liberian youths turn their backs on Mr. Joe.
Verdict: Misleading, youths did not turn down the town hall meeting as stated by Dobayou, rather, youths attended.
Full Text: Randall Massaquoi Dobayou, former Deputy Executive Director of Liberia Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the Weah-led Administration on July 20, 2024, claimed that Liberian youth rejected a town hall meeting with President Joseph N. Boakai.
According to Dobayou, the town hall meeting was to be a part of the 177th Independence Day celebration. The post can be found here.
“Empty Seats, Like The Empty Promises: Liberian Youth Turn Their Backs on Mr. Joe.Mr. Joe’s embarrassing spectacle at the youth conference, where empty seats greeted his arrival despite lavish publicity, is a damning indictment of his failed leadership. The absence of young Liberians, who are the fabric of our nation’s future, sends a clear message: they reject Mr. Joe’s vision of sell-paying our country for black deed yellow machines. This is also an implied condemnation and disproval of his mismanagement of the state. In short, they say gentleman’s agreement cannot govern the state; we have laws! The state is overheating, and redemptive water is needed! Crab can’t donate blood!
As of this check, the claim had attracted 145 comments, 13 shares, and 27 reactions.
President Joseph Boakai held an Independence Day town hall meeting with Liberian youth, fostering an open dialogue about their nation’s future. During the event, President Boakai emphasized the importance of quality education, skills training, and economic opportunities for youth development in Liberia, emphasizing the need for better access to capital for entrepreneurial ventures.
According to the president, the invite was for youths to interact and share thoughts on some of the challenges, aspirations, and vision for Liberia. ” As we build a new Liberia for all Liberians, this is the beginning of hearing from the most significant segment of our population–the youth. I did not call you to give you advice as your grandfather or tell you some intriguing stories about long gone normal days Liberia. Rather, I wanted us all to assemble on the proverbial old mat to together plait a bright new future for our common patrimony.
Verification: Liberia’s population under 18 years of age is close to half (41.5%) of the 5.2 million total population, while the population in the 18-34 year old group is about a third (33.1%).
The age structure of the population of Liberia is young; 63 per cent is less than 25 years old and 32.8 per cent is 10-24 years old. The youth, some of whom are ex-combatants, face formidable challenges, including limited access to employment, stable sources of income, and sexual and reproductive health information and services.
We witnessed live videos, saw images, and saw posts from the event that proved the contrary. Here’s another link that says otherwise about the former EPA director’s claim about the event.
Conclusion: Misleading, Liberian youth did not turn down the president’s town hall meeting, as claimed by Dobayou.
