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AFP
A year ago, President Georg Weah promised Liberians that he would "bring change"
While George Weah, named at a time best footballer of the world, marks a year of power in Liberia, Jonathan Paye-Layleh, of the BBC, evaluates his scorecard.
There is no doubt that at age 52, George Weah can still work with a crowd.
On New Year's Eve, he invited his cabinet and his supporters to the dedication of a private family church that he had built.
During the night ceremony, the president became a preacher, sermonizing for several hours.
Dressed in a white dress, he told the Forky Church of Jalaleh Family Fellowship: "God has given every person the talent that they can use for their own benefit."
And he compared the opportunity to serve in his government to be part of a football team.
"When you're in the field, you need to know that there are other people on the bench of replacements who are ready to replace you at any time," he said.
This sparked the encouragement of the faithful, but acknowledged the pressure exerted by the government.
In his end – of – year message, the Liberian Council of Churches summed up the inevitable frustration felt after the euphoria of Mr Weah 's overwhelming victory.
"Our people are hungry"
"About a year ago, we elected a government with the hope that, economically, our lives would be transformed," said Kortu Brown, president of the Christian umbrella group, on Prime FM local radio.
"But most often, we hear about the negative side of the governance process, the economic challenges … in the form of corruption, abuse, fraud, waste."
The People's Unification Party, an opposition party, had issued a more cruel warning to a country still marked by years of civil war: "At the end of your first year, our people, your people are hungry, the question of bread and butter continues to worsen
"[A] a poorly executed economy is not a good sign for peace and security; when people are hungry, they are certainly angry; Liberia is angry because its people are hungry. "
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Arsene Wenger, former director of Arsenal, was welcomed as a hero during his visit to Liberia
His critics point to one of his top priorities – the removal of his number 14 jersey, worn at his peak of the game – to illustrate what they think is his lack of vision.
Weekly ceremonies were held in the capital, Monrovia, with Arsene Wenger, the football coach who hired him for Monaco in 1998, was flown over in September and received the most high distinction of Liberia.
The president, who retired from football in 2003 to embark on politics, played a friendly international match so the crowd could finally see him hang on to the jersey that he wore for the national team.
It's easy to see that President Weah was acting as a model – some one that many young Liberians want to emulate.
Seven things about George Weah:
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- Born October 1, 1966, grew up in a slum in the Liberian capital
- Signed by Arsene Wenger in Monaco of the Cameroonian club Tonnerre Yaoundé
- Made his Monaco debut in 1987, then played for AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
- Only African to win the FIFA World Player of the Year title
- First presidential candidate in 2005, lost to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
- Graduate in Commerce from an American University after being accused of lack of education
- Inaugurated as President in January 2018
But he was immediately criticized for not showing the example by declaring his badets, which all officials must do before taking office.
After huge public pressure, he finally filed a statement in July – although it was not published.
The entire saga left questions about the commitment of his government in the fight against corruption.
He has also been accused of giving priority to his personal business interests, including pursuing two major real estate projects.
But the ruling party's president, the Congress for Democratic Change, said it showed that Liberia was now a good place for the good of all investors and for the downturn in the economy.
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The president likes to talk about his football career to try to motivate people.
"In order for you to decide to invest in a country, you must have the guarantee of a security," Mulbah Morlue told the Liberian daily FrontPage in FrontPage newspaper.
"Now that this man is our president and he has created security for all, the guarantee to start investing in our country is here."
And the president has been attacked for the personal character of other public infrastructure projects, ranging from improving roads in his home regions to improving slums where he grew up.
When he ordered the roofing of more than 200 houses in the Monrovia slum in Gibraltar, where he was born and raised, the initial official explanation was that the president undertook the project in private and badumed the costs.
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But several months after work was completed, a memorandum to the Ministry of Finance ordering the transfer of nearly $ 1 million (£ 775,000) in official funds to cover costs was leaked to the media. The Ministry of Finance has been silent since the publication of the memo.
Such stories undermine trust in his authority and make his leadership a permanent debate on animated radio broadcasts.
But he was very applauded in October when he announced the removal of tuition fees at universities and state colleges.
However, it is to be feared that the decision was not properly taken into account.
Before the announcement, the University of Liberia was struggling to make ends meet and currently has half of what it needs to operate.
Some, including student leader Martin Kollie, understood that it was a tactic to divert attention from the scandal surrounding the claim that $ 100 million of Liberian currency would have disappeared.
In March, stories revealed that newly printed bank notes destined for the central bank had not arrived at their destination.
The tickets, ordered in November 2017 before the entry into office of Mr. Weah, reportedly disappeared from containers in the port and Monrovia airport in March, two months after his appointment to the presidency.
The government ordered the opening of an investigation in September – although it may take months or even years – and the reporter who told the story first faced threats from death.
There have been regular protests under the slogan "Bring Back Our Money", but central bank governor Nathaniel Patray has denied the lack of money.
But on a personal level, it can not be denied that Liberians face a serious shortage of cash and that people have to line up for hours and sometimes days to withdraw money from banks.
For example, a person wishing to retire, $ 25,000 Liberian ($ 160) receives only $ 5,000 Liberian ($ 36).
"I was an artist"
Mr. Weah flatly rejected the critics.
"Remember that I was an artist, I played in front of [of] 100,000 people, 200,000 people; if I played badly, they laughed at me; they booed me; but with all the boo and what have you, I have become even [the winner of] Ball of Gold, "he said in December.
"So whatever you say, whatever you do to tarnish my reputation even if I'm fine, you're wasting your time."
After almost a year of power, the president told his congregation that the New Year was taking place, that it was not the time to be shot.
"Forget all the setbacks of 2018 and focus on the prosperous new year, what God has given you is enough."
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