Left Stranded Under a Tree: Former VP Taylor's Shocking Inauguration Day Ordeal

Former VP Taylor left stranded without a vehicle

In her interview with Spoon TV last evening, April 6, 2025, former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor revealed that she was left stranded under a tree for nearly an hour on President Joseph Boakai’s inauguration day. According to her, the very vehicles and security personnel assigned to her as Vice President were what she used for the inauguration ceremony, with the thought that there would have been an official turnover. Unfortunately, the vehicles and security guards were unceremoniously taken away, leaving her vulnerable and in the middle of nowhere. She had to wait for a private vehicle to take her back home. For a woman who occupied the second-highest office in the land, this was not just an inconvenience — it was a national embarrassment.

This incident sheds light on a deepening culture of political vindictiveness in Liberia — where transitions of power are not just constitutional moments, but opportunities for retribution and humiliation. Madam Taylor’s account is more than just a personal grievance; it reflects an unsettling trend where political successors trample on the dignity of their predecessors, ignoring the norms and courtesies that stabilize democratic transitions.

What makes this particularly troubling is that Liberian law provides clear protections and entitlements to former officials, including former Presidents and Vice Presidents. Under the Executive Law of Liberia:

1. Annuities: Part I, Section 1.4 of the Executive Law stipulates that a former President who retires honorably to private life and is not employed by the government is entitled to an annuity of $12,500 annually. For former Vice Presidents, the annuity is 50% of the salary they received while in office. These benefits extend to their widows or minor children after their death[1][3].

2. Pensions and Facilities: Additional provisions state that former Presidents and Vice Presidents are entitled to a pension equal to 50% of the incumbent President's salary, along with personal staff and facilities for life. The amount allotted should not be less than $25,000 annually[5].

3. Security and Transition Benefits: An Executive Order No. 91 signed by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in December 2017 proposed specific benefits during transitions. These included two vehicles with chauffeurs each, VIP protection (EPS and Police Services), logistics, allowances, and other services determined by the Joint Presidential Transition Team (JPTT). This arrangement was implemented for Sirleaf and Boakai when they left office in 2018[1][3].

These provisions are not favors — they are legal obligations grounded in the idea that leaders who serve the country at the highest level should not be discarded like yesterday’s news. If these allegations by Madam Taylor are true, then the Boakai administration is not only violating established laws but also undermining respect and continuity in governance.

The issue doesn’t stop with the former Vice President. Former President George Weah himself has been a target of calculated disrespect. Reports from 2024 revealed that on one of Weah’s returns to Liberia, he was denied access to the VIP lounge at Roberts International Airport, a courtesy traditionally extended to former heads of state. Even more shockingly, airport officials reportedly refused to assign a landing position for his flight, leading to a diversion to Freetown, Sierra Leone — an incident raised publicly but met with silence from the Boakai administration [7].

Such actions have no place in a constitutional democracy. Leaders may come and go, but institutions — and respect for the offices they hold — must remain sacrosanct. To deny a former President or Vice President their rights is not just a slap in the face to the individual but to the Republic of Liberia itself. These are not matters of party loyalty or political affiliation — they are matters of state protocol, legality, and national honor.

Even worse, the Boakai administration’s silence or lack of corrective action on these incidents could be interpreted as either complicity or complacency. In both cases, it signals a failure in leadership. If President Boakai is truly the elder statesman and unifier he claims to be, then he must ensure that his administration does not descend into petty politics and selective justice. The country is watching, and the international community is not blind either.

Liberia cannot afford to regress into a space where state power is used as an instrument of vengeance and marginalization. Whether it’s Jewel Howard-Taylor waiting under a tree at the Capitol or George Weah being denied basic diplomatic courtesies, these events carry symbolic weight. They tell every public servant: serve your country, and if your side loses, prepare for humiliation. That is not democracy; it is a warning sign for Liberia’s fragile governance system[1][3][5].

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Additional Sources

[1] Fact Check: Does Deploying EPS Officers to Protect Ex-Presidents ... https://localvoicesliberia.com/fact-check-does-deploying-eps-officers-to-protect-ex-presidents-backed-by-laws/

[2] Executive Protection Service Officers Suspended Amid Misconduct ... https://okfm.com.lr/executive-protection-service-officers-suspended-amid-misconduct-scandal-at-liberias-presidential-residence/

[3] Former President, Vice President's Benefits Not Established by ... https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/2016news/former-president-vice-president-s-benefits-not-established-by-constitution-nathaniel-mcgill/

[4] FORMER EPS OFFICERS PLAN PROTEST AGAINST WRONGFUL ... https://smartnewsliberia.com/former-eps-officers-plan-protest-against-wrongful-dismissal-and-unpaid-salaries/

[5] Ex-President Taylor Requests Government Pension - VOA https://www.voanews.com/a/ex-president-taylor-requests-government-pension/1589262.html

[6] Liberia: Ex - President Weah's Office Refutes Allegations of ... https://allafrica.com/stories/202504010370.html

[7] Liberia: Former VP Taylor Reveals Alleged Mistreatment and ... https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberia-former-vp-taylor-reveals-alleged-mistreatment-and-unfulfilled-benefits-after-boakai-koung-transition/

[8] Executive Protection Service Declares Former LACE Boss Wanted… https://elbcradio.com/2024/02/07/executive-protection-service-declares-former-lace-boss-wanted/