When former football star George Weah won Liberia's presidential election in 2017, the world thought a new day was dawn not just in Liberia, but Africa in general.
Mr Weah made marmot promises, paramount among which was to make "transforming the lives of all Liberians" the "singular mission" of his presidency.
He was a crowd favorite, and hundreds of thousands of people followed him where ever he went.
Liberians flooded social media platforms to proclaim that the messiah had come when the president announced tuition-free education in all public universities in the country, just a few months after taking office.
It was the beginning of a love affair. Still, just a couple of years into his rule, it appears the love affair has come to an end Liberians are becoming increasingly impatient with what many critics have labeled gross incompetence in Weah's government.
If Weah had thought Liberia's numerous problems could be solved by staring in a charity football match for his country against Nigeria (while as president), then he would have to think again.
Liberians are demanding change, and they want it now!
The majority of the poor and young voters who assured Weah's landslide victory at the pools have said their economic woes have worsened under his leadership.
President Weah inherited an economy badly hit by a slump in global prices of rubber and iron ore - Liberia's essential export commodities.
The Ebola crisis of 2014-2016 exacerbated the economic stagnation in the West African nation, where some 80 percent of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day.
The president promised to turn the economy around by fighting corruption, increasing foreign investment and creating jobs for the poor.
But after a couple of years into his six-year term, he has little to show, according to a Liberian civil society group that tracks Weah's performance against his pledges.
The biggest problem in Weah's government, according to critics, is corruption. There have been countless accusations against the government for encouraging corruption among officials and politicians.
In a January 20 report, Naymote Partners for Democratic Development said the president had fulfilled only seven of his 92 promises, of which five had been completed during his first year in office. These include revising the national school curriculum, passing a long-awaited land rights law and capping the salaries of senior government officials at $7,800.
As the economy worsened with inflation hitting 30 percent and civil servants reporting months-long delays to salary payments, more than 10,000 people took to the streets in protest last June. Thousands of people rallied once again in Monrovia on January 6, before being dispersed by police using tear gas and water cannon.
The government was also rocked by a scandal in which newly printed Liberian banknotes worth some $100m were reported missing. An investigation later said the allegations were unfounded but revealed the country's central bank ordered the new currency before seeking permission from the legislature and even after it obtained the necessary approvals, received and paid for more notes than the agreed amount.
"Weah underestimated that playing football is different from running a country," said Robtel Neajai Pailey, a Liberian political analyst. "He lacks the traditional skill set of a president but has the popular mandate to get himself a good team. Instead, he has allowed himself to be advised incorrectly."
She added: "Liberians have become so politically engaged. They feel the need to go out and protest, to demand that things change, because it's hitting them where it matters most - their pockets."
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Header Image Credit: James Giahyue/ Reuters