—-Liberia becomes cash cow for the big sharks in draft 1.2. billon budget
BY: Martin K. N. Kollie
This is just a starter. After reading this tonight, we encourage every Liberian to answer a simple question: Do they really care about your health? The attached tables and charts simplify everything.
Fourteen (14) major referral hospitals in various counties with a population of 3.33 million people got a total of just US$5.2 million from 2024 to 2026 while offices of just 6 ‘big shots’ got a whopping US$32.3 million. All fourteen (14) major referral hospitals got just 16.3% of what only 6 senior public officials (big shots) got. Who are they really serving? The People or Themselves? “Rescue” or “Re-use”?
Fellow Liberians, please make this to make sense:
I) The Big Six Offices in 36 months (FY2024-2026)
1) President Joseph Nyumah Boakai
US$8,111,048
2) VP Jeremiah Koung
US$10,613,147.00
3) Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon
US$5,439,976.00
4) Senate Pro-Temp Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence
US$3,464,570.00
5) Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah
US$3,824,241.00
6) Chief Justice Yarmie
US$859,380.00
7) Total: US$32,312,362.00
Note: Their expenditures will increase as at December 2025 because the 2026 Draft Budget only captured 2025 expenditures as at October 31, 2025. This means that they have not spent for November and December 2025 yet. So, the big six will consume more than US$32 million. But let’s compare them with what 14 major referral hospitals got in the same 36 months.
II) Major Public Hospitals across various Counties (FY2024-2026):
1) Martha Tubman Hospital in Grand Gedeh – US$250,000
2) Government Hospital in Grand Bassa – US$569,753
3) F. J. Grant Hospital in Sinoe – US$337,500
4) J.J. Dossen Hospital in Maryland – US$407,500
5) Timothy Hospital in Cape Mount – US$225,000
6) G.W. Harley Hospital in Nimba – US$317,493
7) C.H. Rennie Hospital in Margibi – 239,962
8)Government Hospital in Bomi – US$297,400
9) St. Francis Hospital in RiverCess – US$260,000
10) Rally Time Hospital in Grand Kru – US$275,000
11) Fish Town Hospital in River Gee – US$317,140
12) C B Dumbar Hospital in Bong – US$626,100
13) Tellewoyan Hospital in Lofa – US$387,500
14) Emirates Hospital in Gbarpolu – US$787,500
15) Total: US$5,297,848
Mr. President, we can’t keep talking. Since 2024, we have asked you to cut down on public waste, but you have refused and intentionally ignored this call. There will be action soon. For the third budget year, we are again calling on you, Pres. Boakai, to cut all salaries and benefits to at most US$5K. No one, including lawmakers, ministers, managing directors, directors, deputy directors,, etc., should earn more than US$5K. This amount (5K) is economically justified. Those who drafted chose to brazenly keep civil servants at a non-living wage of US$150. So, why can’t you earn 5k and below?
If all “big shots” are capped at US$5K, hundreds of millions of USD will be saved and diverted to create thousands of jobs and invest in critical sectors including substantial increment in the salaries of civil servants. The people’s money is being wasted, misused, siphoned, and misapplied while millions of them remain poor, jobless, and hungry. This is unacceptable. The US$1.2 billion budget is still a cash cow intended to benefit a handful of political elites who care less about the public interest. This is not “Rescue”. This is “Re-use”.
In 2006, Liberia was ranked among the ten (10) poorest countries in the World. In 2025, after almost 20 years, Liberia is still ranked among the ten (10) poorest countries even though over US$10.8 billion has been spent through direct budgetary appropriations. So, where did these billions go? What has changed when Liberia is still among the 10 poorest after 20 years? It’s time for Liberians to reflect and rethink.
A single company or factory has not be built or established to create jobs for Liberians. But a few elites continue to consume almost everything. This will end one day. The people are watching. The suffering in Liberia is artificial. It is man-made. Greed and Corruption are on an industrial scale. The People have to stand up or else, another generation is about to perish in poverty at the hands of a few greedy and corrupt politicians. Liberians deserve far better than this.
Credit To The Author: Martin K. N. Kollie who is a Liberian activist in exile and a former student leader in Liberia.
