IPNEWS: The 14th post-war commencement convocation of the Deanna Kay Isaacson School of Midwifery in Zwedru was marked by a powerful and reflective keynote address delivered by Sinoe County Senator Crayton Oldman Duncan. The Senator challenged the graduating midwives and nurses to rethink Liberia’s collective mindset, confront longstanding national barriers, and embrace their role in shaping a prosperous future for the country.
Speaking to the graduating class, Senator Duncan said he was moved as he looked into the eyes of young professionals preparing to enter a difficult job market—one clouded by rising unemployment. He expressed concern over assurances from a Ministry of Health representative who promised future job placements for the graduates but urged them to “be patient.” Senator Duncan described this as a familiar pattern in Liberia, where hope often meets prolonged uncertainty.
He told the graduates that Liberians have been made to believe they are poor and condemned societal narratives that label anything associated with Blackness as negative.
“We were made to believe that anything black is evil and bad, and anything white is good and angelic,” he said. He warned that such beliefs harm self-worth and undermine national confidence.
Challenging the dependency mindset, Senator Duncan said Liberians must abandon the expectation that foreign partners will transform their lives.
“We always pray for people from abroad to take us from mud houses to concrete buildings. That will never happen,” he declared. “We must begin to appreciate our own identity and think positively.”
He argued that Liberia’s heavy reliance on international partners is misguided, stating that any nation that truly loved Liberia would not have subjected its ancestors to centuries of suffering through slavery. He urged Liberians to reject the belief that they are fated to live in poverty when the country is among the wealthiest in natural resources.
Senator Duncan cited Liberia’s abundance of iron ore, gold, diamonds, forests, crude oil, and fertile agricultural land as evidence of its untapped wealth.
He highlighted a 15-year Mineral Development Agreement between the government and Hummingbird Mining in Sinoe County, noting it covers a region estimated to contain US$18 billion worth of gold. He also pointed to Bea Mountain Mining Corporation’s extraction of over US$800 million worth of gold in 2024, from which Liberia received only 3% royalties.
“The crazy part about our governments is that we are afraid to tell our foreign partners to stop stealing our resources,” he lamented. “We celebrate three cents out of every dollar as help but it is peanuts, and it keeps us poorer.”
He insisted that Liberia cannot develop under such arrangements, and called for a new resource management framework that ensures Liberians receive the highest share of wealth generated from their land.
“For Liberia to develop, we must change government policies so the country controls its own natural resources,” he said. “But there is no president brave enough to sign such laws, and no legislators bold enough to craft them.”
He proposed a new model in which partnership deals with foreign companies guarantee the government no less than 60% of all earnings.
Turning to Liberia’s political evolution, Senator Duncan offered a historical perspective on voting, tracing it back to the arrival of freed slaves in the 1820s. He explained that early political structures favored mulatto settlers, who were educated in America, while fully Black settlers were denied such opportunities. This imbalance, he said, shaped Liberia’s early political landscape and maintained a one-party structure until President Edward J. Roye broke the monopoly.
He described Roye’s death as an assassination on Crown Hill, rejecting long-held claims that he drowned while fleeing with state funds.
The Senator argued that elections before 2005 including those that brought Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor to power were never truly democratic.
“The first real democratic election in Liberia was in 2005,” he said, but added that many voters still lack the courage to confront the truth at the ballot box.
He encouraged the graduates to vote responsibly and boldly.
“Your future and the future of Liberia lies in your hands. It depends on how you vote governments into government into power.
In another development, Senator Duncan pledged to provide a school bus to the Deanna Kay Isaacson School of Midwifery a gesture that drew loud applause from administrators, faculty, and students.
The commitment followed a formal invitation sent to the senator requesting him to serve as keynote speaker and highlighting the school’s urgent need for reliable transportation for students attending classes and clinical rotations.
According to the Senator, the bus specifically a Killerben model will be delivered in early June 2026.
“I am inspired by the dedication of these young professionals preparing to serve our communities,” he said. “A school bus is essential for your daily activities, and I am pleased to support the school in this way.”
The administration praised the gesture as timely and transformative, noting that transportation challenges have long hindered student movement and clinical work. They described the senator’s intervention as a boost that will enhance attendance, practical training, and overall academic performance.
The Deanna Kay Isaacson School of Midwifery remains one of the premier institutions training midwives in Grand Gedeh and the southeastern region, playing a vital role in improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes.
Senator Duncan’s pledge is expected to significantly strengthen the school’s logistical capacity as it continues its mission of producing skilled and compassionate healthcare professionals ready to serve Liberia.
