–Challenges Officials To Deliver On Development Promises
IPNEWS: President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has challenged government ministries and agencies, the private sector, civil society organizations, the media, and international partners to take greater responsibility for Liberia’s development, warning that the country cannot overcome poverty and underdevelopment through government efforts alone.
Speaking at the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) National Steering Committee Meeting at Monrovia City Hall.
President Boakai said Liberia has the natural resources and human capacity necessary to improve the lives of its citizens, but questioned whether those resources are being managed with the level of honesty, efficiency, and accountability required.
“Everything that is required to make life better is right here in Liberia,” Boakai said, while recalling his previous experience in government when poverty reduction was placed high on the national agenda.
The President acknowledged that poverty remains one of Liberia’s most persistent challenges but argued that addressing it requires responsibility from every sector of society.
He cautioned Liberians against placing the entire burden of the country’s problems on government while failing to examine their own contributions.
“Poverty is poverty. I don’t care about what we do, each and everyone has a responsibility,” he said.
However, the President’s call for collective responsibility also places greater pressure on his administration to demonstrate measurable results, particularly as his government continues to promote the ARREST Agenda as its central development framework.
Boakai said his administration remains committed to delivering tangible improvements, including better roads, stronger public services, job opportunities, expanded access to education, and other programs intended to improve the living conditions of ordinary Liberians.
He commended government officials, civil society groups, development partners, and other stakeholders for their contributions, but stressed that coordination alone would not be enough if institutions fail to effectively implement programs and account for the resources entrusted to them.
The President said the government’s development agenda, launched in 2025, was built on a promise to produce tangible and measurable results.
He nevertheless admitted that progress must be assessed honestly and that institutional weaknesses cannot be ignored for the sake of portraying government performance positively.
“While progress has been made, we must be honest with ourselves,” he said.
Boakai urged public officials to accept criticism and correct weaknesses instead of defending poor performance.
He also emphasized that government appointments and promotions should be based on merit and performance rather than political considerations or personal relationships.
“We must be honest to admit and take corrections,” the President said, warning officials against using excuses to explain failures.
“Liberians are not going to forgive you for the excuses, and the media are not going to listen to you,” he added, placing the media among the institutions expected to scrutinize government performance.
The President assigned the National Steering Committee a critical oversight role, stressing that it must help ensure coordination among ministries and agencies and determine whether government programs are actually producing the results promised to citizens.
He identified job creation, education, public communication, and effective service delivery as areas requiring sustained attention.
These priorities, he suggested, should be measured not merely by government announcements but by their impact on the daily lives of Liberians.
Boakai also raised concerns about the management of public resources, insisting that funds allocated for development must be handled with the highest level of responsibility.
“All of the resources are for the development of this country. We have the responsibility of managing them.
Every dollar must be managed with the highest responsibility,” he said.
The President further demanded greater discipline in government reporting, declaring that ministries and agencies must submit reports on time.
He warned that repeated delays, ineffective reporting, and inconsistencies would no longer be tolerated.
“Moving forward, all ministries and agencies are expected to make reports on time.
Repeated delays, ineffectiveness, and inconsistency are unacceptable,” Boakai said.
His remarks could intensify scrutiny of government institutions, particularly where delays, weak implementation, or questions surrounding the use of public funds have raised concerns about whether government development promises are translating into concrete benefits for citizens.
Boakai also urged the private sector to operate with competence, integrity, and professionalism, describing businesses as partners in Liberia’s development rather than merely beneficiaries of government policies.
He called on civil society organizations and the media to play stronger roles in promoting accountability, monitoring government performance, and informing citizens about national development.
“Society must play a role in impacting change. I see you as partners. You are more than just observers,” the President said.
Ultimately, Boakai’s message was a demand for collective responsibility but it also places the administration itself under renewed pressure to demonstrate that accountability begins within government.
For many Liberians facing unemployment, poor public services, inadequate infrastructure and persistent economic hardship, the success of the ARREST Agenda will ultimately be judged not by official reports or speeches, but by whether promised development produces visible improvements in their everyday lives.
The President thanked participants at the meeting, saying their presence demonstrated a commitment to Liberia’s development
While urging all stakeholders to work collectively to ensure that national resources are transformed into meaningful and measurable benefits for the Liberian people.
