By: P Uriah Suah
Monrovia, Liberia — The opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has issued a strong rebuttal to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s Third State of the Nation Address, questioning the government’s claims of progress and accusing it of repackaging achievements of the previous administration. Speaking at a press conference, CDC Chairman Janga Kowo said the party’s response was driven by national interest rather than political convenience. He stressed that the CDC was compelled to speak out due to what he described as contradictions and failures in the government’s delivery on key promises.
According to Kowo, President Boakai’s address raised fundamental questions about the foundation upon which the Unity Party government claims to be building progress. He noted that for two years, the current administration has failed to acknowledge any accomplishments of the CDC-led government under former President George Manneh Weah. Kowo argued that many of the developments cited by President Boakai were inherited from the CDC administration, including infrastructure expansion, electricity projects, educational investments, healthcare upgrades, regional partnerships, and macroeconomic stabilization achieved under difficult global conditions.
The CDC chairman rejected what he termed political deception, accusing the government of presenting inherited projects as new achievements under the “Rescue Agenda,” while ignoring their origins.He further accused President Boakai of contradicting himself on the financing of the US$10 million Freeport of Monrovia (FOIA) project, noting that the President previously stated on a radio program that the Mano River Union was funding the project, but later claimed the Liberian government was paying for it.
Kowo said both claims cannot be true and described the conflicting statements as misleading, raising concerns about clarity, consistency, and honesty in national leadership.
According to the CDC, its rebuttal focuses on real outcomes affecting the bread-and-butter issues of Liberians, including household conditions, service delivery, and institutional security, which it says the Rescue Agenda has failed to improve.“President Boakai also claims that 70,000 youth have been employed. We ask clearly, in which counties are these jobs? Where are the employment centers, payrolls, and beneficiaries?”The CDC questioned the President’s claim of job creation, stating that graduates across the country remain unemployed and forced into informal survival.
The party also challenged the government’s promise to train 10,000 youths in ICT, noting that only about 1,000 have reportedly been trained, which it described as a 90 percent failure.Kowo further accused the Boakai administration of political persecution, citing what he described as interference in an ECOWAS appointment involving a former Liberian foreign minister, which he said violated constitutional rights to employment.
On road infrastructure, the CDC recalled President Boakai’s campaign promise that “no car will get stuck in the mud in 100 days,” questioning whether the pledge was realistic or deliberately misleading. The party noted that rural communities continue to suffer from poor roads, especially during the rainy season, despite the availability of millions of dollars for road maintenance.
The CDC also claimed that many road projects currently being advertised were initiated or contracted under the previous administration and accused the government of overstating road construction achievements. “Nearly three years into President Boakai’s regime, Liberians should not be waiting for a clear job creation engine.”The opposition party said temporary projects do not amount to sustainable employment and accused the government of neglecting agriculture, which supports more than 60 percent of the population. It cited lack of investment in storage, irrigation, extension services, and farm-to-market roads.
The CDC also questioned the much-publicized 285 yellow machines, saying they have not been delivered and that procurement costs remain unclear. The party announced plans to file a Freedom of Information request to establish the actual cost of the equipment.On education, the CDC highlighted achievements under its administration, including new schools, payment of WAEC fees, regularization of supplemental teachers, free public university tuition, and infrastructure improvements at state-owned institutions.
The party, however, claimed that under the current administration, the education sector is declining, with shortages of teachers, learning materials, and poor conditions at public universities and community colleges.In healthcare, the CDC said gains made under its government—such as hospital upgrades, equipment procurement, and workforce strengthening—are being eroded. It accused the Boakai administration of neglecting health facilities while increasing security sector spending.“Liberians deserve more than slogans. Leadership must translate promises into real improvements in their daily lives.”
The CDC concluded by urging the government to move beyond rhetoric and branding, warning that failure to deliver tangible results would continue to deepen hardship for ordinary Liberians.
