The Chairman of the Coalition of Democratic Change (CDC), Janga A. Kowo, says Liberia must build on progress and not political deception of pretending that the foundation was not built by the CDC, while at the time repackaging inherited work as Rescue’s achievements and sold to a struggling population as something new under the so-called ARREST Agenda.
Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, Chairman Kowo said it is even more troubling that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai increasingly contradicts himself in public. He claimed that recently on ELBC radio President Joseph Nyuma Boakai stated that the Mano River Union (MRU) was paying for his US$10 million villa in Foya.
According to him, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai says the Government of Liberia (GOL) is paying these statements cannot both be true. Which one should Liberians believe, and why does President Joseph Nyuma Boakai keep giving conflicting explanations on a matter involving millions of dollars and public trust.
He said the Leadership requires clarity, consistency, and honesty—not confusion and inconsistency, as with the FOYA project and many policies of the Boakai regime.
The CDC rebuttal to the 2026 SONA shifts away from the Rescue slogans and examines actual outcomes the affect the bread-and-butter issues of the Liberia people.
“We measure governance by the condition of households, the security of institutions, and the durability of services. On those measures, the Rescue Mission has fallen short and has become as ‘Excuse Mission’,” the CDC Chairman observed.
Chairman Kowo said President Joseph Nyuma Boakai boasts of growth figures, reserves, and record domestic revenue. But the CDC reminds Liberians of an important truth: every government since the return to democratic rule has expanded the revenue envelope—through, consumption, taxation, policy reform, and improved collection systems.
Hence, rising revenue alone is not evidence of exceptional governance, especially through higher taxation, but how such revenue is utilized to improve the livelihood of the ordinary people.
The real test is whether revenue translates into relief.
Today, behind every statistic is a struggling household. Civil servants, market women, students, motorcyclists, and graduates live under constant economic anxiety.
“Prices remain high, jobs scarce, and purchasing power weak. If the economy was truly improving people’s lives, Liberians would not be debating survival every single day,” he stated.
Read CDC’s full response below.
