–𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠. 𝐵𝑜𝑎𝑘𝑎𝑖 𝑆𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑈𝑝 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝐷𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐼𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
President Joseph Boakai has convened a committee to drive the implementation of his development agenda, “Arrest Agenda for Inclusive Development”, following the conclusion of his recent cabinet retreat in Monrovia.
The committee, chaired by President Boakai and Vice President Jeremiah Koon, and co-chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator and the Minister of Finance, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs serving as Secretary, is tasked with ensuring the seamless execution of the development agenda.
Its members comprise various sectors, including the Ministry of Information, Culture Affairs, and Tourism, civil society, business associations and development partners.
Making the disclosure at the conclusion of the three-day retreat held at the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, Monrovia, President Boakai highlighted that the National Coordination Committee includes the Minister of Finance as Chair, development partners as the first Co-Chair, the Deputy Minister for Development and Planning as the Second Co-Chair, and the Assistant Minister for Development and Planning as Secretary. Other members include representatives from the ministries of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Gender Children, and Social Protection, as well as Justice, Mines and Energy, among others.
“Then we have the Technical Coordination Committee, which is chaired by the Minister of Rural Development and Planning, with the Director of Planning and Development as the Secretary, along with other members, including the Assistant Minister for Planning,” he added.
Furthermore, President Boakai emphasized the role of the Inter-Secretarial Coordination Committee, which will be led by the Ministry of Finance, the 11 sector working groups, development partners, civil society representatives, county facilitation committees, county officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, local government representatives, and technicians from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
He also mentioned that additional members will be published on the Executive Mansion website.
In another development, he revealed that organization of these committees is to ensure the country’s readiness for development.
According to him, the reason the country is this way is because not everybody will agree with what he’s doing—because they believe that if they did not succeed, he shouldn’t succeed also.
Addressing the cabinet, he challenged them to ensure that his agenda is successful. “We don’t lack resources; we just need to allocate them wisely.
Empower the youth and invest in their ideas,” he stated.
According to him, his commitment to national development envisions Liberia as a prime destination akin to Ghana’s role as a gateway. “If Ghana is the gateway, then we will be the destination,” he noted.
President Boakai said he sees it as the first of its kind—for international partners to express so much interest in the development of the country. However, he urged them to be honest in their contributions to the country’s growth.
He thanked them for the many initiatives and asked that they be honest as possible to the country in what they do.
He said the last time he was in the United States he spoke about the huge funds that has been sent to the country, but instead goes back to the donor only because they have their people here taking back those funds. He asked them to share the opportunities with Liberians so that they, too, can benefit since most of the money is recorded in the name of the country.
Reflecting on Liberia’s history, President Boakai called for renewed patriotism and emphasized the need for preparedness, particularly in infrastructure and education.
“This retreat aims to harness ideas for national improvement and address challenges hindering our progress,” he stated.
He further lamented that the reason citizens are suffering and wanting to travel to other countries is due to the limited opportunities, underscoring the need for the leadership to create avenues for the younger generation.
In closing, President Boakai said there is a need for the National Legislature to streamline government operations and allocate resources efficiently to foster job creation and national development, instead of focusing attention of elected officials.
