Referred to by many as the “Darling Girl of the West”, ex-President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is the second longest serving President of the Republic of Liberia, only preceded by ex-President William V.S. Tubman who remained at the helm of power for twenty-seven (27) consecutive years. Elected in November 2005, ex-President Sirleaf served Liberians as their President for twelve (12) years unabated, and democratically turned over power to her successor, President George M. Weah, in January 2018, with the hope that her successor would continue from whence she stopped. Her turnover to President Weah would be the first transfer of power between democratically elected leaders in Liberia since 1944.
Being the first President of post-war Liberia, President Sirleaf would receive enormous support from the rest of the world. From the beginning of her presidency, Liberia’s debt stood at approximately US$4.9 billion in 2006; however, the United States became the first country to grant debt relief to Liberia, waiving the full US$391 million owed to it by Liberia in early 2007. In September of that year, the G-8, headed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, provided $324.5 million to paying off 60% of Liberia’s debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), crediting their decision to the macroeconomic policies pursued by the Sirleaf administration.
The country was deemed eligible to participate in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative in 2008. In June 2010, the country reached the completion point of the HIPC initiative, qualifying it for relief from its entire external debt. That same month, the World Bank and IMF agreed to fund US$1.5 billion in writing off the Liberia’s multilateral debt. On September 16, 2010, the Paris Club agreed to cancel US$1.26 billion, with independent bilateral creditors canceling an additional US$107 million, essentially writing off Liberia’s remaining external debt.
President Sirleaf would attract over US$15 billion in foreign investment over her 12 years—signing in about sixty-six (66) concession agreements. Howbeit, out of the 66 concessionaires, only three met the global accepted standard.
With these funds and more, ex-President Sirleaf would undertake lots of projects, making impact in almost every sector of the Liberian fabric. For education sector, she built community colleges in Grand Bassa, Bomi, Nimba and Bong counties and University of Liberia’s Fendell Campus; for health, she built the Tappita Hospital and revamped the JFK Medical Hospital, etc.; for sports, she renovated both the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS) and the Samuel K. Doe (SKD) Sports Complex to an internationally accepted standard; for infrastructure, she built the Monrovia-Buchanan Highway, Coca Cola Factory-Ganta Highway and rehabilitated all public schools and major streets of Monrovia; for foreign relations, she would manage to bring back Liberia’s lost image—giving it a seat among great nations of the world.
However, some of ex-President Sirleaf’s landmark projects would have been a fiasco and a waste of international donors’ funds were President Weah to abandon her unfinished projects.
Ex-President Sirleaf would be remembered in history as one of Liberia’s greatest Presidents in terms of infrastructure development, but not without President Weah completing four of her landmark projects: the Japan Freeway (formerly Somalia Drive), the Inter-Ministerial Complex, the Gbarnga-Voinjama Highway and the new RIA Terminal. Apart from road connectivity, these projects remain outstanding among ex-President Sirleaf’s infrastructure development drive.
President Weah would graciously take on from where ex-President Sirleaf stopped, finishing the projects and calling on her to be a part of the dedication ceremonies. President Weah could arguably be the first among Liberian Presidents who continues to work with his predecessor and consult her in major decision-making.
It is no argument ex-President Sirleaf and President Weah have been involved in wars of words, but on the overall they can be said to have been getting along, as President Weah continues to complete her projects with her involvement in every step.
President Weah’s action can simply be defined as continuity, in addition to the name and legacy he is building for himself as the implementer of projects and blueprints that are still needed for national development. Part III tomorrow.