Having carefully reviewed the so-called “Major Road and Bridge Projects Update” presented by the current administration, I’m compelled to state, unequivocally, that nothing has changed.
The document is not a report of new achievements, but a testament to continuity, the continuity of repackaging, rebranding, and relabelling the foundational work, strategic frameworks, and tangible progress initiated, funded, and implemented by the CDC-led government under His Excellency President George Manneh Weah.
What we see before us is not a new plan, but the results of our heavy lifting. The Boakai-Koung administration is attempting to present the fruits of our labor as their own, a desperate ploy to conceal their profound lack of a new vision and their administrative inertia in the critical two years of their tenure.
My position is based on the following irrefutable facts:
- These Are Not New Projects; They Are CDC Legacy Projects:
The overwhelming majority of projects listed, particularly the major corridors, were conceived, negotiated, financed, and commenced under the CDC administration. The Coastal Corridor (AfDB), the Southeastern corridors (World Bank RETRAP I & II, AfDB), the Gbarnga-Salayea-Voinjama corridor (Arab Donors), and the Sanniquellie-Logatuo road (AfDB/EIB), were all advanced from mere ideas to funded, actionable projects on our watch. The current Minister is merely updating the implementation status of our masterplan.
- “Status Update” Reveals Stagnation, Not Progress:
A critical look at the “status” column exposes the truth. The language is dominated by:
- “Procurement processes are being finalized…” (A process WE initiated).
- “Financing discussions are underway…” (Discussions WE commenced).
- “Detailed design is currently being carried out…” (Designs WE commissioned).
- “Works are expected to commence this dry season…” (Promises, not pavement).
This is the language of bureaucratic continuation, not groundbreaking achievement. Where are the new financial agreements they have signed? Where are the new major groundbreakings they have conducted?
- The “Progress” They Claim is Our Progress:
The report boasts of 93% completion on Gbarnga-Salayea, 93% on Saclepea-Tappita, and 85% on Sanniquellie-Logatuo. Whose administration oversaw 90%+ of that physical work? It was the CDC government. The current administration is merely a caretaker, hoping to cut the ribbons on bridges and roads whose foundations we poured.
- A Stunning Lack of New Initiatives:
After two years in office, this update reveals no signature, large-scale infrastructure project conceived and launched by the Boakai-Koung administration. Their entire “strategy” is to ride on our coattails, manage existing contracts, and hope the public confuses stewardship for innovation. This is a government living off the capital of its predecessor, proving it has no capital of its own to invest in Liberia’s future.
- The Suffering of Our People Continues Unabated:
While they play with PowerPoint slides and project charts, the Liberian people feel no change. The cost of living is crushing. Drugs are destroying our youth. Corruption whispers persist. Where is the “ARREST Agenda” in action? It appears arrested itself. This infrastructure list is a smokescreen to hide the fact that on the issues that matter most, the economy, security, health, and education, they have no credible updates to give.
Therefore, we celebrate the continued implementation of our visionary infrastructure plan, for it is for the benefit of all Liberians. However, we utterly reject the dishonest attempt by the Boakai-Koung administration to claim credit for the hard-won diplomatic and financial victories of the Weah presidency.
We call on the media and the Liberian people to see this document for what it is: a report on the CDC’s legacy projects, poorly disguised as a new administration’s achievement. It is evidence that nothing has changed but the faces behind the podium. The vision, the plan, and the work-in-progress remain ours.
The CDC remains committed to holding this administration accountable not for continuing our work, but for its failure to launch its own. We stand ready, as a vigorous opposition, to offer the bold, innovative, and people-centered leadership that Liberia truly deserves.
