In compliance with Article 58 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, President Joseph Boakai will today deliver his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) before the 55th Legislature, where he is expected to outline his development plan for the nation during his presidency.
Article 58 states, “The President shall, on the fourth working Monday in January of each year, present the administration’s legislative program for the ensuing session, and shall once a year report to the Legislature on the state of the Republic. In presenting the economic condition of the Republic the report shall cover expenditure as well as income.”
On January 22, 2024, Amb. Boakai received the oath of office, making him the 26th President of Liberia, but not much was heard from him during his inaugural address, following his temporary breakdown while in speech due to excessive heat exhaustion that disrupted the program.
As his first SONA, all ears, including those of the national and foreign partners, will be tuned to the Capitol, where many are expected to hear what the President’s developmental agenda for the country contains.
The State of the National Address is a platform on which a sitting President presents the country’s economic condition and delves into the expenditure and income as per the government’s operations, but that is not the case in Boakai’s first year, as his basically might be to explain where he picks up from, the pace at which he intends to carry out the incoming administrative and budget year, and how he anticipates to roll it out for the benefit of the country and its people.
Many Liberians and foreign partners will be interested in what President Boakai has lined up in targeting the economy, agriculture, security, development, as well as education and health issues in the country, and how he intends to achieve his short- and long-term goals.
The issue of road connectivity as his major achievement in his first 100-days, is already a notable venture high on the check-lists of his critics, as he has gone seven days and many are beginning to own headache as to how this plan will become a reality with barely 93 days remaining and his government is yet to confirm a Minister of Public Works and appoint the team of technocrats.
Key among what is expected would be the Boakai-led government’s path to progress, which is visioned and dubbed ARREST (Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, Tourism), through which it is believed that they will harness opportunities in agriculture, roads, and other infrastructure development; improve the rule of law, rethink the education sector, improve sanitation, and unlock the potential of tourism.
To reverse years of economic downturn, the administration’s agriculture strategy will be the key driver of Liberia’s economy, which is presumed to be in a reverse; therefore, President Boakai will speak of how to use it as a major source of employment in the country, as it provides over 50 percent of the population’s livelihood and contributes substantially to the country’s GDP.
Among other things, Boakai is expected to strategize how to improve agriculture to improve food self-sufficiency, boost economic transformation, and reduce poverty, among other things.
On the poor state of the roads and how it has undermined development, citizens’ ears will be itchy in hearing Boakai’s plan to invest in roads to connect people, improve agriculture, commerce and industry, education, promote tourism, and provide needed social services, which will include quality health care delivery for all.
Enforcing the rule of law and public safety is vital to the ARREST agenda for overall national development, and therefore, Liberians will want Boakai to explain in detail, government’s plans to improve transparency, accountability, and openness to promote good governance, as well as access to justice to preserve social, economic, and political rights and freedoms, and long-term stability in the country.
With corruption being a menace and a drawback, commitment to the application of the rule of law will be one aspect that critics will support, which is essential in the fight against corruption, but with the appointment of Cooper Kruah as Justice Minister, many are still bewildered as to how this government intends to reset the fight against corruption and impunity to demonstrate firmness and resolve.
One catchy area for which this government got votes was to allow for the establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC) to provide an opportunity for those who bear the greatest responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity to account for their actions in court, and Boakai’s speech will also be torn apart to understand how it envisions to explore the feasibility of the court if it is mentioned.
Business practices, public safety, better investment climate, job creation, and education, are all essential to development. Vocational training and improving the quality of livelihoods are expected to be captured, among many things.
Howbeit, a major area of concern for many Liberians is the misuse and abuse of illegal and narcotic drugs, mainly among the youthful population of the country, and this paper took a few samples of Liberians’ views.
Jacob Nelson of Monrovia thinks that the President’s first SONA will set the tone for him to roll out his campaign’s ARREST agenda for the country.
He observed, “During the 2023 election campaign, President Boakai told us that he would focus his attention to Agriculture, Road, Education, Sanitation, and Tourism to develop this nation. He said this country is too rich for its citizen to be poor. So, on Monday, I will expect him to tell us how he wants to implement this ARREST agenda and who are those that will help him in the process.”
For her part, Madam Nyemade Nevis of Caldwell observed that not much will be said at the SONA, noting, “We have heard from time immemorial about the talk about Rescue Team. So, I will be eager to know how the President intends to rescue us. Now, we are hearing that our children may not write the WASSCE this year because the government owes WAEC, and if he is here to rescue us, these are some of the situations we want him to speak about on Monday.
While some remain optimistic that the President will deliver a good speech, others think he will use the occasion to complete his inaugural speech.
“I have heard many speeches from presidents and politicians alike, and none of them could deliver five percent of the promises they made to the people. So, for me, I am not fascinated with speeches. I want to see how the President will transform this country in his first 100 days, that’s all,” Nathan Davis, a resident of Point Four Junction, said.
He described the SONA as the fulfilment of a constitutional requirement, noting, “We know that the President will address the nation every year, but how his address will transform the lives of the people is what I’m interested in.”
