Liberia: President Weah’s Cabinet Retreat to Focus on Domestic Priorities

President George Weah has begun a three-day cabinet retreat to review the strategies that his administration has put in place to improve services to citizens and the completion of several flagship projects before next year’s elections.

The retreat, which is being held in Ganta City, Nimba County, allows Weah to evaluate the performance of the cabinet, review the gains made, assess the challenges, and galvanize efforts to move the country forward as outlined in his development plan — the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).

The retreat, which will be the third under his administration, is not unusual.  It is routine for any sitting president — an opportunity to strategize and review the government's development agenda policies in the past year, but to also socialize — outside of the glare of the Capitol.

The PAPD promises to be a framework for inclusion, more equitable distribution of our national wealth, and a rights-based approach to national development is on course and working satisfactorily since its inception in 2018.  Among other things, it calls for bringing growth back to the economy by increasing productivity through value chains with an emphasis on agricultural processing and marketing.

However, the environment surrounding this year’s retreat is more volatile than it’s been in the recent past as the Weah administration is facing mounting criticism from the opposition and civil society over corruption.

And the result of the PAPD plan implementation has been uneven as widespread poverty and inequality persist — preventing people from achieving their potential. The poverty rate in Liberia, according to the World Bank Poverty & Equity Brief, is above 50 percent of the country's estimated population of 4.5 million people.

The Weah administration, most Liberians believe, has its share of blessings, disappointments, and unfulfilled expectations. However, the government has nevertheless stopped praising itself for infrastructure development projects and economic resiliency — a budget of US$US$785.5 million and economic growth projection that is expected to average more than 4 percent in the next two years. 

The US$785.5 million, however, has been recast to US$806.5 million, reflecting a net upward adjustment of US$20 million or 2.9 percent over the originally approved budget.

The retreat for the President is important for his administration to target projects that would benefit his reelection bid in 2023.   Held on the theme, “Pushing Forward for a Better Liberia,” the retreat will focus on the economy, revenue generation, aid management and coordination, and the President's 2022 Legislative Agenda.

Other points of focus will be accountability and transparency in government, as well as coordination, and teamwork in the implementation of his remaining priorities before his first term comes to an end in 2023.

Meanwhile, Weah, while en route to Ganta, along with a throng of cabinet members for this year's first retreat, dedicated some development projects in Margibi and Nimba Counties aimed at repositioning the government's development priorities.

He made a stop in Kakata, Margibi County, and dedicated the Kakata Service Center refurbished by the Ministry of Transport with support from the World Bank. 

The center was commissioned by the issuance of driver’s license and vehicle license plates at the Margibi County Service Center, allowing vehicle owners in Kakata to acquire their licenses and vehicle plates there instead of having to commute to Monrovia, more than 20 miles away.

He said that the center is one of several proofs of his Government's unfeigned commitment to working in the interest of the Liberian people. Also, along the Nimba highway, President Weah dedicated housing units in two different communities — Paw-Paw Village and near Gbain.

Upon arrival in Ganta, he attended the United Liberia Inland Church Ministry and donated US$10,000 and a substantial quantity of building materials.

The Church had embarked on the construction of the center to cater to the needs of children, especially those in a destitute conditions. The Liberian leader reminded the congregation of the need for genuine reconciliation as the country prepares to celebrate its 175th independence anniversary. 

At the ceremony, the church leaders announced an ongoing project to build a children’s ministry, for which the President made his contribution.  He pledged 500 pieces of steel rods and 1,000 bags of cement.

One of the cardinal issues facing the President’s visit is the land dispute between Fred Suah and the Kromah, Jabateh, and the Donso families, which brought Ganta to a standstill after the Supreme Court ordered the eviction of the trio upon losing a land case to Fred Suah.

The President intervened by setting up a committee to amicably find a solution to the dispute, outside of the court ruling, but the solution is yet to come.

Before visiting the United Inland Church on Sunday, Weah joined in the celebration of the 70th birth anniversary of Senator Prince Y. Johnson upon arrival in Ganta on June 9.