Former Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai brags here of having a comprehensive and better understanding of Agriculture than anyone else in Liberia.
Amb. Boakai, current Standard Bearer of the Unity Party and also a former cabinet minister from the regime of slain President Samuel Kanyon Doe, says based on his understanding of the agricultural sector and food production, Liberia will feed itself under his Presidency if elected in October.
"I sit down and hear people talk about agriculture. There is nobody in this country before me or even now understands agriculture better than I do. Immediately when I left school (University of Liberia), I went up country and I was managing oil palm farm, coffee, making nurseries for farmers, buying rice and coffee, milling it. Then from there to the marketing. LPMC exporting and then from there to become Minister. Who else? Nobody. So with that, I have much better understanding about agriculture than anyone else in this country", the Presidential hopeful bragged recently while addressing partisans during a county tour.
According to him, the main problem of the country is Liberians inability to feed themselves through agriculture production and food security.
He says because Liberians can't produce what they eat, the country continues to joke about self-sufficiency in food.
Amb. Boakai reflects that during his service in the agriculture sector, the only rice that was imported to Liberia was the United States Parboiled Rice, unlike today when all kinds of unhealthy rice are coming to Liberia and Liberians can't refuse them.
The UP Standard Bearer further recalls that rice importation in the country was 30 percent, but he notes that today, over two hundred million dollars is spent on rice yearly, while chicken eggs and chicken feet are also imported.
"You used to go to the restaurant and eat chicken. But today, they are bringing chicken feet. You don't know where the chicken is from but only the feet you can see. All of those things will be things of the past. We will produce those things that we eat. The protein will put you people to work."
He says the Booker Washington Institute (BWI) in Kakata, Margibi County supposed to be producing some machinery by now that the country can use to boost agriculture activities in a modernized way.
Boakai argues that he doesn't expect Liberians to take cutlass again and do agriculture work, instead, they should apply technology as it's done in countries around the world and Africa.
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"Our country is going backward and we're not going to allow it. We want to leave this country in good hands. We want our young people to be proud of themselves. Every time I hear the story about ship drowning and people dying because they want to leave their country to go elsewhere, it hurts me. Where else is better than your country", he wonders.
He says nowhere is better than Liberia, but Liberia is into what it is because of bad leadership. However, he is optimistic the country can be transformed and all can have hope again but it requires leadership and he is prepared to provide that.
"Make that decision by voting us and leave that with us. It's our responsibility to put dignity on our country. You go all over; Monrovia is just like a big village. The drugs are many all over Monrovia. We are not pleased with what is happening and we have to rescue you because our children are all grown. When nobody had respected you before, this new government that is coming will put dignity on you", Boakai promises.
