Monrovia — Liberian President Joseph Nyumah Boakai has convened a committee to drive the implementation of his government's development agenda.
Titled "Arrest Agenda for Inclusive Development," the formation of the committee follows the conclusion of his recent cabinet retreat in Monrovia.
The committee is chaired by President Boakai and Vice President Jeremiah Koung, and co-chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator and the Minister of Finance.
Liberia's Foreign Minister serves on the committee as secretary. The Committee is tasked with ensuring the seamless execution of the development agenda.
Its members comprise various sectors including the Ministry of Information, Culture Affairs, and Tourism, civil society, business associations, and development partners.
President Boakai announced the establishment of the committee after a three-day cabinet retreat held at the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, a suburb of Monrovia.
President Boakai disclosed that the National Coordination Committee includes the Minister of Finance as chair, development partners as the first co-chair, the Deputy Finance Minister for Development and Planning as the second co-chair, and the Assistant Minister for Development and Planning as secretary.
Other members include representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Gender Children, and Social Protection, as well as Justice, Mines, and Energy, among others.
"Then we have the Technical Coordination Committee which is chaired by the Minister of Rural Development and Planning, with the Director of Planning and Development as the secretary, along with other members including the Assistant Minister for Planning," he added.
Furthermore, President Boakai emphasized the role of the Inter-Secretarial Coordination Committee, which will be led by the Ministry of Finance, the 11 sector working groups, development partners, civil society representatives, and county facilitation committees.
He also named county officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, local government representatives, and technicians from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
He also mentioned that additional members will be published on the Executive Mansion website.
In another development, President Boakai has revealed that the organization of these committees is to ensure the country's readiness for development.
He pointed out that the reason why the country is this way is because not everybody will agree with what he's doing.
President suggested that others believe that if they failed, he shouldn't succeed also.
"The reason why the country is this way is because not everybody will agree with what I'm doing, because they believe that if they didn't succeed, that means I shouldn't succeed also," he argued.
Addressing the Cabinet, he challenged cabinet members to ensure that his agenda was successful.
"We don't lack resources; we just need to allocate them wisely. Empower the youth and invest in their ideas," he stressed.
President Boakai noted that his commitment to national development envisions Liberia as a prime destination akin to Ghana's role as a gateway.
"If Ghana is the gateway, then we will be the destination," said President Boakai.
President Boakai stated that it is the first of its kind for international partners to express so much interest in the development of the country.
However, he urged them to be honest in their contributions to the country's growth.
He thanked them for the many initiatives and asked that they be as honest as possible to the country in what they do.
The last time President Boakai was in the United States, he said he spoke about the huge funds that have been sent to Liberia. But he lamented that the funds go back to the donors only because they have their people here taking back those funds.
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He asked them to share the opportunities with Liberians so that they too can benefit since most of the money is recorded in the name of the country.
Reflecting on Liberia's history, he called for renewed patriotism and emphasized the need for preparedness, particularly in infrastructure and education.
"This retreat aims to harness ideas for national improvement and address challenges hindering our progress," he stated.
Additionally, President Boakai indicated that citizens are suffering and want to travel to other countries because of the limited opportunities they have in the country.
He stressed the need for leadership to create avenues for the younger generation.
He also called on the Legislature to streamline government operations and allocate resources efficiently to foster job creation and national development, instead of focusing on elected officials.
