Monrovia — Professor Dr. Thomas Kaydor, Jr., Vice Chairperson for Administration of the National Democratic Coalition and a respected academic at the University of Liberia, has criticized NAYMOTE's evaluation of President Joseph N. Boakai's first eight months in office. While acknowledging the significance of the report in fostering governmental accountability, Prof. Kaydor raised concerns about its historical accuracy, methodology, and oversight in tracking key promises.
NAYMOTE released its President Meter Project report as a tool to monitor the Boakai administration's progress in delivering on campaign promises last week. The report, aimed at promoting transparency, evaluated promises across six major pillars: macroeconomic stability and infrastructure, health and sanitation, human capacity development, governance and rule of law, gender and social protection, and anti-corruption efforts. According to the organization, the report serves as a critical tool for citizens to assess the effectiveness of the Boakai government, a sentiment echoed by Professor Kaydor.
"The report sets a baseline for the public to track the government's progress," Kaydor said. "The Government should, therefore, welcome such a report and keep an eye on implementing all the promises made." He stressed the government's obligation to deliver on its commitments, adding that this kind of public monitoring is essential for improving governance and ensuring inclusive service delivery across Liberia.
Despite his praise for NAYMOTE's intent, Kaydor did not shy away from pointing out what he described as significant flaws in the report. One major issue was a historical inaccuracy, as NAYMOTE claimed Liberia had entered its "third republic," a claim Kaydor firmly rejected. "Historically, Liberia has only had two republics: the first from 1847 to 1980, and the second from the 1980s to the present," Kaydor clarified, stressing that such errors could mislead the public and diminish the report's credibility. He urged NAYMOTE to correct such inaccuracies in future editions to preserve the integrity of the evaluation.
Beyond the historical error, Kaydor also critiqued the methodology employed by NAYMOTE. While the report claimed to use both qualitative and quantitative data collection tools, he questioned whether it effectively utilized these methods. "This report is more qualitative as I see it. It did not indicate the interrelated quantitative tools as claimed," he remarked. As a professor teaching research methodology, Kaydor underscored the importance of transparency in evaluation processes, warning that national evaluation reports must be "evidence-based" to withstand scrutiny from both domestic and international observers.
One particularly glaring oversight, according to Kaydor, was NAYMOTE's failure to adequately track President Boakai's pledge to construct a new dormitory at the Regional Maritime University (RMU) in Ghana. The President had publicly made the commitment during a commencement address at the university in June 2024. "How come NAYMOTE did not know this?" Kaydor asked, pointing out that such omissions undermined the credibility of the report. He called on NAYMOTE to engage more rigorously in tracking and validating the promises made by the government to avoid such errors.
Kaydor also took issue with how certain deliverables were categorized as "completed" or "ongoing." For example, he noted that NAYMOTE labeled the government's digital skills training program for youth as ongoing, even though 10,000 young people had already been trained. "Is the NGO interested in the completion of events only? National development is like a continuum rather than an event," Kaydor argued, suggesting that NAYMOTE adopt a more holistic approach when evaluating the progress of long-term policy initiatives.
While the report highlighted successes in health initiatives, agricultural strategy development, and youth empowerment, Kaydor expressed concerns over the pace of key reforms. "Six years is not long for some of the major reforms that Liberians expected," he said, urging the administration to accelerate the implementation of critical reforms and promises.
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In his closing remarks, Professor Kaydor called on NAYMOTE to improve its research methodology for future evaluations, stressing the need for more rigorous data collection. He posed critical questions about NAYMOTE's engagement with government ministries, agencies, and commissions, asking, "Did NAYMOTE approach the government to validate the deliverables or promises prior to evaluating them?" Kaydor emphasized that more extensive collaboration could enhance the report's validity and ensure a more accurate reflection of the government's progress.
Kaydor urged the Boakai administration to take NAYMOTE's findings seriously, calling for stronger cooperation between the government and civil society organizations in tracking public policy initiatives. He also called on the national legislature to allocate sufficient resources in future budgets to ensure the government has the means to fulfill its campaign pledges. "There is still time to achieve all these promises," Kaydor said, but he added that urgency is critical in translating promises into tangible outcomes.
