President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has declared that his rise to Liberia's highest office was never fueled by personal ambition, but by a lifelong commitment to service and an unwavering desire to transform the living conditions of ordinary Liberians.
Speaking candidly during a weekend interview on the state-owned Eternal Love Broadcasting Corporation (ELBC), President Boakai reflected on a life shaped by hardship, perseverance, and public service, while outlining his administration's rescue and development agenda centered on agriculture, roads, education and vocational training, sanitation and health, tourism, energy, as well as security and the rule of law.
"I didn't come to become president; I came to rescue a country," President Boakai stated emphatically, describing his leadership as a moral responsibility to restore hope, dignity, and opportunity to the Liberian people.
The President traced his personal journey from rural deprivation to national leadership, a story he said mirrors the struggles of millions of Liberians.
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Born in Foya District, Lofa County, Boakai recalled walking as a young boy with his aunt from Foya to Tubmanburg in search of opportunity.
"A young man who could not provide, I walked with my aunt from Foya all the way to Tubmanburg. We lived there and went to elementary school," he recounted.
His educational pursuit was marked by repeated setbacks. After moving to Monrovia, financial hardship forced him back up-country before he eventually returned, determined not to give up. At his lowest point, Boakai worked as a janitor at the Liberia Communications Authority--then the Centralized Wireless Authority (CWA)--an experience he said deeply shaped his understanding of poverty and resilience.
"I know what it means to struggle," he said. "Those experiences never leave you."
Boakai later completed high school and university studies, beginning his professional career in Voinjama, where he rose to become Manager of the Voinjama Farmers' Production and Marketing Cooperative (FPMC). He would later make history as the first Liberian Managing Director of the Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation (LPMC).
His public service trajectory continued with appointments as Minister of Agriculture, Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), and ultimately Vice President of Liberia for 12 years under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Following electoral defeat and a period in private business, Boakai said his return to frontline politics was driven by the worsening conditions faced by ordinary Liberians.
President Boakai stressed that his leadership philosophy is rooted in lived reality rather than abstract theory.
"Nobody has to tell me anything about Liberia. I lived it. I slept on the floor in Swinowere. I know what people go through," he said.
He noted that even while traveling in official convoys, he remains keenly aware of the daily struggles confronting citizens--poverty, unemployment, and lack of basic services.
"So even as I ride cars with tinted windows, I know people are suffering. That passion lives with me," he added.
At the heart of the President's development message was the conviction that road infrastructure is the foundation of national transformation.
"Without roads, you can't get anywhere," Boakai declared, arguing that progress in agriculture, healthcare, education, and trade is impossible without connectivity.
He pointed to improvements already made, including easier access to southeastern Liberia and Grand Gedeh County, while unveiling ambitious road plans such as a four-lane, toll-free highway from the St. Paul Bridge to Bomi Waterside, improved corridors between Monrovia and Tubmanburg, and new road links from Mendikorma through Salayea to open up northern Liberia.
These projects, he said, are designed to reduce transportation costs, create business opportunities for young people, and lower the prices of basic commodities.
President Boakai clarified that his administration's ARREST Agenda is a comprehensive development framework rather than a threat. The agenda prioritizes agriculture, roads, education and vocational training, sanitation and health, tourism, energy, and the strengthening of security and the rule of law.
While acknowledging that the word "arrest" initially unsettled some citizens, Boakai maintained that accountability and anti-corruption enforcement are unavoidable.
"If everybody comes to chop their own, what will be left for the rest of the people?" he asked.
He vowed that corruption would be investigated wherever it exists, emphasizing that public office must not be a pathway to unexplained wealth.
Beyond development, the President spoke forcefully about reconciliation and justice for crimes committed during Liberia's civil conflict. He defended executive actions recognizing past atrocities, stating that international accountability can no longer be ignored.
"To start a country, you must reconcile the country," he said, underscoring confession, repentance, and healing as the foundations of lasting peace.
He cited symbolic initiatives such as reburials, diaspora engagement, and national fasting and prayer as steps toward restoring Liberia's moral fabric.
President Boakai announced plans to construct 100 fully equipped elementary schools nationwide, complete with computer facilities--an initiative he said depends heavily on improved road access.
He also revealed plans for a football academy in Bong County aimed at providing young people with skills, discipline, and opportunity.
"You only have a few years to live. We must make life interesting and meaningful for our young people," he said.
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The President acknowledged that his administration inherited serious financial and credibility challenges, including unpaid international obligations that stalled development. However, he said renewed engagement has begun to restore Liberia's standing globally.
According to Boakai, investors from Korea, Turkey, the Middle East, and other regions are showing renewed interest in Liberia. Planned initiatives include a national airline, shipbuilding ventures, housing projects, mining value-addition, and expanded electricity generation.
"You cannot create big jobs in a country where there is no confidence," he emphasized.
In closing, President Boakai reaffirmed that Liberia's development will not be limited to Monrovia.
"Liberia is not about Monrovia; it's about the people," he said.
With roads, electricity, water systems, schools, and health facilities prioritized across the country, the President expressed confidence that Liberia can evolve from a transit point into a true West African destination.
"They will pass through other countries and come here," he declared. "And it will happen."
As Liberia approaches its 180th anniversary, President Boakai's reflections painted the portrait of a leader guided by memory, morality, and a mission to ensure that ordinary Liberians experience meaningful change--not tomorrow, but now.
