Monrovia — Senator Amara Konneh, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts and Audit, has raised concerns over what he described as off-budget public spending, irregular procurement practices, and the failure of reported macroeconomic stability to ease the hardships faced by ordinary Liberians under the administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
The concerns raised by Senator Konneh center on the construction of a presidential villa project in Foya, Lofa County, which he said was undertaken outside the framework of the approved national budget.
According to him, senior government officials have in recent weeks provided conflicting explanations regarding both the source of funding and the purpose of the project, creating uncertainty among the public about its legality, transparency, and overall intent.
The controversy surrounding the project intensified on Monday, January 26, when President Boakai, in his State of the Nation Address delivered to the National Legislature, disclosed that the project is fully funded and owned by the Government of Liberia. The President explained that the facility is intended to serve as a Mano River Union Presidential Center for Peace and Development.
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Speaking to reporters at his office in the Capitol Building in Monrovia on Tuesday, January 27, Senator Konneh, who represents Gbarpolu County in the 55th Legislature, questioned why a project of such magnitude was not captured in previous national budgets submitted to and approved by the Legislature.
He said that from a public accounts and expenditures standpoint, the President's admission raises troubling questions about the use of public funds at a time when there was no legislative appropriation for the project.
Senator Konneh stated that there is no evidence to suggest that a lawful procurement process preceded the commencement of the project, which he noted is now nearing completion. He warned that any public spending conducted outside the approved budget and procurement framework constitutes an irregularity that requires immediate legislative scrutiny in order to safeguard public resources and uphold accountability.
Beyond the issue of the Foya project, Senator Konneh used the opportunity to provide a broader comparative analysis of two State of the Nation Addresses delivered by President Boakai, focusing on what he described as the widening gap between reported macroeconomic progress and the lived realities of ordinary Liberians.
He acknowledged the President's report of macroeconomic stability achieved in 2025, describing it as an important indicator that can provide a foundation for long-term economic growth. However, he stressed that macroeconomic stability alone does not translate into tangible relief for citizens who continue to struggle with daily economic pressures.
According to Senator Konneh, the reported gains have failed to resolve the country's persistent bread-and-butter issues. He noted that food prices and transportation costs remain high in many parts of the country, despite government interventions aimed at easing the burden. He added that unemployment and underemployment remain widespread, while water and sanitation challenges persist and basic public services continue to be weak in numerous communities.
He emphasized that until macroeconomic stability is matched by concrete improvements in food affordability, job creation, sanitation, and service delivery, its impact will remain distant from the daily lives of most Liberians.
Reflecting on President Boakai's 2025 State of the Nation Address, Senator Konneh recalled that the President promised a decisive shift from rescue to development, anchored in the ARREST Agenda and an eight point four billion United States dollar national plan.
He noted that the President pledged to make agriculture the backbone of the economy, expand economic opportunities by making Liberians true owners of their economy, accelerate road development, expand access to electricity, strengthen governance and the rule of law, and improve service delivery in education, health, water, and sanitation.
While acknowledging that some progress was recorded in certain areas, Senator Konneh argued that the reality of 2025 fell short of the administration's stated ambitions. He said agriculture funding was slashed and repurposed, Liberians remained spectators in their own economy, the capital city remained filthy, and progress on major road corridors slowed.
He further observed that although food prices decreased marginally, consumers continue to complain about high retail prices, domestic food production did not significantly improve, and job creation failed to match the scale of the unemployment crisis confronting the country.
Addressing the President's claim that the administration created 70,000 jobs in 2025, Senator Konneh said the figure requires careful context and deeper analysis. He cited World Bank data for 2024, which show an official unemployment rate of 2.88 percent out of a formal labor force of about 2.61 million people.
He argued that adding 70,000 jobs to an economy with such a low recorded unemployment rate would suggest near full employment, a situation he said does not reflect the realities faced by most Liberians.
According to Senator Konneh, much of Liberia's labor force is engaged in informal or low-productivity work, where underemployment is widespread even when official unemployment figures appear low. He suggested that the reported job figure likely includes temporary, seasonal, or informal activities rather than stable, long-term employment. He added that many of those counted among the 70,000 jobs are probably unemployed again after short-term engagements ended.
He stressed the need for clearer definitions, stronger labor market data, and a job creation strategy focused on the quality and sustainability of work rather than sheer numbers, noting that sustainable private sector jobs are needed to absorb the country's growing youth population.
In his 2026 State of the Nation Address, President Boakai acknowledged that an abrupt reduction in donor support during the second quarter disrupted financing for essential social and economic projects, leading to job losses, reduced incomes, and hardship for many families.
Senator Konneh, however, pointed out that while the government moved to close some funding gaps and keep critical services running, the deeper consequences of that disruption were never fully addressed.
He said thousands of jobs lost during that period were not restored, stalled procurement contracts for housing and community infrastructure were not revived, and many affected communities and businesses have yet to recover. He warned that these unresolved issues continue to undermine public confidence in the government's ability to deliver sustained and broad-based economic relief.
Turning to the performance of the ARREST Agenda in 2025, Senator Konneh said it fell far short of expectations. He noted that agriculture saw no measurable increase in impactful domestic food production and received less than two percent of the national budget, leaving food prices high and the country heavily dependent on imports.
He acknowledged some progress in road development, including the ratification of the Pavifort Agreement and improved access to the Southeast, but said no major corridors were completed and feeder roads across the country, particularly in Gbarpolu County, remain in poor condition. He added that governance reforms were limited, with more than 20 percent of interventions not started and over one-third not reported on, reflecting weak enforcement and persistent corruption concerns.
Senator Konneh said efforts in education and healthcare continued, but Liberia remains ranked 178 out of 191 countries on the Human Development Index. He pointed out that schools still lack basic supplies and trained teachers, and that the issue of volunteer teachers has remained unresolved for two years despite resources provided by the Legislature in 2024.
He added that while sanitation and health services improved in a few communities, most areas continue to face poor sanitation, drug shortages, and weak service delivery, contributing to a multidimensional poverty rate above 45 percent.
According to him, the tourism sector benefited from the passage of the National Tourism Act, but limited infrastructure, slow reforms, and
inadequate funding prevented it from contributing meaningfully to job creation and economic growth.
Senator Konneh described 2025 for the ordinary Liberian as a year marked by a high cost of living, high unemployment, poor sanitation, weak social services, and slow implementation across key sectors. He said these conditions widened the gap between government promises and actual delivery, characterizing the year as one of missed opportunities under the Unity Party-led administration.
He argued that while the President's message highlighted progress in some areas, it did not fully confront the pressures shaping the daily lives of citizens. He said that although there was some progress, it was not at the scale required to transform living conditions.
He added that with a higher budget and stronger revenue performance, 2026, which marks the midpoint of President Boakai's six-year term, offers an opportunity to correct course, but only if implementation becomes the central priority and constructive criticism is embraced.
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On job creation and private sector development, Senator Konneh said initiatives such as the Youth Bank highlighted in the 2026 State of the Nation Address are promising, but must be integrated into a broader and more coherent national employment strategy.
He said such a strategy should link agriculture, infrastructure, skills development, and private sector growth into a unified plan that integrates Liberia's young population into meaningful and sustainable work.
He stressed that private sector development must anchor these efforts, providing a platform to grow small businesses, expand employment, and enable the country to benefit from investments in roads, electricity, mining, and other sectors. He described this as an opportunity to develop the informal sector, where most Liberians earn their livelihoods, and to help citizens reclaim ownership of their economy.
Senator Konneh also claimed that the size of government has grown beyond what President Boakai inherited, warning that it is time to check and reverse what he described as excessive expansion that may exceed the consent of the governed. He reminded public officials, including the President and lawmakers, that they were elected to make life easier for Liberians and must therefore deliver on their commitments.
He said that Liberia has the potential to advance, but progress will depend on discipline, transparency, and a renewed focus on results. According to him, the state of the nation will only be stronger when citizens feel real change in their daily lives, from the prices they pay to the services they receive, when patients are not asked to pay before receiving emergency care, and when classrooms are staffed by qualified teachers.
Senator Konneh said that as the country moves through 2026, government actions must match public ambitions and statements, and every commitment made to the Liberian people must be honored with urgency and discipline. He added that while the economy may have taken off, turbulence remains, and the task now is to stabilize the course and guide the nation safely toward 2029.
