Published: June 29, 2026
ZWEDRU, Grand Gedeh County – Opposition Congress for Democratic Change stalwart Cllr. Garrison D. Yealue has accused the ruling Unity Party of misleading Liberians on key national issues, including road infrastructure financing and the country’s growing drug crisis, while insisting that many projects the government now celebrates were initiated under former President George Manneh Weah.
Speaking with reporters during the CDC’s 22nd anniversary celebration in Zwedru over the weekend, Yealue questioned what he called conflicting government explanations for funding on ongoing road projects and challenged the administration to be transparent about where the money came from.
“There is nothing truthful about the Unity Party. They lie, they deceive the people, and they will continue to do so. The people know the truth,” he said.
“Regarding the roads you mentioned, government is a continuation. I heard the Public Works Minister say the US$22 million was allocated for road projects. Later, he said the US$22 million was meant for the entire country. Then the ministry came back and said it was a World Bank project,” he said.
The varying explanations undermine public confidence, Yealue said.
“We are confused because they are not even organized enough to clearly explain the source of the funding. At one point they say it is a World Bank project; at another point they say it is US$22 million,” he said.
The CDC lawyer maintained that the visible progress on several highways is the result of groundwork laid by the previous administration.
“The roads are improving today because the foundation was already laid. The civil works had already been contracted, so it is not magic. It is something every Liberian wants to see for the development of our country,” he said.
He credited Weah with initiating several flagship infrastructure projects, including the Ganta-to-Dougee border highway.
“I want to see roads paved from Monrovia through Kpamah to the Dougee border. We must give credit where it is due. Former President George Weah initiated the road from Ganta to the Dougee border. They never talk about that. They also fail to mention the road from ELWA Junction to the Roberts International Airport. They don’t talk about the VIP Lounge at the airport either. They opposed it before, but today they are using and enjoying it,” he asserted.
Yealue also criticized the government’s handling of drug trafficking, arguing that the recent seizure of cocaine valued at about US$19 million suggests other narcotics may already be circulating across Liberia.
He contrasted the latest seizure with earlier interceptions. During the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, authorities intercepted narcotics valued at about US$500 million at the country’s entry point, he said. During the Weah administration, another shipment valued at about US$100 million was likewise intercepted before entering the country, he added.
The recent case differs because the drugs were reportedly intercepted while leaving Liberia, he said.
“That means the drugs had already entered Liberia. They were already on the market and in circulation before they were seized. That is the difference,” he said.
Yealue questioned whether additional shipments may already be circulating nationwide.
“If this government says it intercepted drugs while they were leaving the country, then we should ask: how many other consignments are already circulating in places like Zwedru, Nimba, Maryland, Lofa, and across the country?” he said.
“That is the question we should be asking the Unity Party government: Where are the drugs? Because if they are talking about a US$19 million shipment, that cannot be the only consignment. The real concern is not just the reported US$19 million. The Liberian people deserve honesty about the full extent of the country’s drug problem,” he said.
The government has repeatedly said it is strengthening the fight against narcotics trafficking and has described the ongoing investigations into the recent cocaine seizure as evidence of its commitment to dismantling transnational drug networks.
Turning to politics, Yealue expressed confidence in the CDC’s prospects in the 2029 presidential and legislative elections, dismissing suggestions that any party holds exclusive influence in Nimba County.
“The Unity Party is not Nimba. Neither is the National Democratic Rally (NDR), the National Union for Democratic Progress (NUDP), the Liberia Action Party, or any other political party,” he said.
“What we want is for 2029 to speak for itself. Nimba will be a different ball game. We have studied their strategies, and we understand what they did,” he said.
Yealue’s remarks came as thousands of CDC supporters and several opposition leaders gathered in Zwedru to mark the party’s 22nd anniversary, an event Weah used to officially launch what he described as the CDC’s march toward reclaiming state power in 2029.
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