Published: December 17, 2025
GBARNGA, Bong County — The Liberia country representative of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), Cllr. Darren Domah, has called on lawmakers to prioritize legislation that improves livelihoods and reduces what he described as a growing culture of dependency among voters.
Speaking at a one-day Constituency Consultation organized by the Legislative Monitoring Coalition in Gbarnga, Domah said many citizens misunderstand the constitutional role of lawmakers, expecting them to provide personal handouts rather than exercise oversight, representation and lawmaking.
According to Domah, those expectations place undue pressure on legislators, fuel corruption risks and weaken accountability.
“Many Liberians think lawmakers are supposed to pay school fees, build clinics, provide bundles of zinc,” he said. “They forget that lawmakers are elected to represent them, make laws and hold the executive accountable.”
Domah said citizens often demand that legislators meet immediate social and community needs — a practice he said contradicts lawmakers’ primary constitutional responsibilities. When those demands are unmet, he added, public frustration and dissatisfaction tend to grow.
He traced the trend back to around 2005, saying it has increasingly diverted lawmakers’ attention from addressing broader national challenges such as healthcare, education, infrastructure development and unemployment, ultimately undermining national development efforts and deepening poverty.
Domah also attributed the disconnect to lawmakers themselves, arguing that some have encouraged unrealistic expectations by prioritizing personal benefits over public service and core legislative duties.
“A lot of people don’t understand the role of lawmakers and put too much pressure on them,” he said. “When you go to the Capitol Building, you see thousands of people sitting in lawmakers’ offices asking for help.”
He urged legislators to focus instead on empowering constituents through technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programs and policies that create sustainable livelihoods.
Domah expressed concern over Liberia’s high unemployment rate, rising insecurity and increasing teenage pregnancy, linking the trends largely to limited economic opportunities, particularly for young people.
“If young people have skills and jobs, many of these social problems will reduce,” he said, adding that education and skills training are essential to promoting self-reliance and productive citizenship.
He cited findings from a nationwide NIMD survey, which indicate that Liberian youth urgently need access to TVET programs and employment opportunities. Domah described hands-on skills development as a critical tool for addressing poverty, teenage pregnancy and drug abuse.
“These challenges are fueling a broader social crisis and could undermine economic growth for the next generation if they are not addressed,” he warned.
Domah called on policymakers and development partners to move beyond rhetoric and invest in concrete, targeted support for vulnerable youth, particularly girls.
“These issues must be brought to policymakers at the national level,” he said.
His remarks align with concerns raised in a 2023 UNICEF report, which estimated that about 360,000 children in Liberia are living on the streets, many of them considered at-risk youth. UNICEF described the situation as a growing threat to social protection and urged urgent policy intervention.
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