Stop giving Liberia troubling times astute clergyman tells President Boakai

Published: March 31, 2025

MONROVIA – The former President of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) and General Overseer of the New Water in the Desert Assembly Apostolic Pentecostal International Church, Bishop Dr. Kortu K. Brown, has called on President Joseph N. Boakai to lead the country with the benefit of his extensive governmental experience.

Speaking at a gathering of young people on the campus of the New Water in the Desert Assembly Apostolic Pentecostal Church in Brewerville on Monday, March 24, 2025, Bishop Brown expressed disappointment over the country’s current trajectory. He said that nearly 14 months into Boakai’s administration, many Liberians are questioning the government’s focus on pressing national issues.

He identified key concerns such as the ongoing drug crisis, widespread human suffering, inadequate social services, political discord on Capitol Hill, and reported human rights violations by state security forces.

“In a country where approximately 60% of the population is youth and an alarming 20% are feared to be dependent on or destroyed by illicit drugs, Liberians expected this government to prioritize addressing these existential threats,” Bishop Brown stated.

The cleric lamented what he described as a lack of visible progress for the majority of ordinary citizens. “It seems the country is once again on the path to failing the governance test,” he said.

He further criticized the prolonged leadership crisis at the House of Representatives, which has hampered the smooth operation of the government. “With President Boakai’s extensive experience in national governance, no one expected a conflict of this nature to persist for six months, effectively paralyzing governmental functions,” Bishop Brown remarked.

“As the oldest independent country in Africa, Liberia should not repeatedly rely on ECOWAS for conflict mediation. That it continues to happen is a clear indication of the nation failing its governance test,” he added, invoking the principle that “to whom much is given, much is required.”

Bishop Brown called on the government to demonstrate responsible leadership by upholding the rule of law, fostering national reconciliation, promoting patriotism, and addressing the concerns of ordinary Liberians rather than serving the interests of the political elite.