Minister Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, Jerolinmek Matthew Piah, is an Edward Mason fellow in Public Policy and Management of the John F. Kenney School of Government at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, with a Master of Public Administration. He previously bagged a Master of Arts in International Relations from University of Liberia.
His experience in government spans 12 years. He is no stranger to the Ministry of Information as he once served as Deputy Minister for Public Affairs under Madam Sirleaf. Due to his sterling performance and oratorical sklls, Madam Sirleaf appointed him as her Chief Press Secretary in her entire second term, 2012 to 2018. His current appointment as Liberia’s Information Minister by President Boakai is well deserved, in view of his past antecedents. In this interview with ABUBAKAR HASHIM, Minister Piah spoke on President Boakai’s one year in power, how Liberians have benefited so far and what the immediate future looks like in the next remaining 5 years of Boakai’s stewardship
President Boakai has clocked one year in office on January 22, 2025. What are the achievements and challenges so far?
When a new government comes to power, it takes over from another government. We took over from President Weah and we need to reform the governance process that was devastated.
The first challenge we had, was an international challenge. Our foreign relations posture was crusting. Many of our development partners were not on good terms with our country. China, for instance, one of the biggest development partners in Africa today, was not on good terms with Liberia.
University of Liberia, Ministerial Complex and many other edifices, were built by the Chinese. But the Chinese backed off. They were supposed to build an inter-change to link Samuel K. Doe stadium to the ministerial complex, a new broadcasting home at the Liberia Broadcasting System LBS, a new reference laboratory and many more. All of these programs were suspended by the Chinese.
The United States, on the other hand, has been our key traditional ally. In 2015, during Madam Sirleaf’s Presidency when President Boakai was Vice president, we were qualified for compact one for $251 million we used to support our basic infrastructural activities. After that, the Americans commenced a sanctioned regime. They sanctioned our passports because the integrity of our passports was compromised and in the hands of criminals.
When we took over, our international relations were in bad shape. We had to restore it. Apart from foreign relations damage, we need to restore peace and stability in the country.
Then the economic issue in the country. Things were terribly bad; the exchange rate was skyrocketing. Prices of commodities were high. We brought down prices of basic commodities in our one-year leadership. We brought down inflation from 12% to around 7%. We do understand that some sudden increases do occur in prices as a result of international shocks in global markets, which are temporary. So, we’ve been tackling the economy.
The other area is an infrastructural challenge. We inherited a dilapidated infrastructural system. We are making amends for the mess we met on the ground. Instead of focusing on building new structures, massive road construction and rehabilitation are ongoing. For instance, the airport road. One of the past ministers under Weah, was sanctioned for taking money from one of the contractors on the airport road. We are now paving all the roads nationwide, from Montserrado to Nimba, to Grand Gedeah to Fish Town. By 2028, we will complete all paved roads, from Monrovia to the counties that were stalled for six years. If President Boakai had been in power 2018, all these roads would have been completed by now. There was rampant corruption and mismanagement of road funds by the Weah Government. We have reactivated all road projects nationwide. These are taking place within one year of the Boakai administration. Even pipe-borne water is being restored in central Monrovia, Paynesville and other major cities in the country. In the next two years, Pipe-borne water will be restored.
On the educational front, our classrooms, teachers and learning tools have been compromised. School facilities are dilapidated. We have rehabilitated many of our schools with quality facilities nationwide and the process will continue.
On energy, we have solarized most schools and cities in the country. We have solarized 160 schools. We are also training teachers to beef up their qualifications.
On the health care system, it was appalling. Even paracetamol and other basic medications were not available. We’ve commenced to address this gap. We have a long way to go but we commenced fixing the health gap.
So in just one year, we’ve turned around major infrastructural deficits in the country. Now Brussels, Ethiopia, Turkish and other major airlines, fly into the country and all facilities, including lighting systems, are in place.
On corruption, we are heading in the right direction. President Boakai declared his assets immediately on the assumption of office. Former President Weah took two years to declare his assets and could not publicly declare his assets. But President Boakai publicly declared his assets and instructed officials to follow suit. Stretched further, he established, for the first time in Liberia’s history, an asset recovery team. Some may ask, where did the team go? It is the system that is undermining the process. Some went to court to challenge the workings of the team. So it’s not the fault of the President who intended to weed out corruption and recover stolen assets.
In one year, to answer your question, in summary, it has been a huge attempt to restore hope and bring back sanity to the Liberian people.
President Boakai’s ARREST Program, a $ 8.3 billion development program, recently launched at the second port city of Buchanan, will be financed by both the Liberian government putting 30 per cent while development partners, 70 per cent. What is the operational mandate of ARREST in lifting the quality of lives of Liberians, the “Rescue” campaign slogan of President Boakai?
Indeed, Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation and Tourism, ARREST, are President Boakai’s principles of development.
Agriculture remains the main source of livelihood for Liberians. It will not only sustain the economic development of the country but will provide jobs for other people.
Roads. Why are we in a small country like Liberia and we cannot drive along paved roads? It is difficult to access other counties due to the lack of roads. Without good roads, agricultural communities will not be transported to the markets. Liberians will also travel with ease and within the time frame.
Rule of Law. A lawless country is doomed for massive failure. Investors, both local and foreign, will be confident to put in monies for developments, to create more jobs and develop the country.
Education, which I talked about earlier. When Liberians are educated it leads to a higher level of individual capacity to develop skills for national development.
Sanitation – this sector is tied to the health system. In the past year, the Monrovia City Corporation, the Paynesville City Corporation and others have been doing a great job of maintaining sanity in the cities.
Last, but not least is tourism. This is an area you need to make any heavy investments. Liberia is endowed with natural seaside and hilltop views and sanctuaries. All we do is to make our country safe and promote ease of arrivals and departures to promote tourism, to earn more revenues. Look at Gambia, with no resources, but a vibrant tourist destination, the government relies solely on tourism revenue to promote economic development.
So, this is an operational framework of the ARREST program, geared to unlocking growth in the Liberian Economy.
What is the current state of the deep division in the Legislature, as six House of Rep members, including the former Speaker, Fonati Koffa, have been invited by the Liberian National police and declared Persons of Interest PoI, in the sad fire incident at the Capitol on December 18, 2024?
We don’t want to focus on what is going on over there, because our country’s constitution is clear. We have three alms of government, exclusively separate, but function harmoniously, Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. Each runs its operation by itself.
For reasons best known to them, they want a change in the leadership in the Legislature. As far as we know, we have a Speaker. A new budget has been passed. It’s not for us to determine, it is for them. We have work to do! The country has to move on. We cannot be held hostage because of a leadership crisis in the Legislature. Once a group has declared a new Speaker and meets the constitutional requirements and benchmarks, we work with him or her.
President Boakai will steer the nation for another 5 years. How does it look to achieve the ARREST agenda in lifting Liberians from the doldrums of poverty and underdevelopment, his pet passion for over 40 years in political governance?
Don’t forget the ARREST program just launched at Buchanan has a development agenda for five years, 2025 – 2029.
And this five-year period is what President Boakai has to serve the country. In other words, he has determined to do what he has to do in the next five years as enshrined in the ARREST program. At the end of President Boakai’s leadership in 2029, the country will be on a path to prosperity.
What are the current relations with ECOWAS countries particularly between President Boakai and President Tinubu who is the current ECOWAS chairman?
Our relations are generally good. In fact, we are vying for the non-permanent seat at the UN Secretary Council. In our bid, it was the ECOWAS community that was supportive. There is a good relationship between President Boakai and President Tinubu. We also have good relations with ECOWAS countries. We also have good relations with President Tinubu and the good people of Nigeria.