Monrovia — The opposition Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) has delivered a blistering assessment of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA), dismissing the administration’s claimed achievements as exaggerated, policy-induced, and disconnected from the harsh realities facing ordinary Liberians.
Speaking Monday, January 26, 2026, Political Leader of the CMC, Hon. Musa Hassan Bility, said the President’s address relied heavily on “selective data points and celebratory rhetoric” while failing to confront Liberia’s deep-rooted structural problems, including poverty, unemployment, weak healthcare, poor education, and continued dependence on foreign aid.
Bility said the CMC’s response was not intended as an adversarial rebuttal but as a “constructive critique grounded in the urgent challenges confronting the nation,” adding that Liberia, now in its 179th year of independence, could not afford “platitudes about modest gains while the majority of citizens remain trapped in poverty.”
Poverty Amid ‘Accomplishments’
The CMC questioned how Liberia could still rank among the ten poorest countries in the world despite what the President described as economic progress. Citing a Human Development Index (HDI) score of 0.481, ranking Liberia 177 out of 194 countries, Bility asked why the average Liberian continues to survive on less than US$2 a day after more than two decades of post-war peace and billions of dollars in foreign aid and investment.
“Only three out of ten Liberians have access to electricity, and nearly 99 percent lack access to pipe-borne water,” Bility said. “Many still drink from polluted streams. Minor illnesses kill thousands yearly, and more than half of our population goes to bed hungry every night. Can we honestly say we have made progress? The answer is a resounding no.”
Investment Figures ‘A Figment of Imagination’
The opposition sharply disputed the President’s claim of US$4 billion in committed investments, particularly those linked to the ArcelorMittal and HPX concession agreements. According to Bility, expert reviews suggest ArcelorMittal’s actual investment would not exceed US$900 million over several years.
He also dismissed claims that the Total and Oranto petroleum agreements would generate US$800 million in investments, arguing that Oranto lacks both the technical and financial capacity for deep-water exploration. Bility alleged that the allocation of oil blocks to Atlas Oranto appeared designed to “enrich a few hidden benefactors, both foreign and high-level Liberians.”
Revenue Growth ‘Policy-Induced, Not Organic’
While acknowledging the reported rise in domestic revenue, the CMC said the increase was largely driven by the transition from the General Sales Tax (GST) to the Value Added Tax (VAT), which, according to the party, merely shifted the tax burden onto ordinary citizens rather than expanding the tax base.
“The VAT does not reflect genuine economic expansion or improved compliance,” Bility argued. “It simply increases the cost of living for already struggling Liberians.”
Growth Without Transformation
The President’s claim of 5.1 percent economic growth in 2025 was also challenged, with the CMC noting that growth remained heavily dependent on extractive industries such as mining and agriculture, offering limited job creation and little improvement in living standards.
The party described the administration’s reported creation of 70,000 jobs as “grossly exaggerated,” adding that most of the jobs cited were temporary and project-based, not sustainable private-sector employment.
“This administration failed to provide any meaningful update on private sector development,” Bility said. “That omission speaks volumes about its priorities.”
Inflation, Health and Social Services Questioned
The CMC further questioned the credibility of reported inflation figures, arguing that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is limited to Monrovia and fails to capture the higher costs faced by rural communities, where about 75 percent of Liberians live.
On healthcare, the opposition rejected the President’s claim of “significant improvements,” citing national surveillance data indicating that an average of six to seven women still die weekly from pregnancy-related causes. By EPI-week 31 in 2025, Liberia recorded 152 maternal deaths and 643 neonatal deaths.
“This is not a victorious health sector,” Bility said. “It is deeply worrisome.”
Call for Honest Reflection and Reform
In conclusion, the CMC said the SONA painted an overly optimistic picture that masked Liberia’s continued vulnerability to external shocks, weak diversification, and heavy reliance on donor support. The party cited a recent NAYMOTE report indicating that the government had achieved only 0.8 percent of its development agenda.
The CMC called on the Boakai administration to adopt a more inclusive, transparent, and accountable approach to governance, engage meaningfully with opposition and civil society, and prioritize reforms that deliver tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.
“The narrative of spectacular progress is overstated,” Bility said. “What Liberia needs now is courage to confront uncomfortable truths and the resolve to act. The time for action is now.”