Africa-Press – Liberia. Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, has urged Liberians to shift their attention away from political divisions and focus on national development, stressing that the country’s progress depends on collective effort and unity.
Ngafuan made the call Tuesday during a birthday luncheon organized in his honor at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), where senior management, directors, staff of the ministry and a few invited guests gathered to celebrate the occasion and recognize his leadership.
In an emotional and reflective address, the finance minister expressed deep appreciation for the support and presence of colleagues and friends, describing the moment as both humbling and inspiring.
“I take note of what the Comptroller and the Accountant General just said, but I’m overwhelmed and I feel very blessed to see this assembly of genuine people—friends, colleagues, workmates, and Liberians generally who have come to wish me happy birthday,” Ngafuan said.
Reflecting on his life journey, Ngafuan credited perseverance and divine guidance for his achievements, emphasizing that faith and hard work have remained central to his success.
“There’s one principle I have—hard work plus the grace of God,” he said. “You know, I’ve been lucky, I’ve been blessed. And I’ve stretched myself, but it’s not by might, it’s not by strength; it’s by the grace of God.”
The finance minister also spoke candidly about difficult moments in his life, recalling times during Liberia’s turbulent years when he faced serious threats to his safety.
“At a tender age, I’ve gone through the valley of the shadow of death,” Ngafuan said. “A lot of times it has been His grace that has carried me through.”
He revealed that during those challenging periods he was once declared wanted and forced into hiding in various parts of Monrovia.
“When you’ve been declared wanted, your picture is up there,” he said. “Even being in jail would have been a better outcome for you. You had to go underground—Smart Road, West Point, even behind Ashmun Street here.”
According to Ngafuan, those experiences allowed him to understand Liberia from different perspectives and strengthened his commitment to national service.
“You understand this society, this totality, and God has helped me to go through different events,” he said. “I’ve seen it from multiple vantage points.”
Using the opportunity to address broader national issues, Ngafuan warned against excessive political hostility and urged Liberians to prioritize development above partisan rivalry.
“Our country is small,” he said. “And I usually say this—it is through development that we unite our country.”
He emphasized that development projects such as infrastructure and electricity benefit all citizens regardless of their political affiliations.
“In development we should have cross-party stakeholders,” Ngafuan said. “Because of the roads we build, nobody will ask for a political party. The light we give is for the people.”
To illustrate his point, Ngafuan compared politics to football rivalries where supporters sometimes develop strong loyalties that cloud broader perspectives.
“Sometimes the political thing is just like a football game,” he said. “If you are a Barcelona person, it would be hard during those days to like Ronaldo because he played for Real Madrid. But if Ronaldo had joined Barcelona, you would like him.”
He added that many political disagreements are superficial and should not undermine national cooperation.
“People who hate you politically don’t really hate you,” Ngafuan said. “If you support them, they like you. Most of the political things are on the periphery.”
Ngafuan also revealed that ahead of Liberia’s 2023 elections he wrote an article—yet to be published—raising concerns about whether politicians truly remember the people who help them win office.
“I wrote a piece which I haven’t released yet,” he disclosed. “I titled the piece, ‘Would You Make Them Win Us Too?’”
According to him, the message was directed to candidates seeking public office.
“The people who dance for you, who chant for you, who stand in long lines for you and make you win—when you win, would they win?” he asked.
He stressed that elected leaders must ensure that ordinary citizens benefit from governance during the period between elections.
“So when you win, would they win?” Ngafuan repeated. “The people are in the middle, and sometimes they forget that they themselves should be winners.”
The finance minister also shared that he initially had no intention of returning to government after the 2023 elections, despite providing advice and support during the transition period.
“When the election happened, I was clear I didn’t want to be a part of the government,” he said. “I came for the inauguration, and I assisted the president, gave some advice.”
Ngafuan said he even requested that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai allow other professionals to take the opportunity to serve.
“I begged the president—let me go,” he said. “Let us allow some of the other professionals to take the opportunity.”
He also recalled that when he left the Ministry of Finance in 2012, he never imagined he would one day return to the same institution.
“When I left the Ministry of Finance in February 2012, I never ever felt that in the wilderness of things I would be coming back to the finance ministry,” Ngafuan said.
During his remarks, Ngafuan placed significant emphasis on mentoring younger professionals and encouraging them to pursue leadership roles in government.
“I see a lot of young professionals here,” he said. “In them I see future finance ministers.”
He noted that he himself once served as one of the youngest members of Liberia’s cabinet under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
“I had the privilege as the youngest member of the cabinet—age 35 or 36,” he said. “The average age there was about 54, and I was sitting among what in football language we call the ‘Galacticos.’”
Ngafuan stressed that younger professionals should not be discouraged by doubts about their abilities.
“You have to give a new generation a chance because we have new leaders who must replenish ourselves,” he said.
Sharing lessons from his time as a lecturer, Ngafuan narrated the story of a struggling student who initially scored only 17 percent on two tests but later improved significantly after being encouraged to work harder.
“First test—17 percent. Second test—17 percent,” he said. “But in the last test, the guy stretched himself and scored about 62 percent.”
The experience, he explained, reinforced the importance of determination and self-belief.
“You don’t have to be perfect,” Ngafuan said. “Do your best. If you are a C student, don’t refuse to earn a B just because you cannot earn an A. B is better than C.”
Ngafuan reminded staff that their work at the Ministry of Finance carries enormous responsibility and has direct consequences for the lives of Liberians.
“We are the Ministry of Finance,” he said. “We can literally make people live and we can literally make people die.”
He explained that timely decisions by the ministry can ensure critical services such as electricity supply to hospitals, which can determine whether patients receive life-saving treatment.
“Just by doing our job, electricity will be in the hospital at the right time for an operation and somebody will live,” he said. “But by slow walking and acting lazy, the hospital could be deprived and somebody could die.”
According to the minister, every employee of the ministry plays a vital role in national development.
“The whole country has entrusted this ministry to you,” he told the staff. “Even if you’re a janitor here, you are important.”
Ngafuan concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to strengthening Liberia’s economy and improving the lives of its citizens.
“We’ll try our best to grow the economy,” he said. “We are on course.”
He thanked President Boakai, his colleagues in government, and the staff of the Ministry of Finance for their dedication to national service.
“It’s not for political parties—it’s for Liberia,” Ngafuan declared.
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