Africa-Press – Liberia. By Kruah Thompson
MONROVIA, April 24, 2026—The Deputy Minister for Press and Public Affairs at the Ministry of Information, Daniel O. Sando has termed opposition figures “politically desperate,” accusing them of offering little to the national discourse and turning every issue into politics.
Sandoe’s remarks come amid public criticism of President Joseph N. Boakai following comments he made during a visit to the Ministry of Local Government, where he dedicated a facility intended to strengthen decentralization.
During the program, the President said, “If you’re on a journey and you turn around to throw stones at every dog that comes back at you, you will not reach your destination.”
The statement drew sharp reactions across the media landscape, including talk shows and political commentators, but the deputy minister on Thursday defended the President, saying the opposition has seized on the comment in the absence of “substantive arguments” on national issues.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, April 23, 2026, during MICAT’s regular press briefing in Monrovia, Sandoe maintained that the President’s words were misconstrued and taken out of context.
He argued that the comment was a figurative expression, and claimed critics were deliberately twisting the message to score political points.
“It is an attempt by some individuals to misrepresent the character of the President by spreading misinformation,” Sandoe said.
Sandoe said the President was invoking a popular proverb—often attributed to former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill—suggesting that progress is impossible if one stops to respond to every criticism along the way.
“The President was speaking figuratively; he did not call Liberians ‘dogs,’” Sandoe clarified.
Following the President’s remarks, opposition politicians and some commentators described the language as inappropriate and unbecoming of a head of state, fueling days of debate in the public space.
But Sandoe brushed aside the criticism, saying opponents are leaning on sensationalism instead of offering policy alternatives.
“Don’t play politics with everything. The extent to which people are politicizing issues is concerning,” he said. “When people become desperate for political power, even greetings can be interpreted politically.”
He warned that such political posturing, if left unchecked, could undermine national cohesion.
Sandoe also denied claims that the President’s words targeted Liberians in the diaspora, stressing that the administration values their role in national development.
“The diaspora community is important to Liberia, and the President has demonstrated that by engaging and recognizing them,” he noted.
Meanwhile, he criticized some politicians for what he called a lack of seriousness about governance, alleging that certain actors invest more energy in trivialities than in pressing development priorities.
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