In a swift turnaround, The NEW DAWN is being informed that President Boakai will deliver his Annual Message on the grounds of the Capitol, according to a joint press release from the 55th Legislature.
Monrovia, Liberia, January 20, 2025 – Despite earlier information by the House’s Chairman on Rule, Order, and Administration, Representative James Kolleh that President Joseph Boakai will not deliver his Annual Message or State of the Nation Address in the William R. Tolbert Joint Chambers of the Capitol Building due to ongoing renovation work, the media has been told that the President will give the state of the nation on the grounds of the Capitol.
The decision for the occasion to be held instead on the grounds of the Capitol followed the December 18 “arson attack” on the William R. Tolbert Joint Chamber, originally the venue for the Annual Message.
The Annual Message is in keeping with Article 58 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, which states: “The President shall, on the fourth working Monday in January of each year, present the administration’s legislative programs for the ensuing session, and shall once a year report to the Legislature on the state of the Republic. In presenting the economic condition of the Republic, the report shall cover expenditure as well as income”.
A press release from the 55th Legislature states that due to heightened security arrangements, access to the premises of the Capitol Building will be strictly regulated by State Securities prior to and during the day of the Annual Message.
The joint release warns those without official invitations or access passes, including staffers of the Legislature to avoid the premises of the Capitol on the day of the SONA.
The release at the same time assures the public that the President’s address will be live on various media platforms, mainly radios, televisions, as well as social media, to allow citizens to see and listen to the Message while at home or in various places of work.
The joint Legislative release at the same time cautions that only media institutions duly approved and issued access passes will be allowed to provide coverage for the upcoming national event.
It says the Legislature remains committed and is fully prepared to receive President Joseph N. Boakai, Sr., on Monday, 27 January, to deliver his 2nd Annual Message since his ascendency.
