As Liberia continues to face significant challenges in health and infrastructure, the priorities of its leaders seem increasingly misaligned with the needs of the people. The contrasting behavior of government officials, who are seen indulging in lavish expenditures, such as flying private jets, while public hospitals across the country remain severely underfunded, raises serious questions about the country’s leadership.
In recent discussions, Presidential Press Secretary Kula V. Fofana defended President Joseph Boakai’s use of private jets, claiming that it was necessary for the President to travel in such a manner. Senator Abe Darius Dillon also proposed the creation of a presidential plane for Liberia, despite the country’s severe economic challenges, being ranked as the 8th poorest in the world. This contradiction is even more stark when we consider the pitiful allocations for healthcare in the national budget. Public hospitals in all 15 counties are barely receiving enough funds to function.
Martin K. N. Kollie, an activist and outspoken critic, sharply questions the priorities of Liberia’s leadership, stating, “You cannot even fund your public hospitals, but you are flying private jets.” Kollie’s statement underscores the paradox of lavish expenditures for government officials while public services, particularly healthcare, are neglected. This stark contrast between leadership indulgence and public suffering calls for greater accountability. Kollie continues, “The budget is being used as a ‘cash cow’ to rob our people. This is political corruption. This is pathetic and unacceptable.”
Let’s take a closer look at how these budget discrepancies unfold. In Maryland County, for instance, J.J. Dossen Hospital was allocated US$250,000 for the fiscal year, but only US$37,500 reached the hospital. With a population of over 172,000 people, this translates to just US$0.21 spent on each individual’s health for the entire year. The story is similar across the nation. St. Timothy Hospital in Grand Cape Mount, with an allocated budget of US$100,000, received a mere US$25,000, leaving its citizens with only US$0.13 spent per person on healthcare.
This underfunding of hospitals, which directly impacts the health and well-being of Liberians, is a troubling reflection of the government’s priorities. While public services such as healthcare are starved of resources, public officials continue to indulge in luxury, effectively demonstrating that their comfort comes first, long before the needs of the people.
As we look at other counties, the situation does not improve. In Grand Bassa County, Buchanan Government Hospital was budgeted for US$242,163 but only received US$210,563. Despite a population of nearly 300,000 people, this only amounts to US$0.71 spent per person for healthcare. In contrast, in some counties like Grand Gedeh, the allocated funds for hospitals are so minuscule that only US$0.11 is spent on each individual’s health for the year. This pattern of underfunding continues to play out across the country, showing that the Liberian government’s investment in the people’s health is not only insufficient, it is disgracefully inadequate.
Despite these glaring disparities in funding, the financial needs of the government itself remain well met. The legislature, for instance, saw a budget allocation of over US$52 million, which was even exceeded in the final disbursement. Similarly, the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs and the Vice President’s office saw their budgets fulfilled with little concern for the nation’s pressing issues. Public officials continue to allocate resources for their own luxurious offices, leaving the health sector to struggle.
This stark contrast in priorities is deeply concerning. At a time when the majority of the population lives in poverty, with unemployment rates surpassing 90%, the government’s apparent disregard for public welfare in favor of self-indulgence is not only irresponsible but also a breach of the trust placed in them by the people. Kollie remarks, “The people are suffering. They’re being exploited, deprived, marginalized, and abused.” The spending of public funds on extravagant luxuries, such as private air travel and lavish office setups, while neglecting the basic needs of citizens, exemplifies a government more interested in maintaining its own privileges than in uplifting its people.
What is even more alarming is the lack of accountability for these actions. While Liberia’s leadership continues to make extravagant expenditures, the government fails to make the necessary investments in its public health infrastructure, depriving citizens of even the most basic healthcare services. Kollie insists, “Invest our people’s money to improve their lives and not your lives. Share the national cake equitably.” How can anyone justify this level of neglect, especially in a country where the majority of the population struggles to access proper medical care?
The question that remains, then, is whether the government truly cares about its citizens’ welfare. If Liberia’s leaders cannot allocate adequate funds for healthcare, an essential service that affects every citizen, how can they claim to serve the people? The people of Liberia deserve better. They deserve leaders who put their needs first, who are willing to make sacrifices for the good of the nation. Instead, they are left with a system where leaders prioritize personal luxuries over the welfare of the public.
The Liberian government must be held accountable for its actions. It is imperative that funds allocated for public services, particularly healthcare, be used effectively and transparently. Kollie stresses, “Public waste is killing our people.” The people must demand better from their leaders. The time for change is now, and it is up to every Liberian to ensure that the nation’s resources are used in a manner that benefits all, not just the elite few.
Liberia’s health system is in crisis, and it is time for the government to take responsibility. The focus should be on improving the quality of life for the citizens, not on preserving the comfort of a few individuals in power. If the government continues down this path of neglect and extravagance, it risks alienating the very people it was elected to serve.
To the citizens of Liberia, the question is clear: will you continue to accept a government that places its own interests above your health and well-being? Or will you demand the change and accountability that the nation so desperately needs?
