Monrovia – Businessman and political advocate Simeon Freeman has criticized the Liberian government’s fiscal priorities, describing public spending as excessive and unethical.
By Edwin G. Genoway, Jr [email protected]
Delivering the keynote address at the first convocation of Faith University College, Freeman used the occasion to call for urgent governance and economic reforms.
The event marked the graduation of the university’s first class of 50 associate degree recipients in disciplines including Education, Accounting, Human Resource Management, Computer Science, Public Health, and Public Administration.
While congratulating the graduates, Freeman shifted focus to national issues, highlighting what he described as Liberia’s growing economic inequality and a lack of accountability among public officials.
“One lawmaker earning $15,000 a month receives $180,000 a year, while people in their districts suffer without healthcare, electricity, or paved roads,” he said. “Where is the accountability? Where is the development?”
Freeman proposed a reduction in lawmakers’ salaries and allowances and called for the shortening of term limits across all elected offices — from the presidency to legislative seats — to four years. He also criticized institutions like the National Elections Commission (NEC), saying they remain heavily funded even during off-election years without delivering measurable impact.
“We have a system that rewards inactivity,” he added. Freeman expressed concern about Liberia’s overdependence on foreign labor and imports, particularly rice, and blamed successive governments for failing to invest in education and rural development. He urged policymakers to focus on aligning higher education with market needs.
“Our universities are producing graduates who are not aligned with labor market demands,” he said. “Education must speak the language of technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.”
He emphasized that sending students abroad without building internal academic infrastructure undermines national capacity, and said many of those students do not return to contribute to national development.
On the issue of centralized development, Freeman pointed to the overconcentration of resources and planning in Monrovia, where nearly a third of the country’s population resides.
“We cannot grow as a nation if development stays in the capital,” he stated. “We have rivers, land, and talent. Why are we still importing rice and struggling for electricity?”
Freeman also addressed the deterioration of communication standards in public media, lamenting what he described as the erosion of formal English in broadcasting.
“There was a time when ELBC was the only radio station, and they spoke proper English. Today, even newscasters are reading in simplified Liberian English,” he said.
He further spoke out against voter manipulation, tribalism, and the growing disengagement of young people from national politics, urging them to make political choices based on competence rather than ethnicity or personal relationships.
“If someone can’t manage $10,000 privately, how can they manage $2 million for a nation?” Freeman asked.
Referencing Senegal’s recent election of a young president, Freeman challenged Liberian youth to raise their political standards and vote responsibly.
Freeman encouraged the graduates to be agents of change and to use their education and civic responsibilities to transform the country.
“The future is not far away—it starts with you,” he said. “Your vote is your voice. Your vote is your power. And with it, you can change Liberia.”
The convocation ceremony also recognized outstanding contributions from members of the university’s administration, including Vice President for Administration and Finance, Mrs. Agnes Weeks-Garley, who was honored for her leadership and commitment to the institution.
Faith University College is a newly established institution aiming to provide practical and community-focused education, with aspirations to expand academic offerings in the coming years.
