Bishop Brown called on President Boakai to ensure a more functional Liberia under his administration.
MONROVIA — The former President of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC), Bishop Kortu Brown, has called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to overhaul his governance structure in a bid to address the growing challenges Liberia and its citizens are faced with.
By Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
Bishop Brown is the Founder and Senior Pastor of the New Water in the Desert Assembly, located in Brewerville, outside Monrovia.
He noted that in this new year, the Liberian leader must be decisive in taking actions to move the country forward.
Speaking in an interview with reporters at his church’s edifice on Sunday, January 12, Bishop Brown maintained that though reshuffle in government lies in the preview of President Boakai, he (Boakai) should revisit the structure of his government and take actions that would address the needs of ordinary Liberians.
“(If I had the opportunity to meet with President Boakai today) I would say ‘President Boakai in this 2025, rise up and move on; be decisive and make decisions, overhaul your governance structure, be responsive to the needs of the ordinary Liberians.”
Bishop Brown maintained that President Boakai should ensure a more functional Liberia under his administration.
He said despite the challenges his administration is faced with in steering the affairs of the country, President Boakai and his officials should remain positive and avoid losing their vision for the country if they must succeed.
“President Boakai should ensure that we have a Liberia that is able to deliver to ordinary Liberians and we hope that the President will be able to find people who are able to enable him to deliver for ordinary Liberians.”
“This is a year for us to get up. I encourage all our leaders and Liberians wherever you are this year, let’s get up and move on; let’s do the things we were called to do.”
He said deliberate actions must be taken by the government, especially the executive and legislative branches, to find solutions to the numerous challenges and problems citizens are faced with.
Bishop Brown emphasized that the government should engage and reach out to find solutions to problems confronting Liberia and its citizens.
He said Liberia will not move forward in terms of growth and development if the current administration fails to engage and hold consultations with its citizens and others.
“The government should reach out; the government has a six-year agenda to achieve. It is in the interest of the government for this place to be peaceful and the environment conducive.”
He called on opposition politicians to desist from just sitting and doing nothing until during the electioneering period.
Bishop Brown said opposition political parties should now start planning how to govern Liberia and avoid making similar mistakes that were made by current and former ruling political parties.
“We are the oldest country in Africa. This means, we have to be selling ideas to other people or exporting our achievements to other countries for them to come and learn from us. But we can only do that if we have great leaders.”
Bishop Brown emphasized that it is now time that leaders in Liberia begin to think beyond themselves and party or tribal lines.
On UL
President Boakai this month appointed Dr. Layli Maparyan to serve as President of the state-owned University of Liberia, which remains faced with multiple challenges.
Bishop Brown said the prolonged closure of the university is detrimental to the future of young Liberians. He expressed the hope that the new leadership at the university will address the difficulties and “run the university properly.”
He said finding lasting solutions at the university will give young Liberians hope to acquire higher education to become productive citizens in the future.
“The UL is always challenged. It has been on and off and in the last six months, the university has been closed. There are efforts being made to reopen the school. We hope that the new administration is able to finally resuscitate the University of Liberia so that it can return to its old days. The university is light in darkness, but the light is always off.”
Bishop Brown challenged Dr. Maparyan to take tough decisions or actions that would revive the university.
“The UL situation is a troubling one. It requires tough leadership, tough decision making, tough management and tough resources.”
He said Dr. Maparyan must be committed to make sacrifices and ensure that the university is more functional as compared to the past.
Accelerate efforts on drugs
Speaking further, the Liberian Clergyman observed that since President Boakai established a taskforce to combat drug abuse and trafficking nearly a year ago, nothing has been heard about the workings of the taskforce.
He said though assessment has been carried out at the former national youth center in Bensonville for the construction of a rehabilitation center for disadvantaged youths, the government has failed to update citizens on the project.
Bishop Brown, however, expressed the hope that the 2025 national budget would fund the government’s plans to fight against drugs.
He said citizens and religious institutions should also join the government by creating awareness on the danger of drugs in their respective communities.
“We all can work together to fight against drugs but the Government of Liberia should lead the efforts.”
