Minnesota, USA—In a heartfelt and impassioned call for change, Patience Blay Attoh, a diaspora Liberian leader and Assistant Executive Director of the Liberian Ministers’ Association in Minnesota, has spoken out against the ongoing power struggles within Liberia’s 55th Legislature.
Attoh, a pastor and passionate advocate for the welfare of ordinary Liberians, urges lawmakers to focus on addressing critical issues in healthcare, education, and economic stability rather than personal power struggles.
“The power struggles on Capitol Hill are not only distracting but are actively undermining the development of Liberia,” Attoh said in a statement. “The vast majority of Liberians, particularly the most vulnerable, are watching as their elected representatives fight amongst themselves instead of focusing on the issues that truly matter to the lives of everyday citizens.”
Attoh’s remarks come at a time when the country is grappling with severe challenges in public healthcare and education, sectors that directly affect the well-being of millions.
According to recent data from the World Health Organization, Liberia’s health sector is plagued by disparities that severely hinder service delivery. Nationwide, health facilities show an overall readiness of only 59%, with counties ranging from 50% to 65%. This is in stark contrast to WHO recommendations, which set the health workforce target at 23 health workers per 10,000 people.
Liberia’s current ratio is only 11.8 per 10,000, exacerbating the country’s already fragile healthcare system. These shortages lead to widespread inequities, particularly in maternal and child health services.
Patience Blay Attoh stressed that the ongoing turmoil within the legislature is taking attention away from urgent matters such as these. “Lawmakers should be focused on securing better healthcare for the people, especially the poor and underserved regions. Instead, they continue to squabble for personal gain.”
The situation is compounded by the Assembly of Liberian Health Professionals’ ongoing protests over a controversial salary increase for health workers. The government’s USD $50 top-up to the salaries of nurses, midwives, and other healthcare professionals has been met with resistance from the health sector, which claims that it violates existing salary policies and deepens the inequity within the sector.
The health professionals have warned of a nationwide strike if their demands for fairer pay are not met.
“The top-up policy is a direct insult to the hardworking men and women in the health sector who have been advocating for a salary reclassification that addresses long-standing pay disparities,” Attoh added.
“The government’s failure to prioritize these critical concerns is a clear indication that leadership is out of touch with the realities of the people.”
The education sector, too, faces significant hurdles, with Liberia’s literacy rates remaining among the lowest in the world. According to the United Nations, 15-20% of children aged 6–14 are out of school, while only 54% of children complete primary education. This is further exacerbated by a shortage of qualified teachers—36% of primary school teachers and 29% of secondary school teachers are unqualified, leaving students to struggle in classrooms ill-equipped for proper learning.
“These numbers are heartbreaking,” said Attoh, who emphasized that addressing education is one of the most effective ways to empower future generations. “How can we build a prosperous Liberia when the majority of our children don’t have access to proper education? And when they do, they are taught by unqualified teachers in schools that were destroyed by years of conflict. This is the future we are condemning our children to.”
Attoh’s call for action echoes the frustrations of many Liberians, both in the diaspora and at home, who are watching a nation with immense potential languish due to lack of leadership and misdirected priorities. Liberia, ranked 177th out of 193 countries on the 2022 Human Development Index, is far behind many African nations in key indicators of human development, such as education, life expectancy, and standard of living.
The Liberian government has made some strides in recent years to address these issues, with international partners like UNICEF helping to rebuild schools and train teachers. However, as Attoh pointed out, much more needs to be done, and it starts with the leadership putting the needs of the people first.
“We cannot continue to allow power struggles to take center stage while the people suffer,” she concluded. “It is time for the Liberian legislature to put aside personal interests and focus on the critical issues that will uplift the lives of our citizens—issues that will directly improve healthcare, education, and economic opportunities. This is the true purpose of leadership.”
As Liberia continues to battle the effects of its turbulent past, Attoh’s message resonates as a timely and urgent call for change. The country’s leaders must remember that they are in positions of power to serve the people, not themselves.
The future of Liberia depends on it.