Monrovia – Amid the continuous political wrangling that followed the October 10, 2017 elections, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said her government has made significant progress and is ready to turn over to a new administration to continue with the gains made under her twelve-year leadership that will come to an end in January, 2018.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh – [email protected]
In what appeared to be one of her final interviews with the media, President Sirleaf admitted that although her government would have wanted to do more than what it has achieved, the progress made is significant for the next administration to dwell on and move Liberia forward.
“I would have liked to have done much more, and we have plans to have done much more.”
“But things are easier said than done. Things are easier planned than implemented because you run into constraints, you run into obstacles.”
“I wish we had gone further. The limitations of resources, time and processes have not enabled us to do it.”
“Development is a process; development doesn’t take place by pushing a button. It has a lot of implications and processes – the community, the freedom, the relationship between workers. These processes will be hand over to another administration.
“The mobilization of resources is much more difficult than people think.”
“When we don’t have enough resources from our own generating revenue potential we have to go and we have to arrange this and meet potential requirements. Contractual negotiation takes longer than people think,” President Sirleaf averred
Speaking in a lengthy interview with the Liberia Broadcasting System’s Director General, Ledgerhood Rennie on a wide range of national issues, the Liberian leader major development programs including electricity and road are well on track; adding that her promised to restore electricity is being fulfilled and records show that her government has built more roads than all other governments before her.
For electricity, the President noted that the more connections are being carried in Monrovia and its environs and the Monrovia to Gbarnga; as well as the Bomi corridors are all been connected.
Through the West Africa Power pool Project, people in major cities and towns in Nimba, Grand Gedeh and Maryland counties have lights.
“Our electricity program is well on track. What we don’t finish, you can be assured that it will be ongoing in the next administration. I feel like my promise that I will bring light to Liberia has been fulfilled.”
“I never said I would do all in one day, one week or one year. But the promise that small light today, big light tomorrow is underway,” she averred.
Speaking further, President Sirleaf stated that the construction works on the runway and terminal of the Robert International Airport is well on course and she is expected to perform a pre-dedicatory ceremony in December as a way of assuring the public that it will be fully operational by the middle of next year.
When asked about what were the major challenges she encountered as President that; led to the stalling of some of her development initiative, the President pointed out that the twins shocks of Ebola and the decline of the nation’s major export commodities in iron ore and rubber were a major setback in achieving some of the targets.
She, however, praised level of resilience shown by all Liberians during the Ebola outbreak and stressed that significant improvement is being made in the agriculture sector to boost food security and cash crop production.
When quizzed about her opinion on the ongoing political impasse in the wake of the elections, the president declined to comment; adding that the matter is before the court.
Madam Sirleaf, who has been widely praised for promoting press freedom, asserted that the media has sometimes treated her unfairly, but chose to be silent because she does not want to be distracted.
“There are times when the press office brings papers that are provocative; many times it centered on our long time good friend, the Observer.
But I try not to let myself distracted from what I am doing. In the case of Observer, my good friend Mr. Best has always operated in his own cocoon.
“So. I wish him and all of those who write no ills. The freedom of speech has been enjoyed that’s how it supposed to be.”
“If I spent time responding to these things, some of it clear thrash, I wouldn’t have the time to do these things I have to do. So my concentration is on the things that I want to accomplish. “
“I thank God that he strengthen and guide me. I will leave that to their conscience.”
She termed some of the reports of her alleged involvement in corruption and the construction of a medical center in South Africa as a mere stupidity perpetrated by people for their political and personal gains; while at the same time denying report in the Paradise Papers that she has huge investment abroad.
“I am glad that you ask that one (to Ledgerhood Rennie). I was a member of the Board of a financial institution. That institution registered there.”
“After I became President I resigned from the board. Our people need to be a little bit informed. Maybe some people know but they just want to publish to influence the public which is not informed.
On the South Africa issue, she retorted, “If anybody knows South Africa, they will know that this is just stupidity.”
“Don’t ask me about people here. I don’t blame them because they are not informed. It is the people that plan it in their mind. And those are the people that really cause unnecessary problems in this country because of this ‘they say’ (hearsay) thing.”
“They accused people falsely. They ruin people well fought for reputation; whether it is because of their political gains or personal gains.”
“It is clear stupidity. If I will sue people I will sue many people. I pay attention to professional criticisms based on research that need to be checked and addressed.”
