Monrovia – One of the leading problems affecting Liberia is effective and efficient health delivery system but the Weah-led administration has considered it not a major priority.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah [email protected]
The president has put health and other essential needs of the country at the back burner, while emphasizing roads as a number one priority.
President George Weah on Thursday informed a gathering at the University of Liberia that unlike road connectivity, health and others essential needs are not a major concern of his government. He maintained that in the absence of road, health and agriculture will not be accessible.
“My vision is to make sure that we connect this country to the rest of our sub-region; that means road because without the roads, it is not possible to access hospital,” President Weah said.
“If you are an agriculturist, it will be difficult to bring your produce in town, so with road network, anything we want is possible. So my vision is road, road, road, when the next person comes, they want to do health is health.”
President Weah spoke Thursday at the launched of the University of Liberia Automated Digital Registration System in Fendall, Lower Montserrado County.
Liberia’s health system is in ruins with most of the major hospitals complaining of drugs shortage while there are reports of limited doctors and nurses at various clinics in rural communities.
But the Liberian President gave a comparison of his intent to tackle his priorities in Liberia with his football days, saying that no amount of distraction can sway his attention from doing what he feels best for Liberia.
Weah also informed the gathering at the UL auditorium that his administration is fully prepared to tackle road development work left undone by the former regime.
“I am a Stricker; when I am going towards the goal, I make one decision, when I try to make ten different decisions, it is a miss. So I am going to make sure that all of the things left undone, I’m going to do some,” President noted.
“This is why you see that I don’t criticize previous government. I came and said, give me the opportunity and I will need your help. What happen is in the past is gone, we are in the present and going towards the future.”
In the face of several projects yet to be implemented by the government, Weah bragged of not being a scholar but a student of business and pragmatism and that his leadership is poised to carryout practical work.
In an effort to ensure practicality, President Weah reemphasized his government’s commitment to implement the coastal highway, despite two failed loan agreements.
“I am not a scholar but a business student and a practical person, who talks less and do more, this is why we tasked Ministry of Public Works to pave all of the feeder roads in Montserrado County,” the President averred.
“By next week it will be starting and then we will turn to what everybody say would be impossible, the coastal highway, but there is a possibility for that.”
President Weah also decried recent protest by angry Liberians calling on his government to give account for billions of missing dollars, which he said is not the right way to address their disenchantment.
According to him, angry protestors would be the most affected if their quest to imposed sanction on Liberia is given credence by the country’s international partners.
“It’s important to keep the peace and your leaders can negotiate with government. If President Weah is not here, someone will come, but let us not continue to waste our time on making division while we are left behind. If something happens today, you who are protesting will be more affected, President Weah intoned.”
Weah expressed frustration over Liberians being ‘spectators’ in their own country under his leadership, while promising that his government will ensure productivity at the state run university.
“If we want University of Liberia to be on top, it takes commitment hard work and dedication,” he maintained.
President Weah further admonished students at UL not to rely on education alone in achieving future goal but call on them to build connections with other counterparts in the country.
He praised the University of Liberia for being steadfast in ensuring that the Automated Registration System becomes successful.
For her part, UL president Dr. Ophelia Inez Weeks lauded President Weah for providing the needed support to ensure that a 21st century digitized registration system.