“Rescue Mission Has Become Excuse Mission,” Opposition Tears Into Boakai’s SONA

Paynesville, Liberia: Liberia’s major opposition parties have strongly criticized President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s 2026 State of the Nation Address, accusing his administration of exaggerating progress while ordinary Liberians continue to struggle.

Responding separately to the President’s speech, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Alternative National Congress (ANC), and Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) said the government’s so-called “Rescue Mission” has produced more talk than real results.

CDC Acting National Chairman Janga Augustus Kowo described the administration as an “Excuse Mission,” saying President Boakai has drifted away from campaign promises without delivering measurable improvements.

According to Kowo, real governance should be judged by household conditions, strong institutions, and reliable public services areas he said remain weak under the current government.

In a statement titled “Building on Whose Progress?” the CDC argued that many achievements highlighted by President Boakai were actually started under the previous CDC-led government, including road construction, electricity expansion, education access, health facilities, and economic stabilization.

Kowo said the Boakai administration is simply rebranding inherited projects while claiming them as Rescue Mission successes.

The CDC also questioned the President’s credibility over conflicting explanations surrounding a reported US$10 million villa project in Foya, noting that Boakai has alternately said it was funded by the Mano River Union and the Government of Liberia.

“Both cannot be true,” Kowo said, warning that such contradictions damage public trust.

While President Boakai pointed to economic growth and increased revenue, the opposition said these figures mean little when families still face high prices, unemployment, and weak purchasing power.

Kowo challenged the President’s claim that 70,000 youths have been employed, demanding the release of names, workplaces, and payroll records. He also noted that only about 1,000 youths were trained in ICT out of a promised 10,000.

“This is not politics it’s basic arithmetic,” the CDC said.

The opposition further accused the President of using the SONA as a campaign platform rather than a constitutional report, recycling promises instead of presenting concrete results.

Kowo also cited the alleged blocking of former Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah’s ECOWAS appointment, calling it politically motivated and a betrayal of a Liberian citizen, especially since the position reportedly went to a Ghanaian national.

On infrastructure, the CDC accused the Boakai administration of rebranding CDC-era road projects while failing to fulfill its own pledge that no vehicle would get stuck in mud after 100 days in office.