Author: Julius Konton

By : Julius Konton Liberia’s public sector reform drive reached a major milestone in 2025 as the Civil Service Agency (CSA) released its Annual Workforce and Reform Report, revealing sweeping institutional changes, expanded payroll integration, digital governance upgrades, and international recognition for Liberia’s reform model. The report, issued by CSA Director General Dr. Josiah F. Joekai Jr., details the transformation of Liberia’s civil service into a more transparent, data-driven, and employee-centered system, aligning workforce management with global best practices. Workforce Grows as Government Prioritizes Service Delivery According to the report, Liberia’s total public workforce increased to 63,130 employees in 2025,…

By: Julius Konton Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan said Liberia has formally begun the next and most demanding phase of its engagement with the United States Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) following the country’s reaffirmation for a second compact. He made the statement during a high-level meeting with a visiting U.S. delegation in Monrovia. Minister Ngafuan along with Senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), representatives of line ministries, and members of the U.S. Embassy joined MCC officials to outline the roadmap for compact development, an ambitious, data-driven process expected to last up to…

By: Julius Konton Liberia’s biggest domestic sporting festival, the National County Sports Meet, reaches its dramatic climax this Sunday at the Samuel K. Doe (SKD) Sports Complex, as traditional powerhouse Nimba County locks horns with Grand Kru County in a highly anticipated football grand final, a rematch of their controversial 2018 encounter. The fixture has reignited one of the most compelling rivalries in the history of the County Meet, blending revenge, pride, and championship legacy into what is widely expected to be a tense and electrifying finale. Road to the Final Both counties booked their places in emphatic fashion during…

By: Julius Konton The Government of Liberia has confirmed that the United States has announced an indefinite pause in the issuance of certain immigrant visas for nationals of seventy-five countries, including Liberia, as Washington undertakes a comprehensive review of its visa screening and vetting procedures. In a public statement issued , Liberia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the measure is scheduled to take effect on January 21, 2026, and is linked to the enforcement and reassessment of the U.S. “public charge” rule, a long-standing immigration policy used to determine whether an applicant is likely to rely primarily on public assistance…

By: Julius Konton Liberia’s long and contested journey toward justice for crimes committed during its brutal civil wars gained renewed momentum this week as the Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court of Liberia (OWECC-L) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reaffirmed their strategic partnership to advance accountability, rule of law, and institutional reform. At a high-level meeting in Monrovia, OWECC-L Executive Director Cllr. Dr. Jallah A. Barbu led discussions with senior UNDP officials on coordinated support for the establishment and operationalization of the proposed War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC) and the National Anti-Corruption…

By: Julius Konton President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has renewed calls for greater Liberian ownership and participation in the national economy, describing indigenous enterprises as critical drivers of employment, innovation, and long-term economic resilience. The President made the remarks during the official opening of the Uptown Motor Garage New Showroom in Monrovia, an expansion that marks the company’s transition from vehicle repairs into the importation and sale of brand-new automobiles and genuine spare parts. Liberia’s automotive and transport services sector largely dominated for decades by foreign-owned firms employs thousands of workers directly and indirectly, according to estimates from the Ministry…

By: Julius Konton In a move underscoring Liberia’s growing commitment to fiscal decentralization and institutional capacity building, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has formally honored Professor A.S.O. Ogunjuyigbe, Provost of the Postgraduate College at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, for his outstanding contribution to strengthening Liberia’s public financial management systems. The recognition ceremony, held in Monrovia, was attended by the Senior Management Team of the MFDP, alongside officials from the local governments of Nimba, Bong, Grand Bassa, and Margibi counties, four of Liberia’s most economically and administratively significant regions. The honor acknowledges Professor Ogunjuyigbe’s pivotal role in…

By: Julius Konton President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has issued a strong call for a strategic shift in the role of Liberians living abroad from remittance senders and philanthropists to owners, investors, and employers as Liberia seeks to accelerate private-sector growth and reduce unemployment. Speaking at a farewell ceremony marking the conclusion of the Diaspora Annual Return at the Executive Mansion in Monrovia, President Boakai urged Liberians abroad to move beyond charity-driven engagement and play a direct role in owning and shaping the country’s economic future. “Your coming back is not just coming back to your home,” the President told…

By: Julius Konton When President Joseph Nyuma Boakai appointed Ambassador Alioune Badara Kebe as Ambassador-at-Large for Youth and Sports Development in April 2024, the reaction was swift and polarized. Opposition voices questioned the appointment not on the grounds of competence or leadership capacity, but largely because Kebe is a Senegalese national. Yet Liberia’s political history tells a more complex story. From economic advisers to technical consultants, foreign nationals have long occupied sensitive and influential roles across successive administrations. Ambassador Kebe’s advisory role, while symbolically significant, was far from unprecedented. What made the appointment controversial, however, was the public visibility of…

By: Julius Konton A Century of Promises, Decades of ExcusesMore than one hundred years after Firestone Rubber Company established operations in Liberia, and twenty-three years after the guns of civil war fell silent, the country remains trapped in what critics describe as structural poverty, weak governance, and chronic leadership failure. That stark verdict has been delivered once again , this time by Liberian economist Samuel Jackson, whose latest commentary has ignited intense national debate and exposed uncomfortable comparisons between Liberia and global success stories. “Liberia should not be celebrating a US$1.2 billion national budget,” Jackson argues, “when Singapore with nearly…