Author: Julius Konton

By: Julius Konton The European Union (EU) has released €21 million (approximately US$24.6 million) in direct budget support to Liberia, marking the first disbursement under a three-year €56 million grant-based budget support program, EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation Nona Deprez announced on Friday. Speaking at a joint press conference in Monrovia, Ambassador Deprez described the disbursement as a clear vote of confidence in Liberia’s ongoing reforms, particularly in public financial management, fiscal oversight, and natural resource governance. “This first disbursement demonstrates Liberia’s strong performance and commitment to reform,” Deprez said. “It is evidence that agreed results have been achieved.”…

By: Julius Konton Liberia’s National Legislature has approved the 2026 National Budget totaling US$1.249 billion, the largest fiscal plan ever passed in the country’s history, following concurrence by the Senate with the House of Representatives. The landmark budget marks a major milestone in Liberia’s post-crisis economic recovery and reform agenda. The approval represents a significant year-on-year expansion in public spending, reflecting the government’s ambition to stabilize public finances, stimulate economic growth, and address long-standing infrastructure and social development gaps in one of West Africa’s oldest republics. Debt Servicing Takes Center Stage to Restore Financial Credibility A key feature of the…

By: Julius Konton Margibi County Senator Nathaniel F. McGill, has publicly outlined his reasons for voting against the controversial Orantos Petroleum deal, a decision that has intensified debate across Liberia’s political and social landscape. The Orantos agreement, which recently passed amid heated deliberations at the National Legislature, has polarized lawmakers, civil society actors, and policy analysts, with critics questioning its long-term value to the Liberian economy. Senator McGill has now positioned himself firmly among those opposed, describing the deal as fundamentally flawed and misaligned with national interests. “I voted against the Orantos deal because I believe it is a bad…

By: Julius Konton Liberia’s drive toward food security and climate resilience has gained renewed momentum as former Deputy Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia, Randall Dobayou, has earned a second Master’s degree from Clark University, Massachusetts, completing the program at the close of 2025. Dobayou graduated from the university’s inaugural STEM-designated Master’s program in Sustainable Food Systems, with a concentration in Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), a field increasingly recognized as critical to addressing climate change, food insecurity, and sustainable development in low-income and climate-vulnerable countries. The program, valued at over US$69,000 in scholarship support, is designed to…

By: Julius Konton Liberia’s concession governance architecture has entered a new phase with the appointment of Hon. Hanson Senu Kiazolu Sr. as Director General of the National Bureau of Concessions (NBC), the statutory body charged with monitoring, evaluating, and enforcing concession agreements across the country. Hon. Kiazolu was appointed by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., confirmed by the Liberian Senate on November 28, 2025, and formally assumed office on Monday, December 1, 2025. His appointment comes at a time when concession activities account for an estimated 20–25 percent of Liberia’s GDP, spanning the mining, forestry, agriculture, energy, and infrastructure sectors,…

By: Julius Konton The Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) of Liberia has strongly condemned what it described as an unlawful physical attack and deliberate vandalization of one of its official vehicles while transporting staff on official duty in Monrovia. According to the Agency, the incident occurred on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, along the Jallah Town stretch of the Capitol Bypass, a major thoroughfare in the Liberian capital. The vehicle was en route to the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), where FIA officials were scheduled to carry out statutory responsibilities in line with the Agency’s anti-money laundering and financial oversight mandate. Valuables…

By: Julius Konton Liberia, one of Africa’s oldest republics, continues to stand out globally for its rare ability to blend modern statecraft with deep-rooted cultural traditions. Among its most striking and least understood symbols of state protocol is the ceremonial horn, an ancestral instrument whose sound still commands attention at the highest level of governance. At the center of this tradition is Nathaniel Payne, popularly known as “Execute Horn,” a title passed down through generations and entrusted only to individuals deemed disciplined, loyal, and culturally grounded. Payne today performs his duty at the very heart of national power inside Liberia’s…

By: Julius Konton Liberia has taken a rare and symbolic step in linking public accountability to social development as President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. on Wednesday received the first batch of school chairs produced under his flagship “One Child, One Chair” Presidential Initiative financed entirely from salaries blocked following governance sanctions. The initial consignment of 525 locally manufactured metal-and-wood school chairs was formally presented to the President at the Executive Mansion before being officially handed over to the Minister of Education for nationwide distribution to public schools. The initiative traces its origin to February 2025, when President Boakai suspended approximately…

By: Julius Konton The first high-level interactive engagement between the Director General of Liberia’s National Bureau of Concessions (NBC), Hanson Kiazolu Sr., and key international development partners, the European Union (EU) and the World Bank (WB) is being widely interpreted as a strong signal of renewed global confidence in Liberia’s concessions governance architecture. The meeting, held shortly after Hon. Kiazolu assumed office, underscores the NBC’s growing strategic relevance in Liberia’s economic recovery agenda and highlights the government’s renewed commitment to transparency, accountability, and international best practices in the management of concession agreements. Strengthening Credibility and Institutional Trust Development analysts say…

By: Julius Konton Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has taken decisive administrative actions aimed at strengthening accountability in public institutions, ordering the suspension of senior officials at the National Commission on Disabilities (NCD) and approving the retirement of a long-serving Supreme Court marshal. The actions follow recommendations from a Special Investigative Committee and the Supreme Court of Liberia, underscoring the administration’s stated commitment to transparency, due process, and the rule of law. Disabilities Commission Leadership Suspended Pending Audit Acting on the findings of the Special Investigative Committee, President Boakai has temporarily suspended the Executive Director of the National Commission…