MONROVIA, LIBERIA — The political battle between the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the ruling Unity Party (UP) has taken a sharper turn, with former Assistant Minister of public works Atty. J. Jefferson Chesson launching a blistering counterattack against Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) Managing Director Mo Ali and challenging the Boakai administration to prove its development record.
In a fiery statement, Chesson defended former President George Weah’s administration, accused the current government of failing to live up to its promises, and demanded that the Unity Party identify concrete projects it has started and completed since taking office in January 2024.
At the heart of his response was a provocative declaration intended to draw a sharp political contrast between the two administrations.
“Unlike your government, which is currently suffocating under the weight of its own incompetence, nepotism, broken promises, corruption and COCAINE, the CDC doesn’t deal in COCAINE, we deal in CONCRETE,” Chesson wrote.
The cocaine reference is an accusation made by Chesson, not an independently established finding in the statement. Nevertheless, the language underscores how bitter the political exchanges between the former ruling party and the Boakai administration have become.
But beyond the rhetoric, Chesson’s central challenge is one that could resonate with voters: What has the current government actually delivered, and how does its record compare with the projects and policies implemented under Weah?
Chesson Unloads a List of Weah-Era Projects
Rejecting what he characterized as attempts to rewrite history, Chesson produced a list of road projects, markets, healthcare facilities, housing initiatives, sports infrastructure and education policies that he said demonstrated the Weah administration’s development efforts during its first three years in office.
He argued that Weah’s government pursued these initiatives while navigating the disruption of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the road projects he highlighted were Soul Clinic Road, measuring approximately 4.2 kilometers; Peace Island to 540 Community Road, 2.1 kilometers; Fanti Town Road, 0.6 kilometers; New Georgia to Gulf Road, 2.3 kilometers; and ELWA-Rehab Community Road, approximately five kilometers.
His list also included Johnsonville Road, Gbarnga City Street, Buchanan Fair Ground, Small St. Michael Road near Patient Shop and Bangor Community Road.
For Chesson, the projects represent tangible development that, in his view, should not be dismissed in the ongoing political argument over which administration has performed better.
However, the status, funding and completion dates of the individual projects require independent verification before the list can serve as a definitive scorecard of the former government’s first three years.
Markets, Loans and Economic Empowerment
Chesson also pointed to market infrastructure, naming the Old Road Market in Paynesville, 14 Gorbachop Market, Duport Road General Market, West Point Market and Duala Market.
He further cited the Pro-Poor Loan Scheme, launched in December 2018 with a reported US$3 million microfinance allocation through the Liberian Business Development Fund.
The former official presented these initiatives as evidence that the Weah administration attempted to address the needs of traders, small businesses and ordinary Liberians.
Yet the political argument raises a broader question: how much did these projects and programs achieve, how many people benefited, and what measurable improvements did they bring to household incomes and local economic activity?
Those questions are essential to assessing the performance of either administration.
Healthcare, Housing and Education Enter the Political Crossfire
Chesson’s defense of Weah extended beyond roads and markets.
In healthcare, he cited the 14 Military Hospital and the renovated imaging center at John F. Kennedy Medical Center.
In housing, he highlighted the Special Presidential Pro-Poor Housing Project, including the first 100 housing units in Bong County. He also named Invincible Sports Park in Sinkor as one of the former administration’s infrastructure initiatives.
Education was another major part of his argument.
Chesson pointed to two dormitory buildings at the University of Liberia’s medical college, reportedly constructed at a cost of US$2.3 million and handed over during the Weah administration.
He also cited the Free Education Policy, payment of West African Senior School Certificate Examination fees for 12th-grade students in public and private schools, and free tuition at public universities.
The former assistant minister’s message was unmistakable: the CDC believes its development record deserves to be judged against the performance of the government that succeeded it.
But a complete assessment must distinguish between projects announced, projects started, projects completed and programs that delivered sustained benefits. It must also account for costs, maintenance, quality and the government’s broader economic and social performance.
‘Show Us What You Have Completed,’ Chesson Challenges UP
Chesson’s most direct challenge was aimed at Ali and the ruling Unity Party.
Rather than allowing the debate to remain a contest of political accusations, he demanded that the government produce its own list of projects started and completed during its first three years.
“I’m challenging you and your Unity Party to list what your government has started and completed in its first three years,” he declared.
The challenge strikes at a politically sensitive issue for the Boakai administration: whether its campaign commitments are translating into visible improvements in the daily lives of Liberians.
Road conditions, access to public services, employment opportunities, education, healthcare and the cost of living remain important measures by which citizens judge their leaders.
For residents who continue to face difficult road conditions and economic hardship, the question is not simply which party has the stronger political message. It is which government can demonstrate that public resources have produced results.
Chesson wants the UP government to answer with projects and measurable outcomes—not political slogans.
Whether the Unity Party accepts that challenge or responds with its own account of achievements, the public deserves verifiable information rather than competing claims alone.
The Road to 2029: Development or Propaganda?
With the next presidential election scheduled for 2029, the exchange signals how the battle over governance and development could shape the political contest in the months and years ahead.
Chesson warned that voters would ultimately decide the fate of the Boakai administration based on what it has delivered.
“In 2029, the Liberian people will judge your administration strictly on deliverables and not on propaganda,” he wrote.
He went further, arguing that the government’s performance during its first three years suggests it is already failing that test.
That conclusion, however, remains Chesson’s political assessment. A fair judgment requires examining the government’s actual record, including completed projects, ongoing initiatives, budget execution and progress on campaign promises.
The CDC, meanwhile, faces its own challenge: demonstrating that the projects it cites were delivered as claimed and that its broader record compares favorably with the expectations it now places on the ruling party.
Ultimately, the debate cannot be settled by sharp insults, dramatic statements or selective lists of accomplishments.
It must be settled by evidence.
For the Unity Party, the test is whether it can demonstrate meaningful progress since taking office. For the CDC, it is whether its defense of the Weah era can withstand independent scrutiny.
And for ordinary Liberians, the stakes are more immediate than the political rivalry: better roads, functioning hospitals, stronger schools, economic opportunities and accountable government.
As the CDC and UP trade political blows, the question confronting both parties remains the same: Who can show Liberians—not merely tell them—that their lives are getting better?
