MONROVIA – The Political Leader of the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC), Simeon Freeman, launched a sweeping critique of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration over the weekend, declaring that after nearly two years in power, the government has failed to deliver meaningful improvements in the lives of ordinary Liberians. In a statement issued Saturday, November 1, 2025, Freeman argued that despite the government spending more than US$1.5 billion, “nothing has changed,” describing the administration as one consumed by pretense and deception rather than reform and progress.
Freeman opened his assessment by sharply criticizing the state of the education sector, which he said continues to flounder under systemic decline. According to him, Liberia’s classrooms are dominated by unqualified instructors, with high school dropouts teaching high school students, and bachelor’s degree holders teaching undergraduates. He added that the country’s educational infrastructure remains in poor condition from the primary level through tertiary institutions, with no signs of strategic investment or policy direction from the Boakai government.
The MPC leader also painted a grim picture of Liberia’s health system, pointing to a troubling ratio of one doctor for every 5,000 patients. He argued that the deeply uneven distribution of health professionals across the country leaves rural populations especially vulnerable. Freeman said health facilities remain underfunded, underequipped, and without a clear, well-financed plan to improve service delivery. Despite the administration’s rhetoric on health sector transformation, he said, real change remains elusive.
Freeman described Liberia’s dependence on imported rice as another failure of the current administration. He noted that rice, the nation’s staple food, continues to arrive primarily from foreign suppliers, stifling local farmers and undermining job creation. He argued that there is no practical framework for achieving rice self-sufficiency, and no strategic alignment between agricultural funding and national food security goals. As a result, he warned, Liberia remains vulnerable to global market shocks and price instability.
On electricity, Freeman accused the government of celebrating dependency rather than building national capacity. He condemned the Liberia Electricity Corporation’s heavy reliance on imported power, asserting that local power generation remains severely limited due to a lack of investment and planning. “No nation celebrates dependence on imported power, unless dummies lead that nation,” he said, arguing that energy insecurity continues to cripple business growth, household sustainability, and national development.
Turning to the economy, Freeman lamented that job creation remains virtually nonexistent outside of the public sector. He said the Liberian private sector has been marginalized, used primarily as a tax source rather than a partner in national development. He condemned the awarding of major contracts to foreign companies, while local businesses struggle under extremely high lending rates hovering around 20 percent. These conditions, he said, suffocate domestic enterprise and keep Liberians in persistent unemployment and poverty.
Freeman also criticized President Boakai’s foreign travel record, accusing him of spending millions of dollars on trips that produce “photo opportunities” rather than development outcomes. He argued that the funds spent on travel are desperately needed to address infrastructure, education, and healthcare deficiencies at home. According to him, the administration’s priorities are misaligned with the pressing needs of citizens.
The MPC leader further took aim at the government’s handling of drug abuse, which he described as one of Liberia’s most urgent social threats. Freeman questioned why President Boakai would spend US$10 million on personal security while allocating only US$3.4 million annually to combat the country’s drug epidemic. He dismissed the president’s delivery of 15 vehicles to the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) as a symbolic gesture rather than a serious response to an escalating national crisis.
Freeman’s sharpest criticism centered on corruption, which he argued has worsened rather than improved under Boakai’s leadership. He accused the president of constructing a US$10 million estate in Foya within just two years in office, while simultaneously dismissing other officials for corruption. He said such contradictions expose what he described as “hypocrisy at the highest level of governance,” noting that civil servants continue to endure harmonized salaries that have not been adjusted to reflect rising costs.
Concluding his statement, Freeman said the failures he highlighted represent only a fraction of the administration’s shortcomings. He urged the public to “follow me for more on the pretense and deception embodied in a President,” signaling that he intends to intensify his public critique in the coming weeks.
