By Amos Harris
MONROVIA — The Political Leader of the Liberian People’s Party (LPP), Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, has called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to provide a comprehensive public account of his recent 23-day absence from Liberia, raising critical questions regarding the financial cost, delegation size, and tangible outcomes of the official visit to the United States.
President Boakai departed Liberia on September 13 and returned on October 6 following a series of international engagements that included meetings with United States congressional officials, participation in the United Nations General Assembly, outreach with diaspora communities, and a visit to Liberia’s Maritime Registry.
While acknowledging the legitimate nature of these diplomatic functions, Gongloe argued that the Liberian public is entitled to know why the mission spanned more than three weeks, how much public funding was spent, and what concrete benefits were secured for the nation.
The LPP leader expressed particular concern over the size and composition of the presidential delegation. The contingent included Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Finance Minister Augustine Ngafuan, Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah, Health Minister Dr. Louise Kpoto, Education Minister Dr. Jarso Jallah, Gender Minister Gbeme Horace-Kollie, and National Security Advisor Samuel Kofi Woods.
According to Gongloe, the presence of so many cabinet ministers raises questions about their specific roles, the necessity of their presence for the entirety of the trip, and whether their duties could have been managed more efficiently. He urged the administration to publish a detailed breakdown outlining each delegate’s specific responsibilities and associated travel costs.
Drawing comparisons with other African nations, Gongloe noted that several governments executed similar United Nations and diplomatic engagements through shorter, more tightly budgeted itineraries. He cited Cape Verde as a pertinent benchmark, noting that its delegation successfully integrated UN diplomacy, high-level meetings, and diaspora outreach within a smaller delegation and a more condensed timeframe. While noting that such comparisons do not automatically prove a shorter trip is inherently superior, he emphasized that they highlight the need for the Liberian government to justify its extended duration and larger delegation.
Acknowledging that the government reported several diplomatic activities—including the launch of Liberia’s Third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security alongside various investment forums—Gongloe stressed that the administration must move beyond simply listing meetings to disclosing verifiable results.
He demanded clarity on whether binding agreements were signed, the exact amount of development financing secured, the specific terms of those commitments, the number of prospective investments that progressed past initial expressions of interest, expected job creation figures, and clear timelines for implementation. Additionally, Gongloe called for details on commitments made during diaspora town halls and the identity of government officials tasked with follow-up oversight.
Warning against what he termed an “at least” mindset, Gongloe argued that merely confirming the President attended meetings or met investors does not automatically justify heavy public expenditure. He emphasized that every dollar spent on foreign travel carries a direct opportunity cost in a nation currently struggling with funding shortages across healthcare, education, agriculture, and road infrastructure.
To restore confidence, Cllr. Gongloe called on the Boakai administration to formally publish the complete mission itinerary, final delegation list, individual work assignments, travel dates, itemized costs, and official agreements signed.
Concluding with a courteous “Welcome home, Mr. President,” Gongloe reiterated that the central issue is not merely where the President traveled, but what measurable value Liberia gained from the journey and how those outcomes will tangibly improve the everyday lives of Liberians.