By Amos Harris
The National Rubber Brokers and Farmers Union of Liberia has accused Agriculture Minister Alexander Nuetah of allegedly orchestrating a staged welcome ceremony for President Joseph Nyuma Boakai in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County. According to the Union, the event appears to be an attempt to manufacture the appearance of widespread support from Liberia’s farming community.
The allegation was brought forward by Union President James W. Sayekea, who claimed that the Ministry of Agriculture distributed T-shirts labeled “smallholder farmer” to individuals who are not genuine agricultural workers. Sayekea alleged that the initiative was deliberately calculated to portray artificial backing for the Ministry and its current policies during the President’s official visit.
The Union leader further accused the Ministry of organizing a recent rubber sector meeting that allegedly excluded legitimate farmers from across Liberia’s 15 counties. Sayekea noted that this exclusion raises serious questions about who was selected to represent the country’s rubber industry and whether the authentic concerns of local farmers were properly captured.
These allegations come at a particularly sensitive time as the House of Representatives considers Executive Order No. 146, a policy measure that has generated intense debate across the agricultural and rubber sectors. Sayekea expressed concern that a carefully orchestrated gathering could be used to falsely signal to national leaders that farmers broadly endorse policies on which they were never adequately consulted.
The Union argued that legitimate agricultural producers should not be sidelined in favor of individuals selected merely to swell crowd numbers or project a favorable public image for government officials. It maintained that any meaningful dialogue regarding the future of Liberia’s rubber industry must directly involve verified farmers, brokers, producers, and key sector stakeholders from across the nation.
Consequently, Sayekea called on those recruited to participate in the gathering to boycott the event, warning that taking part in what the Union considers a staged spectacle risks misrepresenting the true interests of Liberia’s agricultural workforce.
The controversy also brings to light broader concerns regarding transparency and accountability in state-led public consultations. Critics emphasize that government officials must ensure stakeholder engagements are inclusive and representative, rather than serving as political exercises designed for public relations optics.
In light of these developments, the National Rubber Brokers and Farmers Union has urged the House Committee on Agriculture to scrutinize any resolutions, outcomes, or policy recommendations emerging from the Buchanan meeting. The Union is asking lawmakers to verify whether participants were true representatives of the sector and whether consultation standards were upheld.
If substantiated, the allegations threaten to deepen existing tensions between the Ministry of Agriculture and key factions of Liberia’s rubber sector, which have long voiced frustration over market conditions, farmer welfare, policy direction, and fair representation. As the controversy unfolds, the Ministry of Agriculture has yet to issue a public response to the Union’s claims, leaving open the question of whether the Buchanan event will genuinely reflect the voices of Liberia’s farming community.
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