— ANC’s Cummings Critiques President Boakai’s SONA
By Mark N. Mengonfia
Following President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), opposition leaders have begun weighing in on the administration’s performance.
Among the most pointed responses came from Alexander B. Cummings, political leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), who questioned whether the government’s claims of progress reflect the living realities of ordinary Liberians.
Speaking at the ANC headquarters, Cummings challenged the President’s assessment of national recovery. “Da roads we will eat? You cannot cook coal tar. You cannot feed a child a blueprint” Cummings quoted some of the street talks he hears.
According to him, infrastructure plans and economic projections mean little if families cannot meet their basic needs.
While expressing personal respect for President Boakai, Cummings argued that leadership must ultimately be judged by results. “Every struggling household is asking the same questions. Recovery for whom? Progress for who? And results where?”
Cummings acknowledged the President’s reference to economic growth and reduced inflation but warned against confusing macroeconomic indicators with real improvements in daily life.
Citing Liberia’s ranking of 112th out of 123 countries on the Global Hunger Index, he noted that nearly two in five Liberians do not eat adequately.
“This is not abstract data. It reflects children suffering from stunted growth and families trapped in survival mode” Cummings said.
He further criticized the government’s celebration of a record US$1.2 billion national budget, describing the budget as a moral statement of priorities.
Despite the increase, Liberia remains among the world’s poorest nations, with over 2.5 million citizens unable to meet basic needs and rural poverty hovering around 80%.
Cummings questioned whether this historic budget is improving lives, pointing out that public hospitals lack essential supplies and schools lack basic teaching materials, while allocations for the Legislature and security agencies have increased significantly.
The ANC political leader also raised concerns about anticipated windfalls, including a reported US$200 million ArcelorMittal signature bonus, warning that such resources risk being absorbed by what he termed an inflated and elite-serving system.
As an alternative, Cummings outlined what he called a “People-Centered Agenda.”
On fiscal governance, he proposed capping wasteful spending, redirecting funds toward health, education, and frontline security services, and introducing county-level budget reporting that ordinary citizens can understand.
On agriculture, he criticized reductions in funding despite its centrality to national development.
He called for meeting the international benchmark of allocating 10 percent of the national budget to agriculture, investing in processing facilities, and prioritizing feeder roads to connect farmers to markets.
Cummings also emphasized empowering women and youth through access to credit, justice for victims of sexual and gender-based violence, expanded technical training, and a national youth service program.
He advocated genuine decentralization that transfers not just authority but financial resources to counties, alongside investments in renewable energy to support production and job creation.
On corruption, he argued that indictments without convictions are insufficient.
He proposed special anti-corruption courts, asset recovery mechanisms, and truly independent integrity institutions saying the time for rhetoric is over, the time for action is now.
Cummings agreed that leadership is service but stressed that it must also deliver.
He said, “If the economy is growing, hunger should be falling. Liberia has what it needs. What has been missing is people-centered leadership that produces measurable results.”
