By: Jacqueline L. Dennis
Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence has differed with President George Weah over his recent statement when he addressed the 54th Legislature in his last State of the Nation of Address (SONA), where the Liberian decried the former administration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for leaving behind a bad economy.
“Before you assumed the presidency, domestic and international debts stood at US$ 900,000,000 after President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s 12 years, however, just within five years of your administration Liberia has accrued a total debt burden of US$835 million in domestic debt and US$1.1 billion in external debt, this represents an increment of US$1billion and could be an impediment to the next administration economic recovery agenda, so Mr. president, how much more distressful was the economy during the 12 years of the previous regime than it is now under you administration,” Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence asked President George Weah though the media in reaction to the President’s statement of inheriting a bad economy from former President Sirleaf.
The Liberty Party political leader addressed a team of reporters at the Capitol building in Monrovia on Tuesday January 31, 2023, following President Weah’s State of the Nation Address on Monday, January 30, 2023 when he spoke to the 54th Legislature.
Senator Lawrence among other things said the President in his message, appeared to be boasting about reduction in inflation to a single digit, but the reality is, when there is reduction in inflation it must benefit price reduction. Adding on the contrary, Liberia situation as pronounced by President Weah is on the reverse.
She further stated no one living in Liberia will have any source of livelihood since the President came to power, because Liberians have experienced a 30 percent increase in the price of the 25kg bag of rice from US$13.00 to US$17.50; also pointing out that the gas is hovering around $3.00 to $3.50 while “we are selling for over $5.00 these Price have direct impact on every Liberian and ultimately impact every other price.”
