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LRA Trains Customs Officers Revenue reform ultimately lives or dies on the frontline officers’ competence. Customs officers refreshed valuation, classification, and rules-of-origin techniques. The stated aim is uniform enforcement across every single port of entry. Consistency, not slogans, builds a genuinely credible customs service. Better technique should mean fairer duties and steadier revenue. The program also drew in communication and taxpayer-service staff. That signals attention to public trust, not just collection. A second cohort is planned to widen the reach further. Training alone will not modernize the customs service. Systems, oversight, and integrity must follow the classroom work. Still, skilled officers remain the true precondition for any real reform. MONROVIA: The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has intensified its customs modernization drive by completing a weeklong technical training program for frontline customs officers in Ganta, Nimba County, aimed at strengthening border management, facilitating legitimate trade, and boosting domestic revenue collection. The capacity-building initiative, organized by the LRA’s Customs Department, brought together officers from Customs Business Offices across the country to sharpen their technical expertise and improve the consistent application of customs laws and procedures at Liberia’s ports of entry. The training focused on key areas of customs administration, including customs valuation, Harmonized System (HS) classification, rules of origin, and practical customs examination techniques. The program was designed to enhance operational efficiency, improve compliance with international customs standards, and strengthen service delivery. Building Customs Capacity Recognizing the importance of public engagement, officers from the communication section and the Taxpayer Services Division (TPSD) also participated in the training to deepen their understanding of customs operations and improve taxpayer education and stakeholder outreach. Speaking at the closing ceremony, Assistant Commissioner for Customs Ports Operations Edwin F. Kendema praised participants for their commitment and active involvement throughout the program. Kendema emphasized that continuous professional development remains central to the Customs Department’s strategy of building a modern, efficient, and responsive customs administration. According to him, the initiative forms part of the LRA’s broader reform agenda to align Liberia’s customs operations with international best practices while strengthening border security, promoting trade facilitation, and increasing domestic revenue mobilization. On behalf of the participants, Pandora Gbahn, Customs Collector at the Ganta Customs Business Office, described the training as timely and beneficial. “This refresher training has strengthened our understanding of key customs procedures and enhanced our ability to apply them effectively in our daily work. We appreciate the facilitators for their dedication and are confident the knowledge gained will improve our service delivery,” Gbahn said. Toward Uniform Standards The first phase of the program trained 35 customs officers, with a second cohort of another 35 officers expected to undergo similar training as part of the Customs Department’s nationwide professional development initiative. The LRA said the program is intended to standardize technical competencies across all Customs Business Offices, ensuring uniform enforcement of customs procedures and improving operational excellence nationwide. Through sustained investment in workforce development, the Authority aims to build a highly skilled and accountable customs service capable of protecting Liberia’s borders, facilitating legitimate commerce, enhancing compliance, and supporting the government’s broader revenue mobilization and economic development objectives.

LIBENERGY Challenges LERC Ruling A tariff cut looks like consumer relief until the provider pushes back. The Commission lowered the energy charge and slashed connection fees. Consumers gain in the short term. The utility warns its core revenue is being squeezed hard. Both claims can be true at the same time. Cheaper power means little if the supplier cannot sustain the network. Regulation 32(1) now forces a public reckoning over that balance. LERC insists the tariff stands during the review. The decision will show whether Liberia can price electricity affordably without starving its distributor. Power-sector investors will watch closely. Credibility, not just cost, is now on trial. A fresh dispute has emerged in Liberia’s electricity sector after LIBENERGY formally challenged the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (LERC) recent tariff determination, arguing that the new pricing structure threatens the company’s financial sustainability and operational capacity. The appeal, filed on July 23, 2026, seeks reconsideration of LERC’s July 6 tariff decision under Regulation 32(1) of the Electricity Tariff Regulations, a legal provision that allows regulated entities to request a review of tariff determinations. According to LERC, LIBENERGY contends that the revised tariff significantly reduces its primary source of operating revenue while imposing additional financial obligations that were not adequately addressed during the Commission’s review. The utility argues that the decision lowers its energy charge—the company’s principal revenue stream—while simultaneously reducing customer contributions toward meter acquisition, a combination it believes could have serious financial and operational implications. Appeal Under Review Despite the appeal, LERC clarified that the filing does not suspend or invalidate the approved tariff. “The filing of an application for reconsideration is a standard regulatory process provided for under the Electricity Tariff Regulations and does not, in itself, alter the Commission’s decision,” LERC Chairman Claude J. Katta said. Katta assured electricity consumers and industry stakeholders that the Commission would handle the matter strictly within the framework of the law. “The Commission is carefully reviewing LIBENERGY’s application in accordance with its regulations and will reach a decision based on the evidence presented, while ensuring transparency, fairness, and the protection of the interests of electricity consumers and the sector as a whole,” he stated. What the Tariff Changes The challenge comes less than a month after LERC approved a new three-year electricity tariff designed to make power more affordable while supporting continued improvements in electricity distribution and service reliability. Effective August 1, 2026, the Commission reduced LIBENERGY’s energy charge by 12 percent, lowering the tariff from US$0.25 (LRD 45.75) per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to US$0.22 (LRD 40.26) per kWh. To support network expansion and system reliability, LERC also introduced a US$1.50 (LRD 274.50) monthly fixed charge for customers. In a move aimed at expanding electricity access, the Commission slashed the connection fee for new single-phase customers from US$110.00 (LRD 20,130) to US$40.00 (LRD 7,320), a 64 percent reduction. The remaining US$70 (LRD 12,810) will be recovered through the approved energy tariff. The revised connection package includes an electricity meter, up to 25 meters of low-voltage cable, and all required connectors, while the connection fee for new three-phase customers remains US$330 (LRD 60,390). However, the appeal now places one of the country’s most significant electricity pricing decisions under regulatory review, as consumers, investors, and energy sector stakeholders await LERC’s final determination on whether the tariff framework should stand or be revised. The outcome is expected to have far-reaching implications for electricity affordability, utility operations, and ongoing efforts to strengthen Liberia’s power sector while balancing consumer protection with the financial viability of service providers.

Boakai Hails Bank Launch First Atlantic Bank’s arrival hands President Boakai a timely confidence story. The Parrot notes the symbolism outweighs the transaction itself. A single Ghanaian lender does not prove recovery. It does signal that regional capital is testing Liberia’s climate. Boakai’s pitch, Africans financing Africa, reframes foreign money as continental solidarity. That framing is politically useful at home right now. Yet confidence rhetoric must eventually meet measurable outcomes. Jobs, credit access, and deposit growth will be the real test. The bank enters a small, already competitive banking sector. Its success is far from guaranteed. For now, the launch matters because the government can claim fresh momentum. Whether that momentum survives closer scrutiny remains an open question today. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has urged Africans to finance Africa’s development, describing First Atlantic Bank Liberia’s launch as a powerful endorsement of Liberia’s economic recovery and investment potential. The Liberian leader called for a new era of African-led investment, declaring that the continent’s economic transformation must be driven by Africans themselves as he officially commissioned the bank. Speaking Friday at the bank’s headquarters on 9th Street, Sinkor, Boakai described the opening of the Ghanaian-owned financial institution as a significant milestone for Liberia’s financial sector and a clear demonstration of growing investor confidence in the country’s economic future. He said the bank’s entry into the Liberian market reflects increasing trust in the government’s reform agenda and sends a positive message to investors across the continent and beyond. Built by Africans “If Africa is going to be built, it has to be built by Africans,” Boakai declared. “If you don’t have confidence in your own economies, who do you expect to have that confidence?” He urged African entrepreneurs and financial institutions to expand investments within the continent, stressing that sustainable development will be achieved only when Africans take the lead in financing Africa’s growth. According to the President, First Atlantic Bank’s decision to establish operations in Liberia is more than a business expansion—it is a strong vote of confidence in the country’s improving investment climate despite prevailing global economic challenges. Boakai commended the Ghanaian investors for backing Liberia with concrete action rather than promises, noting that their investment reflects confidence in the nation’s economic direction. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to maintaining a peaceful, stable, and investor-friendly environment capable of attracting credible domestic and foreign investments. “Africans can trust one another to come and do business, and we want to assure you that our government will work with you to make sure that you succeed,” he assured. Signals of Recovery The President also highlighted encouraging economic indicators from the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), saying they demonstrate that the country’s recovery efforts are yielding results. “Liberia is now moving in a very serious way. We are opening up the country and putting in place the conditions that make this environment conducive and attractive for investment,” Boakai said. He further praised the longstanding relationship between Liberia and Ghana, expressing optimism that stronger economic cooperation among African nations will accelerate regional integration, stimulate trade, and create greater opportunities for shared prosperity. Meanwhile, the launch of First Atlantic Bank Liberia is expected to strengthen competition within the banking sector, broaden access to financial services, and reinforce the government’s strategy to position Liberia as an attractive investment destination in West Africa.

Boakai Anti-Drug Move Praised President Boakai dismissed and suspended officials tied to a cocaine case. The youth group loudly calls the action bold and decisive. It also insists the probe reach everyone, regardless of rank. That single condition is the real story here. Support today can curdle into criticism if accountability stalls. The statement warns against Liberia becoming a trafficking corridor. It ties national security firmly to due process. Young voices are staking a public position unusually early. Whether the investigation honors their demand for impartial justice remains unproven. Applause now buys the government time, not a verdict. MONROVIA: The Liberia Chapter of the Mano River Union Youth Parliament (MRUYP-LC) has thrown its support behind President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.’s recent dismissal and suspension of key government and security officials linked to the ongoing investigation into Liberia’s largest cocaine seizure, describing the move as a bold demonstration of political will in the fight against narcotics trafficking. In a statement issued Friday, the youth organization praised the President for taking what it termed “decisive and timely action” against officials whose alleged involvement in the country’s growing drug crisis has heightened public concern over the infiltration of transnational criminal networks into state institutions. The statement, signed by the Parliament’s Fourth Speaker, Daniel Nama Nills, said the administration’s actions send a strong message that no public official should be shielded from accountability when national security and the rule of law are at stake. According to the organization, the President’s decision reflects the growing demand by Liberians for transparency, justice, and decisive leadership in confronting the country’s escalating narcotics crisis. A Message on Accountability “The government will no longer tolerate the devastating impact these substances have on our communities and the future of the nation,” the statement declared. The Youth Parliament described the alleged involvement of individuals entrusted with public responsibilities in drug-related activities as deeply disturbing and a betrayal of the confidence placed in them by the Liberian people. “It is particularly egregious that individuals occupying positions of responsibility within government are allegedly connected to the proliferation of narcotics. Such actions are unequivocally condemned,” the organization stated. The group reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the government’s anti-drug campaign, urging investigators to conduct a comprehensive, impartial, and transparent investigation that follows the evidence wherever it leads. It stressed that everyone implicated in the ongoing cocaine investigation should be afforded due process, while insisting that anyone found culpable should face the full weight of the law, regardless of status or political affiliation. The MRUYP-LC also rejected any attempt to allow Liberia to become a corridor for international drug trafficking, warning that the country’s future depends on dismantling criminal networks that threaten national stability and the well-being of its youth. Guarding Against Trafficking “We vehemently reject the notion of Liberia being used as a transit hub for drugs. Immediate action is essential to expose everyone involved and safeguard the integrity and future of our nation,” the statement emphasized. The Youth Parliament’s endorsement comes as public attention remains fixed on the government’s handling of the high-profile cocaine investigation, with growing calls for accountability, institutional reforms, and stronger measures to combat organized drug trafficking. Political observers view the organization’s statement as another indication of mounting public support for a transparent investigation capable of restoring confidence in Liberia’s security and justice institutions while reinforcing the country’s commitment to the rule of law.

Chineh Orders Hotel Trial Land recovery is popular politics, but courts still demand more than popularity. The parrot’s reporter sees Judge Chineh drawing a firm evidentiary line here. The government wanted a registered deed voided on affidavits alone. The court flatly refused to allow that shortcut. Allegations of fraud and illegality must now survive a full trial. That ruling protects registered titles from summary cancellation. It also raises the bar for the administration’s reclamation drive. Officials cannot simply assert that past deals were unlawful. They must prove it in open court. For Oniyama, the decision preserves a contested but registered interest. For the state, it is a clear procedural warning. Public-land recovery will advance on evidence, not political will alone. The Civil Law Court has ordered a full trial in the high-stakes dispute over 5.58 acres of prime beachfront property within the historic Hotel Africa compound, rejecting the Government of Liberia’s bid to summarily cancel a development deed held by businessman Dr. Nelson Oniyama. The ruling, delivered on July 30, 2026, by Resident Judge Nelson B. Chineh, is widely viewed as a landmark legal development in the Boakai administration’s campaign to reclaim public properties allegedly acquired through unlawful means. At the center of the dispute is the Seaview Golf Course, where the government, through the General Services Agency (GSA) and the Ministry of Justice, sought an order declaring Oniyama’s Development Grant Deed null and void without proceeding to a full evidentiary hearing. State lawyers argued that the deed was void ab initio, contending that it was unlawfully executed by former Liberia Land Authority (LLA) Chairman Atty. Adams Manobah without the approval of the LLA Board of Commissioners as required by law. “Void ab initio” is a Latin legal term meaning “void from the beginning.” It means an agreement, contract, or law was completely invalid and had zero legal effect from the very first day it was created, and the law treats the action as if it never happened at all. The government further maintained that the land was conveyed without competitive bidding or public notice, in violation of the Land Rights Regulations and the Public Procurement and Concessions Act (PPCA). It also questioned whether the required grant fees were ever paid into government revenue and, based on those alleged irregularities, urged the court to cancel the deed outright, arguing that the transaction was illegal from its inception. Deed Under Fire Oniyama, however, mounted a robust defense grounded in established principles of property law. His legal team argued that he is a bona fide purchaser for value without notice, having lawfully negotiated with the statutory authority responsible for public land administration, paid valuable consideration, obtained a duly executed Development Grant Deed, and perfected his title through probate and registration at the Center for National Documents and Records Agency (CNDRA). The defense maintained that any procedural lapses committed by officials of the Liberia Land Authority could not automatically invalidate the vested property rights of an innocent purchaser. Counsel further argued that Article 20(a) of the 1986 Constitution protects citizens from being deprived of property without due process of law, insisting that allegations alone cannot extinguish a registered legal interest. In a carefully reasoned ruling, Judge Chineh rejected both the government’s motion for cancellation and Seaview Golf Course’s motion for judicial review, concluding that neither side had established a legal basis for summary judgment. Relying on the Supreme Court’s precedent in Saleh v. Liberia Trading Company, the court held that once a deed has been duly probated and registered, it creates enforceable legal rights that cannot be nullified solely through affidavits and legal motions. Allegations Versus Proof The court emphasized that allegations involving fraud, lack of authority, illegality, and failure of consideration require proof through a full adversarial proceeding. “A court cannot cancel a registered deed on allegations. Allegations must be transmuted into proof,” Chineh declared in the court’s ruling. The judge also declined Seaview’s request to affirm the validity of the deed on the existing record, holding that the government is entitled to present evidence supporting its claims of illegality. Accordingly, the court converted the matter into a trial on the merits, directing both parties to file their pretrial memoranda within 10 days before the commencement of full proceedings. The case is expected to feature witness testimony, documentary evidence, land administration records, and financial documentation relating to the disputed transaction. Legal analysts say the ruling establishes an important judicial benchmark for the Boakai administration’s public land recovery initiative, making it clear that efforts to reclaim allegedly unlawfully acquired government property must satisfy the evidentiary standards required by law. The decision also reinforces the long-standing legal principle that registered land titles enjoy the presumption of validity until successfully challenged in open court through competent evidence. As one of the first major judicial tests of the administration’s land recovery agenda, the Hotel Africa dispute is expected to shape future litigation involving contested public lands and define the evidentiary burden the government must meet before registered deeds can be set aside.

Claiming Our History Fully Dr. Herbert C. Brewer’s 179th Independence oration offered Liberia a necessary lesson in history, identity and national responsibility — and a call every citizen should heed BY OUR STAFF WRITER Liberia’s 179th Independence Day celebration offered the nation another opportunity to look backward in order to understand the present and, perhaps more importantly, to decide what kind of country it wishes to become. But unlike orations that simply celebrate independence or appeal to patriotic emotion, this year’s address set a nobler and more demanding task. Dr. Herbert C. Brewer asked Liberians to confront, and to claim, their history. Delivering the national oration in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, on July 26 under the theme “Strengthening National Identity Through Liberian-led Historical Leadership,” Dr. Brewer — a distinguished historian who directs the Benjamin Quarles Humanities and Social Sciences Institute at Morgan State University and holds a doctorate in history from the University of Maryland — delivered an extensive reflection on Liberia’s long journey: from the societies that flourished on this land centuries before the Republic, through the declaration of independence on July 26, 1847, the struggle to preserve sovereignty, the trials of war, and the continuing work of rebuilding. At the heart of his argument lay a message the nation urgently needs to hear: a people cannot build a confident future while remaining ashamed of, or ignorant about, its past. That message deserves more than the applause of a ceremony. It deserves national reflection. History Is More Than Dates One of the most important observations in the oration is that Liberian history did not begin on July 26, 1847, nor in 1822 when repatriated Africans first settled at Cape Mesurado. The Republic has a founding date; the people of this territory do not. Long before the Republic existed, African societies here had established political institutions, commercial networks, systems of justice, agricultural practice and rich cultural tradition. They were not waiting for history to begin. They were already making it. This distinction matters, because Liberian history is too often presented to the young as though the country appeared suddenly with the settlers and the declaration. That telling is incomplete. Liberia is the product of the many societies that predate the Republic, of the men and women of African descent who returned from the diaspora, of the recaptured Africans brought to these shores, and of the generations who shaped the nation after independence. All of these stories belong to Liberia, and Dr. Brewer’s call to bring them into the national conversation expands, rather than narrows, what it means to be Liberian. None of these stories should be erased. A Nation Confident Enough to Be Honest Claiming history, Dr. Brewer reminded his audience, is not the same as romanticising it — and this is where his argument is most valuable. Liberia’s past holds achievements that deserve celebration, and it holds painful chapters that call for honesty: conflicts between communities, inequalities, periods when power grew too concentrated, and eventually the civil wars that scarred a generation. A mature and confident nation can acknowledge all of it. Patriotism, the orator suggested, should never require historical dishonesty. We should not teach our children that Liberia was perfect, nor that it was a mistake. Both extremes mislead. The first breeds false pride; the second breeds shame. The better path is understanding — learning why Liberia became what it is, what earlier generations did well, and what lessons the present may draw from both. There is nothing weak in loving one’s country while acknowledging its imperfections. In truth, that may be the highest form of patriotism, and it is the form Dr. Brewer invited every Liberian to embrace. A younger generation should not inherit Liberia’s territory alone. It should inherit the country’s memory. The Meaning of July 26 The significance of July 26, 1847, should be understood within its own time. Slavery still existed across much of the world; colonial expansion was accelerating; racial theory was being used to justify the domination of Africans and people of African descent. Against that backdrop, a free Black people declaring that they possessed both the right and the capacity to govern themselves through a constitutional republic was a remarkable and courageous assertion. The Republic was imperfect, as all human institutions are, but its very existence challenged the assumptions of its age, and its survival as an independent African state is itself an enduring chapter of world history. It should be honoured as such — neither reduced to a ceremonial slogan nor dismissed as failure. Independence did not instantly produce a fully united country. The Republic first governed only a portion of the present territory, and for decades many interior communities continued under their own traditions. The Liberia known today was built over generations, through diplomacy, alliance, negotiation and, at times, difficult struggle. Its story cannot be told from Monrovia alone. The chiefs, elders, traders, farmers, women, soldiers and ordinary citizens who lived far beyond the capital are woven into the national narrative, and a country serious about unity must make room for every one of their voices. Against Selective Memory One of the gravest dangers facing any nation is selective history — remembering the figures who suit our preferences and forgetting those who do not, celebrating one group while overlooking another, recalling victories while forgetting the sacrifices that accompanied them. That is not history but political storytelling. True history is more complex and more honest. It teaches that people can make lasting contributions while also making mistakes, that leaders act within the circumstances of their time, and that a nation’s challenges can rarely be laid at the feet of one person, one party, one community or one generation. This is not merely an academic concern. A citizen who does not know his country’s history is more easily misled. The past can be distorted for narrow ends, and disagreements can be inflamed into division. A population that truly understands its history is better equipped to resist manipulation and to defend

Withholds Hundreds’ Results Exam results mean little if the process behind them cannot be trusted. Hundreds of candidates have now lost some or all results. Investigations found widespread violations of examination rules. The Council paired punishment with the release of provisional scores. That deliberate balance matters a very great deal. Honest, hardworking students should not be unfairly shadowed by proven cheats. Withheld results still hang on the pending inquiries. The message to schools is intentionally blunt this year. Malpractice now clearly carries real and visible consequences. Yet sanctions alone will not end the deeper problem. Exam fraud reflects heavy pressures on students and institutions across Liberia. MONROVIA: The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has dealt a heavy blow to examination malpractice by canceling and withholding the results of hundreds of candidates implicated in cheating, even as it released the provisional results of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). The Council announced that investigations into alleged examination irregularities uncovered widespread violations of examination rules, prompting stringent disciplinary measures against affected candidates. According to WAEC, the subject results of 496 candidates were canceled, while the entire results of 105 candidates were nullified after investigations established their involvement in various forms of examination malpractice. In addition, the Council disclosed that the subject results of 119 candidates and the complete results of 48 candidates have been withheld pending the outcome of ongoing investigations into suspected breaches of examination regulations. Sanctions and Warnings WAEC emphasized that the withheld results remain under review and will either be released or subjected to further sanctions depending on the findings of the investigations. The Council said the disciplinary actions reflect its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the integrity, fairness, and credibility of public examinations across Liberia. It warned that examination malpractice undermines academic standards and deprives deserving students of fair opportunities, stressing that anyone found violating examination rules will continue to face severe consequences. WAEC also appealed to school administrators, teachers, parents, candidates, and other stakeholders to promote honesty and uphold ethical standards throughout the examination process. The Council reaffirmed that protecting the credibility of the Basic Education Certificate Examination remains a top priority, adding that it will continue strengthening measures aimed at detecting and deterring examination fraud. Despite the widespread sanctions, WAEC noted that the release of the provisional BECE results marks another important milestone in the country’s academic calendar as thousands of candidates prepare for the next stage of their educational journey.

Promise Made, Promise Kept From the Freeport to the counties, President Boakai’s road revolution moves from pledge to pavement as all 285 machines land and the first highway is dedicated. By The Parrot News Desk. MONROVIA — For decades, Liberia’s poor road network stood as one of the country’s most stubborn obstacles to progress — raising the cost of transport, cutting farmers off from markets, and leaving whole communities isolated when the rains came. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. came to office promising to break that cycle. Today, the steady movement of hundreds of heavy-duty road machines into Liberia’s counties offers the clearest sign yet that the President’s road promise is passing from political commitment into practical, visible action. The machines, known across the country simply as the yellow machines, are being deployed to open, rehabilitate and maintain roads and to knit communities more closely together. For President Boakai, the goal reaches beyond equipment on the ground. It is about opening Liberia to opportunity, ending the isolation of rural towns, allowing farmers to reach markets and traders to move goods, helping patients reach clinics, and laying the infrastructure foundation on which investment and jobs can be built. The government secured 285 heavy-duty machines for road and infrastructure development. The first major batch of 137 units arrived at the Freeport of Monrovia on February 22, 2026, where President Boakai personally toured the equipment as the nation looked on. By May 30, 2026, the Yellow Machines Management Committee announced that the final consignment had arrived, completing the full fleet of 285. Deployment to the counties began on June 29, 2026, opening in the southeast and extending outward. For communities that have waited years for better roads, the machines are more than government equipment. They are a sign of possibility — a promise beginning to take physical shape. Boakai’s Road Promise When President Boakai assumed office, he inherited a country where poor connectivity continued to hold back development. In many rural communities, roads turned to mud in the rainy season, vehicles became stranded, transport costs climbed, and some towns were cut off from major population centres altogether. The President has consistently argued that Liberia cannot achieve meaningful economic transformation without confronting its infrastructure deficit, and his administration accordingly placed roads at the very centre of its development agenda. That commitment is anchored in the government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, which identifies infrastructure as a pillar of national progress and emphasises connectivity across all fifteen counties. The strategy combines major paved-road projects, the rehabilitation of existing roads, the maintenance of rural roads and, crucially, the deployment of government-owned heavy equipment. The yellow machines have become the most visible expression of that strategy, and their purpose is straightforward: open roads, improve roads, maintain roads, connect communities and support economic activity. From Promise to Action The arrival of the machines marks a decisive step in strengthening Liberia’s own capacity to carry out road works. For years, a shortage of equipment was among the constraints holding back maintenance and rehabilitation. Rather than depending entirely on individual contracts, the government is now building its own standing capacity to intervene wherever roads demand urgent attention. Bulldozers, graders, loaders, excavators, dump trucks and auxiliary vehicles make up one of the largest government-owned road fleets in Liberia’s recent history, and the machines are assembled and tested at a central site in Careysburg before being dispatched to the counties. Those who doubted the machines were coming can now see them for themselves — in the ports, on the highways, and moving into the counties. A System Built to Protect the Investment The administration recognised early that acquiring equipment is only half the task; the machines must be managed, maintained and deployed with discipline. To that end, President Boakai established the Yellow Machines Board of Authority to oversee the receipt, accountability, deployment, operation, storage and maintenance of the fleet, and appointed former Defence Minister Brownie J. Samukai as Executive Chairperson of its Coordinating Committee. The President further constituted the Special Presidential Project Coordinating Committee to prepare a national deployment plan, submit monthly reports and operate under a firm “maintenance-first” policy designed to protect the machines and extend their working life. The framework is deliberate. Nineteen operational hubs — complete with fuel depots, workshops and trained technicians — are planned nationwide to keep the fleet functional through every season and to guard against the neglect that has diminished public equipment in the past. The design signals that the administration intends the yellow machines to become a long-term national asset rather than a passing project, and that intention is itself part of the promise being kept. Grand Bassa Sees the Machines Grand Bassa County, host of this year’s 179th Independence celebration, is among the counties benefiting from the nationwide rollout, and as one of the larger counties it is slated for a double allocation of equipment. Machines were delivered to the county during the anniversary period, and residents and local officials have welcomed the deployment with optimism, anticipating better access to rural communities and stronger transport links. For a county with significant agricultural and commercial activity, the potential is substantial: shorter journeys, less vehicle damage, and easier passage for farmers and traders moving goods to market. A Corridor of Completed Work in Lofa Nowhere is the shift from promise to pavement clearer than in the north. On July 29, 2026, President Boakai dedicated the newly completed 81-kilometre Gbarnga–Salayea Road, financed by the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa and other Arab lenders — a finished highway carrying real traffic, and the strongest single proof that the administration’s road agenda is delivering results on the ground. At the same ceremony, the government broke ground on further work and secured the financing to carry it forward: a US$63 million package for the 56-kilometre Salayea–Konia Road, a groundbreaking for the 6-kilometre Zorzor–Yeala Road, and a Saudi Fund for Development commitment to pave the remaining 64-kilometre Konia–Voinjama Road, a project estimated at about US$80 million. Together

BOAKAI CRACKS DOWN ON ALLEGED CULPRITS Sweeping Purge Rocks Security Sector By The Parrot News Desk MONROVIA, July 30 — President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has ordered one of the most sweeping anti-narcotics crackdowns in recent Liberian history, dismissing senior government and security officials, suspending others without pay, and directing far-reaching criminal investigations into the country’s unfolding cocaine trafficking scandal. The dramatic action, announced Thursday night by the Executive Mansion, comes barely hours after Joint Security publicly destroyed more than US$336 million worth of cocaine seized in two major operations, signaling what appears to be a new phase in the government’s effort to dismantle an alleged transnational drug trafficking network that has penetrated sections of the country’s security establishment. The presidential directive affects officials of the Liberia National Police (LNP), Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), National Security Agency (NSA), Roberts International Airport (RIA), and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. President Boakai said the measures followed his review of the latest investigative reports into the country’s major narcotics cases and were intended to reinforce accountability, integrity and respect for the rule of law throughout government. Top Security Officials Removed Among those immediately dismissed are Mark Egon Kuiah, Deputy Director for Operations at Roberts International Airport; Johnny Bolar Dean, Commissioner of Police for Criminal Investigation, Intelligence and INTERPOL; and Patrick Doe, Deputy Director for Administration at the National Security Agency. The President also recalled Patrick Komasu (702) from his assignment at the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, suspended him without pay and ordered that he be placed under investigation. The Executive Mansion said the decisions followed findings submitted by the relevant investigative authorities examining the country’s growing narcotics crisis. Airport, LDEA Officials Also Dismissed President Boakai further ordered the immediate dismissal of all government employees and law enforcement officers indicted in connection with the seizure of 198 plates of processed cocaine at Roberts International Airport and the confiscation of 3,971 plates of cocaine recovered from premises linked to two foreign nationals. Those dismissed include Mohammed O. Gbowrah, Director of Security at Roberts International Airport, and Moses Jallah, Deputy Commander of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency assigned at the airport. Police Officers Fired The presidential order also dismisses two Liberia National Police officers alleged to have used official government vehicles to facilitate the transportation of a narcotics shipment from Vincent Town along the Bomi Highway to the vicinity of Mega Mart in Thinker Village, Paynesville. The officers are identified as Anthony T. Blaye and Wadell W. Kwarbo. The allegation, if established through judicial proceedings, would represent one of the most serious accusations yet against serving law enforcement personnel in the country’s escalating drug trafficking investigations. Four Officials Suspended Pending further investigations, President Boakai also suspended without pay four additional officials. They include Jammel V. Jallah, Agent of the National Security Agency; Christian L. Nyantee, also an NSA agent; Caycee Nelson, Procurement Director at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; and Albenigo Janior, another NSA operative. The suspensions take immediate effect while investigations continue. President: No One Above the Law The Executive Mansion said the President’s decisions demonstrate his administration’s determination that no public official involved in criminal conduct should remain in government service. The President stressed that the government will continue enforcing the law “without fear or favor” and will hold accountable every individual found to have participated in narcotics trafficking or related criminal activities. He further instructed all security and law enforcement institutions to intensify their investigations and ensure that every suspect connected to the cases is brought before the courts in accordance with due process. Major Political Turning Point The presidential action marks the most extensive administrative response yet since Liberia’s unprecedented cocaine seizures exposed what investigators believe to be a sophisticated trafficking operation involving international actors and alleged local collaborators. For weeks, public pressure has mounted for stronger accountability after successive revelations linked sections of the country’s security architecture to the movement and protection of narcotics consignments. Thursday’s dismissals and suspensions now place the burden squarely on investigators and prosecutors to transform administrative sanctions into successful criminal prosecutions wherever evidence warrants. The Executive Mansion reaffirmed that the Government of Liberia remains committed to dismantling narcotics trafficking networks, strengthening national security, protecting the country’s international reputation and ensuring that those responsible face justice through the courts.