Monrovia, Liberia – Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan has issued a strong appeal for Liberians to place national interest above political, ethnic, religious and county loyalties, warning that the country’s future could be weakened if citizens allow their differences to become more important than their shared identity.
Ngafuan made the appeal on Monday, August 24, 2026, while delivering the oration for Liberia’s 179th National Flag Day celebration under the theme “From Heritage to Hope: The Flag That Unites Us.”
Rather than limiting his address to the history of Liberia’s national flag, the Finance Minister used the occasion to challenge the country to examine its political culture, approach to public service, attitude toward corruption and commitment to peace.
He said the Lone Star should not simply be displayed, saluted or worn during national celebrations.
Instead, it should represent a standard against which Liberians measure their conduct and their commitment to the Republic.
“The flag has stood with us in our finest hours and our darkest days,” Ngafuan said, describing the national symbol as a representation of Liberia’s history, identity and aspirations.
The national observance commemorates August 24, 1847, when Liberia’s flag was first hoisted, weeks after the country declared independence on July 26 of the same year.
The flag was later established as the centerpiece of an annual national holiday following legislative action in 1915.
Its 11 red and white stripes are officially associated with the 11 signatories of Liberia’s Declaration of Independence, while the single white star on a blue field represented Liberia’s status as an independent republic on the African continent. The flag was designed by a committee of Liberian women headed by Susannah Lewis.
But Ngafuan argued that the flag’s most important meaning is not confined to its historical symbolism.
He said Liberia must ensure that future generations inherit not only the flag but also a country worthy of the ideals represented by it.
The minister reflected on his own childhood experience during National Flag Day celebrations in 1978, when he was a first-grade student at Bolahun Public School in Wawoma Clan, Kolahun District, Lofa County.
He recalled hundreds of students gathering in Bolahun for the traditional parade, with community members turning out to watch children march and salute the flag.
The experience, he said, demonstrated the ability of national symbols to inspire children to imagine a future larger than their immediate circumstances.
Nearly five decades later, he challenged Liberians to build a country where every child can believe that the place of birth does not determine the limits of his or her future.
“That is the Liberia we must build,” he said.
Ngafuan’s strongest appeal, however, focused on national unity.
He rejected the idea that unity requires uniformity, saying Liberians can maintain different political opinions, religious beliefs, county identities and professional affiliations while still recognizing a common national identity.
“We can disagree and still be Liberians,” he declared.
He warned particularly against political tribalism and excessive county loyalty.
“Our party-centricity must never undermine our country-centricity,” he said.
The minister called on Liberians to stop reducing individuals to labels based on political party, county, tribe, religion or institutional affiliation.
Instead, he urged citizens to assess one another based on character, conduct, values and contribution to the country.
His argument extended to the fight against corruption.
Ngafuan said Liberians should reject the practice of demanding accountability when an opponent is accused of wrongdoing while defending similar conduct when it involves a political ally, relative or member of one’s community.
He called for one national standard.
“Patriotism is not only what we say about Liberia. Patriotism is what we do for Liberia,” he said.
The minister said patriotism could be demonstrated in ordinary professional and civic responsibilities.
A government official who protects public funds, a teacher who prepares for students, a health worker who treats patients responsibly, a security officer who applies the law without discrimination, a businessperson who pays legitimate taxes and a journalist who responsibly pursues truth are, in his view, all serving the national interest.
He also challenged citizens to reject corruption regardless of who commits it.
For Ngafuan, defending wrongdoing because of political affiliation or personal relationships represents a direct contradiction of national patriotism.
He warned that Liberia’s common resources are vulnerable when citizens demand public benefits while simultaneously participating in practices that undermine the systems intended to provide those benefits.
Using the economic concept of the “tragedy of the commons,” he pointed to illegal dumping, tax evasion, selective accountability and the protection of wrongdoing as examples of conduct that can collectively damage the country.
The Finance Minister said national development therefore requires more than government action.
It requires a shared commitment by citizens to protect public resources, respect institutions and contribute to the economy.
He connected that responsibility to Liberia’s expanding development ambitions.
The government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, he said, is intended to translate national priorities into practical projects capable of improving the lives of Liberians.
Infrastructure development, including roads, electricity, schools, health facilities and economic opportunities, can also promote national unity because citizens across political and geographic divisions benefit from functioning public services.
Ngafuan pointed to the government’s efforts to secure financing for major infrastructure projects, including the US$30 million BADEA financing agreement for the Salayea-Konia road in Lofa County and additional support for health services along the Gbarnga-Voinjama corridor.
He also highlighted Liberia’s growing fiscal space.
With the FY2026 national budget approved at approximately US$1.249 billion and a supplementary budget process seeking to increase overall spending to roughly US$1.29 billion, Ngafuan said Liberia was moving toward a new fiscal threshold.
But he cautioned that the size of the budget should never be confused with national development.
A larger budget, he said, matters only if it produces better roads, electricity, schools, health care, employment opportunities and stronger public institutions.
The minister also directed a portion of his message toward young Liberians.
He urged them to pursue education, entrepreneurship, creativity, hard work and public service rather than surrendering to despair.
He said Liberia’s future depends heavily on whether young people are given the tools and opportunities to become productive citizens.
Ngafuan further argued that national leadership should not be viewed solely through the lens of elected officials.
Pastors, imams, teachers, journalists, political leaders, talk-show hosts, business executives, community leaders, health professionals, sports officials, trade leaders and social-media influencers, he said, all have the ability to shape public attitudes.
“And influence creates responsibility,” he said.
With Liberia continuing to consolidate peace after years of civil conflict, Ngafuan cautioned against reckless political rhetoric.
He said the country cannot afford a political environment where disagreement automatically becomes hostility.
“We can compete politically without hating one another,” he said. “We can disagree without becoming enemies.”
He urged political actors to compete peacefully and avoid rhetoric capable of reopening social divisions.
The minister also warned that Liberia’s peace should never be treated as permanent or guaranteed.
He reminded citizens of the destruction caused by the country’s civil wars and urged them to protect the peace through responsible political participation and public discourse.
He specifically challenged the media and social-media users to understand the consequences of their words.
“A microphone can educate or inflame,” he said. “A radio program can inform or divide. A political platform can inspire or incite. A social-media post can build bridges or deepen fractures.”
Ngafuan proposed a minimum “Patriotic Covenant” that he said should bind Liberians regardless of political affiliation.
The covenant includes putting Liberia first, pursuing political power peacefully, protecting public resources, rejecting corruption regardless of the perpetrator, valuing truth and responsible public discourse, refusing to turn differences into hatred, respecting constitutional government and the rule of law, and recognizing that no political victory is worth destroying the country.
He also urged every generation to leave Liberia stronger for those who come after them.
“These should not be government values or opposition values,” he said. “They should be Liberian values.”
In a rhetorical challenge to the nation, Ngafuan asked Liberians to imagine the national flag looking back at the country.
He asked whether it would see leaders putting national interest ahead of personal gain, young people receiving meaningful opportunities, political rivals disagreeing without hatred and public resources being transformed into tangible development.
He also asked whether the flag would see integrity growing stronger than corruption and hope becoming stronger than despair.
According to Ngafuan, those questions cannot be answered through ceremonies.
They can only be answered through conduct.
“The flag cannot raise itself,” he said.
“We raise the flag when we raise our standards. We raise the flag when we raise our integrity. We raise the flag when we raise our children with knowledge, discipline and hope. We raise the flag when we raise one another.”
The orator ultimately challenged Liberians to redefine National Flag Day as a call to action rather than simply a celebration of history.
His message was that genuine patriotism requires citizens to serve the country in their respective professions, protect public resources, reject corruption, respect political differences, preserve peace and ensure that national development benefits citizens across Liberia.
“Not merely to wave the flag, but to live the flag,” Ngafuan said. “Not merely to salute Liberia, but to serve Liberia. Not merely to hope for a better Liberia, but to build one.”
