Konneh Prays For Liberia -Thanksgiving message hails Diaspora, Senate

MONROVIA – Thanksgiving messages are usually polite rituals. Senator Amara M. Konneh’s message carries an economic argument inside its prayers. He thanks God for 23 years of peace since the civil war. Then he puts a number on the Diaspora’s role. Liberians abroad sent home US$946 million in formal transfers in 2024, he says, citing the Central Bank. That is nearly a quarter of national output. The figure shows how many households survive on money earned elsewhere. His prayer for relief from food prices points the same way. Read beside his recent critique of the economy, the message is gentle in tone and pointed in substance. It asks who really feeds Liberia. THE ANALYST reports.

Gbarpolu County Senator Amara M. Konneh has used his Thanksgiving Day message to thank God for 23 years of peace, praise Liberians in the Diaspora for sending home nearly US$1 billion (L$170.39 billion) a year in remittances, and pray for relief from the high food prices weighing on many families.

“On this Thanksgiving Day, I pause with a grateful and humbled heart,” Konneh stated in the message addressed to his fellow Liberians.

He first thanked God Almighty, who, he said, has carried Liberia through so much, noting that the country has now enjoyed 23 years of peace after a brutal civil war.

 “We know peace is never something to take for granted. It is a blessing, a mercy, and a reason to keep praying and caring for one another,” the senator declared.

Senate Colleagues, Staff Commended

Konneh extended thanks to his colleagues in the Liberian Senate and their families. “We may disagree on policy and debate passionately on the floor, but we are united in our calling to serve this nation,” he stated, praying that God fills their homes with love, good health and rest, and that their families know how deeply their sacrifices for Liberia are valued.

He also thanked the Senate Secretariat, the entire Senate staff and his own dedicated staff. “The Senate depends on far more than speeches. Your hard work, late nights, patience, and loyalty sustain it. You are the steady, often unseen hands that keep this institution standing,” Konneh noted, praying that God blesses them and their families abundantly.

Gbarpolu, Diaspora Earn Praise

To the people of Gbarpolu, whom he called “my people,” Konneh expressed thanks for sending him to the Capitol and for trusting “a son of the soil” to carry their voice. “I have not forgotten that trust, and I carry you with me in every debate, oversight hearing, and vote,” he affirmed, asking God to bless the county, its farms, its markets and its children.

The senator thanked Liberians in the Diaspora for continuing to give back to their people living in Liberia.

Every month, from America, Europe, Australia, Ghana, Nigeria and all over the world, he noted, they send home nearly US$1 billion a year in remittances.

Citing the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), Konneh stated that formal transfers alone amounted to US$946 million (L$161.19 billion) in 2024, nearly 25 percent of the country’s entire gross domestic product, and even more when what comes through informal channels is counted.

Prayer for Relief, Lasting Peace

Konneh also thanked the Liberian people, whose interests he represents, acknowledging that hardship weighs heavily on many families.

“Even with high prices and difficult times, you continue to show resilience, faith, and love. Your strength inspires me, and you are the reason I serve,” he stated.

Describing his prayer for all Liberians as simple, Konneh asked God to heal the land and grant lasting peace.

“May He ease the burden of high food prices so every mother can feed her children. May He protect our youth from drugs and open paths to jobs and hope,” he prayed.

He further prayed that God gives the nation’s leaders wisdom and brings tranquility to the nation, “from Cape Mount to Maryland, from Gbarpolu to Grand Gedeh.”

Konneh urged Liberians to share a meal, extend forgiveness and hold close the memory of those who are no longer with them.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Liberia. May God bless you, and may God bless our Republic,” the senator concluded.