Afrobarometer Result Sparks Controversies -Taa Wongbe says report ‘data-driven’; Amid Divided Views

MONROVIA – Just as the May 30, 2025 Afrobarometer Survey result showed how Liberians are equally divided in their assessment of the country’s direction and the economy, so too are they equally divided in their reception of the Afrobarometer report.  As supporters of the ruling Unity Party continue to hail the report’s finding as indicative of the marked improvements in the country’s governance and economic outlooks under the Boakai-led administration, others from the opposite political aisle are viewing the findings with jaundiced eyes, terming the report as skewed to favor the Unity Party. Amid the controversies, NImba County Representative  and founder of the Khana Group, Taa Wongbe, is calling on Liberians to view the Afroborameter  Survey Report from a non-political lens because its methodology is rigorous, objective, and data-driven; and the findings, irrespective of political context, offer invaluable insights for improving governance and performance. The Analyst reports.

Before entering into the political area and aligning himself with the opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC), Taa Wongbe gained national recognition for his work in the data mining field, through his Khana Group which he founded in 2018. Due to their exception performance not only in Liberia but on the West Coast of Africa and globe, the Khana Group was selected  by Afrobarometer as the National Partner to conduct the Round 7 survey in Liberia.

“This recognition was a testament to our firm’s solid track record and expertise in conducting high-quality, independent research, like we had done for USAID, Gallup, the World Bank, and other 100 other clients and partners globally.

“Our team completed the survey with the utmost professionalism and integrity, and the resulting data was widely appreciated by key partners including the World Bank, USAID, the UN, and the Government of Liberia.

“However, during this period, Eugene Fahngon, who was serving in the CDC administration as Deputy Information Minister, turned the report political, and raised concerns about my potential for impartiality due being an opposition and my role as Senior Political Advisor to Mr. Alexander B. Cummings. He communicated these concerns directly to the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), which manages the Afrobarometer study. Subsequently, CDD-Ghana, with regret, decided to terminate our contract prematurely, though it was intended to be an annual engagement.

“I can state unequivocally that Afrobarometer’s methodology is rigorous, objective, and data-driven. Its findings, irrespective of political context, offer invaluable insights for improving governance and performance. It is unfortunate that, at times, politics can overshadow the critical role of data in informing policy and progress.

“I hope we can approach the data without the lens of politics, allowing it to serve as a tool for honest reflection and as a pathway to move our country forward,” Mr. Wongbe passionately said.

UPists Cautiously Optimistic

While he remains a diehard defender of the Rescue Mission, acclaimed public policy wonk Ambulah Mamey is among those objective followers of the Unity Party who remain cautiously optimistic about the latest Afrobarometer Survey report, noting that, in as much as the Rescue Mission is succeeding in impacting the lives of Liberia, the Boakai-led administration needs to step up its national recovery gamesmanship.

According to Mamey, the Afro Barometer data shows that the Rescue Mission was successful, however, the recovery efforts are struggling, even though more people are still hopeful things will get better.

“In 2018, 30% of Liberians said Liberia was going in the right direction. In 2022, the percentage dropped to 25%. Today, 50% of Liberians believe Liberia is heading in the right direction. This means more people believe Liberia was RESCUED and being placed in the right direction. RESCUE Mission Successful!!!

“But rescuing people – while is the first important effort – it is not sufficient when they are still painfully struggling for recovery. The data also shows 50% of Liberians are not happy about JNB-JKK recovery efforts. No jobs!

“The good news however is that over 60% of Liberians (including those complaining about the struggling recovery process) believe things will get better.

“JNB-JKK won in 2023 with 50.6% so this 60% who believe things will get better means over 9% of Liberians who did not believe in 2023 that JNB-JKK couldn’t do better, now believe that JNB-JKK would do better.

“Every administration prays to have more people believing in them and giving them a chance to deliver even if things are difficult. That is exactly what the data shows JNB-JKK have currently. They can look at the 60% and decide to relax or they can look at the fact that 50% of the people, eventhough hopeful, are not happy.

“For us, we are very pleased that more Liberians believe today that their country was RESCUED from the wrong direction. We will now push JNB-JKK to deliver the recovery promises, or we replace them with a better recovery team that can take our country forward, not backward.,” Mr. Mamey said in a social media post in a reaction to the Afrobarometer Survey report.

CDCians fuming over Report

The Afrobarometer survey finding is causing a stir within the opposition camp, with many staunch supporters of the ousted CDC calling it’s a propagandistic piece of work sponsored by the ruling Unity Party,

According to CDC stalwart Mohammed K. Jalloh, the head of the Center for Democratic Governance (CDG), Attorney Oscar Bloh is a Unity Party sympathizer working in the interest of the Boakai administration, therefore he skewed the Afrobarometer data in favor of the government.

“The Unity Party representative in Oscar Bloh conducted what can only be described as one of the most biased surveys in Liberia’s history. Despite the significant economic hardships faced by both Liberians and foreign residents, this individual falsely claims that 50% of Liberians believe that Boakai’s ineffective government is heading in the right direction. He was seen in the Unity Party’s election war room alongside Amara Konneh, managing the UP election data.

“It should be noted that this so-called report lacks independence and credibility. Unity Party, you are fooling yourselves, not the masses of our people. Our citizens deserve better than this baseless survey,” Mr. Jalloh vented.

As for Blama Kiawu, the Afrobarometer is a complete mess. “I think they should find place to hide themselves with their fake reports on the living conditions of the Liberian people,” he said.