BEYOND PRAYERS -Gongloe Says Liberia’s Quagmire Requires Political Will, Not Just Prayer

MONROVIA – It seems the Finance Minister of Liberia, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, who suggested some time ago that Liberians needed prayers as a part of solution to the country’s socioeconomic woes, has got the backing of his boss, President Joseph Nyuma. As part of activities celebrating the 178^th National Day of Liberia, the Liberian leader didn’t only do the traditional thing of visiting a Mosque or a Church but also passed an order for a whole day of national prayer, according to him, as a way of finding panaceas to the country intractable malaise. Critics have been casting an Eagle’s eye at this evolving embrace and espousal of providentialism rather than scientism being pursued by the Unity Party government. Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe is one of many Liberians in disagreement with the regime’s new policy of preaching divine intervention; he thinks exercise of strong political will also is the way forward. The Analyst reports.   

Former Liberia National Bar Association president Cllr. Tiawon Saye Gongle says to pull out Liberia from the abyss of squalor in which the country lies to a fast-developing nation does not just require prayers and fasting, but also strong political will towards transformation.

Cllr Gongloe said what Liberia needs is a government that will lead the nation in shifting from prayer to planning, from fasting to factories, and from sermons to strategy.

“We need a government that acts, not just kneels; a government that builds, transforms, and empowers, not just fasts,” he wrote in a commentary.

The Liberian jurist’s comments have come amid what seem to be a drift from campaign promises made by the Unity Party government to trust in divine plan—in political governance propelled by miracles, or manna from heaven.

The former presidential candidate in the 2023 elections said the country needs a government that works and does more for its people than one that only prays.

“We want our government to lead us to transformative actions, not just to the churches and mosques, because heaven helps those who help themselves! The time for action is now,” he noted.

Taking a cursory look at the country’s history, Gongloe recalled that from 1847 to 2025, Liberia has remained heavily dependent on the export of raw materials — wood, rubber, iron ore, gold, and diamonds, and that after 178 years of independence, the pattern has not changed, despite being blessed with those rich natural resources, and still the country one of the poorest countries in the world.

“We have been a praying and fasting nation, even before our independence in 1847,” he continued. “Churches and mosques can be found in nearly every town and village across Liberia. And while prayer and fasting are good, they alone are not enough.”

The longtime Liberian human right advocates said what Liberia urgently needs is political will and transformative action-oriented leadership, adding, “It is often said ‘heaven helps those who help themselves”’.

He further contends that Liberia is not poor by nature but it is poorly managed.

“This country is richly endowed with the following: fertile soil for agriculture, over 40% of the rainforest of the Gulf of Guinea, vast deposits of gold, iron ore, and other minerals, freshwater sources capable of supporting bottled water exports; pristine beaches from Cape Mount to Cape Palmas, mangrove swamps for marine life and fish reproduction and mountains for hiking, climbing, and eco-tourism.

With these natural blessings, Gongle maintains, “Liberia can become a hub for eco-marine tourism, climate finance through carbon credits, and value-added exports like furniture, plywood, bottled water, steel, polished diamonds, refined gold, other processed minerals and agro-products.

He added: “Yet we remain stuck in poverty because we keep exporting raw materials and importing finished goods. This cycle keeps us poor and dependent,” he emphasized. “Meanwhile, other African countries are showing the way: Botswana, Mauritius, Cape Verde, and Seychelles are among Africa’s least corrupt nations; Rwanda and Burkina Faso are investing in local processing, tourism, and public service accountability; Ghana and Morocco are adding value to cocoa, cashews, phosphates, and textiles, while building industrial parks and reducing unemployment.”

According to him, most of these countries are creating jobs, reducing poverty, adding value to their resources, and respecting the rule of law and human rights, and they prove that strong leadership, good governance, and national vision can transform even small or landlocked countries.

The legal luminary also indicated that true development also requires upholding human rights, strengthening institutions, ensuring equal protection under the law, and adopting effective anti-corruption strategies — not just praying and fasting. Corruption must be fought with transparency, enforcement, and zero tolerance at every level.