Boakai’s ‘Recovery’ Leaves Majority Behind-Cummings Unveils “People’s Alternative” After Third SONA

MONROVIA – Unlike the sharply partisan exchanges that often follow Liberia’s State of the Nation Address, the Alternative National Congress (ANC) has chosen a different line of attack: grounding its opposition not in legacy defense or political grievance, but in lived experience and policy alternatives. By centering its response on hunger, poverty, and household survival, the ANC is attempting to reposition the post-SONA debate away from macroeconomic claims and toward social outcomes that ordinary Liberians can feel. The intervention also signals a strategic recalibration by the party and its political leader, Alexander B. Cummings, presenting the ANC not merely as a critic of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration, but as a competing governing option offering a structured, people-centered roadmap at a moment when public patience with slogans appears to be thinning. The Analyst reports.

Another opposition political party, the Alternative National Congress (ANC), has strongly criticized President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the ruling Unity Party following the delivery of his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), arguing that the administration’s narrative of recovery and progress fails to reflect the daily realities faced by most Liberians.

In a detailed response titled “The People’s Alternative,” ANC political leader Alexander B. Cummings questioned President Boakai’s assertion that Liberia is in a better state than it was a year ago, asking instead, “Recovery for whom? Progress for who? Results where?”

Cummings said while he respects President Boakai and acknowledges his commitment to Liberia, the experience of ordinary citizens tells a different story.

“Macroeconomic stability is not the same as microeconomic survival,” he said, pointing to the Global Hunger Index, which ranks Liberia 112th out of 123 countries. According to the ANC, the ranking reflects a reality in which nearly two out of every five Liberians do not eat sufficiently.

“As people say in the streets, ‘Da roads we will eat?’ You cannot cook coal tar,” Cummings said, arguing that national progress must be measured by food security, job dignity, and community safety rather than infrastructure plans and economic blueprints.

Budget Priorities Under Fire

The ANC also took aim at the government’s US$1.2 billion national budget — the largest in Liberia’s history — questioning whether it reflects people-centered priorities or elite consumption.

“A budget is a moral document,” Cummings said, adding that despite record spending, Liberia remains among the poorest nations globally, with more than 2.5 million people unable to meet basic needs and rural poverty estimated at 80 percent.

He criticized increases in allocations to the Legislature and the National Security Agency while public hospitals reportedly lack basic supplies and schools remain under-resourced. The ANC further questioned how anticipated windfalls, including the ArcelorMittal signature bonus, are being absorbed into what it described as a bloated government structure.

As alternatives, the ANC proposed capping spending by the Executive and Legislature, redirecting resources to frontline services such as health and education, and instituting county-level budget transparency that citizens can easily understand.

Agriculture, Jobs, and Women’s Empowerment

On agriculture, the ANC rejected claims that the sector is the centerpiece of the ARREST Agenda, noting that funding has declined rather than increased. Cummings called for allocating at least 10 percent of the national budget to agriculture, investing in processing facilities, and prioritizing feeder roads to prevent post-harvest losses.

The party also emphasized women’s economic empowerment, noting that women own more than half of Liberia’s small businesses yet face limited access to credit and protection. The ANC proposed a national micro-loan scheme for market women and small businesses, alongside stronger judicial action against sexual and gender-based violence.

“A nation that cannot protect its daughters cannot claim to be recovering,” Cummings said.

Youth, Decentralization, and Energy

Addressing youth unemployment, the ANC argued that temporary jobs do not constitute a future and called for a national youth service program to engage graduates as assistant teachers, health workers, and community professionals. It also urged expanded technical and vocational training across all counties.

On decentralization, Cummings said legislative reforms must be matched with predictable financing and empowered county institutions, allowing local governments to plan and deliver services without reliance on Monrovia.

Energy and infrastructure also featured prominently in the ANC’s critique, with the party advocating for immediate deployment of solar mini-grids and off-grid solutions for rural clinics, schools, and agro-processing facilities.

“A nation cannot develop in darkness,” Cummings said.

Corruption and Accountability

While acknowledging indictments announced by the Boakai administration, the ANC said convictions remain too few to inspire confidence. The party proposed specialized anti-corruption courts, aggressive asset recovery, and full autonomy for integrity institutions to ensure that no one is shielded by political affiliation.

“Corruption is the reason there is no medicine in clinics and no supplies in schools,” Cummings said.

A Call for Action

In concluding his response, Cummings said leadership must be judged by delivery, not declarations.

“If the economy is growing, the people should feel it. If the government is working, hunger should be falling,” he said, adding that Liberia’s challenge is not a lack of resources, but the absence of disciplined, people-centered governance.

“The People’s Alternative is not just a critique,” he said. “It is a promise of integrity, competence, and a government that loves its people more than it loves itself.”