Former President weighs Boakai’s Third SONA -Says Land Reform Needs Bold Choices

MONROVIA – Land governance has once again taken center stage in Liberia’s national debate, intersecting questions of urban renewal, property rights, and state authority. Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has added her influential voice to the discussion, calling for “disruptive policies” to confront entrenched land challenges while offering a measured assessment of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s Third State of the Nation Address. Her remarks, delivered amid public controversy over demolition exercises, reflect both continuity and caution—endorsing firm action on public lands while warning that enforcement without institutional strength and social sensitivity risks undermining public trust. The Analyst reports.

Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has called for “disruptive policies” to address Liberia’s longstanding land challenges, while offering a measured assessment of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s Third State of the Nation Address (SONA) and the government’s ongoing demolition exercises.

Appearing twice on the Liberia Broadcasting System (ELBS) in recent days, Africa’s first elected female head of state and Nobel Peace Laureate reaffirmed her active interest in national affairs, blending praise for elements of the current administration’s agenda with pointed cautions about implementation, governance, and social impact.

As The Analyst reports, her remarks have since stirred debate across political and civic spaces, underscoring her enduring influence in Liberia’s national discourse nearly eight years after leaving office.

Endorsement of Moratorium on Public Lands

During her first appearance, Sirleaf addressed key components of President Boakai’s Third SONA, delivered on January 26, 2026, in which the President outlined progress in health, education, women’s empowerment, and institutional reform under the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.

Sirleaf expressed strong support for the President’s proposal to place a moratorium on public lands, describing it as both timely and necessary.

“The president talked about putting a moratorium on public land. The moratorium on public land, in my opinion, is very valid. It needs to be done because people go around where they see unoccupied land, they go and take it and they start to build on it,” she said.

Drawing from personal experience, Sirleaf added that she has faced similar challenges involving property once owned by her mother.

“I had to go through a long, legal issue which is not very effective, not timely. It’s kind of frustrating. I don’t know how they are going to operationalize the statement about the moratorium,” she noted.

Call for Urban Renewal and Accountability

Going further, Sirleaf urged the government to confront the issue of abandoned and underdeveloped properties in key urban areas, particularly Monrovia’s Broad Street corridor.

“I wish the government would now say to all of those holding valuable properties in critical places in the country, like Broad Street… If those houses that used to be operational in the past but are now sore eye in the city, I don’t know what the government can do,” she stated.

She observed that many of the affected properties are owned by Liberians living abroad, raising broader concerns about absentee ownership and urban decay.

“What do we do about those properties? We have to ask them to do something. Either they develop the property, sell the property, so that government does not have to expropriate those properties. But at some point, we have to develop the city.”

In one of the most striking moments of her appearance, Sirleaf declared:

“There are times that disruptive policies are necessary, and some disruptive policies are necessary on land issues.”

She framed the matter as one of national pride and competitiveness, drawing comparisons to regional capitals.

“It’s like seeing people that go to Accra and come back home and they say how they love Accra. If you want your city to look like Accra, you have to work on it. If you love this country, you have to do something. We want a city that we can be proud of.”

Opposition to Special Property Court Proposal

While endorsing the land moratorium, Sirleaf disagreed with President Boakai’s proposal to establish a special court to address the backlog of property disputes.

Instead, she argued for strengthening existing judicial institutions, rather than creating parallel structures.

Observers say the position reflects her long-held emphasis on institutional reform and sustainability over ad hoc solutions.

Demolition Exercises: Support with Caution

In her second ELBS appearance, Sirleaf addressed the controversial demolition exercises currently underway in several communities, including Daykwonkon and Saye Town. The operations, aimed at enforcing public land regulations, have triggered protests and concerns over forced evictions and due process.

Sirleaf again endorsed the principle behind the government’s actions.

“I think the moratorium is a good idea. It sends a clear signal that government is serious about protecting public lands,” she said.

However, she stressed that enforcement must be accompanied by fairness and transparency.

“The moratorium must be accompanied by deliberate efforts to secure and protect vulnerable public lands — not just paused, but safeguarded.”

Her remarks struck a careful balance between upholding the rule of law and recognizing the human impact of demolitions, particularly on low-income families lacking formal land titles.

Critics of the demolition exercise argue that heavy-handed implementation without relocation plans or meaningful engagement risks deepening public dissatisfaction and eroding trust in state institutions. While Sirleaf did not directly condemn the demolitions, she emphasized the need to protect vulnerable citizens as policies are enforced.

Institutional Memory and Political Implications

Sirleaf’s interventions come amid heightened public expectations for the Boakai administration. Some analysts believe her endorsement of key elements of the SONA may increase pressure on the government to deliver swift and visible results, despite Liberia’s structural and fiscal constraints.

At the same time, her measured critiques — particularly her rejection of a special property court — suggest an effort to influence policy direction without overt confrontation.

Throughout her remarks, Sirleaf indicated that she remains in communication with President Boakai, signaling continuity in national governance efforts.

Her voice, shaped by years of post-conflict reconstruction and institutional reform, continues to resonate in public debate. Supporters view her comments as constructive and statesmanlike, while critics caution that her interventions may be interpreted politically in an already polarized environment.

What remains clear is that land — ownership, management, and enforcement — has reemerged as one of Liberia’s most urgent governance challenges. And as the debate intensifies, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has made it known that resolving it may require bold — even disruptive — action.