“We Fought a Good Fight in 5 Years,” President Weah Tells Liberians, Delivering 6th State of Nation Address (SONA)

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The President of the Republic, H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah said he has faithfully, diligently, and compassionately executed the mandate of the Liberian people since his election in 2018.

Delivering his Annual Message, the last of his first term, to the National Legislature on Monday, January 30, 2023, President Weah announced how, in spite of the negative forecast that greeted his ascendency to mantle of leadership  in 2018, he has  accomplished quite a lot, against all the odds.

“The naysayers and the prophets of doom are perplexed by the progress that we have made,” the President said, adding: “Those who have eyes to see will bear witness to how hard we have toiled in fulfillment of the constitutional mandate that was given to us by an overwhelming majority of the Liberian people.”

“Together over the past five years, we have fought a good fight,” the Chief Executive continued.  “Collectively, we have undeniably managed to preserve the peace of the nation, which has become the ultimate goal of all of our national undertakings. And for this, the government alone can not take the credit.”

The President acknowledged that every Liberian played a pivotal role in the government's success story, in various ways, no matter how large or small.

He said in spite of the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the downturn in the world's economy, Liberia continues to make giant strides in the attainment of our major development objectives

“We have endeavored to mitigate the exogenous shocks that have come our way, and in doing so, we have remained resilient as a United People,” Dr. Weah said.

President Weah once more assured Liberians that because they have shown him unprecedented love, he would in return not fail them, stressing, "This standard of care and carefulness will continue under my watch.”

He promised to always work diligently, assiduously, and passionately, to justify the confidence that has been imposed in him by the people.

He said that though the deadly COVID 19 pandemic may have delayed, it certainly did not derail the government's development agenda.

According to him, the government will, during the next few months leading up to October of this year, continue to accelerate, continue to build on the momentum, and continue to deliver.

Based on these milestone achievements, President Weah informed Liberians that he will be going to them shortly to ask them to renew, for a second time, the mandate they gave him six years ago.

He described it a mandate to "continue the good work we have delivered; a mandate for continuity and stability; a mandate for transformation; a mandate for development and growth; a mandate to consolidate and secure the peace, a peace that we - with your help - have perfectly preserved."

“This second mandate will enable us to consolidate the gains we have made in these last few years and ramp up the trajectory of growth, development, and prosperity for Liberia,” he opined

The President urged all Liberians, regardless of political affiliations, religious beliefs, or ethnic origins, to join him, to together wrestle back the years lost to civil conflict and war, and restore Liberia to its rightful place in the comity of nations, to a higher place of peace and prosperity.

He wooed Liberians, stating empathically: “We can do this, and we must all do it together. We will be coming to meet you in your towns, in your villages, in your districts, in your clans, and in your cities, so that together, we can build a strong partnership for Liberia’s progress.”

President Weah noted that from all indications, his government has done its part in delivering on most of the promises made while similarly preserving the nation's peace and nurturing its democratic values.

The President indicated that the country is on an irreversible trajectory of sustainable growth that will necessarily and inevitably lead it to progress as a nation and prosperity as a people.

“When we came before you to ask you for our first mandate, we promised to bring you Change for Hope.  Now, after going with you on the journey thus far, you have seen the Change,” he recounted.

“We now want to assure you that this is the change that you can count on. The challenge and legacy that I would like to leave for the younger generation is that you should not just FEEL leadership, but that you should also claim it.”

The Chief Executive encouraged all Liberians to seize the day, the moment, and the opportunity because that this is their time.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of Liberia: Executive Mansion.