-Clarence Moniba Criticizes Gov’t’s Overdue Overpass Bridge Ground Breaking
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia — Former presidential candidate Dr. Clarence K. Moniba has sharply criticized Liberia’s persistent delays in completing major infrastructure projects, describing the trend as a symptom of “mediocrity” that continues to hold the nation back.
Dr. Moniba issued the statement on his official Facebook page on Tuesday, the same day President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., led the groundbreaking ceremony for the long-awaited overpass bridge in Monrovia.
The former standard-bearer of the Liberia National Union (LINU) recalled that the bridge project was first committed to in 2015/2016 during discussions surrounding the construction of the Ministerial Complex. At the time, Moniba said he was part of the negotiations with then-Minister of Public Works Gyude Moore and Deputy Minister Giddings.
While the Ministerial Complex was eventually completed, he lamented that successive administrations failed to deliver on the bridge project from 2017 to 2024.
“Now, nearly 10 years later, we celebrate a groundbreaking for the very same bridge that should have been completed long ago,” Dr. Moniba wrote. “This is not progress, it is delay, it is mediocrity, and it is a painful reminder of how slowly we are moving while other countries, that were once behind us, are racing forward.”
Lofa Road Example
Dr. Moniba also pointed to the Lofa Road project as another case study in Liberia’s stalled development agenda. He said the first phase of the road should have been completed in 2020 or 2021 at the latest, but remains unfinished.
The former presidential hopeful urged Liberians to stop celebrating mere promises and ceremonial groundbreakings without real results. He emphasized that true development requires accountability, transparency, and the delivery of completed projects that improve citizens’ lives.
“Real development comes from holding our leaders accountable and demanding results — not slogans, not endless ceremonies, but completed projects that improve lives,” he said. “Liberia deserves better. Our people deserve better. And together, we must insist on better.”
President Boakai’s groundbreaking ceremony for the overpass bridge was framed by the administration as a step toward easing traffic congestion and improving urban mobility in Monrovia.
