In a scathing rebuke of Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan’s recent claim that pipe-borne water is widely available in Monrovia, several ‘push-push’ water vendors in the city have come forward to debunk the assertion. Push-push is a locally made wheelbarrow built like a pickup carrier that can accommodate several gallons of water.
The vendors, who rely on selling water to make a living, argued that despite the Minister’s statement, many residents and businesses in Monrovia still depend on them for their daily water supply. Melvin Doe, a water vendor operating on Front Street, expressed his frustration with the Minister’s claim, saying, “The statement by the Minister is not true. We still struggle to get water from the well and distribute it to homes across the city through our push-push.”
Doe highlighted the importance of the government’s intervention in addressing the challenges faced by water vendors, citing the physical demands of transporting heavy water containers up hills. Another vendor, Morris Jallah, echoed Doe’s sentiments, emphasizing the need for the government to fix the economy and provide support to water vendors.
For Mr. Oscar, he is “unsure if the Minister is telling the truth or lying, but as a water seller in Monrovia, I can attest that we are still supplying people with water. Many rely on me for their daily water needs.” The vendors emphasized the challenges they face daily, including the physical demands of pushing heavy water containers through the streets. They appealed to the government to create job opportunities and address the underlying infrastructure issues.
”If the government wants to help us, they should create jobs. We are only doing this because there are no other opportunities available. The Minister should come out and see the challenges we face every day, rather than making statements from his office,” Oscar told our reporter in an interview on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
Finance and Development Planning Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan’s recent statement on the Super Morning Show had sparked controversy among Monrovia’s water vendors. The Minister claimed that it had been a long time since he noticed push-push water vendors in central Monrovia, attributing this to the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) successfully restoring water supply to homes.
By Joseph Sirleaf, Contributing Writer
