Recent comments by former Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on a local radio station have not gone down well with several Liberians including members of the religious community who have voiced their opposition to the barrage of criticism against President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
Madam Sirleaf appearing on a local radio station recently, described Monrovia as “Filthy” Monrovia. Speaking on Truth FM on April 30, 2026, Sirleaf expressed shame at the state of the capital, stating, “This city is filthy… I drive through it from time to time and I’m ashamed.” Speaking of governance failures, the former president warned that the city’s condition reflects deeper issues within the Boakai administration, specifically blaming failures in coordination, public management, and national priorities.
Speaking further, Sirleaf expressed shame at the state of the capital, stating, “This city is filthy… I drive through it from time to time and I’m ashamed.” Sirleaf noted that the state of the city harms Liberia’s reputation, stating that foreign visitors “leave from here and say so much terrible things about the country.
She emphasized that sanitation challenges go beyond cleaning and are a reflection of “systemic issues” and a lack of accountability. In the same period, she described her relationship with President Boakai as “cordial but infrequent” or “good friends, although we don’t talk often,” separating her personal relations from her criticism of his administration’s performance.”
But as our staff writer Joseph Sirleaf reports, the former president’s comments have generated anger amongst many Liberians including some members of the Clergy who have criticized the former president publicly.
One of such persons is a Liberian Clergyman who has warned former President Sirleaf to stop interfering with the Joseph Nyuma Boakai administration with unfounded statements that have the propensity to undermine the current progress.
Bishop Dr. Pah K. Suku-Founder of Freedom Christian Fellowship said the current administration of President Boakai is putting the country on track with its developmental agenda despite mounting challenges facing the country.
Speaking to reporters in Monrovia over the weekend, Bishop Suke praised the Boakai administration’s performance rating its achievements at 125%. The Clergyman pointed to what he calls the difficulties of leading a country with widespread inefficiencies.
He described the challenges facing the administration as a house with multiple leaks unknown to the new occupant until the rain comes. He highlighted the enormity of the task facing the current government. Bishop Suku noted, “The system is spoiled, and people are impatient. You have 4,000 or 4 million rooms, and all the rooms are leaking, underneath the house is also leaking. Everywhere is leaking and they give it to you.”
He commended President Boakai for tackling unfinished projects including roads left incomplete for over 130 years since President J.J. Roberts’ era. He urged Liberians to acknowledge the truth about their country’s state and support Boakai’s initiatives in spite of the former presidents’ interferences in current governance.
“President Boakai is pushing to complete the roads, and we must commend him,” Bishop Suku said adding, “We must not be blind to the truth.”
The cleric’s comments come amid growing calls for former Liberian Presidents to respect the current administration’s leadership and refrain from interfering in governance. Bishop Suku’s endorsement of Boakai’s leadership is seen as a significant boost to the president’s efforts to address Liberia’s challenges.
The Bishop who holds multiple academic qualifications including a Doctorate in Theology from the United States also has extensive experience in public service, having served as Deputy Managing Director of the National Port Authority (NPA), Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, and Managing Director of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC). Concluding, Bishop Suku called on well-meaning Liberians to support the Boakai administration to enable the government do more for its citizens.
