The Liberian government has formally acknowledged that incorrect road statistics were cited in President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), attributing the error to a misquotation of data submitted by the Ministry of Public Works.
During the address delivered to the Legislature on Monday, President Boakai stated that his administration had increased Liberia’s paved road network from under 12 percent to at least 20 percent and maintained more than 780 kilometers of roads nationwide. However, the Information Ministry later clarified that the figures, as presented in the speech, did not accurately reflect the original submission from the Ministry of Public Works.
Speaking to reporters, Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah said the statement resulted from an error during the preparation of the address and confirmed that the government has taken responsibility for the mistake.
“As a responsible government, we are making this correction. The statement read during the address was a misquotation of what was submitted by the Ministry of Public Works,” Piah said.
He stressed that accountability lies with those involved in drafting and finalizing the President’s speech, noting that errors, when identified, must be acknowledged and corrected without hesitation.
“The portion of the address read on Monday was in honest contradiction to the submission of the Ministry of Public Works,” Piah added, emphasizing that transparency remains a core principle of the administration.
According to the Information Minister, the corrected version of the address has already been updated on the Executive Mansion’s official platforms to reflect the accurate data. He then read the revised passage, which clarifies the administration’s position on road development and maintenance.
The corrected statement notes that the Boakai administration has taken “bold steps to reduce Liberia’s paved road deficit from less than 12 percent to at least 20 percent,” while prioritizing the maintenance of major road corridors to ensure year-round connectivity. It further states that approximately 783 kilometers of roads have been successfully maintained nationwide during the period under review.
The government said the clarification underscores its commitment to accuracy, accountability, and honest public reporting, particularly on matters of national development discussed in high-level state addresses.
