-Rallies Liberians to embrace development
By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
President Joseph Nyumah Boakai reiterated his dedication to Liberia’s progress by urging Liberians to shift their focus towards infrastructure and human capital development rather than solely seeking government appointments. During the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Betesta Christian Mission in upper Margibi County on Saturday, June 15, 2024, President Boakai emphasized the importance of investing in people and leaving a lasting impact on future generations.
The upcoming Betesta Christian Mission spread across 70 acres of land, will feature a modern school, administrative complex, guest house, sports facilities, and other amenities. President Boakai emphasized that investing in people is a crucial first step towards sustainable development. He highlighted the significance of nurturing human potential and continuously supporting individuals, as these investments have enduring impacts that transcend titles and positions.
Addressing the audience, President Boakai stressed the necessity for human capital investment. “It should be the beginning to invest in people. Sometimes when you invest in people and you don’t get the results you expect out of them, never get tired of investing in people because God gets a way of paying you back. We can hold all the titles, they are not the ones the people are going to live on. They are going to live on what you did for them,” he said.
Boakai: “Yes, indeed we don’t have a very huge number of senators, Ministers, and Superintendent as other countries, but I want us to think about developments. In a few days’ time our country will be turning 177, there are farms and good roads that could have benefited people that are not here and I can tell you, we all will leave this world but it is what you leave behind that matters.”
The Liberian Leader further called on Liberians to begin a more human capital investment, rather than fighting to become high-profile government officials. He added that if everyone were to become an official in government, there might be no development, asserting that there would be no money to pay officials.
President Boakai disclosed that his government plans to bring in investment to open up the country for citizens to begin to invest in development. “If everyone will be official in government, who is going to pay them, where would the money come from?
What we intend to do is to bring in investment and open up our country. You may not be superintendent but you can have your farm and run it so that we will have food.
It is not the title of a man that impacts his people, but it is his investment in human capital investment that the generation to come will continue to live on.”
The President continued by noting that as part of his government’s ARREST agenda, his administration is going to transform the Brooker Washington and have it elevated to a technical college. He believes there is a need for the advancement of education at all levels to directly impact the country and its people.
At the same time, President Boakai intimated that the construction of the new Betesta Christian Mission founded by the late mother Vere Stephen is all about gratitude.
Stating that if one is given a small thing, collaborative efforts should be used to make it a better one that others will benefit.
The Liberian Leader added that Mother Vera Stephen did not come to Liberia to open the mission. According to him, she came for children’s evangelism but her love for children caused her to open a mission to directly impact their lives and generations to come.
He lauded those who kept her dream of catering to children alive for their efforts and admonished them to continue, as the best gift ever is human capital investment.
