Finance Minister Ngafuan urges Liberians to put country before party and tribe
Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan used Liberia’s 179th Flag Day address to urge citizens to place national unity and development above political and tribal affiliations, highlighting upcoming infrastructure projects and a projected $1 billion national budget.
MONROVIA, Liberia — Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan on Monday called on Liberians to place national interest above political and tribal affiliations, arguing that development is the foundation of a united country.
Ngafuan delivered the keynote address at Liberia’s 179th National Flag Day celebration, held under the theme “From Heritage to Hope: The Flag That Unites Us.” He reflected on the country’s history, the meaning of the Lone Star, civic duty, tolerance, and the government’s development agenda.
He described Liberia as a “national enterprise” in which every citizen holds a share. “Public office does not increase your ownership of this country. It increases your responsibility,” he said.
The minister praised a growing sense of patriotism among Liberians at home and in the diaspora, especially around Independence Day. He cautioned, however, that true patriotism is not limited to wearing national colors or singing the anthem.
“Patriotism is what we do for Liberia,” Ngafuan said. He cited the teacher who prepares students, the nurse who cares for patients, the officer who rejects bribes, the business owner who pays taxes, the journalist who reports truthfully, and the citizen who rejects corruption.
He said the flag is not merely a symbol of the past, but a marker of shared identity and a beacon of hope for future generations.
“For 179 years, the Lone Star has witnessed our proudest moments and our darkest days — political transitions, civil war, Ebola, COVID-19, economic hardship, and our slow journey toward recovery,” he said.
Ngafuan recalled marching in a Flag Day parade in 1978 as a first-grader at Bolahun Public School in Lofa County. Nearly 50 years later, he said, that memory remains vivid and underscores a duty to give every Liberian child equal opportunity.
“Every child should look at the Lone Star and say: My country sees me. Where I was born does not limit where I can go. My dreams matter. That is the Liberia we must build,” he said.
Repeating a position he first stated in 2010, he said county loyalty should never outrank national loyalty. “Today I say this again — our party loyalty must never come before our loyalty to country.”
He urged Liberians not to judge people by party, tribe, county, or religion. “Judge people by their character, their actions, and their service to Liberia,” he said.
Ngafuan told public officials that the flag in government offices is not decoration. “It represents millions of Liberians. Government is not for personal gain. It is for service.”
He broadened the idea of leadership to include pastors, teachers, journalists, bloggers, and community and business leaders.
To move “from heritage to hope,” he said, Liberia must invest. He pointed to the government’s ARREST Agenda as the framework for turning policies into projects and projects into better living standards.
“Development unites us,” he said. “A road doesn’t ask your party. Electricity doesn’t ask your tribe. A school doesn’t ask who your parents voted for.”
The minister announced plans to rehabilitate or construct more than 100 foundational schools and said Liberia’s national budget is projected to reach US$1 billion by September 2026, which he called a historic milestone.
He stressed that the real test will be results: more roads, electricity, schools, healthcare, jobs, and stronger institutions.
He also outlined major infrastructure works, including roads connecting Monrovia to Harper, and Gbarnga through Zorzor, Voinjama, Kolahun, and Foya to the Sierra Leone border — links he said past generations only dreamed of.
Ngafuan proposed a “Patriotic Covenant” built on putting Liberia first, peaceful politics, using public resources for the people, zero tolerance for corruption, truth, the rule of law, and leaving the country better for the next generation.
“Let us move from waving the flag to living the flag. From saluting Liberia to serving Liberia. From hoping for a better Liberia to building one. Peace must never be taken for granted,” he said.
He urged leaders, journalists, and social media users to use their platforms to unite, not divide.
He closed by reversing the usual Flag Day question: not what Liberians see in the flag, but whether the flag sees in them integrity, opportunity, unity, and service.
