PARIS, France — President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. told Liberians in France his administration will build 100 elementary schools equipped with computers, expand diagnostic centers nationwide to curb costly medical travel, and press ahead with road connectivity—including a toll road from St. Paul Bridge to Bo Waterside and full paving toward Harper.
“We want to move our country so that all of you can be proud,” Boakai said, calling county‑level TV access a citizens’ right and noting a milestone in Zwedru. He said the government is also exploring domestic airline options so visitors on short leave can reach their home counties faster.
Boakai vowed dignity for returning citizens, condemning harassment at Roberts International Airport and saying the government is working to end “hustling” at entry points. On drugs, he rejected stigmatizing labels and said the state is investing in rehabilitation because “these are our children.”
The President said scholarships are not limited to students in Monrovia and encouraged diaspora scholars to connect through the Education Ministry. He framed reconciliation as a pillar of stability, citing the reburial of former presidents as a step toward national healing. “Don’t curse the darkness—turn the light on,” he said, urging Liberians to help build a country “that will be different next year, and the year after.”
