Joseph Boakai Calls on Liberians to Rise Above Divisions and Push a society Of Justice, Inclusion, and mutual respect, Delivers Unification Day Message

May 14, 2025

Monrovia Today, we gather as one people to observe National Unification Day, a day of solemn reflection and hopeful recommitting to the ideals that bind us together as a nation.

Unification Day is not merely a date on our calendar. It is a symbol of our shared determination to rise above our divisions and to forge a society grounded in justice, inclusion, and mutual respect.

Declared in 1960 under the visionary Unification Policy, this day was intended to heal historic divides, promote national cohesion, and remind us that our strength as Liberians lies in our unity.

Since our founding in 1847, Liberia’s journey has been one of both promise and adversity. While our early aspirations were noble, including freedom, dignity, and self-governance, we have also faced profound challenges. These include divisions between settlers and indigenous communities, between urban and rural populations, and among our many rich and diverse ethnic groups.

These challenges came to a head during the years of our civil conflict, the scars of which still linger not only in our national memory but also on our national physical infrastructure.

Yet, through it all, we have made strides in consolidating peace, rebuilding institutions, and restoring hope. But true reconciliation and unification require more than a mere passage of time. They require deliberate effort, a conscious decision by each of us to prioritize understanding over suspicion, collaboration over conflict.

It is in this spirit of unity and renewal that I am pleased to acknowledge yesterday’s peaceful resolution of the leadership standoff in the lower House of our National Legislature with the election of Honorable Richard Nagbe Koon as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

I have extended my warmest congratulations to Honorable Koon on his election and urged him to lead with courage, inclusiveness, and humility.

I further encouraged him to reach across the aisle, unify the body, to and ensure that the House focuses squarely on the work for which the Liberian people elected its members.

We do also acknowledge the laudable move by former Speaker Cllr. Fonati Koffa, a decision that so significantly helped in bringing this unfortunate impasse to a more acceptable closure.

This moment marks not only the end of a protracted impasse, but also the beginning of a renewed opportunity to serve our people with honor and urgency.

I should therefore express my sincere gratitude to all well-meaning Liberians– our elders, local leaders, religious authorities, and ordinary citizens—who lent their voices and wisdom to help bring about this resolution. Such a resounding commitment to peace, dialogue, and stability exemplifies the very spirit of National Unification Day.

Let us now get to work. The time for service is now. The Liberian people are watching. They are hoping. And they deserve our very best.

My fellow Liberians, unification is not a slogan to be rehearsed once a year. It must become a way of life, reflected in how we govern, how we engage one another, and how we respond to the challenges before us.

Whether we confront economic hardship, climate shocks, or the high expectations of our youth, we must do so as one people, bound by a shared past and inspired by a common destiny.

It was squarely within such frame of mind that I, earlier today, placed special goodwill telephone calls to former Presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and George Manneh Weah as well as eminent national leaders Benoni Wilfred Urey, Alexander Benedict Cummings.

I also reached out to the Liberia Council of Churches and the National Muslim Council of Liberia as well as the Chairman of the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia.

This is our own way of forging the spirit of unification and inclusion, assuring all that our doors remain open for any meaningful engagement that will help our hands in nation building.

As we commemorate this important day, let us recommit to the principles of national unity, patriotism, and collective progress. Let us each do our part, wherever we are, and in whatever we do, to build a Liberia that is peaceful, equitable, and prosperous for all.

May God bless us all and may He continue to bless and save the Republic of Liberia.