Monrovia, Liberia — Sinoe County Senator Crayton Oldman Duncan delivered a fiery and soul-searching statement on the floor of the Liberian Senate during its opening session on October 14, 2025, openly challenging his fellow lawmakers to take responsibility for the country’s persistent governance failures.
In a speech that struck both candor and urgency, Senator Duncan declared that Liberia’s main obstacle to progress is not foreign interference or lack of resources but the conduct of its own leaders.
“The Senate floor is not a ground to joke,” Duncan asserted. “Our major problem is ourselves we represent our people.”
The Senator lamented that too many lawmakers have allowed personal interests, party loyalties, and political games to override their constitutional duties. He described the Legislature as being distracted by internal rivalries and complacency, while the Executive branch often fails to enforce the very laws the Legislature enacts.
“The Executive, when the laws are made, they do not enforce them,” he said. “And we, as lawmakers, are equally guilty for sitting quietly while the people suffer.”
Duncan’s remarks painted a stark picture of Liberia’s governance landscape one where partisan politics, corruption, and lack of accountability have stifled national development. He emphasized that both branches of government share equal blame for the public’s growing disillusionment with leadership.
Turning his attention to Sinoe County, Duncan decried worsening economic conditions and the destruction of the environment caused by illicit mining activities. He accused certain Class B miners of abusing their licenses by entering into illegal arrangements with foreign operators who exploit the country’s natural resources while leaving local communities impoverished.
“These foreign miners come in through the back door, aided by our own people,” he lamented. “They take the gold and the wealth, but leave our land destroyed and our people jobless.”
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