By Pewu Y. Sumo
MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Prominent Liberian civil society actor and Executive Director of Naymote Partners for Democratic Development, Eddie Jarwolo has added his voice to the many voices criticizing the move by the House of Representatives over its proposal to expand the House of Representatives by 14 seats, warning that the country is ignoring a deepening economic crisis while prioritizing political expansion.
In a sharply worded statement satirically titled: “P.O. Box: Hard Time and Mobile Number: Mind Your Business,” Jarwolo argued that Liberia is at a critical crossroads that demands financial prudence rather than government bloating.
The Naymote Executive Director critique comes at a time when major international development partners, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), are reportedly scaling back or ending key support programs.
Despite these shrinking resources, lawmakers are considering a legislative expansion—a move Jarwolo argues flies in the face of the daily realities faced by ordinary Liberians.
“Instead of prioritizing the urgent needs of our people, we are considering adding 14 more seats to the House of Representatives when many of the existing facilities are already inadequate,” Jarwolo stated.
To highlight the disconnect between government spending and public need, Jarwolo outlined six critical areas where the state is currently failing its citizens.
He highlighted that health facilities across the country continue to face severe shortages of essential medicines, while mentioning schools lack basic textbooks and learning materials, while thousands of qualified teachers remain off the government payroll.
According to Jarwolo, local officials including District Commissioners, who manage local governance, are earning less than US$100 per month, while, security personnel are left to serve without adequate logistics, equipment, or support.
The civil society actor also flagged that over 70% of Liberia’s population is comprised of young people, the vast majority of whom lack jobs, skills training, and “hope for a better future.”
Jarwolo emphasized that the current debate should not be about whether Liberia can create more legislative seats, but whether its scarce national resources are being directed toward improving human lives.
An expansion of the House, he warned, would only place additional pressure on an already heavily constrained national budget.
“Leadership is about making difficult choices,” Jarwolo concluded. “At this time, Liberia needs investments in people, education, healthcare, jobs, agriculture, and public services, not an expansion of government… Our priorities should reflect the needs of the people.”
The statement from the civil society actor comes a day after Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon frowned at the House of Representatives for overstepping its authority by apportioning additional legislative seats which according to him, lies squarely with the National Elections Commission while the House is mandated by law to set threshold following census result.
Senator Dillon, however, vowed to oppose the move from the level of the Senate stating that, it is a “misplaced priority” amid current economic reality facial Liberians.
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