Monrovia, Liberia-U.S.-based Liberian writer and policy advocate Abraham B. Gross has issued a strong rebuke to House Speaker Richard Koon’s recent appeal for international assistance to digitize Liberia’s legislative infrastructure, urging national leaders to prioritize self-reliance over habitual dependency.
Writing on his official website, Gross described Speaker Koon’s request for foreign partners to support the development of digital tools including microphones, websites, and voting systems for the Legislature as “a troubling pattern” and a reflection of misplaced priorities in Liberian governance.
“International partners should not be burdened with equipping the Liberian Legislature with microphones, a working website, or a digital voting system,” Gross wrote. “These are foundational tools tools we should already have in place, funded through intelligent budgeting and priority setting.”
Gross expressed particular concern over Liberia’s preparedness to host regional events such as the upcoming Mano River Union Parliamentary Conference. While acknowledging the honor of such hosting rights, he questioned the wisdom of doing so without the basic institutional capacity to accommodate foreign delegates, including interpretation services and proper documentation management.
“Hosting without readiness is not a mark of prestige it’s a mark of poor planning,” he cautioned.
The commentary challenges the Legislature to rethink its fiscal priorities and internal responsibilities, especially as Liberia continues to seek development aid for basic government operations. Gross emphasized that real sovereignty and governance dignity require the nation to invest in its own institutional growth.
“We cannot keep expecting our international friends to paint the outside of our house while we refuse to sweep the floors inside,” he asserted. “There comes a time when self-respect requires self-reliance. Let that time be now.”
The statement has since sparked conversation both online and among policy watchers, many of whom agree with Gross’s call for a shift from donor dependency to national accountability.
Speaker Richard Koon is yet to officially respond to the criticism.
