Senator Abraham Darius Dillon has delivered a sobering assessment of Liberia’s governance and societal challenges in 2024, describing the year as marred by systemic failures in leadership, escalating crime, and a troubling erosion of the rule of law. His reflections stress a pressing need for comprehensive reforms and accountability across all branches of government.
Dillon characterized 2024 as a year of “rough, tough starts,” with “real or imagined disappointments overshadowing the positives.” He highlighted key issues undermining public trust, including rising crime, unresolved criminal cases, and a pervasive lack of discipline within government institutions.
“The increasing crime rate and unresolved criminal cases, paired with a blatant disregard for the rule of law, are critical concerns,” Dillon stated, stressing the need for impartial justice irrespective of perpetrators’ social or political standing. He called for a resolute stance against violence and criminal activity, emphasizing that Liberia’s fragile hope for progress hangs in the balance.
“Our people are clearly unhappy—lacking jobs and other forms of empowerment—but they remain hopeful,” he observed. However, Dillon warned that this hope, a vital thread sustaining the nation, could dissolve if leaders fail to deliver meaningful change in 2025. “This could be a LAST CHANCE!” he cautioned.
Dillon urged the administration to effectively implement the national budget across all government entities, ensuring that vendors and contractors are paid on time to boost economic activity. He highlighted the Judiciary’s critical role in rebuilding public trust, calling for impartiality, clarity, and expediency in legal rulings. “The Judiciary must dispense blind justice without fear or favor,” he said, warning against decisions that foster confusion rather than resolve disputes.
He reserved his sharpest criticism for the Legislature, lamenting its growing perception as “useless” among citizens, with some calling for its dissolution. He demanded that lawmakers prioritize transparency and accountability, urging them to serve the public interest over personal gain. “We must summon the spine to hold ourselves and the two other branches accountable,” Dillon asserted.
Dillon’s critique is both a diagnosis and a rallying cry for Liberia’s leadership to rise to the occasion. He cautioned that failing to act decisively in 2025 would provoke justified backlash from a disillusioned citizenry.
“No more babysitting,” Dillon declared, signaling a demand for firmer, more decisive governance.
