Gbarpolu County Senator Amara M. Konneh has released a comprehensive account of his 2025 legislative accomplishments, outlining a year marked by strong oversight, policy advocacy, and tangible development outcomes at the national, regional, county, and international levels.
According to a statement issued on Sunday, January 11, 2026, stated that 2025 proved to be a productive year for the Senator, whose work focused on strengthening constitutional governance, promoting fiscal accountability, advancing people-centered investments, and delivering direct benefits to communities in Gbarpolu County.
The statement further noted that at the national level, Senator Konneh played a prominent role in responding to major challenges confronting Liberia.
It indicated that in July 2025, he joined Senator Abraham Darius Dillon in requesting a Senate public hearing on the country’s anti-drug response, compelling the Presidential Committee on Drugs to account for progress in addressing illicit drug use and trafficking. The committee has since submitted a national framework to the Legislature for review and oversight.
During the constitutional impasse in the House of Representatives, Senator Konneh publicly urged respect for the Supreme Court’s ruling affirming Speaker Fonati Koffa, calling for adherence to the rule of law and national reconciliation.
He also pressed for accountability surrounding the December 2024 Capitol Building fire. His request led to a full Senate hearing involving the Ministry of Justice, the Liberia National Police, and the National Fire Service, shedding light on the incident now before the courts.
Championing Fiscal Accountability
As Co-Chair of the Joint Public Accounts and Audit Committee (JPAC), Senator Konneh led months of public hearings on public financial management.
In June 2025, the committee submitted a consolidated report covering 12 General Auditing Commission (GAC) audits, a major step toward addressing systemic weaknesses in government spending.
The Senator was vocal on budget discipline, raising concerns about weak execution, unauthorized transfers, and rising public debt, which has reached an estimated US$2.7 billion. His intervention in early 2025 exposed severe underfunding in the health sector, including at Emirates Hospital, where only 10.6 percent of the approved budget had been disbursed. This led to Senate hearings and subsequent improvements in disbursements and service delivery.
Growth, Investment, and Reform
Senator Konneh maintained that he advocated for enforcement of the Small Business Empowerment Act, calling for a review of provisions reserving at least 25 percent of public procurement for Liberian-owned businesses.
Accordingly, he also supported increased budgetary allocations to agriculture and Roberts International Airport in the FY2026 budget.
In June 2025, he pushed for a review of Liberia’s investment incentives regime, warning that outdated exemptions were eroding national revenue without delivering meaningful growth.
On natural resource concessions, Senator Konneh said he supported the TotalEnergies oil and gas agreement but opposed the Oranto Petroleum deal on governance grounds.
The Gbarpolu lawmaker, however, intimated that he abstained from voting on the Ivanhoe (formerly HPX) agreement, citing procedural flaws rather than opposition to investment.
Legislative and Social Initiatives
Among his legislative initiatives, Senator Konneh co-sponsored a bill establishing Christian and Muslim holidays as national holidays to promote inclusivity.
He also announced plans to introduce a Medical Malpractice Accountability Bill during the 2026 session, securing early commitments from 15 senators to strengthen patient protections.
Development Gains in Gbarpolu County
At the county level, Senator Konneh reported significant investments in health, education, water, roads, and social cohesion. In January 2025, his office delivered medical supplies and educational materials valued at approximately US$1 million to hospitals, clinics, and schools across Gbarpolu.
Several schools were rehabilitated, clean water access improved through the repair of hand pumps, and key roads reconnecting isolated communities were restored for the first time in nearly a decade. He also supported cultural dispute resolution, traditional leadership dialogue, and youth development through sports.
Regional and International Engagement
Regionally, Senator Konneh served as Head of Secretariat of the Western Liberia Legislative Caucus, overseeing the completion of the Western Liberia Development Plan, which has since been endorsed by President Joseph N. Boakai. He also co-sponsored legislation establishing the Western Liberia University in Tubmanburg, Bomi County.
Internationally, the Senator represented Liberia at the World Bank’s Partnerships for Anticorruption Global Forum in Washington, D.C., and participated in global security and development discussions in Geneva.
As the Liberian Senate resumes session in 2026, Senator Konneh says many of these initiatives will require continued oversight. He reaffirmed his commitment to accountability, effective representation, and service delivery, expressing gratitude to the people of Gbarpolu County for their trust and support. “There is more work to do,” the Senator noted, pledging continued collaboration to advance laws and policies that improve the lives of Liberians nationwide.
