10/23/2025
Liberian Educator Condemns Lawmakers’ Vehicle Purchase Plan as Outrageous and Heartless
By: DWilson Nornie
A passionate Liberian educator and two-time Ministry of Education award winner, Mr. Philip Nyaibei Lepolu Mulbah, has forcefully condemned the reckless proposal by members of the House of Representatives to purchase 73 vehicles, each costing US$15,000, for their Chiefs of Office Staff (COS).
During an appearance on Super B**gese Radio's Education Forum on October 22, Mr. Mulbah labeled this move as nothing short of evil and a gross abuse of power. He emphatically stated that such extravagant spending starkly illustrates a complete disregard for Liberia’s struggling education sector and the pressing national priorities that demand urgent attention.
Mr. Mulbah asserted that countless children are forced to walk long distances to school due to the absence of public transportation. Similarly, teachers are compelled to part with nearly half their salaries just to reach their classrooms in rural areas. This blatant misallocation of resources cannot be tolerated.
He strongly criticized prioritizing lavish vehicle purchases for Chiefs of Office Staff over crucial investments in education, deeming it a profoundly misguided choice that displays shocking insensitivity to the everyday challenges faced by ordinary Liberians.
Highlighting the dire circumstances faced by children in communities like Gboveh Hill, Melekie, and Phebe, he shed light on the financial and physical barriers to education, with some children paying nearly L$200 daily in transportation costs. He demanded that every capital city in Liberia should have at least one public school bus, yet the shocking truth is that none exist.
Addressing the appalling conditions faced by teachers, Mr. Mulbah stated that many earn a mere L$15,000 monthly while spending up to L$7,000 on transportation to teach in rural areas like Blameyea and K. Diabolo Public School in Weinsue Town. He pointed out that a teacher who spends L$400 daily for transport, five days a week, risks losing almost half of their income, while lawmakers continue to chase luxury over necessity.
Mr. Mulbah did not hold back in describing the poor state of roads in rural Liberia, particularly along the Gbartala-Fenutolee route in B**g's Electoral District #5. He called it unsafe and inaccessible for vehicles, recounting a harrowing incident in which he was thrown off a motorbike into a stream while navigating these treacherous roads.
He underscored the fact that residents in Fenutolee, Tongbonyah Clan, and other remote communities are still grappling with inadequate access to basic services due to these deplorable road conditions.
While children sit on bricks and broken chairs in crumbling classrooms, lawmakers’ Chiefs of Office Staff earn between US$400 and US$500, while dedicated teachers with bachelor’s degrees struggle to make ends meet with salaries below L$15,000. This is fundamentally unacceptable.
Mr. Mulbah stated unequivocally that the decision by lawmakers to purchase vehicles for their staff is not only inappropriate but also heartless, especially given Liberia’s dire educational landscape.
He commended Representative Taa Wongbe from Nimba County for being the only lawmaker brave enough to publicly oppose this ill-conceived plan, calling him a courageous voice in a time of crisis.
Mr. Mulbah urged national leaders to immediately redirect resources towards education, infrastructure, and public welfare, insisting that Liberia's future hinges on investing in its people, not in luxury vehicles for political appointees. The time for change is now.
