MONROVIA – Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has strongly refuted widespread social media reports alleging that she provided financial and material support to the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) for the construction of its new headquarters.
Speaking live on OK FM’s flagship Conversation program hosted by Julius Jeh on Monday, the Nobel Laureate did not mince words, calling the claims “crap” and “damn stupid.” She insisted she has had no dealings with the ruling party regarding the project and described the allegations as a deliberate attempt to drag her name into political controversies she has long distanced herself from.
The rumors, which have circulated widely on Facebook and other online platforms, claim that Sirleaf donated US$15,000 and several thousand bags of cement to the CDC. Reacting sharply, she told the radio audience:
“Julius, I’m glad you said allegedly. I am here on the farm, been here for three days, didn’t even know what’s going on in the city. But let me say this in response: those people who put this crap, this nonsense on social media, they must just love my name. They must just love me and keep their mouth off me. And what they have just said is damn stupid. Anybody who put that crap out there, I say they are damn stupid.”
Sirleaf, Liberia’s first female president who governed from 2006 to 2018, urged the media to carry her rebuttal in full to prevent further distortion of her words. “Please repeat it for me and put it just like I say it, put it there in the media, let everybody hear exactly what it is. Then maybe they will stop these damn lies,” she stressed.
When asked whether anyone from the CDC had reached out to her for assistance, she was categorical: “Never, never. No CDC person has reached me on no support. They have no reason to call me for support. I’m busy with my things – what I do with my center, things I do with my farm. I’m out of that damn politics.”
The former president used the platform to voice her frustration over what she described as the toxic environment in Liberia’s political culture, where misinformation and character attacks often overshadow constructive national dialogue. According to her, such negativity undermines reconciliation and distracts from the urgent task of nation-building.
“It’s so terrible because it can make people so tired. People want to do the good things for the country. You want to promote the good part of the country. You want to be supportive to all the agencies of government. You want to support the president in everything he does, if it’s in the interest of the country. And every day somebody comes up with some nonsense or the other. It’s so dark and sickening. I just wish Liberian people would just get to work. They’re so bored with laziness, that’s why they can’t work,” Sirleaf lamented.
She went further to condemn those who thrive on spreading baseless rumors, accusing them of sowing division at a time when Liberia needs unity. “All they do is create problems with people, create tension in the country, try to divide people when we’re trying to promote reconciliation. And they’re creating all kinds of things to cause trouble. All right, you got my answer here. Put it any way you want, put it on, put it all over the country, put it on social media, put it on Facebook. Put it on Instagram. Put it everywhere you want to put it,” she declared.
Observers note that this is not the first time the former leader’s name has been dragged into political rumor mills. Since leaving office, Sirleaf has largely avoided direct involvement in partisan politics, instead focusing her energy on initiatives through the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development and personal agricultural projects.
Her fiery response on Monday highlighted both her frustration with ongoing attempts to link her to political maneuvers and her determination to protect her legacy as a stateswoman committed to democracy, good governance, and women’s empowerment.
By the end of the interview, Sirleaf made it clear that her priorities lie outside partisan squabbles. “Yeah, I’m working so hard,” she said, “and I want to continue focusing on my center and my farm, not on politics. I’ve done my part, and now it’s time to move forward.”
The interview is expected to reignite conversations around the role of misinformation in Liberian politics, with many calling for responsible reporting and fact-checking to avoid inflaming tensions in an already polarized environment.
For now, Sirleaf’s message was unambiguous: she has no ties to the CDC’s headquarters project, and she wants Liberians to stop dragging her name into what she considers “damn stupid” rumors.
