Monrovia, Liberia – In a public online poll conducted during Spoon Talk, a flagship program of Spoon TV Network, Liberia’s former Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah Jr., was voted the best Finance Minister in the country’s post-war history.
The poll, held on Thursday evening, attracted 80 participants, offering Liberians the opportunity to rate the performance of recent finance ministers based on their perceived contributions to economic management. Tweah, who served under the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) administration of former President George M. Weah, secured 43 votes, representing more than half of the total cast.
The final tally placed Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, who served in the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration, in second with 26 votes. Amara Konneh, also a former finance minister during Sirleaf’s presidency, received 9 votes, while Boimah Kamara, who briefly held the portfolio before the transition of power in 2018, came in last with 2 votes.
Tweah’s recognition comes against the backdrop of his controversial but impactful tenure as Finance Minister. Supporters credit him with pushing for fiscal discipline, renegotiating key infrastructure financing agreements, and attempting to broaden Liberia’s revenue base. Economists note that under his stewardship, the government pursued a Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development, though results were mixed amid a challenging global economic climate, including the COVID-19 pandemic and fluctuating commodity prices.
Critics, however, have often argued that Tweah’s policies did not do enough to address Liberia’s high unemployment and persistent inflation. Nevertheless, his ability to stabilize revenue mobilization, introduce new tax reforms, and maintain dialogue with international partners such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank has been acknowledged as significant.
The Spoon Talk poll underscores how divided public opinion remains on Liberia’s post-war economic leadership, yet highlights Tweah’s enduring influence. While online polls may not reflect the entire spectrum of national sentiment, the results suggest that many Liberians see Tweah as a defining figure in the country’s financial management over the past two decades.
Political analysts believe the poll could reignite debates about economic governance in Liberia, particularly as the Boakai administration navigates its own fiscal challenges. The comparison of past finance ministers—Ngafuan, Konneh, Kamara, and Tweah—also provides a snapshot of shifting public perceptions of leadership and accountability in one of the government’s most powerful ministries.
For now, Tweah’s victory in the Spoon FM poll positions him as a central figure in Liberia’s economic narrative, with supporters hailing him as the most impactful finance minister of the post-war era.
