Liberia: Boakai Dedicates Country's First Peanut Butter Plant, Urges Liberians to Take Initiatives

Liberia's Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has dedicated the country first peanut butter manufacturing plant, urging Liberians to take initiatives and not just to sit supinely and look up to the government for everything.
He said unless the country has people who take initiatives and track opportunities that Liberians can take advantage of, it would be difficult to usher the country out of the scourge of poverty.
Speaking Sunday, January 31 at a program marking the dedication of Liberia's first Peanut Butter manufacturing plant in Rehab Community, Paynesville, Vice President Boakai said the Unity party-led Government "believes in people who do not just sit and expect the government to do everything", and commended Rev. Luther Tarpeh of Transformation International for taking the bold step to establish the plant.
The Liberian Vice President lamented the tendency of many citizens to attribute everything, including their failures, to the government.
"Today in Liberia everything that happens that is bad is blamed on the government. If the grass is not cut, it is the government, if someone does not eat, they hold the government responsible for this," he said.
"But in a country, the government is there to create the environment and conditions and help to bring about safety, protect citizens and help them to move around and build infrastructure and challenge its citizens to work along with the government to get things done," he added.
Vice President Boakai also challenged youths to take advantage of opportunities open to them, noting that "unless something is done to better the lot of youths who are in the majority and who are coming from a bitter experience where they were misused and were forgotten about, the nation will be heading for more problems".
He noted that unless we get our young people prepared to become responsible citizens, whatever we are doing will be just for today," Vice President Boakai emphasized.
In his introductory statement earlier, the Founder of the faith-based NGO, Transformation International, Rev. Luther Tarpeh, said the Peanut Butter manufacturing plant was established with support from the U.S. based Global Strategies for HIV Prevention and the Presbyterian Church of Fort Collins of Colorado.
"Transformation International is a movement God has raised at this moment to be able to give values, to be able to raise a new generation of young people to be responsible, God-fearing and provide leadership for the country in years to come," Rev Tarpeh said.
According to Rev. Tarpeh, Transformation International focuses on raising street kids and giving them hope, education and values that will help them to be good leaders and responsible citizens.
He said the first phase of operations of the Peanut Butter plant will be to manufacture protein food for malnourished children for distribution to health centers, while the second phase will be to manufacture peanut butter for commercial purposes.

The Informer (Monrovia)