PAYNESVILLE, Montserrado – Former Central Bank Governor Mills Jones formally announced his decision to contest for the Liberian presidency in 2017.

Jones made the announcement on Wednesday, May 25 at the Paynesville Town hall when he officially responded to series of petitions received from citizens across the country.

Citizens on separate occasions had petitioned the Former Central Bank Governor asking him to contest for the country’s highest public office.

Accepting the citizens’ request, Jones said although the Sirleaf administration had announced efforts to reduce poverty and build a middle-class economy, not much can be done by the regime.

“I am the one best suited to carry out this vision. I have the expertise, I have the heart and I have the will,” he said.

He promised to create a responsible government that would rely on itself to drive developments and not shift its responsibilities to others.

He promised to lead a government that would encourage entrepreneurship and make job creation the motto of his administration.

He said it is now time to ensure that Liberians take the lead in their country’s economy. “We will use fiscal policy, monetary policy, trade policy and investment policy to reinforce each other so that their total impact will advance Liberian participation and ensure greater ownership of the Liberian economy at all levels,” he added.

As a strategy to overcome challenges associated with unemployment, he said his government would strongly encourage small scale manufacturing and agricultural development initiatives.

In education, he said there will be policies and practices aimed at providing the necessary human resource to develop the economy and run institution with efficiency. He added that more investment will be made in technical and vocational education.

He criticized the government’s recent public-private partnership in the educational sector and promised to encourage local community participation as a means of cleaning up the “mess” in the sector.

Jones also promised to institute student loan programs to empower more young people to get an education.

The presidential aspirant also said he would build a resilient healthcare system that would focus on prevention. He said more training for the sector and increased budgetary supports would help overcome existing challenges.

At the same time, the Former Central Bank Governor says a new and productive partnership between the executive and other branches of government will enhance speedy recovery and achievements of national development.

Jones embryonic campaign could face legal hurdles. The Legislature voted in 2014 to amend several sections of the Central Bank of Liberia Act to prohibit the Executive Governor of the Bank from contesting “any electable office within three years consecutive after the expiration of their tenure and in his/her resignation from the Central Bank of Liberia.”

Lawmakers passed the law after concerns that the former governor was providing millions of dollars in small loans to further his political ambitions.

Jones resigned from the Central Bank barely a month to the end of his second five-year term.

Featured photo by Lloyd Massah