Photo of Polay Emmanuel. Photo source: Polay Emmanuel
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Claim: A student’s leader at the University of Liberia states that “The budget for the Liberia National Police (LNP) in the 2026 draft national budget is to the tune of $8 million.”
Verdict: False. Checks by DUBAWA indicate that the LNP’s proposed 2026 budget exceeds US$20 million.
Full Text
Liberia’s 2026 draft national budget has been the highlight of national discussions since it was submitted to the national legislature. Some of those discussing their thoughts on the budget are student leaders from the country’s student community.
Polay Emmanuel, a ranking member of the Student Unification Party (SUP) at the University of Liberia, says that the draft budget, which is about US$1.2 billion, does not support the development agenda of the ruling establishment.
According to Emmanuel, the budget is growing, but the government’s priority indicators are declining.
The chairperson of the propaganda bureau of SUP claims that “The budget for the LNP is in the tune of $8 million,” something he said is not logical for the government’s ARREST agenda, which also seeks to uphold the rule of law.
Emmanuel can be heard from 23 minutes, 58 seconds to 24 minutes, 30 seconds of a morning talk show.
Given the security concerns of the claim, DUBAWA checks the fact.
Verification
DUBAWA visited the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning’s official website to verify the 2026 draft national budget for the LNP.
As shown on page 222 of the budget, the LNP is projected to receive approximately US$25,789,660 in the 2026 fiscal year.
Screenshot of page 222 of the budget
Conclusion
Emmanuel Polay’s claim that the 2026 draft national budget allocates US$8 million to the Liberia National Police is false.
