By William Selmah wselmah@gmail.com
Monrovia City Mayor-designate Jefferson T. Koijee has told www.newspublictrust.com that his administration will enforce the City ordinances and regulations firmly but with fairness and justice for all.
When confirmed at age 32, Koijee will be the youngest Mayor to head the Municipal government of the Liberian capital.
Among the city ordinances Koijee is expected to enforce is Monrovia City Ordinance No. 1, which was passed into law decades ago in the early 1970s.
It forbids littering in the streets and disregard for the zoning code that is needed in any modern city.
In an exclusive interview with this news outlet at the weekend ahead of his Senate confirmation, Koijee said he will not be engaged in instituting selective actions that affect only those at the base of the social and economic ladder, but will be impartial and engaged.
The Mayor-designate and head of the Youth League of the ruling party, Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) differed with perceptions that Liberians (particularly ordinary citizens) are non-cooperative and lawless when it comes to respecting city ordinances.
“What they hate, I believe, is the selective enforcement of ordinances. For instance, you can’t say the opening of an alleyway in a given area affects only structures belonging to ordinary people. The process must be holistic; not taking into consideration whether or not it affects people connected or related to the President or Mayor,” Koijee noted.
The incoming Monrovia City Mayor, who presided over the CDC 2017 Legislative primaries in flying colours, said upon assuming office, he intends to reach out to residents and implore their support in making the city of Monrovia a beautiful and safe place to be.
“You can’t just sit there and admire the beauty of other cities around the world, without taking the necessary steps to bring your city on par with them”, adding, “we must be willing to make the sacrifice”.
Meanwhile, Mayor-designate Koijee has said he is not going to the MCC to put people out of job, saying he is to mix with those on the ground.
But the young Liberian politician stressed the need for current employees of the MCC to be willing to tie in with their dream and aspiration for the corporation.
On his preferment by President George Manneh Weah, Koijee promised to justify the confidence reposed in him.
“I’ll do it with utmost dedication, and that we are not going to sleep on it. This task is not only about me. We are a representation of an entire generation of young people,” the incoming Monrovia City Mayor vowed. (FULL TEXT OF THE INTERVIEW TO BE PUBLISHED LATER)
Meanwhile, MCC employees last Friday gave Koijee a rousing welcome when he visited the City Hall.
They held a formal ceremony to receive him attended by hundreds of City Corporation workers and other well-wishers.