PHOTO: Participants at the just ended daylong County-Level stakeholders’ dialogue
By Emmanuel Mafelah, mafelahemmanuel29@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- Naymote Partners for Democratic Development has ended a day-long county-level Stakeholders dialogue in the central Bong County, with over 50 local leaders attending.
The dialogue is aimed at increasing local leaders understanding of the Local Government Act of 2018 and inspired them to lead the decentralization change process in Liberia.
The over 50 local leaders who attended the forum came from the thirteen administrative districts. They included commissioners, the County’s Superintendent, Esther Y. Walker; the Mayor of Gbarnga City, Lucia Herbert; the Chairperson for the Project Management Committee (PMC); Stephen J. Mulbah, as well as representatives from the disabled community, civil society leaders, women and youth representatives, among others.
The Local Government Act was signed into law by President George Weah in September of 2018, after it was passed by the Legislature.
With support from the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP), the project, “Advancing Civic Engagement on the benefits and support for LGA 2018” is being implemented in Bong, Nimba, Lofa and Grand Gedeh counties.
At the opening of the dialogue or exercise, Naymote Executive Director, Eddie D. Jarwolo said, the awareness on the Local Government Act is something that have been a priority of his organization since the act was passed into law by President George M. Weah in 2018.
Naymote Director, Eddie D. Jarwolo in his opening remark at the dialogue
Mr. Jarwolo challenged the local leaders to prepare for the future at hand, adding that the Local Government Act of 2018 will reflect genuine development and social-economic impact for all citizens especially local leaders across the country.
He also informed them that the dialogue is meant to warden their knowledge on their benefits and obligations under the LGA 2018, what can they do as local authorities.
“Our quest as an institution is to ensure that you chiefs, women, youths and everyone is aware of the Local Government Act, have access to copies of the law in order to make an informed decision for the future,” Mr. Jarwolo said during the dialogue.
According to him, Naymote remains engaged in every segment of the society including civil society actors, women groups, youth, physically challenged people, local leaders, and everybody with the awareness, despite limited resources.
In special remarks at the opening session, Bong County Superintendent Esther Y. Walker lauded NAYMOTE for what she called, “sustained and innovative awareness approach” on the LGA that has enhanced local leaders’ understanding of the legal framework across the County.
Superintendent Walker
The Bong County’s Superintendent then cautioned the commissioners, the zonal heads, the women and youth including the media to help buttress Naymote’s efforts in spreading the good news of the LGA 2018.
She is optimistic that local leaders will go back in their respective work places and inform citizens about the act and its importance.
“When you leave here today please talk to someone about the local government act, on the football field, in the markets places, in the cars, in our different offices, let continue to talk about this act. And to my women and our chiefs that have come here to grace this occasion please go home and help Naymote in this awareness because it is very important for every one of us. There are so many good things that our people may want to know and understand,” Madam Walker told the gathering.
The Bong County Superintendent wants citizens across the Country supports the institution in order to reach major towns and villages in Liberia on the awareness of the LGA 2018.
In conclusion, Superintendent Walker recommitted the government of Liberia through the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) to continuing support to NAYMOTE in whatever way it can to get the awareness message across to the local population.
Also speaking, the Mayor of Gbarnga City, Lucia Herbert thanked Naymote for bringing citizens, especially zonal heads from the nineteen zones in Gbarnga together to brief them on facts regarding the local government act of 2018.
Madam Herbert, the Mayor of Gbarnga City
Said Madam Herbert:“These kinds of meetings are good because they help to educate us and clear our doubts on some of the issues surrounding this act. I am sure that after the get-together, our people will have a clearer understanding of how the Local Government Act works, the benefits couple with the developments that is on the way for the community people.”
She then assured Naymote and partners that as Mayor of Gbarnga, the GCC remains open to the institution work collaborations and coordination.
For their part, the participants praised NAYMOTE-Liberia for the initiative and then promised to take the awareness exercise to their different communities.
Mary Kwenneh is the Commissioner of Kokoyah Statutory district. She assured NAYMOTE that she is going to take the message to various towns and villages in Kokoyah in order for rural inhabitants to get properly inform about the LGA.
She said, “I am going to tell my people exactly what I have learned here today, it’s important.”
“This one-day awareness forum on the Local Government Act actually is not enough but it has sharpened my knowledge on governance and I am going to immediately tell my people about it. I prayed that NAYMOTE can get more support from her partners so that they can go from towns to towns, village to village and everywhere to help educate the common of their benefits of the Local Government Act,” said Moses Kellen, Tokpaplee District Commissioner.
Said Commissioner Kellen: “The knowledge acquired here today is worth commending. And all I can say is many thanks you to Naymote and partners for giving us again this knowledge.”