By Alfred Kollie Email alfredkolliejr92@gmail.com
Inmates at the Monrovia Central Prison were over the weekend let loose to join the Weah for Clean Cities National Taskforce in helping to give the Liberian capital a facelift.
In a day-long exercise on Saturday, the prisoners supervised by the Bureau of Correction and Rehabilitation at the Justice Ministry also assisted the Taskforce removing several makeshift structures along the Somalia Drive road in Monrovia’s Gardnersville suburb.
The exercise comes ahead of the upcoming July 26 Independence Day celebrations to mark Liberia’s 171st Independence anniversary.
The Weah for Clean Cities National Taskforce was recently set up by President George Manneh Weah to carry out a vigorous approach in combating the increasing stockpiles of garbage in Monrovia, Paynesville and its surrounding areas. The move is also being extended to the rest of the fifteen cities across Liberia.
The Committee stablished to keep the cities clean is chaired by the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) and its Mayor Jefferson Koijee. The committee also includes Paynesville City Corporation (PCC), General Services Agency (GSA), Finance Ministry, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)and the Ministry of Health among others government Ministries and Agencies.
Speaking the Freet Port Community at the start of the activities, the Chairperson of the Task said the maintenance of these cities will promote a safe, clean and green environment.
Mayor Koijee also noted that the Taskforce mandate as instructed by President Weah upholds the Pro-poor agenda of the government which seeks to create a healthy environment for all.
The Monrovia City Mayor was seen personally in action with community dwellers and his team along the Somalia Drive and nearby areas team to carry out the President’s mandate to give the city a facelift.
It is thought that such a move would serve as a motivating factor for residents of the cities and every Liberian.
“We need to clean our environment, Liberia is all we have and we should take ownership of our country by continuously cleaning our homes, market and work places, factories amongst others. The President who you voted overwhelmingly has given us the mandate to join you clean our cities which I assured you his mandate will be executed void of biases” he told the excited community dwellers,” Mayor Koijee said during the cleanup exercise .
According to Mayor Koijee, the Taskforce will be more vigorous in the coming days in its approach to have a clean, green and safe environment.
As part of the many approaches the Taskforce has developed is to order the removal of makeshift structures along the Somalia Drive which are undermining the taskforce beautification strategy.
The Mayor of the Liberian capital was also joined by Assistant Minister of Correction and Rehabilitation Eddie Tarawali who came along with at least twelve (12) inmates to participate in the cleanup exercise.
Assistant Minister Tarawali said the participation of the inmates was the Ministry of Justice way of aiding the Taskforce to execute the President’s mandate.
He said the involvement of the inmates is also part of the Ministry of Justice community Service Program.
Mayor Koijee on behalf of the Taskforce lauded the inmates for their courage to participate in the cleanup exercise and encouraged them to keep being hopeful.
He pointed out that once inmates are rehabilitated, they can be reintegrated into the society and the society can still accept and welcome them.
Since the establishment of the Weah for Clean Cities Taskforce, it has been working day and night cleaning areas in Monrovia, Paynesville and adjacent cities in Montserrado County to remove huge piles of rubbish, something community dwellers have welcomed.
The Taskforce was able to remove a large pile of garbage from the ELWA Junction market, the Police Academy junction, the 72nd Junction, primary clean the center of red-light, drastically reduce the huge quantity of dirt at the Gobarchop market and Stockton creek transfer station outside Monrovia.
The ongoing cleanup exercise is said to be providing short-term jobs for one thousand young people from various communities in Monrovia and the suburb of Paynesville who have already been deployed.
The Taskforce work involves the collection of primary and secondary waste and disposal.
Meanwhile, the Weah for Clean Cities Taskforce has admonished residents and those commuting the streets to appreciate the importance of the exercise, observe and respect the city ordinances by refraining from littering or dropping dirt anywhere.
Anyone caught littering or throwing dirt in the open will be fined the amount of US$50.00 or its equivalent in Liberia Dollars, according to Taskforce Chairman Mayor Jefferson Koijee.