Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung has called for collective national efforts from all superintendents, chiefs and city mayors within the country in order to ensure national development and prosperity.
Vice President Koung made the statement on Monday, August 5, 2024 Gompa City, Nimba County, at the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ ongoing national orientation workshop for County Administration and Elections of Leadership of the National Council of Chief under the theme: “Building a New Liberia through Decentralization.”
VP Koung urges Liberians to invest in their country and prioritize local development over acquiring properties abroad, stressing the importance of citizens contributing to all sectors for national growth, while calling for collaboration with town chiefs to tackle challenges.
He said superintendents, city mayors and chiefs are direct representatives of President Boakai in the counties and should not use their power against the laws. The Vice President further said they should use their power to bring peace and development to their counties in accordance with the Local Government Act.
For his part, Minister of Internal Affairs F. Sakila Nyumalin said while taking office in March 2024, he pledged his commitment to serve and to help the President transform the nation, and it’s expected of all local authorities not to do business as usual.
“In order that we change the narratives and do away with doing business as usual, we all must understand that when we come to government service, we are to have a deep sense of accountability and transparency, faithfulness in the discharge of our duties and functions in our respective positions – whether as Minister, Deputy and Assistant Ministers or County Superintendents; Chiefs or City Mayors,” he said.
He said they should take cognizance of the trust and confidence that have been reposed in them and take pride in their respective areas of service and duties to change the narratives and build a solid foundation for a decentralized system of governance.
Minister Nyumalin said the vessel for this is a team that comprises all county and local government administrations coming to service to know exactly what their respective roles and responsibilities are.
He further said that President Boakai has maintained that the only way the country can change for the citizens to realize the dividends of peace and development, is through implementation of the Local Government Act of 2018. According to him, this is the beginning of changing the narratives and laying a solid foundation for civic satisfaction and promoting accountability and fostering good governance.
