Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has officially launched her government National De-concentration Plan that seeks to give local people and traditional leaders at the community level greater power and participation in the governance process of the country.
Launching the Plan in Gbarnga, Bong County in central Liberia on Wednesday, February 18, 2015, the Liberian leader said the launch of the project “sends out a strong message that Liberia is on course.”
She said the launch of the project also indicates that the capital, Monrovia is not Liberia where socioeconomic developments have longed been concentrated since the formation of the Liberian state to the disadvantage of the rest of the country.
Speaking in a jam packed hall comprising of local chiefs, women, youth and the elderly from across the country, President Sirleaf said the launch of the landmark program is a fulfillment of a promise she made years ago to bring the government closer to the people, and give local people greater saying in the running of the government, as well as to afford them the opportunity to increase their participation in the development processes and ensure provision of basic services.
She said the de-concentration project which is a forerunner to the full implementation of the National Decentralization Plan will ensure that local people become key partners to the government in its drive to accelerate and deliver socioeconomic development after many years of civil conflict and the recent Ebola epidemic outbreak that has shattered the economy and other fabrics of the society.
Punctuated by occasional loud applauses from the audience in the central Liberian city of Gbarnga, President Sirleaf said the launching of the program will immediately be followed by the movement and provision of basic social services to the county and community level for the benefit of local residents.
Already, the president said the government has begun the establishment of county and local school boards across the country, banking and other financial services and infrastructure, establishment of essential health facilities, and improvement of road network to ensure that rural dwellers have access to basic services to improve their livelihood, all of which, she said, is part of the roll out of the de-concentration project.
She also named the construction of a Security and Peace Hub in Gbarnga, Bong County to ensure access to justice by local people as part of the de-concentration project launched today.
However, President Sirleaf said achieving the full objective of the de-concentration plan and its implementation will require the involvement and participation of all Liberians and development partners.
She particularly pointed out that the National Legislature has an important role to play in the implementation of the program that aims to spur development and involve local people in the governance of the country.
She also noted that despite the lofty objectives and goals of the de-concentration project, it will however require long processes, and time in order to realize the full benefits of the program. She said similar programs took other countries decades to implement and realize the full benefits.
The Liberian leader said her government and the Liberian people will demand of those managing the project, including county superintendents to exercise high degree of honesty and integrity and commitment to duty as they manage public resources.
She said she will not hesitate to fire any of such officials falling short of the public trust in the management and implementation of the project.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Program – Liberia has turned over to the government the keys of eight pickup trucks to kick off the de-concentration project launched in Gbarnga, Bong County.