28 November 2008
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has commended the works of Mercy Ships, noting that the progress the medical ship has made will be continued by the Government of Liberia.
The President spoke Wednesday at the Freeport of Monrovia when she paid a courtesy call on the management and staff of Mercy Ships to express appreciation on behalf of the government and people of Liberia for the Ship's humanitarian service to the country.
The President commended Mercy Ships for touching the lives of Liberians who could not be reached by their government.
Liberia's partnership with Mercy Ships, an Executive Mansion release quotes the President as saying, is one of many partnerships which have been most effective.
The Liberian leader noted that the US$11- million expended to keep Mercy Ships in Liberia as well as the projects embarked upon is worth more than the amount in terms of the profound change the facilities has brought to the lives of Liberians.
Speaking on behalf of the crew, the Managing Director of Mercy Ships, Mr. Ken Berry, thanked President Johnson Sirleaf for her support towards the work of Mercy Ships in Liberia.
Whatever success the staff of Mercy Ships achieved during its tour of duty in the country, Mr. Berry said, could not have materialized without the help and interest Liberians have demonstrated.
During its current tour of duty which ends shortly, Mercy Ships among other operations, carried out curative surgical interventions. The facilities successfully completed more than one-thousand cataract removals, two-hundred orthopedic surgeries, amongst others.
The staff of Mercy Ships also trained 73 health workers in Royesville and 35 health volunteers in Tenegar, Montserrado County, where Mercy Ships recently turned over to government a clinic constructed with the support of the entity.
Use Training for Community Development - Deputy Minister Liberty Urges
Deputy Internal Affairs Minister, Ms. Estelle Liberty, says local county officials should use the Leadership and Governance training being provided them, to develop and transform their respective communities.
She made this statement in Kakata, the provincial capital of Margibi County at the start of a series of Leadership and Governance training for 67 district commissioners and city mayors from the Western Region - Montserrado, Bomi, Gbarpolu, Grand Cape Mount and Margibi counties.
"Let the training be your guide in the development process because if you cannot transform your communities, you will have yourselves to blame," Ms. Liberty said. She added that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is concerned about the kind of training imparted to the local county authorities, noting that, "this workshop is a clear manifestation of that trust."
The Deputy Internal Affairs Minister for Administration expressed optimism that the training will assist the district commissioners and city mayors to get better understanding of programme implementation of the development process, which has to do with people at the grassroots level.
Margibi County Superintendent, Mr. Levi Piah urged the participants to take advantage of the training to enhance their capacity. He pointed out that this will ensure that they carry out their responsibilities properly in their respective localities.
This Local overnment Capacity Building Programme with support from the United Nations system - UN County Support Teams - in Liberia and in collaboration with the Government of Liberia - Ministry of Internal Affairs - and Liberia Institute of Public Administration, has started a series of training for senior county officials.
The first was started in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County from 6 - 17 October. These workshops are being held under the theme: Recovery Through Enhanced Local Leadership and Governance.
This training is to be replicated in the Central Region, comprising Lofa, Bong, Nimba and River Cess counties; and Southeastern Region - Maryland, Grand Kru, Sinoe, River Gee and Grand Gedeh counties, bringing together district commissioners and city mayors.
Topics being taught are the Liberian Local Government System and Development Strategies, Leadership and Representation Roles, Decision Making, Financing, and others.
These workshops are to help the Government of Liberia in the implementation of Liberia's Poverty Reduction Strategy and County Development Agendas, which benefitted from an extensive process of consultation throughout the country at the district, county and regional levels. These consultations also provided deeper understanding of the people's aspirations, expectations and priorities.
The UN in Liberia is therefore committed to supporting the Liberian government to decentralize governance. As this process moves forward in strengthening of sub-national capacity to govern and deliver services to Liberians, the key focus remains the restoration and consolidation of state authority throughout Liberia.
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