The Inquirer (Monrovia)
Garmonyou Wilson
12 December 2008
The Monrovia City Council (MCC) has announced that any residential or business structures not painted by December 15, 2008, a fine of US$200 would be imposed on the owners of such structures.
To implement the new action from the MCC, a Special Task Force was launched yesterday by the Monrovia City Council and Mayor Ophelia Hoff Saytumah. The task force major task would make sure that all buildings within the city are painted and abandoned vehicles removed from city streets.
Addressing a press conference yesterday at the Monrovia City Hall, the Chairman of the Monrovia City Council, Mr. Daniel Johnson said the MCC is taking a plethora of new policies to make sure that the transformation into a cleaner and newer Monrovia is accepted by the public because it was about time that the city looks clean and beautiful like other neighboring countries.
The MCC Chairman stressed further on the need for garages in the city to get registered so that they can fulfill the requirements that the city government has listed for them to operate.
Mr. Johnson also called on street vendors to get registered as they consented to doing so a few months back when the MCC held a series of consultations with them and reminded them about the agreed LD100 registration fee.
He then announced that as of January next year, all businesses large and small should be prepared to register in adherence with Commerce Ministry laws. He said L$500 is the registration fees for Liberian businesses and US$15 for foreign businesses. He also noted that LD 200 is the registration fees for small businesses and that all fees be paid to the bank.
Finally, Mr. Daniel Johnson is calling on the President of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to make a proclamation setting the first Saturday of every month to be a national clean-up day where all businesses would be closed from ten in the morning till ten in the evening to afford them the opportunity to clean up their environments.
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I like to first register my thanks and appreciations to the honorable city mayor ( Mme Ophilia Hoff Saytuma of monrovia and the Chairman of the Monrovia city council ( Mr Danniel Johnson) for your assertions or proclaimation of fines for would be violators of your imposed threats of fine of 200 USD.
Firstly you need to revisist your quest to collect revenue since in fact your drive is to improve the poor condition of your city. If I may ask you guys few questions for clarity. how many times have you done awareness raising exercise on hygiene promotion for inhabitants with your city limit / enrirons? Are you in contacts with your council members? Is your threat of fines a collective decision / one intended to again find petty cash for your leisure? Is this another atempt to collect head tax from the old order? Look here guys! you will have to leave us alone to allow us put the pieces you all form parts with the so called war lords to destroyed in the last 14 years. We are clean people and know exactly what is good for us. you guys came and created lot more hardship for us only to gain political power that you have right now and adding insults to injury. I guess you are regular listeners and readers of this webpage. please ! Please ! we are fed up with threats coming from opportunists like you guys.
gone are the days when you could just decide what you wanted done and done at you will and time. to you Mme Saytuma as mayor of our great city, do you even know the problem of your city or another scheme to enrich your coffers'. you will have to leave us alone and first clean the garbages and improves the sewage lines within your city centers. I may direct you to some places if you don't mind: The capitol by -pass towards the Jallahtown road, the center and Gurley street symmentry side walk, among others. It is important to know that you regurlarly collect fees from private businesses / firms for the maintainance of the city, registration fees for installation of signs or bulletin, fees for squarter rights for petty businesses along the side walk in city centers, among others. I dare you submit your books to the bureau of general auditing and lets see what come out.
you will need not tell us to paint our home as we very well know that we need to keep our homes clean and pleseant for our happiness. to you Chairman Johnson, the days of prince Johnson and so called orders of execution are over and you will have to give chance to the young generation to contribute to the national recovery from the mess you guys created. Hope that helps and still tone'
A Gemeh Kolubah
I am not sure if shutting the city down from 10 am to 10 pm on Saturday is a good thing to do. Saturdays are the most basis days for the business houses and the market association. But, on the other hand I can understand the condition under which Mr. Johnson is speaking, nothing less than frustration.
The announcement by Mayor Saytuma to fined people in violation or failing to paint their houses for Christmas was not truly thought out. Our people are mentally and physically traumatized. Children are not in schools because parents just can’t afford to pay tuitions. Traditionally, the meaning of Christmas in Liberia is to eat, wear new clothes, dance, and to be happy. If all of the above are missing on Christmas because of poverty, how in the world will the mayor fined someone two hundred US dollars, for failing to paint his/her house.
Madame Mayor, instead of using threats, maybe you need to make an appeal to your constituents. Make your constituents to understand that it is their moral obligations to paint their houses for Christmas, rather than making it a legal or political matter.
when Power(Political Power) is given to People,it's for you to lead them and not to intimidate,threathen or abuse them.People in Monrovia must be praised for cleaning their buildings in the month of December.Some families,even with the absence of a days meal, they are committed to the importance of December 25th,of every year. So they keep their houses clean and painted. But if you threathen them today,they will ignore this Glorious Day. The MCC should influence Government to mandate business houses,to reduce the price of paint in the month of December of every year. Because business houses in Monrovia are in the habit of sky-rocketing the price of paint in the month of December.The whole idea is not with a threath,but with a PLEASE...to the People and the Traders.