Monrovia, Liberia — Newly-appointed Mayor of Monrovia John-Charuk Siafa, leads a revolution here, not with guns, but brooms, tricycles, and wheelbarrows, to give the nation's capital and its environs a facelift.
Under the current campaign that pops up every First Saturday each month, Mayor Siafa seeks took keep Monrovia, one of Africa's oldest cities, named after United States' Fifth President, James Monroe, clean, green, and safe for residents and visitors.
- Following a cool-off period of the first Saturday cleaning-up exercise, which came into existence through then Mayor Mary T. Broh, the Government of Liberia via the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) has reawakened the first Saturday cleaning up exercise across Montserrado and its environs.
Speaking at the resumption of the exercise on March 2, 2024, in Monrovia, newly-appointed Mayor John-Charuk Siafa, said one of the easier approaches to keeping Monrovia clean, green, and safe is for residents to get involved more robustly in giving the city the much needed attention.
Mayor Siafa asked residents of Monrovia and its environs to support the clean city initiative and take responsibility for the process of creating a more hygienic environment.
The Mayor reassured residents that the exercise, which is required by the municipal administration, would be carried out completely on the first Saturday of each month.
Together with Mayor John-Charuk Siafa, Monrovia City Government staff members ensured that the city was realistically cleaned, as part of the kick-start of the first Saturday cleanup exercise.
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While cleaning the streets on First Saturday, MCC workers wearing reflective vests and gloves were seen raising awareness in different areas as well.
The reboot of the first Saturday citywide exercise jumpstarted with the slogan "Own your street, own your city, keep it clean".
The goal of Saturday's awareness campaign was to revive the essence of "First Saturday" and promote a civic and environmental stewardship culture.
The cleanup exercise was simultaneously carried out across Monrovia, with enthusiastic community engagement.
Institutions and entities that were in attendance during the exercise include the Ministry of Public Works, the JNB/JKK volunteers, and the Monrovia Lions Club, including youth, among others.
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Meanwhile, in an attempt to make Monrovia a cleaner, and greener city, Center Street, a major waste hotspot in Monrovia has been targeted.
Center Street Cemetery is one lousy place in Central Monrovia where people unlawfully dispose of garbage.
Thousands of underprivileged young people, most of whom are supposedly drug abusers, reside in the cemetery.
Mayor Siafa said that he would continue to provide sound leadership under his stewardship to make sure the MCC upholds its core values.
He revealed the MCC's proposal to develop a long-term waste management approach that would reliably maintain the city safe and clean.
Mayor Siafa acknowledged in his concluding comments that the city of Monrovia is challenged and appealed to the national government and partners to provide the Monrovia City Government with more funding and material support.
In a related development, the Mayor further vowed to depoliticize the city corporation something, he says, will create a smooth working environment for employees at the entity.
To accomplish the overarching institutional goal, Mayor Siafa wants MCC employees to be more results-driven and to depoliticize the institution's operations.
He praised staff for their level of collaboration so far and expressed his desire for said cardinality to be based on the fundamentals of honesty, hard work, and respect for one another, along with a shared goal to improve the institution.
The MCC head evaluated the infrastructural challenge facing the institution while touring several MCC facilities in Monrovia and the surrounding areas, following the outcome of drug test results which proved negative at the MCC. Editing by Jonathan Browne
