Liberia: Local Officials Attend 5-Day Orientation Workshop.

7 August 2024
The New Dawn (Monrovia)
By Thomas Domah, Nimba County

Nimba — The Liberian government, in partnership with UNDP and USAID, is building the capacity of local officials here.

- The Ministry of Internal Affairs with support from UNDP, USAID and other partners has embarked on five days' orientation workshop for local government officials from all 15 counties of Liberia.

The workshop is intended to strengthen and enhance local officials' capacity and roles in their respective positions. It will enable them to learn about their roles and responsibilities as superintendents, county services workers, and city mayors.

Liberia's Vice President Jeremiah Koung, who addressed the opening ceremony on Monday, urged local authorities to get involved in country development activities and combat corruption.

Vice President Koung said the process is intended to promote decentralization across the country.

Mr. called on local government officials not to sell land to foreigners but rather only to Liberians.

The report says Nimba and Grand Gedeh counties are said to be losing a huge quantity of land to Burkinabes, who are said to be involved in planting cash crops along borders between Liberia and Ivory Coast.

Vice President Koung also urged local authorities mainly superintendents to take security as their business and help to promote peace in their respective geographical locations.

Internal Affairs Minister Francis Nyumalin challenged local authorities to combat corruption, warning that President Joseph Boakai and Vice President Jeremiah Koung are against corrupt practices.

Minister Nyumalin described the initiative as government's means of supporting decentralization by empowering local officials to take development activities in their respective counties.

Also, Nimba County Superintendent Kou Meapeh Gono disclosed that the orientation workshop is the first of its kind in the country for local government officials to learn their roles and responsibilities, unlike in the past, when little was carried out.

She pledged local authorities' support toward the development process the government is involved with across Liberia. Editing by Jonathan Browne

Read the original article on New Dawn.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2024 The New Dawn. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.