Monrovia – The plenary of the House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Health and Ways, Means, Finance and Development Planning to review a communication requesting the House to invite the city mayors of Monrovia and Paynesville to explain why the cities are filthy.
Plenary’s decision was based on a communication from Montserrado Rep. Rustonlyn Suacoco Dennis (Montserrado Co. District #4) craving the House to invite Mayor Jefferson Koijee and his Paynesville counterpart, Pam Belcher-Taylor to explain what measures they are putting in place to clean their respective cities.
Rep. Dennis indicated that in the wake of the complete shut down of the Wein Town dump site, huge piles of garbage across the cities is posing a serious health risk to residents.
She also wants the two officials to appear to discuss ways in which plenary can be of help to mitigating rising health threats.
Following the reading of the communication, Rep. Jimmy Smith (Montserrado District #2) proffered a motion, calling on the Joint Committee on Health and Ways, Means, Finance and Development Planning to review the communication and report within three weeks.
Several lawmakers including Reps. Dennis, Mariamu Fofana (Lofa Co, District #4) and Richard Koon (Montserrado Co. District #11) stressed the urgency of the situation and pleaded with the movant to amend his motion to invite the two officials in open plenary.
But Rep. Smith rejected their appeals and the motion was carried.
Feeling somehow disappointed, Rep. Dennis condemned Rep. Smith’s action and noted that it was a shame for him to ignore the urgency of the situation that has become a serious problem for every constituent including Montserrado County District #2 which he (Rep. Smith) represents.
Addressing reporters at her Capitol Building office later, Rep. Dennis noted that a simple communication inviting the City Mayors to discuss how the Legislature can help in finding ways to clean the cities does not need three weeks to review.
“There are serious potentials health effects for people who live in large parts of these two cities. My intent is not to hit at anybody, but to seek the health and wellbeing of every Liberian. The dirt is embarrassing, the dirt is piling up, and the dirt is overwhelming us now,” she stated.
Prior to Rep. Dennis’ communication, there have been several attempts by lawmakers including the late Adolph Lawrence to seek plenary’s acquiescence in summoning Mayor Jefferson Koijee to explain what proper waste management strategies the city corporation has put in place to clean Monrovia.
These communications did not appear on the agenda of plenary and the lawmakers blamed House Speaker Bhofal Chambers for protecting Koijee.
The youthful Monrovia City Mayor, Jefferson Koijee and his Paynesville counterpart, Belcher-Taylor continue to come under heavy criticisms over the dirtiness of their respective cities since their appointment by President George Weah.