Monrovia – President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says members of the National Legislature sometimes misuse their oversight responsibility given them by the constitution of the Republic of Liberia.
The responsibility of a Lawmaker includes lawmaking, oversight and representation. But the Liberian leader says Lawmakers sometimes use and misuse their oversight responsibility provided by the constitution.
“Like what Honorable Emmanuel Nuquay said, the issue of political decentralization is currently being enjoyed by the legislature, the legislature sometimes misuses their oversight powers,” she noted.
President Sirleaf did not give reason for her comment when she spoke at program marking the formal opening of the Margibi County Service Center in Kakata, Margibi County.
President Sirleaf disclosed that the National Legislature, to some extent, is enjoying from the draft Local Government Act currently before the Lawmakers.
The Liberian leader noted that her government is doing all it can to decentralize the government through the decentralization process that is currently ongoing.
President Sirleaf said taking the government to the people is the goal of her regime, saying the decentralization and de-concentration process is evidence to that effect.
The Liberian leader noted that her government recognizes that over the years there has been over centralization of decision-making and therefore embarked upon the process of decentralization, saying decentralization was largely promoted by the Governance Commission.
The draft Local Government Act is the legal and regulatory framework for the implementation of the National Policy on Decentralization and Local Governance.
This Act is arguably the first legal instrument drafted in Liberia to effectuate full devolution of political, fiscal and administrative powers to local sub-national units.
The Act, like the policy, was drafted through a nationwide consultative process and was led by the Governance Commission with support from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Law Reform Commission and development partners.
For the citizens and legislators who participated in dialogue and the validation workshops, the nation-wide consultative process in the drafting of the Act added legitimacy to the process and improved popular support for the initiative.
It also increased civic education and awareness on the provisions of the law. An interesting development is that the drafting of the Act has been supported by key line ministries that are to lose considerable powers when it comes into effect.
In addition to the devolution of powers to the sub-national units, the Act provides for a system of inclusive governance that considers gender equity and affirmative action for women, the physically challenged, ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged segment of the population in the counties.
President Johnson Sirleaf noted that the decentralization process consists of economic decentralization, county development fund, and social development fund among others.
“It’s going to move towards land rights, the draft act that is now under consideration by our legislature, and those rights will also be processed by granting concessions giving our citizens in our communities the right to participate in all negotiations that has to do with the use of land on which they sit, we hope that we will reach that,” she said.
“We hope that the administrative decentralization will expand and support much more scope to the people; these Service Centers are very important elements,” she mentioned.
The Government of Liberia and its partners formally opened the County Service Centers in three Counties beginning with the Margibi County Service Center in Kakata City with Bong and Nimba to follow over the weekend.
After the opening of Margibi Service Center on Thursday, the government is expected to formally open the Bong County Service Center in Gbarnga City on Monday, April 25 and the Nimba County Service Center in Sanniquellie City on April 26, 2016 respectively.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has performed the official opening ceremonies along with an array of Government officials, development partners and members of the diplomatic Corps.
The visiting State Secretary for International Development Cooperation of Sweden, Ms. Urika Modeers also graced the opening of the Margibi County Service Center.
The County Service Center (CSC) is part of the National Deconcentration Platform and is primarily intended to bring services closer to the people.
The CSC is a one-stop shop where documentation services relating to permits, licenses and certifications are offered at same quality and cost in Monrovia.
Deputy Internal Affairs Minister, Hon. Varney A. Sirleaf says the opening of County Service Centers mark a significant transition to a new governance approach aimed at making services available to the people in areas where they live. “With the establishment of these centers, it now becomes easier for our people to access services without coming to Monrovia”. Hon. Sirleaf emphasized.
It can be recalled similar Service Center, which was opened in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County in June, 2015 has been reporting tremendous progress regarding the number of service users and revenue generation.
At the same time, in fulfillment of fiscal De-concentration, a County Treasury framework under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning has been attached to each of the service centers.
The Finance Ministry defines County Treasury as a framework that allows financial transactions to be implemented in the Counties rather than in Monrovia.
Implementation of the Liberia Decentralization Support Program (LDSP) is funded by the European Union, Swedish Government, USAID, UNMIL and UNDP. The release concluded.
Edwin G. Genoway, [email protected]