Grand Kru County – The citizens of Grand Kru County have welcomed government’s decision to construct a County Service Center (CSC) in the County. Under the Deconcentration program, the County Service Center is a one-stop shop where documentation services are offered.
The citizens were speaking over the weekend when Government and partners broke ground for construction of the Grand Kru County Service Center in Barclayville. The citizens say when completed, the CSC will alleviate constraints experienced while attempting to obtain services in Monrovia.
Grand Kru County Representative Numenee Bartekwah said the lack of basic services in the County has been a serious problem even for the leadership. According him, on many occasions students residing in the county wanting to enroll at the William V. S. Tubman University are turned-down only because they don’t possess a simple birth certificate. He said citizens were particularly happy because unlike the past government has listed Grand Kru among the first batch of Counties in which CSC will be constructed.
For her part Grand Kru County Superintendent Elizabeth Dempster said the citizens of the county are overwhelmed with joy for the construction works in the county. Superintendent Dempster said the establishment of the CSC demonstrates President Sirleaf’s commitment to take services closer to the people regardless of their location.
Speaking earlier, the head of the Traditional Council in Grand Kru, Swen Wleh said the people of the county will forever remember President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for undertaking key development projects in the county including the Service Center. He said Grand Kru which was long lacking behind several projects. The Grand Kru County Service Center is being constructed with funding from UNMIL through its Quick-Impact Project and the government of Liberia.
Meanwhile, Assistant Internal Affairs Minister for Research Allen Kromah is calling on residents of Grand Kru to take ownership of the Service Center; noting, the CSC is for the people of the County. Hon. Kromah described creation of the CSCs in counties across the country as a ‘heartbeat’ initiative of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and therefore wants the citizens to get involved in the process.
Speaking on behalf UNMIL, a senior Civil Affairs officer Mr. Munyaradi Motsi said the UN is pleased to support service deconcentration in Liberia due to its significance to the wellbeing of the citizens. He then pledged UNMIL’s renewed commitment to partner with the government and other donors to improve the livelihood of citizens wherever they are across the country.
Others present at the well-attended ceremony were representatives of Ministries, Agencies and Commissions including Assistant Public Works Minister for Community Services George Yarngo, the head of Health Ministry’s Decentralization Union, Mr. Justin Korvanyan, Director of Policy Appraisal and Evaluation at the Education Mr. Edwin Paye Kakia, among others.
The Grand Kru County Service Center brings to four the number CSCs currently being constructed. Similar construction works are now going on in Tubmanburg, Bomi County; Cestos, Rivercess County and Bopolu, Gbarpolu County. UNMIL, through its Quick-Impact Project is contributing forty-eight thousand US Dollars for each project, while the Liberian Government is contributing forty thousand US Dollars towards all four projects.
When completed, each Center will contain fourteen offices, bath rooms and conference rooms as well as necessary furniture and equipment. Implementation of the Liberia Decentralization Support program is being funded by the European Union, The Swedish Government, USAID, UNMIL and UNDP.
