Monrovia – Liberia’s Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs for Administration, Varney A. Sirleaf, says the idea of decentralization of government is intended to discourage an age old tendency of concentrating national development programs in the nation’s capital, Monrovia.
Report by: Willie N. Tokpah – [email protected]
Minister Sirleaf told a gathering in Kakata, Margibi County Thursday that the policy introduced by President Sirleaf through the Ministry, will help rural dwellers have access to information and other necessities that had not been reaching the rural parts of Liberia.
“When we talk about decentralization, it seems to be a big word, but everything we have been doing was centered in Monrovia, so the president said things need to go to rural Liberia”, said Minister Sirleaf.
He told citizens participating in a meeting in the county that decentralization is a new way to serve Liberia by increasing their knowledge for increased participation.
He indicated that the decentralization service that is being embarked upon by the Ministry through the creation of service centers across the country belongs to citizens, encouraging them to make good use of it.
“The decentralization process we talking about are for you and you have to appreciate it,” he added.
The Deputy Minister has at the same time called on citizens in various counties to frown on any unscrupulous act taking place at the centers.
Unscrupulous acts, he said, has the tendency to create bad image for the service centers, advising the citizens to report any act of corruption that will take place at any of the centers to the Ministry.
Minister Sirleaf informed the gathering that the service center established in Margibi County is intended to render services, ranging from the provision of certificates for birth, marriage and land deeds among others, for the locals.
Most of the locals, according to him, find it difficult to get to Monrovia to process their documents but will now have easy means to do so.
Minister Varney Sirleaf wants residents of Margibi County to make use of the service center saying, “We are calling on the people of Margibi to utilize the service center here, because if you do not use the center, services in Margibi will drop, so please utilize the services your center is offering.”
He said the Ministry intends to open more service centers in other counties, naming Gbarpolu, Rivercess and River Gee as counties already earmarked.
He clarified that the service centers will not be run on a free basis as perceived by some inhabitants of the county.
Some service centers according to him have already started generating revenue for government and there is a growing need for similar centers in other counties.
Also speaking during the meeting, the National Program Director on the National Decentralization Implementation Secretariat at the Ministry, Dr. Roosevelt G. Jayjay said the need for the establishment of similar centers in other counties is based on a survey conducted by the ministry which showed that there was need for such centers in other counties.
Dr. Jayjay noted it was important for citizens to be informed about the decentralization process and other activities surrounding it, since its aim is to benefit them.
“Since we opened the County Service Center in April, we have not had the opportunity to talk to the larger population of the counties, so this is why we started, in Kakata and in the subsequent days we will be in Wealah, after being in Buchanan last week; and this is something we will do all around the fifteen counties”, Jayjay said.
Dr. Jayjay has meanwhile noted that the availability of service centers in all counties across the country will not only ease the burden of rural dwellers but will make their livelihoods better.