Monrovia – The Commercial Motor Cyclists Union of Liberia (CMYUL) has honored President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for her exemplary leadership role as Liberia and Africa’s first democratically elected female President that has led the maintenance of peace in the country.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh – [email protected]
At a rare and well-organized program at the Monrovia City Hall on Sunday, October 5, the president of the CMTUL, John F. Kenyor said President Sirleaf has created an enabling environment for them to thrive and improve their lives.
“We have agreed that it is impossible for the government to employ all of its citizens.”
“But you as a General who knows and understands the struggles of the downtrodden masses decided to bring in the issues of commercial motorcyclists; and we are pleased that we took advantage of that and today some of us are benefiting immensely. We say thank you Madam President,” Kenyor averred.
He noted that since the inception of the CMTUL’s leadership in 2015, there have been significant transformation in the conduct of the motorcyclists’ activities, something he attributed to the cooperation and astute leadership role exhibited by the Deputy Police Commissioner for operation, Abraham Kromah and the support of other prominent citizens including Cllr. Yvette Chesson Wureh, the Establishment Coordinator of the Angie Brooks International Center (ABIC).
“You can see that the motorcyclists are no longer burning cars and police stations. We want to thank you for bringing back Col. Abraham Kromah.”
“Since he came back he has been working with us and there have been a significant level of improvements in the conduct of the motorcyclists,” he said.
In remarks, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf described the motorcyclists as professional entrepreneurs and extolled them for their immense contributions to the Liberian economy by providing transportation services throughout the country, especially the remote parts where cars are not accessible.
Describing the occasion which brought together members and officials of the Women Situation Room headed by Cllr. Yvette Chesson Wureh and former Liberia’s Foreign Minister Olubanke King Akerele and the Liberia National Police represented by Deputy Commissioner Abraham Kromah and the CMTUL leadership as a family gathering, the President thanked all of them for their effort in promoting and maintaining the peace that all Liberians now cherish.
“If your leaders did not believe in peace then you will not be able to do it. All who have come to this stage have come with the same spirit. I have been to remote villages and places that have no road. But everywhere I go there is motorcyclist union.
“And I appreciated them because there is a sick child that is been carried by motorcyclists, a pregnant mother is being saved because of the presence of motor cyclists.”
“So let me say this to you; consider each and every one of you a professional entrepreneur,” President Sirleaf intoned.
She avowed that although the government has not been able to reach the mark it set in terms of road connectivity across the country; all arrangements have been put in place by her administration to ensure the connection of all counties’ capitals with paved road is made possible by the next administration.
“That’s what we have been trying to do. We tried some. If you go around you will see many of the new roads.”
“We haven’t reached the place that we have planned to reach because of the difficulties we had from one thing to another. Sometimes the long time it takes because of our rains. When the rain starts in April or May, all of our road construction stops.”
“We have done more than that. In those cases where we lost two years because of the disease we couldn’t do anything, but I assure you that this government has already put in place all that it will take to start those roads to reach to all the counties’ capitals. When I say put in place I mean we have made all the necessary financial arrangements. But we still got to go through the public procurement process.”
“This dry season we will start some work on the Gbarnga to Lofa Road, Ganta to Tappita road.”
“The karloken to Harper road is almost ready. It has taken a bit longer than we wanted to be; it has been a bit harder than we wanted it to be, but the progress we have made is significant and we have made enough arrangement to ensure that that progress will not stop even after we leave office,” she assured.
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