Monrovia – As part of an important national conversation on the African Peer Review mechanism (APRM) Liberia Country, the celebration of the 19th series of APRM national outreach and sensitization campaign was held at the Paynesville City Hall.
Report by J.H. Webster Clayeh – [email protected]
The campaign is aimed at creating massive awareness about the APRM framework for the general public ahead of the conduct of the country’s Self-Assessment Study by the Technical Research Institutes (TRI).
Serving as chief launcher at the program Thursday, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who happens to be the former Chairperson of the APRM forum of Head of States said the sensitization campaign that has taken place in every part of the country is aimed at getting the people to know the purpose of APRM.
President Sirleaf said Liberia has not been ready for the sensitization campaign, but with the message going all over the country, Liberians can now prepare themselves to meet up with what other countries have achieved.
“So, now at least everybody knows the basic of what it is all about. It makes it easier for our Superintendents, for our Mayors, for our Ministers, for our local governments to appreciate why they had to do what they had to do to make Liberia stronger in those areas so when we compete with Serra Leone, Ghana, and Ivory Coast we can also be able to say we have made it,” Pres. Sirleaf said.
President Sirleaf added: “Many of them are ahead of us because they started the process long time but at least now we’ve started it and we hope we can move at a fast pace so when the Minster presents his first report at the next African Union Submit, I think he is going to get a lot of praises in this short period of time.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Governance Commission and former Chairperson of the Panel of Eminent Persons of the APRM Dr. Amos Sawyer said although the country is not fully Peer Reviewed, it had been courageous their endeavor.
With lots of conversation being taking place around the country, Dr. Sawyer cautioned that as the country goes into a transitional period, the incoming government should protect and build upon the gains the country had made over the time.
Dr. Sawyer: “It is not an Ellen Johnson Sirleaf process, it is a process where Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as leader of Liberia exceeded to on behalf of Liberia.
It is owned by the Liberian people, it is a commitment that our country had made and I think it is binding on the successive government”.
Earlier speaking, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning Boima Kamara said he is delighted that the country is on the track to continue the process of national awareness and sensitization with citizens and stakeholders across the 15 political subdivisions.
“Eighteen out of the nine outreach and sensitizations activities have been held in the 15 counties.
These launches are a clear manifestation of the emphasis we place on the involvement of the local population in the APRM process, instead of focusing on Montserrado County alone,” he said.
The MFDP boss further stated that instead of Liberia relying on international actors the APRM will help the country evaluate its own performances.