Monrovia – The organizing committee for Lofa’s 60th anniversary celebration has announced ongoing discussions with the authorities of Bong, Nimba, and Grand Gedeh Counties to expand the festivities and include their participation.
The four political subdivisions were granted county status under the administration of Liberia’s longest-serving president, William V. S. Tubman in 1964.
In a statement, the organizing committee, through its chairman Senator Joseph Jallah, stated that the “original dates of July 15-20, 2024, are currently under review due to discussions with the other three counties’ authorities and the national government, which are now in their final stages.”
Senator Jallah explained: “These counties were established together by the late President William V. S. Tubman of Liberia in 1964. Therefore, plans are in place to expand the anniversary celebrations beyond Lofa County to include Bong, Nimba, and Grand Gedeh, with events to be held jointly in Voinjama City, Lofa County. A new date will be announced soon.”
He continued, “As the program committee, in close consultation with the leadership of the Lofa County 60th Anniversary Team, listens to insightful and positive critical voices, I, as your Senator, call for calm and restraint. Planning and executing such a pioneering event as the Lofa County 60th Anniversary Celebration can be challenging and requires the input of all our best minds.”
Senator Jallah stated that since the inception of the idea to celebrate Lofa’s 60 years as a county, the organizing committee has anticipated both agreement and disagreement; adding that members have prepared themselves for the usual condemnations, doubts, in-house conflicts, disapprovals, and disappointments but have remained focused and open to suggestions and recommendations.
“We assure the citizens of Lofa and the global community to ignore all recent rumors suggesting that the event will be postponed until November or December,” he added.
Organizers noted that the event, occurring after contentious elections, aims to unify Lofa and, by extension, the three other counties that are expected to form part of the celebration.