MONROVIA – Monsterrado District Two lawmaker, Jimmy W. Smith, Saturday, December 29, 2019 rendered an account of the stewardship of his representation in the last legislative year with an appeal to the citizenry to buttress the effort of government in achieving the Pro-Poor agenda.
Saturday’s event commemorates the lawmaker’s first year in office and marks a fulfillment of his commitment during the campaign to render to the citizenry, through town hall meetings with various segments of the society, account of his administration’s performance at the end of every legislative year.
Addressing citizens, lawmaker Smith said the continued development and transformation of the district would only be possible with the full cooperation of the citizenry.
The lawmaker, who enumerated the various projects executed across the district during the legislative period under review, appealed to the citizenry, saying: “Your support, peaceful co-existence, tolerance are all that we ask for, to make your aspirations materialize”.
Beginning with his trip to the United States of America during his break, where he met the Board Chairman of Fairfax County, Virginia, Madam Sharon Bulova, Smith said he asked for Front-hand loaders, trucks, text books, computers, and school buses for the district and said he was optimistic that his appeal would be accepted. “I am very sure that all that I appealed for during my visit to the United States of America would come to fruition in the near future,” Rep Smith said.
“Fairfax is a very blessed county that will hopefully consider the appeal I made on behalf of the district during my constituency break. I want to use this occasion to express thanks and appreciation to Chairman Bulova for the overwhelming reception that was accorded him and for allowing him to present a formal communication from the district for a special sisterly and humanitarian relationship between the people of Electoral District No. 2, Montserrado County and the great people of Fairfax county, Virginia,” he said.
The lawmaker also used the occasion to inspired residents of his district to remain hopeful for improvement in the district including school infrastructures, neighborhood roads, sanitation etc.
In the Education Sector, Rep. Smith expressed joy that more students are getting into vocational school from his scholarship scheme, which, according to him, showed an increase in the number of candidates from 110 to 316.
Expressing optimism that his administration is heading in the right direction in terms of its new education policies the lawmaker added.
Responding to the report, the Chairman of the District Development Council, Mr. Gregory Blamo appreciated Hon. Smith for living up to Chapter three, Article 15 (b) of the Liberian Constitution, which has to do with fundamental rights among which is the right to information.
Blamo also applauded the lawmaker for personally undertaking several initiatives, especially in the face of the economic meltdown that the country is currently face with.
Some of the initiatives, according to him, include: the admittance of 316 students at the Monrovia Vocational Training Center (MVTC), the reconditioning of community roads, the donation of cash and materials to community based organizations, an effort to structure the district into a WARD SYSTEM that strengthen and give municipal empowerment to community leaders. Finally, his consistent advocacy to central government for the improvement of roads network, healthcare, sanitation, safe drinking water, and security in the district among other things.
Meanwhile, citizens who attended the program lauded the lawmaker for his administrative style and passion for development, stressing that his emergence as lawmaker for the district was an answer to their prayers for someone who would be a unifying factor and a developer.
They said the District is very fortunate to have Smith as lawmaker, adding that the values for which District Two people are known are being restored under his administration.
They asserted that the first year of the lawmaker’s tenure was characterized by integrity, hard work and performance; urging the lawmaker to continue to make these values the watchwords of his administration in the third half of his tenure.