Monrovia– The Acting Chairman of the Governance Commission (GC), Alaric K. Tokpa, has said Liberia’s history has for too long been told in fragments, shaped by exclusion, silence and selective memory, and now is the time to rebuild it inclusively,

By Jaheim T. Tumu-jaheim.tumu@frontpageafricaonline.com

Tokpa made the statement at a one-day Policy Dialogue on the Revitalization and Rewriting of an Inclusive and Comprehensive History of Liberia.

The dialogue, which was held under the theme: “History of the Nation-State: Pathway to Reconciliation, Healing, and Peace,” brought together Liberia’s historians, officials of government, civil society actors, international partners, student leaders and the media.

Delivering remarks, Tokpa said the nation cannot thrive on “partial truths,” there it is a call to historians, educators, policymakers, and citizens alike to embrace the complexity of our past and to write a history that reflects the full range of Liberian identity.

“For far too long, the story of Liberia has been told in fragments, often shaped by exclusion, silence, and selective memory. Yet, to be healthy, a nation cannot thrive on partial truths. Liberia needs reconciliation, healing, and peace; all of which require that we remember our past, promote understanding, and build peace by acknowledging the voices that shape our collective journey,” he stated.

 He urged Liberians to write a history that embraces indigenous communities, settlers, and those who endured conflict and displacement.

 “This dialogue is a call for writing a history that will record and honor both suffering and triumph; a history that will not shy away from uncomfortable truths, but rather use them as stepping stones toward justice, freedom, popular participation, and unity,” Tokpa pointed out.

 Tokpa emphasized inclusivity: “Let us ensure that we write a national history of Liberia that will not be a mere document, but a mirror of ourselves; a reflection of the experiences, dignity, resilience, and diversity of all Liberians.”

 He added that students, youth, women, traditional leaders, and religious institutions must be remembered in the reconstruction of Liberia’s story. “Let this dialogue be more than a reflection; it must be about recommitment—telling the story of a country where history becomes an instrument for social justice, peace, and unity.”

Tokpah revealed that the Governance Commission holds a depository of materials from the earlier Liberia National History Project (LNHP), which stalled due to a lack of funding. These materials, he said, would be made available to the team or structures that will continue the history writing project.”

“As we embark on this journey together, may we be guided by humility, courage, and a shared vision: that through truth-telling, we can foster reconciliation; through understanding, we can nurture healing; and through collective memory and love for each other, we can build enduring peace,” Tokpa said.

Giving an overview of the LNHP, Commissioner Cytirus Kerbay reminded participants that one of the key recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was the rewriting of an inclusive and comprehensive general history of Liberia.

 “For too long, our national history has centered mainly on the arrival of settlers in 1822, while giving little attention to the peoples, cultures, and contributions that predated their arrival. This imbalance has left the historical narrative incomplete and, at times, divisive,” Kerbay said.

She explained that the LNHP was created to “develop a history that belongs to all Liberians, settlers and indigenous alike” and to foster reconciliation, unity, and peace.

 According to Kerbay, the project seeks to foster reconciliation and healing in the post-war era, strengthen national identity and unity, promote historical consciousness among the people of Liberia, and serve as a foundation for peace and social cohesion.

 She explained that in 2013, a national history conference envisioned four volumes of textbooks and a new curriculum. “Unfortunately, due to limited funding, the process slowed and was never fully realized,” Kerbay noted. The new dialogue, she said, is “a renewed call to action, shaping a future where every Liberian can see themselves in the national story.”

 Also speaking, former Head of Office of UNESCO Liberia, Stevenson Seidi, lamented that while Liberia has a rich history, it has “been told mostly from a one-sided perspective.”

 “We are the first African republic, yet our national story is clouded by divisions between settler and indigenous communities, between inclusion and exclusion, between memory and silence,” he said. “While we respect the settlers who landed here, it is right to indicate that the history they told was unbalanced, deceptive, biased, and discriminatory.”

 Seidi warned that an exclusive narrative could “deepen mistrust and prolong wounds of bitterness that could ignite or replay the 1980 coup and 1990 civil crisis.”

 He called for memorials, museums, oral history projects, and curricula that reflect all perspectives.

 He also questioned Liberia’s system of national honors: “Are these African or truly native Liberia Orders of Distinction? It appears these are European-style Orders. It is my strong opinion that these orders need to be revisited and revised.”

 “An inclusive history teaches us that peace is not the absence of war, but the presence of justice, dignity, and belonging for all,” Seidi said.

 He urged the government to take ownership of the project, while working with UNESCO and Liberian historians at home and abroad.

 “Our task is not to erase the past, but to expand it—to weave together the voices, memories, and dreams of all Liberians into one shared narrative. Only then can history become a true pathway to reconciliation, healing, and peace,” Seidi said.

Monrovia – The Acting Chairman of the Governance Commission (GC), Alaric K. Tokpa, has opened a two-day policy dialogue with a stark reminder that the future of Liberia’s capital depends on bold reforms in leadership, inter-agency coordination and sustainable financing.

By Jaheim T. Tumu- jaheim.tumu@frontpageafricaonline.com

 Speaking under the theme: “Improving Monrovia City Administration Through Effective Leadership, Proper Coordination, and Resource Mobilization,” Tokpa framed the gathering as a “deliberate and strategic intervention” to chart the city’s governance future, not a ceremonial talk shop.

“The question before us is not whether change is needed, but how we will shape that change to reflect the values of inclusion, accountability, and sustainability,” Tokpa declared.

 The forum comes at a time when Monrovia’s growth—demographically, spatially and institutionally—is stretching the city beyond its traditional boundaries, creating new opportunities but also deepening governance challenges.

 Tokpa said the dialogue will scrutinize the legal and institutional frameworks defining Monrovia’s status in Liberia’s decentralization drive, evaluate the city’s preparedness for climate risks, assess service delivery equity, and explore innovative financing models.

 He hailed the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, stressing that the institution would “anchor our deliberations in the realities of public finance and institutional reform” and help bridge the gap between aspirations and execution.

 “Effective city administration is not a luxury; it is a necessity. It determines how services are delivered, how citizens are represented, and how opportunities are distributed,” Tokpa stressed. “In a city as dynamic and diverse as Monrovia, trust must be earned daily through transparency, responsiveness, and strategic foresight.”

 Tokpa underscored the Governance Commission’s commitment to inclusive dialogue, evidence-based policymaking, and accountable cooperation between institutions, framing Monrovia’s transformation as a constitutional obligation, not a political option.

 Referencing President Joseph Nyumah   Boakai’s call for mobilizing “all sensibilities and sensitivities” for national growth, Tokpa praised the MFDP Minister Augustin K. Ngafuan for “moving the execution of Liberia’s national development agenda in the right direction.”

 The acting Chairman said Liberia must now decide whether to reaffirm Monrovia’s traditional city status or redefine it to match “changing times and new realities.”

“History now summons us to gather all our understandings, deep feelings, and emotional responses in the national interest,” he said, urging participants to produce actionable outcomes that will make Monrovia more inclusive, resilient, and responsive.

The two-day dialogue is expected to end with a set of concrete recommendations aimed at reshaping the capital’s governance framework, potentially setting the tone for broader decentralization reforms across Liberia.

 In his remarks, Monrovia City Mayor, John-Charuk S. Siafa, warned that Liberia’s capital is heading toward deeper governance chaos and crippling fiscal dependency unless decisive reforms are undertaken to streamline authority, clarify mandates, and overhaul the city’s revenue systems.

 Siafa said that Monrovia’s governance structure has become so fragmented that “leadership alone cannot deliver transformation” without urgent structural reforms.

“The urgency cannot be overstated,” Mayor Siafa declared. “Monrovia’s future will be determined by the choices we make now — whether we allow fragmentation and dependency to persist, or whether we commit to decisive reforms that secure strong governance, fiscal independence, and integrated service delivery.”

 Siafa traced Monrovia’s legal and administrative framework back to the 1922 Act establishing the Commonwealth District and the 1973 Act creating the City Government of Monrovia, laws which empowered the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) to manage urban services, regulate development, and pass municipal ordinances — provided these did not conflict with national laws.

 But over the decades, adjacent townships such as Congo Town, West Point, New Georgia, and the Borough of New Kru Town — all reporting to the Ministry of Internal Affairs — have created jurisdictional overlaps with MCC, which reports directly to the President. This dual reporting structure, Siafa argued, has made coordination and accountability “more difficult and less effective.”

 Adding to the confusion, several national agencies have taken over responsibilities once held by MCC without corresponding reforms to the city’s governing laws. The Mayor cited zoning laws passed in 1958, once enforced by municipal zoning officers, now largely under the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) — despite the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) also holding land planning functions.

 “We have MPW, LLA, and other agencies all involved in land use decisions without clearly defined boundaries,” Siafa said. “This creates duplication, conflicting mandates, and reduced capacity for coherent city planning.”

He outlined five systemic weaknesses: unclear jurisdictional boundaries, fragmented governance, erosion of MCC’s original mandates, fiscal dependency on the central government, and regulatory gaps in environmental and vegetation management.

He warned that weak institutions are fueling unplanned urban sprawl, worsening infrastructure decay, expanding informal settlements, and driving away investment due to uncertain permitting and poor enforcement of building and environmental standards.

 Fiscal dependency, he stressed, is particularly damaging. “With limited control over its revenue base, MCC cannot respond effectively to population growth, address infrastructure deficits, or innovate in service delivery,” the Mayor said.

 Siafa’s proposed solutions which will create a permanent metropolitan coordination body involving MCC, MPW, LLA, EPA, and LRA to harmonize policies and investments.

Accordingly, reforming the MCC Act to clarify service mandates and eliminate overlaps, implementing fiscal reforms such as enforcing property tax revenue sharing, introducing service fees, and fostering public-private partnership integrating service delivery frameworks to leverage external expertise while maintaining MCC oversight and strengthening regulatory enforcement to streamline permits, enforce building codes, and attract investment.

He called for direct appeal to both the central government and Monrovia’s citizens: “By addressing these challenges with unity of purpose, political will, and a commitment to modern, inclusive urban management, we can build a Monrovia that honors its rich history while meeting the needs of a growing, 21st-century city.”