-As a major cleaning-up campaign begins in April

The Inter-Governmental Agency Taskforce on City Cleaning has disclosed a plan to keep Monrovia, Paynesville cities, and its environs 

clean. The Inter-Governmental Agency Taskforce on city cleaning is made of the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC), Paynesville City Corporation (PCC), Ministry of Public Works, Liberia National Police (LNP) and Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC).

The pronouncement was made on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at a major press conference held at the Ministry of Public Works organized by the Inter-Governmental Taskforce on City Cleaning. Giving the background of the task force, Prince Andrews from the MCC said the task force intends to ensure that the cities of Monrovia and its sister city Paynesville are clean.

Mr. Andrews said consultations begin with the ministries and agencies of government for the joint effort to address the mirage and marry of challenges they faced ranging from disorganized markets and disorganized streets. He said there was a need to employ measures in support of climate change and resilience as well as people taking out the mantle of authority for local ownership in terms of promoting the two cities’ development initiatives.

According to him, the overall objective of the task force is to mitigate the byline set that only the government should be the one to ensure sanity within the city. “We say no. this taskforce is saying that it is everyone’s business to ensure that the city is clean AND Liberians particularly local dwellers, residents should take the lead with this,” he said.

Also speaking, the Minister of Public Works Roland Layfette Giddings in a statement at the press conference said that Liberia’s capitol, its surroundings, and other cities are filthy and the government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai is concerned about the situation is why the Inter-Governmental Agency Taskforce on city cleaning is set up to be able to clean up the cities and enhance sanitation.

Minister Giddings said that one of the development agenda of the government is sanitation and the President is concerned about making sure that the cities are clean.

He highlighted that the Ministry of Public Works is glad to be a part of the task force and to ensure that the drainage system around the capitol and its environs is clean.

“We spoke about the issues of street selling and other activities that are done within the streets and even on the sidewalks can also be a big contributor to the dirt. You see some of the streets for example the Gurley and Benson Streets intersection the drainage system there is not working because of the dirt that is made as a result of street selling; we are concerned about that,” he indicated.

According to the Public Works Minister, as part of the cleanup process, there will be the removal of misshape structures along the corridors, and streets, especially the sidewalks.

He added that the task force will make sure that there is access to the different communities which they have already started doing a lot of work on.

Minister Giddings mentioned that the Ministry of Public Works has begun the marking of structures that are identified to be in the alley and they are going through the process in the different courts where necessary calling for a hearing of citizens whose property is affected.

“So, we have some demolition taking place. The entire purpose of this task force is to make sure we have our city clean and look like other cities that we admire and talk about. We can do the same and look like other beautiful African cities. Liberians are not dirty people, we just have to step up and do what is right so, we are excited to be part of this and for us to collaboratively work together to make sure that we can begin cleaning our cities,” Minister Gidding emphasized.

He said that the cleanup exercise is expected to begin in the first week of April 2024 adding that “it is a consolidated effort and as they go along other agencies and ministries can come onboard to make this a successful task force; and the matter is to keep the cities clean because it is a priority”.

For his part, the Monrovia City Mayor, John Charuk Siafa said the press conference is an important communication exercise to inform the public on actions the task force is about to take. Mayor Siafa described that the cleanup exercise is a unique activity because it is homogeneous and brings together key players to unify around a particular goal.

He said that as a government they have a strategy that is built but it can only be possible with the involvement of the citizens.

“As part of our community engagement strategy, we are starting today to engage with you and as a responsible government, we will continue as we go along the way. We will inform, engage, and have an understanding of working together. We want this to be the last result,” he noted.

The Monrovia City Mayor said that the task force has been having several consultative meetings and it is important to note that they have also met with the Petty Traders Association, Liberia Marketing Association, Motorcycle and Tricycle Unions who are key stakeholders in the process.

Mayor Siafa continued that the exercise will go out in faces starting with central Monrovia and other parts that they see fit because there is a key hotspot. He told the public that the exercise is not a one-day event but an ongoing exercise until they achieve their desired goal. He said they will continue to engage and inform the public as they go along.

Meanwhile, Mayor Siafa said the task force seek the cooperation of the public. He also encourages other stakeholders to join the team emphasizing that they have an excellent working relationship in achieving this goal. 

By: Leila B. Gbati

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