-As the Internal Affairs Minister invades Traditional Council
By Jerromie S. Walters
On Friday, August 2, 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Francis Nyumalin announced that Chief Zanzan Karwor is no longer the Chief of the National Traditional Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia. Minister Nyumalin announced this in a brief press conference held by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, while updating the public about their events.
According to him, their gathering in Ganta beginning today will comply with Chapter 3 of the Local Government Act of 2018 which talks about the establishment of the National Council of Chiefs of Liberia. “The 15 Chairpersons of the County Council of Chiefs will elect their National Chairperson and other members of the leadership of the National Council Chiefs, which now replaces the erstwhile National Traditional Council of Chiefs & Elders then headed by former Chairman Chief Zanzan Karwor. There will also be elections for the National Superintendent Council and City Mayor-Council. For these elections, we have written the NEC and National Civil Society Council of Liberia to join the MIA for transparency and fairness because we want to ensure there is no business as usual,” he said.
Howbeit, WomenVoices has gathered that officials of the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL) will not attend the planned events. This is because they feel disrespected by the Internal Affairs Minister’s approach towards the matter. Weeks ago, officials of the National Council of Cheifs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL) were informed that their services were no longer important to the institution, and asked by the Internal Affairs Minister to leave their offices immediately at the time.
One of our sources concisely tells us: ”The only thing I know is that the Minister went to the office and said everybody should turn their keys over (Some part of last month). The keys my office staff had and the one I had we put all together and I think they (Officials of the Internal Affairs Ministry) are already in possession of all of the offices.” To understand better, our source was quizzed if they had been to work since the time of the request by the Minister: “If the authority comes and says I don’t want to see you, who am I to stay? So I just back off.”
The embattled officials are baffled by the Internal Affairs Ministry’s actions, considering that said decision requires a procedure. “If you say the Act has been repealed I think it (Turning over) should be procedure but if you just go and say everybody leaves if you don’t leave I will break the door and change the locks or bring police then you ask for election under the law somebody will think that you are intimidating them. It is by law that election in getting to the leadership if the act has been used as an act that supposed to take over, I think procedures should be followed.”
Chief Zanzan and officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are expected to meet with the Legislature today to find a remedy to the situation. WomenVoices has established that the House has asked that the election process be halted till the controversy surrounding the local government act is settled to avoid bringing the Council to public disrepute.
Our source continued, “The Minister once called and informed us that the Local Government Act had been repealed (The Act that created the Council of Chiefs and Elders) so that means automatically Council has been dissolved but there is a procedure in doing it.”
During Minister Francis Nyumalin’s media engagement over the weekend, he said that immediately after the orientation and election which will end on Friday, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sir, will formally induct leadership of the National Council Chiefs and the Superintendent and Mayor Councils into office on Saturday, August 10th in Monrovia. “It is expected that the orientation, election, and induction activities will set the pace for full rollout of the decentralization reforms and the ARREST Agenda of Liberia,” he articulated.
However, Chief Trokon Jonathan Cee, the Vice Chair for Elders, Culture and Traditional Affairs of the Traditional Council of Chiefs and Elders of the Republic of Liberia over the weekend informed journalists that Chief Karwor remains the Chairperson of the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NCCEL). As far as we speak, Chief Zanzan Karwor is still the Chairperson for the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of the Republic of Liberia. He is not Chairman for Traditional Council so if you will be speaking of Traditional Council we don’t have a problem with that,” he said.
Chief Cee alleged that the Minister’s move contravenes the Local Government Act and asserts that Karwor and his team will continue their duties while preparing to challenge the Minister’s decision legally. “This Country called Liberia is a country by law and the local government Act for which he is speaking of, we have a serious problem with the Local Government Act because the act that enacted us into law, we came up with a name called National Council of Chiefs and Elders but the Act they repealed is National Traditional Council of Chiefs and Elders and we were not created with that name. Even if you check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you will see that name called National Council of Chiefs and Elders.”
He continues, “Even if the National Council of Chiefs and Elders was repealed, by law, then what becomes of the law? They all have breached the Local Government Act. Number 1, the President of the Republic of Liberia is still nominating Statutory Superintendent in this Country and those people are going for Confirmation to the House of Senate. Those people who passed the law, they all have breached the law.”
Chief. Zanzan Karwor has suffered extreme verbal and psychological lashes because of what many Liberians consider his uninterrupted presence in the post for over two decades. But at a gathering in Monrovia in December of last year, Chief. Zanzan Karwor, said his undisrupted existence in the position has not been prompted by personal reason (s), but because he has exhibited his best in the role throughout. Imperatively, the traditional Chief stated that the Chairmanship of the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia, as a traditional post- is not for the weak, as such; critics must allow the traditional people to decide for themselves.
“I’m not anxious for job but what you know is what you should do,” he articulates. But to obtain the position, he said: “You should be brave, you should be man, but if you fall when they touch you, then you are not qualified,” he emphasized.
The Orientation and Elections
During his media engagement over the weekend, the Internal Affairs Minister noted: “Members of the Press You are welcome to the Central Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. We have invited you here to inform the public and partners through your various media that the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be holding a weeklong Orientation and capacity-building Workshop for recently appointed local government officials and personnel of other structures of the local government of Liberia.”
He said that the orientation has been set to take place in Gompa City, Nimba from today, Monday, August 5 to Friday, August 9, 2024. “We are pleased to announce that the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia Honorable Jeremiah Kpan Koung will address the opening session and formally declare the orientation open. Over 250 participants are expected to be in attendance representing all the 15 counties as follows: a. 15 Superintendents, b. 15 County Administrative Officers, c. 15 County Development Officers, d. 15 County Finance Officers, e. 15 County City Mayors, f. 15 Chairpersons of the County Councils, g. 15 County Service Center Coordinators, h. 15 County Personnel Analysts i. 15 Chairpersons of the County Council of Chiefs, and j. 30 Vice-Chairpersons of the County Council of Chiefs (2 from county).”
Additionally, it was made known by the Internal Affairs Minister that the Minister, Deputy and Assistant Ministers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Peace Ambassador, Liberia Peacebuilding Office, National Concessions Conflict Resolution Office, Directors, and other key heads of sessions within the Ministry will form part of the orientation.
“The purpose of the Orientation and capacity building Workshop is to empower members of the Local Government structures with the requisite knowledge for them to deliver on their respective duties and functions ascribed to them by the Local Government Act of 2018.
Our objective is to increase understanding of the structures and contents of the Local Government Act of 2018 and other decentralization reforms including the revenue sharing Law. Issues of local government payroll management and the Civil Service Standing orders especially on hiring, firing, and replacement among others will be presented by the relevant personnel of government,” he said.
Moreover, he said that there will be a session where joint participants will derive strategies for coordination within local government.
“Members of the press, one of the key activities of their gathering in Gompa City will be to comply with Chapter Three of the Local Government Act of 2018, which is the establishment of the National Council of Chiefs of Liberia. The leadership and members of both Houses of the Legislature have been invited along with our development partners and the media. We again reiterate our firm commitment to ensuring that decentralization gets in full swing as firmly embark to think Liberia, love Liberia, and build Liberia, the Internal Affairs Minister said.
The Council
The National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia is an institution that represents traditional leaders in Liberia. It serves as an advisory body to the government on matters related to traditional governance, customs, and cultural practices. The council aims to preserve and promote the traditional values and customs of the diverse ethnic groups in Liberia.
The council consists of chiefs and elders from various communities across the country. Its members are chosen based on their knowledge, experience, and standing within their respective communities. The council acts as a platform for dialogue and consultation between traditional leaders and the government, helping to bridge the gap between traditional and modern governance systems.
