By Shallon S. Gonlor
shallonsgonlor@gmail.com
NIMBA COUNTY — In a defense of local governance, Representative Nyahn G. Flomo of Nimba County Electoral District #2 has publicly condemned a growing push among his legislative colleagues to amend Article 2.2 of the historic Local Government Act of 2018, labeling the move as premature and a direct threat to Liberia’s decentralization and democratic progress.
Rep. Flomo articulated his position in a formal communication addressed to the 55th Legislature, urging his fellow lawmakers to uphold the existing law rather than undermine it before it has been fully realized. He argued that the Act itself is not the issue, but rather the lack of political will and resources dedicated to its implementation.
“The call is not to reject reform, but to defend a vision that Liberia already adopted, a vision embedded in the Local Government Act of 2018,” Rep. Flomo stated. He employed a striking metaphor to drive his point home, likening amending the unimplemented law to “blaming the blueprint for the cracks in an unfinished building.”
The Risks of Amendment
The representative outlined a series of severe consequences he believes would follow the repeal of Article 2.2. He warned that such an action would critically undermine the entire decentralization process by stripping away hard-won local autonomy and recentralizing power in the hands of national politicians in Monrovia. Furthermore, he argued it would eliminate essential checks and balances at the county level, stifle community participation and representation, and ultimately weaken local service delivery and development planning, leaving rural communities further behind.
At the heart of the debate is Article 2.2, the provision that established and empowered County Councils across Liberia. Designed to promote grassroots governance and citizen participation, each council is composed of nine members representing a cross-section of society, including women’s groups, youth, persons with disabilities, civil society organizations, and traditional leadership. Rep. Flomo contends that these councils are the bedrock of participatory democracy and must be given a chance to function as intended.
Implementation, Not Amendment
Rather than dismantling the framework, Rep. Flomo proposed a constructive path forward centered on strengthening the Act’s implementation. His recommendations include rigorously enforcing the existing law, drafting comprehensive regulations to clarify roles and responsibilities, and building administrative capacity at the county and district levels. He also emphasized the need for robust monitoring through periodic evaluations and the urgent provision of consistent funding and training for local authorities to ensure their success.
In his concluding remarks, Rep. Flomo made an impassioned plea to his colleagues, asserting that “we don’t need to rewrite Article 2.2; we need to implement it with integrity, consistency, and political will.” He firmly declared his opposition to any amendment, stating, “Article 2.2 is not the problem. It is the promise. And that promise, of participatory democracy, local development, and service delivery, is one we have made to the Liberian people. Let us not break that promise.”
