Community Forum seeks budgetary support

The National Chairman for the Community Watch Forum of Liberia (CWFL) I. Nyenati Kaffey, is appealing to the 53rd Liberian Legislature to include the Forum in the FY 2015/16 National Budget.

He said since the establishment of the Forum in 2004 in collaboration with the United Nations Mission in Liberia or UNMIL, it has been self-supported, which according to him, makes it very difficult to adequately perform its duties.

Chairman Kaffey made the appeal recently at his office on Ashmun Street office in Monrovia in an exclusive interview. He said the official function of the Community Watch Forum is to buttress effort of national security in combating crimes and criminals in the society.

Chairman Kaffey said currently, the Forum is operating in areas where the Liberia National Police (LNP), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) cannot reach to provide security protection for residents.

He said the Forum operates in 73 electoral districts across Liberia, but mainly concentrates on counties along the borders with Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Guinea to avoid human and drugs trafficking, and smuggling of goods.

Kaffey said failure of lawmakers to include the Forum in the National Budget currently before the House of Representatives would hamper the Forum’s effectiveness. By Bridgett Milton – Editing by Jonathan Browne