Margibi County District Two Representative Ivar Kokulo Jones officially opens the District Development Council Office here.
The facility is one of several campaign promises by the lawmaker to his constituents, dedicated more than a year after he assumed office.
Rep. Jones officially broke grounds for the construction in October 2018 and promised that it would have been completed in 120 days.
While campaigning to become representative in 2017, Jones also promised voters that he would remit 50 percent of his monthly salary to the district for development. Some of the US$70,000 used for the DDC office came from the lawmaker’s remittances to the district, which is being managed by the office.
Up to December 2018, Rep. Jones reported that he had given the district up to US$37,870 and over LRD1,464,160 (US$9,267), amounting to US$47,137.
At the dedicatory ceremony recently he reminded the building is not his personal property, but belongs to the people of the district.
“Let me make it clear here today that the deeds of the land that hosts this office is not in my name. This office belongs to the people of district two, and it will be managed by the district council,” he noted.
He announced to share the office with officials of the Mboo Statutory District, who are currently in a rented space paid for by former Speaker Emmanuel Nuquay, after they were evicted from the previous placed they occupied.
Jones also told his constituents that they did not need to come to the Capitol in Monrovia to follow up on his activities or to discuss issues that affect them. Instead, he said the office would provide an avenue for them to directly interact with him.
He praised the District Development Council and its chairman, Joseph Charlie, including residents for their support that led to the project completion.
By Ramsey N. Singbeh, Jr. in Margibi –Editing by Jonathan Browne
