Peacebuilding Office ends Citizens’ engagement training

Peacebuilding Office engaged citizens from three counties about application of Local Government Act

By Thomas Domah, Nimba County

Sanniquellie, Nimba County, Liberia, March 6, 2024 – The Liberia Peacebuilding Office from the Ministry of Internal Affairs has ended three days of training in Sanniquellie, Nimba County attended by participants from Lofa, Montserrado, and Nimba counties.

The training was aimed at introducing new developmental approaches and methodology for county local development purposes.

The new approach and methodology will ensure that citizens have ownership, leadership, and sustainability of local development activities in their respective areas.

The exercise is based on the Local Government Act Chapter two that focuses on county councils.

Speaking to reporters at the end of the training in Sanniquellie, Nimba, the Liberia Peacebuilding Office executive director Edward K. Mulbah said, the approach will help accelerate development efforts to bring government closer to citizens in rural areas and improve their well-being.

He explained that the new methodology will help to foster peace, non-violence, social cohesion and promote sustainable development activities.

“The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) through the Liberia Peacebuilding Office is taking concrete steps to operationalize the local government law within the decentralization framework, ” he revealed.

Director Mulbah referred to the methodology as participatory rural appraisal for planning, designing, and evaluating locally generated projects and programs.

He said the intervention is founded by the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue with support from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF).

He challenged participants to apply the skills and knowledge acquired in the implementation of the local government law.

Nimba County Council Chairperson, Executive Director for CHESS – Liberia, and National CSO Council Co-Chairman John Alexander Nyahn, Jr., told reporters that they have embarked on creating awareness to provide citizens opportunities to know the Local Government Act.

Chairman Byahn explained that the week-long engagement covered the Local Government Act and the Land Right Act, among others.

According to himself, the Local Government Act will help to enhance transparency and accountability at both local and national government levels, while promoting peace, development, and social cohesion amongst citizens and their leaders. Editing by Jonathan Browne