MONROVIA: THE OLDEST CITY IN YOUNG HANDS OF MAYOR JEFF KOIJEE

A LETTER TO MY FRIEND 

Hon. Koijee becomes the first and youngest Mayor in the History of Monrovia if confirmed.!

DEAR HONORABLE MAYOR;

Congratulations once again on your preferment as Mayor of the great City of Monrovia.

I am writing you with the highest convictions, believing that your appointment will not only be as surprising as it is to many for a young man....but that you will also surprise the nation by delivering the very exceptional change like never before. It is a great milestone to see young people of my generation taking on serious and undoubtedly, one of the most prodigious tasks of this  political era. Indeed, the long-awaited Generational Change is now. Jealously, we must protect it with all necessary support; like what I am doing in this note.

Even though my first guess was to see you at the Ministry of Youth and Sports; however, a person of your personality and connection with not just the youth community but also with a cross-spectrum of the Liberian society has the potential to do even more at the Monrovia City Corporation. Despite the enormous POLITICAL games……, leadership is not only about fate but more about the abilities and ambitions to deliver real change. I am unquestionably confident that you will provide the services to the People of Monrovia.

MY DEAR BROTHER, in public governance, there are so many forces at play, mainly those of political, and general policy demands; a leader, stay upbeat for the people you are set to serve. I once read a story in 2007 when a member of the UN Environmental Agency told a reporter of IRIN about  mountains of garbage that expanded across Monrovia, to the extent that the UN Environment Programme had to call on the government to make efforts in repairing the country’s broken system for collecting trash, stating that “There is virtually no waste management sector.”

Luckily, a decade has passed, a lot of investments have been made, so, we can safely say now is about time to build on what has been done for the past 12 years. Whatever your case may be today, been a young man like you, I have thought to share with you these few expectations, and critical steps you need to consider along the way.

THE CITY OF MONROVIA has a history of gravitating from a healthy, lovable and clean community with few elites and well-structured infrastructure system, to a gradually complex and DANGEROUSLY HAZARDOUS place to live, the population continues to upswing as a result of conflicts and internal migration. Many people’s lives have are tied to uncertain daily hustle which I call – the mix Monrovian Lifestyle. Both social challenges and crimes rates became compelling phenomenal issues for every leadership, one after the other; with threats of epidemics and the spread of diseases resulting from the burdened capacities, outstretched facilities and congestion.

AS YOU PREPARE for the task at hand, be assured that Monrovia will continue to receive new and more inhabitants, whether due to unceasing migration, newborns, or immigration. As long as the conditions that caused primary internal migrants to seek options for better living only in the city persist (the lack of road connectivity, electricity, limited entertainment or recreational activities, and opportunities for advancement); citizens from various parts of the country will continue to flock – to the City of Monrovia. Hence, your task….may be challenging as you take on; but it will continue to be more challenging shortly. I don’t mean to scare you, sir.

I ENCOURAGE YOU to carefully familiarize yourself with existing plans that your predecessors may have developed. Personally, get familiar with the turnover notes; if not available, ask your predecessor to provide you with one. Among other things, here are my suggestions for the first month at work;

• Request and review available meeting notes and policy briefs
• Review past donor files and reports
• Review your local government relations with other Government Agencies
• Review your Team portfolio, try to have private meetings with key employees
• Ask for any Strategic Plan, ROAD MAPs, and Action Plans
• Request to meet with current and most recent donors to learn and share

The purpose is to avoid duplication of efforts and ensure effective decision-making, carefully tailoring new actions that may address the achievements accordingly. Donors who are currently working with the CITY Corporation and those hoping to come may have, one way or the other, discussed or have been made aware of the prevailing challenges. They would like to hear the newest methods and strategies that would make their interventions easier and more rewarding to best serve the City for the better. Also, the Monrovians want to see a much more habitable and clean City, where they can freely move around and live their daily lives without threat or limitations. This can only be achieved through deliberate REVIEW, intensive CONSULTATIONS, and passionate ACTIONS.

REMEMBER THAT as Mayor of the CITY, despite being appointed by the president in our current political dispensation; is an elected post – answerable to the PEOPLE, the citizens. No matter how loyal you were to your party and still should be…., no matter how hard-hitting your ideologies have been and the resistance of unparalleled political maneuver, the sphere of your current obligations are the mix of POLICY for CHANGE and HOPE. You must be prepared to resist any TEMPTATION of mere POLI-TRICKS, but more towards POLICY for CHANGE and HOPE, forged by COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP.

LIBERIANS ARE VERY UNPREDICTABLE, and you do not want to create a situation where people will feel a CHANGE without HOPE in the early days of your leadership, especially being one of those critical proponents of the Pro-poor revolution that you are now officially representing. Looking back at one of your former predecessors, Madam Mary Broh, who I admire a lot, she tried to implement City Ordinance to the letter, utilized her leadership skills to drive her team to action, and ensured unconditional, straight executive measures. As we all know, after years, Liberians are now appreciating what she has done since her tenure at the City Corporation and across other agencies.

YOU MAY NOT be as lucky as Madam Mary T. Broh to stay that much longer in government until the days that people will get to realize your work; however, a mix of wise and recursive processes where every stakeholder will be able to work together in an intersection of common goals sharing knowledge, learning and building consensus, will undoubtedly put you in a suitable position and environment to realize your long-anticipated vision for the Country.

AS THE NEW CITY MAYOR, you have a lot more to face, and I will provide my thoughts here below on the most critical ones;

CRITICAL FOCUS AREAS

• Awareness of the City Ordinance Code 

To ensure adherence and effectiveness, both the implementer and the Citizens must know the City Ordinance Law. The document should be produced in simplified Liberian English, hand booklets, and distributed across the County, schools, businesses, and various institutions. Organizations and companies doing business with the City Corporation should be required to know and state in their proposals how their work relates to or support the promotion of the City Ordinance Code.

• Sanitation and Waste Management 

To improve sanitation and a manageable waste disposal system, the City Corporation will have to build an active alliance with local businesses and encourage and empower small garbage collecting enterprises at various community levels. There has to be an education for citizens, homeowners, and community businesses in partnership with companies involved in Garbage collection on the City Ordinance Code. A system to warn and reprimand violators has to be put in place. Only when homes start to comply will those in the garbage collection business see the value and be encouraged to do their best to maintain a clean community. There has also to be effective monitoring to discourage corruption and exploitation of Waste Collecting businesses at dedicated disposal sites.

Public Toilet facilities should be one of the immediate Goals. If possible, put systems to monetize public latrines and encourage private investment. This line of business is untapped in our country because ordinance laws are not eeffective adequatediscouraging or punishing public nuisance. If people are punished for urinating on Street Corners or putting feces in plastics and disposing of them, they will have no option but to use public toilet facilities.

• Beautification and Recreation

Like most parts of Liberia, Monrovia has significant natural landmarks for Tourist attractions. It will be a good thing to do a detailed analysis of specific hot spots and put in place ways to collaborate with various businesses and other government agencies to improve the outlook of these Hot spots. The City needs to design a specific Beatification Plan that will include city parks, playgrounds for children, beaches, and other waterfronts.

• Public Safety and Law Enforcement 

To ensure municipal safety and the enforcement of ordinance laws (for example, Zoning Laws), the Corporation must work with the appropriate agencies to re-open alleys; businesses that are too close to the major roads or misplaced have to be relocated or removed. Big and congested Markets must create pathways for buyers and other passers to avoid accidents. These measures are necessary for Liberians and ensure that buyers from other countries who visit our markets can have a good experience getting whatever they are looking for. Collaborate with Market Unions and Transport Unions to ensure proper order and parking places. Revitalize the public transport system accordingly with appropriate measures to ensure affordability, easy access, and guaranteed trips.

• Collaborative Leadership and Empowerment  

The focus of the Corporation should not only be on enforcing the laws but more on creating an enabling environment for the peaceful and more straightforward exercise of your duties. The more relationships you build with various stakeholders, including other governmental agencies, businesses, and the citizens, the better. It would help if you had a very dynamic Community Liaison who understands the vision of the Corporation and can network with various players.

FINALLY, encourage and support INNOVATIONS by Liberians that would transform the work of the City Corporation. Whether with donor support or local government financing, you must inspire and promote local INNOVATIONS. Many Liberians out there have ideas on how to make Monrovia clean and promote a green city. I remember in 2012, a friend of mine developed a TAXI garbage bag, which could be attached to the back of the two front seats for passengers to put dirt into. The material was made entirely from locally produced fabrics. His dream dying ended up dying for two reasons; 

1. He did not have the adequate resources to finance and promote his work. 
2. Most drivers were not that too interested because they either did not see the need to, or some felt that they would not be able to force passengers to comply. 

Suppose we can identify such innovations, promote them, and work with them by identifying and addressing together every possible challenge. In that case, we will eventually lead towards an empowered society for a REAL CHANGE.

May the almighty God bless and continue to guide and protect you and all those appointed by the President at this time to steer the affairs of our new government.

Regards,

Your Friend and Brother,

AMB. THOMAS JULO BARLUE