MONROVIA, Liberia — In a renewed push toward decentralization and improved sanitation across Greater Monrovia, Mayor John-Charuk Siafa on Monday, December 8, led a series of community engagements and equipment donations to local township administrations, beginning in Congo Town and extending to Garwolohn Township and the Borough of New Kru Town. The initiative is part of the Monrovia City Corporation’s (MCC) broader effort to strengthen local governance, expand community-based sanitation programs, and enhance collaboration with local administrators.
Mayor Siafa: “To Build Congo Town, the People of Congo Town Must Lead”
During a ceremony at the Congo Town Administrative Building, Mayor Siafa underscored the need for strong partnerships between MCC and township governments. He emphasized that decentralization—long called for by national leaders—is now being implemented through practical collaboration.
“The township of Congo Town and the city of Monrovia have a partnership. To build Congo Town, it has to be done by the people of Congo Town,” Siafa said.
The Mayor announced that MCC has deployed a dedicated Environmental Health and Protection team, a City Police unit, and will begin paying the salaries of 30 local sanitation workers—all residents of Congo Town—who will sweep and maintain the township’s public spaces.
“This is a different approach from the past,” he said. “For the first time, the Commissioner can see every invoice we raise, every dollar collected, and where it goes. We are building systems.”
MCC Donates Tools and Mini-Truck to Boost Street Cleaning
The donation included:
- 15 wheelbarrows
- 6 shovels
- 6 whippers
- 3 cutlasses
- 2 electric grass cutters
- 200 brooms
- 1 mini-truck for garbage transport
“This is just the start,” said Success Harris of the Mayor’s Delivery Unit. “We intend to increase the number as programs expand.”
Mayor Siafa added that MCC will also deliver paint and additional tools to support the township’s beautification efforts.
Commissioner Lahai Praises MCC: “This Mayor Is Changing Local Governance”
Commissioner Edward Horton Lahai delivered an emotional response, praising the Mayor’s leadership and partnership.
“When we got here last year, the township had only four staff, and three were unpaid volunteers for more than five years,” Lahai said. “This Mayor is the first in the history of Monrovia to give township commissioners unhindered access. Before, a mayor was like a demi-god.”
He described the donation—and MCC’s decision to pay the 30 sanitation workers—as transformational for local governance, employment, and community pride.
“To empower 30 people is almost like empowering over 700 people, because all of them have families depending on them,” he explained.
Lahai also called for greater compliance from local businesses, revealing that of the 800 businesses taxed in Congo Town, fewer than 150 have paid their dues.
“This is a challenge we cannot ignore,” he warned. “If businesses don’t contribute to the community where they operate, the community cannot develop.”
Mayor Extends Donations to Other Communities
Following the Congo Town visit, Mayor Siafa and his team continued their sanitation support tour, making similar donations to the administrations of Garwolohn Township and New Kru Town.
In these communities, he repeated his message that decentralized service delivery is key to improving citywide cleanliness, employment, and revenue generation. The Mayor assured residents that MCC intends to expand the program to every township under its jurisdiction.
Community leaders in both locations expressed gratitude for the Mayor’s outreach, saying it marks the first time in years that the city government has actively involved townships in direct sanitation planning and resource allocation.
A New Model of Decentralized City Governance
Mayor Siafa’s approach—deploying MCC staff into townships, sharing real-time financial data with commissioners, decentralizing hiring, and transferring sanitation responsibilities to local communities—has drawn praise from local leaders who say that for the first time, city–township relations feel collaborative rather than hierarchical.
“We have to appreciate the efforts of people who are trying to transform the community and the country,” Commissioner Lahai said. “This government is bringing people who want to make sure citizens receive what they deserve.”
Residents Welcome New Jobs and Clean Streets
Several residents who witnessed the ceremony said the initiative would not only improve sanitation but also help reduce unemployment and insecurity.
“This is what we’ve been hoping for,” said one resident. “If people have jobs and the township is clean, everybody benefits.”
A Growing Trend Across Monrovia
With year-end cleanup campaigns underway, the MCC says it will continue rotating across various communities to distribute cleaning equipment, launch sanitation brigades, and reinforce community-based urban management.
“This is the time now,” Mayor Siafa said. “If we don’t build systems, nothing will work. We will continue this relationship—with Congo Town and with every township.”
