– Says each Sub-political division must take responsibility for its own development
BREWERVILLE, MONTSERRADO COUNTY – As Liberia ushers in a new government and grapples with finding solutions to its development needs and promoting peace, reconciliation and security, Bishop Kortu K. Brown has reiterated his call for the Creation of “County Day” every year in Liberia. The call was previously made exactly 10 years ago during a groundbreaking ceremony organized by Montserrado County for the construction of a Multi-purpose Electoral District # 17 Headquarters building in Brewerville/Virginia, Montserrado County.
At the time, Bishop Brown argued that the annual July 26 celebration comes to a county once in every 10 or more years but that County Day, when enacted into law, will be celebrated each year by each county with minimum support from government. “If probably executed”, the clergyman averred at the time that “county day celebrations with parades of respective county flags and costumes will help strengthen a sense of local belonging, reconciliation, community self-help actions, etc. The schools, marketers, concessionaires, traditional people, farmers, religious community, etc. will all be involved in celebrating their county history, culture, achievements, potentials and finding solutions to their common challenges”.
At a Special Interactive Forum today with the 12th Grade Students of the Mother Tegeste Stewart Apostolic Pentecostal School (MTSS) in Brewerville, Montserrado County the call was reiterated for the creation of a local day of observance by each county, each year which will celebrate the foundation of each county by law and help instruct citizens and residents in their history, culture, traditions, challenges, etc. The interactive forum was addressed by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the school, Bishop Kortu K. Brown who is also general overseer of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church International.
The forum reviewed current events in the country, post-high-school ambitions of Liberian youths and also the proposal by the bishop to recommend to the President and Legislature of Liberia the Creation of “Annual County Day” Celebration in Liberia. “County Day”, is a proposal for each county in Liberia to commemorate the Day the County was enacted into law by an Act of the Legislature to highlight the achievements of the county in agriculture, health, education, etc., and promote its culture, peace and reconciliation, amongst others, every year. The bishop proposed that an Award be established through budgetary allocation and valued at US$250,000 to be given to the county putting up the Best County Day Performance, each year, amongst others.
The former president of the Liberia Council of Churches reiterated that his advocacy for a Day to be set aside for each county within the Republic of Liberia is intended to promote Friendship, Reconciliation, Unity, Culture, Tourism, History, Tradition and Development of each County. He argued that such day will be “celebrated through organized activities to showcase the prospects and opportunities of the people of the county in order to galvanize and engage them in self-help and collective actions for the advancement of the county, a day to promote cultural display – and diversities, to form an integral part of the program including the production / organization of floats to convey the tradition and culture”, he added.
