Africa-Press – Liberia. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has dealt the Legislature a major setback by rejecting 11 bills seeking his approval for the creation of new townships and districts across Nimba and Lofa Counties.
In a communication to the House of Representatives, President Boakai cited “administrative and statutory deficiencies” as the basis for his veto, saying the bills fail to meet the legal standards outlined in the Local Government Act of 2018.
The 11 bills in question include nine proposing the establishment of townships in Nimba County and two seeking to create new districts—one in Nimba and another in Lofa County.
According to the President, a detailed review revealed that the proposed townships did not satisfy Section 2.16(e) of the Local Government Act of 2018, which sets out the minimum requirements for the creation of townships and boroughs.
The Act mandates that any area seeking township status must have a population of at least 5,000 residents, functional waste disposal systems, access to education and healthcare, and sports and recreational facilities. It also requires cemetery grounds, reliable transportation and communication systems, and the presence of business services such as restaurants and retail shops.
Given Liberia’s existing infrastructure gaps — including limited access to basic services, high unemployment, and poor road networks — the President emphasized the need to ensure that any proposed township fully meets these benchmarks.
He further noted that the bills lacked clearly defined geographical boundaries, an essential requirement for the legal establishment of political subdivisions.
Regarding the two proposed districts, President Boakai said they also failed to meet the statutory criteria outlined in Section 2.15 of the same Act, which governs the establishment of Sub-County Local Governments, including Administrative Districts.
Section 2.15(a) stipulates that all statutory districts remain in effect for seven years following the Act’s passage, during which the Ministry of Internal Affairs must retire all district employees — after which such districts are to be dissolved.
Additionally, Section 2.15(b) states that administrative districts must be managed by a District Advisory Council, District Commissioner, Administrative Officer, Finance Officer, and Development Officer.
President Boakai said the two bills under review failed to clarify whether the proposed districts were statutory or administrative in nature, thereby making their approval legally untenable.
In a related development, President Boakai has submitted to the Legislature a new bill titled “An Act to Establish the Civil Service Commission,” in fulfillment of Article 89 of the 1986 Constitution, which calls for the creation of autonomous public commissions.
The proposed law seeks to repeal the pre-1986 Civil Service Agency Act and replace it with an independent and autonomous Civil Service Commission. The body will be empowered to regulate, supervise, and promote merit-based standards within the Liberian Civil Service and the broader public sector.
According to the President, the new Commission will “guarantee fair access to employment, advancement, and decent working conditions for civil servants,” while institutionalizing accountability and professionalism across government.
He said the legislation represents a major step in his administration’s ongoing efforts to modernize the civil service under the ARREST Agenda, emphasizing administrative reform, transparency, and improved service delivery.
The proposed Act has been forwarded to the relevant committee for review and is expected to be reported back to plenary within two weeks.
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