Cape Mount Youth Elect New Corps of Officers
As FLY Puts Them through 2-Day Seminar, By Alaskai Moore Johnson from Gr. Cape Mount Co.
Published: 21 October, 2008
MONOROVIA, Young people from across Liberia border County of Grand Cape Mount have elected a new corps of officers who will steer their County's secretariat for the next two years. This election came after several visits to that County by officials of the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY) to settle disputes that had engulfed a youth coalition that was in charge of the young people's activities for the past year.
The formation of the secretariat also brings to an end the coalition that had existed.
Before the election on Sunday, October 19, 2008 in Tienii, Tawor District, members of the FLY delegation schooled participants in various topics, including developing effective leadership skills, advocacy and resource mobilization. Another subject was on understanding the relationship between the County and national secretariats.
The 60 delegates, 12 from each of the five districts, using the democratic process, voted into offices, on a “white ballot”, the three contested positions. The positions included County Coordinator, Assistant Program Officer and Assistant Financial Officer. Five other positions are available but will be filled by appointments under the gavel of Thomas Bai Massaquoi, who was the lone candidate for the County Coordinator post. He is going to carry on the appointments in consultation with Shelk Sonii and S. Gbessay Sonii, the other two lone candidates who won the Assistant Program Officer and Assistant Financial Officer posts respectively.
The 60 delegates, all young people and a few observers came from Kporkpa, Tawor, and Gola Konneh districts. Other districts from which the voters came from are Garwula and Commonwealth, which comprises Robertsport, the county's capital, Tombey and Talla.
According to Augustine Zayzay, the FLY head of delegation that went to Cape Mount County to observe and help conduct this democratic process, said the secretariat, which would also be established in other counties, would coordinate and supervise the affairs of the young people in each county and would make reports on their activities to the Federation's headquarters on Camp Johnson Road in Monrovia.
He also disclosed that the formation of the secretariats in the counties is sponsored by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Christian Children Fund (CCF). Another sponsor, he disclosed, is ActionAid.
Another member of the FLY delegation, Jerry B. Tarbolo, Jr., said the process in Cape Mount was “a litmus test” for the establishment of other secretariats. As the process was “free, fair and transparent”, under the watchful eyes of Abraham Kromah, Asst. NEC's Gr. Cape Mount Magistrate, the UNMIL Cape Mount Civil Affairs Coordinator, Gibril Allan Turay, the County representative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Sundayfu Massalay, the FLY delegation and observers, a female delegate of FLY, Ms. H. Madia Peters, said: “We thought we would have received tough ride here in Cape Mount; we can now proceed to other counties to establish the secretariats that will help young people cater for their own activities in their respective counties.”
She further urged the elected gentlemen to also include females in their appointments to the remaining vacant posts. “You people should please consider including two females, at least, in the remaining positions,” she pleaded.
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