Senator Abraham Darius Dillon of Montserrado County, along with several members of the Liberian Senate, is calling for the leadership structure inherited from the former Ministry of Internal Affairs to vacate positions now operating under the newly established Ministry of Local Governance, stressing that the law establishing the new institution requires presidential nominations.
The concern surfaced during Senate session after Edwin Melvin Snowe raised the matter on the floor, prompting a debate among lawmakers on the proper implementation of the Local Government Act of 2018, which formally transitioned the Ministry of Internal Affairs into the Ministry of Local Governance as part of Liberia’s decentralization reform agenda.
Lawmakers argued that the enactment of the Local Government Act effectively ended the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, thereby giving birth to a new institution that must be led by officials appointed specifically to the Ministry of Local Governance.
Speaking during the deliberations, Senator Dillon emphasized that the Legislature had already taken steps to ensure the transition from the old ministry to the new one and that the time has come for concrete action to align the leadership with the law.
“It is just about taking action and taking concrete steps. We dissolved the Ministry of Internal Affairs and created the Ministry of Local Government in line with the general intent and vision of this administration so as to conform with the Local Government Act of 2018,” Dillon said.
The Montserrado lawmaker further noted that the Senate allowed a transition period to facilitate the change from Internal Affairs to Local Governance but insisted that officials appointed under the former ministry should now undergo a new nomination process.
“We took the liberal action to give about six months and more for transition from Internal Affairs to Local Government, and those appointed by the President in the Ministry of Internal Affairs that require Senate confirmation—the proposition is not present. There will be new nominations so that it can reflect the new ministry,” he stated.
Dillon also expressed concern that officials of the former ministry are still performing functions across the country, even though the legal framework establishing the new ministry requires a reconstitution of leadership.
“I have now observed that what I believe to be the former Minister of Internal Affairs is going across the country. He was in Indiana about two weeks ago informing people about the new ministry. I believe that the current minister of the abolished Ministry of Internal Affairs should not be acting in that position right now,” Dillon said.
According to him, the Senate’s action to establish the Ministry of Local Governance must be followed by corresponding executive actions to ensure full compliance with the law.
“Listen, it should be deliberate. Our message to the President is clear. All those of the former Ministry of Internal Affairs should exist for procedural access until the President decides that he still wants them, but in the new Ministry of Local Government there will be nominations to this body,” Dillon added.
He stressed that laws passed by the Legislature must be respected and implemented to preserve the integrity of governance.
“When we pass laws and those laws are not implemented or they are overlooked, then it becomes a problem. I am soliciting the support of the plenary by vote because our action was to enact the Ministry of Local Government,” he said.
Dillon also clarified that officials currently serving may be doing so at the pleasure of the President but reiterated the need for proper nominations under the new ministry’s framework.
“No offence to anyone; they may be serving at the pleasure of the President. But our action was to enact the Ministry of Local Government, and it must follow the legal process,” he noted.
Following the deliberations, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate, acknowledged the concerns raised and took possession of the matter for further consultation.
According to Senate leadership, the issue will be discussed with relevant authorities before a final determination is made on the next course of action regarding the leadership of the Ministry of Local Governance.
