SANNIQUELLIE, Nimba – On April 26, Vice President Joseph N. Boakai dedicated the Nimba County Service Center in Sanniquellie. The occasion was graced by both national and local government officials, traditional leaders, women, and youth groups from across the county.

Attending the dedicatory ceremony on behalf of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Boakai called on citizens of the county to make fair use of the center for their benefit.

“The center we opened here today will serve a long list of government services for which you could have traveled all the way to Monrovia,” Boakai said.

The service center is meant to be a one-stop shop to provide documents like permits, licenses, and certificates.

“This center can only be effective when you make the best use of it. It would be of significant benefit to you when you decide to make use of the services that will be offered here,” the vice president noted.

Boakai said the service center is part of the government’s decentralization platform to bring the government closer to the people.

“We all recall that it was in February of last year when we all assembled in Gbarnga, Bong County to launch our de-concentration platform, and simultaneously host our local officials orientation workshop,” Boakai said.

“This new direction in government operations was drawn from a high-level round table for government de-concentration held on December 4, 2014, at the Monrovia City Hall. This initiative is to bring government activities closer to the people in their localities,” he added.

Also speaking at the occasion was the head of the Nimba County Administration, Fong G. Zuagele. Zuagele expressed gratitude to the Nimba County Legislative Caucus for their cooperation in fostering the developmental agenda of the county.

“I want to thank our lawmakers for this. This is not about them being willing, but it is about them being earnest to the people of Nimba,” he said.

The service center in Nimba is the third of its kind to be dedicated in the country. The first county service center was dedicated June 30, 2015, in Buchanan, Grand Bassa; while another was opened in Gbarnga, Bong on April 25.

Featured photo by Marco Castro/UN Photo