MONROVIA, Montserrado – On Tuesday, July 26, the country is poised to celebrate its 169^th anniversary as an independent nation in Montserrado.

Earlier, it was announced that independence celebration events would be hosted in the southeast of the country by Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, and Maryland. However, Maryland Senator Gble-Bo Brown announced in January that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf had informed the leadership of the three counties that they would not host the celebrations due to budgetary constraints and inadequate road networks.

On Thursday, Jarvis Witherspoon, Liberia’s Chief of Protocols and head of the celebrations, formally confirmed that the events would not happen in the three counties because of financial restraint and would be relocated to Monrovia.

“As far as I am concerned, the reason for which the celebrations are not being held in that region is financial constraints,” he said. “For example, last year’s celebrations in Sinoe and Grand Kru Counties, the budget for that celebration was a little over US$900,000. Unfortunately, because of the constraints, the government is not in the position to fund such, because of the austerity measure that has been instituted by the government,” he said.

He mentioned a variety of planned activities. Among the highlights, is Sirleaf’s tour to the Montserrado and Margibi counties.

Secondly, the grand celebration on the day of the anniversary, which will start with hoisting the national flag. Then, a review of the Armed Forces troops and honoring of national colors by President Sirleaf as Commander-and-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia.

The orator for the day will be the renowned biomedical research scientist, inventor, and political activist Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan. Nyan hails from River Gee County in a town called Killepo Towerken.

The highly credited infectious disease researcher succeeded in inventing a rapid multiplex quantitative diagnostic test to detect protogens including ones that cause Ebola, Yellow Fever, HIV, Zika, and malaria.

Elsewhere around the country, the financial constraints have hampered the mood for this year’s celebrations. Margibi Superintendent John Buway said that the county is not holding any official program due to lack of funds from the government.

He said: “Before we received money to hold children parties and formal indoor ceremonies.”