MONROVIA, LIBERIA-Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee says the ongoing Bicentennial celebration is the beginning of reconciliation and unification in Liberia.
Mayor Koijee said:” The Government of President George Weah is committed to ensuring the Country is united in the spirit of genuine reconciliation.”
He also indicated that the official kickoff of events, marking the celebrations in Monrovia, is a pride to the City Government.
Mayor Koijee was speaking on Friday, January 7, 2022, when officially welcomed dignitaries, including the Doyen and members of the Diplomatic Corps to the start of the Bicentennial celebration on the Providence Island.
Mayor Koijee, who is also a sub-committee member to the Bicentennial Steering Committee, reaffirmed the City Government’s support to the year-long events.
The celebrations mark the two-hundredth years funding of the Liberian Republic from 1822 to 2022.
At the same time, a Professor of History at the University of Liberia, Dr. William Allen, has called for the preservation of the Liberian identity.
Dr. Allen, also Chairman of the Bicentennial Sub-committee on History, expressed hope that more concrete examples of national identity will be visible.
He provided historical accounts of the founding of the Liberian State.
Dr. Allen said:” While it is worth celebrating the return of freed slaves, it is worth paying homage to those who were present on the land.”
Professor Allen urged citizens to cherish the Bicentennial celebrations, as it is a moment to reflect on the beginning of the State.
In another development, United States Ambassador to Liberia Michael McCarthy, hailed the joint commitment of Presidents George Weah and Joe Biden on the defense of democracy and human rights.
Ambassador Michael McCarthy was making reference to the recent Democracy Forum hosted by President Biden, where President Weah reaffirmed his Government’s commitment to upholding the tenants of democracy.
He also called for genuine commitment to the collective goal of a prosperous Liberia, and that such goal was the set two-hundred years ago, when freed black slaves settled on the Providence Is land.
Ambassador McCarthy said though there is so much to be proud of, there is also much to improve upon.
Ambassador Michael McCarthy also used the occasion to disclose that at least one-million Liberians have been vaccinated against COVID-19 through the efforts of the United States Government.
According to him, that number is still below the target of achieving hard immunity.
