The Political Leader of the Vision for Liberia Transformation Party (VOLT) Dr. Jeremiah Z. Whapoe, has recommended to Liberian Government to institute policy that will demand extractive industries to process at least 25% of extracted resources in Liberia. He believes that this policy, when instituted, will contribute to sustainable growth and development by creating jobs and improving the livelihood of citizens and their communities. Natural resources have the potential to drive growth, development, and poverty reduction which, however, the extractive industries sector plays a strong economic role in any developing country. Extractive industries are the businesses that take raw materials, including oil, coal, gold, iron, copper and other minerals, from the earth. The industrial processes for extracting minerals include drilling and pumping, quarrying, and mining. Making this recommendation, he observed that most of the concessionaires have done no concrete development in Liberia which, according to him, governments have done nothing or less to ensure these concession agreements improve the living standard of Liberians. He said, “If the government is doing nothing to emancipate you from poverty and illiteracy at the same time undertaking no programs that will deliver quality heath service then said government is a private enterprise.” However, the VOLT Political Leader who premised his presentation on citizens’ responsibility to government and vice versa, was intended to enlighten the mind of the gathering.
He informed the occasion that citizens have their responsibility to the government as well as the government has its responsibility to the citizens. He said the citizens have the right to vote the right government to power and they are required to respect the law of the country. He also noted that citizens are also required to pay taxes to government and participate in community activities. “To develop your country you have to participate in community activities. When there is something going on in your community don’t keep silence rather exercise your citizenship by taking ownership of community initiatives,” he stressed. Touching on the government responsibility to citizens, he underscored the utmost responsibility of the government to avoid threats to the citizens, outlining poverty, illiteracy, poor health care delivery. Reiterating, he noted that government controls the resources of the country therefore it should provide space and better livelihood of the people, saying it is the government responsibility to invest in the citizens which they will then reciprocate. He further noted that it is obvious for citizens to rise up when there is wrong going on in the country, especially when the government is making policy that cost should not be more than its benefits. “When the cost is more it makes the poor people to get poorer and poorer while the officials will continue to get richer, this remains a threat to citizens.”