By Godgift Harris
A prominent media executive has urged lawmakers to abandon their quests to create additional legislative seats.
Mr. Carlton Boah, has warned that such a move would further strain the country’s fragile economy, and divert attention from more pressing governance reforms. Carlton Boah is the publisher of the In Profile Daily newspaper.
He said, lawmakers must shift their focus from political expansion to improving conditions in their existing districts, arguing that proposals for new districts, and more lawmakers reflect misplaced priorities at a time when public resources remain limited.
Boah said, instead of expanding the legislature, the country should pursue true decentralization by amending the constitution to allow citizens to elect their county superintendents, rather than having them appointed by the President as currently mandated.
He believes that electing superintendents would strengthen local democracy, create jobs, empower women, youths and ensure greater public accountability.
“If a superintendent is elected, he or she, will be accountable to the people, who gave them the mandate and at the same time be proactive developmentally so as to satisfy his or her constituents.”
“But under the current system, superintendents serve mainly at the will of the Executive that appoints them, not the citizens they are supposed to serve, thus making it seem as though he/she is the supervisor and not the other way around.”
Mr. Boah argued that Liberia’s governance challenges stem partly from the concentration of authority in Monrovia; a system that continues to undermine local development and deepens public frustration.
His comments come amid ongoing public debate about legislative restructuring, with critics warning that additional 14 seats that would increase government spending on salaries, benefits, and administrative operations costs the nation can barely afford.
Governance experts have long advocated for decentralization as a pathway to improved service delivery, enhanced accountability, and greater citizens’ participation.
But, Mr. Boah insists, that electing county superintendents would be a major step toward people-centered governance, while expanding the legislature would achieve the opposite.
The debate now puts pressure on lawmakers to choose between political self-interest and long-standing public calls for structural reforms.
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