Supt. Cole takes office in Maryland

Maryland County’s newly appointed Superintendent, Henry Cole, has been inducted into office, preaching unity and participatory leadership.

By Patrick N. Mensah, Maryland County

Maryland, Liberia, May 10, 2024- Following his recent confirmation by the Senate, Maryland County Superintendent Henery Cole has been officially inducted into office by Deputy Internal Affairs Minister for Operations Selena P. Mappy.

The induction ceremony was held at the administration building in Harper on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. It brought together citizens, including deputy minister Mappy, former Maryland County Senator H. Dan Morris, delegates from neighboring Ivory Coast, local businesswomen, youths, civil society groups, religious leaders, educators, elders, and county officials.

Speaking during the program, deputy minister Mappy said Mr. Cole’s appointment as superintendent of the county aims to promote President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s ARREST agenda.

According to her, the position is a call to service, and as such, the superintendent should be able to listen to the concerns of the county’s citizens.

Madam Mappy, herself a former superintendent for Bong County, noted that it’s difficult to serve in such a position, but it takes the wisdom of God to lead successfully.

She applauds President Boakai and her direct boss, Minister Francis Sakila Nyumalin, for reposing trust in her to induct counties’ officials.

She stresses that Minister Francis Sakila Nyumalin has asked them to induct superintendents and other local officials to allow the country to take its normal governance shape.

“My people, I have come this far through the directive of my boss and the President of the Republic of Liberia to induct your county superintendent and inform him about the messages I have brought from the President.

“Mr. Superintendent, the President has asked me to tell you that upon your induction as Superintendent of the county, to know that you are the servant of these people, not their boss.”

“Mr. Superintendent, the President has also asked me to remind you and your co-officials that the peace shown by these people of Maryland County should be maintained, and those who need to be reconciled should be reconciled because they’re also citizens in order to have speedy developments.”

“Mr. Superintendent, please be aware that you can’t have functional leadership when the people you serve are not united. The Local Government Act has given huge responsibility to the local leaders of the counties, and such responsibility should be used wisely”, she cautioned.

According to the deputy minister, local officials must uphold the peace and maintain love among their people, adding that only peace and reconciliation can move their respective counties further.

She urged local officials to respect views of all citizens to have the agenda of President Boakai’s achieved.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Cole has promised that his leadership will uphold peace and focus on the President’s development agenda.

Cole further promised to run a participatory leadership involving Marylanders in the Diaspora to strengthen the county’s developmental agenda.

He vowed to restore Maryland’s pride, adding that he would work with business partners in and out of the county to ease the high cost of living that citizens are experiencing right now.

The Superintendent revealed that he has already established a long working relationship with his Ivorian counterparts to reawaken the free flow of goods and services, which will enhance business activities between the locales and their counterparts in Ivory Coast, as the county is situated on the border with the neighboring country.

He said the county and its people deserve better, stressing the need for job opportunities to empower citizens.

He cautioned the people of Maryland County to respect the rule of law and seek redress through the court rather than taking the laws into their own hands.

“Let me say this: my leadership will listen and respect the views of our people because we are called to serve, but please, show some love and regard to our chiefs and elders because they’re part of the local government,” Superintendent Cole urged.

“Our county has witnessed and seen lots of protests in the past, and I think, under my leadership, we need to dialogue rather than damaging properties that should be our pride as a people,” he cautioned.

According to the search engine Wikipedia, Maryland County was named after the State of Maryland in the United States. It was an independent country called the Republic of Maryland from 1854 until it joined Liberia in 1857.

The county is bordered on the west by Grand Kru County, River Gee County in the north, and Ivory Coast in the east, separated by the Cavalla River. Editing by Jonathan Browne