Monrovia, Dec. 16 (LINA) – Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor says despite mounting challenges, forestry remains an endowment with huge potentials to serve as a critical catalyst in the economic development and transformation drive of Liberia.
VP Taylor believes that Community Forestry is more than commercial and conservation forestry which, she noted, goes to the heart of the end sought by the Pro Poor Agenda.
According to the Liberian Vice President, upholding community interest in forestry matters by touching the lives of community members makes it a good step in fostering a resilient forestry sector fully in tandem with Pro-Poor principles and objectives.
The comments by VP Taylor were contained in a speech delivered on her behalf on Friday, December 14, by Mr. Anthony V. Kesselly, Senior Policy Specialist, Office of the Vice President at the Eighth Commencement Exercises of the Forestry Training Institute (FTI) in Tubmanburg, Bomi County.
Mr. Kesselly quoted VP Taylor as encouraging the graduates to see themselves as forerunners of best practices and catalysts in good forestry governance, adding, « You will be in your great first steps in throwing bad practices into retreat. »
Speaking on the theme « Building a Resilient Forestry Concerning the Three Cs with Emphasis on Community Forestry in a Pro Poor Government », Mr. Kesselly recounted issues confronting the forestry sector, including the skyrocketing of commodity prices, crumbling prices of raw materials on which our economies rely, compounded by a slew of governance challenges, among others.
He said: « In the forestry arena, especially, we face the specter of embracing scammers, predatory hustlers who dress up as decent business people, unpatriotic colluders from among us, and their distant financiers who care less whether they milk our resources and leave us empty handed ».
On behalf of the VP, Mr. Kesselly reminded the graduates of the difficult terrain in which they find themselves tasked them to navigate in order to earn a living, sustain a family, protect their national endowment and contribute to nation-building.
He urged them to stand up as promoters of the best of practices in forest management and governance.
« I bear a specific mandate from the Vice President to convey to you her warmest congratulations and best wishes for a highly productive and rewarding career path. She challenges you to embark on meaningful endeavors that will help our hands as we pursue the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development, which is so forcefully enunciated by our President, His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah, » Kesselly quoted VP Taylor as saying.
He conveyed the VP’s message to the graduates enjoining them to bear in mind that the economic sector of Liberia can be a far better place with their entry if they remained focused, kept honest, and above all stood out as patriotic as they can be.
Meanwhile, the Liberian Vice President has registered on behalf of the President, Government and people of the Republic of Liberia thanks and appreciation to supportive partners, including UNDP, USAID, FAO, the Norwegian Government and others for the great support given to all these endeavors that go to protecting the country’s well-acclaimed forestry standing.
