Dear Minister Nagbe:The National Civil Society Council of Liberia (NCSCL) would have me convey its profound compliments to you in particular and the Incident Management Team in general as you lead the national response against COVID-19 in Liberia. To this effect, your exclusion of the civil society automatically disconnects the Government and the people of grassroots communities because that ideal synergy nurtured by CSOs is now lacking. When you exclude the Civil Society Movement as you have already done, it signals misinterpretations not only within the body politics but amongst international partners and key stakeholders about Government’s real intention in enforcing its orders. Others are involved with social mobilization, thereby harnessing grassroots support against COVID-19 and spreading sensitization and awareness amongst local people about how to stay safe from the virus across the country. Instead of leveraging on all these opportunities, the government has decided to exclude the Civil Society Movement.

Source: Front Page Africa April 17, 2020 10:25 UTC