“LRRRC Is Underfunded”

-Executive Director Alarms

By Esau J. Farr

The Executive Director of the Liberia Refugee, Resettlement and Reintegration Commission (LRRRC) has alarmed over the low budgetary allocation to the commission.

Rev. Festus R. B. Logan said there are many earmarked projects his commission intends to undertake, but due to low funding availability to the commission after the passage of the 2018/2019 Fiscal Budget, the commission was given a little over half a million United States Dollars to operate in.

According to him, the fund made available to his commission is mainly meant to pay staff salaries and rental fees for the building that houses the commission.

He has however expressed gladness in the workforce he has at his disposal which he described as competent, qualified and zealous individuals and that he will tap on their expertise to take the commission to a new and rewarding level.

He intoned that there are resourceful employees of the entity who are knowledgeable in project proposal writing and he stands ready to working with them to push the interest of the country forward.

Rev. Logan made the assertion Wednesday August 22, 2018 in an exclusive interview at his Sinkor office in Monrovia.

The LRRRC plays a major or lead role in the categories of people in the Liberian society and beyond that include but not limited to caring for Liberian refugees to return home and be resettled and reintegrated in the Liberian society and at the same time provides shelters and livelihoods for both returnees and refugees from neighboring countries and the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) which has to do with preparing Liberians residing outside of the country to safely return to their native land.

Others are, catering for the wellbeing and protection of the rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) either as a result of flood or any unforeseen circumstances like fire or earthquake as well as caring for stranded migrants or Liberians who may one reason or another be caught in a situation of not being able to return to Liberia or go further into other countries in search of improved living standards because of condition he or she finds himself or herself in.

The Liberia Refugee, Resettlement and Reintegration Commission (LRRRC) is an agency of the government of Liberia established through an Act of the National Legislature and has as its mission, duties and responsibilities to the Liberian society and beyond the task to provide protection for refugees (returnees) and internally displaced persons (IDPs) while at the same time caring for their shelters and livelihoods for said categories of people named above.

In the last one decade and a half (15) now, the LRRRC has been able to host and provide for the wellbeing of thousands of refugees coming from neighboring countries including Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone as a result of civil conflicts, internally displaced persons during the heat of the Liberian civil wars in partnership with other international humanitarian and relief organizations worldwide as well as Liberian returnees from their countries of refuge they fled to as a result of the 14 years of civil unrest in their native land (Liberia).