By: Akoi M. Baysah, Jr.
The Executive Director of the Liberia Refugees Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) has assumed office unveiling sweeping reforms aimed at transforming the Commission into a modern institution capable of addressing Liberia’s evolving migration and displacement challenges.
Speaking during his takeover ceremony, Cllr. Jeror Cole Bangalu, the Executive Director said the change in leadership represents a turning point for the Commission and Liberia’s migration governance framework.
“Today is not just a change of leadership. It marks a new chapter in the life of this Commission and in Liberia’s response to some of the most complex human mobility challenges of our time,” Cllr. Bangalu stated.
He expressed appreciation to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for the confidence reposed in him, noting that his appointment underscores the government’s commitment to migration and humanitarian protection.
“The President’s decision to maintain this Commission at the Cabinet level is a clear signal that migration, displacement, statelessness, and the welfare of our people matter at the highest level of government,” he added.
According to him, the LRRRC can no longer operate as a single-issue institution, given changing global and national realities.
“The world has changed. Migration has changed. Liberia has changed. And so we must change too,” he declared.
As part of the proposed reforms, the new LRRRC Boss has announced plans to amend the 1993 Act establishing the Commission to reflect an expanded mandate that includes migration governance, statelessness, Liberian deportees, internally displaced persons, and emerging cross-border movements.
He further disclosed that a comprehensive, costed work plan will be developed, alongside the creation of a high-level Policy Working Group made up of government officials, academics, civil society actors, and development partners.
“This transformation will not be cosmetic. It will be structural, legal, and strategic,” he emphasized.
Cllr. Bangalu also asserted that there are further plans to conduct a capacity needs assessment and institutional audit, stressing that reforms would be carried out professionally and fairly.
“This is not about punishment; it is about fitness for purpose,” he said, assuring staff of an environment built on mutual respect and teamwork.
On the operational front, he revealed that the Commission will commission a baseline study on the influx of Burkinabè migrants in south-eastern Liberia, address the situation of remaining Ivorian refugees through durable solutions, and work toward establishing modern reception centers.
“Policy without data is guesswork, and guesswork has no place in protecting vulnerable lives,” the LRRRC biss noted.
He acknowledged funding constraints, and indicated the Commission, with the President’s backing, will submit a Public Sector Investment Program (PSIP) request and a supplementary budget while strengthening engagement with donor partners.
“We are not asking for charity. We are offering partnership grounded in transparency, shared responsibility, and measurable impact,” he told development partners.
Cllr. Bangalu has reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to protecting displaced persons and upholding human dignity, while congratulating his predecessor for service rendered to the institution.
