MONROVIA – Plastic pollution is one of the many sanitation problems affecting all sectors of life in Liberia. By Garmah Lomo, Contributor In this light, Judge George W. Smith of the 15th Judicial Circuit Court in RiverGee County has consistently highlighted sanitation issues in his charges delivered at court openings.
In his latest court opening charge for the May 2024 A.D. term on May 13, 2024, Judge Smith noted that Liberia has defeated two significant viruses, Ebola and COVID-19, but has yet to defeat the “plastic war.
” “As I have delivered this traditional judge’s charge, making appeals to patriotism since we have had our perilous days, particularly during the 14-year civil war, followed by the wars of Ebola and COVID-19, we defeated those wars,” Judge Smith stated. “There’s a third war we are yet to defeat – the littering of plastic bags and other dirt in our environment,” he added. During the May 2023 Term of Court at the 8th Judicial Circuit of Nimba County, Judge Smith mentioned this third war in his charge.
Consistent with the Government’s ARREST (Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, and Tourism) Agenda regarding sanitation, he adopted his May 2023 charge as follows: “When Ebola and COVID-19 invaded this country and waged wars on us, we showed patriotism, honor, and duty to our country and therefore we won those wars. Unfortunately, we are yet to defeat one war that is continuously being waged on us – a war that continues .