Conferring the honor on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at the Belle Casa Hotel, 3rd Street, Sinkor, Monrovia, the Executive Chairman of GAM, Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo disclosed that his institution was honoring the Executive Director of the LLA based on his commitment in transforming the land sector in Liberia, evident by the crucial role he played in the formulation of the Land Rights Policy of Liberia (2013), with four categories of land rights in Liberia: Private Land, Government Land, Public Land, and Customary Land.
The latter category gave rural communities ownership rights to their customary lands. He also contributed immensely to the policy research that informed the development of the Land Administration Policy of Liberia (2015), whose key recommendation was the establishment of the Liberia Land Authority in 2016.
As Executive Director of the LLA, and working with development partners in the land sector including but not limited to the World Bank-supported Liberia Land Administration (LLAP) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) funded Inclusive Land Administration and Management Project (ILAMP), Mr. Toe continues to play a key role in ensuring that the land administration system of Liberia is strengthened and the institutional capacity of the Liberia Land Authority is built through staff training as well as the introduction of modern administrative and operational processes and systems.
Prior to the presentation of the Award, the GAM Executive Chairman described the Executive Director of the LLA as a professional in public administration with a wide range of working experience in the areas of development planning and policy formulation, and program and organization management.
According to Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo, Mr. Toe holds a bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in public administration from the Texas Tech University in the USA and served there as a teaching and research assistant in the Department of Public Administration and the Center for Public Service.
"His skills have been applied in academia as a teacher and research assistant, and also at a government ministry, corporation, commission, and a presidential task force as a Planner, Administrator, Manager, Program, and Senior Program Officer, Acting Director, and Executive Director respectively," Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo added.
The GAM Executive Chairman further informed the gathering of invited guests that the Executive Director of the LLA has researched issues concerning the participation of citizens in rural development planning and administration in Liberia during his years in the United States.
The GAM Executive Chairman further said Mr. Toe has participated in high-level meetings of intergovernmental agencies, donors, investors, and civil society on land and natural resources issues in Liberia.
Additionally, Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo noted that Mr. Toe had made several presentations on land reform in Liberia for Civil Society Organizations, Community-based Organizations, and Universities, as well as at international meetings, conferences, and workshops, including those organized by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union Land Policy Initiative, African Union (AU), USAID through numerous projects, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), The African Development Bank (ADB), the US-based Right and Resources Initiative (IRR), the Swedish Based International Land and Forest Tenure Facility, and the International Land Coalition based in Rome, Italy, the South-South Knowledge Exchange Facility of the World Bank, etc.
Based on the above and so many others, Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo said the Management of the GAM decided to appreciate and confer its 2022 Outstanding Public Service Award to Mr. Stanley N Toe, for services rendered to Liberia over the years of which 12 have been in the land sector.
Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo told the gathering that his organization selected Liberians who are change markers to honor them in different categories. He said GAM last year honored Cllr. Taiwan Saye Gongloe along with twelve other Liberians for their outstanding services in the Country.
"This year, Mr. Stanley Toe is GAM’s 2022 outstanding Public Service Award winner and the Founder and Executive Director of the Rescue for Abandoned Children in Hardship (REACH), Mrs. Ne-Suah Beyan-Livingstone, as GAM’s 2022 Freedom Award winner in Liberia," Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo noted.
Receiving the honor, Mr. Toe extended thanks and appreciation to the Management of the GAM for its farsightedness in recognizing his continuous effort in helping with the reforms taking place in the land sector, particularly the institutional changes at the Liberia Land Authority. He furthered that during the early part of this year, the World Bank Group also recognized his efforts and presented him a Certificate of Appreciation for his contribution in 2021 to the research of the Global Indicators Group.
He lauded the former and current Chairmen of the Authority for their support in carrying out his work without much publicity. He also recognized the continuing support from his brothers, sisters, and family members, and thereafter, accepted the award in sainted memory of his parents, the late Mr. J. Blamo Toe and Comfort D. Toe of Grandcess, Grand Kru County, for bringing him up to the status he finds himself and providing the moral and financial support.
The Liberia Land Authority (LLA) was established in 2016 by an ACT of the National Legislature. The Authority is the ONE-STOP-SHOP for all land matters.
Reported By: Emmanuel Chedeh Davis - Communication and Outreach Officer