C. Cyvette M. Gibson Explained

Cyvette M. Gibson is the tenth Mayor of Paynesville, Liberia. She was appointed as acting Mayor on November 14, 2012; the youngest mayor in the country. Her administration faced an Ebola epidemic, persistent waste management issues, and human rights concerns.

Early life and education

C. Cyvette M. Gibson was born in Dakar, Senegal on December 2, 1974. She is the first daughter of Liberian natives Yvette Chesson-Wureh and Chauncy M. Gibson. Her grandfather was Attorney General Joseph J.F. Chesson, who was executed by firing squad during the 1980 Liberian coup d'état.^[1]

Political career

Cyvette Gibson served as chief of office at the Monrovia City Corporation under the administration of then Mayor Mary Broh. During this time, it was reported that Gibson insulted journalists reporting on claims of human rights abuses by the mayor.^[2]

Gibson was appointed as acting Mayor of the city of Paynesville, Liberia on November 14, 2012. She was the youngest mayor in the country when appointed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to the position.^[3]

Waste issues have dominated much of her tenure as Mayor of the city. While she has pushed many different trash initiatives, some of these have been criticized by citizen groups for not addressing the problem.^[4] Much of the focus has been on the commercial center of the Monrovia region, known as Red Light Market.^[5] As Mayor, she implemented city ordinances and beautification projects, including the ELWA Junction Beautification Project, which reduced pollution and littering. In April 2014, she called for greater attention to waste issues from the Liberia Marketing Association.^[6] With limited funding, she was able to enlist the support of many residents of the city (including drug addicts and the homeless) to clean up Red Light. While she focused significant attention on health during the West African Ebola virus epidemic, she turned again to waste issues afterward with a significant grant from the World Bank.^[7]

Gibson organized efforts throughout the city to deal with the Ebola outbreak in the country. She used community leaders throughout the city to educate and identify potential Ebola victims. These efforts were assisted by UNICEF. At the height of the outbreak, she was one of seven officials who were excluded from a blanket dismissal of officials by President Johnson-Sirleaf.^[8]

Since the outbreak, she has continued the focus on waste, sanitation, and education in the city. In addition, major efforts have been undertaken on development of the Dupont Road area of the city. A 2016 editorial in FrontPage Africa singled her efforts out as "transforming a once failed city."^[9]

Paynesville's partnerships

The City of Paynesville in its efforts towards a clean and developed city,^[10] has joined the 100 Resilient Cities network.^[11]

Paynesville under the leadership of Mayor Gibson also established sister city relationship with the City of Paynesville, Minnesota (USA) and the City of Bagcilar, Istanbul (Turkey).

Achievements

• Operation Stop Ebola was a community base awareness campaign in collaboration with UNICEF to fight the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). The campaign utilized over four hundred (400) community leaders to collect EVD data, promote sensitization awareness about the EVD and how to stop it. The campaigns also provided hygiene materials and implemented permanent hand-washing stations in communities.^{[12] [13] [14] [15] [16]}
• The PCC held its first annual Science Fair November 24, 2016, challenging students to expand their interest in innovative discoveries in the sciences.^[17]

Awards

• Mayor Gibson received 2014 Awards from the Paynesville Youth for Education and Development for Financial and Moral support given to the Young people of Paynesville.
• She became the President of the Association of Mayors and Local Government Authorities of Liberia in 2017.^[18]

Notes and References

1. News: Yates. David A.. God Gives Us Chance to Right Wrongs of the Past. 15 January 2017. Liberian Observer. 22 April 2015.
2. News: Quiah. Priscilla J.. Liberia: Mary Broh Linked to Human Rights Abuses. 15 January 2017. AllAfrica. 28 June 2012.
3. News: Give the new generation a voice. The Star (South Africa). 3 December 2015.
4. Web site: McTernan. Billie Adwoa. Monrovia Mayor led Life and Death Battle Against Ebola. The Journalist. 15 January 2017.
5. Web site: Paynesville Mayor Extolled for 'Excellent' Performance. AllAfrica. 15 January 2017.
6. News: Karmo. Henry. Paynesville Pollution: City Demands Action over Garbage. 15 January 2017. AllAfrica. FrontPageAfrica. 17 April 2014.
7. News: Rustin. Susanna. Can cities be feminist? Inside the global rise of female mayors. The Guardian. 12 October 2016.
8. News: Weedee-Conway. Emmanuel. Who Are the Dismissed Officials? - Public Demands Explanation From Gov't. 15 January 2017. AllAfrica. Heritage. 1 September 2014.
9. Web site: Dramatic Improvements in Paynesville City Deserve Commendation. FrontPage Africa. 15 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170109184807/http://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/editorial/1949-dramatic-improvements-in-paynesville-city-deserve-commendation. 9 January 2017. dead.
10. News: Cleanest PCC Community Award Offered. 2015-01-11. Newspaper. www.liberianobserver.com.
11. News: City of Paynesville in Liberia Joins 100 Resilient Cities Worldwide. FrontPage Africa. 15 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20161019212427/http://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/news/931-city-of-paynesville-in-liberia-joins-100-resilient-cities-worldwide. 19 October 2016. dead.
12. News: Cyvette Gibson and Paynesville's anti-Ebola revolution. 2015-04-21. The Africa Report. McTernan. Billie Adwoa. Smith. Patrick.
13. News: RECOVERY PLAN: PAYNESVILLE MAYOR DISCUSS POST EBOLA. FPA Reporter. 2015-05-04. Front Page Africa. 2015-11-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304092441/http://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/~frontpag/index.php/news/5120-recovery-plan-paynesville-mayor-discuss-post-ebola. 2016-03-04. dead.
14. Web site: "Operation Stop Ebola".... 2014-12-04. Paynesville City Corporation. Facebook.
15. News: Interview with Peter Graaff, Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER). 2015-06-04. United Nations News.
16. News: Hundreds Benefit from PCC's 3rd Annual Health Fair. Yates. David. Daily Observer. 13 September 2015. 15 January 2017.
17. News: PCC Hosts Science Fair Competition;SDA High School Wins. 15 January 2017. Capitol Times. 25 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20170116164658/http://www.capitoltimesonline.com/index.php/news/item/1639-pcc-hosts-science-fair-competition-sda-high-school-wins%20PCC-hosts-science-fair-competition-sda-high-school-wins. 16 January 2017. usurped.
18. Web site: Worzi . Alvin . PCC Mayor Inducted President of Association of Mayors of Liberia . Liberian Observer.