…To Reclaim Missions in Paris, Other Countries
In a bid to for the Government of Liberia reclaim its Missions abroad, Foreign Minister Olubanke King-Akerele disclosed Wednesday that the government has embarked on legal processes aimed at reclaiming its several missions abroad, specifically in London, Belgium , Nairobi , Paris and Nigeria respectively, through a legal process.
The Foreign Minister also said former Liberian Ambassador Cllr. Winston Tubman and former Interim President Dr. Amos C. sawyer are helping with the legal process involving recovery of the Liberian Embassy in Paris, but dispelled reports that let the government did not accused Ambassador Tubman as “common Criminal” as reported in the a local daily.
Madam King-Akerele also said the specific Mission in dispute are London, Belgium, Nairobi, Paris and Nigeria Embassies respectively. She said government was reclaiming these embassies through a legal process.
“I’m not common criminal”
The former Liberian diplomat and politician Defended his character at a news conference Tuesday where he dispelled his involvement in the sale of the Liberian Embassy in the French Capital, Paris. “I’m not a common criminal. I was involved in no such act”, Counselor Tubman said Tuesday in Monrovia. However the Liberian jurist and diplomat however noted that he only provided a legal opinion on the matter.
He described the statement that the embassy has been sold as an overstatement on ground that ‘the Embassy is still there.’
He said he only rendered his legal opinion in his capacity as a Special Envoy and Minster of State in the Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU) at the time when a team of contractors who was carrying out a construction within the Embassy compound in Paris wanted to abandon the project immediately following the death of Former President Samuel Doe.
“I advised that they did continue because in my view that the fact that Doe had died didn’t mean that what the Government had agree had to stop”, he stressed. He said the abandonment of the project would have meant the damage of the Liberian Government property.
He explained that the project which was the construction of an apartment building was authorized by the late President Doe and the team of contractors was worried that a new government may not possibly continue with the construction.
Tubman, a presidential aspirant, was reacting to a National CHRONICLE newspaper report that Counselor Tubman, a former justice minister of Liberia and Special Envoy of the United Nations to Somalia, was involved in the sale of the Liberian Embassy building in the French Capital. The local daily continued by categorizing the former Liberian diplomat as a ‘common criminal’ in which it states that Counselor Tubman was later rewarded with the post of Special Representative to the United Nations Secretary-General to war-ravaged Somalia.
According to the daily, Counselor Tubman had earlier confirmed some months ago that Dr. Amos Sawyer, under whose transitional government he served as Special Envoy and Minister of State, was aware of the sale of the Liberian Embassy.
Foreign Minister Akerele, however, clarified that Government has never accused anyone of being common criminal in situation surrounding the Missions in question as reported by some local media houses.
The Liberian most senior diplomat made the assertions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where she addressed local and foreign journalists. Addressing the press conference, Madam King-Akerele further disclosed that the investigations by her Ministry is being done in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice to make sure the country re-possesses her legitimate assets abroad.
Commenting on the Liberian Mission in Nairobi, Kenya and Nigeria respectively, the Minister said the Kenya and the Nigerian Anti-Corruption Commission were assisting the Liberian Government to the conduct probe regarding these missions.
She also mentioned renovation of properties, improvement of conditions in the Foreign Service, payment of Foreign Service Officers’ Arrears, training opportunities and staff rotation as part of the Ministry’s efforts.
Giving details on renovation work carried out by the Ministry, she said the Liberian Missions in Sweden, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone have been refurbished.
Inspectorate General Service re-launched
Foreign Minister Akerele also spoke on other varieties of issues, including the re-launch of the Inspectorate General Service specifically, Quarterly Reports, Increased Accountability & Transparency, introduction of New System of accountability with IT, Plugging loopholes within the Bureaux of Archives and Personnel respectively as well as the recall some Foreign Service Officers.
She said new guidelines have been issued regarding recruitment of Honorary Consuls for Liberia, adding that under the latest procedures, applications are received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and candidates are vetted by the National Security Agency (NSA) before selections are made as to who becomes Honorary Consul for Liberia.
In addressing the issue of plugging loopholes at the Home office, Minister king-Akerele said administration has taken several measures aimed at fighting corruption in government, disclosing that several employees were dismissed and suspended in connection with malpractices at the Ministry.
Minister King-Akerele said significant improvements have been achieved in the Liberian Foreign Service, including payment of arrears for Foreign Service Officers which are currently underway, besides providing training opportunities for Foreign Service Officers both at home and abroad.
She indicated that the Liberian government, in collaboration with UNDP, has also instituted a process of rotating personnel in the Foreign Service for experience and exposure purposes, stressing that 70% of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ budget was being spent on Foreign Service while 30% is expedited for the Home Office.
The Minister said a Foreign Service Officer identified as Bility was recalled home from Japan because of alleged involvement in malfeasance, but the staff involved has refused to return.
Minister King-Akerele then commented on the launch of the New Liberian Machine Readable Passport, which can be obtained at the Passport Section of the Ministry for US$50. She said Government is constraint to price the Passport at this cost, because of huge obligation reached by past administration with the printing company, Blackwell.
She also spoke on payment of arrears to international organizations including the African Union, ECOWAS, WHO, and others, Minister King-Akerele. On this, she said the government has made 50 percent payment of arrears owed the African Union, thus restoring Liberia’s voting right at the AU.
She further disclosed that Government was indebted to Swiss creditors which were being vigorously paid, enabling Liberia to re-open its Mission in Geneva since January this year, noting this is very important because Geneva is the international headquarters of important world bodies.
The Minister assured that efforts were underway to clear arrears with all international bodies.
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