Africa-Press – Liberia. MONROVIA –
It remains uncertain at the moment whether President George Weah will attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) slated for September in person or virtually. However, Press Secretary Isaac Solo Kelgbeh informed FrontPageAfrica that tentatively, a virtual appearance is being considered.
FrontPageAfrica
has gathered that the decision to attend or not to attend the UNGA earlier this week sparked a heated argument between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dee-Maxwell Kemeyah and the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Mr. Nathaniel McGill with both men reportedly trading insults right before the President. The President, according to reports, barred his aides from calming down the situation on grounds that both men would sort it out themselves.
Sources familiar with the development informed FrontPageAfrica that Minister Kemayah had convinced the President not to make a physical appearance at the UNGA on grounds that he had received report from New York that world leaders were being advised to make a pre-recorded presentation and a make a virtual appearance. But Minister McGill was strongly opposed to the idea and insisted that the President attend in person.
In a memo from the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, the U.S. called on 192 other member nations to consider giving video messages instead of traveling to the U.S. in the midst of a wave of new COVID-19 cases.
However, FrontPageAfrica further gathered that the brawl between the two high ranking members of cabinet all started with the Minister of State demanding that the Foreign Minister report directly to his office and not to the President, something that Min. Kemayah reportedly told him was outside the confines of the law and at the same time questioning how a Minister who works at the will and pleasure of the President would report to another Minister.
FrontPageAfrica
could not get comments from both Ministers on the report up to press time.
‘Controversial’ Reforms at MoFA
Minister Kemayah, since his appointment as Foreign Minister, has been instituting several reforms at the Foreign Ministry and within the foreign service, which has gained the attention of the President and members of the diplomatic community.
He is applauded for the 20 percent reduction in the price of passports of all types. He has also commenced a revision of the regulations regarding how honorary consuls are appointed and posted – something which foreign partners have embraced.
In March this year, Minister Kemayah shutdown what he termed as a “black market” at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wherein Liberians and the government of Liberia were being exploited.
It is believed that this shutdown could be a motivating factor behind the push for his replacement at the ministry, employees familiar with the developments at the Ministry informed FPA.
“We have closed the general black market that people used to use to collect fees that were not going in government coffers,” Minister Kemayah said at the time.
Minister Kemayah, at a briefing, said it was observed that payments for the services of obtaining laissez-passers, apostilles or attestations and corporate jackets were not going into government revenue but into individual accounts.
The services were suspended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after it was realized that individuals were embezzling the funds generated by the ministry and diverting them to private use instead of government coffers.
“When we realized that it was another general black market established and being used by individuals to exploit the system, we immediately suspended the services for obtaining laissez-passers, apostilles or attestations and corporate jackets,” the minister averred.
It is against this backdrop that both the Ministry of Finance and Foreign Affairs have come up with joint Administrative Regulation concerning the Official Fee Structure for services being rendered at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as it relates to laissez-passers, apostilles/attestations and corporate jackets.
Under the new regulation the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will absolutely not receive any corporate document/payment/fee(s) for processing through any employee/staff/official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Foreign Minister Kemayah warned employees of the ministry not to get involved in any process of obtaining diplomatic documents and urged the general public to follow the rightful procedures in obtaining their documents. “Do not use anybody at the Ministry by giving them money to get documents for you, not even me as the Minister; follow the rightful channel to get your papers,” the minister said.
According to the regulation, applicants must first prepare the Articles of Incorporation and print two copies of the Articles of Incorporation on legal papers and then proceed to the Liberia Business Registry (LBR) with the Articles of Incorporation for billing and payment of corporate and filing fees, and obtain the Government of Liberia/Liberia Revenue Authority (GOL/LRA) receipts.
The regulation also requires individuals to pay a stipulated fee of United States Five Dollars (US$5.00) and obtain a receipt for a Corporate Jacket at any Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) Booth instead of the US$75 that was being charged during the black-market era.
The Anti-Kemayah Campaign
However, his Deputy, Henry Fahnbulleh, whom some sources have accused of working along with Minister McGill to have Minister Kemayah ousted, has been leading an anti-Kemayah campaign within the senior management and staff of the Ministry.
Deputy Minister Fahnbulleh recently posted in the senior management chatroom that his boss alleging that things are going wrong at the Ministry but efforts to get Minister Kemeyah address them have yielded no results.
He stated, “For some strange reason, Minister Kemayah believes that there is a “1972 Executive Law” that grants exclusivity to him to do “whatever” he wants and nobody dares call him to a point. I am not a lawyer so I will ask lawyer friends to help me understand that 1972 Executive Law, if it actually exists.
The President, in his uncommon wisdom, appointed deputy ministers, assistant ministers, etc. to serve. If he had thought for a minute that those offices were no longer relevant based on this “1972 Executive Law”, we wouldn’t have been appointed. Only one person was going to be appointed and that person would have been the Minister. So, this argument is inherently flawed.” He stated there has been no reform at the Ministry, instead, retrogression.
He further stated “It beats my imagination that someone will be heralding reform at the Ministry when there has been no real reform but retrogression. To cite a “1972 Executive Law” in this 21st century and call it reform, I am astonished. To date Excellencies and colleagues there has not been a single sheet of paper released by Minister Kemayah called reform document since the retreats he convened when he was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs almost a year ago. So, it leaves me pondering as to what informs the Minister’s action which he dubbed “reform”. What are his reliance for the arbitrary dismal of foreign service officers without due process? The “1972 Executive Law?”
He alleged that Minister Kemayah has posted several members of his family to foreign missions and paying them fabulous salaries than senior officials at some of those missions.
However, reliable sources within the Ministry informed FrontPageAfrica these allegations are untrue and only intended to distract the Minister. This, the source said, is evidenced by the recent program held by the workers of the ministry appreciating Minister Kemayah for rebranding the ministry.
