Diompillor America - News around the Kissi Community

It has been confirmed in Monrovia that International Bank (Liberia) Limited (IBLL) has made giant strides aimed at building customers’ confidence and recapitalize the bank.

Analysts have begun ringing praises on the achievement made by the bank in that it would further consolidate customers’ confidence in doing business with the IBLL. The bank over the weekend announced the entry of new shareholders to recapitalize the bank.

The new shareholders include the Trust Bank of the Gambia, Databank Financial Services of Ghana and Pan African Capital of the United States of America, the statement quoted officials as saying and added that they bring considerable expertise and resources to International Bank.
“Management notes that Trust Bank of The Gambia went through a similar exercise in 1999 and has since become the most profitable bank with the largest branch network in The Gambia,” the statement quoted officials of the bank.

IBLL said Trust Bank’s market competition, since its cross-border listing on the Ghana Stock Exchange in 2002, has increased from US$15M to over US$80M creating considerable value for shareholders.

Commenting on the new development, the Managing Director of Trust Bank Limited, Mr. Pa Njie expressed happiness about the new partnership. He said “It sows the seed for a West African Banking platform.

We have an aggressive first year strategy for IB which encompasses a new IT system, at least four branch expansions, additional corresponding banking relationships, and a comprehensive training program for IB Personnel.”

Mr. Njie noted that the makeup of the new partnership of The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia and the United States of America, consists of experienced private sector investors.

“I'm confident that together we can transform IB to establish successful operations such as we have achieved with the Trust Bank in The Gambia,” he added. For his part, the Executive Chairman of Databank, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta said he and his staff are bullish about this transaction.

“We intend to use IB as a platform to raise considerable capital to support urgent requirements of reconstruction, to provide the capital to promote Liberian entrepreneurs, and for IB to be the catalyst to establish other non-bank financial institutions to deepen the financial services industry in Liberia,” he said.

According to him, IBLL being the oldest chartered bank in Liberia, they intend to assert their leadership in providing world class services to all Liberian businesses and individuals, while being the most profitable bank in the country.

Also adding his voice to the achievement of IBLL, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pan African Capital based in the United States, Steve Cashin described the cooperation as a very “significant investment” as it confirms the confidence the investor community has in the new Liberia.
“Obviously, this transaction reaffirms IB’s unique links to the US and therefore our capacity and commitment to continue providing superior services for Liberians in the Diaspora and their families in Liberia, international companies, NGOs and US government agencies and contract firms working in Liberia. This has always been a unique attribute of international Bank and we intend to maintain it,” he is quoted as saying.

At the same time, the management of the bank headed by Tom Jeffrey as Chief Executive Officer has welcomed the new partnership of experienced investors, who have commercial banking experience, capital raising expertise and a network of contacts in the capital markets and private equity worldwide. Management also appreciates the Central Bank’s support through the conclusion of this transaction.

The Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has accordingly approved the transfer of majority share ownership of International Bank (Liberia) Limited (IBLL) from Vienna Holdings, LLC (VH) to the Liberian Finance Holdings Limited (LFH).

According to a CBL statement, the IBLL has been recapitalized at US$5m as of June 7, the date of the transfer of the shares. At the same time, the Board of Directors of the IBLL has been reconstituted, the CBL statement issued last evening said.

The International Bank (Liberia) Limited was established in 1960 and has in its employ over 100 staff. The bank on Saturday tendered a dinner in honor visiting heads of African Capital, Databank and Trust Bank, which was attended by officials of the Liberian government, private businesses especially from the financial sector.
Nimba Land Crisis Worrisome!Deputy Former Chief Of Mission Craves Ellen’s Intervention
A prominent son of Nimba County has asked President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to personally intervene in the land dispute in Ganta involving the Mano and Gio ethnic groups on one hand and the Mandingoes on the other.


• Mr. Abdullah Dunbar
Mr. Abdullah Dunbar said “the personal intervention of the president would bring the continual land quarrel to a prompt and amicable end.”

In a statement, Dunbar sated that his call to the chief executive was warranted by what he calls “reports of renewed tension among the three tribes over the disputed land.”

He observed in the statement that there has been no harmonious resolution to the conflict despite the meditation of the special committee headed by Internal Affairs Minister, Ambullai Johnson.

“With due deference, Madam President, it may surprise you to know that since the committee’s intervention, the emphasis has shifted from encroachment to the active erection of buildings on land owned by the Mandingoes,” he asserted in the statement.

Mr. Dunbar, a former Deputy Chief of Mission at the Liberian embassy in Washington D.C., USA, pointed out that he would have exercised more patience in waiting for the publication of the committee’s findings if that committee’s intervention had a positive impact on the land crisis in Ganta.

Against this backdrop, he maintained that the Liberian leader’s intervention is very necessary; saying the situation in Nimba is having a negative impact on the cordial relations among the ethnic groups involved.

Meanwhile, the former diplomat has advanced several recommendations to President Sirleaf, which he intimated that if adhered to would cordially resolve the land dispute once and for all.
He, among other things, suggested to the president that she takes four or five days out of her busy schedule to hold a reconciliation meeting in Ganta, for the return of all occupied land to the rightful owners, making specific reference to the Mandingo ethnic group.

The career diplomat further suggested that the president invite elders and senior citizens from the Mano, Gio and Mandingo ethnic groups who once resided in Ganta for the reconciliation meeting.
“Withdraw Troops From Lilema”MRU Delegates Call On Guinean President, Extols MRU Presidents

Delegates at the just ended consultation of Makona River Union (MRU) members held in Foya, Lofa County have extolled Presidents Johnson -Sirleaf of Liberia for her mediation role in ending the crisis between Guinea and Sierra Leone over the disputed Yenga territory.

It is a piece of land that the two countries are claiming possession of. Recently confusion flared up between the two countries, prompting a meeting amongst the Mano River Union countries. Due to her mediation role, President Lasana Conte has finally accepted to relinquish Yenga to Sierra Leone.

Though appreciative of President Conte’s gesture, delegates in the resolution called on the Guinean leader to withdraw the Guinean military contingent occupying Lilema to the other side of the Makona River.

According to them, this will restore pre-war confidence and normalcy among the peoples of the three countries.

They expressed appreciation of the efforts of the leaders of the three countries with reference to the visits of the vice presidents of Sierra Leone and Liberia to Yenga and Lilema, to observe the “geographic location” of said area and advice their principal presidents for final documentation.
They have agreed to send a delegation of the Makona River Union (MARU) to officially present copies of this resolution to the three governments - Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia- as a manifestation of their wishes for sustainable peace in the sub-region.

About 11 delegates came from Sierra Leone and Guinea respectively while 15 persons represented Liberia at the conference. They MRU members have reconfirmed their commitment to lasting peace for progress in the sub-region. They also pledged to establish confidence in the three countries that would lead to peaceful coexistence and socio-economic development.








Copyright © 2007 - The Analyst Newspaper - All rights reserved - SITE: MBWS

29 October - Review of Sierra Leone Media Reports29 October 2007 UNIOSIL/PIO
[Disclaimer: Excerpts below are from print media and news agency dispatches. UNIOSIL cannot vouch for the accuracy of the media reports].
PMDC, SLPP mend fences
A front page story in the Concord Times newspaper reports that the Peoples Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC), and the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) supporters, who were at daggers drawn in the town of Niahun Buima in the Kenema district, had agreed to put an end to their differences and work towards peaceful coexistence. The paper reports that the PMDC Regional Organising Secretary, David Keikula Samai, paid tribute to “all stakeholders” in the chiefdom, particularly tribal authorities for their initiative in working for peace and reconciliation. Samai, the paper further intimates, said although the PMDC and the APC were in an alliance, that did not mean that PMDC was dead as a party. “The alliance with the APC was to allow for a peaceful democratic transition” and to remove the structures which divided Sierra Leoneans as a people. Section Chief Moray Kojo of Dakpana Section, the paper further states, called on all forces of division to unite for the sake of national development. All parties, the paper goes on, pledged to work with the new President Koroma’s administration in spite of whatever political affiliations they might have had before the elections. Ruling APC party chairman of Mano Junction, Mohamed Bangura, the paper says, lauded both the SLPP and PMDC for their peace building initiative.

President Koroma poised to retake Yenga
President Ernest Bai Koroma is reported in the New Vision to have vowed that his All Peoples Congress government would vigorously pursue the land dispute in the border town of Yenga, at the summit of Heads of State of the sub-regional organization, the Mano River Union. The story goes on to reveal that President Koroma made the assertion on Friday, 26 October 2007, while addressing a twenty-two member delegation of the Makona River Union at State House; and underscored that every avenue would be exhausted to resolve the Yenga issue once and for all. He reportedly recalled July this year, when he was prevented from entering Yenga, citing security reasons; an indication that the matter was yet to be resolved despite assurances from the erstwhile government of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party. The story quotes President Koroma as reiterating, “this time around, we must take moves that will bring us to a definite end. We cannot wait any longer. We must resolve it peacefully.” The Makona River Union was an initiative of residents in the Moa and Makona River basin within the Mano River Union, supported by West African Heads of State, to maintain peace and security in the sub-region. Regional Chairman of the Union, Francis Tengbeh, disclosed that there were eight hundred thousand Sierra Leoneans, Guineans and Liberians living in the area, adding that each member of the organization maintains his/her nationality and that the Union’s constitution prohibits anybody or group from using one country for the purposes of creating instability in another country.

Sacked ACC Chief demands end of service benefit
Erstwhile Head of theAnti Corruption Commission (ACC), Professor Joko Smart, who was shown the exit door some two weeks ago, has demanded a colossal sum of Le214 million from the government as an end of service benefit for the two years he served at the helm of the Commission. According to Standard Times, while staff of the ACC were calling on the government to investigate the former ACC henchman for what they called questionable dealings during his term in office, Mr. Joko Smart was putting pressure to bear on the government to settle his end of service benefit. The report continues that disgruntled employees of the ACC had catalogued a number of concerns ranging from maladministration to other vices, which they wanted the government to investigate rather than succumbing to Professor Joko Smart’s pressure by approving his claims.

Information Minister and colleagues face media
Two newly sworn Ministers of Energy and Power; and Presidential and Public Affairs have told journalists of their Ministries policies and plans of action at a maiden press conference hosted by the Minister of Information and Communications, Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo. Addressing the press, Alhaji I. B. Kargbo, told the media that a press conference of such nature would be conducted weekly not as propaganda machinery, but a vehicle to made available factual information to the public on the activities of government. He said the regular press briefing is a demonstration of the government’s commitment to create a culture of civilized politics in which the government would not refuse to talk to the people, but would embrace every opportunity to disseminate facts about the government and its programmes. The Minister of Energy and Power, Haja Hafsatu Kabah told journalists that the long awaited Bumbuna Hydro electric project would be completed by 2008 as 90% of work had been completed; and the funding gap of Euro 30 Million been made available by the donor community. In the interim, she said the government had completed arrangements for emergency power supply in Freetown, which is expected to be in operation by December this year as a temporal measure until Bumbuna becomes functional. Presidential and Public Affairs Minister, Alpha Kanu, said the government was going to be very transparent and would encourage continuous dialogue with the people. “We are prepared to listen to the people all the time to help us correct ourselves if we want to go wrong” The New Citizen quotes him as saying.

SLPP in crisis - Paper Claims
A front page story in The Exclusive newspaper reports growing divisions within the opposition SLPP over the party’s leadership, following the resignation of the former leader and the party’s standard bearer, Solomon Berewa in the recently concluded elections. Several names, the paper claims, were being bandied around to fill the leadership void among which the paper says were former junta head of State Rtd. Brigadier Maada Bio, John Leigh, (both contested the party’s leadership with Solomon Berewa in 2005) and Maigor Kallon, a former foreign minister in the 60’s. The paper quotes party sources as saying “we are not going to make the same mistake. This time round, we are going to ensure that the leader we shall present to the people meets all the requirements”. The paper quotes party sources as saying that “the fitting candidate for the leadership slot should be rich, young and marketable”. The chairman of the party, Unisa N.S. Jah is serving as the party’s leader until a substantive is elected “some time next year.”
Minister vows to restructure education system

Newly-elected Minister of Education, Dr. Minkailu Bah last week disclosed that his Ministry was contemplating reforming the present 6-3-3-4 system of education in the country. He reportedly reiterated that the current crop of school children was a disgrace, which he attributed to the lack of quality education, New Vision narrates. According to Dr. Bah, the value of education in the past could not be matched with the present system, where scores of school children cannot speak or write correct English in schools and colleges. In order to correct the anomaly, the former Head of Electronics and Electrical Engineering at Sierra Leone’s premier University, Fourah Bay College, underlined the need to bring together all stakeholders to chart a sustainable way forward. He maintained that despite the daunting challenge, he was optimistic that the current appalling educational system would be enhanced by creating access, increasing enrollment in schools in addition to providing trained and qualified teachers. According to the story, Dr. Bah held the view that increase in enrollment matched with increase in qualified and trained teachers would no doubt enhance improvement in the educational system. He reportedly concluded by affirming that all the lofty dreams would be realized if stakeholders commit themselves by giving the Ministry the required support and cooperation.
(Compiled by UNIOSIL, Public Information Office)

10/02/07 - Rodney D. Sieh, rsieh@FrontPageAfrica.com

Washington, D.C. -

Besides owning the rights to Africa’s first female Head of State, Liberia is also the bearer of the first male Vice President - to a woman – in Joseph Boakai.


REPLACEMENT SPECULATIONS
"Let’s make people know that very clearly that I am not an appointed person. I am elected and people are speculating about a replacement as if to say the Vice President can just be replaced at any time, I think that should be some joke."
Joseph Boakai, Vice President, Republic of LiberiaThe quiet, laid back and low-key second in command, who has taken a back seat to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf throughout much of the first two years of the administration remains an enigma all too often ignored and whose posture and demeanor depicts a man most times either misunderstood or simply difficult to gauge. Boakai’s emergence on the world’s biggest stage last week to address the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly was a major departure from the second-fiddle role he had become accustomed to and for one which his boss, the President, had taken much criticisms, credited to her many travels and time reportedly spent from the domestic duties for which the Unity-Party-led government was elected. In this FrontPageAfrica interview, the man dubbed “The Quiet One” took time of his whirlwind first major international assignment to discuss a number of issues which has dogged him over the past few months, notably concerns about his health and speculations about his replacement as Vice President; his recent breakaway from members of the Upper House of the National Legislature regarding controversial Auditor General John S. Morlu, the return of the assets freeze bill to the Executive Branch and among other issues, his views on the criticisms from many that the administration is treading dangerous territory with the presence of so many personalities from the Tubman and Tolbert eras.


FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Mr. Vice President, we have heard a lot about your education initiative and how you were planning to set up a program wherein students would apply for loans? What is this all about?

BOAKAI: No, not students, actually what we are trying to do is that we made this trip to California at the invitation of a lady who runs a foundation, called the foundation for women and we are trying to create macro credit for market women mostly and that is what we are working on. I would wish that in the long run and it is part of my thinking that we should be looking into loan possibility for students. I think that will be a good way mostly at the University level because I believe that will be a good way to remove some of the burden from us and also to make the students work for their education.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Since the inception of the new government, there have been a lot of speculations about your role in the government and until recently you were just in the background. How do you feel now that you are finally coming out – with your address to the United Nations?

BOAKAI: I continue to tell people that I haven’t been in the background that much. I mean the President has actually given me opportunities to represent her on many occasions and yet people seem not to be informed. But I have gone to Nigeria to represent the President, I have gone to The Gambia, I have gone to Sierra Leone to represent the President. Except that you are talking about representing her in Western countries and even that we went France to represent her at a summit. So, I think the President initially she had to move around because there were these relationships that had gone cold over the years that she needed to be there. It needed her personality and her image to reestablish and we thought that was quite in place. After that the rest of what we do have been follow up.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: You recently declared that Liberia would soon become an oil-rich nation in West Africa but fell short of detailing what you meant by that. Do you care to elaborate? What is in the pipeline?

BOAKAI: We do have the potential for oil exploration. I mean, but I have heard that there were seventeen block that were identified and that had some potential and needed to be explored and people were beginning to and in fact we are beginning to understand that there was a group on its way to London to get a contract for them to come in and begin to explore for oil. So, Liberia stands a very good chance within that region like Ghana and Ivory Coast, we do have a very good chance for the possibility of offshore.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Let’s move to the issue of the Auditor General a bit. Recently a motion introduced on the floor of the Senate on behalf of AG John S. Morlu spurred some controversy which led to the refusal of some Senators to honor your gavel after you had asked them to rethink and share notes over Morlu’s action to dismiss the entire staff of the General Auditing Commission and be given another chance for deliberation. In the wake of this we gathered that you had been playing a behind-the-scenes role in an attempt to mend fences between the Executive branch and the AG. Are there any truths to this and what do you think can be done to ease the current friction with the AG? Do you think there is any room for improvement to ease the friction between the AG and the Executive Branch?

BOAKAI: Let me just make it very clear that the issue was not mostly of the Auditor General’s role. The Senators were asking the Auditor General and had asked him earlier to appear before the Senate to show cause while he had terminated the services of the core group of employees of the General Auditing Commission which he inherited and he had come to address himself to that. The second request was that he should not just pay a fine but he should reinstate all of the persons that he had fired. They (the Senators) know that the constitution is clear on who plays which role. They might have an oversight responsibility for the auditor general but the employment of the Auditor General to engage in services falls under the Executive and what we were saying was that if they felt that the Auditor General had done something wrong. We had over the period began to establish some dialogue system but to say reinstate people, especially so when we know many other ministries, including the Executive Mansion have for the purpose of rightsizing and downsizing, laid off people. If you begin to ask the Executive Branch to reinstate people, it means that all the other people we have laid off should be reinstated and you know we would be opening a Pandora’s Box and what we were saying was that the motion at the Senate was overloaded. It was saying the Auditor General should pay a fine and reinstate. I said, I have no problem with the fines issue, but to ask the AG to reinstate would be overstating your boundaries. And that is why I tried to tell them to reconsider it and look at it again so that we do not begin to run at loggerheads with the Executive. We need to work together.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: The recent coup plot revelation was dealt a setback when one of the government’s witnesses said he was forced to name names. Do you think the government has a strong case?

BOAKAI: You know on this issue, the government would not have encouraged any prosecution if we were not reassured that there was a case. And you know this whole think started in The Ivory Coast and we want to believe that the evidence is very strong. What may be the main witness may have had cold feet or maybe for whatever reason. But I am sure that the security apparatus did a good job at this time and they will bring him to book. They will definitely nail him to specifics in terms of what happen and how it is that he came to be apprehended. So we are not worried about that, they will handle that.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: A major concern from most critics of the administration is that the government is treading dangerous territory with the presence of so many figures from the Tolbert and Tubman era. Do you think that this is a fair criticism of this administration and do you think that the administration is representative of entire population of Liberia?

BOAKAI: It is not a fair criticism. This government is saying it over and over again and just saying it. But this government is demonstrating a departure from the past. This government is not involved in witch hunting; this government is not involved in anything that will divide the society. The government wants peace, the government wants reconciliation, and the government is keen on justice. As you know we have three branches of government. For the government, we talk about justice; we want to see the system work. This is why we are working with all of these reform agenda so that we make sure that we start on a good slate so that everybody will know what the government stands for. This government is intended to bring every citizen together to decentralize the country and make sure that they empower the people up country and make sure that we set a climate in which our people would speak freely and fairly and also be responsible for what they say. And there is no witch hunting, there is nothing fake about what we’re saying we mean it seriously and we are demonstrating it.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Speaking of demonstrating policies, there has been a lot of concern that the government is not really sincere about fighting corruption. How firm do you think the government is on this issue?

BOAKAI: Corruption has more than one partner and the first and foremost we need to actually find out and nail a person to corrupt practices. Many of the people who talk about corruption, if they were to go into a Ministry and conduct an audit and that audit reveals that somebody had squandered some resources, the President will not hesitate to prosecute, but you have to be able to really have a case. We hear these rumors, we hear about people who are corrupt and ministers and people who are carrying out corrupt practices. We are working and we are also trying. You know the Liberian society, people talk a lot too and sometimes most of what is said is not necessarily true. I mean, we build everything on rumors and you are not going to start where you have all of these human rights people just because somebody said we hear that somebody’s doing this, you go and arrest them, but the Liberians would know the day somebody is charged with corruption and is proven guilty, they would know what will happen to that person. The government is committed to fighting corruption in a very serious way.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: How is the government coping with the recent rejection of the assets freeze bill which was sent back to the Executive Branch by lawmakers?

BOAKAI: Now, with this assets freeze bill. You know that there assets freeze bill is not the work of the government independently. This government, before it was ushered in, there was a couple of number of things that we were required to do. The outgoing legislature passed a resolution that this government should investigate and reevaluate all inherited contracts. The GEMAP was inherited, which is why you see all of these foreigners that are assigned to different ministries and agencies. So it is also that part of the condition for all that we are trying to do, whether it is in debt relief, showing evidence of good governance, all of them are tied together with insuring that the assets freeze bill is implement. The assets freeze bill is not the work of the Liberian government. It is part of an international requirement and all the government is doing is to send it to the legislature for them to see and take their concurrence. If the legislature decides that this is not in the best interest of the country, it is their right to reject it and to say this is not part of what we want to do and sent it back to the President. The President may decide to veto it or the President may decide to go along with it. But this was not introduced by the Liberian government.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Speaking of contracts that this government has signed. Recently, a lot of eyebrows were raised with the decision by the government to sign a deal for the United States to pay a flat fee of $US2, 000.000 per month for the sizeable piece of Cape Mesurado – a prime piece of property. Many are saying that the annual amount is too small and are beginning to suggest that the property is simply too lucrative to be given away at such a low figure for such a long time. What was the government’s thinking when it agreed to this deal?

BOAKAI: I’m sure the money involved in that agreement was even far less than that. So it was actually appreciated quite a bit because when we knew about it. You are talking about the Grey Stone property, right?

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Yes!

BOAKAI: When the Grey Stone property came about, I do not know the figure off hand, but it was a very small amount. So, talking about two million dollars. Well, again, they’re talking about two million dollar a year or what?

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: They’re talking about fifty years and that is where the concern is.

BOAKAI: Again, the contract is not before me and I am not in the know of all that went through to come up with that figure, but I can tell you that we need to discuss with the legal people and would want to know the basis for which they came up with two million dollars but again, this is a parcel of land that has been there and is finally being put to some use. And I am sure that the American government is one of the best friends that we have right now and I’m sure if we have those difficulties we can overcome them.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: How is your health, Mr. Vice President?


Liberia's vice President, arriving for Liberian Investment Symposium in Washington, D.C. Monday, says his health is just fine.BOAKAI: So far it is good. I mean I feel alright otherwise I would not be moving around as much as I do and still continue to survive because in Liberia, just as much as I come here and maybe even more so, it is a twenty-four hour thing because you go to work, you are kept busy almost all through the day. You go to the house they follow you. On weekends there are programs all over. But I thank God. I mean I am okay.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: In the beginning of the administration there were some concerns and there continue to be some fears that you are in declining health spurring concerns that there are plans to have you replaced. Were there any truths to those stories?

BOAKAI: That’s just politics. I mean if I am not healthy, I should be the first to know but if other people are concern that I am not healthy, they would have to come and tell me. But to replace me, let’s make people know that very clearly that I am not an appointed person. I am elected and people are speculating about a replacement as if to say the Vice President can just be replaced at any time, I think that should be some joke.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Last week you addressed the U.N. and spoke about how the country is still fragile and this week at the investment forum, you spoke about luring investors in the country. What do you think is the most challenging task facing the administration right now in terms of luring investors?

BOAKAI: What we would consider the most challenging tasks which need immediate attention is employment. You know a lot of young people and even those who have been right-sized because of overcrowdings and even now if you can further downsize, you still have a lot of people that are very ineffective. But what we need to do is to build the capacity of some of the people as well as we would like to see job created, so that opportunities can be made for these large number of young people who are unemployed. People talk about 80 percent unemployment, that is not an easy number and not a healthy society where 80 percent of the people are not working, no matter what you do. So we are not talking about the governing is fragile in that it might face an overthrow tomorrow. That’s not what we are talking tomorrow. We’re talking about certain basic things that like security that needs to be put in place. Security is not just taking a gun and protecting people. It is about jobs, it is about children being in school, it is about fathers being able to support their children – those are the kinds of situation we are talking about and that is what this investment forum is all about...

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Are you happy with the pace of the symposium so far?
.
BOAKAI: So far, you know it is so difficult for people to judge people on the basis of achievement when a country comes out of a war situation. There are so many things that need to be put into place to create the environment for investors. You talk about a country that is without electricity, country without water. It means that for every area you come to invest, it is in the manufacturing area, you would have to provide all of these which create a lot of investment burden. But we want to believe that there are very important investments that have been made in the country and besides that there are existing investments that are now being upgraded like the rubber industry. These have been there and thank God some of them have returned and they have been upgraded. People are cutting down old trees, replanting, but what we want to see is mass employment, investment like that of Mittal Steel that we believe would be able to employ more than three to four thousand people. Those are the things we are talking about. And also the small investment that would take twenty persons and maybe a few of these and gradually we would begin to see people getting back on track.

FRONTPAGEFRICA: Do you see yourself eyeing the presidency some day, especially if President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf decides not to seek a second term as she pledged on the campaign trail?

BOAKAI: You know, people always come to that. But my belief in life is what God has given you - the people in Liberia give us six years to prove ourselves, to improve their lives. I am more concern about the six years and what we would do to show that we are worth their confidence. My own life has been that of what God wants me to do, I’ll do it. I mean, I do not go out there chasing for this or that. Let us face the task on hand to improve the lives of the Liberian people. I think that if we do that, time will decide on where we go next, but our job is to see that our country become a proud country again, a country of healthy citizens, citizens that can go anywhere and are proud to present their passports and people will say yes, this is a Liberian.



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