The Government of Liberia (GOL), through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has bestowed upon the former Indian Consul General to Liberia, Upjit Singh Sachdeva (Jeety), its esteemed honor: Knight Grand Commander of the Humane Order of African Redemption in Nimba County, for his over two decades of service to the people of Liberia while he served as Consul General of India.
The honor was bestowed on Jeety on Friday, April 23, 2021 at a cocktail reception hosted by H.E. Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., Minister of Foreign Affairs, in honor of the members of the diplomatic and consular corps of Liberia.
At the reception, Jeety was decorated by Minister Kemayah with the distinct honor of Knight Grand Commander of the Humane Order of African Redemption in Nimba County.
Jeety, in whose honor this year’s annual cocktail reception for diplomatic and consular corps was held, is the former Dean of the Consular Corps of Liberia. He is a businessman, philanthropist, humanitarian and active contributor to the socio-economic development of the Republic of Liberia.
“You have distinguished yourself before God and humanity because of your many contributions towards uplifting the people of Liberia,” the Chief of Protocol of the Republic of Liberia, Ambassador Jervis A. Witherspoon, praised Jeety as he read his profile.
Also, the Indian Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire, Y.K. Sailas Thangal, in a statement to Minister Kemayah, who had invited him for the annual diplomatic reception, placed on record that Jeety’s magnanimous selfless service extended to all COVID-19 patients admitted in the COVID-designated hospitals and also providing home-cooked meals to thousands less fortunate people are simply unparallel and praiseworthy in the service towards humanity.
Ambassador Thangal, who could not attend the reception due to the difficulties in travelling, said, “I would like to express my deep appreciation to the entire Liberian Ministry of Foreign Affairs team, led by H.E. Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, for deciding to honor Mr. Upjit Sing Sachdeva (Jeety), former Honorary Consul General of India for his momentous contributions in strengthening India’s bilateral ties with the Republic of Liberia.
“During my short tenure as Ambassador, Mr. Jeety has become not only a colleague but a bosom friend and brother and he truly symbolized a bridge between people of India and Liberia. I wish him a long, healthy life to continue his noble works.”
Between 1995 and 1999, Jeety served as President of the Association of Indian Communities in Liberia, during which period he introduced a new dynamism of business culture between Liberian and Indian residents. In 1998, he was appointed by the government of India as Honorary Consul General in the Republic of Liberia. In this capacity, he effectively performed his consular duties by concretizing socio-economic and cultural ties between Liberia and India. He served in this capacity up to February 5, 2021, and rose to become Dean of the Consular Corp in Liberia.
During his tenure as Honorary Consul General of the Republic of India, cooperation and other exchange between the two countries attained new heights, as he made strides to enhance socio-economic and economic tides.
Sachdeva received wide acclamation for humanitarian activities, not only in Liberia, but also in other African and Western countries, including many awards from media institutions and other organizations, who also recognized his philanthropic deeds towards Liberians and other nationalities.
Meanwhile, as Sachdeva wines down his official post as Honorary Consul General of the Republic of India to Liberia, the Government of Liberia (GOL) has expressed for him its ardent hope for more success in his future endeavors during his stay in Liberia.
On behalf of the Liberian government, Minister Kemayah presented to him a Liberian flag and a certificate as a demonstration of the government’s gratitude for his many contributions for the wellbeing of the people of Liberia and for the enormous support he rendered to Liberia-India cooperation.
The inscription on the certificate read, “The Minister of Foreign Affairs presents this award to Mr. Upjit Singh Sachdeva, former Honorary Consul General of India, for outstanding and dedicated service to the government and people of Liberia in promoting Liberia-India cooperation, and for humanitarian par excellence.”
A toast was then proffered to the honoree by the Foreign Minister, who said, “We proffer this toast to the honoree, Jeety, whose service in Liberia spans over two decades. On behalf of the government and people of Liberia, and in my own name, we proffer this toast to good health, prosperity, but more so to the private sector, which Jeety is a part of, and is the engine of growth.”
In response, amidst an ovation from his fellow ambassadors and consul generals, Upjit Singh Sachdeva, alias Jeety, said, “I want to, first of all, extend profound thanks and appreciation to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liberia, His Excellency Amb. Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, along with his able lieutenants for what I consider a very thoughtful and commendable gesture for honoring me, following the successful end of my tour of duty in Liberia as the Honorary Consul General of India in Liberia, after having served in the position for over two and a half decades.
“The ending of my duty tour in Liberia is occasioned invariably by the decision of the Government of India to open an Embassy with a resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Monrovia. In fact, the Indian Government’s decision to open a resident Embassy in Liberia is perhaps the greatest achievement of my incumbency as Honorary Consul General of India in Liberia.
“I hasten to state in all sincerity how humbled I feel by the very kind words lavished on me by Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Foreign Minister of Liberia, apparently in recognition of our contribution in strengthening India’s bilateral ties with the Republic of Liberia. I am exceedingly grateful and feel highly honored for the recognition. “In fact, we started our Consular and Diplomatic career in Liberia in 1994, first as Consular Assistant, rose to the rank of as Acting Honorary Consul General, before subsequently been commissioned full Honorary Consul General by the Government of India in 1998, which position I served from then on to February 2021, when our tour of duty came to an end.”