Foreign Minister, Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., has disclosed that Liberia welcomes the planned Joint border post to be constructed at the Liberia and Sierra Leone border, noting that Liberia is committed to resolving all outstanding issues for the construction of the post on the Liberian side of the border.
“Liberia has undertaken feasibility studies and has submitted all relevant documents to the ECOWAS Commission for the site identification, land design, site demarcation and other information regarding the project, to ensure the compensation of affected persons and their properties and the final turning over of the construction site and its legal deed to ECOWAS for the construction of joint the border posts. We hope that the commission would accelerate its part of the project to have this done as soon as possible because our citizens in these affected areas are in high mood for this great development,” Minister Kemayah intoned.
The Liberian Foreign Minister made the disclosure at the 88th ordinary session meeting of ECOWAS Council of Ministers, held in Accra, Ghana on June 30, 2022.
Minister Kemayah said Liberia takes note of the comments made in the report on the financial situation of ECOWAS, and wishes to assure the Council that, despite the common problems with the COVID-19 pandemic which slowed down economic activities, Liberia will continue to meet its fiscal commitments to the Community.
“The progress being made with ECOWAS Micro Small and Medium Enterprises is commendable. Most of our community citizens work in these enterprises, many of which are in the informal sector,” Minister Kemayah disclosed.
“We should therefore continue to build their capacities and formalize their activities in measuring their contributions to the gross domestic products of member states.
“On the memorandum on the food crisis, Liberia is concerned about the rising food and fuel prices, which are currently being ramped up by the effects of the Russian-Ukraine Crisis. Liberia therefore commends the ECOWAS Commission for the mitigation measures and food Systems resilience systems being put in place, particularly in frontline states affected by the worsening humanitarian crisis due to terrorism,” Minister Kemayah said.
The Dean of the Cabinet further mentioned that Liberia also commends the ECOWAS Commission for the gender transformative human capital development strategy.
“Liberia suggests that emphasis be placed on higher education, with reference on strengthening the research and development and innovation capacities of our universities, with reference to gender equality in STEM plus entrepreneurship and TVET activities. This is a sure way of addressing the declining demographic dividend of our region on account of the rising unemployment and underemployment of our youth,” Minister Kemayah said.
He said Liberia strongly supports the Memorandum on Strengthening the Role and Responsibilities of the ECOWAS Permanent Representative Committee (PRC). Liberia is of the strong conviction that adopting this memo will help facilitate the work of this Council and strengthen the decision-making process and implementation activities of ECOWAS institutions.