President Joseph Boakai is being accused of political witch-hunting for his decision to prevent Dee Maxwell Saah Kemayah from being appointed to a crucial role as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Resident Representative for Sierra Leone, a political storm is brewing in Liberia.
According to reports, he was chosen to represent the regional organization in neighboring Sierra Leone by ECOWAS Commission President Dr. Omar Touray.
However, Kukatonon News has learned from sources that the Boakai-Koung administration has been orchestrating a ploy to protest Ambassador Kemayah’s appointment to the position through its Ministers of State for Presidential Affairs and Foreign Affairs, Sylvester Grigsby and Sara Beysolow Nyanti, respectively, with President Boakai’s approval.
The two officials begged President Boakai to send an official letter of objection to the President of the ECOWAS Commission regarding the appointment of former Foreign Minister Kemayah as the Resident Representative of ECOWAS to the Republic of Sierra Leone. They suggested Ambassador Marjon Kamara to ECOWAS for the same position, according to our sources from ECOWAS, the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Before this, Ambassador Kamara was the Minister of Foreign Affairs under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s administration.
According to sources, Minister Grigsby gave direct orders to Ambassador Al-Hassan Conteh, Liberia’s ambassador to Nigeria and permanent representative to ECOWAS, to forward the official Boakai-Koung administration’s protest to ECOWAS regarding Ambassador Kemayah’s appointment as the organization’s resident representative in Sierra Leone.
Kukatonon News learned, however, that in answer to Ambassador Conteh on June 6, the ECOWAS firmly turned down the proposal made by the Boakai administration.
The ECOWAS Commission denied the government of Liberia’s request for an objection, citing the fact that there is no legal designation for the role of Resident Representative of ECOWAS that is exclusive to Liberia or any other member nation.
“This appointment of Ambassador Kemayah is within the absolute purview and authority of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, which is strictly in line with the decision of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in December 2014 which established the positions of ECOWAS Resident Representatives,” the source told our sisterly outlet, Frontpage Africa.
“What’s very concerning to us is the position the former Foreign Minister of Liberia, Ambassador Kemayah is being appointed to is a non-statutory position and certainly not a position set aside for Liberia and any other member state of ECOWAS. The President of the ECOWAS Commission has the authority to appoint any qualified citizen of the ECOWAS community, as is the case with Ambassador Kemayah.”
Political analysts and the general public are angered by the action, which has raised questions about political scheming and personal grudges within the current Liberian leadership headed by the Unity Party.
The administration of President Boakai, according to critics, is purposefully preventing Kemayah from taking on the ECOWAS role by lobbying with his Sierra Leonean counterpart, Julius Maada Bio, in South Korea to reject the ascendency of Kemayah since he was told it is not a position for Liberia to nominate its candidate.
The motivations for this purported obstruction are still firmly rooted in the Unity Party’s polarizing strategy, which targets public servants and officials who are considered to have been chosen and employed by the previous Weah-Taylor administration.
Experienced diplomat Ambassador Kemayah has led Liberia’s foreign policy efforts. Callers on local talk shows complimented Ambassador Kemayah on his diligence, hard work, and meritocracy in landing the position. There has been opposition to his possible appointment to the ECOWAS position, though, from some places.
Liberian-born Emmanuel Orlind Cooper is an accomplished multimedia journalist with extensive experience covering news and stories on a variety of media platforms. Orlind's work frequently demonstrates his profound grasp of the region and its complexity, given his Liberian heritage.
Now residing in Woodbridge, Virginia, he keeps connecting with readers across continents with his perceptive journalism and sharing his viewpoint. He is well-respected in the sector because of his unwavering commitment to honesty and morality, which sets him apart in the field.
Orlind's work is more than simply his job; it's a dedication to giving voice to the voiceless, illuminating unsung tales, and advancing the worldwide conversation on important concerns. His goal as a journalist is to use the media's power to change the world, not just to disseminate information. He is a key player in modern journalism because of the inspiration, education, and engagement that his work consistently provides.