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General

Ellen dodges questions on resignations

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appears doggy over questions relating to several resignations within her government as her tenure comes to an end.

So far four key senior government officials have resigned within her second term with the latest being Foreign Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, who has his eyes set on the 2017 Presidential and general elections.

Former Public Works Minister Kofi Woods was the first, followed by Justice Minister Christiana Tah, with Agriculture Minister Florence Chenoweth tendering in her resignation few months ago. President Sirleaf told Journalists at the Roberts International Airport on Tuesday upon her arrival from the United States that she could not comment on Ngafuan’s resignation, indicating that the minister whose resignation takes effect this Saturday, October 10, 2015 is still in the U.S.

“The other matter is … the person concern is out of the country; when they come to the country then we will deal with that,” President Sirleaf said in response to question on how Mr. Ngafuan’s resignation will affect government’s development agenda.

President Sirleaf’s answer did not come as a surprise as her media officials had already restricted journalists’ lines of questioning, apparently being aware that issues of her officials’ resignations would have dominated the line of questioning.

The President is four years into her second term, and with many of her officials harboring future political ambitions, the number of resignation is expected to rise. But what is of concern is how these resignations affect her programs for development within the remaining two years of her regime.

As it relates to the recent violent incident in Ganta, Nimba County, President Sirleaf said she was awaiting full briefing from a Security Council Meeting before she would comment, though she said Defense Minister Brownie Samukai, who chaired the cabinet while she was at the UN Summit, had briefed her upon arrival.

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“The Chairman of the Cabinet – the Minister of Defense has briefed me as much as possible; but that’s not enough. He’s going to give me a further briefing … we’ll have a Security Council meeting; we’ll discuss it,” she said.

Earlier commenting on the international trip, President Sirleaf said it was much more than rewarding, particularly saying, she received an award on behalf of all Liberian doctors and nurses, including the entire citizenry for the success achieved in eradicating Ebola.

The Liberian Leader also described her trip as very fruitful because she met with some Norwegian partners, who she said had a gap in Liberia’s hydro and she was able to get them to put $40m dollars that is necessary to cover the gap.

By Winston W. Parley –Edited by Jonathan Browne

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