The Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL) attention has been drawn to the grave allegation of sexual harassment levied against the newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb Dee Maxwell S. Kemayah.
The Association is glad that the President of the Republic of Liberia, Dr. George Weah, has launched an investigation to that effect.
President Weah who is the Feminist-in-Chief needs to convince Liberians that he has a zero tolerance for sexual violence in any form as he proclaimed when he addressed the two-day anti-rape conference recently in Monrovia.
We crave the indulgence of President Weah to prove his commitment to ending rape by withdrawing the appointment of Amb. Kemayah until he is purged of this grave allegation that has the propensity of throwing a monkey wrench into the validity of the anti-rape document; if it is anything serious to go by.
In a recent dispatch from New York, Madam Wynee Cummings Wilson, in separate communications to the US Mission, UN authorities and Williametta Piso Saydee Tarr, Liberia’s Minister of Gender complained of sexual molestation and harassment by Amb. Kemayah.
According to Madam Wilson, on January 8, 2020 (which happens to be her birthday), the mission staff had a small celebration for her.
“After the event while I was about to leave and head home, Amb. Kemayah called me to his office and locked the door, and I was sexually harassed by him. Kemayah asked me several times to kiss him, stating, ‘You know what to do, just give me a kiss, we are all adults here,” she narrated.
It can be recalled that Mr. Gbehzohngar Milton Findley then Minister of Foreign Affairs resigned to contest the senatorial seat in Grand Bassa; a vacancy Amb. Kemayah was nominated to serve.
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Ambassador Kemayah who was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations and all its organs when confirmed will represent Liberia globally.
FeJAL behooves the Legislature, Ministries of State, Foreign Affairs and Justice to now show proactive accountability by advising the President to withdraw the appointment until a full-scale report into the investigation is released.
By this, Liberians will be convinced that the collective efforts as requested by President Weah is now well on its way to a broader collaboration and coordination among the stakeholders in the fight to end rape and all forms of sexual and gender based violence against women and girls in Liberia.
