Health, Education Ministers summoned

Members of the House of Representatives have voted overwhelmingly for the appearance of Education Minister Etmonia DavidTarpeh and Health and Social Welfare Social Affairs Minister Walter Gwanigale on whether the country was now safe for the reopening of schools.

During its regular sitting at the Capitol on Thursday, the plenary of the House of Representatives said the fact the National Elections Commission or NEC was making efforts towards the conduct of the 2014 Special Senatorial Election in this year, the condition was now created for schools to be reopened in the soonest possible time, and that the two ministers should appear to give reasons of possibilities.

The Liberian Government, through the president’s office, announced the closure of schools on July 29, 2014, as a result of the rapid spread of the Ebola virus. The two governmental officials would appear before the Committees on Health and Education, expectantly on Thursday, October 30, 2014, and thereafter the committees will later report to the full Plenary of the House of Representatives.

The Committees’ judgment to invite the Education and Health Ministers arose out of  the mandate of the Plenary, predicated upon a communication from Rivercess County Representative Francis S. Paye, for the House to determine amicable possibilities of reopening schools in the country.

“Precisely against this backdrop and given the improving environment now obtaining in various communities, we shall appreciate were you to kindly invite the Minister of Education, Hon. Etmonia David Tarpeh to vividly provide us briefing that would enable us to determine and feed the Chief Executive, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf with current developments within the educational sector,” Rep. Paye wrote. “This, we believe, would also allow the Education Minister to hold consultations with other stakeholders for amicable solutions.”

However, Grand Bassa County Representative Gabriel B. Smith amended the motion for the inclusion of Health Minister Dr. Walter Gwenigale which was subsequently accepted by Body.