Weah congratulates new Speaker and Pro-tempore

By Naneka A. Hoffman

President George M. Weah has congratulated Speaker-elect, Jonathan Fonati Koffa, for winning the speakership, and Grand Bassa County Senator, Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence, for winning the Senate Pro-Tempore position on white ballot.

Both officials will lead the 55^th Legislature of Liberia. 

Speaking in Tarr Town, Monrovia on Monday, January 15, 2024, during commissioning ceremony of a newly constructed National Headquarters of the Liberia Refugees Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) President Weah lauded the commendable work of the Commission and its affiliated agencies in catering to refugees and returnees.

“Today, as we inaugurate this complex, we are extending our capacity to provide much-needed relief to those in search of solace and stability”, President Weah said.

He thanked the dedicated management and staff of the LRRRC under the leadership of executive director Rev. Festus Logan and the chairman of the Board of Directors and Minister of Internal Affairs Varney Sirleaf, for their tireless effort in in bringing the project to reality.

President Weah also hails the UNHCR family and partners for supporting the project.

“I am reliably informed that the commitment of the UNHCR to invest their resources in the development of the local office, for the administration of refugees by any refugee repatriation and resettlement organization, is indeed an extraordinary gesture which we hereby acknowledge with thanks and appreciation”, The President said.

The dedication of the facility underscores government’s commitment to move public offices out of private buildings, adding that the decision to construct a multipurpose facility such as the LRRRC is in line with its desire for development.

Mr. Weah stated that this is a demonstration of effective utilization of meager resources to maximum potential.

He said that this is a reflection of government’s commitment to changing the landscape of the country and enhance the lives of its people.      

For his part, executive director Logan said few years ago, President Weah instructed all government institutions housed in private buildings to construct their own buildings.

Mr. Logan said the LRRRC heeded this instruction and “Today, we are here to commission the first ever office complex built by the UNHCR in West Africa.”

He said this achievement is due to hard work by the Government of Liberia to provide international protection for asylum seekers, refugees, and other persons of concern within the borders of Liberia.

The LRRRC boss notes that since the establishment of the Commission by the Liberian Legislature in 1993, it has been operating from one privately-owned building to another, spending thousands of dollars, but this has changed with the completion of the new facility.

UNHCR Representative to Liberia Antony Akumu Abogi thanked President Weah for the dedication of the building and disclosed that the project started about 12 years ago when UNHCR purchased the piece of land for development of a joint office of LRRRC and UNHCR.

Mr. Abogi disclosed that in June 2022 UNHCR allocated 150,000 United States Dollars to commence the project that has yielded fruition. Editing by Jonathan Browne