Liberia-The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is said to have favored former Foreign Minister, Dee Maxwell-Saah Kemayah for the position of Resident Representatives of ECOWAS to Sierra Leone over the President Joseph Nyuma Boakai administration’s choice.
Former Foreign Minister Kemayah was appointed by the President of the ECOWAS Commission Dr. Omar Touray in the later part of 2023 to represent the regional body in neighboring Sierra Leone.
It is however reported that the current administration through the Ministers of State for Presidential Affairs and Foreign Affairs Sylvester Grigsby and Sara Beysolow Nyanti allegedly wrote the regional body to disregard Kemayah’s appointment to the post.
The Former Minister is an ally of ex-President George Manneh Weah of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
According to sources, the Liberian government through the office of Foreign Minister objected to then President of the ECOWAS Commission on the appointment of Kemayah, and instead recommended another former Foreign Minister in the government of former President Ellen Sirleaf, Ambassador Marjon Kamara to ECOWAS for the same position.
The government’s communication sent to ECOWAS through Liberia’s Ambassador to Nigeria and Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Ambassador Al-Hassan Conteh was immediately rejected by the regional body, in a June 6, response to him.
The Boakai’s administration recommendation was rejected on grounds that the appointment of former Foreign Minister of Liberia Ambassador Kemayah is as a result of 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.
However, the government has reportedly reached out to Sierra Leone and Nigeria ECOWAS Authorities insisting on the objection of the Former Foreign’s Minister appointment.
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