HOR Summons 5 Gov’t’s Entities

By Mark N. Mengonfia

The House of Representatives has summoned five government functionaries to appear on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 to provide an update and steps taken to contain the spread of the Coronavirus.

The decision of that body to have invited the five government ministries and agencies was due to the communication proffered by Margibi County District #4 Lawmaker, Ben Fofana.

In Representative Fofana’s communication, he requested that the Ministers of Health, Youth & Sports, Commerce, Labor, Transport and the Executive Director of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) to appear.

The Margibi Lawmaker said it was important that the Ministers of Health and Head of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) make an appearance before that body to provide information on the level of preparedness of the health system of the country amidst information that there are new confirmed cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Liberia.

Rep. Fofana said the Minister of Commerce appearance will help in informing them of the availability of food and other basic commodities on the Liberian Market.

“The Minister of Youth & Sports should also be invited to speak to crowd control measures that have been put into place to discourage huge gathering of people, particularly sporting and other events” Rep. Fofana added in his communication.

Additionally, Rep. Fofana stressed the need for the Minister of Labor to also be summoned to speak to the issue of detail plans to protect workers who might likely have to stay home from work as a way of preventing spread “ including those working in the private and public sectors.”

Rep. Fofana told his colleagues that Liberia is still recovering from the scars of left by Ebola Virus Disease experienced in 2014 adding “while all of these are happening, distinguished colleagues, we are also aware of the huge challenge that our economy is faced with, bringing about concerns in the ability of Liberian Government to adequately respond to any potential spread that may be commissioned by this health information.”