By: H. Richard Fallah
MONROVIA: Highly placed and unimpeachable sources have informed this paper that Liberia’s new President, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, has made additional appointments in Government, affecting the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Commerce, as well as the Liberia National Police (LNP), and Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
According to our sources who prefer anonymity for administrative reason, President Boakai on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, nominated business tycoon, Amin Modad, as Minister of Commerce; while Abraham Kromah was appointed as Head of the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
Other presidential appointees include Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of Liberia; Sarah Beslow-Nyati, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Dorbor Jallah, Commissioner-General of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA).
The Presidential appointments are subject to Senate confirmation as enshrined in the 1986 Constitution of Liberia.
According to Article 54 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, the President shall nominate and, with the consent of the Senate, appoint and commission — a) Ministers, deputy and assistant cabinet ministers; b) Ambassadors, ministers, consuls; and c) the Chief Justice and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and judges of subordinate courts; d) superintendents, other county officials and officials of other political sub-divisions; e) members of the military from the rank of lieutenant of its equivalent and above; and f) marshals, deputy marshals, and sheriffs.
Amin Modad who has been nominated to serve as the Minister of commerce is the Chairman Emeritus of the ruling Unity Party (UP), and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bella Cassa Hotel, in Sinkor, Monrovia.
LDEA Boss, Abraham Kromah, alias “Abe Kromah,” is former Deputy Inspector General of the Liberia National Police (LNP), for Operations (102). He is a United States trained security expert and administrator with reservoir of professional and hands-on experience.
Col. Kromah currently operates a private security firm and is credited for his robust movements against illegal drugs dealers, terroristic acts, and individuals who use commercial bikes and other motorcycles to engage in acts of criminality.
Abe Kromah served as Deputy Police Director for Operations during the erstwhile regime of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
On the other hand, President Boakai`s nominee for the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Madam Sara Beslow Nyanti, was the lone female presidential candidate in the 10, November, 2023 Presidential and Legislative elections.
She is a former Deputy Special Representative of United Nations Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.
She is also an international development expert, and a Liberian pastor.
She has more than 20 years of professional experience and has served as UN former Resident Coordinator for Nepal.
Another presidential nominee is Dorbor Jallah who is a respected integrity figure in the public space in Liberia.
He is a Liberia representative to the Carter Center which allows him to oversee and coordinate all programs of the Carter Center in Liberia.
He once headed the state-owned Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC), increasing the tenets of best practice by creating an online portal for the publication of vendors list, approved procurement and concession plans, approved contracts, complaints, and essential documents; and commenced the professionalization of the procurement profession.
Dorbor Jallah, a graduate of the United States based Michigan Institute of Technology (MIC), produced Liberia’s first batch of 32 locally groomed Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supplies (CIPS) certified professionals.
He also led and coordinated support services (including logistics, supply chain, finance, etc.) for Liberia’s emergency Ebola response which resulted in ending the world’s worst health pandemic in record time.
He coordinated Liberia’s development planning process across sectors and regions, culminating into the execution of about $350 million annual national expenditure and Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) of more than $12 billion.
The presidential nominee for the LRA leadership is also on record for his investigation that unearthed the surreptitious award of close to 25% of Liberia’s land mass and more than 80% of its forest cover under fake Private Use Permit (PUP) licenses among several other contributions in different sectors across Liberia.
The nominee for the post of Minister of Justice, Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi, is an experience Liberian lawyer.
He is also one of the lead lawyers, representing former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia who was recently found guilty in a jury trial for the murder of her (Musu Scott’s) daughter.
The information of the President’s new appointments comes just two days after the Executive Mansion published the names of the first five appointees of the Boakai administration.
In his first nomination, dated January 22, 2024, President Boakai named Boima S. Kamara, Minister of Finance & Development Planning; Mr. Sylvester M. Grigsby, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs; Mr. Samuel Kofi Woods, and National Security Advisor to the President.
Others include Mr. Gregory Coleman, Inspector General of the Liberia National Police (LNP), and Mr. Sam Gaye, Director of the Executive Protective Service (EPS).
Meanwhile, all of the various names nominated by the President are yet to be confirmed as they await the Senate confirmation hearings.
