6 November 2009
Liberia Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Al-Hassan Conteh presented his Letter of Credence to the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua at an elaborate ceremony held on n Tuesday, November 3, at State House in the Nigerian Capital Abuja.
According to a Foreign Ministry release, this was the first time in thirteen years that a Liberian envoy has officially presented his Letter Credence to a President of Nigeria. Liberia's former fully accredited Ambassador to Nigeria was Professor James Teah Tarpeh who served between 1991 and 1996.
Liberia is recovering from over decade of civil strife under the dynamic leadership of Africa's first democratically elected female President, Her Excellency President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The Liberian civil war of 1990-2003 ravaged the economy and infrastructure of this once vanguard and vibrant African nation in African and world development.
At the ceremony, Ambassador Conteh recounted the history of Liberia's relations with Nigeria, and paid homage to the peaceful, deep, cultural, historical ties between the people of Liberia and Nigeria. Ambassador Conteh said Liberia inspired pre-independence Africa's leaders to the extent that one of the founding fathers of Nigeria, Nigeria's first President, and Dr.. Namdi Azikwe, wrote a treatise on Liberia entitled "Liberia in World Politics."
President Azikwe and his generation perceived Liberia as a shining beacon of black Africa's hope and solidarity that inspired African independence and development. In this respect, Nigeria collaborated with Liberia following its independence in 1960 to establish the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the precursor to the African Union (AU).
According to him, Liberia mediated to bring to an end Nigeria's civil war of July 1967 to February 1970, stressing that Nigeria returned this favor in 1990, by leading the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Ceasefire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) to help bring peace to Liberia.
He said Nigeria subsequently played a pivotal role in the ECOWAS peace process of 2003, especially in sending vanguard troops as part of the ECOWAS Mission (ECOMIL) that was instrumental in bringing peace and security to Liberia. On the auspicious occasion marking the presentation of his credentials to the Nigerian President, Ambassador Conteh outlined his plans for work of the Embassy of Liberia in Abuja.
He said the Embassy would interpret and advance Liberia's foreign policy with the view of obtaining official and private sector support for Liberia's Poverty Reduction Strategy to "Lift Liberia," while representing Liberia's interest at the ECOWAS Commission, attracting private sector investment for Liberia, and protecting the interests of Liberians living in Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Equatorial Guinea.
The Liberian Mission would also engage Nigerian technical knowhow in business and trade to help boost the Liberian economy by seeking to infuse new investment to meet Liberia's current capital constraints, which the country must obviate to boost economic development.
In the area of education, he said the Liberian Mission would continue to the seek assistance of the Government of Nigeria and Nigerian philanthropists to enhance capacity development in our economy, especially in the area of teacher training and youth development.
Finally, he emphasized that the Liberian Embassy would work with the Government of Nigeria to promote the implementation of International Agreed Goals within the context of the strategic plans of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) for the benefit of the people of Nigeria and Liberia.
These include, but are not limited to promoting sub-regional security within the ECOWAS, the Goals of the New African Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), the Millennium Development Goals and the ECOWAS Peace Fund. Relations between the two countries warmed up in April this year when a high power delegation led by the Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs His Excellency Bagudu Hirse visited Monrovia and a signed a technical agreement for two years to assist Liberia with capacity development through Nigeria's know how and expertise.
Under this Agreement, the Federal Government will assign eighteen medical doctors and over forty-five teachers to work in Liberia. Nigeria's First Lady Hajiya Dr. Turai Umaru Yar'Adua at the head of five-woman high power delegation subsequently visited between October 14 and 15 as an official guest of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
The Nigerian First Lady held fruitful discussions with the Liberian leader and representatives of women groups on ways of deepening the relationship between the women of Nigeria and Liberia, security, public sector reform, participation and humanitarian work to help rebuild Liberia.
First Lady Turai also joined President Sirleaf to commission the Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts Dormitory and Annex at the John F Kennedy (JFK) Medical Center in Monrovia. She also visited the Fistula Center at JFK, the Monrovia Demonstration School, and Women and police peacekeepers of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
At each stop, she made substantial contributions in cash and kind and emphasized the significance of girl-child education as a solution to many societal problems. She also extolled the important role of the international women peacekeepers in Liberia.
The Nigerian Contingent assigned with UNMIL is vibrantly keeping the peace in Liberia. Nigeria has significantly continued to help rebuild the Armed Forces of Liberia, and the Liberian National Police. Nigeria also supports reform in immigration, the prisons and Liberia's security services.
The first Commanding Officer of Liberia's restructured Armed Forces was a Nigerian, the late Major General L. N. Yusuf of sainted memory, who was also Chief of Army Staff of the Nigerian army. His successor is also a Nigerian, Major General S.A. Abdurrahman.
Nigerian businesses are booming in Liberia in aviation, banking, oil, and the pharmaceutical industries, to name a few. Many Nigerians and Liberians continue to live peacefully under their respective countries' laws as law-abiding citizens.
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