President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Thursday dedicated the new Ministry of Health and Social Welfare headquarters, named in honor of Dr. Joseph Nagbe Togba, Sr., Liberia's first trained medical doctor and public health practitioner.

The US$5 million Office Complex is a gift to the people of Liberia from the People's Republic of China. On hand to witness the turning over was Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua and members of the Chinese delegation.

Also present at the dedication ceremony were two children, a grandson and other relatives of the late Dr. Togba, whose other notable achievements included being a signatory to the World Health Organization Charter, a former President of the World Health Assembly, former Director-General of Public Health Services, former President of the Liberia Medical and Dental Association and Professor of the College of Medicine and Chairman of Public Health Department.

Offering the background of the project, Dr. Walter T. Gwenigale, Minister-designate of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said that the building was constructed during the presidency of Samuel K. Doe but was never occupied, and was then looted during the war; that President Sirleaf, during her first term, had approached the previous Chinese Ambassador to complete the structure, and that the current envoy, Ambassador Zhao, had followed through, resulting in this beautiful building. He also cited the collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works in working with the Chinese company on the project, and thanked all the workers for their efforts.

Drawing attention to a photograph of the President in the program, in which her finger was raised, Dr. Gwenigale said: "The President is warning us that this building is not intended for us to sit down here. It is intended to get out to the communities and work to decrease the disease burden of the country, not to sit down in the fine building." The second thing the President was saying, he continued, was: "This beautiful building that has been put up by the Chinese has to remain beautiful and well-maintained." It would cost a lot of money to do that, he said, but he was determined to keep the structure clean, well maintained for those who would come afterwards.

In handing over the keys of the new Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to the Liberian Government Ambassador Zhao, quoting from President Sirleaf's Annual Message, in which she highlighted the development priorities of her second term, said this beautiful Office Complex would serve as an indication that the Liberian Government has laid a strong foundation for its future progress, and also serve as a springboard to improve the lives of the Liberian people and to lift all Liberians.

The handover of the Office Complex also marked a new beginning in China-Liberia relations, Ambassador Zhao said, a relationship that would be characterized by a deeper friendship and more fruitful cooperation as a friend and as a partner. China would respond positively to the priorities Liberia has set for the next six years.

Ambassador Zhao said: "We will continue to provide helpful assistance in the areas of infrastructure, agriculture, electricity, education and public health. We will do as much as we can in the area of trade and investment and human resources development. We'll encourage Chinese companies to build Kpatawee into a modern farm, an attractive tourist site; to build a solar power plant and a special industrial zone in Monrovia; and to carry out a project to install solar lights in every Liberian village. We will encourage Chinese companies to participate in the restoration and construction of hydro power plants, roads, ports and other infrastructural facilities. We will continue to provide government scholarships and training opportunities to professionals and young Liberians from all sectors of Liberia. We will start construction of the MVTC in April this year, and the construction will be completed within one and a half years. And to improve the working conditions of Liberian civil servants, the Chinese Government will provide a grant to build a modern ministerial complex within three years."

Over the past six years, the Sirleaf Government has lifted Liberia, the Ambassador said, adding that Chinese assistance and support would continue to be conducted in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefits. "Rest assured, no strings will be attached," he declared.

In her remarks, President Johnson Sirleaf said she was delighted to join in celebrating the completion of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Office Complex, named in honor of Liberia's first trained medical doctor and Director-General of Public Health, the late Dr. Joseph Nagbe Togba, Sr., and that his family had come to join in honoring the memory of this great man.

She was pleased, the President said, that the structure, "once an eyesore sheltering Liberians displaced by the war," would henceforth serve as the permanent headquarters of our Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. She thanked the Government of the People's Republic of China for the generous gift, yet another "big footprint" of that Government, the others being the University of Liberia Fendall Campus; the Jackson Fiah Doe Memorial Hospital; and the Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center at the Central Agricultural Technology Institute (CARI).

The President continued: "Ambassador, today you made some other commitments, for other footprints. I remind you that, since I face it all the time, when you make commitments, Liberian people never let you forget."

This magnificent gift, she said, is "a true mark of friendship and solidarity between our two countries, further demonstrating China's commitment to support our mission of lifting Liberia and lifting Liberians." The President thanked Ambassador Zhao for his efforts in getting the project started, long before he came to Liberia; thanked the construction company for their completing the work in the time they did; and commended and thanked the Liberian workers on the project for their contributions.

It's a great day for the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, President Sirleaf said, which would now have adequate premises and government could reduce the cost of rental buildings. She continued: "But this is more than newer buildings and more space. It is, for us, an attestation and acknowledgement of a great son who struggled, on his own, in those days when recognition and support were not forthcoming, that today we can make up for this neglect and thereby set the example for the recognition of all the many great sons and daughters of Liberia who may not have been recognized for their contribution to the development of our country."

The President recognized Liberian doctors in the audience, thanking those who had remained at home and those who had returned, and pointing out that they were playing a part in reducing the country's patient to doctor ratio. She hoped the new Complex would inspire policy makers to work hard to enhance basic health care, adding: "Let us focus on reforming and managing our health sector to deliver comprehensive, quality health and social welfare services that are equitable, accessible and sustainable for all Liberians."

President Sirleaf thanked the Minister of Public Works and his team for ensuring that the construction met all the technical specifications and finished on time. She also thanked Dr. Gwenigale and his team. She observed that both Ministers had been re-nominated to continue to serve in their portfolios. The President added: We hope that after your hearing, where I'm sure you'll be grilled by the Legislature, that they also will be asking you to make some commitment to ensure that you do even more, in the second term, to be able to provide good service to our people."

Speaking earlier, Cllr. John Togba said that the family of his father, Dr. Togba, was proud of the honor being bestowed upon him by the Government of Liberia by naming this miraculous building after him. He said that although his father had climbed to the mountaintop of the medical profession, he had also experienced his share of valleys, such as personal abject poverty, class discrimination by his own countrymen, racial discrimination and more. Were his father present, he would say: "How great thou art" to the Government of Liberia for the honor being bestowed upon him. In his father's stead, he said of the President, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, members of government and friends: "How great thou art" for a truly great honor.

Grandson Joseph N. Togba, III, said his grandfather had accomplished a great deal. But for the support he received at critical times in his life, things might have been different, having been born of humble beginnings, in Sasstown, present-day Grand Kru County. He had been sponsored by a Methodist missionary, who recognized his potential, and had assisted him in obtaining a college education the United States. After medical school, Dr, Togba had returned home in 1944, and began service to his country at the Government Hospital on Snapper Hill, as the first Liberian-born medical doctor. He would then dedicate the next 45 years of his life to the establishment of a national public health care system and putting into place much of the infrastructure, including this one. He said of his grandfather: "He helped make scholarships available for all promising Liberian medical students. It is important to note that, in his life, for every wall he could not break, he climbed; and he was able to leave a rope over the top to make the next person's climb a little bit easier."

Mr. Tobga continued: "Not everybody will be like Dr. Togba. Too many times young people are not given the opportunity to achieve what they were put on this earth to do because they are born into dire circumstances that turn what should be a time of learning, exploration and growth into a struggle for survival. Addressing this problem in a meaningful way will take the combined effort of community members, medical professionals and civil servants because, as we all know, most journeys to success begin with a healthy childhood. The reopening and dedication of this wonderful facility represents a significant step in that direction. Our President has recently recommitted her administration to increasing access to basic healthcare services for all Liberians, with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to lead the way. This makes my family all the more proud that its headquarters will now bear our grandfather's name."

Also speaking at the turning-over ceremony was Public Works Minister-designate, Kofi Woods, who said that the maintenance of the facility was being linked to the President's commitment to youth employment and skills development. His Ministry would develop a clear policy framework, linking it with the university and the community, to ensure that skills will be transferred and developed. He clarified that it was Government's policy to complete projects begun by previous governments, and that the President had mandated his Ministry to assess and evaluate them, and proceed to have them completed. Any building not being worked on was probably structurally defective and had been condemned. He thanked all those who made the project possible. He pledged to work with the Liberian workers, and with the Ministries of Health and of Labor, to see how to integrate some of the workers in the maintenance of this and other projects.

Senator Peter Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health & Social Welfare, himself a medical doctor, speaking on behalf of the 53rd Legislature, said the dedication of this edifice was a clear-cut manifestation of the enormous and significant contribution to development in the health sector that had been made over the last six years. The fact that it had happened through the assistance of China demonstrated that the People's Republic of China is a genuine partner in Liberia's progress and socio-economic development.

As a Senator from Grand Kru County, he was pleased that the edifice was named for a great son of that county, and overwhelmed by this great honor that had been bestowed upon the people of Grand Kru. He paid tribute to Dr. Togba, saying that the foundation he laid for the country's health system was reaping results today. He congratulated President Sirleaf that in many parts of the country today, there are 3-4 doctors, and that the ratio of patient to doctor has greatly diminished, from 1 to 50,000 to 1 to 25,000. He commended the collaboration between Ministers Woods and Gwenigale on this magnificent edifice. He would report to the Senate on the project, and hoped this edifice would remain in this same form in the years to come.

During the ceremony, the Manager of the Qingjuan Construction Company, Mr. Gao Lei, presented the keys of the Office Complex to China's Ambassador to Liberia, H.E. Zhao Jianhua, who turned them over to the President and she, in turn, to Minister Gwenigale. Signing the Certificate of Handover were Ambassador Zhao for China and Minister Gwenigale for Liberia.

Miss Liberia USA, Lawdia Kennedy, who said she had been away from Liberia for 21 years but was happy to be home, sang the song "Still I Rise." Delivering the Invocation and the Dedicatory Prayer were: Rev. Jervis Witherspoon and the Rt. Rev. Dr. Sumoward E. Harris, respectively.

Following the cutting of the ribbon by President Johnson Sirleaf, she and guests were given a tour of the facility.