By Bill W. Cooper
The government of Liberia through its Covid-19 Household Food Support Program (COHFSP) has vowed to complete its food distribution process in the 15 counties of Liberia.
Making the disclosure at the Ministry of Information regular Thursday press briefing in Monrovia, the COHFSP steering committee chairperson, Wilson K. Tarpeh said that with or without COVID-19, as head of the COHFSP will ensure that its targeted number benefits from President Weah’s stimulus package across the country.
Tarpeh who is also the Minister of Commerce, noted that they were faced with some challenges from the beginning of the distribution process, and indicated as a government that they are committed to ensuring that the package cut across the 15 counties in order for President Weah’s mandate be actualized.
According to him, as a means of speeding up the distribution process, they have now deployed enumerators in Margibi, while some works have also been completed in Nimba County, emphasizing that their next stop will be Grand Kru before moving out to other counties in the country.
He added, “I can proudly say that we are diligently working with the World Food Program (WFP) which is doing a fantastic job to ensure that food distribution progress hits the vulnerable communities, and we have also done such to other institutions and our healthcare workers who are the front liners in the fight against the COVID-19.”
The Commerce Minister further disclosed during the distribution process in West Point that several were arrested for taking and selling the food intended to be distributed, stressing that said individuals have been arrested and undergoing investigation for possible prosecution by the government.
Meanwhile, Minister Tarpeh has further revealed that since the beginning of the government’s food distribution process, the COHFSP has managed to feed approximately 36,500 households in spite of the time taken to do their planning and the many challenges being confronted with.