A hard-core, high-level, skilled law enforcement, security sector management and reform expert, Gregory O.W. Coleman, is expected to appear today at the Capitol for confirmation hearing.
With a Harvard University of the John F. Kennedy School of Government degree to his credit, Coleman holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration, as well as a diploma in Public Administration and Police Leadership was appointed Police Inspector General-Designate by President Joseph N. Boakai recently.
Graduating from the Cuttington University with a Bachelor of Arts in Management, he holds certificates from several trainings, including Chief Executive Leadership from Southern Police Institute, UL, Kentucky; Public Administration and Police Leadership from Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), as well as Managing Defense in the Wider Security Context from Cranfield University and Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center in Accra.
He also has recognition from community services such as Fellow Social Venture Partners in Minnesota; The SVP Fellows program is a three-year skills-based volunteer experience for community-minded professionals, leaders, and social entrepreneurs.
He has expertise in public security planning and provision, risk mitigation, real-time crisis management, and security analytics; an Active Security Management Professional with extensive experience in security systems design using ASIS standards and community relations, as well as consensus building to orchestrate security enforcement, investigation, and strategic policing.
Coleman who has not been recorded for any acts of criminality has served Liberia in high ranking positions, namely, Director-General of the National Bureau of Concessions; Inspector-General of the Liberia National Police, and Chairperson of the West African Chief of Police Committee; served as Senior Security Advisor to the President on the National Security Council; upheld electoral security integrity in 2017 General and Presidential Elections, and protection for Liberia’s first democratic transition of power since 1944; Commissioner of Police for Operations; Senior-Inspector for force Management, Command, and Control, as well as the first uniformed officer with commanding responsibility of general operations.
Coleman’s return to the police, when confirmed, is expected to witness the initiation of reforms, judging from his impeccable experience and record in community policing and police operations.
Meanwhile, 28 senators have already voted in favor of Boima Kamara as Finance Minister; Dorbor Jallah as Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) and Sylvester Grigsby as Minister of State for Presidential Affairs.
The Senators’ decision which proved unanimous in the Liberian Senate was triggered following a report from its Committee on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget while Grigsby’s confirmation followed a report from the Senate Committee on Executive.
Kamara previously served as Minister of Finance and Development Planning and Deputy Governor at the Central Bank of Liberia during the administration of former President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Jallah previously served as Head of the Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC) of Liberia during the administration of former President Sirleaf as well, while Grigsby served former President Sirleaf as her Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State Without Portfolio.
The senators’ decision to confirm the nominees is in keeping with Article 54 of the 1986 Liberian constitution, which states, “The President shall nominate and, with the consent of the Senate, appoint and commission cabinet ministers, deputy and assistant cabinet ministers, ambassadors, ministers, consuls, the Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, and Judges of subordinate courts, amongst others.”
In their respective reports during yesterday’s sitting, the committee observed that those confirmed possess the requisite academic qualifications, competence, and experience to serve in their respective positions in the Boakai administration.
Meanwhile, the Senate Secretary was instructed by that august body to communicate with the office of President Joseph Boakai of the Senators’ decision.
