Foreign Minister Milton Gbezohngar Findley is seriously on a three-month political campaign spree in Grand Bassa County ahead of the December 8, senatorial elections.The foreign Minister’s whose quest is to oust the lone female senator, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, was also petitioned on Thursday, July 2, by several of his kinsmen in Buchanan City where he is currently beefing up his bid with support from some officials of government along with some lawmakers to ensure that he becomes the next senator.
Minister Findley, hypothetically, is the third person in government and must have his focus at this critical time on lobbying with international partners to eradicate the conoravirus which is wide spreading in the country but like other government officials who would rather desire electoral positions; the Foreign Minister is currently based in the county with his people.
Findley is no novice that as government official he must resign his appointed post as per the Code of Conduct since he is desirous of contesting the national election in the country but while preparing his way out of the Executive Branch of government, the question is who are those expected to replace him as the country’s next foreign minister or chief architect of foreign policies?
Several qualified persons who might be prepared and academically position for that post are Dee Maxwell Kemayah, Lenn Eugene Nagbe and George Patten whom the public should be seeking President George Weah’s approval to nominate any of them.
Liberia’s Ambassador accredited to the United States of America, Mexico and Canada George Wleh Patten is a career diplomat having spent over 20 years in the Foreign Service for Liberia. Concurrently, he served as Ambassador of Liberia to Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, and Uganda.
In Ethiopia, Patten strengthened bilateral ties between Liberia and Ethiopia, culminating in the signing of multiple agreements between the two countries as well as the presence of Liberia at the African Union, where Liberia was elected to serve leadership capacity on various committees of the Commission. During his tenure, Liberia was elected for the first time to serve in the African Union Peace and Security Council.
Patten who holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Liberia, a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the St. Mary’s University College in Ethiopia and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Liberia has professional training diplomas in diplomacy, public international law and conflict resolution.
In his long career as a Liberian diplomat, Ambassador Patten has served as Charge d’Affaires a.i, at the Permanent Mission of Liberia to the United Nations in New York and once served as Minister Counselor- Political and Legal Officer at the same mission; he has broad responsibilities including Expert on the Fourth and Sixth Committees of the UN General Assembly.
Dee Maxwell Kemayah is Liberia’s Ambassador to the United Nations and before his appointment to the United Nations as Liberia’s Representative, he served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for almost a year.
Prior to coming into government, Kemayah was the founding Chairperson of one of Liberia’s fast emerging political movement, the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE) and he also served as the former president of the Liberia Business Association (LIBA).
In recent times, he was instrumental in restoring Liberia’s membership to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) after nearly 30 years and Liberia was also overwhelmingly elected to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) following its endorsement by the African Group of 54 Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in December 2019.
Lenn Eugene Nagbe is one of Liberia’s longest serving Minister of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism who has successively served two Presidents. First, it was Madam Ellen Johnsons Sirleaf and now President Weah having earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication from the University of Liberia.
He was the former Secretary General of the Congress for Democratic Change and once served as Assistant Police Commissioner of the Liberia National Police.