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Liberian Army will no longer be “dumping ground”-Pres Weah

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-Promises to build Liberia’s 1st military hospital

By Augustine Octavius

The new Liberian government has vowed to improve the conditions and welfare of soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia, the President and  Commander-In-Chief of the AFL, George Manneh Weah said in his Armed Forces Day message on Monday.

Addressing troops and other officials at the official ceremonies at the Barclay Training Center in Monday, Weah said the army would no longer be reduced to the “dumping ground”.

He committed his government’s fullest support to improving the welfare of the gallant men and women of the AFL and other Para-military institutions in Liberia.

He ordered his new Defense Minister, Retired Maj. General Daniel Ziankahn to immediately assess housing facilities of soldiers and report back to him in the soonest time possible.

The new Liberian also announced that his administration will source funding from partners to construct the first ever specialized Military hospital that will carter for the medical needs of soldiers and other security forces.

When constructed, President Weah said the military hospital will be equipped with modern facilities and staffed with qualified medical practitioners who will assist in training members of the AFL in all specialized medical disciplines.

In his Armed Forces Day Message, the Liberian leader also spoke of an improved housing facilities as well as specialized professions for Military and Para-Military personnel aimed at making them viable in society.

President Weah said for too long, the plights of members of the AFL have downplayed with many of them abandoned in Military Barracks without care and that it was time they regain their lost status.

The AFL’s new CIC noted that gone are the days when people perceived the army as a dumping ground for un-educated and under-privilege individuals, promising to transform the Liberian Army to a well-educated and professional career organization.

But Weah  called on Liberian soldiers to remain committed to protecting the territorial boundaries of the country and also serve as instruments of peace and unity, as they drive the “Change for Hope Agenda” of the government.

This Year’s celebration is held under the theme: The Armed Forces of Liberia, a force for good, contributing to regional stability, promoting peace and reconciliation in Liberia.

Meanwhile, the National Orator  of the 61st Armed Forces Day in  Liberia has urged the national army to serve as a catalyst under the model for national integration, void of religious and ethnic affiliation which he said  undermines professionalism in the military.

The Chief of Defense Staff of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Major General Abayomi Olanisakin said the military in any nation plays a critical role in the maintenance of peace and reconciliation.

Major General Olanisakin  maintained that a nation without security lacks the hope of survival.

The Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff cautioned the AFL soldiers to be steadfast and robust in supporting the democratic process as well as subjecting themselves to civil authority.

For his part, Defense Minister Daniel Ziankahn promised to work with the Commander-in-Chief of the AFL and the Legislature to mitigate the current challenges facing the Liberian army.

According to Gen. Ziankahn, the welfare of the soldiers will remain his paramount concern as Minister of National Defense, having been a uniformed soldier in the AFL for the past 12 years.

According to the new Liberian Defense Minister, the many sacrifices made by the Liberian army in maintaining peace and stability in the country must be commended.

He paid homage to immediate former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who he said laid the foundation for the new army at the same time appointing him as Chief of Staff in 2014.

Defense Minister Ziankahn also praised his predecessor Brownie Samukai for the level of work done to transform the new army.

The program, which was well attended by present and former officials of the government, diplomats, friend and relatives of soldiers, also saw the awarding of medals to Liberian soldiers who served in the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali and others.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed AFL Chief of Staff, Maj General Prince C, Johnson,III was commissioned on Monday by President Weah during the official ceremony marking Armed Forces Day.

General Johnson, who was recently confirmed by the Liberian Senate, served as Commanding General of the AFL prior to his appointment.

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