Valued At US$500K Intended For Vulnerable People
PHOTO: (L-R) Nasser Alsusaie, head of Saudi delegation and Foreign Min. Dee Maxwell Kemayah
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Liberian government have signed an agreement for the donation of 29,000 bags of the 25kg rice value at 500,000 United States Dollars to assist vulnerable people in Liberia.
The signatures and notes were exchange between Nasser Alsusaie, head of delegation of the technical team from the Saudi Arabia, on behalf of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Dee Maxwell Saah kemeyah, the Minister of the Foreign Affairs on behalf of the Liberian government.
Speaking during the signing ceremony and exchange of notes, Mr. Nasser Alsubaie said his kingdom of Saudi Arabia is proud to be associated with assistance to needy in Liberia.
He disclosed that a Liberian company has been contracted for the purchase of the rice so as to build the local economy.
Mr. Alsubaie explained that the rice will be provided to the Liberian government in two months by the Liberian company, the Fouta Corporation.
According to him, he has also brought the initial payment of two million United States Dollars for the renovation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Minister of Agriculture, Jeannie Cooper, stressed the need for the involvement of local rice farmers so as to strengthen the capacity of the farmers.
According to her, the Liberian rice farmers and producers claimed that it will take them almost one year to produce such quantity of rice for purchase.
For his part, the Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Wilfred Bangira, who represented Minister Winnie Diggs at the signing ceremony, thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the gesture towards the Liberian people.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the National Disaster Management Agency, Henry Williams, thanked Foreign Minister, Dee Maxwell Kemayah, for his negotiating for food to assist the needy in the country.
He assured Minister Kemayah that the bags of rice will be given to needy and none of it will be diverted for any reason.
Responding, Foreign Minister Dee Maxwell Kemeyah, thanked the kingdom of Saudi Arabia on behalf of President George Weah for the donation of rice value 500,000 United States Dollars to the Liberian people.
Minister Kemayah used the occasion to ask the Saudi kingdom to open an embassy in Monrovia to as the further strengthen the ties between the countries
“We are hoping that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will give serious consideration for the construction of a new building to host the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Minister Kemayah warned the National Disaster
The signing ceremony was graced by Thelma Sawyer, the Deputy Minister for Administration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, assistant ministers and directors of departments at the Foreign Ministry while the other members of the technical team from Saudi Arabia was Abdulaziz Alatiq. Report by Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com