In a meeting with people with disabilities, Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has said government remains committed to addressing the challenges facing the physically challenged people in the country.
A press release from the Vice President’s office said she made the statement on Monday, when she named Florence Wayfa-Siafa as the new Executive Director of the Group of 77 on Newport Street.
Madam Wayfa-Siafa, according replaces the wife of Ex-Vice President Joseph Boakai,madam Katumu Boakai, who headed the institution for twelve years.
Speaking during her interactions with members of the disabled home, VP Howard-Taylor said the CDC-led government’s pro-poor agenda under the leadership of President George M. Weah takes seriously the plight of physically challenged people in the country.
She asked members of the group to work with the newly appointed Executive Director to formulate new programs meant to address their plight.
Liberia’s first elected female Vice President recalled that during her tenure as Senator of Bong county over the years, she seriously opposed the idea of physically challenged persons gathering at public places begging, a situation she said, has to change.
‘Our physically challenged brothers and sisters must go beyond mere survival and start living better lives as desired of all other Liberians,’ VP Howard-Taylor said.
She presented thirty bags of rice to members of the Group of 77 as part of her initial commitment to enhancing to their welfare at the institution.
Speaking earlier, concerned members of the Group of 77 outlined a number of challenges being experienced under the past leadership of the institution.
They spoke of the need for quarterly meetings intended to discuss and find a way forward to these challenges.
The concerned group in a statement demanded the replacement of the entire leadership of the Group of 77 with competent members of their kind.
The group of 77 is one of the institutions which the Vice president has direct mandate and supervision over. The Vice president as part of her mandate.
Meanwhile, VP Howard-Taylor has asked the newly appointed Executive Director to formulated new programs targeting the welfare of members of the Group of 77.