PHOTO: A cross section of AFL veterans
As New Veterans Bureau Officials Take Office In Monrovia
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The newly appointed Director General of the National Bureau for Veteran Affairs has outlined a seven-count plan to undertake purposely to improve the welfare of veterans of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) and contribute to the nation building.
Over the years, retired and demobilized soldiers of the AFL have staged a series of street protests agitating for what they claim are their just benefits and calling for their welfare to be catered to by authorities.
Retired Colonel Edwin Goodridge added that his administration will among other things make farm on a 25 acres of land owned by the bureau in Grand Bassa County and ensure products will be sold on the Liberian market.
Col. Goodridge spoke recently, when he officially took over the gavel of authority at the National Bureau for Veterans Affairs in Monrovia’s Congo Town suburb. He pledged to establish a comprehensive database, in order to ascertain the full numerical strength of veterans and organize them for positive ventures throughout the country.
According to him, the National Bureau for Veteran Affairs hopes to establish wood workshop for former soldiers with carpentry scales to undertake produce, desks, chairs and blackboard for schools, renovate public buildings around Liberia.
The bureau also wants to establish a private security institution purposely to take contract of providing security for industrial, public and private entities on a contract basis, Col. Goodridge added. “It is our desire to standardize and take over the curriculum for the teaching Reserved Officer Training Course in schools and higher institutions of learning throughout country,”
According to Col. Goodridge, the bureau hopes to lobby for all institutions of government for manual construction contract so as to provide means of income for veterans.
“We intend to seek membership with regional and international veteran organizations in the rest of the world”
“This is now our common denominator of all of us and we must maintain it with positive thoughts of peace and togetherness ,” he said; adding: “ we have tried division within our rank and file before and it has taken nowhere because without unity and peace, we will fail in our endeavors.”
“Because of the division over the years,” he went on, “this bureau has not received enough in the national budget and from international partners.”
In remarks, the Assistant Defense Minister , Sam Collins, who spoke on behalf of the , Defense Minister Daniel Ziakahn , said the ministry will only work the leadership at the National Bureau for Veterans Affairs but no other institution.
He said any concern from any former soldier should be channeled through the National Bureau for Veteran Affairs and will not recognize any other group to speak for former soldiers
Assistant Minister Collins pledged the support of the Ministry of National Defense in working with the leadership appointed by President George Weah at the bureau
“We have so many minutes of the discussions that materialized the appointment and subsequent taking of office at the National Bureau for Veteran Affairs,”
“We met for hours, days and weeks to give and take where everybody expressed dissatisfaction at certain point but at the end of the day, we made consensus and it led us to where we are today.”
According to him, nobody has been imposed on anybody here because the president has the constitutional power to appoint whosoever he wants to head the bureau.
“Only unity can make us to make progress and the bureau to move forward because the minister has let me he will work with the leadership at the veteran affairs”
During the program, several gifts were presented to Colonel Goodridge and Major Goer for their roles in bringing peace among the ranks and file of the former soldiers.
Other National Veterans Bureau officials who kook offices that took office along with Colonel Goodridge were: Retired Major Alexander Geor, Deputy Director General for Administration; and Retired Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Wleh, Deputy Director General for Veteran Affairs.