Monrovia – Major General Daniel Ziankahn, Jnr. Liberia’s Minister of National Defense says reports of his deteriorating health as a result of the deadly COVID-19 are totally untrue.
Contacted by FrontPageAfrica Tuesday to address speculations surrounding his health, emanating from his role in the April 11, national security briefing, the minister, who is vice chair of the Joint Security team, acknowledged that he was in the meeting but he, like other officials of government who were present at the meeting, submitted to testing.
“I advised the Minister of Justice, Frank Musah Dean, who is chairman of the Joint Security Team that we have the meeting in the conference room of the Ministry of Defense in order to properly observe the social distancing protocol because the room here is more spacious.”
Major General Daniel Ziankahn, Minister of National Defense
Minister Ziankahn, speaking to FPA via phone Tuesday said contrary to what has been reported and in the public domain, the joint security meeting was not held at the Ministry of Justice but rather at the Ministry of Defense.
Minister Ziankahn explained: “I advised the Minister of Justice, Frank Musah Dean, who is chairman of the Joint Security Team that we have the meeting in the conference room of the Ministry of Defense in order to properly observe the social distancing protocol because the room here is more spacious.”
According to Ziankahn, his thinking was that the conference room at the Ministry of Justice, which had held several prior joint security meetings was too small and would not be a proper setting to implement the social distancing protocol.
“Both of us agreed that the conference meeting at MOJ was a little tight and recommended that it be held at the conference room at MOD.
Minister Ziankahn further explained that the ministry was represented in that meeting by himself, Army Chief of Staff, Prince Johnson, his Deputy for Administration, T. Olandrus Dickson and Assistant Minister for Public Affairs, Sam Collins.
The minister further explained that the team invited Information Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe, who was in attendance with several others, including the late head of the Drug Enforcement Agency(DEA), Mr. Marcus Soko. “We invited Eugene to come later because we wanted him to disseminate what came out from the meeting.”
Since the April 11 joint security meeting, several top officials of the George Weah administration have fallen ill to the virus.
Announcing his positive result on Sunday, Minister Dean when asked whether he was in any of the security meetings with Soko, Minister Dean responded in the affirmative. “Yes! April 11, the Joint Security met and subsequently on another day. I am the chair.”
Following the death last week of DEA boss, Marcus Soko, Justice Minister Dean, Deputy Police Chief Sadatu Reeves, Deputy DEA Director Marcus Zeahyoue and now Minister Nagbe have all tested positive. LNP 102 Marvin Sackor, who escorted Soko to the hospital is currently under quarantine.
According to Dr. Mosoko Fallah, head of the National Public Health Institute (NPHIL) at least 31 officials of administration came in contact with the late LDEA boss, Soko and members of the joint security team including their families are currently being tested and monitored.
Addressing a news conference Monday, Dr. Fallah confirmed three had tested positive of COVID-19, many of those were in the April 11 meeting of senior security officials’ briefing on the deadly virus in Liberia.
The meeting presided over by Justice Minister Dean also included representatives from the Ministry of National Defense, the National Security Agency(NSA), the Drug Enforcement Agency(DEA), the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, the National Security Advisor to the President; representatives from the Armed Forces of Liberia, the Executive Committee on Corona Virus (ECOC), headed by Broh and Senators Steven Zargo(Liberty Party, Lofa), Jonathan L. Kaipay(Liberty Party, Grand Bassa) and Conmany Wisseh(Unity Party, River Gee). Information Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe was also in attendance.
Senator Wesseh told FPA Monday that he along with Senators Zargo and Kaipay were in attendance in the April 11 meeting but only for 15 minutes. The Senator said he took his test Sunday and is still awaiting his results. Major General Prince Johnson, Chief of Staff of the Army, also confirmed to FPA that he too was in the meeting on April 11, but first tests have come back negative.
For Defense Minister Ziangan, getting tested was simply the right thing to do. “When Marcus Soko passed, the health authorities invited everyone who were in attendance at the April 11 meeting, including me, my deputy for Administration, the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Assistant Minister of Public Affairs, Sam Collins. We were all called in and told to submit to testing and we did.
Unfortunately, some of our colleagues came down positive. For those of us who came with negative results, we were told to observe and self-quarantine until a second round of testing can be conducted. As I speak to you, I’m just from exercising, I feel fine and in good health – at least for now.”