The Editor,
I write in support of Journalist Jerry Wion, with particular respect to his question, “And how many foreign trips has the world’s most travelled Head of State Ellen Johnson taken out of Liberia since January 16, 2006, and please add the cost/dollar value to every country she has visited?”.
Today, there are juicy, grapevine rumours making the Monrovia circuit. The rumours are that the President of the nation does not live here, in Liberia, because of her very frequent foreign travels and wonder whether she pays or the state (people) pays rent, since, for almost ten years the nation’s Presidential Palace, the Executive Mansion has been idle, empty.
And also that for the short time that she is in the country, she is held in “protective custody” by the presidential gate-keepers such that it becomes very difficult to secure audience by the average citizen.
The Presidential Offices and Operations, temporarily domiciled at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have not, yet, been quantified/qualified in economic and socio-political costs.
Meanwhile, the Nation’s Executive Mansion, Home and Offices of the Chief Executive, have been idle due to the fire incident and was, reportedly, contracted to architects-engineers for renovation.
But, for the more than 10 years, there appears to be no information on progress or no progress, only grapevine rumours of massive looting of the Presidential Palace of its valuable chandeliers and related irreplaceable furnishings– furniture and equipment provided by the Israeli builders.
Kind Regards,
Bai M. Gbala, Sr.,
[email protected]