Monrovia – Foreign Minister Maxwell Saah Kemayan, head of the Joint Presidential Transition Team, has divulged that his committee will be presenting a budget to the outgoing administration for activities leading to the conduct of the upcoming inauguration slated for January 21, 2024.
By Willie Tokpa
Minister Kemayan told journalists following activities leading to the transitional process that the budget was collectively propelled by the JPTT and will include every activity to ensure the inauguration of Joseph Nyumah Boakai as president.
However, he noted that a proposal which was made by outgoing-president George M. Weah to have members of the committee take stipends, was rejected by members of the incoming leadership on the team.
The Liberian Foreign Minister also affirmed a request made by Amb. Boakai’s incoming leadership, to use the Capitol Building as a venue for the inauguration, further promising to launch a JPTT cleaner campaign to expedite the ongoing inaugural cleanup exercises.
Kemayan, who chaired the second JPTT meeting, held at the C. Cecil Dennis Auditorium at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia on Thursday, December 14, assured the Secretariat of the Joint Presidential Transition Team, that President George Weah’s decision towards the transitional process is irreversible and irrevocable.
“God has blessed Liberia with leaders that have Wisdom compatriots with love for their country, and Liberian remains the biggest winning party at all times,” he noted.
Kemayah touted the Secretariat of the team for their level of commitment and contributions toward the process.
For his part of Atty. Samuel Kofi Woods, a member of the JPTT, representing the incoming leadership, noted that President-elect Joe Boakai is delighted about the team set up and that the team itself doesn’t see the need to take compensation as recommended by the outgoing President.
He said they have sent a communication to President Weah that several outlines things that are in good faith for a smooth transition.
The JPTT Steering Committee meeting was focused on matters relating to the planning and execution of activities leading to the 2024 inauguration and the operationalization of the cluster working group, a team of subject matter practitioners from the incoming government responsible for interacting with various agencies of government.
Meanwhile, key activities that the second meeting was centered on included, setting up of operational facility at the EJS Ministerial Complex for it’s working groups, drafting of non-disclosure agreement, preparing and finalizing budget for it’s secretariat, preparing and finalizing procurement related activities for the inauguration, identifying logistics and funding for inauguration clean-up, completing and operationalizing security mechanism and identifying suitable location for inauguration among others.