Monrovia – Mr. Charles Sirleaf, the eldest son of former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has been relieved of his position as Deputy Governor for Operations at the Central Bank of Liberia. President George Manneh Weah on Tuesday named Ms. Nyemadi D. Pearson, Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company as Mr. Sirleaf’s replacement.
Mr. Sirleaf was arrested in March in relation to the illegal printing of more than $104m (£78m) worth of local banknotes, along with former governor Milton Weeks.
A USAID-funded report by the investigative auditing firm, Kroll Associates, looking into the alleged disappearance of more than $100m (£75m) worth of newly printed Liberian banknotes last year found that the CBL acted unilaterally and unlawfully by printing and importing into the country three times the amount of banknotes it had been authorized to do.
Sirleaf’s replacement, Pearson, comes from a banking background. She has an MBA certification in management with emphasis in Marketing, from Strayer University; a BA, Management, United Methodist University. She previously served as Acting Chief of Office-Interim President/CEO National Oil Company of Liberia, Banking Supervisor 2006 to 2010 Ecobank, Liberia. She has good experience in banking operations. Observers say Pearson is no stranger to the CBL because she once served as deputy director of GSS Department. At LPRC, she was been credited with delivering and improving maximized overall productivity since taking over the corporation and such will be needed CBL that has a broken-down system. Pearson, who also has a certificate in leadership and decision making from Harvard University has also worked as a special assistant to the President.
Dr. Musa Dukuly was named Acting Deputy Governor for Economic Affairs while Mr. Timothy Thomas, James B. Dennis and Richard A. Dolley were all named member of the CBL board.
In other appointments, the President named Ms. Cecelia Cuffy Brown, formerly a Deputy at the National Port Authority becomes Managing Director of the National Housing Authority while Tonia D. Johnson was named Deputy MD for Administration.
Musa Shannon, a former vice president of the Liberia Football Association becomes Chairman of the Board for the Robert International Airport while Bishop J. Allen Klaylee, who has been acting becomes Managing Director at the RIA.
At the National Port Authority, Diana Nebo becomes Deputy Managing Director/Administration replacing Cuffy Brown.
Lorenzo Pelham was named Deputy Director General/Operations at the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency while Maxwell Grigsby was named Chairman at the National Commission on Small Arms.
Mr. Anderson Slober Chea was named Deputy Managing Director/Operations at the Liberia Telecommunication Corporation.
At the LIBERIA PETROLEUM REFINING COMPANY, Marie Urey Coleman was named Managing Director while Mr.
Emmett R. H. Sampson Sr. was named as a Member of the Board.
The President also appointed former Speaker Alex J. Tyler, one of several indictees in the Sable Mining bribery saga as a government representative of Mittal Operating Company Government along with Rev. Joseph G. Johnson. The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Lands, Mines & Energy were named statutory.
At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, former Montserrado County Representative, Henry Fahnbulleh was named Deputy Minister replacing Mr. Elias Shoniyin who recently resigned. Mawine Diggs was named Deputy Minister for Administration.
Lewis Wright was named Commissioner of the National Aid Commission while Mr. Sheikh Y. Jalloh was named as a member of Paynesville City Council.
The appointments made on June 18, 2019 are subject to confirmation by the Liberian Senate where applicable.