Sierra Leone Mission in Liberia seeks the interest of her nationals
In a bid to maintain a good environment for our citizens in Liberia, Ambassador Rev. Dr. Mrs. Marie Jilo Barnett in collaboration with UNHCR, ECOWAS and LCRRR this past weekend ended a symbolic ceremony of tree planting in Tennie Community Grand Cape Mount County for resettled Sierra Leonean refugees. (Photo: UNHCR Country Rep)
Ambassador Barnett and team which included Ambassadors from the ECOWAS Community, Mano River Union (MRU) and Diplomatic Corps in Monrovia, regardless of their status took the bold venture under a heavy downpour of rain to complete the tree planting session.
It could be recalled that Ambassador Barnett, her Head of Chancery; Tamba Edward Juana and members of the Sierra Leone Embassy took up the ex-refugee’s matters” with regards to welfare, shelter and immigration status which was priority on their agenda.
Ambassador Barnett
Contrary to a front page article published recently, on the West African Pilot Newspaper, which stated thus: “RESETTLED SIERRA LEONEANS CRY OUT- LIVING CONDITION TOO BAD” it was categorically voiced out by UNHCR Country Representative, Ibrahima Coly and the LCRRR Chairman Mr. Nyuma that the author’s article was far from the truth and that the reporter never asked their own part of the story. The article which also carried Liberia’s Vice President’s picture (Joseph Boakai) had no connectivity with said article. Also, the paper carried a false message that the Sierra Leone Ambassador to Liberia and her staff pay less attention to the refugees; this also was referred to as misinformation and cheating to the reading populace.
Nizel Amb
The Embassy Staff and their Head of Mission, despite other constraints, are always around to give financial and moral support to their Nationals, sometimes at their own detriment. The writer should also be schooled to know that over 1000 Sierra Leonean Passports , free of cost have been issued to the very people he claimed to be helping. The presentation of these passports as the first step to naturalization in any foreign land was done through the Liberian government and the Director of African Bureau. Moreover most of the resettled Sierra Leoneans (former refugees) are now living in their own houses built by the UNHCR in a concerted effort with the LCRRR. Only very few are yet to be resettled into their own new community which is also close to completion. Over 170 family heads still have the option to be repatriated back to Sierra Leone.
At the joint meeting recently held between UNHCR, LCRRR, resettled refugees/refugees and the Sierra Leone Embassy Senior Staff, it was anonymously agreed that all parties should be meeting on a monthly basis through a task force team.
Ms. Mariama Coker, Information Attaché, Sierra Leone Embassy/MRU, Monrovia, Liberia
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