A group of Nigerian Private Business men is currently in the country holding discussion with the Liberian Business Association (LIBA) to seek a business partnership with their Liberian counterparts.

	• Samuel A. Mitchell, Jr.

The talks are geared toward providing the Liberian market with good quality and quantity Nigerian made products compared to products from the Western world.

The discussions which took place at the head office of the Liberia Business Association (LIBA) in Sinkor, brought together some top Nigerian business entities including the Nigerian (MAN), an export promotional group currently in the country.

In an interview with The Analyst hours after the discussion with some executives of LIBA, the President of the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Alih Sannsi Maijama’a disclosed that his association provides 60% of Nigeria Business climate.

The Nigerian business executive said their objective and mission to Liberia is to make sure the Liberian market gets good, quality products through the partnership that is already underway between the two countries.

He said a list of products already manufactured by their entities is in the making to be delivered to their Liberian counterpart as sample. “We're prepared to bring quality products to the Liberian Business climate”, he said.

According to him, an export entity styled and named ‘Export Trade-Liberia Incorporated’ has met all the legal and other necessary requirements and has registered with the Liberian government.

Mr. Maijama’a told this paper that discussions on the formation of a partnership with Liberia has been ongoing for close to two years, and that they have visited the Liberian market sometimes ago and even before their discussion with LIBA.

He also disclosed that the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria’s other objective is to export sustainable development and job creation in Africa. LIBA President, Samuel Mitchell thanked his Nigerian counterpart and expressed the hope that the partnership between both businesses will help the Liberian business sector.

Senate Rejects Security Minister Nominee

The Upper House of Parliament, the Senate, has finally rejected President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s nominee for the post of Minister of National Security, Anthony Kromah.

The Senate took the decision to reject him yesterday on grounds that he lied under oath, among other things. President Sirleaf appointed Mr. Kromah to the position of Minister of National Security pending confirmation by the Liberian Senate.

The Senate Committee on Security, National Defense and Intelligence had invited the Minister and quizzed him on why he should be confirmed by the Committee.

During confirmation hearing, the nominee told the body that he graduated from the University of the District of Columbia, USA, with a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice Administration with emphasis in counseling.

Besides that, a group of employees at the National Security Ministry then petitioned the Senate not to confirm him (Mr. Kromah) on grounds that he was engaged in activities that undermined national security, among other things.

Following weeks of investigation into credentials he presented, as well as having conducted investigation into the workers’ allegations, the Committee, chaired by Bomi County Senior Senator Lahai Lassanah, then recommended that he should not be confirmed because he lied about his credentials.

However, a motion of reconsideration was then filed by Cape Mount Senior Senator, Abel Massaley for which the nominee was given the second chance to appear before the full bench of the Senate to either confirm what the committee’s claims or prove it wrong.

During his appearance before the full membership of the Senate, he retorted that he made a mistake in earlier statements that he actually holds a masters degree in counseling and not in criminal justice administration.

He also termed the mistake as typographical error. On the workers’ claims, he then pleaded not guilty, describing the petitioners as group of employees who were engaged in criminal misdeeds and had been dismissed.

But when Legislative reporters caught up with the Acting President Pro-tempore of the Liberian Senate, Bomi County Senator Lahai Lassana indicated that the Plenary has concord with the Senate Committee on Security, National Defense and Intelligence to deny the nominee.

Giving reasons for the denial, the Acting Senate Pro-temp said the Minister designate had lied about his credential and did not possess a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice Administration as earlier claimed.

Besides, the nominee been denied, his false academic credentials the Acting Senate Pro-temp also informed journalists that the claims made by the group of employees were true, and that he was truly engaged in criminal activities that were undermining State security.

The rejected Minister is the second person that has been rejected by the Liberian Senate. The first was Jonathan Sogbe, alais Boye Charles, who was appointed by President Sirleaf as Assistant Minister for Youth Services at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The former Lone Star player was rejected by the Liberian Senate when he lied under oath that he was a graduate of the Labraska College in the United States of America with an Associate of Arts Degree in Sports Administration, something the Senate said they investigated and found out to be false.