‘Minister Kemayah Is Good, Straight Forward Man’ -Deputy Minister Sawyer Asserts By: Julius Konton

Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah Sr. Continues to receive commendations for his ‘robust and physical transformation’ taking place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Under his watch as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dean of the Cabinet, the Diplomatic face of the country, the Foreign Ministry is now benefiting from massive renovation, both exterior and interior first of its kind. The ongoing first class renovation work which will affect all components of the building has so far seen a magnificent change at the six floor of the ministry and is expected to continue up to the ground floor respectively, said Robert Sammie, Special Assistant to Foreign Minister Kemayah. Addressing reporters on Thursday, November 16, 2023, the Assistant Minister  said Ambassador Kemayah is a man of transformation and will do all in his power to make the ministry what it should be. “He is a man of integrity and his impact is being felt by all,” Mr. Sammie added. Sammie responding to the recent dismissal of former Deputy Minister Henry Fahnbulleh by President George Weah, said good has triumph over evil. According to him, allegedly, the former Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister was one of those behind the fake and misleading media reports about Minister Kemayah contrary to the reality. Also speaking for the first time to the press following claims and counterclaims about the Foreign Ministry was the Deputy Minister for Administration, Thelma Duncan Sawyer, who described Minister Kemayah as a good and straight forward man. “I like the man because he is very straight in his work just like my late husband,” she re-emphasized.  Responding to some of the reported fake and misleading information about the Minister, Mrs. Sawyer repeatedly clarified that ‘controversial Wynee Cummings Wilson was never a staff, neither an employee at the permanent mission in New York, the United States of America. Narrating further, she stated that Madam Wilson was an apprentice who came in to be a volunteer with the focus on wanting to know more about how the United Nations system works, among others. Speaking to the media, the Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister disclosed that Wynee’s case which she reported to the Labor Court had no magnitude as such, it was thrown outside and that staffers at the mission in New York were tired with her fake and false news as well as regular disturbances. According to her, Wynee was compensated over the time but was not a staff or employee of the Ministry or mission. She wondered how can an individual with no letter of appointment, official Identification Card, Immigration Paper amongst others, claim to be a staff or an employee; adding,  “This is false and misleading.”  Wynee, Mrs. Sawyer pointed out, was asked to bring some important documents in order to see the need to change her status but was unable to submit them. The problem, Mrs. Sawyer stressed, came among other things when Wynee requested for increment in her compensation not salary because she was not an employee or staff, insurance and rent benefits, this she stated was not possible because her status was not changed.  Minister Sawyer at the same time accused dismissed foreign Deputy Minister Henry Fahnbulleh of being one of the rank leaders behind the false and misleading information about the ministry, her boss and herself. “I represented the Minister at the United Nations General Assembly this year because the Minister was sick and what the media them reported was false,” she said. According to her, the former Deputy Foreign Minister wanted to head the delegation but that did not materialize only to see misleading news in the media; adding, “This is unfair.” She narrated that former Deputy Minister Fahnbulleh , his wife and an assistant minister allegedly got a Canadian visa and she has a copy following a call she received and that he claimed that he was going to represent Liberia to sign a special agreement which she added was a make-up  rather than a reality. Providing more information was Mrs. Gray who works at the foreign mission in New York. She also disclosed that Mrs. Wilson was a volunteer and not a staff.  “In fact, I help trained her! This is my pay, wow!” Gray noted. Mrs. Gray also explained to the press that she asked Wynee to provide key documents which qualifies you as a Diplomatic staff to include: Immigration documents,  I-94 form, G-1 visa among others but up till press time, she is yet to provide them. “Currently, she was giving a restraining order and can’t go back to the office,” she disclosed. Madam Glay also confirmed that Wynee was giving a compensation for her voluntary work and also she had some health issues and needed to take care of that; as such, she was compensated but was not a staff or employee at the mission in New York.