IPNEWS-UK: Liberia’s Finance, and Development Planning Minister, Samuel D. Tweah, has won the ‘Best African Finance Minister of the Year 2020 Awards, by the United Kingdom-based African Leadership Magazine.
“He is great scholar in economics and management, who has come to become a firm anchor upon which the terribly derailed economy of Liberia inherited by the George Weah administration is picking up steam is a delight and wonder story for international researchers and experts”, United Kingdom-based African Leadership Magazine stated during the wards.
Tweah even though has come persistent criticisms about his performance, with some calling on President George Manneh Weah to axe him out of Government, Samuel D. Tweah, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, concurrently continues to bag international accolades testifying to his solid achievements and extraordinary performance in rescuing Liberia’s ailing economy.
On Friday, February 26, the Liberian Finance Minister was awarded “Person of the Year” by the African Leadership Magazine which studies outputs and performances of public and private people on the Continent for the purpose of singling them out for celebration and acknowledgement the best performing leaders.
Accordingly, the African Leadership Magazine celebrates outstanding achievements and achievers in Africa by putting out a call for nomination and voting where Africans choose for themselves distinguished persons who have excelled in different spheres as winners of the persons of the year and honored on the global platform of the magazine.
Mr. Tweah was one of few African public servants voted across the continent as “Persons of the Year 2020” for their outstanding performances.
As he was with the President of Liberia on his first leg of nationwide tours, Minister Tweah was not present to receive the prize. He was represented by one of his deputies.
The George Weah administration which Mr. Tweah serves as the Finance Minister inherited a broken economy and daring economic conditions on the world stage.
The departure of the international community, which aided Liberia’s security and economic well-being for 15 years at the time the Weah administration took over, left serious challenges for the new administration.
As if those challenges were not enough, including increased rate of employment, infrastructure deficits and high expectations, poor revenue generating regime, amongst other things, the devastating coronavirus pandemic hit.
Development experts believe the magic wand that kept the Liberian state on course and the economy afloat with new paved roads, pro-poor housing units, market buildings, hospitals and other infrastructures being built, civil servants taking pay regularly, and government serving its domestic and international debts largely owes to Tweah’s dexterity, acumen and commitment to duty.
The certificate of honor issued Minister Tweah reads: “African Leadership Persons of the Year Awards 2021; Hon. Samuel D. Tweah, Jr, Finance Minister of the Republic of Liberia; African Finance Minister of the Year; Presented this 26th day February 2021 in recognition of your outstanding leadership and contribution to Liberia’s development in the year 2020.”
According to a dispatched released by the organization, the 9th edition of the African Leadership Magazine persons of the year attracted more than 20,000 votes on the African Leadership website as well over seven million active online engagements by Africans who wanted to lend their voice in what they believed in.
The chairman and publisher of the African Leadership Group, Dr. Ken Giami, in his opening remarks described the honorees as ‘’truly the people’s choice and the African Leadership Magazine continues to position these ones not just as agents of change but also as enablers who inspire and make society move forward.”
He said: “We continue to promote our most distinguished leaders for other credible recognitions and third-party endorsements which have of course led some of our alumni to win Nobel prizes.”
Speakers at the occasion included Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, former president of the Republic of Nigeria; Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, an Alumni of the African Leadership Awards himself. (courtesy of Analyst News)
