IPNEWS: Speaking at the regular press briefing of the Ministry of Information on Thursday, September 8, 2022, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Major General Prince C. Johnson, III, disclosed that Liberia’s peacekeeping operations are now captured in the 2022 fiscal year budget.
General Johnson said, “An initial US$700,000,00 has been approved and provided to the Ministry of Defense and the AFL to fully support Liberian troops deployed in United Nations Missions in Mali, Sudan, South Sudan, and the ECOWAS’ Intervention in Guinea Bissau.
He noted that the amount will also be used to cater to the Liberian Defense attaché assigned to the Permanent Mission in New York at the Headquarters of the United Nations.
“The Government of Liberia has now captured peacekeeping in the annual budget of the fiscal year 2022 from January 2022 onward, consequently, there will be no further deduction of 20% from soldiers returning from peacekeeping,” the AFL Chief of Staff disclosed.
Commenting on the issue of training recruitment, the Major General mentioned that, in order to meet the manpower recruitment of the AFL, considering the challenging security environment, the Commander-In-Chief (CIC) of the Armed Forces of Liberia, President George Manneh Weah, has directed that 1000 additional soldiers be recruited into the Liberian Armed Forces in the ensuing year.
“The vetting process for the initial 350 candidates to begin recruitment for training is ongoing in all 15 counties. We will be counting on the ‘Fourth Estate’ to help us vet the names that will be published during the recruitment process. If you have any information on would-be recruits that might not qualify them to be recruited, please forward with us as you will be protected. The public vetting is also very important in the process,” the Chief of Staff said.
According to Major General Johnson, the CIC, President Weah has also directed the Minister of Finance to source funding to enable the Ministry of National Defense and Chief of Staff to promote qualified AFL personnel as far as ranking is concerned in line with its regulations and standards.
He noted a strategic discussion is ongoing with the Michigan National Guard, in which the Command Sergeant Major and he just returned from the U.S, with an assessment team currently visiting to establish a non-Commission officer academy of regional school that will train their counterparts.
In a recent development, General Johnson said the GOL has provided funding to refund compulsory savings contributions made by AFL soldiers.
“Today, all active-duty personnel who contributed from January 3018 have received or have been refunded.”
“AFL personnel dishonorably discharged, administratively discharged, drop from the road, or those consider as absent without leave, or AWOL has started receiving their money.”
“This was done in given phases, totaling US$1,864,933 million has been paid to active duty and some non-active duty. A total of 2,260 personnel has so far received, that is to say, that those who are a non-active duty that has the requirements of submitting their documents have started receiving.”
Concluding, the AFL Chief of Staff said, so far, “we have remained 212 nonactive duty personal already who have not received, and those who are non-receive can proceed at the ministry with their necessary documents.” By: James Lehmer Hiama Jr; 0770334857/0888270604; hiamajames@gmail.com
