-May Be Flown Outside Liberia for Advanced Medical Treatment
Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel D. Tweah, his wife, bodyguard and driver narrowly escaped death after the car they were traveling in was involved in a tragic motor accident.
The Minister and his wife were on their way from Voinjama, the main city in Lofa County, when they were involved in the accident that nearly claimed their lives.
Minister Tweah had gone up to that northern-most end of Liberia to perform a speaking engagement at the Lofa County Community College (LCCC).
The near-death incident happened on the Bong-Lofa highway early Sunday, November 27, 2022 morning on his way back to Monrovia.
Eyewitnesses reported that the Minister’s vehicle summersaulted more than once. The left side and front of the Minister’s Toyota Land Cruiser Jeep got badly damaged from the impact of the accident. The back windshield of the vehicle was smashed and completely removed from the car that is now beyond repairs.
Following the incident, Min. Tweah and others were rushed to the Phebe Hospital in Bong County, under intensive care. Phebe is the largest referral hospital in Central Liberia. There are unconfirmed reports that the Minister’s security’s arm got broken. Earlier reports were that the situations of Minister himself were very critical.
However, late Sunday evening a source close to the Minister told this newspaper that the Minister was able to walk out of the hospital by himself but had to be ambulance-driven to Monrovia. His wife and the other two gentlemen were said to still be very critical. This newspaper was told that three ambulances were dispatched to the Phebe Hospital, which is approximately 138 miles away from Liberia’s capital city, Monrovia.
IPNEWS was further informed that the Minister and the critically wounded would have to be flown abroad for advanced medical treatment.
Lofa Road to Be Paved Soon
Meanwhile, as that tragic incident was unfolding on that road, President George Weah, who is presently in Qatar, was said to have been in a meeting with the Emir of that Middle Eastern nation.
According to a Facebook post from Pres. Weah’s aide, Sekou K. Damaro, the President had appealed to the leader of that country help with the construction of that same road.
Damaro said the Qatari leader, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, had committed to funding the phase 2 of that Lofa Road pavement. Sekou is also in Qatar as one of the President’s entourages.
During discussion with his Qatari counterpart, the President had described the road as a “critical national infrastructure.”
Qatar, through the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), contributed to the ongoing works.
In addition to committing to funding Phase II of the Lofa Road, the Emir also agreed to assist the Liberian Government in meeting her development goals as enshrined in the Pro Poor Agenda Prosperity and Development (PAPD).
Pres. Weah, among other things, requested for cooperation and investment opportunities between Liberia and Qatar in the areas of aviation, education, agriculture, forestry, health, road development, energy, low cost housing and infrastructure sectors as well as manufacturing.
“I look forward to the coming of Qatar Airways to build public-private partnership with actors in the Liberian private sector, with the view of establishing a local airline in Liberia to serve the sub-region,” Pres. Weah also said.
