Liberia's agriculture minister resigns

Liberia's agriculture minister resigns


6 hours ago
MONROVIA (AFP) — Liberian Agriculture Minister Christopher Toe has resigned, the information minister announced Sunday, amid an ongoing row over funds for victims of crop-destroying caterpillars.
Information Minister Laurence Bropleh said on ELBC radio Toe had resigned and sent his letter of resignation to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who accepted it.
No reason was given for his resignation and when contacted by AFP Toe said he could not say more than what the government had announced.
"It was a discussion between the President and I and I can't say more than what the government is saying," Toe said.
As agriculture minister Toe was the head of a special task force set up by the west African Mano River Union countries to combat the invasion of caterpillars, described as the worst such plague in 30 years.
During a tour of affected areas last month Sirleaf expressed anger over the slow pace of aid for affected people when funds had been made available.
Three days later Toe called a press conference to say he had not received any money to take care of the victims.
Analysts believe that the row could be the reason for his resignation.
The caterpillars are a very destructive pest that attacks a wide range of crops including coffee and cocoa, key cash earners.
Over a hundred Liberian villages have so far been affected by the plague and authorities warn that hundreds of thousands of people could face hunger because the caterpillars have devoured all the crops.
Liberia declared a state of emergency and called on the international community to help it deal with the plague, which has also spread to parts of Guinea and threatens Sierra Leone's border region with Liberia.

hmmm... he news around was that he was already slated to be replaced by a former Minister in Doe govt...

Another good professional has potentially had his name tarnished and needlessly sacrificed at the alter of Liberian deep DEEP beauracratic incompetence. All this funky talk about the man "stealing money".......as if he was not a sought after international consultant BEFORE going home..as if he was not the president of a major univeristy in Washington, DC before accepting the call

da liberia... politics na for children

you are guilty until proven innocent onthat end Traveller. The people quick to paint u blank once you hold government office job... just one of the many problem that society face

they should try Uncle Walter ...

candygirl wrote:

they should try Uncle Walter ...

.. he wont even accept..

i know... more's the pity
damn.. but da na small boiling we was coming be boiling oh

Toe is a professional and i hope he will clear his name as a result of the information being spread out there. If he fails to do that then he will have himself to blame oh....Usually GOL officials failed to explain their side of the story with the hope that the President will reconsider them for another position, if they avoid sharp disagreement with the CIC. I hope the President on the other hand is not looking for jobs for her merger partisan from LAP and UP ohhhhh...

ellen messed up in dealing with the fall out aroudn the army worms. if i were chris toe, i would have resigned too. to win elections in 2011 spoil her hay bad way!