Joint Transition Team Hold First Meeting Ahead of January 22 Inaugural

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and President-elect Senator George Weah co-chaired the first meeting of the Joint Presidential Transition Team (JPTT) on December 31, 2017 in the Cecil Dennis Auditorium at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The team, the first of its kind over 70 years, will organize the smooth transfer of power on January 22, 2018 which will be the third working Monday of month. Vice-President-elect Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor also took part in the meeting.

Welcoming President-elect Weah and his delegation, the President thanked the CDC leader for responding to her invitation.

The President said this was something new and therefore will take some serious level of coordination between the two teams, each of which comprised 15 persons.
President-elect Weah thanked President Sirleaf for setting up the mechanism that would allow for a smooth transition process and said that he and his team will fully cooperate to ensure full success.
Issues discussed today included Executive Order 91 which created the transition team, setting up of a transition secretariat and formulation of a work plan for the team.

The President’s team provided short briefings on the January 22, 2018 Inauguration, the economy, national security issues among others.
The presidential team as whole will meet at least three times before the January 22, 2018 inauguration. Other subsidiary working groups will meet at various frequencies depending on their tasks.

The outgoing government’s team comprises President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Co-Chair, JPTT, Mr. Sylvester Grigsby, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs; Madam Marjon Kamara, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Chair of Inaugural Committee; Mr. Boima S. Kamara, Minister of Finance and development Planning; Cllr. Frederick D. Cherue, Minister of Justice; Mr. Brownie J. Samukai, Minister of Defense; Mr. Eugene Nagbe, Minister of Information, Cultural Affairs & Tourism; Mr. Milton A. Weeks, Governor, Central Bank of Liberia; Madam Mary T. Broh, Director General, GSA; Mr. Sam Gaye, Director, Executive Protection Service (EPS); Mr. Dewitt von Ballmoos, Diector General, NASSCORP; Dr. Abdoulaye W. Dukulé, Office of the President; Mr. Varney A. Sirleaf, Acting Minister, Internal Affairs; Cllr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh, Angie Brooks International Center; and Mr. Jordan Solunteh, Director-General of the Cabinet, Secretary of the Transition Team.
The incoming government of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) is composed of President-elect George M. Weah, Co-Chair, JPTT; Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor, Vice-President-elect; Mr. Nathaniel F. McGill, Chairman, CDC; Mr. Samuel D. Tweah; Professor Wilson Tarpeh; Dr. Toga G. McIntosh; Gbehzohngar M. Findley; Mr. Charles Gibson; Mr. Dee Maxwell Saah Kemayah; Mr. Audrian Smith-Forbes; Mr. Moses Y. Kollie; Vice Chair, CDC; Mr. Jefferson T. Koijee, Youth chair, CDC; Mr. John T. Youboty, Vice Chairman, CDC; Professor D. Ansu Sonii; Representative Munah E. Pelham-Youngblood, Representative District, (CDC); Mr. Janga Kowo, Secretary, CDC Transition Team and Mrs. Williametta Saydee-Tarr, Deputy Secretary, Transition Team.