DISMISS AMBASSADOR CONTEH! Children Parliament Echoes
By: Jerromie Walters
Ducor Hill-Monrovia: The Liberia Children’s Parliament and other youth groupings in the country are calling for the immediate dismissal of AL-Hassa Conteh from his position as Ambassador of Liberia to Nigeria for allegedly compromising an alleged rape case of a seven year old minor even when medical record proves the child was violated.
On December 6, 2021, the survivor’s father, who is Minister Counselor for Press and Public Affairs at the Liberia Embassy in Nigeria reported in several media outlets that his biological child was raped in September of 2020 to April of 2021 at the premises of the Liberian Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria.
The survivor father’s account the group noted clearly states that Ambassador Conteh was delinquent to report for over a month to the Foreign Ministry so that the minor could have access to justice and good health care.
Given the threat Ambassador Conteh allegedly posed on the wellbeing of survivor, the group cautioned women and girls currently living and working in Nigeria not do any business with the Liberian Embassy in Nigeria until an independent investigation is made to prosecute the perpetrators and provide for the survivor medical support.
“It is sad that the government of Liberia who pushes private organizations and the public to have safe guide policy and to respect the children law of Liberia has now violated the relevance and entirety of the children law of Liberia most importantly Article 3 section 21.1.”
The law provides that “every child shall have the right to be protected from sexual abuse and exploitation including prostitution and pornography.”
They indicated that the Ambassador has intentionally and knowingly obstructed said provision of the children law by not protecting the survivor from being sexually abused at his embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, and that the Ambassador presence at the Liberian Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria threatens Liberia readiness as a nation to fight the scourge of sexual and gender based violence.
In this like, the youth groups further warn the Government of President George Weah to abandon any plan it is allegedly contemplating to have Ambassador Al-Hassan Conteh appointed as the Country’s Ambassador to the United States in New York.
The group further recommended that President Weah appoints a special investigative committee compromising of civil society actors and public officials to investigate the Liberian embassy in Nigeria on possible and multiple sexual violence cases that may involves several parties.
The Liberia’s children parliament had given government through its Feminist-In-Chief, 48 hours grace period to intervene into the rape saga that involving the minor if not, they would stage a major nation-wide strike action, a one that will continue until their demands are met.
Similarly, the children’s parliament also wants the Ministry of Gender, Children Social Protection to with immediate effect provide to the public its investigation report surrounding the survivor who was raped in Nigeria and now faces internal pains.
According to them, the burden of this investigation should be directed to the Ministry of Gender as it is their responsibility to protect women, children and boys from sexual exploitation within the states.
