The LEITI Board, in accordance with the EITI Standards and the LEITI Act of July 2009, has a multi-stakeholders nature, comprising of representations from diverse stakeholder groups including the Government of Liberia, civil society and the private sector.
Those appointed to the new Multi-stakeholders Steering Group (MSG), according to an Executive Mansion release, include the Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy as Chairman; the Minister of Finance and Development Planing; Mrs. Cecelia T. Danuweli of the Publish What You Pay Coalition; Mr. Ezekiel Johnson of the National Labor Congress and the Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority.
Other statutory members are the Minister of Agriculture; the Minister of Internal Affairs; the Managing Director of the Forestry Development Authority; the President of the National Oil Company of Liberia; Ms. Marpue M. Speare of the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia; Mr. James Yarsiah of the Right and Rice Foundation as well as a member each of the Senate and the House of Representatives to be named.
Non-statutory members to the new LEITI Board include representatives from Western Cluster, Aureus Gold, Gold and Diamond Brokers and Dealers Association of Liberia, ExxonMobil, Liberia Timber Association and Golden Veroleum as well as Chief Zanzan Kawor, Chairman of the National Transitional Council of Liberia.
The new Board will serve for three years, providing strategic and policy direction and overseeing the EITI process in Liberia.
Responding to the announcement of the appointments recently, LEITI Acting Head of Secretariat Konah D. Karmo thanked the President for what he termed "her commitment to promote transparent resource management in Liberia". Mr. Karmo said the re-constitution of the LEITI Board is cardinal for the Liberian EITI especially given that the country is expected to face validation very shortly.
It can be recalled that few weeks ago, Mr. Karmo during a brief meeting with the President highlighted current developments at the LEITI Secretariat and called on the Government and other stakeholders to urgently address prevailing challenges, one of which was the constitution of a new Multi-stakeholders Steering Group (MSG) of the LEITI.
Samson Wonnah
LEITI Communications & Outreach Officer
Cell: +231-886-914601