MONROVIA – A call has been made for Liberians not to wait for the government of the United States of America to impose sanctions on officials of the Liberian government as a way to stop corrupt practices in the country but it should claim the attention of well-educated Liberians to ensure that integrity institutions work properly for governance of the country.
The assertion was made over the weekend by the Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy near Monrovia, Joel Maybury, when he served as the maiden Guest lecturer at the School of Graduate & Professional Studies, Cuttington University in Congo Town. He was the first foreign diplomat to lecture at the institution by invitation of the School of Global Affairs and Policy.
According to a press release from the institution and signed by Lawrence Lableh, Mr. Maybury spoke on the theme, “When Actions Speak Louder Than Words: An American Diplomat Shares Effective Communication Tips”, and challenged aspiring diplomats to develop strong communication and writing skills, and learn a foreign language in order to ably represent Liberia in diplomatic circles.
During the question and answer session at the end of the lecture, Liberian academics, professionals and students in attendance focused their questions mainly on the role the American government should play to curb corruption and safeguard the democratic process in Liberia.
In his response, Mr. Maybury observed that Liberia is a land where people dare to believe in dreams and added, Liberians should not expect others to do for them what they can do for themselves.
Earlier in his introductory remarks, Mr. B. Elias Shoniyin, Dean of the School of Global Affairs and Policy, applauded Mr. Maybury for accepting the invitation to deliver the first lecture by a foreign diplomat at the school. He stated that the initial idea was intended to blend academic instructions with practical experiences from seasoned diplomats as a way of preparing students to face real life situations.
In separate remarks, Dr. Rudolph Bropleh, incoming Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Dr. Roosevelt Jayjay, Deputy Vice President for Academic Affairs & Officer in Charge of the Cuttington University School of Graduate and Professional Studies said the appearance of Ambassador Maybury was an historic and landmark event that would be continued with invitations to other high profile diplomats and heads of international entities.
The vote of thanks was given by Dr. Toga Gayewea McIntosh, while the program was moderated by Reginald B. Goodridge, Sr., both Adjunct Lecturers at the Graduate School of Global Affairs and Policy.
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