Press Release
(June 07, 2009, Monrovia) The former Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, and Past President of the Association of Orphanages in Liberia, Diana Davis, added her voice to the Inter-country adoption debate that has been taken place in the Country over the past few months. Madam Davis questioned the so-called suspension of WACSN’s certification as an adoption agency and legal NGO by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare when in fact the Ministry of Health does not have the authority by law to certificate any adoption agency in Liberia.
Madam Davis revealed that the exercise of Liberian adoption is the sole prerogative of the Probate Court of Liberia. She noted that the Domestic Relations Law of Liberia, revealed that: “the Probate Court is the final arbiter of adoptions in Liberia. An order of adoption abrogation made by a Judge of said Court shall have the force and effect of and shall be entitled to all the presumptions attaching to a judgment rendered by a court of general jurisdiction in a common law action” (Domestic Relations Law of Liberia, Subchapter C, Part I, Section 5.51).
Madam Diana Davis says most of those leading this false charge against WACSN abandoned the children of Liberia during the war and took sanctuary in the safety of the United States with their families. She concluded that the MOH action to suspend WACSN certification which it did not issue is also illegal. “The Ministry does not license or certificate NGO, nor does it accept filing of Articles of Incorporation from NGOs. Equally, the MOH does not certificate adoption agencies”, the release said.
Madam Diana Davis added that it was always WACSN that provided; food, medicine, clothing to orphanages and street children throughout the country when the government could least afford to do so. The former Deputy Minister says that it was WACSN who stood in the gap where the government was missing-in-action. “Accordingly, to hear officials at MOH tarnishing the reputation and good work of WACSN today is unacceptable and abominable”, she said.
Investigation conducted by several independent Human Rights groups and permanent news outlets in Monrovia revealed that two officials in the Department of Social Welfare at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH), fabricated allegations of child trafficking against adoption agencies in Monrovia.
It can be recalled that the government of Liberia through the Health and Social Welfare Ministry suspended the certificate of adoption of the WACSN on grounds the organization was engaged in child trafficking; the allegation proved to be wrong by Criminal Court “A”. The Independent Human Rights Center dragged the two parties to Court and the Health Ministry was found guilty of illegally removing 35 children from the compound of WACSN.
Dr. Peter Coleman, former Minister of Health and Social Welfare (1997-2006), added that WACSN was the key player and channel used by the Ministry of Health, the International Red Cross, the World Health Organization and the World Food Program (WFP) to get relief, medicine and food supplies to children and families caught at the frontlines between belligerent warring factions in the brutal civil conflict.
He indicated that for the past 11 years, the organization engaged in feeding, caring and providing for children. WACSN is a Christian based NGO that works with children, families and community-based groups to strengthen local people. Its Pastoral Network comprises of 800 grass-root churches and 1000 Pastors that promote the body of Christ in Liberia through sustainable development projects and protection of the environment. The organization became renowned in the country and abroad doing the height of the civil war when it transported and provided food, clothing and medicine for starving children and families throughout greater Monrovia and at the war front in Lofa, Nimba and Bong Counties.
According to a release the independent investigation revealed that one of the nation’s most reputable children services providers, the West African Children Support Network (WACSN) which has been continuously operating legally in the country since 1997, was charged with this bogus claim. Since 2003, WACSN became involved in processing adoption to the United States through a direct appeal from the US Embassy in Monrovia.
