VP Koon is Unification Day orator

Liberia’s Vice President, Jeremiah Kpan Koung, is named orator for this year’s \National Unification Day celebrations

By: Kruah Thompson 

Monrovia, Liberia, May 10, 2024- Vice President Jeremiah Koon has been confirmed as keynote speaker for this year’s National Unification Day celebration, scheduled for Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

The announcement was made by J. RUFUS Paul, assistant minister for culture affairs at the Ministry of Information, Culture Affairs and Tourism in Monrovia, in its regular press briefing on Thursday, May 9.

National Unification Day in Liberia, celebrated annually on 14th May, commemorates the nation’s unification following tribal conflicts and independence on July 26, 1847.

This year’s celebration will be hosted under the theme “healing the past, uniting the presence, and raising the future through arts and culture.” This marks the 177th unification anniversary, underscoring the progress and unity achieved since that pivotal moment in history.

The selection of Vice President Koon as keynote speaker adds a prestigious dimension to the festivities, highlighting the government’s commitment to honor the occasion’s significance and reaffirming the nation’s unity and solidarity, especially after tense political elections.

According to Assistant Minister Paul, the Unification Day celebration will feature various events and activities, including cultural performances and ceremonial proceedings. 

“We have been working with some stakeholders, including the crusader for peace through the office of the culture Ambassador Judy Andy, Collective Society, which comprises the musician union, Art and Craft, amongst others. And we have been working with them behind the scenes”, he says.

National Unification Day was legislated a public holiday in Liberia in

1960 under the regime of late President William V.S. Tubman, as part of his efforts to unite indigenous Liberians and settlers. Editing by Jonathan Browne