- Information Minister Piah Discloses

The Liberian Government has clarified that Mr. George Solo, who died recently, was not an ambassador yet up to the time of his death.

Information Minister, Jerolinmick Mathew Piah, said the late Solo’s nomination as Liberia’s ambassador to Italy, had not been accepted by the Italian authorities prior to his sudden death.

Information Minister Piah made the clarification at Thursday’s regular press briefing at the Ministry of Information.

Minister Piah further clarified that Italy, as a receiving country needed to endorse the Liberian Government’s nomination of the late Solo, but said that wasn’t the case.

Mr. Piah could not say directly that he (he solo) was rejected by the Italian government,  but was quick to point out that the receiving country was always making inquiries back and forth about Mr. Solo.

The Information Minister said there was a time when the late Solo himself getting weary of the back and forth as far as his assignment was concerned and was seeking reassignment to a new diplomatic portfolio, specifically Ambassador-at-large to World Maritime Affairs.

Piah said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already embarked on the process before Solo suddenly died.

On whether or not the late George Solo will be given State burial, Minister Piah clarified that Solo will not be given a state burial by the Government as required by law because he did not satisfy the process leading to a full Ambassadorial status.

He urged Liberians to stop making mockery of the death of another citizen of Liberia.

George Solo, Liberia’s Ambassador-designate to Italy and formerly national chairman of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change, CDC, died on 24th April this year following a medical emergency why in transit on a Royal Air Maroc flight from Casablanca to New York.