–Ngafuan Hails Departing Deputy as ‘Able’ Leader, While Koung Warns His Performance Could Open—or Close—the Door for Other Liberians
MONROVIA, LIBERIA — Deputy Minister for Economic Management at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Dehpue Yenpea Zuo, is preparing to leave government for a new assignment at the regional level, with Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan and Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung using his final senior staff engagement at the Ministry to charge him to represent Liberia with distinction.
Zuo is departing the MFDP to represent Liberia at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, a position Ngafuan described as the bloc’s biggest commission.
Ngafuan made the remarks Monday, August 17, during Vice President Koung’s working visit to the Ministry, where Zuo was given the opportunity to deliver the vote of thanks and formally bid farewell to colleagues after years of service to the government.
Ngafuan Hails ‘Able’ Deputy
The Finance Minister said Zuo’s departure comes at a particularly significant moment for the Ministry, describing him as one of its able deputies and acknowledging his contribution to the institution’s work.
Ngafuan said the Vice President’s presence at what was effectively Zuo’s final senior staff meeting provided an opportunity to recognize his service and wish him well as he takes on the regional assignment.
“One of our able deputies, Mr. Dehpue Yenpea Zuo, is departing for ECOWAS,” Ngafuan said, adding that Zuo would serve as Liberia’s representative as Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture.
Ngafuan noted that the commission is “the biggest commission at ECOWAS,” underscoring the significance of the appointment for both Zuo and Liberia.
He described the meeting as Zuo’s last senior staff gathering before his departure and thanked him for his contribution to Liberia’s development.
“Thanks for what he has done to contribute to the development of this country,” Ngafuan said.
Zuo: ‘Liberia Is Picking Up’
In his vote of thanks, Zuo reflected emotionally on his departure, describing it as a moment of mixed feelings after working alongside colleagues at MFDP.
He thanked Vice President Koung for visiting the Ministry and described the visit as a signal of stronger leadership and coordination within Liberia’s government.
“This is a sign of good relationship. And it also shows some strong signal to the world that leadership and coordination are actually on course,” Zuo said.
Zuo also praised Ngafuan’s leadership, recalling how the Finance Minister had encouraged him to push forward even at moments when he might have been inclined to step back.
“He said, no, push. Sometimes you run away; no, push,” Zuo recalled of Ngafuan.
The departing Deputy Minister said his move to ECOWAS comes at a time when Liberia is making progress in restructuring its economy.
“We have … to restructure the economy. We are getting there and we’re picking up. We came from recovery; we are picking up now,” he said.
Zuo said his new assignment would allow him to continue contributing to Liberia’s economic development by representing the country at the regional level.
“The good news is that my departure is to also oversee Liberia economy,” he said, describing the new role as an opportunity to learn, listen and share experiences with colleagues across the region.
‘We Hope to Make Liberia Proud’
Zuo pledged to carry Liberia’s interests with him to ECOWAS and make the country proud.
He thanked President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Vice President Koung, Minister Ngafuan and his colleagues at MFDP for their support, while acknowledging the emotional difficulty of leaving a team with which he had worked closely.
“We hope to make Liberia proud,” Zuo said.
He also used his departure to make a broader point about leadership and succession, saying Liberia has many talented young people who are capable of serving the country when opportunities arise.
“There are many young Liberians who are talented more than me. And there are 5 million Liberians who are more capable to work,” Zuo said.
He urged colleagues to make the most of opportunities when they come, emphasizing that an opportunity may not return.
Koung: ‘You Carry the Country Flag’
Vice President Koung responded with a message that transformed Zuo’s farewell into a broader charge about the responsibility of representing Liberia abroad.
Koung told Zuo that his appointment to ECOWAS is not simply a personal career advancement but a national responsibility.
“As you go to represent the country, do your best. You carry the country flag on your shoulder,” Koung told him.
The Vice President said Zuo’s performance at ECOWAS could directly influence whether other Liberians receive opportunities to serve in regional and international institutions.
He warned that those representing Liberia effectively “open the way or lock the way” for others who may later seek similar opportunities.
“Most times I tell people when you’re representing … a country … you open the way or you lock the way,” Koung said.
According to Koung, the responsibility therefore extends beyond the individual appointed.
“The work you would do, it is not just for you. It is for everyone sitting in the room who may not have the opportunity as you got today to go out there and serve,” he said.
‘They Will Judge Us as a Country’
Koung cautioned that Zuo’s conduct and performance will contribute to how Liberia and Liberians are perceived internationally.
“They will judge us as a country, as a people, based on what all of you out there that will be representing the country will do,” he said.
The Vice President encouraged Zuo to embrace the ECOWAS assignment as both a learning opportunity and a platform for building relationships.
He urged the departing official to remain connected to Liberia through modern communications technology and to continue contributing to national discussions even while serving outside the country.
A New Chapter for Zuo
For Zuo, the ECOWAS appointment represents a transition from national economic management to regional economic diplomacy.
His tenure at MFDP has placed him within the government’s economic management team at a time when the Boakai administration is pursuing what Vice President Koung described during the visit as a transition from economic rescue toward restructuring.
At ECOWAS, Zuo will take responsibility for a portfolio directly connected to two areas central to Liberia’s development ambitions: economic affairs and agriculture.
His own remarks suggested that he views the appointment not as an exit from Liberia’s economic transformation effort, but as an opportunity to continue contributing from a broader regional platform.
“Whatever that’s done, everybody come on board,” Zuo said, stressing the importance of synergy and collective effort.
‘Go Out There and Make Us Proud’
Koung ended his response by encouraging Zuo to embrace the challenge ahead, particularly the competitive environment he will encounter at ECOWAS.
He described the regional assignment as a learning curve and urged Zuo to build relationships, remain competitive and make full use of the opportunity.
“Make use of it,” Koung told him. “Life is about competition. The more you compete, the better you are.”
The Vice President then delivered the final charge:
“Go out there and make us proud.”
Zuo now leaves MFDP for one of Liberia’s most consequential regional economic assignments, carrying with him not only the expectations of the Boakai administration but also the responsibility Koung says comes with every Liberian entrusted to represent the country beyond its borders.
His departure, as Ngafuan acknowledged, marks the end of one chapter—but his performance at ECOWAS could help determine how wide the door remains open for the next generation of Liberians seeking to serve their country on the regional stage.
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