THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015

Dominating today's articles on the newsstand include stories on the dismissal of the Assistant Minister for Technical Affairs at the Ministry of Information Culture Affairs, and Tourism by President Ellen Jonson Sirleaf, the launch of Novafone best GSM bundles in Liberia, and the dismantling of the world larges Ebola Treatment Unit in Liberia.

Dominant Stories

World’s Largest Ebola Unit Dismantled

A potent symbol of the nightmare enveloping West Africa at the height of the Ebola outbreak, the ELWA 3 treatment center is being dismantled and incinerated bit by bit as the region emerges from catastrophe. The largest Ebola unit ever built opened outside the Liberian capital Monrovia with 120 beds on August 17, but was immediately overwhelmed, with staff forced to turn patients away at its gates, despite more than doubling its capacity. Five months later to the day it registered no patients at all for the first time, and staff this week marked a drastic retreat of an epidemic which has killed thousands by dismantling and burning the first tent put up at the clinic. “The number of cases has decreased significantly we are down to five confirmed cases in Liberia,” said Duncan Bell, the field coordinator in Liberia for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the medical aid charity at the forefront of treating victims of the outbreak, the Insight newspaper writes.

Related Captions:World's Largest Ebola Unit Dismantled As Outbreak Retreats(FOCUS), World's Largest Ebola Unit Dismantled As Outbreak Retreats (FrontPage Africa) and World's Largest Ebola Unit In Liberia Incinerated( New Democrat)

Novafone Launches Best GSM Bundles Ever In Liberia

The best GSM Company in Liberia in 2014 - has its recent products and services which has been described by the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) as the best GSM package ever to be introduced in Liberia. Speaking at the launching Program Novafone's Chief Executive Office, Mr. Bechir Khoury said, "when we started Novafone in Liberia, our promise to the Liberia people was that we were going  to provided the best and most affordable GSM services in Liberia and since then that is what we have been doing. Novafone best GSM bundles include, the marketers package - USD5 for a month with unlimited calls within the Novafone network, Chi chi polay package - USD9 for a month with unlimited calls within Novafone network, 20minutes to other networks, 300MB plus several other offers, reports the Inquirer newspaper.

Related Captions:NOVAFONE Launches best GSM Bundles ever in Liberia (FrontPage Africa, Heritage, and INSIGHT), Novafone Launches New Services(The News)

Minister Sacked for Rudeness

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has dismissed with immediate effect, the Assistant Minister for Technical Services at the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Rixck Barsi-Giah. According to an Executive Mansion release, Mr. Barsi-Gbiah has been dismissed for gross insubordination and disrespect to his superior. It can be recalled about a month ago, Mr. Barsi-Giah and Information Min. Lewis Brown had some altercation at the Ministry shortly before a regular press briefing in the full glare of journalists. The Executive Mansion expressed the hope that this will serve as a deterrent to other officials of government who may have differences among themselves will seek appropriate administrative channels for redress, the News newspaper reports.

Related Captions:Rixck Barsi-Giah Dismissed(INSIGHT), Rixck Barsi-Giah Out(FrontPage Africa), President Sirleaf Dismisses Assistant Minister At MICAT(In Profile Daily)

Other Stories

Liberia Tightens Diplomatic ties

On the margins of the 24th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Liberian delegation on Monday, January 26, 2015 held productive discussions with representatives of the governments of China and Egypt. In two separate sideline -meetings, the head of Liberia's delegation to this year's African Union Summit, Foreign Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan and his counterparts from Egypt and China discussed wide range of issues focusing on the deepening of bilateral ties and support to Liberia in its fight against Ebola. The meetings also produced commitments of support from the two countries to Liberia’s post-Ebola recovery efforts. In his meeting with His Excellency Zhang Ming, Vice Foreign Minister and Special Envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Ngafuan extolled China's extraordinary demonstration of solidarity with the Government and people of Liberia during the Ebola crisis, which he said distinguished China as one of Liberia's "all-weather friends". Minister Ngafuan thanked international partners including China for the outpouring of support and assistance to the Government of Liberia in its anti-Ebola fight. He said that due to the strong leadership of President Sirleaf and the resilience and cooperation of the Liberian people buttressed by strong partnership with China and other members of the international community, Liberia is now seeing the light end of the tunnel as the country walks the last but critical mile in the fight against Ebola. Minister Ngafuan stressed that as Liberia begins to recover from the crisis, it was critical that all partners and private sector actors including Chinese contractors and investors fully resume operation and projects that were suspended at the height of the Ebola crisis.   He informed the Chinese Envoy of the call by the UN Economic Commission of Africa (UNECA) and other members of the international community, with the endorsement of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, for the cancellation of debt of the three countries worst affected by Ebola. He said debt cancellation will give Liberia and other worst-affected countries more fiscal space to cope with the huge socio-economic effects of the crisis, and therefore called for China’s support to the call at the relevant international levels. For his part, the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister and Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping hailed President Ellen Johnson’s strong and effective leadership in the fight against Ebola and expressed President Jinping's heartiest condolences to President Sirleaf and the people of Liberia for the lives lost to Ebola. The Chinese Special Envoy Zhang Mings said that as Liberia's second largest trading partner, China was deeply interested in the deepening of economic and other forms of cooperation with Liberia. He noted that China is committed to the partnership with Liberia and was prepared to continue to support Liberia in its post-Ebola recovery efforts, writes the Insight newspaper.

Related Caption: Liberia Tightens Diplomatic Ties With China, Egypt(In Profile Daily)

Senate Maintains Old Rules For Leadership Election

The Plenary of the Liberian Senate might keep constant Rule 19 Section 3 on the conduct of its leadership election as the President of the Liberia Senate is yet to name a special committee to conduct the amendment of its rules as was instructed that body. On Tuesday's sitting, the Committee on Rules, Order and Administration presented a five-count proposed guideline on the election of a President Pro-tempore and other members of the vacant leadership committees in which it quoted the old provision of Rule 19 as its basis. In the proposed guidelines which was addressed to the acting presiding officer, Dan Morias, the committee informed the Plenary that the guidelines are consistent with the mandate of that body and in keeping with Section 19 3(f) of the Senate Rules, writes the Inquirer newspaper.

SKD Jr, Meets EJS…Endorses need to foster Reconciliation

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf received in audience Mr. Samuel Kanyon Doe, Jr., when he paid her a courtesy call on the President. According to an Executive Mansion release, receiving the son of the late President of Liberia at her Foreign Ministry office on Wednesday, January 28, the Liberian leader shared thoughts on issues of governance, development, peace and reconciliation. President Sirleaf stressed that it is imperative that all Liberians irrespective of their differences get involved with the process of rebuilding the country and find ways to foster peace, unity and reconciliation among all Liberians. She pointed out that her Government is opened to all qualified Liberians who are willing to contribute by joining the governance process, thus consolidating efforts aimed at bringing much needed development to the country and its people. She urged Mr. Doe, Jr., to join sons of other former political leaders of Liberia such as Anthony Quiwonkpa, Jackson Fiah Doe, Jr., Binyan Kesselly, among others, to serve his motherland and invited him to a Special Retreat organized for State-own-Enterprises (SOEs) scheduled for Julijuah, Bomi County on Friday, January 30, 2015. In response, Mr. Doe, Jr., thanked President Sirleaf for the audience and pledged his commitment and loyalty to Liberia and its people. He also endorsed the need to foster reconciliation, peace and development, the FrontPage Africa newspaper writes.

Amb. Sulunteh Speaks To Harvard Medical School On ‘Challenges Of Ebola Outbreak In Liberia’

Liberia’s Ambassador to Washington, Mr. Jeremiah C. Sulunteh, is expected to speak at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts (MA), USA, on Thursday, January 29.

Ambassador Sulunteh, who will be the first speaker to deliver the formal opening address at a three-day symposium, will speak on the Challenges of the Ebola Outbreak in Liberia.

Following the Ambassador will be the Health Minister of Burkina Faso, Mr. Lene Sebgo, who, too, will deliver another opening statement. The three-day conference on the theme, ”Global Response to Emerging Infections”, will be held in the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center, Harvard Medical School. The Ambassador might have a lot to say as Liberia is one of the three nations hardest hit by the deadly Ebola virus disease, which is now on the wane in Liberia.

During the height of the Ebola crisis last year, his mission mobilized some of the biggest relief aids sent to Liberia to cater for patients and health workers. The three-day event, according to the organizers, will bring together top scholars and boots-on-the-ground practitioners in the fields of crisis leadership, epidemiology, humanitarian, and disaster medicine for an up-to-date symposium on emerging infections and threats to global health. Amb. Sulunteh will also use the occasion to visit UMASS in Worcester, MA for a tour and hopes to meet there with a large Liberian population, reports the Daily Observer.

AFL Engineering Unit Rehabilitating Kebbah Road

According to the Inquirer newspaper, the Engineering Unit of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) says it has completed 95 percent on the rehabilitation process on the Kebbah Road as the Public Works Ministry promises to pave the 11.8 kilometers road connecting the Kebbah, Dixville Caldwell communities. It is no secret that during the rainy season, residents in those parts of Montserrado County hardly leave their homes due to bad road conditions and over flooded drainages. The AFL Engineering Unit that was trained as part of the military-to military cooperation has brought a significant relief to those residents since the road rehabilitation that started sometime this month.

Improvement In Insurance Industry

According to the Inquirer newspaper, the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has disclosed that performance ot the Insurance Industry shows significant progress in 2014 compared to previous years. The CBL said working in collaboration with development partners as well as other local key stakeholders mande significant stride in strengthening the legal, institutional, and regulatory framework of the insurance sector.

Over 1,340 UL Students To Be Honored Soon

According to the Heritage newspaper, massive preparations are said to be in the making at the University of Liberia for the honoring of more than 1,340  brilliant students who continue to perform extraordinarily well their academic studies. The Vice President of the University Relations, Atty. Norris Tweah, made the disclosure recently when the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, Mr. James Moses Lincoln, presented him a copy of the students' last semester academic performance report. He told Vice President Tweah that in spite of the limited facilities at the state run university, hundreds of students were performing remarkably well.

“I’m in the Heart of the President” Rep. Saah Joseph Debunks EJS Critics

The Insight newspaper reports that amidst several criticisms regarding the failure of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to recognize the Montserrado County District 13 Representative Saah Joseph’s enormous contribution toward the Ebola fight during her state of the nation address, the Legislator has sharply come in defense of the President, saying he is in the heart of the President. In an interview with Legislative Reporters Tuesday at his Capitol Building office, Representative Joseph commended the Chief Executive for paying tributes to the Head of the Incident Management System team and Assistant Health Minister for Preventive Services, Tolbert Nyenswah and Dr. Jerry Brown of the ELWA ETU for their collective contributions in the fight against Ebola. According to Hon. Joseph, he is not troubled by President Sirleaf not mentioning his name, adding that Madam Sirleaf had on several occasions paid tributes to him in several gatherings. “In fact, it is the President who first mentioned the name Saah Joseph Ebola Hero,” he revealed, the Honorable said.

UNICEF Remits US$1.2M To Youth Ministry

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has provided US$1,201.000 as additional funding to the National Youth Service Program (NYSP) of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS). The funds, which represent UNICEF’s support to the current activities of the NYSP up to June 2015, were remitted to the Ministry’s account in three tranches under a direct cash transfer arrangement between UNICEF and MYS. Three hundred National Volunteers are currently deployed under the program in 12 of Liberia’s 15 counties, rendering services in the areas of Ebola sensitization, education and youth center management. The latest funding will cover costs of ongoing activities of the program, including monthly support to the 300 national volunteers, operational support to MYS and county coordinating offices, the News newspaper reports.  

Civil Society Ebola Taskforce to Host Dialogue

The News newspaper reports that The National Civil Society Ebola Response Taskforce is expected to conduct the second of three policy dialogue forums on Friday, January 30, 2015 in Monrovia. According to a release signed by Oscar Bloh, Chairperson of the National Civil Society Ebola Response Taskforce, the forum is an integral part of the Taskforce intervention in engaging policy makers to address critical gaps and challenges facing the government in responding to the Ebola epidemic, post-Ebola challenges and the impact of the virus on other aspects of public life.

Related Caption:CSO Ebola Taskforce Hosts Policy Dialogue Forum HereTomorrow (Heritage)

Liberia, Others To Get Debt Cancellation

In a statement delivered at the opening of the 26^th Ordinary session of the African Union Executive Council, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Mr. Carlos Lopes has reiterated his call on International Financial Institutions to cancel external Debts owned by Guinea, Liberia and Sierra leone.  The three countries, Lopes stressed, have endured dramatic suffering as a result of the Ebola Virus Disease.” The relationship of the three Ebola- affected countries with the International Financial Institution is at a critical juncture as the imperative of debts cancellation is being discussed after our vocal case of it,” said Lopes referring to the recently launched ECA report on Ebola, which pointed out that the alarmist projections were wrong, New Democrat reports.

Water Supply Hits 6 million Gallons

According to the New Democrat newspaper, the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) Wednesday announced a significant increase in water supply to Monrovia and its environs, reporting that it is now pumping six million gallons of water daily. “At the moment, we’re supplying six million gallons of water to Monrovia. This number is a significant increase from an initial supply of four million gallons a day,” LWSC’s Deputy Managing Director Franklin N. Cassell disclosed at the Ministry of Information regular press briefing yesterday.

Public Works Minister Promise Pavement of Kebbah Road

On lookers and residents of kebbah  Road in Barnersville outside of Monrovia were once again happy when newly appointed Public Works Minister, Gyude Moore, promise to pave the Kebbah Road during a recent inspection of the 18 weeks old road project done by the AFL Engineering Company. WE will end up paving this road, the Ministry of Finance Development and Planning has already acknowledge that this was a contract that was awarded them, so we are going to regularize it. I can’t tell when, but we will pave this road, even if it is not this year. We will still pave this road Minister Moore assured,reports INPROFILE Daily .

Government To Modernize RIA

President  Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has announced that the Government is exerting efforts to modernize the (RIA) in Margibi County. President Sirleaf revealed that the Government has already concluded arrangement for the re- construction of the Airport’s run way. The disclosure was contained in the President’s Annual Message delivered to the 53^rd National Legislature on Monday in it Joint Chambers at the Capitol Building in Monrovia. According to her, government has also invited proposals for a public- private partnership that would transfer the development and management of RIA to a Foreign investor with similar operation in an ECOWAS country. She said this will address the lack of the high capital required to develop the air port, particularly in light of the sharp decline in financial viability following the loss of traffic due to the Ebola crisis. RIA will be modernize, the Liberian Chief Executive stressed, pens the INPROFILE Daily.