The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2014

Today’s dominant stories include the signing of four bilateral agreements between Liberia and the State of Qatar, the planned launch of the Common African Position on the post-2015 Development Agenda by President Johnson Sirleaf, the Cuttington University signing of the student exchange agreement with Temple University in the United States and the Liberian National Police suspension of five of its officers for Desertion Of Post.

DOMINANT STORIES

Pres. Sirleaf Confers With Emir Of Qatar-Liberia and State of Qatar Sign Four Bilateral Agreements.

The Governments of the State of Qatar and Liberia have signed four bilateral Agreements aimed at further strengthening expanding and consolidating the already strong ties of friendship and cooperation between their countries and peoples. According to a Dispatch from Doha, the Agreements include an Air Service Agreement which seeks to assist infrastructural improvement at the Roberts International Airport and ensure flight by Qatar Airways to Liberia and a Regulation of Manpower Employment in the State of Qatar.   Others are an Agreement for the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investment aimed at boosting private sector investment and exchange activities in Liberia and the State of Qatar which obligates the State parties to create favorable conduction for investors and investment in its territory in accordance with the laws and regulations in force, and an Agreement on Economic, Commercial and Technical Cooperation which seeks to strengthen commercial, economic and technical cooperation between the governments, business sector and Chambers of Commerce of the two countries to enhance and promote trade and economic activities. Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan and the Director General of he Liberia Civil Aviation Authority Richelieu Williams signed on behalf of the Government of Liberia, The Analyst reports.

Related Captions: Liberia, Qatar Sign Four Bilateral Agreements (In Profile), Ellen Encourages Qatar to Invest in RIA (The News), Sirleaf Confers With Emir of Qatar, Sign Four Bilateral Agreements (FrontPage Africa), Pres. Sirleaf Confers With Emir of Qatar-As Four Bilateral Agreements are Signed (Daily Observer), Liberia, Qatar Sign Bilateral Agreements (INSIGHT), Liberia, Qatar Sign Four Bilateral Agreements (New Dawn), Liberia, State of Qatar Sign Four Bilateral Agreements (Heritage)

President Launches Post-2015 Master Plan

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will launch the Common African Position (CAP)on the Post-2015 Development Agenda at a ceremony in Monrovia aimed at acquainting Liberians about the CAP and enlightening policy makers and stakeholders on Africa’s development priorities. According to an Executive Mansion release, the two-day program begins with the launch on Monday, May 26,at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ C. Cecil Dennis Auditorium at 11:00 am where members of the Cabinet , Legislature, Judiciary, the Diplomatic Corps, Heads of National Institutions and Autonomous Agencies have been invited to attend. On Tuesday, May 27, beginning at 9:00am at the Bella Casa Hotel, there will be a full day of presentations and discussions with members of the private sector, civil society, academia, the media, and other stakeholders to encourage their involvement and support of events concerning the CAP, the New Democrat reports.

Related Captions: President Sirleaf to Launch CAP on Post-2015 Development Agenda; - Congrats India Prime Minister, NLF on Election (In Profile Daily), Pres. Sirleaf Launches CAP on Post-2015 Development Agenda Monday (The Analyst), Sirleaf Set to Launch CAP on Post-2015 Development Agenda (FrontPage Africa), Pres. Sirleaf Launches CAP on Post-2015 Development Agenda (INSIGHT), Pres. Sirleaf Launches CAP on Post-2015 Development Agenda (FOCUS), Pres. Sirleaf to Launch CAP on Monday (New Dawn)

CU Signs Student Exchange Program

The Cuttington University (CU) in Suakoko, Bong County, has taken what educators call “another giant move” its quest to build the capacity of young Liberians as they are being prepared to steer the affairs of their beloved Country Liberia. The Provost and Vice President for Academic affairs, Dr. Edward Lama Wonkeryor, said CU and Temple University in the United States have signed a student exchange agreement to pave the way for students of the two entities to interact in the classroom. According to the CU Senior Executive, this signing is the second phase of he student exchange agreement which was first signed in 2010 when Dr. Henrique Flomo Tokpa, President of Cuttington University visited the United States of America during the Liberia studies conference which was hosted by Temple University, IN PROFILE DAILY reports.

Related Caption: Cuttington University Takes Another Giant Move (Heritage)

Five Police Officers Suspended

Police authority in Monrovia has suspended five officers of the Police Support Unite for desertion of post. Police Spokesman Sam Collins said the five PSU officers deserted their post in Jallah Town, after they were deployed to enforce the restriction imposed on motorcyclists not to ply the principal streets of Monrovia. The LNP Media Chief said the action of the five PSU officers to abandon their deployment contravened Chapter iii Section 1.12 of the New Police Duty Manual Captioned “Prohibited Conduct”, The Analyst writes.

Related Caption: Five Suspended From LNP (INSIGHT), More Police Officers Risk Dismissal If… (Heritage)

OTHER STORIES

214 Liberian Migrates to be Repatriated From Ghana

An estimated 214 Liberians migrants who have been qualified as Liberian citizens are expected to be repatriated to Liberia by the end of this month. The number represents part of 254 migrant Liberians who were stranded in Ghana. They were interviewed early this month, during which 40 were discovered to be non-Liberins, according to the Liberia News Agency. The Executive Director of the Liberia Refugee, Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), Abla G. Williams, made the disclosure to journalists recently. She said the vetting national Organization for Migration and U.N. Industrial process headed by LRRRC, was jointly conducted by officials of the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, the Refugee Board of Ghana, International Organization for Migration and U.N. Industrial Organization (UNIDO). She said the 214 qualified Liberian migrants recently completed a six-month skills training program in Ghana facilitated by UNIDO, with funding from the Japanese Government, the FOCUS newspaper writes.

Chevron Grants US$50,000 To Jola House For Women Empowerment

A social enterprise in Liberia, Jola House, has received US50,000 for sewing workshop project in Liberia. Jola House is a social initiative with the primary goal of reducing economic inequality among women by developing income generating opportunities through training, production, marketing and export of handmade products and by promoting fair work and trading principles through practice. Presenting the grant recently in Monrovia, Chevron’s country’s Manager, Karl Cottrell, said it was the pleasure of the company to establish a relationship with the Jola House Foundation, INSIGHT reports.

Government Committed to Urbanization, Min. Dukuly

An inside story of the FOCUS newspaper reports that Internal Affairs Minister Morris Dukuly has reiterated Government’s commitment to urbanize Liberia. He explained that urbanization will take into consideration slum communities across the country by developing infrastructures for slum dwellers. The Internal Affairs Minister gave the assurance Tuesday at a pre-National Urban Forum with Slum Dwellers meeting with various communities in Montserrado County held in the Monrovia City Hall. He stressed that the pre-National Forum is intended to solicit views of slum dwellers in the various communities about the challenges they face. Min. Dukuly said government is concerned about the welfare o fall its citizens, no matter where they live, and is committed to improving their standard of living. The Internal Affairs Minister disclosed that the government is expected to hold a National Urbanization Forum soon to address issues affecting slum dwellers in Liberia.

Postal Ministry Establishes 25 Sub-Offices

Posts and Telecommunications Minister, Dr. Frederick B. Norkeh, has highlighted works done by his ministry to improve the communication sector of the country. Minister Norkeh said government has a duty to build a vibrant communication sector for the citizenry, noting that in the absence of affective communication services, people find it difficult to reach out to family members and friend, New Dawn reports.

Kokoyah Millennium Villages’ Beneficiaries Increase Savings

Beneficiaries of the Lorkiamue” Village Savings and Loan Association in New Town Bong County have increased VSLA savings, utilizing business management training conducted under the Kokoyah Millennium Villages Project supported by the Government of Liberia and UNDP. This is the second share out of savings by the Lorkiamue Group since its establishment in 2012, The Analyst Reports.

LEC Insists on Quality Performance

A back page story of the New Democrat newspaper reads that an executive of the Liberia Electricity Corporation has emphasized that quality performances and meeting deliverables will be the hallmark of the entity. The Deputy CEO for Planning, Joseph Mayah stressed that distinction must be given to top performers’ during training exercises aimed at scaling the performances of employees and the LEC to new heights. Mr. Mayah made the statement Wednesday in Monrovia when 41 plant and substation engineers and technicians received certificates after completing phrase one of an 18-month in-house training course. The course focused on electric distribution design and planning, line construction as well as the basic requirements for setting up electric poles among others. The Deputy CEO said that every staff will be will be evaluated based on the performances of the tasked assigned them and not time the number of hours they stayed on the job or reported for work. He called on the honorees to exhibit the skills they have acquired in order to improve their standard and raise the profile of the LEC.