THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2015

Today summary of the selected local dailies highlights among other stories the new World Bank Country Director meeting with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the launch of the 1.2 million Euros WASH project and the adoption of a 5-year strategic plan on the African Peer Review Mechanism in Monrovia.

Ellen Receives New World Bank Country Director

The Heritage newspaper reports that the new Country Director of the World Bank for Liberia, Ghana and Sierra Leone, Henry G.R. Kerali has paid a courtesy call on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at her office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was accompanied by Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Amara Konneh and two senior officials of the World Bank-Liberia office. According to an Executive Mansion release, the Liberian leader welcomed Mr. Kerali and informed him that the World Bank has been a strong partner to Liberia; particularly during the most difficult period of the Ebola crisis.  She noted that the World Bank has also supported the country’s rebuilding process with great progress, but noted that some of the processes and interventions are a bit slow. “The Bank must find a way of mitigating some of the emergencies and urgencies to meet outstanding targets,” she urged.  President Sirleaf appealed to the Bank to, in addition to its many interventions in infrastructure, security, among others, take a progressive approach in supporting agricultural programs. She expressed the hope that Mr. Kerali has come with renewed dynamism and flexibility to the job and look forward to working with him and the Bank.  For his part, the new World Bank Country Director thanked the Liberian President for the meeting and said that he takes the assignment with the commitment that the World Bank Group can help Liberia and the other two countries most affected by the Ebola virus disease to achieve their development goals. He recognized the challenges of the country and promised to help to resolve them; acknowledging Liberia and President Sirleaf’s strong relationship with the World Bank.

Related Caption: New WB Country Director: ‘Hands On’ Dr. Kerali Conveys World Bank’s Commitment To Liberia’s Development Goals (Daily Observer)

1.2 Million Euros WASH Project Launched Targets over 50,000 Beneficiaries

A Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project valued at 1.2 million Euros, has been launched in Monrovia, Liberia. The Project is designed to improve the provision of WASH services and practices in health facilities, schools and some rural and underserved communities in Liberia. The Project sponsored by Irish Aid, is being implemented by the Liberia WASH Consortium (LWC). The Project targets over fifty thousand residents of Grand Cape Mount, Lofa, Rivercess, Sinoe and Rural Montserrado counties. Speaking over the weekend at the official launch of the Project held at the Corina Hotel in Sinkor, the Country Director of Oxfam-Liberia and Chair of the Liberia WASH Consortium, Mamudu Salifu, described the WASH interventions by Irish Aid as a mark of confidence, the Inquirer newspaper writes.

Related Caption: 1.2 Euros WASH Project Launched-Targets Over 50,000 Beneficiaries (In Profile Daily)

Liberia Adopts 5-Yr Strategic Plan On African Peer Review Mechanism

A two-day strategic meeting amongst national stakeholders ended over the weekend with the acceptance of a five-year strategic plan on the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM)--a framework of the African Union (AU). The 5-year Strategic Plan (2015-2020) is primarily aimed to foster political stability, economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated sub-regional and continental integration in the country in consonance with the AU’s agenda. The Strategic Plan was completed and adopted on Saturday, August 15 in Monrovia, after four years since Liberia was formally accepted into the APRM, the Daily Observer reports.

Related Caption: APRM Hosts Validation Workshop (The New Dawn)

Ellen Nominates New Agri. Minister, Appoint Others

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has made additional appointments in government affecting the Ministries of Agriculture and Internal Affairs as well as the Board of the National Port Authority (NPA). According to an Executive Mansion release, those appointed Dr. Moses Zinneh as Minister of Agriculture replacing Madam Florence Chenoweth. At the Ministry of Internal Affairs, President Sirleaf named Mr. Milton Varney, Commissioner, Sanoyea District in Bong County and Mr. Aaron Boe Boimah Sr., Commissioner, Teh Administrative District also in Bong County. Mr. J. Keyah Saah was appointed Commissioner of Belle Yalla Township in Gbarpolu County and Mr. Robert Moore, Land Commissioner, Maryland County respectively. At the NPA, President Sirleaf also appointed Dr. Henrique Tokpah; Chairman of the Board, with the Ministers of Finance and Development Planning; Commerce and Industry; Transport; and Director General, General Services Agency as members. Also appointed on the Board are Mr. Cecil Barnes (Shipping and Stevedoring); Mr. Rudolph Merab (Logging Association); Mr. James Davies (Land Leasers); Firestone (Port Users), Mr. David Gibson, Ms. Grace Kpaan, Ms. Sheba Brown, Cllr. James H.R. Cooper and Rev. Emmanuel Bowier, among others. These appointments are subject to confirmation by the Liberian Senate where applicable, reports the Inquirer newspaper.

Related Caption: As Ellen Makes New Appointments In Gov’t Agriculture Minister Replaced (Heritage)

WHO: West Africa Ebola Outbreak Could End This Year

According to the Daily Observer, following the increasing successful stories of zero Ebola infections in Liberia and further stories of drastic reductions of infections in neighboring Guinea and Sierra Leone, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, that the end of infections could be reached at the end of 2015. In plain language, she said there could be no more Ebola and that Liberia, (already enjoying zero infections) could be joined by Guinea and Sierra Leone to be free, too. Speaking at the U.N. Security Council via video link from Hong Kong last Thursday, Dr. Margaret Chan, head of the WHO said that Ebola in West Africa could be “soundly defeated” by the end of this year. The report quoted Dr. Chan as telling the U.N. Security Council that current surveillance and response capacities have greatly improved and health workers have a better picture of how the disease spreads. She noted that the three most affected West African countries---Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, have made huge progress to the extent that new cases in Liberia have stopped, and in Guinea and Sierra Leone a total of only three cases have been reported during each of the past two weeks. “If the current intensity of case detection and contact tracing is sustained, the virus can be soundly defeated by the end of this year. That means getting to zero and staying at zero,” she said.

President Sirleaf Challenges Liberian Women

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf joined several women groupings from across Liberia, particularly women from political parties, NGOs, media, rural women, female Ministers, civil societies, legislative members and international partners at a one -day retreat in Marshall, lower Margibi County which focused on issues affecting women. According to an Executive Mansion release, making remarks at the retreat when she received a statement from the Women of Liberia calling for "Equal representation in government; Equal Participation, Equal Empowerment, Equity and Equal Rights, among others, President Sirleaf said women offer the chance for other women from the house, community, religious centers, the neighborhood, and everywhere to reach out to each other, unite and be stronger in partnership, adding, "women can change the world; women can make a difference; women can make things happen; women can move things; women can turn things outside down; women can do it right; but women must act together and women have to support women," she told the gathering. The one -Day Women's Retreat organized by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection was in collaboration with WONGOSOL, writes the Heritage newspaper.

Related Caption: Ellen Wants Careful Women Advocacy (The New Dawn)

VP Boakai Breaks Ground for Training, Resource Center

Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has broken ground for the construction of a resource center in the GSA Road community in Paynesville, outside Monrovia. The center, which is to be called Karmo Soko Training and Resource Center, will serve as a library for the teachings of Liberian culture.  According to the Heritage newspaper, Karmo Soko, whose real name is Zumana Fofana, was a renowned Liberian comedian, who died on his way to seek medication at the Phebe Hospital. The name Karmo Soko is interpreted as Teacher Soko. And the late Zumana played the role as “Karmo Soko in a Liberian television comedy hit Malawala Balawala in the late 1980s. The ground breaking for the construction of the training and resource center was part of the many activities in observance of the memorial program of the late actor. Speaking at the memorial program, VP Boakai underscored the need to build a culture that all Liberians can identify with and a culture that binds Liberians together and not divide them.