BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

CAPITOL HILL, MONROVIA

NEWS SUMMARY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

 Today’s edition of our daily News Summary highlights news headlines such as:  ENERGY IS VITAL TO OUR DEVELOPMENT – VP Howard-Taylor Tells Chinese Energy; 43 LAWMAKERS SIGN FOR WAR, ECONOMIC CRIME COURTS and PRESIDENT’S PROPOSITIONS ON DUAL CITIZENSHIP; CHINA @ 70 -PRESIDENT WEAH PAYS TRIBUTE, EXTOLS RELATIONS; GOV’T VOWS TO UPHOLD ONE-CHINA POLICY, LIBERIA LAUNCHES INSITU PROJECT; MTN GIVES FULL SCHOLARSHIPS TO 100 LUCKY WINNERS. The headlines were captured from the back, front and inside pages of the various local dailies, with some of the stories dominating the newsstand for the day.

Dominant Stories

Ellen Expresses Regrets

Former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has expressed her profound regrets and sympathy to the bereaved family and the Muslim Community here over the death of some 28 Liberians, mostly children in a fire incident last Wednesday. The cause of the fire is yet unknown, but the former President who is currently holding meetings on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York said the loss of the children were untimely and that as the nation mourns, she prayed that their souls rest in peace, the New Dawn newspaper imply. Related Caption: Ex-President Sirleaf Tenders condolence to Muslim Communication (The Analyst)

Other Stories

Deputy Minister Kollie Works Toward Transforming Transport Sector

The Deputy Minister for Land and Rails, Ministry of Transport, J.Darious Kollie, is said to be exerting all effort to bring about dynamism and efficiency to the ministry, ensuring that the ministry’s revenue collection continue to boost the government’s economic recovery process. Recently, Deputy Minister Kollie hosted a high powered Ivorian investment delegation which visited Liberia in order to help transport the transport sector, move the economy forward and provide job opportunities. He said his focus is on bringing about economic growth within the transport sector. He encourage the Ivorian investors to bear in mind that the government of President George Manneh Weah means business when it comes to making the nation’s transport sector more attractive and friendly, writes the Hot Pepper.

GBCSO Welcomes Two Pending Investments

Just after the Senate’s hearing on two pending investment for Grand Bassa County, the Grand Bassa Civil Society Organization has welcomed the pending investments and extends appreciation for having them attend a forum created for the discussion of taking development to their county; Abra C. Sirleaf writes. In a letter of appreciation written to Honorable Kaipay, through the Grand Bass Civil Society Organization, the GBSCSO said they appreciate the thought of taking investment to their county, says Hot Pepper.

CODRA Raises Awareness on Climate Change And Plastic Pollution in Bong

A research-oriented civil society organization based in Bong County, Community Development and Research Agency (CODRA), has embarked on a climate change and plastic pollution awareness in the county. According CODRA’s Executive Director, Lasanah A. Dukuly, climate change has become one of the biggest environment issues that has taken a center-stage globally. He explained that changes in the climate affects agriculture land and population, and threatens agriculture livelihoods.  The CODR project, which focuses on increasing the awareness on climate change through the promotion of sustainable national resources management best practices, intends to increase the awareness of climate change among citizens of Bong County, as part of effort to inform then about the different reform laws that protect the environment. One of the objectives of the project, according to Dukuly, is to increase farmer’s knowledge within 10 communities in Bong County on climate change mitigation strategies,  so that they can adopt to alternative farming methods to transition from traditional farming method, attest the Hot Pepper.

LTA Hosts First ITU Regional Spectrum Workshop

The Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) on Friday, September 20, 2019, concluded a training workshop on International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) Spectrum Management System for Developing Countries (SMS4DC), co-organized by the ITU. The SMS4DC workshop, which began on Monday, September 16, is targeted towards the Spectrum Managers and the users of SMS4DC tool (both current and prospective). The week-long training brought together about 100 participants from English-speaking countries across Africa to build their capacities and skills to effectively use the SMS4DC tool for efficient spectrum management in their respective countries, the Daily Observer newspaper writes.                                                                                                                                                                                  

43 Lawmakers Sign for War, Economic Crime Courts President’s Propositions on Dual Citizenship, as well as Articles 45 and 48 to be “reworded”

Forty three of the seventy three Representatives have so far affixed their signatures on a Resolution to establish the War, Economic Crime Court in Liberia, the Daily Observer has reliably gathered. Margibi County District #2 Representative Ivar Jones, also confirmed in a telephone conversation over the weekend that he signed the document since Wednesday, August 28, 2019, and was among the first batch of the lawmakers, who strongly support the establishment of War, Economic Crime Courts in the country to end impunity, pens the Daily Observer newspaper.

Liberia Launches InSITU Project

The Government of Liberia (GoL) through the Montserrado county Health Team with its implementing partner, International Rescue committee (IRC) with funding support from the GIZ Liberia, has launched the Montserrado County Supporting Referrals and Community Linkages with the Integrated Severe Infections Treatment Unit (InSITU) program project.The project is parts of effort to build a vibrant health sector, the Daily Observer newspaper writes.

MTN gives full scholarships to 100 lucky winners

The first 100 Lonestar Cell MTN Back to School Raffle Draw lucky winners were full of excitement on Friday, 20 September upon being told on a live program by MTN staff Mr. Kolubah Flomo that they had won 100% scholarship from the leading GSM Company, the MTN.The Lone Star MTN Back to School Raffle Draw campaign, is intended to dish out about one million dollar to facilitate full scholarships for 500 lucky winners from public schools who paid their school fees using the MTN Mobile Money service. The campaign enables lucky subscribers to win back all the money they have paid to their various schools through MTN Mobile Money service for the academic year. On Friday, the first draw saw 100 persons receiving 100% scholarships, the Daily Observer newspaper relates.                                                                           

China @ 70 -President Weah Pays Tribute, Extols Relations

The Socialist Republic of China has played the big-brother role, often spending its taxpayers’ money to respond to Liberia infrastructure and economic needs. The country’s intervention signatures are all over the place, from building public buildings, awarding scholarships, to optioning bagged clean rice to households. At 70 since independence in 1949, Liberia has got to be appreciative and commending, and President George M. Weah was on target last Thursday adoring the “mutually rewarding bilateral relations between our two countries and peoples,” as The Analyst reports.

ENERGY IS VITAL TO OUR DEVELOPMENT – VP Howard-Taylor Tells Chinese Energy

Group A six-member high level delegation of   Shenzhen Energy Group Limited, on Friday September 20, 2019, paid a courtesy call on the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Chief Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor, at her Capitol Building Office in Monrovia. The delegation had earlier met with His Excellency, President George M. Weah before their courtesy on the Vice President. The Chinese Company has entered a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Liberia to conduct pre-feasibility studies for investment in the development and operation of electricity generation, transmission and distribution utilities in Liberia, a Press Release from the office of the VP disclosed, the Analyst newspaper imply.

Sweden Ambassador Trumpets Feminist Agenda -Accentuates Equal Rights for Both Men and Women

Though the entire world was once embroiled in gender inequality and particularly violence and injustice against women and girls—a practice justified on religion and culture—most of the world community has since moved fast in unshackling women and girls from those difficult times. Most of Africa, including Liberia, is still lagging behind in ensuring that men and women have equal rights to the goodies of life, mainly political, economic and social rights. Despite some progress in addressing gender gaps in Liberia, there still loom myriad practices and mores that limit women’s chances and rights to be coequal partners to men. And feminists have not been in short supply not only to point out inequalities along gender lines but also provide useful option and support seeking equality, the Analyst newspaper writes. 

Gov’t Vows To Uphold One-China Policy

President George Manneh says all the Progress made under the current Liberia-China relationship communicates the trust and camaraderie both governments have for each other. He said Liberia and China have witnessed significant comprehensive and tangible progress in their developmental friendship and bilateral cooperation since the reestablishment of relations between the two governments, pens the Inquirer newspaper.

EMOL Completes First Round Gender-Equity Training

The Emancipation Movement of Liberia (EMOL) in collaboration with partners has concluded phrase-one of the Gender Equity Training Project (GEAP) for 25 police officers from eight countries in Liberia. The Training which captured an in-depth analysis of gender issues affecting the country was conducted under the Theme, “Strengthening the rule of law in Liberia-Justice and Security fo the Liberian People, the Inquirer newspaper imply.

ECOWAS, EU, UNDOC hold PSCC Meeting

According to the Inquirer newspaper relates, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in partnership with the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) Regional Office for West and Central Africa opened its Project Steering and Coordination Committee (PSCC) on the 19th September 2019 in Abuja, Nigeria to ensure effective coordination of the Regional Action Plan. Under the ECOWAS – EU – UNODC Project on “Support to ECOWAS Regional Action Plan on Illicit Drug Trafficking, related Organized Crime and Drug Abuse in West Africa”, the PSCC meeting will validate annual project work plans, discuss results obtained in the course of implementing the project, to agree on the revisions of the Financing Agreement and the Grant Agreement, among others.

UNECA Partners, ECOWAS On post 2020 Development vision

The Vice President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Head of the Steering Committee of the ECOWAS Post 2020 Vision, Madam Finda Koroma reiterated the Commission’s commitment to developing a vision for ECOWAS, which will promote the economic and social development of its Members States and foster intra-regional integration. In a meeting of the Steering Committee, which held on 20th September 2019 in Abuja, Nigeria, representatives from ECOWAS Institutions, the Commission’s Directorate of Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Evolution and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) deliberated on the ECOWAS Post 2020 Vision and the road map for its development, the Inquirer newspaper writes.