BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

CAPITOL HILL, MONROVIA

NEWS SUMMARY, Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Today’s edition of our daily summary captures stories about howPresident Weah Declares Thursday as National Thanksgiving Day; LIS honors 8 retirees; ECOWAS, EU and Germany launch 41 million EUR flagship program to fight organized Crime in West Africa; Feeding the Hungry Children in Liberia Initiative Launched

Other stories highlighted in our summary include: Swedish Diplomat Emphasizes Value for Money Says Transparency Improves Governance; Orange-Liberia Gets New Chief Executive Officer as Outgoing CEO heads to Burkina Faso; Editors Forum Begins Today; Agric Boss Cooper Launches Major Harvest in Bong, among other stories.

DOMINANT STORIES:

President Weah Declares Thursday As National Thanksgiving Day

President Dr. George Manneh weah has by proclamation declared, tomorrow, Thursday, November 5, 2020 as National Thanksgiving Day to be observed throughout the Republic as National Holiday. According to a Foreign Ministry press release, the Proclamation calls upon all Liberians and foreign residents, Priests, Imams, Bishops, Pastors, Clergies, and all religious organizations to gather in their various places of worship and in keep with prescribed COVID-19 health protocols, offer praise to the Almighty God so that he may continuously protect us as a people and Nation, Heritage newspaper asserts.

Related Caption:Weah declares Thursday as National Thanksgiving Day (The New Dawn newspaper),Thursday is National Thanksgiving Day Liberians urged to Praise God for Manifold Blessings(The ANALYST)

Editors Forum Begins Today

The Liberian Editors Forum organized by the Publishers Association of Liberia (PAL) in collaboration with INTERNEWS, with support from USAID opens today, November 4, at the Corina Hotel in Sinkor. Seventeen Editors representing 17 media institutions are expected to attend the High. Level Media Editors Forum under the theme: “Strengthening Media Editorial Leadership During Elections”. A release said four speakers have been selected to lecture on key topics relevant to the role of the media in civic and voters’ education, avoiding conflict during elections, security implications and precautions for Journalists and how the media can ensure balance coverage of election activities. The four speakers are the Minister of Information, Mr. Legerhood J. Rennie.  Mr. Paul Wreh-Wilson, Director of Civil and Voters’ Education at the National Elections Commission; Mr. Thomas Kaydor, Assistant Professor at  the University of Liberia, and Senator Steve Zargo of Lofa County. The President of the Press Union of Liberia Mr. Charles Coffey and Bach, Chief of Party at the Liberia Media Development Program are expected to make special remakes, pens the news newspaper. Related Caption: Editors form Kicks off today(Heritage newspaper)

OTHER STORIES:  

LIS honors 8 retirees 

The Department of Naturalization of the Liberia immigration Service (LIS) has honored and certificated eight of its employees, who have been retired by the Government of Liberia (GOL) through the Civil Service Agency (CSA). Speaking during the honoring ceremony which was held at the Liberia Female Law Enforcement Association (LIFLEA) Head Office in Sinkor, Monrovia recently, the Deputy Commissioner Atty. Kenneth described their retirement is an honor to themselves and their respective families for the long length of time they served. “Instead of {them} being seen with the negative eyes because they are retired, this retirement is rather an honor to them for level of commitment, integrity and uncountable sacrifices they given to their country”, she said, pens The New Dawn newspaper.

ECOWAS, EU and Germany launch 41 million EUR flagship program to fight organized Crime in West Africa

The Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS), in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and the government of Germany launched three transnational projects designed to curb Organized Crime in West Africa. The projects dubbed ‘Organized Crime: West African Response’ (OCWAR) is designed to support ECOWAS Member States in countering criminal activities the region. According to the New Dawn newspaper, the event indicates strong commitment by ECOWAS and European Union Member States to reduce transnational organized crime in West Africa. In what was described as a dynamic and its agencies will work closely with two European Member states’ bodies, namely the Deutsche Gesellschaft furlinternational ezusammenarbeit and expertise (EF)

Feeding the Hungry Children in Liberia Initiative Launched

Feeding the Hungry Children in Liberia, an initiative of Mrs. Rosetta Grimes Toee, Founder and Chief Executive Officer ( CEO), has been launched in Liberia. The initiative, which is named “Feeding the Hungry Children in Liberia”, was launched recently in the 72^nd  Community, Paynesville City, Montserrado County.. Over hundres children, who attended the Launching program, were fed and amused. Launched the program on behalf of the founder and CEO, Mrs. Toee, the Bishop of hrist Missionary Assembly, Mr. Peter K. Breeze said that the organization was established on August 16, 2020 in the United States of America with aim of giving back to the children of Liberia, pens the Heritage newspaper.

Orange-Liberia Gets New Chief Executive Officer As Outgoing CEO heads to Burkina Faso

The Management and running of the day to day operation of Orange-Liberia id now in the Hands of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Jean Marius Yao. The announcement of the change in leadership was made formally yesterday at a formal outdoor ceremony held at the company’s headquarters on Capital Byepass. Mr. Yao takes over from former CEO Mr. Mamadou Coulibaly who had been at the company’s helm since it entered the Liberian market five years ago. According to the Heritage newspaper, Mr. Coulibaly is being reassigned as CEO for Orange Burkina Faso.  

Swedish Diplomat Emphasizes Value For Money Says Transparency Improves Governance 

As Liberia progresses in its development drive, development partners are greatly concerned about value for money. One of such is the Head of Development Cooperation at the Swedish Embassy Johan Romere who said getting value for money is something that the government, through the public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC), must look at the from all sectors off development. The Swedish diplomat maintained that transparency and cost effectiveness improve governance in any nation, calling on Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the media to check on duty bearers in holding them responsible for misuse of public funds. At the same time, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy, Alyson Grunder, has pledged her government’s commitment in enhancing public procurement in Liberia. According to the News newspaper, the two international partners made the statement made the statements Tuesday, November 3, 2020, at the opening of a day-long PPCC awareness engagement training for members of the CSOs and the media.

Shufflex Biomed, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan’s Multiplex Diagnostic Test among Finalists at Germany’s World Science Summit 2020

Germany’s World Science Summit which highlights scientific breakthroughs takes place around the annual commemoration of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nevember 9, 1989. At this year’s summit in Berlin, the multiplex infections disease diagnostic test (the Nyan-Test) invested by a prominent scientist and medical doctors, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan of Liberia, has been selected by judges as one of 54 Finalists in the Engineering and Technology category. This year, the Berlin Science Week organizing committee received over 900 nominations from 111 countries around the World. This is Liberia’s time participating in the World Science Summit, and represented by Dr. Dougbeh Nyan and his Invention that has been recognized and selected by judges as a Finalist. He was nominated by the Royal Academy of Science International Trust and Under the Microscope. The Nyan-Test is portable, affordable, fast and easy to use in any setting.  It detects and distinguishes multiple infections (including HIV, HCV, HBV, Ebola, Sars-CoV-1, COVID-19, MERS, Dengue, West Nile, Yellow Fever, Malaria, and many more). Whereas most testing methods takes three hours to seven days, this testing device for infectious diseases gives test results in ten to forty minutes, The ANALYST writes.

LiNCSA holds Three Days Stakeholder’s Consultations To Review and Amend the Firearms and Ammunition Control Act [FACA] of 2015, its Regulations and the Liberia Small Arms Commission Act

The Government of Liberia through the Liberia National Commission of Small Arms (LiNCSA) officially commenced a three-day Stakeholder’s Consultation to review and amend the Firearms  and Ammunition Control Act of 2015 (FACA), its Regulations and the Act establishing the Small Arms. The official opening of the consultation held on Monday, November 2, 2020 at the Monrovia City Hall brought together heads and senior officials of Defense and Pare-military Institutions, Diplomatic Missions accredited near Monrovia, other relevant Agencies of the Government of Liberia, including the Office of Liberia Peace Ambassador, International Organizations (ECOWAS), UNDP, MRU among others), Civil Society Organizations, Members of the Press and Religious Community. The chairman of the Commission, Atty. Teklo Maxwell Grigsby, II in his opening remarks extended profound gratitude to H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia for the confidence reposed in him to chair Liberia’s Program of Action on Arms Control within and across the borders of the Republic, The ANALYST writes. 

Agric Boss Cooper Launches Major Harvest in Bong

The Analystnewspaper is reporting that Liberia’s Minister of Agriculture on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 traveled to central Liberia’s Bong County to launch a major rice harvest on a farm lying near a hilly former iron ore mining town. Accompanied by her Deputy Minister for Planning and Development, Robert K. Fagans, the visit is indicative of the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) support for Liberia small farmers during this harvesting season. The James T. Nyumah Farm totaling 300 acres of planted rice is situated in Dubli Clan, Fuamah District about 95km northwest of the Liberian Capital, Monrovia, and has a workforce 500 persons. “We have immediately instructed our relevant department at the MOA to start loaning rice threshers to farmers to avoid post-harvest losses to rodents and unfriendly weather. The Government of Liberia through the MOA is taking this initiative to directly support our farmers”, Minister Cooper said.