The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017

Stories on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s last state of the nation address and Foreign Minister Marjon V. Kamara urging newly graduates of the Gabriel L. Dennis Foreign Service Institute to be adaptable and versatile dominate today’s media summary. Other stories include Vice President Joseph N. Boakai lauding Children Surgery International, and the qualification of nine representative candidates for the lower Lofa County Electoral District #2 by-election among others.

EJS Showcases Final Legislative Agenda

The Insight newspaper, reports that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has presented her last legislative agenda to members of the 53^rd Legislature in a Joint Session. On Monday, January 23, 2017, the Liberian leader outlines several proposed laws to be presented by the Executive Branch for enactment by the Legislature. President Sirleaf named ‘An Act to Create the Land Rights Authority, Local Government Act, and Affirmative Action Bill, among others. The Chief Executive, at the same time, commended the 53^rd Legislature for coordination in ensuring that government’s developmental agenda is achieved despite the many challenges the country faces.

Related Stories: Ellen Calls For Increment In Sports Budget: According to the Daily Observer, President Ellen Johnson Sirlef Johnson yesterday in her last annual address spoke on the need for increment in the sport sector. According to the President, sports activities such as the County Meet should now be further addressed through budgetary support and football academies that provide both quality education and training. Ellen Proposes Electoral Forum: Nine months to the October elections, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has proposed a two-day electoral forum for all political parties and independent presidential aspirants to discuss how to proceed towards the elections. “As we prepare for opening campaigning in a few months, I propose a two-day electoral forum with all political parties and registered independent presidential candidates to discuss issues pertaining to the electoral process and arrive at a common ground for the campaign and its aftermath,” she said here in her final Annual Message before the 53rd Legislature on Monday, 23 January. She says Dr. Sawyer was the best person to facilitate such a process, having played a leadership role in crafting Liberia’s current Constitution, presiding over the interim government here, and serving as elections monitor in multiple places on the African Continent, reports the New Dawn newspaper. Gov’t Extends Free Education To 12^th Grade In Public Schools: President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has announced that free education has been extended to 12^th graders in all public schools; apparently this mandate takes effect next school year. The Liberian leader made the pronouncement when she gave her final annual address to the 53^rd Legislature Monday at the Capitol Building announcing that any public schools caught taking fees from parents will be punished. The  INQUIRER newspaper quotes President Sirleaf as saying that free education will help a lot of families because a lot more families do not have the fees to have their children enrolled or kept in school; adding that his free education scheme will give more children the opportunity to go to school. ‘Join Me On The Last Mile’: President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has called on Liberians to rally around her administration as its mandate elapses in a little over ten months. “I still have 357 more days as President of this country and I’ve still got a lot to do, so I want to urge members of the Legislature to join me on the last mile,” the President said. It was her final State of the Nation address at the National Legislature on Capitol Hill yesterday, and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf told members of the first branch of government (the Legislature) and specifically to Liberians in general to join her as she rounds up her administration, reports the Daily Observer. Liberia's President Johnson-Sirleaf Admits Being Overweighed By Corruption: President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has openly admitted that corruption and reconciliation have remained major challenges her government is yet to unravel. “We have not fully met the anti-corruption pledge that we made in 2006. It is not because of the lack of political will to do so, but because of the intractability of dependency and dishonesty cultivated from years of deprivation and poor governance.” President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf The President, since her ascendency, has coined several names for the menace, terming it ‘Public Enemy #1’, ‘vampire’ and now a ‘cancer’. Disappointingly, at her final Annual Message at the joint chambers of the Legislature on January 23, the President admitted to her inability to fight corruption and reconcile Liberians, writes the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Related Captions: Ellen Admits On Corruption Fight, Reconciliation, But…(Heritage), Ellen Outlines Progress (IN PROFILE), Ellen Admits Failing Pledge Against Corruption-But Says It Is Not Due To Lack Of Political Will (The INQUIRER) Pres. Sirleaf Proposes Political Gathering Before 2017 Elections…Dr. Amos Sawyer To Spearhead Initiative (The INQUIRER)

and Free Education Extended (FOCUS)

Diplomats Must Be Adaptable, Versatile

Foreign Affairs Minister Marjon V. Kamara says scholars of international relations and diplomacy must develop the attribute of adaptability, versatility and the ability to promptly respond to the inevitable and ever-changing situation, utilizing a mixture of practical experience and professional consultation. Minister Kamara said it is becoming increasingly complex to analyze global situations relying strictly on political theories and economic models looking at today’s world that is faced with more challenges than any of the preceding years. Minister Kamara made the assertion at the graduation exercise of the Gabriel L. Dennis Foreign Service Institute where 28 emerging diplomats completed nine-months of intensive training in diplomacy and international relations and were awarded postgraduate diplomas. Minister Kamara said the tool of diplomacy relies upon layers of professional approaches which will always require a cadre of trained service men and women in areas of security, protocol, international law, economic diplomacy, public diplomacy, human security, human rights, among others, according to the Daily Observer.

Related Captions: 28 Emerging Diplomats Fresh, Ready (FOCUS), and ‘Diplomats Must Develop The Attribute of Adaptability, Versatility –Liberia’s Foreign Minister (IN PROFILE)

Other Stories

VP Lauds Children Surgery International

According to the Heritage newspaper, Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has hailed Children Surgery International (SCI) for its successful surgical mission that transformed the lives of more than sixty Liberian children at the Firestone Medical Center Harbel, Margibi County. Vice President Boakai referred to CSI as a “great partner,” noting without such organization, it is difficult for the national to achieve all its plans to do. Vice President Boakai was speaking at the weekend when he attended the closing program of the CSI Mission at the Firestone Medical Center in Harbel.

NEC Qualifies 9 Candidates For By-Election

According to the New Dawn newspaper, the National Elections Commission or NEC has released final list of qualified candidates to participate in the lower Lofa County Electoral District#2 by-election slated for February 28, 2017. In a press release issued in Monrovia on January 23, the Commission says release of the names of nine candidates is in keeping with official key electoral dates for the Lofa County Electoral District #2 By-Election. The release added that the nine candidates represent eight political parties and one independent female candidate who will contest the impending by-election. They include Jeremiah Saah Borley of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR); James T. Q. Peters of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), William Tamba Kamba of the Movement for Economic Empowerment(MOVEE) and William Saah Kettor of the ruling Unity Party (UP). Others are; Joseph Tamba Machulay of Liberia Transformation Party (LTP), Francis Sakila Nyumahn of the Union of Liberian Democrats (ULD), William Saah Tamba of the Liberty Party (LP), Tamba Damacious Saysay of the All Liberian Party (ALP) and female Candidate Elizabeth Tamba, Independent. Meanwhile, NEC declared campaign officially opened on Monday, 23 January up to midnight, February 26, 2017. On November 10, 2016, Lofa County Electoral District #1 Representative Eugene Fallah Kparkar died at age 41, in India while undergoing advanced treatment from a protracted illness.

Liberian Judges To Be Accepted By Int’l Body Soon

The Rapporteur of the International Association of Judges (IAJ), Judge David O. Carter, has assured members of the National Association of Trial Judges of Liberia (NATJL) of being accepted as members of the world judges’ body. According to Judge Carter, the NATJL’s decision to apply for acceptance means that the association wants to take a step forward by getting on the world stage, something he said many countries have not done. He made these remarks at the weekend in the Banquet Hall of the  of the Temple of Justice on Capitol Hill in Monrovia at the Farewell program marking the completion his assessment visit to Liberia. Judge Carter, who is a Federal Judge in the United States of America, was sent by the IAJ to carry on an assessment on the workings on Liberians judges, reports the Heritage newspaper.

NAYMOTE Launches Debate Series Ahead of 2017 Elections

The National Movement for Transparent Elections (NAYMOTE) has launched an inter-party youth debate program in Liberia. These debates will bring together youth representatives from major political parties in Liberia. Speaking at the first amongst series of debates on Friday, January 20 held in the auditorium of the University of Liberia’s Capitol Hill Campus, the Executive Director of NAYMOTE, Eddie Jarwolo said the exercise aims at creating the space for young people to come face-to-face with political parties in order to understand these party’s platform, reports FrontPage Africa newspaper.

To Track Revenue Collections; UBA, GoL Sign Online Passport Fees Payments

After a competitive bidding process, the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and the Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoF) have signed an agreement for Liberians residing in the Diaspora to make payments online for passport fees and consular charges. The payments will be made via the bank’s new platform, U-Bills – a platform that will allow payment through the use of debit and prepaid cards. ‘U-Bills’ is an online payment and collection platform which would help boost e-commerce in Africa. The agreement, which was finally sealed on December 6, 2016, defines the terms and conditions and states that the bank’s service fee will be 3 percent of the designated price per passport on non UBA bank cards while a service charge of 1.25 percent will be charged applicants using UBA cards. This means that applicants paying with a non UBA bank card will pay US$200 for the passport plus a US$6 bank charge, while applicants using a UBA card will pay US$2.50 as service charge. Signing the agreement on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister for Legal Affairs Cllr. Deweh Gray said the UBA platform will allow government to track revenue generated from the sale of passports with direct deposits to one central location instead of in accounts at the missions where the centers are located. Also speaking, Prince D. Chesson, Head of Digital Baking Sales at UBA, expressed gratitude to the GoL through Foreign Affairs for the mandate given them, reports the Daily Observer newspaper.