The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

News concerning the hosting of an event marking the observance of the Day of the African Child and the sentencing of 3 Armed robbers for Armed robbery following a guilty verdict  by the  13^th Judicial Circuit Court in Margibi County are dominant stories highlighted in today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

Ministry Of Gender To Observe Day Of African Child

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with the Children’s Representative Forum and members of the Child Protection Network will officially hast events for the observance of this year’s Day of the Africa Child (DAC). June 16 of every year, the African committee ofExperts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (CERWC) calls upon all member states of the African Union (AU) to celebrate the day across Africa.  The FOCUS newspaper reads that the DAC this year is being observed under a global theme, “Accelerating Protection Empowerment and Equal Opportunities For Children In Africa By 2030,” while Liberia will commemorate the Day under a national theme ‘Protecting Children From electoral Violence, A Road map To Achieving 2030 Agenda (SGDs); Provide Equal Opportunity For Children In Liberia.’

Related Captions: Celebration Of The Day OF The African Child Begins Today (Heritage), Gender Ministry To Observe DAC (In Profile Daily)

4 Convicted Robbers Get Assorted Jail Sentence

The Presiding Judge of the 13^th Judicial Circuit Court in Margibi County, Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, on Tuesday, June 13 sentenced four men to five and ten years in prison for armed robbery. Giving a brief history of the case, Judge Gbeisay recalled that the four convicts were on July 24, 2016 arrested by officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) during an attack on the Eco-Bank Branch in Kakata City. The four indicted robbers, namely: Samuel N. Davies, Alex Yarkpawolo, Abraham Doe and Dennis Dioh, according to the Judge pleaded guilty to the crimes and waived producing witness after being arraigned before the court, but said Dennis Dioh died while awaiting trial, reports the Heritage newspaper.

Related Captions: Three Sentenced For Armed Robbery In Margibii (In Profile Daily), 3 Sentences In 2016 Ecobank Robberies (Daily Observer)

OTHER STORIES

House Concurs With Senate…Amended Act Empowers NEC To Adjudicate Election Matters

The noise over whether or not the controversial Code of Conduct for public officials should not be applicable in the October 2017 Presidential and Legislative Elections has taken an interesting dimension. With respect to the full implementation of the contentious law, the House of Representative has concurred with the Senate on an Act to amend Part XII of the Code of Conduct for the creation of the operational framework of the office of the Ombudsman. Members of the House of Representatives unanimously passed the amended version of the Ombudsman Act on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, after a close door discussion. The House’s decision to concur with the Senate was based on a report of its Joint Committee on Judiciary and Ways, Means, finance and Development Planning, urging Plenary (the highest decision making body) to endorse the Senate’s version of the Law, reports the  INSIGHT newspaper.

Related Caption: Ombudsman Act Sails Through Legislature – Forwarded to President Sirleaf for Approval (Daily Observer)

President Sirleaf Releases Her Declaration of Assets, Liabilities And Income Tax Returns; Calls On Public and Political Leaders To Follow

According to the INSIGHT newspaper, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Tuesday released her Declarations of Assets and Liabilities, which are in the custody of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC). She also released her Income Tax Returns. According to an Executive Mansion release, the Liberian leader who addressed the nation in a special live broadcast to the nation said: “In an environment of rumors, conspiracies, lies and suspicions, it is important that those holding high public office disclose their financial status to the public.” President Sirleaf further called upon all high level officials, particularly those in public fiduciary positions, to do likewise. “I further call on all presidential aspirants, to consider in their own interest to do the same”, she noted.

Police Install Street Security Cameras

Authorities at the Liberian National Police or LNP have begun installing security cameras on the streets, as way a of creating a safe city. Liberia’s Police Inspector General Col. Gregory Coleman told the New Dawn in an exclusive interview Tuesday 13, June that the security cameras which are currently being tested will be rolled out probably within the next two weeks, and that over 60 percent of Monrovia will be monitored by camera in the initial stages. “In the next two weeks, let’s say 60 percent of the city will be monitored,” Col. Coleman said in an exclusive interview with the New Dawn at the Police Headquarters on Capitol Hill in Monrovia. Col. Coleman says police are closely working with the Liberia Telecommunication Corporations (LIBTELCO) in undertaking the “Safe City Project” that will lead to mounting cameras at unknown destinations covering over 60 percent of Monrovia. He says a meeting has already been concluded with the general manager of LIBTELCO on all of the areas that will be captured while awaiting extension. The cameras will be controlled at the police headquarters in Monrovia where police operatives will be zooming in at various designated posts to capture activities on a daily basis. The security cameras may deter and capture whatever clandestine operations among police, vehicle operators and other road users, while at the same time capturing other incidents that may be of interest to security here, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

Liberian Journalists Undergoing Training In Elections Reporting

According to the Heritage newspaper, about 35 journalists both from the electronic and the print media are undergoing training on how to report on electoral issues so as to maintain the eace and stability during and after elections. The daily reads that the training is being organized by the Center for Media Studies & Peace Building (CEMESP), with support from the United Nationas Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), brings together journalists from Bomi, Bong, Montserrado, Grand bassa and Grand Cape Mount Counties. The theme of the workshop is “strengthening Conflict Sensitivity in Journalism and social Media Towards Supporting Peaceful Elections in Liberia”.