Daily Media Summary 2017-09-14
The Bureau of Public Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Monrovia, Liberia
DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
The holding of an international retreat in Monrovia on the Sustainable Development Goals under the theme: “Achieving the SDGs’ vision of equity, growth and resilience in Africa through Regional Cooperation;” is the only dominant story captured in today’s summary of the local dailies.
DOMINANT STORY
Government To Hold International Retreat On The Sustainable Development Goals
The Secretariat of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning in collaboration with the International Research Forum, from London UK, will this weekend (September 15-17) hold an international retreat on the Sustainable Development Goals on the theme: “Achieving the SDGs’ vision of equity, growth and resilience in Africa through regional cooperation;” A regional retreat for government planning officials and non-governmental partners. According to a release from the Secretariat, the two-day retreat will bring together government officials from several ministries, academia, civil society organizations, and the private sector. Participants hail from various African countries and institutions including Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Tunisia, Rwanda, South Africa, the Pan African Parliament, ECOWAS, and the Africa Center on the SDGs in Kigali among others. The Monrovia Retreat will allow participants to share ideas on their domestication processes of the new global development agenda adopted by all member states of the UN in 2016, reports the INSIGHT newspaper.
Related Captions: GoL, Partners To Hold Int’l Retreat(The New Dawn),Government to Hold International Retreat on the Sustainable Development Goals(INSIGHT)
OTHER STORIES
Ellen Wants UL Chief To Be Vigilant
The New Dawnnewspaper says President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has urged newly inaugurated University of Liberia (UL) president Dr. Ophelia Inez Weeks to “be vigilant and wise” in her new portfolio, saying “we” note with pride that Dr. Weeks is truly a strong and brave woman by accepting the challenge. The President and Visitor to UL, Mrs. Sirleaf was speaking Wednesday, 13 September at the UL’s Fendall Campus outside Monrovia where she presented Dr. Weeks as new UL president, succeeding Dr. Emmett A. Dennis who headed the institution for nine years. Mrs. Sirleaf encourages Dr. Weeks to be bold in her measures that will aim at academic excellence, and to emulate the steps of all leaders who have gone before her and have left their imprint at the University. In her inaugural address, UL’s second female president Dr. Ophelia Inez Weeks assured President Sirleaf that she will execute the duties assigned to her, agreeing with Mrs. Sirleaf that “we” will have to be vigilant and wise in executing the tasks.
From Presidential Race: Kennedy Sandy seeks withdrawal
A front page story of the Insight newspaper reads that with less than 26 days to the conduct of the 2017 presidential and legislative elections, the Standard Bearer of the Liberia Transformation Party (LRP), Rev. Kennedy Sandy, has officially communicated with the National Elections Commission (NEC), informing the electoral body of his intention to withdraw from the presidential election. NEC Chairman, Cllr. Jerome George Korkoya, yesterday made the announcement. However, the NEC Chairman explained that pursuant to the Elections Law withdrawal is not permitted at this point of the electoral process, using Section 4.7a as the legal basis. Moreover, he indicated the LTP Political Leader has been notified accordingly with regard to his intent. The NEC Chairman did not give detailed information as to why Rev. Sandy wants to withdraw from the October 10, 2017 Presidential race at this time, the paper asserts.
Related Caption: Withdrawal Rejected NEC Insists Rev. Kennedy Sandy Will Remain On Ballot Despite Move To Back Out(FrontPage Africa)
Global Fund Partnership Interventions Save 22M Lives
The New Dawn newspaper, quoting a report says programs supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have saved 22 million lives. The report also shows significant increases in the number of people receiving treatment for HIV, diagnosis and treatment for TB and having an insecticide treated net to prevent malaria. The Global Fund Results Report 2017, with cumulative results through the end of 2016, shows a decline of one-third in the number of people dying from AIDS, TB and malaria in the countries where the Global Fund invests. “Investing in global health is a highly cost effective way to achieve greater security and stability, to protect communities worldwide from infectious disease and to halt emerging health threats,” said Marijke Wijnroks, Interim Executive Director of the Global Fund. “This report highlights outstanding achievements, and also how much more there is to do.”
Programs supported by the Global Fund, which are designed and implemented by local experts and communities affected by the diseases, provided 11 million people with antiretroviral therapy for HIV – more than half the total number of people on treatment worldwide.
UBA Liberia Enters A Proof Of Concept Agreement With LRA
The United Bank for Africa (UBA) has entered into a partnership Proof of Concept Agreement with the Liberia Revenue Authority, Orange Liberia and Lonestar/MTN for use of Mobile money to pay taxes to Government of Liberia. According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, the purpose of the agreement is to execute a pilot project for collection of taxes and fees on behalf of the Government of Liberia through the use of existing mobile money platforms with the Telecommunication Companies and UBA as the sole collecting Bank. The agreement says UBA is to ensure the timely transfer of funds from the Telecom Partner's account with timely remittance of funds from the Transitory Account to the General Revenue Account at the CBL.
Cabinet Receives Update On Nat’l Action Plan
The FOCUS newspaper says Cabinet has received and reviewed the National Action Plan of the Open Government Partnership under the auspices of the Ministry of information Cultural Affairs and Tourism as well as updates on the status of road infrastructure and reforms in the Civil Service Agency. According to an Executive Mansion release, Liberia’s Open Government Partnership Commitments and Action Plan for the period 2017 – 2019 underscored the conduct of successive general presidential elections held in 2005 and 2011; the rule of law and economic recovery on irreversible trajectory; reforms made in confronting corruption, waste and abuse, freedom of information Act, public procurement and concession Act; public financial management Act; the Extractive Industries transparent Act as well as the Revised General Auditing Commission Act. Cabinet received updates and a presentation outlining the present condition of our roads, difficulties and challenges facing road users, key factors causing traffic growth, progress to date, traffic flow tables, and preliminary estimated cost.
Related Caption: Cabinet On Roads Conditions(The New Dawn)
“He’s Doing Great” AFL Chief of Staff Discloses About Wounded Soldier
The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Gen. Daniel Dee Ziankahn has disclosed that one of the soldiers wounded in Mali has been taken out of Liberia and flown to India for advanced medical treatment. Making the disclosure yesterday in an exclusive interview with the INQUIRER, Gen. Ziankahn said all medical documents and results appertaining to soldier PFC Lahai Titus which were provided by the St. Joseph Catholic Hospital in Monrovia were taken along and further that the soldier is doing great or responding to treatment. He further disclosed that doctors at the Fortis Hospital in India where the Liberian soldier is currently undergoing treatment have informed the high command of the AFL that the soldier has underwent the first surgery, the INQUIRER reads.
NEC Releases Final Voters’ Roll Denies Rev. Kennedy Sandy Request to Withdraw
The National Elections Commission (NEC) has released its final voter register which contains a total of Two Million One Hundred and Eighty Three Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty Three Thousand, Six Hundred and Twenty Nine (2,183,629) voters for the pending polls in October, in line with Chapter 3 of the Elections Laws. There were a total of Four Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixty Seven (4,567), (0.21%) incidents of duplication, which has been identified and corrected following appropriate examination. Two Hundred and Six, (206) incidents were a voter registered more than twice and 30 individuals were identified as registering more than four times. These details will be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice for further investigation, where appropriate action will be taken if necessary. As required by Section 3.19 of the Election law, no further changes will be made to the register unless by the order of the Supreme Court, as the final voter is being printed, the INQUIRER news daily writes.
Liberians Elect New Leadership in US
The Liberian Association of Pennsylvania on Saturday, September 9, 2017, elected several prominent Liberians as officials to stair the affairs of its Association for the next two years. The State of Pennsylvania has the second largest Liberian community across the United State with a population of over 25,000. Established in 1978, LAP is a registered 501C organization aiming at protecting, uniting and advocating for the rights of Liberians across Pennsylvania. Saturday’s
