The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

The appointments of additional officials by President George M. Weah is the dominant story in today’s news summary.

President George Weah Makes Additional Appointments in Government

President George Manneh Weah has made additional appointments affecting various ministries and agencies with some new faces like Tete Gebro, Estelle Liberty-Kermoh, Jefferson Koijee, Phil Dixon. Other are Liberia National Police, Patrick Sudue – Inspector General of Police, Sadatu L. M. Reeves – Deputy Inspector General for Administration (101), Williametta Piso Saydee-Tarr – Minister of Gender, Children & Social Protection, Dr. Francis N. Kateh – Deputy Minister for Health Services/Chief Medical Officer, Moses Y. Kollie – Minister of Labor, Samora Wolokollie – Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs, Quiwu Yeke – Executive Director, E. Barten Nyensah – Director, Prof. Wilson K. Tarpeh – Minister, James Henric Pearson Jr. – National Security Agency, Ledgerhood J. Rennie – Director General Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), Lemuel E.A. Reeves – Commissioner General Liberia Immigration Service, Jefferson Koijee – Mayor, Monrovia City Corporation, Mary T. Broh – Director General-General Services Agency,  C. Mike Donyen – Managing Director - Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Bill Twehway – Director General - Liberia Institute of Public Administration and Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Elias Shoniyin – Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marie K. Coleman – Inspector General Foreign Service,Jervis Witherspoon – Chief of Protocol Republic of Liberia, reports the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Related Captions: New Gov’t Taking Shape…As Weah Makes Additional Appointments (Heritage), President Weah Makes Additional Appointments In Government (INSIGHT), and Weah’s Initial Appointments Hit 33% Females (In Profile Daily)

Equity Assurance Sells 67% To French Company

A Franco-phone African Insurance Group, SUNU, has bought substantial equity (67 per cent) of Equity Assurance Company Liberia Ltd. According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, this represents a total of US$1.389, 540 million shares bought by the group. The acquisition has given the SUNU Group presence in the Liberian market. Mr. Steven S. Kolubah, Board Chairman of Equity Assurance, said the partnership with SUNU will bring with it keen competition in the market and engender growth. The Group already has operations in 11 other African countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Guinea, Gabon, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo, Mr. Kolubah said.

Related Captions: “SUDU Group” Pledges To Provide Added Value To Liberia’s Insurance Sector…Commits Itself To 100% Liberians Employment (Heritage), and French company takes over Equity Liberia (The New Dawn)

LEC, Irish Company Sign US$257m Contract

The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) has signed a US$257 million contract with an engineering company based in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, to improve power delivery across the country. In a news conference held over the weekend at the LEC head office in West Point Township, Chief Executive Officer Mr. John Ashley, explains the contract has four main objectives with the first being increasing connection to citizens, reducing the level of technical loses at 61 percent and commercial loses at 41 percent, respectively. According to CEO Ashley, for every 10 units of electricity that is being supplied LEC loses revenue of 5 percent. He stresses that addressing the technical and commercial loses is very important to the corporation, and notes the signing of the contract constitutes the successful conclusion of a two-year process that began in October 2016 with ratification of US$ 257 million to the Government of Liberia by the United States through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the New Dawn newspaper.

Weah Urges Inclusive Reform In ECOWAS

President George Weah has urged leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to implement reforms in the regional body with emphasis on inclusiveness and solidarity. According to a dispatch from Addis Ababa, the Liberian Leader made the call on Saturday, January 27, 2018 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during his maiden debut at the Extraordinary Summit of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government held on the margins of the 30th Ordinary Session of the General Assembly of the African Union. He said a reformed ECOWAS with all Member States having adequate representation will enhance its capacity to deliver in improving the lives and livelihoods of all the citizens of the sub-region. President Weah admonished his colleagues to reckon that ECOWAS must be more responsive to the critical needs of the citizens of Member States by implementing tangible projects in infrastructure, youth development and security and rule of law. President Weah’s clarion call was buttressed by his counterpart Ivorian, President Alassane Ouattara who urged his colleagues not to lose focus of the founding objectives of the body, which is to positively impact people.

Responding to a barrage of pleasantries, President Weah thanked his colleagues for the warm welcome and promised to work assiduously within the ECOWAS framework, reports that New Dawn newspaper.

Weah Gets Rousing Welcome At AU

The New Dawn newspaper says President George Weah is said to have received a rousing welcome at the ongoing 30th Ordinary Session of the General Assembly of the African Union in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. According to a dispatch, President Weah was given rousing welcome by African leaders attending the AU summit. The Summit, convened under the theme “Winning the Fight Against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation”, is President Weah’s first international outing since his inauguration as Liberia’s 24th President.

According to a dispatch, outgoing Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State, Guinean President Alpha Condé, on behalf of all the African leaders welcomed President Weah and congratulated him on his election and promised AU’s support as he steers Liberia to development, lasting peace and prosperity. According to the daily, President Weah praised the AU for its numerous support to Liberia over the years. He described the AU as “a unique African platform of solidarity which must be more effectively utilized to tackle the critical issues affecting the continent and its peoples”. During the discussions, President Weah articulated Liberia’s positions on various issues including Peace and Security, the scourge of corruption and illicit migration. On Peace and Security, he urged for more resources to be targeted at the root causes of war and extremism on the continent which, include poverty, disease.

Weah Delivers First Annual Message

In fulfillment of the Constitution, President George Manneh Weah is expected to deliver his first Annual Message to the joint session of the Liberian Legislature today, Monday, 29 January at about 16:00 hours, outlining his legislative programs for the year. The New Dawn newspaper reads that the constitutional mandate will be conducted in the Richard Tolbert Joint Chambers of the Capitol with House Speaker Dr. Bhofal Chambers presiding over the joint session, comprising representatives from all 73 electoral districts and 30 senators from the 15 counties.

Article 58 of the Constitution states, the President shall, on the fourth working Monday in January of each year, present the administration’s legislative program for the ensuing session, and shall once a year report to the Legislature on the state of the Republic.

LRA Boss On Importance Of Customs

The Liberian Revenue Authority or LRA has celebrated the 66th Anniversary of International Customs Day in Monrovia under the theme, "A secure business environment for economic development." LRA Commissioner General Elfrieda Stewart Tamba, says customs in Liberia contributed about 42 percent of domestic revenue to the national budget. She notes that customs is responsible to contribute to the fiscal budget 200 million, and as of December 1, 2017 it has collected $104 million or about 52 percent of this amount. Commissioner General Tamba emphasizes that customs officer and brokers have a national responsibility to ensure that trade across national broader is logout and that goods leaving and coming in the country’s customs territories through the international supply chains are safe. She says the vision is to have a modern customs with stronger integrate, adding that Liberia has started the transformation process and there is much more to be done with funding and technical capacity as key, according to the New Dawn newspaper.

President Weah Clarifies Issue of “50 Percent” Women Inclusion in Governance

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, President George Manneh Weah has clarified what appears to be a misinterpretation emanating from his speech delivered during the Women’s Honoring Program held on Saturday January 20, 2018 as part of the inaugural festivities at the Antoinette Tubman Sports Stadium in Monrovia. According to an Executive Mansion release, President Weah acknowledges his respect for women’s rights and remains an ardent proponent of gender equality, which he strongly supports the “he for she” philosophy. The Liberian leader added that he is the only political leader on record that oversaw the inclusion of 7 women into the Legislature while serving as political leader of the then Congress For Democratic Change (CDC). President Weah then underscored the importance of maintaining Women’s participation in Public service, which inspired the choice of a female in presence of Madame Jewel Howard Taylor as his Vice Running-mate. President Weah says he remains fully committed to Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality, and assured the women of Liberia that he will do everything within his power to ensure that the Liberian women are ably represented in his administration.

Related Caption: Weah Clarifies Issue of “50 Percent” Women Inclusion in Governance Process (Heritage)

Liberian Community in Nigeria Congratulates President Weah

The Organization of Liberian Communities in Nigeria (OLICON) has extended its heartfelt congratulations to His Excellency, George Manneh Weah, on his election and inauguration as president of the Republic of Liberia. A release from the Liberian Embassy in Abuja says the Diaspora Liberian group in Nigeria through its congratulatory message, wishes to affirm its aspiration to partner with President Weah’s government “so that collectively we can promote peace, unity and national development in our country.” The group comprises of Liberians cut across the Nigerian Federal Republic of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, the release concludes, the Heritage newspaper reads.

Related Caption: Liberian Community in Nigeria Congratulates President Weah (FrontPage Africa)