The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRARY 28, 2018

The Signing of a US$5M Annual Work Plan between Government of Liberia and UNICEF, the call for teamwork and improved security and rule of law by the new Justice Minister, the partnership between Ministry of Youth and Sport and Indiana University on youth project and the arrest of two women at Roberts International Airport with 8.1 kg of heroin are stories selected for today’s media summary.

Liberian Government, UNICEF Sign US$5M Annual Work Plan

The Heritage newspaper reports that the governments of Liberia and UNICEF-Liberia have signed a US$5 million dollars annual work plan. The signing ceremony took place on Monday, February 26, 2018 at the Ministry of Public Works, Lynch Street. Public Works Minister Mobutu Nyenpan signed on behalf of the government, while Dr. Sulaman Bramoh (Country Representative) signed on behalf of UNICEF. According to the work plan, UNICEF is to provide US$5 Million dollars support over a period of one year. The amount, the document indicates, will be used to enhance the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program of the ministries of Public Works, Health and Education.  

Musa Dean Takes Over As Justice Minister…Calls for teamwork, Improved Security & Rule of Law 

According to the Insight newspaper, Cllr. Frank Musa Dean on Monday, on February 26, 2018, officially took the mantle of authority of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). Cllr. Dean, who is also Attorney General of Liberia, said he is prepared to work with various security agencies to improve the nation’s security system. He added that such improvement would be carried out in line with the laws of the country. Cllr. Dean expressed delights over his appointment by President George Manneh Weah as Minister of Justice. He assured that his team at the MoJ will work professionally in ensuring not only peace and security in the country but also the rule of law.

House Mulls Passage of National Student Cadet Act

According to the Daily Observer, a Joint Committee on Education, Judiciary, Labor, Youth and Sports and the Ways, Means and Finance of the House of Representatives is reviewing an Act entitled: “National Student Cadet Act of 2018.” The Joint Committee has been mandated by the Plenary on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 during the 13th day sitting of the House of Representatives to study the Act and report to it in two weeks. The daily reads that the proposed law is intended to assist impoverished parents and guardians and self-supported students as well as to prevent mass dropout due to the high cost of education throughout Liberia. The House’s decision to review the Act was prompted by a communication from Sinoe County District #1 Representative Crayton O. Duncan. Rep. Duncan said the Act, when approved, would empower Liberian students through the institutionalization of the National Student Cadet Program where students would be financially empowered through the direct support of government and business partners.

First National Consultation On New Deal Framework Underway in Monrovia

The Heritage newspaper reports that the first National Consultation of the Civil Peace Service for the implementation of the New Deal framework on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) gets underway this Friday March 2, 2018 in Monrovia. A press release from the organizers says the consultation is being held in collaboration with the society platform on peace building (CSPPS), which is part of the Country Team for the SDGs. The SDGs is a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations which focus on quality education, decent work and economic growth, peace justice and strong institutions among others. Friday’s consultation will also review the current state of Civil Society organizations on the different frameworks and goals on peace building, as a way forward to strategically determine its next course of action and develop a joint CSO plan of action for the next 12 months. The consultation, which is expected to be held at the Corina Hotel, will bring together county networks from Lofa, Nimba and Sinoe and the Governance sector of the New African Research and Development Agency (NARDA).  

MYS, Indiana University To Partner On Youth Project 

The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS), and the United States based Indiana University have begun collaborative efforts to establish a youth development project in Liberia. Titled Youth Enrichment through Sport (YES),the project will focus on using sports as a tool for youth development and healthy living. In a communication to MYS Director of Youth Development Mamakizel S. Sicar, Indiana University School of Public Health Associate Professor Sarah J. Young Says YES participants will include both adults and youth. “The adults,” according to Young, are expected “to work with youth and implement recreational sport programs on a weekly basis with the youths for discussions about health issues”. Youth should be willing to be ambassadors for the YES program by promoting the program and recruiting other youth to join, pens the In Profile Daily.

Related Caption: MYS,Indiana University To Partner On Youth Project(Heritage)

Robust Inspection Ministry of Commerce Fines Fuani Brothers US$25, 000 For Hiking Egg Price

The Ministry of Commerce of Liberia has fined Fouani Brothers US$ 25,000.00 for unilaterally hiking the price of eggs on the Liberian market. “This act by the Fouani Brothers is a violation of the Competition Act; the government will not allow business people to exploit the Liberian people,” Minister of Commerce Prof. Wilson Tarpeh said. The Minister of Commerce said, the fine imposed on Fouani Brothers should serve as a warning to other businesses. “We will not encourage any business to bring unnecessary hardship to our people. The US$25,000 fined impose on Fouani Brothers should be paid within 72 hours and it will be paid to the government revenue,” Min. Tarpeh said. He said the Inspector General has dispatched inspectors on the field to ensure that President Weah’s mandate on the reduction of rice is implemented. Minister Tarpeh promised that his Ministry will ensure that junk products do not enter the Liberian commerce, reports the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Related Caption:Fouani Brothers Fined US$25,000 for Hiking Price of Eggs(Daily Observer)

Agriculture Can Curb Youth Unemployment, Spur Economic Growth Africa Rice urges more investment; describes sector as a catalyst for a successful Pro-Poor Agenda

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, the Country Director of Africa Rice has called for more investments and attention for Liberia’s agriculture sector as it has the potential to absorb many, if not all, of the problems that Liberia is currently faced with, most especially its huge economic challenges. Dr. Innousa Akintayo, who is also a veteran agriculturist and food security expert on the African continent, said the agriculture sector does not only have the latent possibilities to address the enormous economic problems being experienced by Liberians, it would also serve as a driver of employment, mainly among the large vulnerable youth population. Speaking at a Smallholder Agricultural Productivity Enhancement and Commercialization (SAPEC) project workshop for stakeholders in Gbarnga, Bong County, Dr. Akintayo noted that all of the precarious conditions that the President enumerated can be fixed if sincere efforts are made in the agriculture sector.

Mayor Koijee Promises Jobs for ‘Zogos’

Monrovia City Mayor, Jefferson Koijee, has promised to create jobs for disadvantage youth otherwise known in Liberia as “Zogos,” as some of these disadvantage youth paid a surprise visit to him at his Monrovia City Corporation Office. Several disadvantage youth from various streets in Monrovia on Tuesday, paid a surprise visit to the offices of City Mayor Koijee to lay forth their plights. The group of young people speaking through their leader, Ebenezer Gant, said their visit was intended to plead to Mayor Koijee to create job opportunities for them disadvantage so as to enable them address their daily needs, writes the In Profile Daily.

St. Maria Goretti Dedicates Modern School Facilities in Caldwell

St. Maria Goretti Institute has dedicated its first state-of-the-art building to boost education in the Township of Caldwell, Montserrado County. The institute, which is operating its second academic year, was established by couple Alexander Berrian and Monica S. Berrian and it is supported by one of Liberia’s foremost educators, Sister Mary Laurene Brown. The ground of the school contains a children’s playground; it also has a well-equipped laboratory, a computer lab and a library, according to Mrs. Berrian. Speaking during the dedication ceremony February 26, Madam Berrian, who is the school’s principal, said her family established the school in order to alleviate the many constraints that parents were going through by sending their children to school outside the Township. She further stated that the school presently operates from nursery to fifth grade; adding that it will expand to grade 12 within few years. Principal Berrian said, “Our goal here is to make sure that each Liberian child has quality education regardless of gender, religion or whatever, reads the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Orange Sponsored Tunes Liberia Music Awards Successful

The Centennial Pavilion came alive on Saturday as several hundred Liberians crowded the venue to be a part of the first annual Tunes Liberia Music Award. Although several Liberian music award shows have been held in the diaspora, this event was one of the largest to be organized in Liberia. Both the executive officer of the event, Elvis Juasemai, and the event’s consultant advisor, Ambassador David W. Anderson, said despite a few hiccups, the event was a resounding success and marked yet another chapter in the history of the Liberian music industry. Juasemai said that overall the awards were dedicated to the memory of Liberian music icon, the late Quincy Burrows, aka Quincy B, reports the Daily Observer.

2 Women Arrested at RIA with 8.1 Kg of Heroin

The Daily Observer writes that officers of the Liberia National Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) over the weekend arrested two women at the Roberts International Airport for allegedly possessing 8.1kgs of heroin. The suspects, Cecelia P. Toby, 42, and Florence Washington, 39, were intercepted at the airport upon their return from Tanzania aboard Kenya Airways #KQ5595. They were arrested while transporting the consignment to Monrovia.  The daily reads that the two suspects made open confession, while undergoing preliminary investigation. But the suspects pleaded for mercy, claiming they were duped. The women burst into tears alleging they were “being duped by their Nigerian friend, who they identified as Paul Sirleaf, a resident of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. They claimed Paul promised to give each of them US$15,000 each if they were to reach the items safely in Liberia. The suspects were also arrested with the contraband known as diamorphine. It is an opioid most commonly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects on the brain. The heroin was concealed in a black suitcase and cleverly disguised to pass off as an ordinary suitcase.

Related Captions:Two Women Arrested With 8.1Kilogram of Heroin….values US$480,000(Insight),and Two Women Arrest with Drugs at RIA(In Profile Daily)