The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018

News on President Weah cautioning Liberians against unnecessary protest, the planning session of a USAID-Funded Forest Incomes as well as Internal Affairs Minister request to the UN Refugee Agency, which among their other things, called for more support to Liberia as it caters to a refugee caseload of about 9,454 are among stories highlighted in today’s edition of our summary.

Weah Cautions Liberians Against …’Unnecessary Protest

President George Manneh Weah has cautioned Liberians against unnecessary protests and demonstration that will paint a negative picture of the country to the outside world, depriving Liberia of the needed assistance from its development partners. Making reference to the demonstration by some Liberians who called on the United States Government through the embassy near Monrovia and other global and regional bodies to withhold support to Liberia, President Weah noted that such act is evil, and called on those involved to desist. According to The NEWS newspaper, speaking at the Thanksgiving Service held at the Dominion Christian Fellowship Center in Monrovia upon his return from the UN General Assembly on Sunday, Weah said it was the sad thing for the world to watch Liberians take to the streets to call on development partners not to assist the country due to an alleged L$16 billion scam. The Chief Executive pointed out that Liberia is a country of laws and, as such, Liberians should learned to adhere to the constitution by awaiting outcomes from investigations, instead of jumping in the streets which, he noted, is a sign of rebellion, stressing, “Rebellions are always accompanied by casualties.”

Planning Session Brings Together 60 Stakeholders of USAID-Funded Forest Incomes for Environmental Sustainability Project

The Forest Incomes for Environmental Sustainability (FIFES) project has concluded a three-day work planning session, held at Shark’s Entertainment Incorporated, from September 19–21, 2018, under the theme “Plan, Target, Implement, Impact and Achieve.” FIFES is a five-year activity funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by ACDI/VOCA. This year’s annual work planning exercise brought together stakeholders, beneficiaries, implementing partners, and the donor agency to build consensus on new annual targets and design implementation mechanisms while tracking impacts and reporting accordingly, reports the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Related Caption: Planning Session Brings Together 60 Stakeholders Of USAID-Funded Forest Incomes (Heritage)

LIBERIA Pushes for more support to Refugees here

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Varney A. Sirleaf has presented a request to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, which among their other things, called for more support to Liberia as it caters to a refugee caseload of about 9,454 Ivorian refugees in camps in Liberia. TheNew Dawn newspaper pens that of this number, Minister told the UN, 800 refugees have opted to be integrated in Liberia thereby obtaining Liberian Citizenship, which is guaranteed under the refugee protocol. A press release from the Ministry quotes the internal Affairs Minister as saying the Liberian Government has already secured 310 acres of land in one the refugee hosting areas to support the local integration program for those opting to live in Liberia. He however requested the UNHCR and other partners to assist with the construction of quality, Duration, and modern housing units similar to President Weah’s proposed low cost housing project. Though Minister Sirleaf acknowledges the collaboration and support of UNHCR-Liberia, more was needed to be done.

 Related Caption: Liberian Pushes For More Support To Refugee Situations In Liberia (Frontage)

Our Development Rests On You..VP Howard-Taylor Challenges Youth

According to the Heritage newspaper, the Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has challenged Liberian youth to rise up to the call of nation building by making proper use of all available opportunities. VP Howard-Taylor said in order to enhance growth and development in the country, the youth, who constitute overs 60 percent of the country’s population, must engage into meaningful ventures and take advantage of every opportunity. The Vice President was speaking recently at the launch of the Household Enterprise Support (HES) Program under the Youth Opportunities Project (YOP) of the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE).

Related Caption: CSOs Must Be Accountable Too (The NEWS)

WFP’s SHAP-P Empowering Smallholders…In Liberia’s Bong County

In early July, the World Food Program (WFP), based on the request from the government of Liberia, introduce the SHAD-P (Smallholder Agriculture Development Project) to Bong County. The purpose of this project is to assist 1,200 smallholder farmer households who are vulnerable to unforeseen hunger shocks strengthen their livelihoods and build and build residence. Saydee J.M. Lincoln, group head of the Gbuyah Swamp project in Suakoko, Bong County, has had an uphill task in encountering group members to work in unison and commit to longer hours. In mid-September, the WFP in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and the cooperating partners Samaritan’s Purse (SP) provided Saydee and his group the needed incentives of food commodities under the Food for Assets modality, The NEWS newspapers says.

‘Development Is My Focus’…Weah Assures Liberians

According to The NEWS newspaper, President George Manneh Weah has once again accentuated the imperative to accelerate Liberia’s social, economic and political transformation. He said Liberia is woefully backward in terms of development and the right thing to do is catch up with countries that are ahead. The Liberian head of state acknowledged that there are competing development priorities, but said the priorities for the country and its long backward people is road connectivity—reaching out to the nook and hamlet of the country with paved roads. Speaking Sunday at the Dominion Christian Fellowship Center in Congo Town upon arrival from the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Weah bemoaned Liberia’s 171 years of existence without significant socioeconomic progress, vowing to shift the governance paradigm in order close the huge development gap. Since his inauguration, the Liberian leader has outstretched himself, combing foreign nations and development financing institutions to acquire the needed support for the massive expansions and improvement of roads considered a national emergency. The President told a jam-packed Thanksgiving Service that nothing would distract him or his administration from doing what is in the best interest of the Liberian people. 

Pharmaceutical Experts to Finalize Medicine Regulation for West Africa

The Expert Working Groups (EWG) comprising pharmaceutical experts recently held a 3-day working session in Monrovia, to finalize the regional guidelines, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and develop a manual for medicine regulation in West Africa (W/A).The session, which brought together 63 medical experts and resource persons from the West African sub-region, was held in Paynesville, outside Monrovia, with support from the West African Health Organization (WAHO), in collaboration with the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).The group’s objective is to develop, review, finalize and harmonize regional guides, SOPs and regional manuals, to obtain certification of medicines, medicines quality control laboratories, quality management, and information management systems. The manuals, according to the group’s statement, consists of guidelines, SOPs and quality manuals, to ultimately set up a single integrated management system for medicines regulation in all 15 countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). According to the Daily Observer, this approach came in the wake of the proliferation of counterfeits, falsified or substandard medicines as discovered by the West African region, led by ECOWAS, through WAHO and UEMOA, in collaboration with technical and financial partners.

Religious Leaders Urged to Address Gender-Based Violence

As the fight to contain Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) intensifies, former Chief Justice Cllr. Frances Johnson Allison has called on religious leaders to address violence against women and girls in the Liberian society. Cllr. Allison made the call on Wednesday, September 26, in Monrovia at the opening of a 2-day conference on SGBV, which was organized by Faith and Justice Network (FJN) of Liberia, a regional Faith-based organization. FJN also launched the Global Thursday campaign that the World Council of Churches originally started in the 1980s, with an aim to challenge attitude and behavior that sometimes result into violence against women. The over 50 participants were drawn from the various Christian and Muslim organizations, and some government officials also attended the ceremony. Cllr. Allison said that there is a need for faith leaders in Liberia take on the responsibility to address sexual violence emanating from the civil conflict in order to sustain the peace process, reads the Daily Observer.

Nat’l Bar Plans Legal Aid Clinic For Bong

According to Heritage newspaper, the Chairperson of the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) Legal Aid Program, Cllr. Joyce Reeves Wowoh, has disclosed that the Bar will shortly open a legal aid clinic in Bong County. Giving an overview of the program recently at a stakeholders’ engagement dialogue in Gbarnga, Bong County, Cllr. Wowoh said the purpose of the dialogue was to create awareness about the setting up of the legal aid clinic and the services it will render the people of Bong County. She pointed out that the program will help to give ordinary people the advantage and opportunity to adequately handle their cases at the legal clinic, instead of taking them to court.  

CBL Sets New Financial Category For Insurance Firms 

The Heritage newspaper pens that the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has instituted a policy that requires only companies meeting the minimum capital resource of between US$1.8 million to US$2.3 million to be allowed to operate as insurers in both life and general insurance. CBL Deputy Director for Insurance Regulation and Supervision Department, Jay G. Brown, stressed that all companies that fall below the composite capital requirements will be restricted from engaging in thee insurance business because they do not have adequate capital for either life insurance of general insurance.  

 Labour Ministry Launches Mothers At Work Campaign Today 

The Ministry of Labour through its Division of Labour Standard is expected to officially launch the Mothers At Work Campaign today, Wednesday, October 3, 2018 in Monrovia. The overall theme of the occasion is “Awareness to support Maternity Rights through Dialogue “and slated to take place at J.F.K. Medical Center in Sinkor, Monrovia beginning at 10:30 am. According to a press release from the Ministry, the launch is in support of the Decent Work Act of Liberia, Section 20.6 which provides a minimum of 14 weeks for maternity leave for an employed pregnant woman and 2 breaks of 30 minutes in each working day or a reduction of 60 minutes from daily hours of work until the child reaches the age of six (6) months as well as one (1) month unpaid extended maternity leave for health protection amongst others, pens the Heritage newspaper.

YAU Foundation to help Liberia youth

According to New Dawn newspaper, thousands of Liberian youths are expected to benefit humanitarian services from a newly established group, “You Are Us Foundation” or YAU, headed by Liberian-born Lebanese Linda K. Fawaz. The Foundation was established in May 2018 with an emphasis on humanitarian works in Liberia. It seeks to tackle extreme poverty, hunger, education, lack of agricultural activities and healthcare. Making brief remark at the lunch of YAU Foundation in Sinkor Monrovia, Linda said it is sad that Liberians kids go to school daily hungry. Providing the thrust of the Foundation, she noted that everyone in Liberia and the Diaspora is fully aware of the devastating consequences and levels of deprivation inflicted on Liberia and its people, mainly school-age children by the civil war. “It is in response to these long-range realities as outlined in YAU Foundation prospectus that I am endeavoring of mobilizing support that will contribute toward alleviation processes leading to the level to empowerment envisaged, essentially it is most gratifying  to note that we have  a common vision because ‘you Are US and We Are  You’,’’she said.