THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2015

The Liberian Government’s pronouncement of the official protocol for former Chief Justice Johnnie Lewis’ funeral, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s call for fairness in salary compensation in all State-owned Enterprises, Commissions, and Agencies and Vice President Joseph N. Boakai’s acknowledgment of the role played by U.S. Ambassador Deborah Malac during the catastrophic Ebola crisis in Liberia are among stories dominating today’s summary of the local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

Official Protocol for Funeral of Former Chief Justice Lewis Released

The Heritage newspaper quotes a Foreign Ministry release as saying that the Book of Condolence for former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, His Honour Cllr. Johnnie N. Lewis, will be opened at the Temple of Justice from Monday, February 2 to Tuesday, February, 3, 2015, beginning at Nine O’clock ante meridian to Five O’clock post meridian daily. On Wednesday, February 4, 2015, the remains of the former Chief Justice will be removed from the Samuel A. Stryker Funeral Home at Three O’clock post meridian and taken to the Temple of Justice for one (1) hour of viewing and later taken to the St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Camp Johnson Road for one night of wake keeping commencing Six O’clock to Nine O’clock post meridian.  On Thursday, February 5, 2015, beginning at Ten O’clock ante meridian, funeral rites will be said at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion, Broad Street followed by repast at the Monrovia City Hall. Thereafter, the body will be returned to the Samuel A. Stryker Funeral Home. The remains of former Chief Justice Lewis will be conveyed to Greenville, Sinoe County, Republic of Liberia, on Friday, February 6, 2015, for another night of wake keeping. On Saturday, February 6, 2015, at Ten O’clock ante meridian, commendation of the body will take place at the St. Paul Episcopal Church followed by interment at the Lewis Cemetery, Red Hill, Greenville, Sinoe County, Republic of Liberia.  Cllr. Lewis died on January 21, 2015 at the John F. Kennedy Medical Hospital at the hour of five O'clock post meridian. 

Related Captions: Funeral Protocol For Former Chief Justice Released(In Profile Daily), Johnnie Lewis Funeral Protocol released(FOCUS), Late Fmr. Chief Justice To Be Buried In Sinoe(The New Republic), Official Protocol For Funeral Of Former Chief Justice Lewis Released(Heritage), Protocol For Former Chief Justice Funeral Released(The News), Government Releases Official Protocol For Funeral Of Former Chief Justice Lewis(FrontPage Africa)

Government Looks At Salary Compensations For  State-Owned Enterprises, Commissions And Agencies

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has called for fairness in salary compensation in all State-owned Enterprises (SoEs), Commissions, and Agencies. “We ask for your cooperation in implementing the Civil Service Agency modernization program and the equity that they are proposing in public service,” she said; but noted that there will be differentiation taking into account function, responsibility, performance and profitability.  According to an Executive Mansion release, the Liberian leader made the comments on Friday, January 30, in Julijuah, Bomi County when she met with Heads and Deputy Heads of State-owned Enterprises (SoEs), Commissioners, Director Generals and Deputy Director Generals, Board Chairpersons and Members as well as Cabinet Members. President Sirleaf said that a more equitable and rational scale can now be argued in light of the evidence presented in the many studies conducted by the Government and its partners. She provided a well-articulated case for why this system must come into line with the Government’s efforts to improve the efficiency of public sector entities recalling a meeting with Heads of SoEs, Commissions and Agencies in October 2014, she commissioned a study that would lead to a “more equitable compensation scheme which reflects the level of differentiation in size, function, responsibility and financial performance”.

Related Captions: Govt. Looks Into Salary Discrimination(INSIGHT), Government To Look At Salary Compensation(FOCUS), Ellen Pushes For Equity, Merit In Salary System Says SOEs Heads Earning More than other Experienced and Highly Qualified Professionals(Daily Observer)

VP Boakai Acknowledges Amb Malac’s Role In Liberia Ebola Fight As Ebola Vaccine Trial Is Launched

Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has acknowledged the role played by U.S. Ambassador Deborah Malac during the catastrophic Ebola crisis Liberia has been facing. Vice President Boakai in his statement during the launch of the Ebola vaccine trial at the Redemption Hospital in New Kru Town yesterday said the U.S. Ambassador has demonstrated to the Liberian people that she cares for them and is pleased to be here as an Ambassador. “When I represented President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf last year at the US-Africa Summit in Washington, D.C, the last two persons who visited me were Ambassador Malac and Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield.  I told Ambassador Malac to stay in Washington and tell President Obama to make a statement about Liberia’s health crisis which she did and the results are unfolding today,” he said.  V.P. Boakai also indicated that the vaccine trial will be a test of Liberia’s health science studies and will show the potentials of Liberian students studying Science. Ambassador Malac who expressed excitement about the vaccine’s development optimistically told the gathering at the Redemption Hospital that the partnership between the U.S. and Liberia will help to eradicate the disease and Liberians will become free again. The trial vaccine is a joint effort by the U.S. and Liberia clinical research partnership under “Partnership for Research on Ebola Vaccine in Liberia (PREVAIL).  The vaccine study took off in October 2014 when the two governments formed a partnership with the goal to learn more about Ebola, find a vaccine to prevent it, and treatments that can heal people coming down with it, reports the Daily Observer.

Related Captions: New Ebola Trial Vaccines Launched(The New Dawn), Ebola Trial Vaccine Launched In Liberia Health Min., Partners Want Liberians Participate(The Analyst)

CBL Dedicates Rivercess’ First Bank

According to the Daily Observer, the Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia, Dr. J. Mills Jones last Friday dedicated the first newly constructed, rural finance institution in Cestos City, Rivercess County. The establishment of the bank is a manifestation of CBL’s financial inclusion outreach to citizens residing in rural Liberia to make financial services as well as loans for market women more easily accessible.  The new bank is under the management of the Afriland First Bank. The dedication program featured the presentation of certificates to 24 shareholders of that bank as well as the honoring of Dr. Jones by traditional leaders for his economic empowerment of Liberians.

Related Captions: CBL Dedicates First Rural Community Finance Bank in Rivercess(Heritage), CBL Dedicates Band In Rivercess County(FrontPage Africa)

VP Boakai Kicks Off Community Livelihood Investment Project

Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has kicked off the Community Livelihood Investment Project (CLIP) by challenging Liberian youths to take maximum advantage of already existing temporary employment opportunities as the Government of Liberia explores other options for more permanent gainful employments. Speaking at the launch of CLIP at the Kakata City Hall in Margibi County at the weekend, Vice President Boakai lamented that Liberia is burdened with a deficiency in the productive capacity of a large portion of its youthful population. He extoled the World Bank for shouldering the financial obligation for the execution of the project; and recounted that the Bank has been the strongest supporter of LACE projects that have impacted hundreds of communities across Liberia. LACE Executive Director Julius K. Sele said the World Bank has provided US$ 3.4 million for CLIP with a lifespan of eighteen months; and benefitting youths will be paid US$3.00 per-day for 50 days of work, life skills and business enterprise trainings, writes the Heritage newspaper.

Related Captions: VP Boakai Launches Community Livelihood Investment Project(The New Republic), LACE Launches Community Investment Project(The News)

OTHER STORIES

New Date Set For School Reopening

Contrary to the February 2, 2015 or March 2, 2015 schedule, February 16^th has been set as the new date for the reopening of schools across the country contrary.  The Ministry of Education, through the Ministry of Information, announced news of the new school opening date over the weekend. Information Minister Lewis Brown said confirmation of the new date followed consultations with key stakeholders, noting that the new date would allow for the delivery of preventive Ebola materials to schools as well as provide additional time for awareness of government’s recently announced Ebola protocols. Recent protocols mandate that all schools have safe drinking water, latrines, temperature monitoring machines and nurses on campuses. Also prohibited are foods from outside campuses and the running of over-crowded classes, New Democrat reports.

Related Caption: Liberia Delays School Reopening(FOCUS)

Turkey Donates US$361,000 Post-Ebola Equipment, Medicines

The Daily Observer reports that the Government and People of Turkey have presented a cargo of urgently needed post-Ebola medical equipment and pharmaceutical products to the Liberian government to boost its post-Ebola strategy. The consignment is valued at US$361K. The post-Ebola materials, donated through the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and the Ministry of Health of Turkey were presented on Saturday at Robert International Airport (RIA), in Margibi County. The donation is in addition to previously contributed 156 boxes of medical and hygiene supplies and two ambulances, costing US$60,000 and US$100,000, respectively. The donated items include Plash Thermometers, sterile injectors, sterile pinpoint, beds, surgical bones, Oral SUS, Lactatli Ringers, Flotic Sedoral Bulbs, Serum Sets and Hidazol. Turkey's Consul General in Liberia, Mr. Lusinee F. Kamara, Sr., stated that the donation is in fulfillment of Turkey’s commitment to support Liberia in its post-Ebola strategy as the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) declines and to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two countries. Liberia’s Chief of Protocol, Rufus Dio Neufville, hailed the gesture of Turkey stating that the post-Ebola materials are timely owing to the rapid decline of the virus in the country. The Assistant Health Minister for Administration, John M. Linka, expressed appreciation on behalf of the Minister, health and medical practitioners, for the medical equipment and supplies which he described as “a worthy donation”. For his part the Assistant Minister for International Cooperation and Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dehpue Y. Zuo, said the donation marks a milestone in the growing relationship between Liberia and Turkey. "We are happy for the anti-Ebola equipment and materials, which will be used to save lives and improve the health sector, Assistant Minister Zuo said.  An employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared: “God is definitely working here.  It’s really incredible how things are coming together”.

13 New Schools To Be Dedicated

According to the New Democrat newspaper, the Ministry of Education will dedicate 13 new schools it constructed in six counties ahead of the commencement of the academic year, an official of the Ministry has disclosed. Deputy Education Minister for Instruction, Hawah Goll-Kotchi, said the schools are in grand Bassa, Bomi, Bong, Grand Cape Mount, Nimba and Montserrado counties. Speaking during the Ministry of Information daily press briefing Friday, Madam Goll-Kotchi said the Ministry has drawn up a new school schedule placing students in sessions by age categories for this academic year. According to Goll-Kotchi, students from three to 15 years old will attend the morning session, while those from 16-20 years old will attend the afternoon and those above 20 years will attend at night.

‘K-33’ Lauds Kenyan Medical Team

A group of Liberian who graduated from the University of Nairobi in Kenya, under the banner, K-33 (Kenya-33), on Saturday, January 31, 2015, held a welcoming ceremony for 92 Kenyan medical volunteers helping to fight Ebola in Liberia. The Kenyan medical volunteers are part of the African Union support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA). K-33 is an organization of Liberians who were sent to study in Kenya in January 2011 by the General Auditing Commission (GAC), during the administration of then Auditor General John Morlu. They obtained MBA (Masters of Business Administration Degrees) and Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE) at the University of Nairobi. Speaking at the program which took place at the Julia A. Marshall memorial Farm in Central Virginia, outside Monrovia, K-33 Chairman, Dioh Cox Podee, said he and his colleagues decided to rousingly welcome the Kenyan Delegation in appreciation to African solidarity they continue to show, especially during Liberia’s health crisis, In Profile Daily reports.

China Medical Team Donates To Schools

The INSIGHT newspaper reports that the Medical Team of China People’s Liberation Army has donated materials to primary school in the GSA community as a proof of the People’s Republic of China’s commitment to working with the Liberian government and partners in the fight against the Ebola virus.

 VP Boakai Donates To Gboveh High School In Bong

Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has donated 15 desktop computers to the Dolokelen Gboveh High School in Gbarnga, Bong County. The computers were presented to the school administration by the Chairman of the Bong Chapter of the Unity Party, Curtis V. Dorley, on behalf of VP Boakai. In a brief statement, Dorley said the donation is Ambassador Boakai’s way of contributing to the academic endeavors of students in the county. Responding, both Bong County Development Superintendent Anthony Sheriff and Gboveh high School Principal John G. Gilaye described the donation as “no surprise” because VP Boakai was “a man of goodwill”, In  Profile Daily reports.