THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016

Today’s News summary highlights top stories including news of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights two day consultative forum aimed at engaging stakeholders on operationalizing the Ethnographic Study Report  and the killing of a man in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County .

DOMINANT STORIES

INCHR Holds Consultation On Operationalizing Ethnographic Study Report

The Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) has held a two day consultative forum aimed at engaging stakeholders on operationalizing the Ethnographic Study Report. The Ethnographic study was commissioned by the INCHR in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with funding from the Peace-Building Fund (PBF). The New Dawn newspaper writes that the two-day consultation is a follow- up to the holding of four regional Ethnographic forums held in Bomi, Grand Gedeh, Bong and Montserrado Counties, among the Kwa, Mande, Mel and Settlers ethnic groups and a subsequent validation by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), GoL, UN organizations and other stakeholders. The New Dawn newspaper says at least 92 participants took part in the entire exercise including traditional leaders, youth, women, civil society organizations, and people living with disabilities among others.

Related Captions: INCHR Holds Consultation On Operationalizing Ethnographic Study Reports (FOCUS), INCHR Holds Consultative Forum (INSIGHT)

Victim Of Love

According to the New Dawn newspaper, Jefferson Johnson reportedly stabbed to death by one Daniel Grear in Gboleyville, Zwedru City in Grand Gedeh County on Monday, April 18, at 11:00PM during fight over a girlfriend identified as Patience Gaye. The daily quotes the Smile FM in Zwedru as saying that the accused, Daniel Grear, who claims to be the proper boyfriend of Patience Gaye, had entered in her bedroom earlier unknown to her, and apparently set an ambush for the late Jefferson, who was also expected to spend the night there. According to neighbors, when Jefferson entered, he was immediately attacked by Daniel, who had hidden inside the room, killing him instantly. Other residents disclosed that Daniel and Patience were ex-lovers, and that relationship has since ended. The suspect is reportedly a 2007/2008 graduate of the Zwedru Multilateral High School. Patience Gaye and her current boyfriend Jefferson Johnson could not enter the room because her ex-lover Daniel Grear had entered and locked the door so they immediately called in the police but before the police arrived on the scene, Jefferson was already dead. The accused is said to be in police custody, undergoing interrogation. 

Related Captions: Jealous Lover ‘Kills’ Friend For Woman In Zwedru (INSIGHT), In Grand Gedeh County: Man Kills Mate For Girlfriend (Hot Pepper)

OTHER STORIES

Leave when your Time is up- Kofi Annan Tells  African Leaders

Former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan has urged African leaders to leave office when their mandated time is up and to avoid excluding opposing voices if elections are to cease contributing to conflicts on the continent. He said while unconstitutional changes to government on the continent had reduced, exclusionary politics threatened to reverse the gains made. “I think Africa has done well, by and large the coups have more or less ended, generals are remaining in their barracks, but we are creating situations which may bring them back,” the Nobel laureate said in an interview at the 5th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa. “If a leader doesn’t want to leave office, if a leader stays on for too long, and elections are seen as being gamed to suit a leader and he stays term after term after term, the tendency may be the only way to get him out is through a coup or people taking to the streets”, Dr. Annan said. According to him, neither approach can be seen as an alternative to democracy, to elections or to parliamentary rule, emphasizing that “Constitutions and the rules of the game have to be respected.” Annan, the keynote speaker at the forum this year, said winner-take-all approaches to elections on the continent had the effect of leaving out citizens for holding an opposing view, raising tensions around elections, reports the INSIGHT newspaper.

Related Caption: Kofi Annan Wants African Leaders To Leave In Time (The New Dawn)

WAEC Postponed

According to the New Dawn newspaper, the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has postponed the senior secondary examinations. According to the Director of Communications and Public Affairs, J. Maxime Bleetahn the postponement of the examinations is due to the delay in receiving the examinations from abroad, and calling on school administrators, secretariats, principals, education stakeholders and the public to take note of the postponement. He noted that the new schedule for the exams will be from May 19-20 for 9th graders and may 23-27 for 12th graders. 

Related Caption: MOE Postpones WAEC (Daily Observer)

Lending Schemes Key Domestic Private Sector Recovery

Over 400 delegates representing governments, financial institutions, credit unions, diplomats and Small and Medium Enterprises have concluded a three-day summit of the enhancement of SMEs around the world. Under the auspices of the World Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (WUSME), the delegates discussed ways and means to expand the existing programs of small and medium sized enterprises, thus giving new opportunities to others in the creation of jobs and inviting more entrepreneurs. Speaking at the ceremony, Liberia's Ambassador to the BENELUX and the European Union, Isaac W. Nyenabo, II said despite the enormous challenges, the provision of credit or the implementation of various lending schemes often dominate efforts to promote domestic private sector recovery in the immediate aftermath of conflicts. Representing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at the summit, Ambassador Nyenabo said countries emerging from protracted and devastating conflicts are often seen as needing significant external interventions in their financial markets to rebuild their private sector and promote quick and effective economic recovery. He said Liberia, like most post-conflict nations was left with a destroyed private sector and a challenging financial system, noting that these are often the first targets of parties in conflict-both to take control of the assets and to prevent the opposition from beating them to the challenge, according to the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Caption: Ambassador Nyenabor Wants World Promote Domestic Private Sector Recovery (FOCUS)

 Legislature Last Hurdle For Liberia’s WTO Accession

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, Liberia has a little over two months to finalize its membership in the World Trade Organization to begin reaping the fruits of its association with the global trade monitoring body, according to Mr. Chiedu Osakwe, Director of Accession at the WTO. Last December, the post-war nation became the eighth member of the Least Developed Country (LDC) to join the organization since 1995, during the Tenth Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Nairobi, after formal approval by the member ministers.
Mr. Chiedu said while Liberia’s membership has been sealed, there is still some domestic issues that need to be completed before the country can be officially recognized and benefit from its membership with the trade body. “As you know, WTO accession is a law based and a road-driven process, the next step is for the legislature, the parliament in Liberia to ratify a protocol, it’s a jargon, protocol on the accession of Liberia. The Accession office head acknowledged that Liberia has so far been keeping its part of the bargain.  Mr. Chiedu praised the leadership of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf for making major in roads leading to Liberia’s accession to the WTO. “If you ask me to identify for you what probably is the defining nature of the accession negotiations of Liberia which in many ways we had not seen in the WTO before, one was the leadership of the President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf which was, outstanding.  In the midst of the negotiations, if you like to use an expression in vogue, they were hit with the perfect storm.” Mr. Chiedu says his office has been instructed by the WTO Director General to work with Liberia toward completing the next phase leading toward its full membership status.

NHA, NASSCORP Commence Phase-III of Construction Project

The Management of the National Housing Authority (NHA) has commenced phase three of NASSCORP Village Housing Estate in Brewerville, outside Monrovia for the construction of additional 70 housing units in fulfillment of government’s mandate to provide housing for citizens across Liberia. There are reports about the surge in demand for housing since the construction and dedication of the second phase of the NHA housing project in Brewerville last year. Making the disclosure on Tuesday, NHA Deputy Managing Director for Administration, Prince Wreh said the housing unit will aid in curtailing the hardships being faced by citizens to easily construct houses in the country. He said the NHA recognizes the partnership of the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) in providing the necessary funding to construct affordable housing units for Liberians. The NHA Deputy Managing Director averred that upon completion of phase three, containing the 70 housing units as planned, the estate will play host to 163 houses, comprising three and two bedrooms, reports the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Pres. Sirleaf Receives High-Powered Delegation from the International Trade Center

President Ellen Johnson on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 received a High-powered Delegation from the International Trade Center (ITC) at her Foreign Ministry Office in Monrovia. The FOCUS newspaper quotes an Executive Mansion release as saying that the delegation is in Liberia to hold the Second Stakeholders Consultation Workshops on developing Liberia’s Tourism Trade Strategy jointly organized by the Ministries of Information, Commerce and Industry and the International Trade Center. The purpose of the Second Consultation is to refine and detail the Plan of Action developed in February, 2016 by stakeholders of the tourism sector and consolidated into a coherent Tourism Sector Trade Document, which will guide the development of Liberia’s tourism sector. While in Liberia, the team will also hold a set of bilateral consultations, networking events as well as complementary works and make site visits in four counties to engage local communities. The sites to be visited will include Grand Cape Mount, Grand Bassa, Kpatawee Waterfalls in Bong County and the Sapo National Park in Sinoe County. Speaking during the meeting, President Sirleaf welcomed the delegation to Liberia and recognized the individual talents of members of the delegation to explore the opportunities in the country’s tourism sector. She pointed out that Liberia has not explored its tourism potentials basically due to infrastructural deficit and expressed the hope that the intervention of the International Trade Center will serve as a catalyst to progress in the sector. Members of the delegation included: Rahul Bhatnagar as head of delegation and Senior Consultant at the ITC, Adama Bah , Theo Nagel, Dale Honect, Jess Ponting, Daudi Sumba, Kaela Solis, ITC Liberia National Coordinator Barku Tubman Zarwolo and ITC Liberia National Consultant, Chiquita Johnson.

West Point Erosion Victims Meet President Sirleaf

A 3-member delegation of West Pointers who have gathered at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to raise concerns about their relocation on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 met with President Sirleaf in Monrovia. According to an Executive Mansion release, the Liberian leader urged the West Point Erosion victims to work closely with the Monrovia City Corporation, Clara Doe and the Commissioner of West Point, Sampson Nyan to fast-track the various processes being initiated to ensure their relocation. She assured the delegation that some actions will be taken to assist the most vulnerable while the long-term process of relocating all the affected residents is pursued. Monrovia City Major Honorable Clara Doe and West Point Commissioner Sampson Nyan briefed President Sirleaf and the 3-member delegation about the relocation process and assured them that the situation will be remedied subsequently. They called on the affected residents to work with them to bring relief to their people. The West Point delegation included Reverend Demoe W. Moore, David S. Grant and Ma Lucy Barbior, reports the FOCUS newspaper.

MOCI, LRA Launch Mobile Business Registration – Underscore the Importance of Tax Payment

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) in collaboration with Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has underscored the importance of paying taxes and called on business owners to fully engage in paying their taxes to support government’s development agenda.  Stephen Marvie, Deputy Minister designate for Commerce and Trade Services, made the assertion on Monday during the official launch of the first Mobile Business Registration, held at the Robertsport City Hall in Grand Cape Mount County. According to him, the launch of the new program is in relation to the conversations held during the Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSME) annual conferences, during which business owners repeatedly requested the government to take the services to the various counties, classifying the Mobile Business Registration as the first step. Meanwhile, the business community in Robertsport has lauded the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and other partners for the service and called on them to ensure that the initiative is sustained, Daily Observer reports.