The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018

Today’s summary includes stories on the waiver of all WASSCE fees by President George M. Weah, the ascendency of Justice Yusuf Kaba to the Vice-President Post at ECOWAS Court, and the Submission of Bill to Empower Liberian Business to the House of Representatives by Rep. Fonati Koffa.

Weah Announces 2018 WASSCE Fees Waived At All Schools

According to the Heritage newspaper, President George M. Weah has announced that fees for the 2018 West Africa Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) will be waived for 12^th graders at private and public schools. President Weah made the announcement at his State of the Nation address on Monday, January 29, 2018, stating that he had previously made a promise that the government will absorb the WAEC fee all 12^th graders, and remains committed to that promise.         

Related Caption: WASSCE Candidates Celebrate Government’s Gesture(In Profile Daily)  

At ECOWAS: Justice Kaba Gets Vice President Post…Praises Predecessor Wright 

A Liberian judge, His Honor, Justice Yusuf D. Kaba, has been appointed the Vice President at the ECOWAS Court of Justice. According to a release from the Liberian Embassy in Abuja, the Liberian judge ascended to the post within two weeks of his official resumption as one of seven judges at the regional court. The release recalls that Justice Kaba was sworn in as the Liberian member of the ECOWAS Court on December 16, 2017 during the 52^nd Ordinary Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja, reports the Heritage newspaper.

Related Caption:Liberian Judge gets Vice President Post At ECOWAS Court(New Dawn),and Justice Kaba Gets Vice President Post At ECOWAS Court(FrontPage Africa)

VP Howard-Taylor Wants All Predecessor’s Office Staff Transferred

The Heritage newspaper reports that Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor through her Chief of Office Staff (COS) requested all former staff in the office of former Vice President Joseph N. Boakai to seek re-assignment with the Civil Service Agency (CSA). “Her Excellency extends thanks to you all for your service rendered in the Office of the former Vice President of the Republic of Liberia over the past years and also wishes you well, as you take up your new assignments, through the placement Authority of the CSA,” state a memo from the Chief of Office State dated January 30, 2018.  

PWI Conducts Training For WASSCE Trial Test 

Praise World Incorporated (PWI) is conducting its weekly series of invigilator’s training for the upcoming trial test in partnership with the National Association of Liberia School Principals (NALSP), aimed at minimizing mass failures in the pending public examination scheduled for April, 2018. The PWI is a business company founded December 16, 2014 with the vision to minimize mass failures in public tests in Liberia. The training which is being conducted at the offices of the PWI behind the SKD Complex in Paynesville is intended to provide trainees with the basic technical knowledge on how to properly invigilate public examinations, writes In Profile Daily.

Liberia's Chief Justice Alarms Over Multiple Death Threats Aim At Him

Chief Justice Francis Korkpor entered the Supreme Court Tuesday, January 30 with his four Justices claiming that he has been receiving text messages containing death threats against him and his family. The revelation from the Chief Justice, which he emphasized for about five minutes in open court, came at the time the full bench of the High Court was seated for an appeal hearing from an election despite case from Nimba County’s District #4. “Yesterday and today, I received text messages with threat to kill me and my family. This is a bad thing. We are two citizens of Nimba County on this bench and each of us on this bench has one vote,” he said, pens FrontPage Africa newspaper.  

Rep. Fonati Koffa Submits Bill to Empower Liberian Businesses 

Grand Kru Representative, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, has presented the first bill since the commencement of the 54th Legislature, seeking the reinforcement of protection of Liberian businesses. The Act, at the same time, seeks to empower local entrepreneurs. The Bill dubbed Liberian Business and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018, is also intended to provide criminal penalties for violators of the 1973 Investment Act and also seeks to create fund to ensure that Liberian businesses in the subject category succeed.  The Bill, according to the framer, was necessitated by the finding of the Legislature that the “Liberianization” has minimally achieved its objectives due to circumvention and limited access to capital by Liberian.  Accordingly, the need for the creation a more restrictive environment and a stronger enforcement mechanism so that Liberianization as envisaged by the government and people of Liberia becomes full-fledged reality and not just a goal was realized, asserts the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Related Caption:Liberian Business & Economic Empowerment Act Introduced At Lower House(In Profile Daily)

Partner Liberia, Dr. Oniyama Open First Specialist Hospital in Liberia

The Country Director of Partner Liberia, Joe Daweah, has announced that his entity has entered into an agreement with Dr. Nelson Oniyama to open the first medical specialist Hospital in Liberia. Making the disclosure to FrontPageAfricaon Monday, January 29, Daweah said that the Oniyama Specialist and Teaching Hospital (OSTH) is an initial 50-bed medical center that will “provide unmatched health care delivery in a seamless, professional and affordable manner.” The center is located at the old Island Clinic in Bushrod Island and staffed by highly skilled medical specialists from Cuba, reports the FrontPage Africa newspaper.