The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRARY 7, 2018

Today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies highlights news of President George Weah’s meeting with representatives of the Liberia Bankers Association, The launch of the National Center for the Coordination of the Response Mechanism and President George Weah directive to all officials of government occupying tenured positions for the submission of their letters of appointment and certificate of commissioning.

DOMINANT STORIES

Weah Meets Representatives Of LBA…Calls For Partnership To Achieve Prosperity

President George Manneh Weah has met in audience with representatives of the Liberia Bankers Association (LBA) at his Foreign Ministry Office in Monrovia on Tuesday, February 6, 2018. According to an Executive Mansion release, the meeting with the Liberia Bankers Association was triggered by President Weah’s earlier engagement with the leadership of the Liberia Business Association (LIBA). The Heritage newspaper reads that President Weah encouraged the representatives of the Liberia Bankers Association to develop constructive and mutually agreeable conversation in order to improve the processes that will be accommodating to Liberian businesses. The Liberian leader said his government would like to form partnership with the sector to achieve his Agenda for Prosperity and to ensure the market is affordable and reasonable for the Liberian people. President Weah then encouraged the banks to negotiate more in order to encourage borrowers to be able to repay their debts. He also expressed grave concern on high interest rates on micro-financing and the lack of flexibility to borrowers in repaying their debts. He then prevailed on the banks to look into flexible ways to decrease the high interest rates to borrowers. In remarks, the representatives of the Liberia Bankers Association expressed profound gratitude for the meeting and pledged their fullest support to ensure his administration succeeds. The Bankers acknowledged that they have a huge role to play in ensuring that the President’s “pro-poor agenda” is successful.

Related Captions: Weah Meets Bankers (The New Dawn), Weah Meets Bankers Association Representatives (In Profile Daily)

GOL Launches NCCRM, Terms The Initiative As A Milestone

The government of Liberia has launched the National Center for the Coordination of the Response Mechanism-NCCRM, expressing appreciation to its regional and international partners for such milestone initiative. The New Dawn newspaper says the initiative is an early warning response mechanism which alerts relevant authorities of any threats to the peace and security of a country, region or the continent. According to a release, the Vice President of Liberia H.E Jewel Howard-Taylor who officially launched the NCCRM Tuesday, February 6, 2018, paid special tribute to those visionaries in the sub-regional framework who conceived this peace-building and peace sustaining initiative. She stressed that the move to establish the center and others in the region is an effort aimed at addressing structural deficiencies, which were discovered to have left the sub-region susceptive to emerging threats, according to the Vice President, if not detected early enough could further plunge the region into crisis. The Liberian Vice is meanwhile urging all stakeholders to take note of the demand placed by the running of a multifaceted center.

Related Captions: GOL Launches NCCRM…Terms The Initiative As A Milestone (Heritage), ECOWAS Launches NCCRM (In Profile Daily). Under the caption “UNMIL Supports Establishment Of NCCRM In Liberia” the INSIGHT newspaper reads that the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Political and Rule of Law, Mr. Waldemar Very says UNMIL supports the establishment of the  of the National Center for the Coordination of the Response Mechanism (NCCRM) in Liberia which is funded by the United States government and embraced by ECOWAS as it continues to launch  NCCRM in countries if the West African sub-region. He said NCCRm in Liberia will become an important part of the development of an early earning network across the country and have a contributing role to play in the wider West Africa region.

Weah Wants Tenured Officials Submit Appointment Credentials

President George Weah has directed that all officials of government occupying tenured positions should submit to the office of the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs their letters of appointment and certificate of commissioning on or before Friday, February 9, 2018, the Executive Mansion has said in a release. The Daily Observer quoting a issued by the Executive Mansion reads that the directive was issued in an official circular dated February 5, and signed by Nathaniel F. McGill, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff to the President.

Related Captions: As Weah Issues Directive To Tenured Officials:  Dismissal Looms (Heritage), Public Vehicles Hunt!-As Weah Issues Ultimatum (In Profile Daily)

OTHER STORIES  

‘Turn Over Your Cars’ – Pres. George Weah Tells Ex-Officials 

President George Manneh Weah has requested all former officials of government still in possession of state-owned vehicles to submit them to the General Services Agency (GSA) on/or before Friday, February 9. According to the Heritage newspaper, the directive was issued in an official circular dated February 5, and signed by the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff to the President, Nathaniel F. McGill. Meanwhile, the President has approved additional expenditure intended to enhance banking operations on the main and Fendell campuses of the University of Liberia to facilitate the late registration of students that missed the earlier deadline. President Weah further requested for the semester to be extended by one month in order to accommodate the late registration students due to the loss in time as a result of protests. President Weah has urged students at the state-run University to remain calm as his administration ensures their concerns are addressed.

Gov’t Vow To Protect Women’s Right

Liberia’s Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor says the CDC-led government remains committed to respecting and protecting the rights of women in Liberia. VP Howard-Taylor added that government is also committed to ensuring that girls are allowed to reach their full potential, guaranteeing that no opportunity is denied them to progress in their life. ‘This is the basic human right and we owe it to every woman and girl to live and grow up in a secured environment without any threat from any quarter’, VP Howard-Taylor emphasized. According to the New Dawn newspaper, the Vice President spoke Tuesday, February 6, 2018 at programs marking the celebration of the International day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation-FGM held at the Monrovia City Hall. Female Genital Mutilation is a violation of the human rights of women and girls and denies their dignity, endangers their health and causes needless pain and suffering. Madam Howard-Taylor told the gathering that violence against women and girls takes many different forms including domestic violence, sexual assault and harassment, child, early and forced marriage, sex trafficking and female genital mutilation. She called on all Liberians and partners to remember that the fight against violence against women and girls is a collective responsibility that must be honored at every level.

Related Captions: To Respecting and Protecting Rights of Women: VP Howard-Taylor Pledges Government’s Commitment (Heritage)

SRSG Zarif Hopeful Of Liberia’s Future -As NAYMOTE Honors Political Youth Leaders

The Daily Observer reads that Farid Zarif, Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) and Head of the United Nations Mission In Liberia(UNMIL), said he was delighted with the level of participation of youth in the 2017 elections and hopeful of Liberia’s readiness to move forward both politically and in the area of development. The UNMIL head made the assertion on Monday during the honoring program of outstanding Young Political Leadership School (YPLS) campaign Fellows of 2018, which was witnessed by Liberia’s first lady, Clar Weah, USAID Mission Director, Dr. Anthony S. Chan, and civil society actors. NAYMOTE-Liberia bestowed the honors on several fellows of the Young Political Leadership School (YPLS) who demonstrated exemplary roles as members of their political party’s campaign team during the just ended Presidential and Legislative elections. SRSG Zarif lauded the young political leaders for their energy and time in acquiring knowledge that helped during the just ended elections, which will continue to help them during their political journey. “Because of your knowledge and commitment, you have the capacity to serve your country and bring the necessary change President George Weah spoke about. I am honored to recognize your role and accomplishments, especially during the elections,” Zarif said.

China News Agency Seeks Liberian Media, Investment Collaborations

According to the In Profile Daily, the China News Agency, Xinhua, is seeking ties of collaboration with the Liberian media. Quoting a release from the Liberian Embassy in Abuja, the daily says Xinhua, the official news agency of the People’s Republic of China, also intends to facilitate economic information with the National Investment Commission (NIC) of Liberia. According to the release, Xinhua made the disclosure when two of its African executives paid a courtesy call on Ambassador Al-Hassan Conteh earlier this week in Abuja. Mr. Wang Jida, the General Manager of the Africa Regional Bureau and Mr. Baoping Zhang, Abuja Bureau Chief of Xinhua News Agency will travel to Liberia February 8-10, 2018 to discuss the facilitation of a fruitful cooperation with the local media. They also hope to hold discussions with the NIC with the plan to facilitate the exchange of economic information. Mr. Wang says Xinhua can be the bridge between Liberia and China in helping to deepen the already strong bilateral ties between both countries, the release continues.

Related Caption: China News Agency Seeks Liberian Media, Investment Collaborations (Heritage)

First-Lady Begins Nationwide Tour Of Orphanage Homes

Liberia’s First-Lady, Madam Clar Weah, on Tuesday, February 6, 2018 embarked on a nationwide tour of orphanage home facilities in the country. Madam Clar Weah is the wife of Liberia’s 24^th President and former soccer Legend, George M. Weah. Madam Weah, during her first day tour to three orphanage homes, explained that her visits to the facilities is intended to know the level of care orphans in the country are receiving from caretakers. The Liberian first-lady began her charity tour by visiting time she visited My Brothers’ Keeper Program in Careysburg and Kids Care in Mount Barclay where she assured the children living at the facilities that hope is still alive for them, reports the Heritage newspaper.

UNMIL Strengthens Liberian Judiciary

The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Political and Rule of Law, Mr. Waldemar Very on behalf of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) ceremonially handed over the project to Cllr. Elizabeth J. Nelson, Court Administrator, which on behalf of the Chief Honour Justice, assured that all support received will be utilized for the intended purposes. The Project included the case progression and tracking database; office equipment to the Central Public Defenders Office, Judicial Institute, and the Todee Magisterial Court; equipment and office stationaries and other supplies to support the office of clerks of courts in Montserrado County including the two newly constructed courts (Todee and Bushrod Island Magisterial courts), and the establishment of a Human Rights Library for the Judicial Institute, asserts the Insight newspaper.