The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

The only dominant story highlighted in today’s summary of the dailies is the recent call by the Chairman of the ECOWAS’ Observation Mission in neighboring Sierra Leone, Dr. Amos C. Sawyer for Sierra Leoneans voters to complete the electoral process peacefully in that country.

Other stories highlighted in the summary include Grand Bassa County District # 4 Representative Vincent Willie’s donation to mothers of newborns babies and the graduation of 14 mental health clinicians from the Phebe Hospital and its School of Nursing’s Para-Medical training program in Suakoko, Bong County.

DOMINANT STORY

S/Leone Run-off Election for March 31; Sawyer Urges Voters to “Get It Right”

While the 2018 presidential election in Sierra Leone is almost similar to that of Liberia’s 2017 presidential election as the All People’s Congress (APC) of Samurai Kamara, which is the political party of current President Ernest Bai Kromah, appears to be in a dilemma the head of the ECOWAS Observation Mission, Prof. Amos Sawyer has appealed to Sierra Leoneans to persevere to the end in peace. APC’s candidate, Dr. Samura Kamara, is having problems because many Sierra Leoneans believe that his victory would mean a continuation of President Koroma’s rule and, therefore, they are in favor of regime change. They point to the APC having been in power for more than 15 years. Many Sierra Leoneans interviewed believe the development of their country would depend on bringing in new leaders, something which bears a similarity to the just ended 2017 presidential elections in Liberia, in which the opposition was viewed more favorably than the ruling Unity Party that had been in office for the last 12 years, writes the Daily Observer.

Related Caption: Prof. Sawyer Urges Sierra Leoneans To Complete Electoral Process Peacefully (Heritage) and Prof. Sawyer Urges Sierra Leoneans To Complete Electoral Peacefully (New Democrat)

OTHER STORIES

Liberia, Saudi Strengthen Diplomatic Ties

According to the Analyst newspaper, Liberia’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Dr. Brahima D. Kaba, has had a wide range of discussions with His Excellency Ambassador Abdullah Al-Madhi, head of the African Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The meeting which was held on March 8, 2018 at the offices of the head of the African Department of the African Department of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, covered broad areas including but not limited to the need to strengthening Saudi-Liberia relations and to create the opportunities for both countries to benefit from such interactions between Liberia and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Liberian Diplomat Completes Development Training in Bangkok

Reverend Tunde Johnson Spencer, the Counselor for Political Affairs at the Liberian Embassy in Abuja, has completed intensive two-week training in Peace and Development in Bangkok, the Kingdom of Thailand. A release from the Liberian Embassy in Abuja says Reverend Spencer was among 27 other individuals, drawn from about 12 countries, who successfully completed the training in Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation that ran from February 28-March 14, 2018. The training was a cross-cultural one, organized by the International Institute of Peace and Development Studies (IIPDS) in Thailand, the release noted, says the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

“Pres. Sirleaf Started a Process, We’ll Take it to Another Level”

According to the Daily Observer, Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has acknowledged as laudable, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s endeavor to empower Liberian women over the past 12 years. “Madam Sirleaf started a process and carried us somewhere, now we need to go to the next level; we hope that within the next six years, more women will be empowered because, when they are empowered, my pressure and those of other women in higher institutions will come down,” Vice President Taylor informed women of Grand Bassa County. She spoke at a program highlighting educational activities. The program was held at the Fair Ground in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.

Rep. Willie Donates to Mothers of Newborns

Representative Vincent Willie of Grand Bassa County District 4 over the weekend identified with mothers of newborns in his district, a release has said. Items Rep. Willie donated were assorted toys, soap, diapers and other accessories to mothers at the Gorblee Health Center of Compound 3 and the Liberia Agriculture Company (LAC) Health Center. Over 50 mothers benefited from Rep. Willie’s kind gesture. According to the release, Rep. Willie told the residents that the gesture was in appreciation of the mothers risking their lives on the campaign trail during Liberia’s presidential and legislative elections, to form part of the democratic process, pens the Daily Observer.

Phebe Graduates 15 Mental Health Clinicians

The Phebe Hospital and School of Nursing’s Para-Medical Training Program in Suakoko, Bong County, on Friday, March 23, graduated 15 Mental Health Clinicians from its Post-basic Mental Health Clinician Training Program. The graduates, who were certified into the medical practice as general mental health clinicians, were recruited through hospital administrators and the county health teams of Lofa, Bong, Margibi and Montserrado. These are counties that were hardest hit by the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) that plagued the country in 2014 and 2015 respectively. The six-month intensive training program attracted nurses, registered midwives and physician assistants from the four counties. The program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Advancing Partners and Communities Project, which is implemented by John Snow Inc. (JSI), reports the Daily Observer.

Vice President Howard-Taylor Receives International Award in Absentia

The FrontPage Africa newspaper reports that the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor has been awarded the Global Inspirational Leadership awards by the Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD). The award, according to the release from the office of the Vice President, is presented to women and organizations that are working to promote innovation, development collaborations and partnerships in their communities and those making inroads for others, in a bid to encourage a replication their efforts. The presentation of the award took place at the Africa Women Forum (AWF) New York 2018, held March 23, in the United States of America. The release further states that the Vice President was not in attendance at the occasion due to other busy schedules. However, the Gender Officer in the Office of the Vice President, Ms. Georgi Gage, received the award on behalf of Madam Howard-Taylor.

10 Community Women Groups in Forest Governance Get Training from Action Aid

Action Aid- Liberia, an international non-government organization, has ended a five-day training of trainers’ workshop for 10 community women groups, representing five counties, including Grand Gedeh, Grand Bassa, Gbarpolu, Margibi, and Nimba. The training with the title, “Legal Forestry Regulations Workshop” was held under the theme “Promoting Women and Community Rights in Forest Governance and Management,” with the objectives to enhance the capacity and participation of women in forest governance and management for inclusive and participatory stakeholder process, thereby bringing change to the current development landscape on women. It will also bring forth the rights of forest communities, and improve forest governance and management. According to the local program manager of Action Aid Liberia, (AAL) Mr. James Pewee, the project’s aim is to improve the capacity of women to meaningfully participate in forest governance processes and contribute to the assessment and monitoring of the Liberian Volunteer Partnership Agreement impacts on gender relations and gender-related livelihoods in the country, asserts the Daily Observer.