The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2014

The news of the launch of the Mount Coffee Hydro Plant, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf annual address to the nation and the official launch of an anti-mob violence campaign are stories highlighted in our selected dailies for today, Monday, January 27, 2014.

The front page lead story of the Daily Observer captionedGov’t Launches Hydro Project, President Sirleaf Insists on December 2015 Deadline for the Restoration of the Mt. Coffee Hydropower Plant reads that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has launched the Mount Coffee Hydropower Rehabilitation Project in Harrisburg, Montserrado County. According to the daily, the hydro when fully rehabilitated, will supply 60 Mega Watt of reliable and affordable electricity to residents and businesses of Monrovia and its immediate environs. The project was launched in that rural Montserrado Township Harrisburg with an array of Liberian government officials, members of the diplomatic corps and development partners in attendance. Specific among the partners were the three funding partners, the governments of Norway, Germany and the European Investment Bank (EIB). The rehabilitation exercise, according to government and project management sources, will be carried out on three of the four turbines that were initially installed prior to the 14-year civil crisis.  The rehabilitation of the Mount Coffee hydro plant is estimated to cost around US$300 million, government sources disclosed. The funds are beings generated from four sources, the Governments of Liberia, Norway and Germany and the European Investment Bank (EIB). It is expected that when the Mount Coffee Hydro Plant is fully rehabilitated, Liberia will be able to contribute power supply to its neighbors as a development partners to their economic viability, though this is debatable taking in to consideration whether the 60 megawatt will serve Monrovia and its environs efficiently. The Liberian leader called on the contractors to work and ensure that the deadline of the completion of the project, which has been set for December 2015, is maintain and that Liberians begin to taste hydro power again as soon as possible. She called on all government officials, as well as every Liberian to roll-up their sleeves to work hard during the course of this dry season. “During this dry season let us go out in the rural parts of the country and see what is being done in those areas. But when we get back, let us report the facts,” she jokingly said.

Related Stories: Big Light In Two Years…As Pres. Sirleaf Launches New Hydro Project (Inquirer), Liberia Set To Get New Hydro (FOCUS),  (At Long Last: Mount Coffee Hydro Plant Rehabilitation Project Launched) (Heritage)

LEC Hits Bushrod Island

The FOCUS newspaper inside story captionedLEC Hits Bushrod Island reads that the Anti Power Theft Team of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) has intensified its fight against power theft in Liberia. The power theft crew raided the New Kru Town and Point-Four communities where several illegal meters were seized as a result of people who have not registered but illegally taking power from those who are registered. A total of 42 bypassed meters and 50 packs of breakers and transmitters were confiscated by the anti power team and several individuals were arrested.

Ellen Delivers Annual Message Today

Ellen Delivers Annual Message Today is the front page story caption on theInquirer newspaper which reports thatPresident Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is expected to present her State of the Nation’s address today, January 27, same being the fourth working Monday in January. Article 58 of the National Constitution states that the ‘President shall, on the fourth working Monday in January of each year, present the administration’s legislative program for the ensuing session. ‘The President’s message to be delivered at the National Legislature which is per tradition shall contain report of the nation’s economic condition, expenditure as well as income. The address is usually delivered at 4 p.m. in the joint chambers of the National Legislature with both the House of Representatives and the Liberian Senate convening in one session. According to the House’s Chairperson on Rules and Order, Edwin Snowe, massive preparation has already been done to accommodate the public who desire listening or being in attendance on the premises of the Legislature when the address is presented. Unlike past times, the lawmakers accommodated more people than the joint chambers would hold therefore as means of incorporating those desirous of attending the program, Rep. Snowe said the joint chambers which was designed to host only 300 persons in the rotunda has been prepared in a way that those sitting in it will have to watch the President present her address via television, according to the Inquirer newspaper.

Anti-Mob Violence Campaign Launched Here

The Justice Ministry on Saturday, January 25, 2014 officially launched an anti-mob violence campaign, with a call on Liberians to use the Deputy Justice Minister for Administration and Public Safety, Cllr. Wheatonia Dixon-Barnes, pointed out that the campaign will help to increase public knowledge about the use of the rule of law instead of mob-justice. Cllr. Barnes said no one is guilty until a verdict is brought down against that person by a court of competent jurisdiction. He further explained that the launch of the campaign will also help to restore confidence to the police as well as the justice system, stressing that the launch will be held simultaneously in the 15 counties of the country. Meanwhile, Deputy Police Director for Operations, Col. Abraha Kromah, who represented Police Inspector General Chris Massaquoi at the occasion, has reiterated calls for Liberians to use the rule of law to seeking redress, the Heritage newspaper reports.

Related Caption: Campaign Against “Mob Violence” Launched (The Inquirer)

Motorcyclists Urged To Respect Traffic Laws

The training facilitator of Rights and Rice Foundation (RRF), Mr. Eddie M. Giddings, has called on motorcyclists to respect the traffic laws of the country. Mr. Giddings made the call on Thursday in Robert sport during the official opening of a two day training workshop for more than 100 motorcyclists in the area. He said the training workshop was organized by the RRF with sponsorship from the GIZ Natural Resource Governance, Road Transport and infrastructural Sector, the Heritage newspaper reports.

Related Caption: Over 100 Motorcyclists Train In Robertsport (The Inquirer)

“US Envoy Applauds Returned Scholars”

The US Ambassador to Liberia Deborah Malac has praised 19 Liberians for their hard work earning education-related Master’s degrees and urged them to use their skills, knowledge and abilities to further develop Liberia's education sector. She delivered the remarks at a welcome ceremony last week for the graduates who received scholarships from the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Liberia Teacher Training Program (LTTP) to attend the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana and Makerere University in Uganda. The graduates received their advanced training in education administration, supervision, curriculum development and other educational areas. Two graduates of the University of Liberia and Cuttington University who received scholarships from USAID also were honored at the ceremony. All of the scholarship recipients were mid-career professionals, chosen through a competitive application process with the expectation that when they finished their graduate degrees, they would return to or move into leadership positions at the Ministry of Education (MOE), Rural Teacher Training Institutes (RTTIs), and universities in the near future.
Ambassador Malac noted that the graduates are a valuable resource for the education sector and that they present an opportunity to increase capacity at MOE, RTTIs, and universities by filling senior positions at any of the institutions, according to the Inquirer newspaper inside story captioned “US Envoy Applauds Returned Scholars”.

Liberian Youths Partake In MDG Summit, an inside story of theFOCUS newspaper reads that the Pan African Youth Leaders Network Chapter of Liberia, which is a progenitor of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), has participated in a one week youth summit in Dakar, Senegal on the fulfillment of the MDGs. The summit was organized by the Pan- African Youth Leaders Network of the United Nations for the Achievement of the MDGs with support from UNFPA and UNAIDs country offices in Africa, and it was co-hosted by Mr. Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal and Mr. Ibrahim B. Keita, President of the Republic of Mali. The summit brought together over 300 young people from 54 African countries and the Diaspora. The Liberia Chapter of ROJALNU/MDGs was represented by two national youths along with UNFPA Youth focus person and Adolescents. The Summit was held under the theme: “Youth Unemployment in the Post2015 Development Agenda”. Youth delegates from Liberia were sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Globally, UNFPA and UNAIDS support all youth Delegates from the 54 African countries.   The main objective of the youth summit was to create a platform that gives youth leaders from Africa and the Diaspora the opportunity to discuss, share and innovate ideas on major issues of sustainable human development that face the African continent, within the framework of the Post2015 Development Agenda. Other issues such as HIV/AIDs and Sexual Reproductive Health, population, development and new information including communication technologies, youth response to the MDGs and women`s empowerment, furthered the FOCUS newspaper.

In Logan Town, Bushrod Island: 2 Drowned While Fetching “Kiss Meat” And Crab

A top front lead of the Heritage newspaper reveals that two children on Friday, January 24, 2014 got drowned in the Logan Town Community, while fetching “kiss meat” and crab in a swamp.  The victims were only identified as Jayee and Rose. Jayee is 15-year old, while Rose is 12-year old. A resident of the Logan Town Community and relative to the deceased only identified as Christians, said the victims had gone with her (Christians) to fetch “kiss meat” and crab when they met their untimely death during the afternoon hours of Friday. “After we got through fetching “kiss meat” and crab, Jayee jumped into the water to swim. While swimming, he began to drown. After she observed that her brother was drowning, Rose jumped into the creek to rescue him, but unfortunately both of them got drowned in the process”, Christiana, 14, narrated to Heritage writer in tears.

Red Cross Harvests Rice In Bomi

The Liberia National Red Cross Society (LNRCS) Chapter in Bomi County has harvested rice planted on 20 acres of land in the couty, an official of the LNRCS has disclosed. LNRCS Field Officer, Zinnah Quaye, also disclosed that a similar acreage of cassava planted by the Society is nearing the stage of harvesting, the Heritage newspaper reports.

Classes To Resume At UL Wednesday

A top back page lead of the Inquirer newspaper asserts that the administration of the University of Liberia has announced that normal academic activities at the institution are expected to begin on Wednesday this week. Normal classes at the institution were suspended last November in the wake of students’ protest who at the time were in support of a protest action by the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA). In the wake of the suspension of classes, a special investigating committee was set up to look into the crisis on the campus. It was based on the partial report of the committee that the administration last weekend announced the resumption of classes this Wednesday.  

Ellen Issues Executive Order 55

The Heritage newspaper reveals that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has issued Executive Order No. 55 re-issuing an administrative Code of Conduct for members of the Executive Branch of Government. Executive Order 55 replaces Executive Order 38, which has expired but which like Executive Order 55, acts standards of behavior for public servants. The Liberian leader is vested with the power to issue Executive Orders to address issues requiring immediate attention, pending the conclusions of legislative process to address such issues.

Lawmaker Submits Bill To Standardize Commodities, Others

Lofa County District #2 Representative, Fofi Sahr Balmba, has submitted a bill calling for the establishment of the Liberia National Standard Authority (LNSA). The bill was presented to plenary recently during the 3^rd day sitting of the Third Session. In a communication addressed to plenary recently, Rep. Baimba stated that the LNSA must be established as an autonomous agency to ensure the “quality and reliability of goods and services received on the Liberian market and released to the outside world, the Heritage newspaper says.

Egypt Observes 3^rd Year Anniversary Of Revolution

An inside sub lead story of the Daily Observer newspaper says although all is not well as expected after topping Hosni Mubarak in 2011, the Arab Republic of Egypt has proudly commemorated its third year of revolution on January 25, 2014.