The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014

News of the visit of the Indian medical team to the office of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the unexpected resignation of the interim government of Egypt, the preliminary voter roll update released by the National Elections Commission, Defense Minister Brownie Samukai’s denial of reports of Liberian mercenaries in Ivory Coast and the death of a five-year old boy in a fire incident in Monrovia are stories highlighted in our selected dailies for today, Tuesday, February 25, 2014.

DOMINANT STORIES

Modern Eye Center For Liberia Soon

The New Republic Newspaper reports that Liberia will soon benefit from the establishment of a modern ophthalmological center, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said Monday, following discussions with Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao and the partnership with LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) of Hyderabad, India. An Executive Mansion statement Monday quoted Press Secretary Jeronlimek Piah as saying that the Sirleaf made the comments when the founder and Chairman of the Eye Institute paid her a courtesy call at her Foreign Ministry Office recently.

Related Caption: LV Prasad Eye Institute Pays Courtesy Call On Ellen (New Dawn), Modern Eye Center To Be Established Soon (INSIGHT), Modern Eye Center To Be Established Soon (The NEWS), Modern Eye Center To Be Established Soon (FOCUS)

Ellen Meets With Team From Apollo Hospitals Group From India

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has welcomed the initiative of a team from the Apollo Hospitals Group to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the John F. Kennedy Medical Center. “Your coming to enable us to initiate a structured partnership is very much welcomed”, the Liberian leader said, adding that it is a great opportunity for the country and a great service which we must take advantage of. According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf made the statement when a three-member team of the Apollo Hospitals Group paid her a courtesy call at her Foreign Ministry Office on Friday, February 21, 2014, reports the Heritage Newspaper.

Related Caption: Ellen Welcomes Apollo’s Initiative (In Profile Daily), JFK, Apollo Hospitals Group From India Sign MOU (The New Republic), Indian Hospital To Sign MOU With JFK (INSIGHT)

Egyptian Government Resigns

The FOCUS newspaper writes that the Government headed by Prime Minster Hazem Beblawi has turned in its resignation to President Adly Mansour. Beblawi said the government would continue to serve until the resignation was accepted, Nile TV reported. When that would happen wasn’t immediately clear. The resignations by Beblawi and his Cabinet come as disorganized strikes ripple through the work force. In recent weeks, doctors, low-ranking police officers, postal workers, transport workers and textile workers have all gone on strike for short periods of time. Analysts expect Army Chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, who served as Defense Minister, to run for President. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has said it would support an El-Sisi candidacy.  If he does run, El-Sisi would need to give up his post. But with no clear contender, his chances of winning the Presidency are high. If elected, he will become the sixth military leader to rule Egypt since its independence. Elections are expected to be announced in April. Egypt’s government has been unsettled since a popular revolt toppled the 29-year rule of former strongman Hosni Mubarak in 2011, the FOCUS newspaperreports.

Related Caption: Egypt Interim Government Resigns Unexpectedly (The NEWS Newspaper), Egypt Interim Government Resigns Unexpectedly (INSIGHTS Newspaper), Egypt Interim Government Resigns Unexpectedly (The New Republic Newspaper), Egypt Interim Government Resigns Unexpectedly (Heritage Newspaper), Egypt Interim Government Resigns Unexpectedly (The New Dawn Newspaper),

NEC  Releases Preliminary Statistics On Voter Roll Update

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has released provisional data on the Voter Roll Update Exercise being conducted across the country. According to the figures released by the NEC through the Commissioner with oversight responsibilities of Communications, Davidetta Browne Lansanah, the total number of eligible Liberians who have been included on the voter roll as of Saturday, February 22, 2014, is 26,287. Commissioner Lansannah, at a news conference Monday said of this number, 17,496 are males while 8,791 are females. She disclosed that Transferred Voters or Registered Voters who changed their locations are 6,981. These numbers, she said, represent processed forms received from areas that are accessible.  The NEC Commissioner indicated that inaccessible communities that have not submitted completed registration forms include Yarnee District in Rivercess County, Dedei Town, Samah Town and Garney Town in Bong County as well as Jumoa in Grand Bassa County, among others. “As the process progresses, it is the expectation of the Commission that individuals who fall within the three categories will turn out at our respective Voter Roll Update Centers in order to be included on the voter roll." "This is important because obtaining a valid voter ID card is the pre-requisite for participation in the October 14, 2014 Special Senator Election,” Commissioner Lansannah intimated. She called on all stakeholders in the electoral process-Political Parties, Civil Society Organizations, Women and Youth Groups, Religious Leaders and all Liberians to encourage eligible Liberians to turn out and be included on the voter roll.  “As part of efforts to enhance equitable and increased participation in the Special Senatorial Election, the Commission has intensified its Civic and Voter Education (CVE) campaign nationwide. These include the production of additional jingles and dramas in both Liberian English and the 16 local Languages of the country, FrontPage newspaper reports.

Related Caption: NEC Releases Preliminary Statistics On Voter Roll Update (The Analyst), Voters’ Update Nets 26,287 Voters (The New Dawn), NEC Releases Preliminary Statistics On Voter Roll Update Exercise (FrontPageAfrica)

Liberia Debunks Mercenaries Border Crossing Claims

Liberian Defense Minister Monday denied any Liberian gunmen attacking Ivorian security forces and has challenged Ivorian authorities to provide evidence of that allegation. Minister Brownie Samukai told Reuters in an exclusive interview that the reports of Liberian mercenaries going into Ivory Coast was false and has assured the Ivorian Government of Liberia's support to protecting its borders.  Liberia's border with Ivory Coast is one of the porous in West Africa. "There are no Liberian mercenaries leaving here to go and fight in Ivory Coast.  If they say there have seen mercenaries, I challenged them, they should produce one evidence to the international community. We have re-assured Ivoirians that an inch of Liberia territory will not be used to destabilize any country," he said, TheFrontPage  Africa newspaper asserts.

Related Caption: Defense Clarifies (The Analyst), Ivory Coast Lied – Says Defense Minister (New Democrat), No Liberian in renewed fighting - Defense Minister Clarifies (New Dawn)

Boys, 5, Dies In Fire

A 5-year-old boy identified as Jojo Samuel on Sunday night burned to death when an uncontrollable fire gutted and destroyed to ashes a four bedroom house in Kakata, Margibi County. The actual cause of the fire is yet to be established as fire service officials in Margibi launched an investigation, but our correspondent said it started at about 10:00 PM at the time occupants of the house were asleep. The owner of the house who is also the mother of the deceased expressed disbelief and frustration over the manner and form the fire gutted the house, pens the New Republic Newspaper.

Related Caption: Five-Yr-Old Boy Dies – In Fire Disaster (The NEWS)

Other stories

Japan, Liberia Food Aid Meeting Ends In Monrovia

A meeting of the Joint Steering Committee of the Japan-Liberia KR Food Aid Program held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently discussed the progress of projects under the Japanese Grant. The KR Food Aid program is designed to improve food security in Liberia from the proceeds of the consignment of rice donated by the Japanese Government. The meeting, attended by representatives of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Japanese Embassy in Ghana, which supervised the program for the Government of Japan, highlighted the work of the MSME division at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the construction of two Bridges in Cape Mount County and the construction of five warehouses around the country for the storage of locally produced rice (which are products of the Japanese paddy rice project). Agriculture Minister Florence Chenoweth, Deputy Minister Cyril A. Allen II of Ministry Commerce and Industry, Deputy Foreign Minister for International Cooperation B. Elias Shoniyin, as well as Deputy Finance Minister Jordan Solunteh and the current distributors of the Japanese KR rice in Liberia, United Commodities, Inc., Fouta Corporation and Supply West Africa Trading Company formed part of the discussions, the New Dawn newspaper writes.

VP Boakai Receives UNDP New Country Director On Capitol Hill

According to the Heritage Newspaper, Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has described the Mano River Union basin as a hub with a great potential for the development of economic activities that could benefit the people of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. He said there was potential in the area of rail transportation, commerce and trade, agriculture and the development of cross border activities that could bring the people of the three countries closer for the sustenance of peace and stability saying the basin is an area of the people bound together with ties that go beyond political boundaries. Vice President Boakai made these remarks recently when the new United Nations Country Director to Liberia Dr. Kamil K. Kamaluddeen paid a courtesy call on him to brief him about his new assignment in Liberia.

BIN Prepares for UNMIL Drawdown

The INSIGHT newspaper asserts that the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) has begun putting into place measures to fill in security gaps created as the result of the gradual drawdown of the United Nations Mission in Liberia. As part of such efforts, authorities at the BIN have concluded a two-day strategic plan review retreat aimed at putting into place measures that will help beef up the security operations of the country, especially at the 136 border entries of the country. Speaking to INSIGHT at the official opening of the two-day event in Paynesville, BIN Commissioner, Cllr. Lemuel E. A. Reeves, disclosed that the strategic plan is intended to move the Bureau to an appreciable level that citizens and foreign nationals can be proud of as a professional Immigration Service. According to Cllr. Reeves, logistics, capacity development and creating more public awareness of the law are some key challenges facing the para-military body. “We want to see how BIN can better its services, getting rid of barriers and other hindrances to our operations, so that we can all help to make the entity more effective in performing its statutory mandate.” He further indicated that in the wake of the UNMIL drawdown, BIN is closely working alongside other security institutions to develop its capacity so as to be able to take charge of the security demands that will be placed on the entity. The two-day event brought together officials of the BIN, MOJ, UNPOL, UNDP, IOM, UN WOMEN, ECOWAS Commission, and the Ghanaian Ambassador to Liberia, among others.

Pro Youth Group Graduates 73

The New Dawn newspaper says Youth Crime Watch of Liberia in collaboration with Be the Change Academy over the weekend graduated 73 students from Paynesville City, outside Monrovia. Be the Change Academy is a local institution involved in creating jobs and building  women’s capacity in marketing  through skills training, targeting young women between ages 15 and 35. The institution last Friday graduated 73 women from its micro-finance loan program, after 10-weeks of training. The group in partnership with Youth Crime Watch provides practical steps that are needed to create a viable business plan for each young woman in the institution. The Academy believes that targeting women reduce gender inequity and empower women by increasing their decision making power. Delivering the keynote address, the Country Director for Action Aid Liberia, Ms. Korto Williams, said her institution has been in the counties for 16 years, empowering women to make a change in their lives. She encouraged young women to always do positive things and make positive decisions for the future. Meanwhile, the graduates have extended thanks and appreciation to the organization for the opportunity afforded them. They said during the learning process, they were taught a lot of things, including CRM customer relationship management, market research technique and how to go into the field and search for what is missing and bring it to the market, among others.

LIBA To Hold Elections

The Liberian Business Association (LIBA) would on March 1, 2014 conduct general elections at its National Convention in Ganta, Nimba County. According to the LIBA Elections Commission Chairman, Joseph Morris, this election will be the first time for LIBA to conduct an election in Ganta. Chairman Morris named Dee-Maxwell S. Kemayah, Sr., for President; David K. Sembeh for Vice-President; Miss M. Leelai Kpukuyou for Secretary General and Reginal M. Sao for financial secretary; to steer the affairs of the Association for the next four years. Candidates are nominated by a chapter and endorsed by six additional chapters; the nomination process was from December 25, 2013 to January 25, 2014. Five LIBA delegates from the fifteen counties are expected to arrive in Ganta by February 28, 2014 and among the delegates, three from each county would be eligible to vote. The LIBA National Convention is held once a year, the Inquirer newspaper reports.

UDP Trial Results Show Improved Yields For Liberian Rice Farmers

The USAID Food and Enterprise Development (FED) Program for Liberia has released the results from its initial Urea Deep Placement (UDP) trials with Liberian rice farmers from Bong, Lofa and Nimba counties. During the 2013/14 rice planting season and harvest, USAID FED tested this innovative method of fertilizer application in rice production on 20 lowland rice sites and compared the results with other methods of fertilizer application. Over the past nine months USAID FED has worked side by side with Liberian farmers training them on the application of Urea Deep Placement, a more effective approach to assure that nitrogen—urea’s key component—stays in the ground and reaches the crops, resulting in greater yields. “When urea is surface broadcasted, it dissolves easily and the nitrogen quickly gets out of reach from the rice plants. Urea Deep Placement or UDP helps to reduce this nutrient loss. It is an important part of Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM). "The UDP trials show to our farmers that efficient techniques are critical to increasing yields and income,” explains Boima Bafaie, USAID FED Deputy Chief of Party. In the 2014/15 rice planting season, USAID FED will scale up the demonstration of the UDP method to 100 new lowland rice production sites as well as 10 rice seed multiplication sites in Lofa, Nimba, Bong and Grand Bassa counties.  FED assisted farmers will implement UDP on a total of 140 hectares of lowland rice in a multitude of new communities. This initiative is expected to yield 193 metric tons of rice seeds and 482 metric tons of paddy rice. The USAID FED Program for Liberia aims to reduce hunger and promote food security for Liberians through increased agricultural productivity and profitability in rice, cassava, vegetable and goat value chains. The United States – as the largest donor and closest ally – is supporting the Liberian priorities to build sustainable local capacity, make the difference in people’s lives, and move towards a shared vision of self-sufficiency and prosperity.  
USAID FED is Africa’s largest project under President Barack Obama’s Feed the Future Initiative, which promotes a move away from subsistence and increasing food security by working with public and private bodies, including the Government of Liberia, the private sector, local NGOs and other key stakeholders, FrontPage newspaper writes.

GVL OFFERS FREE SURGICAL CAMPAIGN IN G/KRU

Over 100 citizens of Grand Kru County, Thursday February 20, began returning home following second annual Golden Veroleum, Liberia (GVL)surgical campaign. They expressed heartfelt gratitude to the company for sponsoring their respective surgeries conducted by Liberia Surgical Outreach Program (LISOP) at Rally Time Hospital in Grand Cess. The campaign, which exceeded its target of 100 persons, provided healing opportunity for people who lived with fibroids, hydroceles, hernia, and goiter among other illnesses. Also expressing gratitude to GVL for the sponsorship, LISOP lead Surgeon, Sen. Dr. Peter Coleman said, Golden Veroleum’s sponsorship of the event does not only demonstrate its commitment to corporate social responsibility, but also shows the company concern about the livelihood of people within its operational areas. As a responsible investment, GVL will continue to support health related activities in Grand Kru County, Southeastern Liberia, the INSIGHT newspaper writes.