THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s return to Liberia, the observance of Joseph Jenkins Roberts’ birthday, and the declaration of Liberia as Ebola free if there are no new cases by April 23 are the dominant stories in today’s dailies. 

DOMINANT STORIES

Ellen Returns Home Today After Official Visits To U.S And Belgium

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf returns home today, Friday after official visits to the United States and Belgium where she met top American officials and addressed high-level fora in the two countries. In the U.S, President Sirleaf met her American counterpart President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Ash Carter as well as other top Administration officials. While away, President Sirleaf served as spokesperson for the Mano River Union (MRU) sub-region at a European Union organized international conference in Brussels on Post-Ebola Economic Recovery in the MRU States, hardest-hit by the Ebola epidemic, reports the Heritagenewspaper.

Related Caption:Welcome Madam President(Analyst)

J.J Roberts’ 206th Birthday To Be Observed Monday

 The Daily Observer quotes a Foreign Ministry’s release: President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has by Proclamation declared Sunday, March 15, which is the 206^th birth anniversary of former President Joseph Jenkins Roberts as a National Holiday and is to be observed on Monday, March 16. A Foreign Ministry release says the President’s Proclamation is in consonance with an act of the Forty-Second (42^nd) National Legislature during its Third Session which in recognition of the first President of the Republic of Liberia declared March 15 of every year a National Holiday as a mark of respect and reverence to his memory and for his untiring efforts in organizing the first Government of the Republic as well as negotiating and concluding treaties with Foreign Powers which gave recognition to the founding of the Liberian Nation. The President, in her Proclamation, added that it is befitting that such honor accorded the memory of this distinguished Statesman serves as a challenge to all Liberians to aspire to higher and nobler endeavors by emulating his courage, endurance, selflessness and commitment to the principles and ideals of democracy as portrayed in his works and life as Liberia’s first president.

Related Captions:President Sirleaf declares JJ Roberts' 206th Birth Day National Holiday (INSIGHT),J.J Roberts Birthday Declared National Holiday(In Profile Daily)

“Liberia Could Be Declared Ebola Free April 13 If…..,”

The head of the Ebola Incident Management System (IMS), Tolbert Nyenswah, has disclosed that Liberia could be declared free of the Ebola virus if no new confirmed cases are reported by April 13, 2015. Nyenswah’s statement comes against the backdrop that the country recently discharges its last Ebola patient, while the last Ebola contacts completed the 21-days observatory period March 11. He made the disclosure Thursday at the Ministry of Information regular Ebola press briefing held at the ministry in Monrovia According the Analyst newspaper.

Related Caption:No New Case In 18 Days…Liberia May Be Declared Ebola – Free By April 13(The Inquirer)

OTHER STORIES

Govt. Vows To Support Private Schools-As House Summons MOE, MFDP, CSA 

According to the New Dawn newspaper, the Government of Liberia has promised to support private schools in the country through budgetary allotment to enable school administrators make full salary payment to teachers and other staff. The pronouncement followed ongoing strike by teachers from Catholic Schools in demand of eight months’ salary arrears, leaving students without instructions for the past two weeks. The Ministry of Education in Monrovia says during the peak of the deadly Ebola virus disease last year, which forced the closure of schools here, private institutions were unable to pay salary due to lack of funding, while public school teachers were receiving monthly salaries, something which prompts private schools authorities to increase tuition fees this year at the discomfort of parents, because of lack of support from national government. Speaking Thursday, March, 12, 2015 in a news conference at the Ministry of Education on 3rd Street, Sinkor Monrovia, the Minister of Education, Madam Etmonia Tarpeh, said, Government through the Education Ministry is requesting all private and faith-based institutions to summit personnel listing and payrolls, beginning March 12 to the 18th. Meanwhile, the plenary of the House of Representatives has summoned the Ministry of Education, Finance and Development Planning, and the Civil Service Agency, to explain why the nation’s education system is rapidly deteriorating. Plenary reached the decision on Thursday, March 12th following a communication read on the floor from Grand Bassa District #4 Representative, J. Byron Browne, reporting the deplorable state of public schools in the country.

UNAIDS, Stakeholders To Defeat AIDS By 2030

As part of effort to develop a new strategy for the Global AIDS response, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV&AIDS (UNAIDS) has concluded a one day consultation with stakeholders in Liberia. The consultation was organized with support from UNAIDS at the Royal Hotel, Sinkor-Monrovia on 12th March, 2015.  Speaking at the opening of the consultation, Dr Betru Woldesemayat, UNAIDS County Director said the UNAIDS Global Strategy on HIV&AIDS of 2011 will expired at the end of 2015 and thus the need to develop a new strategy has become eminent. “We are presented with a critical opportunity and obligation to discuss and arrive at an understanding of where we have succeeded and where challenges remain – and collectively define what we must achieve by 2021 and what must be done differently to get there. Hence, the country consultation seeks to solicit the opinion and recommendations of government partners, private sector, development partners, CSOs, people living with HIV and other key populations,” Dr. Woldesemayat noted. Earlier welcoming participants, Dr. Wilfred Boayue, the National AIDS Commission (NAC) Commissioner for program emphasized that a lot has been achieved since the UNAIDS, soon to expire, strategy was developed in 2011 and prospects for collectively defeating HIV by 2030  is very high. “We must ensure that 90% of people living with HIV know their status; and that 90% of the people who know their status are on treatment and that 90% of those on treatment have suppressed viral load.  Our future response should be about people, place and innovations. In achieving the new plan, Mr. Ahemesah further said there is the need for countries to focus on hot spots, urban centres and slums where majority of the new infections occur. “We must ensure that that HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services target people and places where they are most needed,” Mr. Ahemesah emphasized, reports the INSIGHT newspaper.

Grand Gedeh, River Gee to resolve age-old border dispute

The people of Grand Gedeh and River Gee Counties have agreed for National Government to use the Global Positioning System (GPS) to resolve a long-running border dispute between the two counties. Stakeholders of the two counties reached the decision at the end of a three-day boundary harmonization meeting held in the towns near the disputed boundary. The delegates resolved that the use of the GPS in the disputed area would establish the main points between the two existing customary boundaries. The disputed area is located between Killepo, Kanweaken in River Gee County and PutuPennokon in Grand Gedeh County.  The towns are on the main highway linking the capital cities of the two counties---Fish Town, River Gee County and Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County. The meeting was attended by the Superintendents, District Commissioners, members of the Legislative Caucuses, Elders, Traditional Leaders, Women and Youth Groups of the two southeastern counties. A release from the Ministry of Internal Affairs said the proceedings were held in a peaceful manner. The delegates from the two counties recounted both the historical and traditional bonds that unite the people of Grand Gedeh and River Gee Counties, writes INSIGHT newspaper.

GAC To Shortly Audit Three Branches Of Gov’t

The General Auditing Commission (GAC) has disclosed plans to audit the procurement sections of key institutions in all three branches of government. Making the disclosure Thursday in an interview with the Liberia New Agency, Deputy Auditor General Winsley S. Nanka said 14 procurement audits will be conducted in key ministries and agencies as well as the National Legislature and Judiciary, reports the Analyst newspaper.

Freedom Of Expression Organizations Meet In Accra

According to the Analyst newspaper, heads of most prominent freedom of expression organizations in Africa are holding a Strategy Meeting in Accra on March 12 – 13, 2015 to discuss internet freedom in Africa. The meeting will mainly focus on the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms. It will specifically discuss strategies for creating awareness about the principles of the Declaration and seeking endorsement for the Declaration from all those who have stakes in the internet in Africa.

Legislator To Hold Public Hearing…On GoL-LISCR Extended Agreement

A joint committee of the Liberia Senate has recommended to its plenary for the holding of a joint legislative hearing into the Agreement between the Republic of Liberia and the Liberia International Ship and Corporate Registry (LISCR, LCC) which is seeking amendment for an additional ten years. The attached reversed amendment to the said Agreement will ensure that the government buyout the Agent for amount equal to the product of 7.5 multiplied by the average of the total Agent’s fee paid to the Agent for each of the two fiscal years immediately preceding the date of effective termination, pens the Inquirer newspaper.

Veep Launches ‘Search For The Heroes of Ebola Wars’

Liberia’s Vice President, Ambassador Joseph Nyuma Boakai, has launched “ search for the heroes of Ebola War” with a call for Liberians to learn to celebrate the small leaps that they take rather than remaining stuck in the pervasive practice of over-trumpeting the occasional missteps that they experienced.  “Our society has become unnecessarily boisterous and negative, even appearing as if we have fallen into the grips  of cynicism and suspicion –deriving pleasure only from castigating, defaming, and rejecting our own”, Vice President Boakai said. He said Liberians have not the slightest reservation in showering, often times, undeserved accolades on several societies they are making greater strides than them, says the Inquirer newspaper.