The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014

Liberia’s participation in a high level preparedness discussion in Monrovia, the establishment of three financial institutions in Southeastern Liberia by the Central Bank of Liberia, the death of three persons as a result of a canoe accident, the conviction of a Ugandan woman for Illegal Drug Trafficking is among stories dominating our selected local dailies for today, Tuesday, April 8, 2014.

DOMINANT STORIES

High Level Disaster Preparedness and Response Table Top Exercise Convenes in Monrovia Today

Vice President Joseph N. Boakai Monday met with Officials from the National Disaster Management Organization of Ghana, the United States Africa Command, National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria and the Chair on the Committee on Disaster of Nigeria on Capitol Hill, ahead of Tuesday’s High Level Disaster Preparedness and Response Table Top Exercise slated to convene here. The officials, Mr. Kofi Arthur of the House of Parliament of Ghana Mr. Ebenezer Kofi Portuphy of the National Disaster Management Organization of Ghana, Mr. Erik Threet of the United States Africa Command and Mr. Muhammed SaniSidi, Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency and SundayIfedayo Abegunde were accompanied to the Office of the Vice President by the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Rennie Jackson, the Heritage reports.

Related caption: High Level Disaster Preparedness And Response Table Top Exercise Convenes(The Inquirer)

South Easterners Hail CBL For Opening Institutions

The Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has been hailed ‘Man of the People’ as the CBL extends its financial inclusion exercise to Southeastern Liberia with the opening of the three rural financial institutions. Officials of the CBL including its Executive Governor and two members of the Board of Governors namely Mr. John Bestman and Mr. David Farhat were recently on a tour of Southeastern Liberia where rural financial institutions were opened in Barclayville, Grand Kru County and Fish Town, River Gee County and a Credit Union office in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, theInquirer reports.

Related Caption:  Southeasterners Embrace CBL Loan Scheme (INSIGHT)

Several Fear Dead

The In Profile Daily reports that several persons were said to have feared dead and others on critical list at the Mawah Medical Clinic in Vai Town following a boat disaster in the Du River on early Monday. Three bodies were reportedly discovered on Monday. According to the report, the boat sank after leaving Vai Town Community on Bushrod Island and was heading to West Point. According to the Physician Assistance (PA) at the Mawah Medical Clinic, Morris G. Miller, the total number of persons on board was still conflicting. Some said 30 while other put it at 22. He said some of those rescued are in critical conditions and under oxygen. The Clinic PA further revealed that out of the three persons discovered dead, two were students of the James Doe Young Assembly of God Mission School identified as Jenneh Nyumah, Victoria Saypah and the other an elderly woman identify as Mary Blamo.

 Related captions: Several Students Feared Dead, others responding to Treatment (Inquirer), 3 Killed in Boat Disaster (New Democrat), Canoe Accident Kills Three (Focus), After Boat Capsizes:  3 Drowned in Mesurado River, Several still missing (Heritage)

Ugandan Convicted for Trafficking 

The New Democrat newspaper reads that the trial jury at Criminal Court ‘C’ Monday slapped Madam Shirat Nalwadda of Uganda with a unanimous guilty verdict for drug trafficking in Liberia. Madam Shirat Nalwadda was indicted in November 2013 for allegedly drug trafficking into Liberia but she denied the charge to join issue with State Prosecutors. The jurors, through their foreman on Monday, said in open court that they were convinced by the evidence adduced in court by State Prosecutors to convict the Ugandan woman of the crime. Madam Nalwadda who was in court for her verdict, collapsed in tears after the jurors announced the guilty verdict against her.

Related captions: Ugandan Woman Found Guilty (Daily Observer), Woman Guilty of illegal Drug Trafficking (Insight)

Foreign Service Institute Students Elect new Leadership

Students of the Gabriel L. Dennis Foreign Service Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have elected a new leadership. The new leadership will steer the affairs of the Foreign Service Students for the period of seven months following which a new election will be held. The Gabriel L. Dennis, Foreign Service Institute is operated by the Government (GoL) through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the responsibility to train emerging diplomats in foreign diplomacy for Liberia and the world at large. The new leadership of the FSI was elected over the weekend following a debate among the candidates. Those elected were: Talifa Roger, President, Puala L. Mcborrough, Vice President, Julius Sele Kanubah, Secretary General,  Deddeh Tokpa, Financial Secretary, Theresa N. Perwehn, , Treasury and Alfreda  Sambolah Tozah, Chaplain, reports the Heritage.

Related caption: Foreign Service Students Push for Updated Library (Daily Observer)

OTHER STORIES

“Cut All to Four Years.” Citizens Recommend Tenure to CRC

The Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) is getting various recommendations from Liberians as the Committee’s ongoing nationwide consultations widen in outright demonstration of the citizens’ willingness to participate in the review process of the 1986 Liberian Constitution to ensure amendment. In continuation of highlighting recommendations made by citizens in Bong and Nimba Counties, where the consultations have successfully been held under the supervision and coordination of Commissioners Soko V. Sackor and Amelia Ward, 95 percent of the citizens in attendance unanimously recommended a reduction in the tenures of the Presidency, Senate and House of Representatives to four years each, theIn Profile Daily reports.

Cash Distribution critical To Economic Growth…W/Bank Tells Liberia

According to the Inquirer newspaper, the World Bank has disclosed that after five years of prolonged weakness in the global economy, most countries in the Sub-Saharan region have continued to register relatively vigorous growth, but warned that cash distribution remains critical to Liberia’s economic growth.  World Bank says, ‘In other countries government pays for the children school fees. This helps their parents to save some of the money they make from their various place of work; maybe Liberia needs to do more of direct cash distribution’.

US Defense Dept. To Establish 2 Ebola Testing Centers Shortly – Health Minister Discloses

The Government of Liberia has announced that the US Department of Defense will soon establish two Ebola testing centers in Liberia. This was disclosed by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Walter Traub Gwenigale, when he officially initiated the “Ebola half Hour” radio program. Pieces of information provided on the “Ebola Half Hour” will be the outcome of daily technical meetings between the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and its partners including g the World health Organization (WHO), the Daily Observer writes.

Senate Takes Two-Week Break – Ebola Awareness, Sensitization Campaign A Priority

The Daily Observer says Plenary and Executive Sessions in the Chambers of the Senate will be officially put on hold when Senators of the 53^rd Legislature go on a two-week Easter Break. The Senators are expected to use the break to carry on a sensitization and awareness campaign on the outbreak of the Ebola virus. The Senate’s break comes in the wake of decisions taken by the upper House aimed at containing the virus that has already taken at least 10 lives.

United States Rejects Border Closure

The United States of America has rejected the closure of Liberia’s borders due to the spread of the deadly Ebola virus from neighboring Guinea. According to the US Department of State recent report, Ebola cannot be contracted by handling money, buying local bread or swimming in a pool. The report mentioned that there is no medical reason to stop flights, close borders, restrict travel or close Embassies, businesses or schools in Liberia, the FOCUS writes.

World Health Organization Raises Awareness On ‘Vector-Borne Diseases’ – As Liberia Initiate ‘Ebola Half Hour’ Radio Program

The Daily Observer reports that the World Health Organization (WHO) Monday, World Health Day, to raise the awareness on vector-borne diseases such as malaria, which is prevalent in Liberia and West Africa Region. Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo, WHO Africa Regional Director, in his World Health Day Message, said the aim of this year’s commemoration is to raise awareness about the threat posed by a group of diseases that are spread by insects and other vectors. “Mosquitoes, flies, ticks, and freshwater snails are some of the vectors that spread diseases such as malaria, human African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness, river blindness, bilharzias, elephantiasis, leishmaniasis, yellow fever, dengue and chilkungunya,” Dr. Sambo said, according to the daily.

Finance Minister Heads Liberia’s Delegation to Spring Meetings

The Heritage newspaper reports that Finance Minister Amara Konneh will lead Liberia’s delegation to this year’s spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) in Washington DC, USA. The government delegation is scheduled to participate in high level meetings to discuss Liberia’s development agenda and conclude on commitments made by international organizations and other donor partners. These meetings will include discussions with the World Bank Vice President Maktar Diop, the IMF Director for Africa, Antoinette Sayeh, as well as the Liberia reviewer under the IMF Program, the Heritage writes.

PUL Prepares For World Press Freedom Day

In continuation of its decentralization and inclusive plan, the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) will this year observe activities of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2014 in Bopolu City, Gbarpolu County. As part of this year’s observance, a reporting trip will precede the main event titled “Reporting Gbarpolu”, where journalists will travel to various parts of the county/districts to report on development issues.  In this light, the PUL requests interested journalists who want to participate in the reporting trip to submit their names (no later than April 20), expressing their interests, to the Secretary General of the PUL via; D. Kaihenneh Sengbeh, Secretary General, Press Union of Liberia 44^th Clay Street, Monrovia,  FOCUSreports.