The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2014

President Johnson Sirleaf‘s proclamation declaring the second Friday in April as Fast & Payer Day, Vice President Joseph Boakai’s call for consolidated efforts against disasters, President Johnson Sirleaf‘s call for sustained partnership to ensure access to clean water globally at the 2014 Global Water Awards Ceremony in Paris, France and the passage of the Decent Work Bill are amongstories dominating our selected local dailies for today, Wednesday, April 9, 2014.

DOMINANT STORIES

Declares Friday National Fast & Prayer Day

Heritage Newspaper quotes a Foreign Ministry’s release: The President of the Republic of Liberia, Her Excellency Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has by Proclamation declared the Second Friday in April 2014 (Friday, April 11, 2014) as a Fast and Prayer Day to be observed throughout Liberia as a National Holiday. The Day is set aside as a Day of Supplication, Prayer, Fasting and Meditation in order that the blessings of the Almighty God may rest upon the high and noble duty which He has laid upon Liberia, to the end that its efforts as a nation, may be crowned with great achievements to the common cause of the State and its common humanity.  The Proclamation is in consonance with the Act of The National legislature, which was passed into law in 1883 declaring the Second Friday in April of each year as a National Fast and Prayer Day for the prosperity of Liberia and in grateful appreciation of God’s deliverance of the nation from external aggression. The Proclamation Further calls on all Prelates, Priests, Elders, Deacons, Evangelists, Imams as well as citizens and foreign residents of Liberia regardless of religious creed, to gather with one accord, in their respective places of worship within the territorial confines of Liberia in simple and non-costly apparel to Fast, Pray and to Intercede for the country commencing at 8 O’clock ante meridian.  The Proclamation further orders all Public Offices, Business Houses and market places closed during the observance  ,while citizens and foreign residents will cease from where usual daily occupations in further recognition of God’s love and guidance  for  the nation, Liberia. The Proclamation recalled when the country had no standing army, in those formative years of its existence; the Almighty God delivered Liberia and its People from external threats and attempts to control its territory.  While recounting God’s continued blessings for Liberia, the Proclamation indicated that since 1847, Liberia has existed as a Sovereign and Independent State by the grace, mercy and faithfulness of the Almighty God. The release stated “there is a strong national need for remembrance in prayers and other forms of concentrations and solicitude by the People of Liberia who made the supreme sacrifices of their lives willingly or unwillingly through the ages and woeful events. The Proclamation maintains that the future of Liberia should continue to promote and strengthen more and more the peace, brotherhood and indivisible unity amongst the Liberian people, especially within the foreseeable future, embracing all human and spiritual means to attain these objectives.

Related captions: Pres. Sirleaf Declares Friday National Fast & Prayer Day(National Chronicle), President Sirleaf Declares Friday National Fast & Prayer Day(Frontpage Africa)

Boakai Wants Consolidated Efforts Against Disasters

Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has told the High Level Disaster Preparedness and Response Meeting that it is only through a well-formulated response strategy both in terms of available resources and as a result of the training required that this nation might prevail against disaster. The Liberian Vice President said that bitter experiences have taught us that irregular or knee-jerk response to situations of disastrous proportions, usually leave us with casualties that should not have been, had we been better coordinated. Vice President Boakai made these remarks on Tuesday when he formally opened a Government High Level Disaster Response Meeting that convened at a local hotel to consider guidance for future organizational structure of disaster management in the Country, reports the Daily Observer.

Related captions: Liberia Hosts Disaster Policy Forum Veep says it is not A ‘Maybe’ Situation (Inquirer), Disaster Does not Discriminate (New Republic), Disaster Preparation depends on Host-VP Boakai (New Dawn), Veep Boikai addresses disaster response meeting to fight Ebola (INSIGHT)

Liberia’s Foreign Missions In US Open New Account

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the banking situation involving Liberia’s diplomatic missions near Washington DC and New York have been resolved with the opening of new bank accounts. According to a Foreign Ministry release, the Embassy of Liberia in Washington, D.C. and the Liberian Mission at the United Nations now have their new bank accounts at Capital One Bank, while the Consulate General Office in New York has its new bank account at Abacus Federal Savings Bank. It can be recalled, the Foreign Ministry in a statement last week said it was working with the US State Department, the Liberian Missions in DC and New York, US Embassy near Monrovia, as well as the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Liberia to resolve the problem in the shortest possible time and is pleased to report the restoration of banking activities for its missions in the United States. Liberian Missions in the United States were among over 80 other missions in the United Sates that were confronted with a serious banking crisis recently as a result of a decision by US Commercial Banks to terminate banking relationship with the missions, FrontPageAfrica reports.

Related Caption: New Accounts Opened For Diplomatic Mission(The Informer)

Pres. Sirleaf Addresses Global Water Awards Ceremony In Paris

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has told a gathering of over six hundred participants at the 2014 Global Water Awards Ceremony in Paris, France that water is an essential source for growth and development and called for sustained partnership to ensure access to clean water globally. The Liberian leader said, governments and investors need a dialogue that will ensure the availability and access to water globally, thus promoting investment and enhancing growth, pens the Insight Newspaper.

Related Caption:  Ellen Addresses Global Water (Heritage Newspaper), Sirleaf Calls For Partnership In Dealing With Access To Water(FrontPageAfrica)

Liberian Lawmakers Pass Decent Work Bill Into Law

 After several years of lingering into committee rooms at the National Legislature Liberian Lawmakers have finally passed into law Decent Work Bill setting the threshold at US$6 and US$4 per day at minimum wage for workers. The House of Representatives on Tuesday voted for the passage of the bill as a result of a meeting held by the Conference Committee of both houses where it was agreed that the amount be set as minimum wage for skilled and domestic workers. Presenting the report to plenary on behalf of the Committees on Labor and Judiciary, Representative Christian Chea, (UP-District #2 River Gee County) said, the joint Conference Committee agreed that Domestic workers, which include Housemaids, receive US$4 a day and others who are skilled receive US$6 per day. Rep.  Chea said: “Mr. Speaker and colleagues of the National Legislature with the consent of others on the conference committee and with the history we have made in passing the code of conduct and other bills and being cognizant of the demand by the Country’s workforce for increment in salary as the cost of living is getting harder on a daily basis we feel that prosperity will sing a song of our praise if we pass this long awaited decent work bill. In this regards, I appeal to my colleagues to consider the passage of this bill.”
At the end of Chea’s committee report, it was opened for discussion among Lawmakers. During the discussion several Lawmakers, including Representative Bhofal Chambers (CDC-District#2 Maryland County) supported the passage of the bill on grounds that it will bring back dignity to workers of Liberia while others supported the passage but opposed the setting of a minimum wage. Meanwhile the House of Representatives has taken their two week Easter break, FrontPageAfrica reports.

Related Caption: House Passes Decent Work Bill(FOCUS), Decent Work Bill Passed (New Democrat), House Endorses Decent Work Bill (INSIGHT)

GOL Turns Over Public Toilets In Bassa Community

The government of Liberia through General Services Agency and the management of Liberia Water and Sewage Cooperation sponsored by the Ministry of Finance has constructed and turned over a 2 compartments of public toilet in Bassa Community in Monrovia. Marking remarks on behalf of GSA Director General Mary Broh, the Deputy Director General for operations Mr. Boakai Sirleaf thanked the citizens of the community for their cooperation during the project, and said that his Boss would have love to be part of the program. But due to some other engagement that she could not attend, the Informer reports.

Related Caption: Public Toilets for 22 Monrovia Communities(Heritage), Public Toilets For 22 Monrovia Communities(The NEWS)

OTHER STORIES

US$6.5 Billion Needed For ECOWAS States

The Special Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission in Liberia, Ambassador Tunde Ajisomo has disclosed that a total of US$6.5 billion will be needed for the construction of infrastructures within the sub-region. According to him, such amount, if provided, will help carry out many good infrastructures within the sub-regional areas. Addressing a mini conference held at the Kristal Ocean View Hotel in Monrovia, he reminded the participants that the issue of infrastructures within the sub-region needs to be taken very seriously, FOCUS reports.

NTA Gets New Boss

 The Board of Directors of the National Transit Authority has appointed the NTA’s Managing Director and Deputy Managing Director for Administration. According to a press release issued by the entity, those appointed by the Board are  Tarnue N. Jeke, Managing Director, and Prince Sumo Jaiblai, Deputy Managing Director for Administration, respectively. Making the appointments, the board called on the appointees to utilize their education, training, experience, and innovation to ensure the development of the National Transit Authority.
Mr. Jeke comes to the job with the requisite professional experience as a Financial Management Specialist and academic qualifications, including a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Liberia (Suma Cum Laude), a Master of Science degree in International Finance and Development Economics from the University of Reading, England, United Kingdom. He also holds a post graduate Certificate in Public Financial Management from the Sanford school of Public policy, Duke University, U.S.A, the release said. He once served as Project Coordinator for the Economic Governance and Institutional Reform Project (EGIRP) and also as Project Coordinator for the Liberia Primary Education Recovery Program (LPERP), a Ministry of Education/World Bank Group sponsored program. Until his preferment, he was Deputy Managing Director for Administration at the NTA. For his part, Mr. Jaiblai also comes to his new position with considerable professional training and academic qualifications, including a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the United Methodist University of Liberia, and a Master of Business Administration in Public Financial Management from the World Bank sponsored Public Financial Management Graduate Program at the University of Liberia.  He has served in several financially related positions at the General Auditing Commission, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs. Until his recent appointment, he served as Senior Financial Analyst at ORAS. Both appointments take immediate effect, the New Dawn reveals.

Police Win US Confidence

Former UNPOL Commissioner, now Senior Liaison Officer at the American Embassy near Monrovia, Mr. John Nielsen says Liberia has every reason in the world to be proud of its police service, judging from the police’s past and present performances. In a brief comment on Capitol Hillat the formal departure of Ex-police commissioner for operation Mr. Darlington George, and elevation of other senior police officers Monday, Mr. Nielsen applauded the two selected officers Mr. Gregory Coleman and Mr. Robert Saah as two of the finest young men. Having interacted with the police here since 2007 when he worked under the UN Peacekeeping mission as UN Police Commissioner, he says Liberia has every reason in the world to be proud of its police service as many have seen the things that have happened to the agency over the period of time.

“…That I can go to someone, the deputy secretary of state and tell him like I did last night, that Liberia has every reason in the world to be proud of their police service. I have been doing this for many years; I know good police men, I know good managers as soon as I see them,” he told police authorities including Director Chris Massaquoi at the National Police Headquarters on Capitol Hill. He further told the Liberia National Police or LNP, “You have good managers; you have good officers; you have an excellent police service and you have won, and make no mistake about this- won good to give credit for the accomplishment …” He concluded that the LNP will be where it needs to be when it is led by its own competent leadership, and that the UN and donor community can now go by their business somewhere else. As Mr. Darlington George moves to the elite Executive Protection Service or EPS, Mr. Gregory Coleman has been elevated to the post he (George) previously occupied as the new police commissioner for operation or 104; while Mr. Robert Saah now becomes commissioner of police for operations.  In his parting comment, Mr. Darlington George made a recommendation that the leaders of the security apparatus here coordinate to effectively run national security; while at the same time urging his fellow security colleagues to be committed to the job and not come to the service with the mindset to chase riches. “As I leave the Liberia National Police, I just want to say to you guys that while I’m up there, I will also make sure that if there’s a problem that I need to chip in the President’s ear, I will do that,” he assured the LNP. Liberia’s Police Director Chris Massaquoi, recalled that when the police was restructured, everybody was gotten rid of including arson investigators, homicide investigators and people in professional areas were layoff, which gave the police and nation difficult time.“…Very difficult time, because we didn’t have experts in the police anymore; at one time you could even realize that when our cases went to court, they threw it out of court because the young people that were coming in didn’t even know how to open a case file,”  he said. But having gone through that for a very long time, Director Massaquoi said the police got back on track by encouraging the old experts to come back as advisors, New Dawn report.

GCMI Holds 13^th Annual Convention Soon

Member Churches of the Great Commission Ministries of Christ International, Inc., located in the Township of Bardnersville is to shortly begin activities marking its 13^th Annual Convention in Liberia with the theme: “In The Presence of His Glory,” According to Bishop Momo K. Francis, General Overseer of the Ministries, the Convention starts on Sunday, April 13, 2014 with both morning and evening sessions, the Informer reports.

Smiles Foundation Gives To Orphanages, Group Of 77

 A non-governmental group under the banner “Smiles Foundation” has donated to the disabled and orphanage homes cloths, books and other materials. The group donated Mosquito nets, rice, cartons of copy books, pens and pencils, bath and washing soaps, tissues, mattresses, popcorn, juices, biscuits, candies and toys among others to the Group of 77 on Newport Street and orphanages in Mount Barclay, outside Monrovia, respectively. The Chief Executive Officer and founder of the foundation, Madam Asatu Toure, told the kids that the passion to give aid to the needy started when she was on her way one day for lunch when a group of disabled people approached her for help. According to her, she was so confused and didn’t know where to start from and how to end “and I asked myself where all these people come from and why are they all on the street; are there no homes or help for them. I patiently stopped to talk to them and I gave them something little and sorrow came to my eye.” She also pointed out that being the only child for her parents, she sees those kids and disabled people out there as her brothers and sisters and being around them all the time is what she prays for all her life. The CEO also narrated that this is not the end of the group’s gesture to those in need and asked the kids and disabled people to join her in prayers to be able to fulfill her promise and make her dream come true. Receiving the items behalf of the Mount Barclay orphanage home, the director Mr. Alexander Bar, on behalf of his institution thanked Madam Toure, and prayed for God’s continuous blessings upon the Smiles Foundation family. Mr. Bar also pleaded with the foundation to continue their effort in making sure less fortunate kids have something to eat. The kids also showed case their talents through dramas and song that brought tears to the CEO. They late took photos with the Smile foundation family, New Dawn writes.

Liberia Investigating Shooting Of Four Liberians In Turkey

The Government of Liberia says it has written the Turkish Government seeking an explanation on the shooting of four Liberians in the Turkish city of Istanbul by an unknown gunman. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a release on Tuesday said it has sent a diplomatic note to the Turkish embassy near the Ghanaian capital Accra and requested an investigation into the shooting incident by the unknown gunman at a coffee shop located in Sisli Mecediyeko around the Trump Tower in Istanbul. The four Liberians are Bemore N. Toe, Patience Roberts, Deddeh Simmonds and Blessing Vinton. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been informed by its diplomatic representative in Turkey, Ambassador-at-Large Dr. Anacleto Salciccia that two of the victims have been discharged from hospital while one of the victims, Deddeh Simmonds completed a minor surgery early Tuesday morning. Mr. Bemore Toe is also expected to undergo surgery hopefully on Wednesday morning at a local hospital in Istanbul. The Ambassador-at-Large said the Turkish Police is investigating in an attempt to bring the shooter to justice, FrontPageAfrica reports.

Single Currency Bill Introduced In Senate

According to the Insight Newspaper, an Act seeking to inaugurate the Liberia Dollar as a single currency regime in the Republic of Liberia has been introduced in the Senate Plenary by Nimba County Senator Prince Johnson. The Acts seeks to, among other things, boost Government’s ability to control its economy through serene measures and to ensure that all financial matters are transacted through the Liberian Dollar only. According to a communication addressed to the Senate Plenary dated April 7, the Act once enacted into law will also strengthen the commercial banking system in Liberia by ensuring that all financial transactions are in the approved currency.