The Bureau of Public Affairs   

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014

The Liberian Government’s diplomatic message to the Turkish Government requesting explanation on the recent shooting of four Liberians, President Johnson Sirleaf’s condolence message to bereaved families and those affected by the Ebola virus, the Red-Light to Ganta-Guinea Border Road Project at ongoing Spring Meetings of the Word Bank and International Monetary Fund and the successful completion of surgeries on eighteen patients at the Jackson F. Doe Memorial Hospital in Tappita, Nimba County are among stories highlighted in today’s summary of the local dailies.

Gov’t Wants Turkey Probes Shooting Of Liberians

The Government of Liberia through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia has sent a diplomatic message to the Turkish Government, seeking explanation on the recent shooting of four Liberians by an unknown gunman in the city of Istanbul. According to one of the victims, Mr. Bemore N. Toe, the incident occurred between 10 and 11pm when he and a female Liberian Patience, walked to a tea shop to wait for another Liberian girl called Deddeh and her friend Florence. Toe said while waiting for them, a strange Turkish man entered the tea shop and was conversing harshly with the owner of the shop speaking in a Turkish language that the Liberians could not understand, adding that after the conversation, the unknown man sat and watched them. Narrating further, he said the unknown Turkish guy left the place, but within 7-10 minutes returned and sat again monitoring them, they never knew his aim. According to him, the unknown man asked Florence if she was an American girl but, she did not answer. He said while they were departing the tea shop, one of the victims Deddeh, said that the owner of the shop has been very nice to them so she decided for them to take a photo with him, but as they got up and were about to take the photo the unknown man remarked, “you American no photo” and suddenly opened fire, wounding them seriously. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has been informed by its diplomatic representative in Turkey, Ambassador-at-Large Dr. AnacletoSalciccia that two of the victims have been discharged from hospital while another, Deddeh Simmonds completed a minor surgery early Tuesday morning. Mr. Bemore Toe was also expected to undergo surgery at a local hospital in Istanbul. The Ambassador-at-Large said the Turkish Police is investigating the incident to bring the perpetrator to justice. The victims include Bemore N. Toe, Patients Roberts, Blessing Vinton and Deddeh Simmonds. The Liberians are said to be in critical condition, and are pleading with the Government of Liberia for assistance and intervention to ensure proper medication for them. Blessing Vinton, in particular, is said to be in critical condition, New Dawn writes.

Related caption: Four Liberians Shot in Turkey (The Inquirer), 4 Liberians Shot in Turkey (Daily Observer)

Pres. Sirleaf Expresses Condolence

The FOCUS newspaper asserts that Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has expressed condolences to bereaved families and those affected by the Ebola virus and at the same time expressed appreciation to all who have worked and continue to address this serious health problem. “On behalf of the Liberian people, we want to say to the task force, thank you so much, for all that you have done,” she said, urging all Liberians including foreigners within our borders to work together to contain the situation. According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf made the comments when she visited the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to appreciate the leadership of the Ministry, international partners, and health workers who are fighting to contain the spread of the deadly Ebola virus that recently spilled over to Liberia.  President Sirleaf stressed that since the virus was announced in Liberia, the Minister of Health, Dr. Walter Gwenigale and the task force, have kept her and the country fully informed about the situation and how it is being addressed. The Liberian leader urged the population to follow the advice of the Ministry of health’s technical team, task force and its partners as cooperation is necessary to ensure that the virus is contained.

Related Caption: Ellen Pays Homage To Ebola Victims – Commends Ministry of health’s Task Force, Partners, health Workers For Efforts Thus Far (Daily Observer), Ellen Expresses Condolences To Ebola Victims’ Families(IN PROFILE DAILY), Ellen Expresses Condolence To Bereaved Families, Affected Ebola Victims(Heritage), Condolences for Ebola Victims (Frontpage Africa),

Liberia Pushes For Ganta-Zwedru Road Project

The Inquirer Newspaper reports that the Finance Minister Amara Konneh and delegation at the ongoing Spring Meetings of the Word Bank and International Monetary Fund have held constructive country-level discussions with the Ban’s Vice President for Africa MaktarDiop on support for the Liberia’s development agenda, the Agenda for Transformation (AFT). The meeting with Mr. Diop, Former Finance and Economy Minister of Senegal, centered on addressing bottlenecks affecting Liberia’s portfolio performance and disbursement rate under the International Development Association (IDA) financing arrangement on key projects, including support to the health sector, direct budget support and financing the Red-Light to Ganta-Guinea Border Road Project. Finance Minister Konneh made specific request for the Bank to use its convening power to assist Liberia raise additional and alternative financing model for the Ganta-Tapita to Zwedru highway estimated at about US$386. “This corridor has key economic and political importance for our country and it is critical we direct investments and accelerate engagement with other actors to have the feasibilities studies for those projects finalized to allow for resource mobilization and works next dry season”, the Inquirer Newspaper quotes the Finance Minister.

Related Captions: Ganta –Zwedru Road Project To Cost US$386 (Insight Newspaper), Govt Send Top Team To IMF, WB Meetings (The New Republic), Liberia Makes Push For Ganta-Zwedru Road Project (Heritage), Liberia Makes Push for Ganta-Zwedru Road Project (Frontpage Africa), Ganta-Zwedru Rd Project Featured-at Spring Meeting ( In Profile Daily), Ganta-Zwedru Road Gets Push (FOCUS)

Medical Wonder: Canadians Perform Brain Surgery In Liberia

A 16-member team of medical specialists from the Canadian based Korle-Bu Neuroscience Foundation (KBNF) has successfully conducted brain, back and other critical surgeries on eighteen patients at the Jackson Fiah Doe Memorial Hospital in Tappita, Nimba County. The patients who benefited from the neurological surgical operations include women, men and children who, for a protracted period, have been suffering from brain, back and other illnesses and injuries.  The team includes neurologists (brain and spinal surgeons), anesthesiologists, pathologists, respiratory specialists and Registered Nurses from world-class universities.  Since the medical specialists’ arrival in the country on March 14, 2014, scores of Liberians and non-Liberians have on a daily basis, visited the JFD Hospital seeking brain and other related surgical treatments. A joyful family member of one of the benefiting patients characterized the neurological works being carried out by the KBNF team at the JFD Hospital as ‘very wonderful.’ KBNF, headed by a registered nurse, Marjorie Ratel, is also conducting nearly a month-long training program for Liberian healthcare practitioners at the JFD Referral Hospital in Tapita, Nimba County. Founded a few years ago, the registered charity is focused on providing medical support to Ghana and other countries in the West African region including Liberia in addressing brain and other injuries and diseases. Speaking to journalists over the weekend in Tappita, the head of the Canadian medical group, Marjorie Ratel, pointed out that KBNF places premium on the development of World-class hospitals, conduct of neurological research and implementation of specialist training for doctors, nurses and bio-medical engineers in the West African region. Asked by a reporter why such neurological operations were being done only at the JFD Hospital in Liberia, Madam Rateh said, this is because it is the only medical center in the country that has CT scan, a contemporary X-Ray machine that is medically required for such delicate operations. “With no neurosurgeons working in Liberia and up until this year, and no anesthesia physicians in the public service in Liberia, NBNF’s help is of paramount importance to the Jackson Doe Hospital,” said Ratel. She recalled that in 2012, the KBNF team taught neuroscience education at the John F. Kennedy Hospital in Sinkor, Monrovia. The ongoing training program is a follow up project for interested Liberian healthcare providers. Highlights of the training program include “Intra-operative management of neurological patients; discussion with stakeholders about referral/patient transfer options to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital or University of Benin Teaching Hospital in Nigeria as well as assessment and recommendations relating to the potential to develop future neurosurgical capabilities in Liberia and specifically at the Jackson F. Doe Hospital. Other members of the KBNF delegation include neurosurgeon, Dr. Christopher Honey; Dr. David Udoh; Dr. Paul King; Anesthesiologist, Dr. Sampson Tudjebe; Pathologist, Dr. Mojisola Udoh. Some of the Nurses are from the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (Nigeria) and the Vancouver General Hospital in Canada. The head of the KBNF medical mission to Liberia is John Burthorne Sampson, (MD), a faculty neuroanesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins University in the United States of America. Dr. Sampson does not only have expertise in the improvement of healthcare for people in Africa, but also taught and practiced medicine in eight countries outside of the United States of America (USA) including Jamaica, Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Kenya and Eritrea. For his part, Dr. Francis Nah Kateh, (MD, MHA, MPS/HSL) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Medical Director of the JFD Hospital lauded the work of KBNF team, which he said has brought much health relief to Liberians who have been faced with brain and back related illnesses and injuries. He expressed the hope that the cordial and rewarding relations that subsist between KBNF and JFD Hospital, and Liberia as a whole, will continue to flourish in the years ahead and for the mutual benefit of the two medical institutions. Dr. Kateh expressed support for the KBNF programs and activities and hoped that the desire of the KBNF to work with global partners, including the Liberian healthcare delivery system in the development of sustainable medical services in the West African region would become a reality in the not distant future, FrontPageAfrica reports.

Related Caption: First Brain Surgery Performed At Tappita Hospital (New Dawn), Brain Surgeons Perform Wonders – At Tappita Hospital (The NEWS), Brain Patients Smile At Surgeons’ Wonders (New Democrat), Brain Surgeons Perform Wonders at Tappita Hospital (The Inquirer),

Women Launch Political Forum

According the Inquirer Newspaper, Liberian Women National Political Forum and the Liberian Women Dollar Campaign in Liberia were officially launched yesterday at Monrovia City-Hall, under the theme: “A call to action. The Liberia Women National Political Forum was organized in 2005 by the Women Legislative Caucus of the National Transitional Legislative Assembly (NTLA), and the Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL). Coalition of Political Parties of Women in Liberia (COPPWIL) the Liberian Women Initiative (LWI) and the Liberia Rural Women Association (LIRWA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender and Development is to serve as an umbrella for women in politics and active women members of political parties.

Related Caption: ELLEN LAUNCHES WOMEN LEADERSHIP FORUM

Women’s Political Forum Launched (Daily Observer)

CellcomTo Launch Major Empowerment Program Today

Cellcom’ Chief Corporate Communicates Strategist Dr. Kimmie Weeks has revealed that Cellcom will launch a major empowerment program for Liberia today. Being held under the theme: “Empowering Liberia” the program will be centered on the announcement of a new Cellcom initiative which will help improve the lifestyle of thousands of Liberians. The new initiative will be officially unveiled at the program by Cellcom’s Chief Executive Officer Mr. John Basikaran, pens the Insight Newspaper.

Related Captions: Cellcom Launches Major Empowerment Program for Liberia Today (Heritage), Cellcom to launch major empowerment program today (The New Dawn)

GantaTo Get Technical College

The House of Representatives Committee on Education is considering a bill seeking to establish the Ganta Vocational and Technical College in Nimba County. The bill was submitted to Plenary last Thursday by Nimba County Electoral District #1 Representative Jeremiah KpanKoung. In a letter which accompanied the draft bill, Rep. Koung disclosed that Ganta has a population of 48,000 inhabitants, 11 high schools and 29 junior high schools with an annual enrollment of about 32, 000 students. He indicated that the vocational and technical college, when established, will provide marketable skills for many persons, most of whom have passed school-going age, the NEWS newspaper reports.

US Govt. Donates To DEA

 The Liberian Drug Enforcement Agency has received support from the U.S. Government both in cash and equipment worth US$14,000.00 plus a US$10,000.00 grant to the Government of Liberia. The donations were made on Tuesday, April 8, 2014 in Monrovia. According to a press release, the donation is aimed at helping the Government of Liberia to fight the resources sector of the country. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Todd Robinson said the duty of the government and its people, is to utilize the opportunity wisely. The support was received just a day after the Government of Liberia won a drug trafficking case brought by the state against a Ugandan Woman, ShiratNawadda, who was arrested for drugs trafficking Kotoka airport. This is the first time in the history of Liberia that the government had gone to court and won a heroine case with the success being attributed to the professional training of DEA offers, according DEA Director Anthony Suoh. Among items donated to the Drugs Enforcement Agency include test kits, 24 caps, 13 vests, 13 handcuffs, and 13 flashlights. The United States Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Todd Robinson said, the support to the DEA is meant to make Liberia “harder” for drug traffickers. Mr. Robinson further noted “Training and capacity building in this sector is what should be done across the world and in Liberia in order to have trained people and equipments in the country to get those that want to damage the good name of this government.”
“We want to make it harder for those who want to corrupt your government officials by involving them in false issues and destroying the image of this government and its officials”, he said, New Dawn reports.

“Make Liberia Difficult For Criminals” – U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Urges Security Agencies

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the United States has called on law enforcement institutions and individuals in Liberia to jointly fight crimes and drug trafficking in the country. Mr. Todd Robinson said criminals around the world are now looking for countries where they can freely operate; as such, it is important that security institutions tighten their belts, the NEWS newspaper reveals.

Nimba Launches Ebola Sensitization

The Nimba Health System has conducted a one-day awareness symposium on the Ebola virus, which has hit Liberian territory from neighboring Guinea. Nimba County, in northcentral Liberia, shares border with Guinea. Making a presentation at the symposium, the Medical Officer at the J.W. Harley Hospital in Sanniquellie, Dr. Lorene Cooper, urged health workers to remain critical on activities like blood transfusion, handling of medical utensils and contact with patients. She further urged health practitioners to exercise high level of professionalism at all times to prevent the intrusion of deadly diseases like tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Ebola viruses in the health facility. The Director of Surveillance for the Ebola virus at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Albertus Sean, told reporters that the ministry has supplied seven Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to major health facilities in Nimba County. According to him, four were given to the Jackson F. Doe Memorial Hospital in Tappita, two to the J.W. Harley Hospital in Sanniquellie and one to the Ganta United Methodist Hospital in Ganta. He warned the public and school-going children to avoid close contact with their colleagues. The director also warned students to desist from sharing food, saying the Ebola virus is easily spread through saliva, sweat and blood transfusion. The program was attended by stakeholders, students, youth, and civil society organizations of the County, New Dawn reports.

Related Captions: Ebola Awareness Hits Nimba, Grand Bassa Counties (The New Republic),Ebola Not Spreading… President Sirleaf Assures (The Inquirer), US Embassy To Set Up Ebola Lab (The Inquirer)

 PYJ Submits Single Currency Bill

Amidst the escalating rate of the United States dollars against the Liberian currency, Nimba County Senior Senator Prince Y. Johnson has submitted to the plenary of the Liberian Senate a bill, seeking a single currency in the Liberian market. The bill, which was read in plenaryTuesday during the senate’s regular sitting at the Capitol, posits that the removal of the dual currencies regime will decrease the difficulty monetary authorities continue to face in efforts to stabilize the economy. Senator Johnson, who is seeking re-election, said the enactment of the single currency regime will increase the Liberian Government’s ability to gain control over its resources. "I see the use of dual currencies, the Liberian dollars and United States dollars in the country as 'shared nonsense' which needs urgent consideration," he emphasized, and added, "the use of the Liberian dollars simultaneously to the US dollars is a threat to the country's economy which needs to urgently be addressed." The paralleled rate between the US and Liberian dollars stands at $1 US dollar to L$86 or above. The Central Bank of Liberia and other economists here have indicated that "market forces are responsible for the soaring gap between the US and Liberian dollars." But the senator argued further that Liberia has a cash-based economy with two legal tenders – the Liberian dollar and the United States dollar. However, the level of dollarization in Liberia is very high and has increased in recent years. He emphasized that it can generally be ascribed to the desire of residents who had tried to diversify and protect their assets from the risks of a perceived depreciation of the Liberian dollar and an eventual economic instability as a result of the country’s civil war that spanned over a decade. Johnson pointed out that the motives for the increased dollarization of the economy, particularly during and after the war years, are two-fold: currency substitution and asset substitution. “For currency substitution, the US dollar is demanded in order to be used essentially as a means of payment and unit of account by residents who perceived high inflation which makes the use of the domestic currency costly,” he stressed. Acknowledging the dollarizing, Sen. Johnson said this has left a destabilizing effect on the Liberian Economy by causing the constant deprecation of the foreign exchange rate.   According to him, the Central Bank of Liberia does not have the statutory mandate to issue, print, or dispose of foreign currencies, especially the United States dollars, adding that as a result, the amount of foreign capital entering or exiting the country cannot accurately be managed or accounted for by financial authorities here, placing the country in total financial crisis. “Thus, the Liberian Banking System is too vulnerable to both fluctuations in foreign exchange and capital flight,” Senator Johnson pointed out in his communication attached to the bill. Trying to convince his colleagues on the importance of the bill, the former political leader of the National Union for Democratic Progress or NUDP indicated that the single currency bill if passed by the Senate and possibly concurred by the House of Representatives, will buttress government’s effort in empowering Small-Medium Enterprise business owners who operate exchange bureaux, while taxes levied from all institutions who exchange money will go back to government. He maintained that embracing the local currency is a unique symbol of nationhood and brings pride to the citizens of the country. Meanwhile, the bill has been sent to the Senate Committee on Banking and Currency for experts’ opinion, New Dawnreports.

Related Caption: PYJ Introduces Single Currency Bill (IN PROFILE DAILY), Single Currency Bill Introduced (New Democrat)