The Bureau of Public Affairs   

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2014

Today selected stories for our media summary include the funding of water and sanitation facilities in Buchanan by African Development Bank, the construction of a new bridge in Trembo Administrative District, Grand Kru County, and the destruction of Sando Moore’s residence by fire.

Water, Sanitation Facilities For Buchanan

The In Profile Daily pens that Residents of Buchanan will shortly begin to enjoy pipe born water and sanitation facilities under a project to be funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in collaboration with the Liberia water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC). Making the disclosure to the Liberia News Agency on Thursday, Grand Bassa Assistant Superintendent for Development, Adonie, Z. Greaves, said the county administration has attended working sessions for the project in Lofa, Cape Mount, Nimba and Monrovia. Mr. Greaves said engineers from the LWSC will arrive in Buchanan in early May to commence both the water and sanitation project.

Related Caption: Water, Sanitation Facilities for Buchanan (The News Newspaper)

 GVL Constructs New Bridge In Trembo

According to the New Dawn Newspaper, Golden Veroleum Liberia on Wednesday, 16^th April, completed construction of a new bridge over the Korloh Bridge in Trembo Administrative District located in Grand Kru County. The construction of the bridge is in response to a recent request made by citizens of the district to replace the old one. Prior to the construction of the new bridge, the Korloh River overflowed during raining seasons and restrained commuters from conducting normal businesses for prolonged periods. The bridge, which links, Newaken to Sorrokenis is made of steel and wood and covers a span of 23 by six meters and will have a lifespan of 15 years. The old bridge remains in place until local authorities decide what next to be done. However, the GVL Bridge constructed for the community stands tall, giving the people a relief as the rainy season nears. In response to the bridge construction, Trembo District Commissioner, Napoleon Toe, expressed his gratitude for GVL’s response to the people’s request.  “On behalf of my people, I would like to say a big thank you to the GVL family for giving us a new bridge. Now, we have no worries of being cut off from the rest of Grand Kru during the raining season. The rain can come for weeks and we will still conduct our normal activities.”

Related Captions: GVL Constructs Bridge In Trembo (In Profile Daily)

Images Magazine Publisher’s Home Gutted By Fire

The Thinker Village residence of ace Liberian Photojournalist and Publisher, Sando Moore, was on Saturday, April 19, 2014, gutted by fire. The fire which was noticed by a teenage boy in the compound of Mr. Moore at midday, seriously damaged the back part of the deluxe edifice, completed less than a year ago. Several valuable materials including electrical appliances, house utensils, among others, were completely burnt to ashes. The cause of the fire which was later brought under control by kind-hearted neighbors of the journalist is yet to be established.  Mr. Moore was out of the compound when the incident occurred. Mr. Moore’s wife and children who were upstairs of the building were caught unaware of the blazing fire.  Residents of the community ran into Moore’s compound after it was noticed that the journalist’s residence was on fire and the lives of his family members were in danger. The concerned neighbors used buckets of water and sand to put off the fire. Mr. Sando Moore who spoke to Journalists after the incident expressed thanks to God for saving the lives of his family members during the fire incident. He also lauded the concern, courage, and love shown towards his family by the residents whom, with the blessing and guidance of God, put off the fire, writes the New Dawn Newspaper.

Related Caption:  Images Magazine Publisher’s Home Gutted By Fire (NEWS Newspaper), and Fire Destroys Sando Moore’s House(New Democrat Newspaper)

VP Boakai On Press Freedom In Liberia

The New Dawn Newspaper reports that the Vice President of Liberia, Ambassador Joseph Boakai has boasted at a one-day participatory dialogue hosted by the Reporter Association of Liberia that the level of press freedom provided by the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf  led government is commendable,  saying the hosting of the forum could not have come at a more critical time then now. VP Boakai said it is that atmosphere that has erupted into mushrooming of media institutions both print and electronic; adding that freedom of speech is at an all-time high. VP Boakai made these statements at a day’s participatory dialogue hosted by the Reporters Association of Liberia at the William V.S. Tubman High School Gymnasium on 12th Street, Sinkor over the weekend, when he served as Keynote Speaker. The Liberian Vice Pesident, who spoke on the theme, “Setting standard for critical, objective and independent reporting,” recalled that in September 2012, he had the privilege of deputizing for President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf at the Civil Society and Media leadership or CSML midterm partners’ conference organized by the International Research and Exchanges Board or IREX at the Monrovia City Hall. “That conference came on the heels of the announcement by the Press Union of Liberia or PUL of plans to institute measures in order to ensure greater professionalism and responsibility in the practice of journalism in the country,” Ambassador Boakai narrated”, according to the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Caption:‘Do Objective Reporting’-VP Boakai Urges Journalists at Reporters Association’s One-day Forum (Daily Observer. In a related development under the caption “Reporters Association Discusses Journalists’ Welfare”, the President of Reporters Association of Liberia (RAL), Mr. Keith Zelee Morris, has termed the working conditions of Liberian journalists as “disastrous,” and is therefore, calling on relevant stakeholders to adopt the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) crafted by the Press Union of Liberia (PUL). The Union crafted the document in order to improve the working and living conditions of journalists in Liberia. Speaking at a one-day consultative dialogue in Monrovia, Saturday, April 19, Mr. Morris said most journalists in Liberia are earning salaries as low as US$50 and below. He said this situation compels journalists to live by receiving ‘cadeau’ in French to mean “present or gift” in English, the (Daily Observer)

VP Boakai Impressed With Work At MVTC

Vice President Joseph Boakai has expressed delight over the level of work currently taking place at the new Monrovia Vocational Training Center (MVTC) in Paynesville, outside Monrovia, adding that it is not surprising to see the kind of work that is going on at the center because according to him, “our Chines friends always make sure that they give us the best”. Speaking to reporters at the weekend when he toured the new facility of the MVTC undergoing construction, Amb. Boakai said the facility means a lot to the young people of Liberia, “and that is what we have been waiting for. Also speaking at the occasion, Youth and Sports Minister, Eugene Nagbe said he felt very pleased to have Vice President Boakai visiting one of their facilities, as he is one of the Chairpersons of the Youth Sector Steering Committee, pens the In Profile Daily.

 Housing Policy Targets Low-Income Earners

In its drive to ensure that low income earners in the country have access to decent homes, the National Housing Authority, in collaboration with the UN-Habitat, yesterday launched the National Housing Policy in Monrovia. That two-day forum, which brings together stakeholders from the public and private sectors and international partners, is aimed at validating the policy document for on submission to government authorities and collaborating partners for perusal, support and implementation. In a statement delivered on April 17, 2014 at the beginning of the forum by Vice President Joseph N. Boakai on behalf of President Joseph N. Boakai on behalf of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Vice President Boakai said the government remains committed to the cause of improving the condition of people in housing, as government has gone to the point of elevating the critically needed area to a human rights one, National Chronicle reports.

4 Killed In Highway Accident

A motor accident on the Lofa-Monrovia highway has killed four persons and injured 10. The Transport Union authority told Focus newspaper that the accident occurred on the morning of Saturday, April 19, 2014 between the towns of Tumutu and Salala in Bong County. The Deputy County Inspector, James Kollie said four of the injured persons have been rushed to the Phebe Hospital in Bong County, and six others taken to the C.H. Rennie Hospital in Kakata, Margibi County, FOCUS reports.

“Gov’t Needs To Tackle Corruption” – German Ambassador Cautions

German Ambassador accredited to Liberia, Ralph Timmermnn, says the government needs to do more in tackling corruption in order to reduce the level of corruption in the country. Ambassador Timmermnn made the statement Thursday, April 17, 2014 on Capitol Hill when he paid a courtesy visit on the chairman of the Liberian Senate’s committee on foreign relations, Maryland County’s senator, Dan Morias. Ambassador Timmermnn said his visit to the Senate’s foreign relations committee was important because it will establish the cordial diplomatic relationship between the Liberian Senate and the German government. He further disclosed the need for members of the National Legislature to visit the German Parliament to share experience in law-making. He said the exchange of views will enhance the work of the legislature in both countries. According to ambassador Timmermnn, it is important that both countries promote the existing diplomatic ties, the National Chronicle reports.

Min. Dukuly Challenges Liberian Women

Internal Affairs Minister Morris Dukuly has urged Liberian women to take seriously skills training to empower themselves and become equal contributors to the welfare of the family. The Internal Affairs Minister observed that in the absence of academic education, technical and Vocational knowledge was necessary to prepare individuals to face future challenges. According to the Liberia News Agency, the Internal Affairs Ministers made the call in Johnsonville, Monstserrado County on Thursday during the handing over of starter kits to 30 graduates of 59 from the first phase of the Liberian Returnees Integration program of the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), the INSIGHT reports.

Weah’s Number 14 To Be Retired

The Liberia Football Association (LFA) President Hassan Musa Bility wants the number 14 jersey of the Liberia national team, Lone Star, worn in the past by the legendary George Weah to be retired. The number 14 jersey of Liberia was made famous by Liberia’s foremost football icon. Speaking recently at the induction ceremony of the new football executives, LFA President Bility said Weah’s work and achievement for Liberian football cannot go unnoticed, as such the football house wants to honor the man who brought great pride to Liberia while playing football across the world, the FOCUS says.

From Living Water Int’l: Margibi Residents Benefit From Safe-Drinking Water

The  provision of safe-drinking water for most of the world’s population in the 21^st century has become a gripping issue for international organizations and some governments of the world, as people of developing countries, like Liberia, still lag in that direction. For instance, under the United Nations’ millennium development goals (MDGs), by 2015 a majority of the world’s population, though their governments must reach the benchmark by ensuring that their population have access to safe drinking water and good sanitation and hygiene services. As Living Water International-Liberia country Director, Kanyata Mukelabai, puts it, “Our intervention in Margibi is to construct 47 hand pumps this year alone, targeting the provincial city of Kakata and Gibi District in that county,” National Chronicle reports.

 “Free Press Under Siege” – Prof. Wilson Tarpeh Alarms

The Chairman of Board of Directors of The NEWS Newspaper says free press in Liberia is under siege. “The free press is under siege; the press is a business, and we expect people doing business with the papers to pay their bills… Mr. Minister, I think I can safely speak for the private press; please do your best to pay your bills to these institutions…: Prof. Wilson K. Tarpeh said. Making remarks at a one-day memorial lecture series at the University of Liberia Auditorium Friday in Monrovia to commemorate the 25^thanniversary of The NEWS newspaper, Professor Tarpeh said when the government refuses to pay advertisement and other bills owed media institutions, employees of those institutions equally go without pay, the NEWS reports.

Journalists Get HIV/AIDS, GBV Training

The Training Officer for the HIV and AIDS program of the Lutheran Church in Liberia, James Z. Sloan, has urged journalists in Margibi and Liberia at large to join the fight against HIV/AIDS and Gender Based Violence (GBV) that does not have one frontline. He said the frontline for the AIDS virus and GBV is everywhere including homes, communities, media, other workplaces and schools. Mr. Sloan made the call following a two-day intensive training for media personnel in Margibi County on how to disseminate information about HIV and AIDS and Gender Base Violence recently. He also called on journalists to serve as agents of change stressing that the media should serve as light of society. The Training Officer made the statement on April 16, 2014 in Kakata, Margibi County at the end of the two-day exercise, which targeted mainly journalists. A total of 19 journalists from various media institutions, including The New Dawn, Radio Kakata, Radio Gbaisue, Atlantic Radio, Radio Joy Africa and Radio Choice, among others attended the training, reports the New Dawn Newspaper.

Reconciliation Confab For Nimba & Grand Gedeh Underway…Liberia’s Peace Envoy Discloses

Liberia’s Peace Ambassador George Manneh Weah has disclosed that plans are underway for the holding of a peace and reconciliation conference between the people of Grand Gedeh and Nimba counties. Ambassador Weah was appointed Liberia’s Peace Ambassador by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in 2012 after the resignation of Nobel Peace Laureate, Lemah Robertha Gbowee, Heritage reports.

Promise Fulfilled as Ellen Donates 45 KVA Generator to Kolahun Hospital

An inside story of the Daily Observer newspaper reports that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has donated 45 KVA generators to the government hospital in Kolahun, Lofa County. The machine is to provide electricity for the hospital. The Liberian leader also donated refrigerator for the Voinjama Women Poultry farmers to preserve their produce. The Liberian President also sent a motorbike to the Voinjama Market Women. This is indeed a promise fulfilled for the Kolahun Hospital authority and those women that pleaded with President Sirleaf for assistances during her week-long visit to the county few months ago. The President had told them that she heard their request, but would get back home and see what to do.  

L$600,000 Worth of Marijuana “Found” in ELWA Community 

A back page story of the Daily Observer reads that the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has found L$600,000 Worth of marijuana buried in the ELWA Community, outside Monrovia. Speaking at a press conference Saturday, April 19, 2014, at the offices of the DEA, the Director, Mr. Anthony Souh, said they have yet to find and detain a suspect. According to the DEA Director, they were informed on Saturday morning by some of their agents that a huge quantity of marijuana was said to be in the Red-light area. “I immediately informed my officers to carry out the search for the drugs. They were told to scout the community. By then, the substance had been moved to another location.” “The search continued to the ELWA area where the substance had been buried by the individuals carrying it; the officers immediately began digging around the suspected location and retrieved five bags of the banned substance”, he narrated

Liberia Gets New Chess Champion

Wesley Obey, commonly known as Liberia’s Magnus Carlsen of Norway (the world rank number one chess player) was formally crowned and medaled as Liberia Chess Champion at a glittering but brief awarding ceremony immediately after a whole day’s chess tournament among over 22 national chess players on Saturday in Monrovia. Liberia’s Chess Veteran and banker Tamba Kollie presented the newly Liberia number one rank chess player with a dazzling bronze medal with drawing of the King Queen and a Pawn and a check of US$100 at the Ballroom of the Grand Royal Hotel in Sinkor. Wesley became the first player to be crowned as chess champion at the end of a well attended chess tournament since the cessation of the Liberia Chess Federation in the early 2000sw, the Daily Observer reports.  

Diaspora Liberians: ‘Repeal Chapter 22 of 1973 Nationality Law’ 

Some Liberians in the Diaspora have called for the repeal of Chapter 22 of the 1973 Alien and Nationality Law of the Republic of Liberia. The call was issued at the end of a conference on dual citizenship in the United States. The law was amended in 1974, and the Diaspora Liberians said, “It does not allow Liberians to retain their citizenship when they become citizens by birth and naturalization in the countries they domicile.” In a petition released last week, a copy of which is with the Daily Observer, they called on the legislature to repeal the law to allow Liberians who travel to other countries as a result of the civil-war, and gained citizenship by naturalization to regain their Liberian citizenship. The petition, signed by Mr. Emmanuel S. Wettee, chairman of the All Liberian Conference on Dual Citizenship, said the turbulent social and political changes from 1980 to 2004 that forced hundreds of thousands of Liberians to become citizens, were not envisioned by the architects of the 1973 Alien and Nationality Law, the Daily Observer newspaper writes.