The Bureau of Public Affairs   

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

The promise of giving HIV/AIDS priority by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and the appeal from Governance Commission to Senatorial Candidates are the two dominant stories among the selected stories for today’s summary.

Other selected stories are President Sirleaf declaration of May as Red Cross Month, the donation of US$10K from Chevron Liberia Ltd., to Made – In – Liberia Market, the appointment of European Federation of Liberian Associations, and the signing of US$12M Agreement between Liberian Cocoa Corporation and the Government of Liberia

Dominant Stories

Ellen Promises To Give HIV/AIDS Priority

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says she will continue to ensure that HIV/AIDS, Gender Equality, Sexual & Gender Based Violence are given priority at the global level. According to an Executive Mansion release, the Liberian President, chairing the meeting of the Board of Directors of the National AIDs Commission (NAC), said that the results of her advocacy will depend greatly on how the national anti-AIDs authorities will engage the global community in achieving the agenda. The board meeting was held in the C. Cecil Dennis Auditorium of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, May 6, the NEWS newspaper reports.

Related Caption: Ellen Chairs National AIDS Commission Board Meeting (Heritage), Pres. Sirleaf Chairs Nat’l AIDS Commission Board meeting(The Analyst), HIV/AIDS Issues To Be Prioritized (INSIGHT)

GC Urges Senatorial Candidates

As campaign for the October 2014 Senatorial Election gather momentum, the Governance Commission is stepping into the fray with its own campaign on the need for senatorial aspirants to own up to the Local Government Bill and press for its passage in the Senate. Today, 8 May 2014 the Commission is holding an all-day Public Policy Dialogue with political parties and senatorial aspirants, as part of the strategy for broadening national support for decentralization.
During the event, the Governance Commission will engage with all senatorial candidates, both independent and those of registered political parties, through series of presentations on decentralization reforms, with the aim of obtaining their support in bringing about decentralized governance in Liberia. According to a press release, Mr. James Fromayan, former Chairman of the National Elections Commission, Mr. Senesee Freeman, Project Manager of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and Mr. Yarsuo Weh-Dorliae, Commissioner for Political & Legal Reforms/Decentralization of the Governance Commission will make presentations at the event. Following the presentations, an interactive session that promises a lively debate among the political contestants will take place. Decentralization is central to the governance reform agenda, with the other planks of the reform process being civil service and public sector reforms, public integrity and the forging of a common sense of national vision and identity. In addition to the draft Local Government Act that was submitted to the Office of the President in September 2013, the National Policy on Decentralization and Local Governance was launched by the President of Liberia on January 5, 2012. Speaking of the importance of the event, Commissioner Yarsuo Weh-Dorliae, who has oversight of decentralization at the Governance Commission, said: “During the Dialogue, our key focus will be on decentralization in its entirety to form part of the platforms of political parties and independent candidates, New Dawn writes.

Related Caption: GC Engages Political Parties, Senators (New Democrat), GC Wants Senatorial Candidates Focus On Decentralization (The New Republic)

Other Stories

Pres. Sirleaf Declares May As Red Cross Month

New Dawn asserts that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has issued a Proclamation declaring May 1 through 31 as Red Cross Month and, Thursday May 8, 2014 as “World Red Cross/Red Crescent Day” to be observed throughout the Republic as a working holiday. The Proclamation calls on all persons residing within the territorial limits of Liberia to observe the event under the theme:  “One Hundred Fifty Years of Humanitarian Action”. The Presidential Proclamation further orders and directs all civil and voluntary organizations and Government Agencies concerned to fully participate in such program as planned by the Liberia National Red Cross Society to make the occasion meaningful and rewarding. A Foreign Ministry release notes that the Liberia Red Cross Society will join the World Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the birth of the Movement on May 8, 2014. The Proclamation, say recent survey highlights that half of the 13 million Red Cross/Red Crescent volunteers worldwide are young people. It added that youths are innovators, embracing new ideas and technologies faster than any generations before them. It also indicated that thousands of youth worldwide have been trained as peer educators in the Red Cross/Crescent Movement.
Since its formation, the World Red Cross Red Crescent Movement has been committed to render relevant and timely services to the distressed and needy people throughout the world in time of trouble, sickness, war, natural calamity and other forms of disaster. The release further asserts that after the 150 years of its birth, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement continues to provide humanitarian services to vulnerable communities and remains committed to doing so now and in the future. The celebration which will focus on the 150th anniversary of the first Geneva Convention will be held simultaneously in the 15 Counties beginning with a street parade, indoor program, mini tournament and the launching of the Red Cross membership drive geared towards raising funds to support humanitarian work of the Liberian Red Cross.

Related Caption: Pres. Sirleaf issues Month-Long Red Cross Proclamation (INSIGHT)

‘Made In Liberia’ Market Receives US$10k From Chevron Liberia Ltd.

During President Ellen Sirleaf recent declaration of a “Made in Liberia” market to be opened adjacent the Ministry of Education on 3rd Street, Sinkor, Game Changer, owner of the Made in Liberia Market entered a month contract with Chevron Liberia and has received US$10,775 to prepare the “Made in Liberia” market for grand opening in June of this year. “The Game Changer is a social enterprise and we will be running the made in the Liberia store that the President talked about earlier. Our whole idea of meeting with Chevron today, centers around the fact that we are going to be opening the made in Liberia, made out of small and medium enterprises on June 2, 2014,” says Wynston Doe, Chairman of Game Changer. Speaking at the Chevron Offices in Sinkor, Liberia, Mr. Doe said the rent for the store is being paid by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, as a public private partnership and the aim of the market is to promote the value of Liberian products.  “We are promoting the value of Liberian products, because people need to value Liberian products and take it to a higher level and not always see it as small businesses but as future investment. And Businesses can sell their products wholesale to supermarkets and other markets inside and out of Liberia”, says Doe.  Mr. Doe who disclosed that Game Changer will be helping with the packaging of Liberian products and providing training for entrepreneurs, said the money received from Chevron will be used to get the store ready and getting freezers to preserve products. He also said the money will be used to build shelves and finish the renovation work and do other things needed. “How we are going to make money to keep the business running, we are going to get commission on every deal we make with the businesses. If you are involved in making Liberian products, come by the store to get advice and see how we can help you package and brand your products. This business is for every Liberian from every walk of life.” For his part, Mr. Karl L. Cottrell, Country Manager of Chevron said as a part of the company’s human development, the company hopes to support and help build local businesses and create job opportunities for many Liberians to be able to bring their products to the market, aiming to lift Liberia. “We are investing our social cooperate responsibilities in promoting enterprises and the Game change is a part of that. Which is helping to develop entrepreneurs bring their products to market.” Some businesses present at the function included: Asey Foods, producer of Bliss Juice. Bravo Sister Enterprise, producer of Farina, Cassava Flower and charcoal, Brisco Inc. producer of Brisco Natural Coffee, and several others, FrontPageAfrica reports.

GAC Gets Tough

Several employees of the General Auditing Commission (GAC) who worked abroad before returning home are feeling jittery over the status of their jobs following reports that management is requesting social security number from them to establish their work history outside of the country. The employees risk dismissal if they fail to submit their social security numbers for the United States, Britain and Canada to the Commission’s Human Resource Department for vetting, according to a memo by the GAC. GAC’s Director for Communications and Public Relations Nathaniel Brumskine confirmed Wednesday that the information is partially true but declined giving details on grounds that several internal works are still ongoing to the effect, New Democrat reports.

UNFPA Empowers Midwifery Institutions

The United Nations Population Fund or UNFPA has donated a consignment of training materials to midwifery schools and training institutions across Liberia, including the A.M. Doglioti College of Medicine, University of Liberia. The items include artificial human skeleton, embryonic development model, advance female contraction practice simulator model, childbirth stimulator and advance female nursing manikin, among others. In remarks during the presentation at the official program marking the observance of the International Day of the Midwife, held Monday, 5 May in Paynesville, Dr. Philderald Pratt, UNFPA Assistant Representative and Officer-in-Charge said, the donation was part of UNFPA’s effort to strengthen midwifery training institutions in Liberia. “If we must reduce maternal and newborn deaths, we have to ensure the training and deployment skilled of birth attendants”, he said.
Dr. Pratt said midwives can prevent up to 90 per cent of maternal deaths if they get all the support and are allowed to practice their competencies and play a full role during pregnancy, childbirth and after birth, saying, “Midwives deliver more than babies: they also provide other life-saving reproductive health information and services, including antenatal, postnatal care and family planning.” Also delivering a joint statement by UNFPA and the International Confederation of Midwives he said, “With just over 600 days left until the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) deadline, concerted efforts are required to scale up cost-effective interventions in educating midwives and other professionals with midwifery skills.”
UNFPA supports midwives through the provision of clean delivery kits, funding and supplies for healthcare facilities, and training programmes. Between 2008 and 2013, UNFPA supported the training of over 10,000 midwives. But much more investment and support are needed at every level, from governments, civil society organizations and community leaders. According to the Liberia Board of Nursing and Midwifery, by December 2013, there were about 800 midwives available to the population of 3.5 million people; highlighting the urgent need for the training of more midwives, New Dawn reports.

“No To Same Sex Marriage”…Episcopal Bishop Breaks Silence

Days following his election as second Archbishop of the Internal Province of West Africa, Bishop Jonathan B.B. Hart says the Episcopal Diocese of Liberia opposes same sex marriage. Bishop Hart said no Episcopal Church in Liberia will officiate or preside over any same sex marriage, NEWS reports.

EFLA Appointed To National Symbols Project

The Government of Liberia through the Governance Commission has appointed the European Federation of Liberia Associations (EFLA) to the National Symbols Review Project. A letter to the president of EFLA John Nimly Brownell stated that EFLA has been selected to appoint a representative that will serve as a member of the project’s advisory board. “We hope you will accept to collaborate with your fellow Liberians in this important national endeavor,” noted April 14, 2014 letter signed by Dr. Amos Sawyer, Chairman of the Governance Commission. The project was established to coordinate informed consultative process that will draw upon Liberia’s energy and creativity to promote a national conversation on the official symbols of the Republic of Liberia. It will solicit input from Liberians across ethnic, regional, religious, generational, gender and educational divides. This broad-based inclusive process is expected to yield timeless symbols reflecting Liberia’s past, present, and future, FOCUS reports.

Insurance Sector Cardinal To Economic Growth

 A Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has said that insurance is very important in the Liberian economy because it plays a significant role in mobilizing capital resources for growth and development of the economy. Deputy Governor Boima Kamara made the assertion Monday, May 5, in Monrovia, during the formal opening of the 36th Annual General Meeting and Education conference of the West African Insurance Companies Association (WAICA). The CBL official spoke at a two-day WAICA Meeting held under the theme: “Modern Technological Advances and the Development of the Insurance Industry in West Africa.” Kamara told WAICA delegates that the CBL took over the regulation and supervision of the insurance sector in 2009, and began processing or reforming the sector so that it operates under the relevant provisions of a new Financial Institution Act of 1999 including the 1999 CBL Act. Following a comprehensive survey and extensive consultation with the sector, Mr. Kamara said the CBL issued a one-year insurance action plan for the first stage of the reform agenda in 2011. According to the Deputy CBL Governor, the focus was to ensure that all operating insurance companies in Liberia are in compliance with the required minimum capital as well as strengthening the board and management oversight to reduce risk. “The CBL is pleased to announce to you all that this stage of the reform has been successful, and as a result of the exercise, 20 out of 26 insurance companies have met the requirements and have been licensed by the CBL to conduct insurance business in Liberia,” he said. However, the CBL Deputy Bank Governor used the occasion to encourage the 20 insurance operators to seize the opportunity to become part of WAICA. He told delegates that WAICA has lots of opportunities in the future for Liberia. For his part, the Deputy Minister for Administration and Insurance at the Ministry of Transport, J. Levi Demmah, who delivered the keynote address on behalf of the Liberian government, said it was good for West Africans to come together, to discuss issues pertaining to the growth of the economy in the sub-region. Minister Demmah said since its founding, WAICA has established two institutions in Africa and it is building the human capacity of its staff. He also told WAICA delegates to reflect on their past activities as long as the association exists in the West African region. Mr. Demmah also noted that insurance companies in Liberia have faced many challenges over the years, especially where the country is recovering from civil crisis. However, the Deputy Transport Minister said they were farsighted to launch a compulsory vehicle third party registration in the country, which he said will benefit many Liberians when it comes to accident and casualty. In his   remarks earlier, the vice-president of WAICA and president of the Association of Insurers in Liberia (AIL), Momo Fortune, thanked participants for attending this year’s 36th Annual General Meeting and Education Conference in Monrovia and said he hopes that they will achieve their desired goal at the end of the gathering. Mr. Fortune, General Manager & CEO of Mutual Benefits Assurance Company, has been installed into office as the new president of WAICA. The delegates are looking at Modern Technological Advances and the Development of the Insurance Industry in West Africa as well as Business Innovation Powered by technology: the expectations of stakeholders in the Insurance Industry in the sub-region. The West African Insurance Companies Association (WAICA), is a regional association of insurance companies and institutions in English-speaking West Africa. It was founded in 1973 by insurance institutions in the five West African countries, namely; The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria and Liberia.

Liberian Company signed US$12M Agreement

A Liberian-owned company, Liberia Cocoa Corporation (LCC) has signed a US$12 million concession agreement with the Government of Liberia to invest in the Cocoa industry. The investment, which is based in Lofa County covers 6,000 hectares of land and valid for 40 years. Speaking Tuesday at the signing ceremony, the Chairman of the National Investment Commission (NIC) Michael S. Wotorson said the government is excited to see a one hundred percent Liberian-owned company engaged in such investment, The NEWS reports.

Female Law Enforcement Assoc. Formed In Bong

New Dawn says the Liberia Female Law Enforcement Association (LIFLEA) has established its first  rural chapter in Bong County since its formation in 2000.  The association intends to better the lives of fellow female officers across the Country. According to LIFLEA’s National President Atty. Asatu Bah-Kenneth, the association is aim at mobilizing female officers into a chapter of professionals and people with integrity, in competing with their male counterparts.
Madam Asatu Bah-Kenneth, also Deputy Commissioner for Naturalization at the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, told the gathering of female officers that it was time for them to adequately prepare for greater tasks and opportunities ahead. She urged her colleagues not to be complacent with their personal initiatives, emphasizing the need for them to make use of vocational or technical education across the country to add more value and respect to their womanhood. She also admonished the newly elected officers of the Liberia Female Enforcement Association- Bong Chapter to channel the plights through the National office. Those elected to steer the affairs of the association in Bong County are BIN-Commander Col. Ophelia B. Gaye, Coordinator, as well as PSC Mama Walatee of the Armed Forces of Liberia, Asst. Coordinator, among others. Meantime, Bong County Gender Coordinator Anita Ranney has lauded the female officers for their board step taken to establish themselves in the county.

Fire Destroys Three Bedroom Apartments In Sinkor

Fire has again rendered several persons homeless and thousands of dollars worth of properties destroyed this time on 10th Street in Monrovia.    The incident occurred early Tuesday morning when a three-bedroom apartment was gutted by fire that lasted for several hours. The incident according to our reporter who went on the scene started at about 6:00 A.M. in the vicinity of Love FM Radio Station. According to an eyewitness account, the fire emanated from a candle light. The eyewitness told this paper that the incident occurred when a little girl who is an occupant of the building lit a candle after the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) current went off. The eyewitness said further that during the fire hazard, the apartment neighbors alarmed while others went on the scene to help extinguish the fire. Officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the National Fire Service subsequently brought the incident under control with no report of casualties, Inquirer reports.

UP Chief Scribe On Quality Education

The Secretary General of the ruling Unity Party has disclosed that the party is concerned about equipping young people with specific industry skills to meet employers’ need. Mr. Wilmot Paye said the UP cannot afford an educational system that does not provide people with employment, expressing the belief that the role of the party in promoting education must not be evaluated on the basis of the creation of what he called physical space. He said the government has achieved quantity, and was now pursuing quality, emphasizing that when the quality is achieved, it would be seen in the conduct of graduates from secondary schools and universities; in the conduct of lawmakers and the legislations they enact, and not the salaries they apportioned for themselves, among others.  Mr. Paye urged young people not to follow the crowd, but be led by their convictions of their country and the passion to serve. He frowned at advocates who criticize systems for their personal gains. Mr. Paye was speaking on the main campus of the Cuttington University recently. He encouraged Liberians to join the government’s efforts in improving the educational sector, New Dawn reports.

Italian NGO Rescues Disabled in Rural Liberia

In an effort to restore the lost dignity of disabled people in Liberia, AIFO-Liberia, an Italian-based organization, is presently working with people with disabilities in Nimba, Grand Gedeh, Margibi and Bong Counties. In an interview with reporters, AIFO-Liberia Regional Field Coordinator Jonathon Davis said based on their intervention in the disabled sector, people with disabilities were gaining their lost hope, pride, and dignity. He said AIFO was providing grants to small self-help groups and scholarships to members of the disabled community, with the aim 
to develop their capacities of those believed to be neglected by either government or families. The AIFO-Liberia Regional Field Coordinator expressed total regrets over families and individuals who overlook those with disabilities, urging them to desist, as the disabled are also able to contribute to the growth and development of the Liberian society. He termed the argument that people with disabilities are unable to contribute to the development of society as unrealistic and only intended to look down on them. He urged Organizations, Government and other sectors to see reasons in employing qualified disabled people in their work places so as to sustain their own families as the able body people do, New Dawn reports.  

Males Dominate Voter Roll Update In Bong 

The Bong County sub-office of the National Elections Commission (NEC) has revealed the continued male dominance in electoral exercises recently conducted in the county. The NEC report on the Voters Roll Update (VRU) exercise, recorded men accounting for 65,989 or 63 percent of the 104,710 participants, compared to their female counterparts who scored 37 percent or 38,721 of all newly registered voters in the VRU exercise across the country. According to the report, Bong County recorded 7,116 of VRU, with men accounting for 4,003 or 56 percent, compared to 3,113 females or 44percent of all persons who participated in the VRU exercise. NEC’s Bong Senior Magistrate, Daniel Newland, told the Liberia News Agency on Tuesday, May 6, that 70 percent or 25,455 of the 36,364 persons who took part in the Voter Roll Exhibition were men, while 30 percent or 10,909 were women. “As a means of securing a voting spot in the October Special Senatorial Election, over 30,000 of persons registered in 2011 also took advantage by verifying their information during the exercise,” Magistrate Newland told LINA. He noted that 36,292 of the 36,364 candidates confirmed their information, 58 corrections are to be made, six candidates’ photos were missing or incorrect, seven persons are to be included, while one person is being objected against. The Bong Magistrate has meanwhile emphasized the need for citizens to take advantage of every electoral process, including the upcoming voter card replacement from July 7-12, 2014. Recently, the gender section of the National Elections Commission conducted a two-day seminar aimed at provoking an increase in the participation of women in electoral processes. Though women constitute 51 percent of the country’s population, they are yet to wake-up to this call, Inquirer writes.

Liberia Reports H/Rights Record To AU

For the first time ever, Liberia has appeared before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to report on its human rights record.  The review of Liberia took place before the African Commission in Angola this week, says the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR). It follows Liberia’s submission of a report to the Commission on its obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, covering the 30-year period from 1982 to 2012.  ISHR says among the most significant developments at the review was an open invitation by the Liberian government for the African Commissioners to make a country visit and provide their human rights expertise.  Clément Voulé, ISHR’s African Commission Advocacy Manager, says the Commissioners indicated they would definitely take up such an invitation. ‘The African Commission actively seeks for States to make open invitations for country visits because they provide an opportunity for constructive input to domestic human rights initiatives,’ he said.  ‘What is now important is for the Liberian government to follow up its verbal invitation with a formal one, as quickly as possible.’  However, Mr. Voulé says Liberia also attracted criticism for failing to follow the Commission’s guidelines on State reporting. Commissioner Soyata Maiga said the guidelines were developed to enable the Commissioners to assess the human rights situation in all States on an equal footing, and strongly recommended that Liberia follow these guidelines in its next report.  However, Liberia was praised by some Commissioners for the way it participated in the review, sending a high-level delegation that was able to expand on many of the issues mentioned in the report.  Mr. Voulé said the African Commission was displeased by the Liberian government’s moves to increase existing penalties for consensual same-sex behaviour and to outlaw same-sex marriage.  ‘Commissioners asked Liberia to refrain from adopting this law, which they saw as part of an increasing trend to undermine principles of non-discrimination and tolerance, most evident in the existing anti-homosexuality legislation in Nigeria and Uganda,’ said Mr. Voulé.  ‘Commissioner Lawrence Murugu Mute highlighted that the “popular view” should have no weight when it comes to respect for human rights; it is not a valid argument to excuse discrimination and violence.’  The amounts of money at stake in libel cases in Liberia was highlighted as an issue because it acts as a deterrent to freedom of expression, particularly by the media. The 2010 case against Rodney Sieh, editor in chief of Frontpage Africa, who was fined $1.5 million in a libel case, was raised by a non-governmental organization as one example. Mr. Voulé said the Commission’s other concerns included restrictions on freedom of association and assembly in Liberia, and a lack of progress in the area of women’s rights. The African Commission has said it will continue to monitor Liberia’s implementation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Liberian government is required to update the Commission on its progress in its next report, which must be submitted in 2016, New Dawn reports.

 Stern Warning Against Land Grab

On the opening day of a 6-8 May conference in Abuja aimed at attracting private sector agricultural investment in Africa, Nigeria, Friends of the Earth International and the Sustainable Development Institute/Friends of the Earth Liberia are warning governments and investors that any investment must respect communities’ rights and ownership of land. The non-governmental groups are also drawing attention to the struggle of communities in Liberia who are successfully resisting a UK company grabbing their land. “Land grabbing by corporations in Africa is rising fast because governments and companies still promote investments that grab land and resources from communities. Fortunately, communities are successfully standing up to lad grabs and for their rights, for instance right now in Liberia,” said Kirtana Chandrasekaran, Friends of the Earth International Food sovereignty program coordinator, New Democrat reports.