THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, November 5, 2014

News of President Johnson Sirleaf’s proclamation declaring Thursday, November 6, 2014 National Thanksgiving Day, the resignation of six Government officials contesting in the upcoming Senatorial Election, the Chairman of theNational Elections Commission proposed December 16 date for the holding of the Special Senatorial Elections and the Youth and Sports Minister’s callfor global support toward charting a new course for youth development in the World are stories dominating our summary of selected  local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

Thursday is Thanksgiving Day

The New Dawnnewspaper quotes a Foreign Ministry release as saying that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has by Proclamation declared Thursday, November 6, 2014 as a National Thanksgiving Day and is to be observed throughout the Republic as a National Holiday. The Proclamation calls on all Liberians and  foreign residents, priests, imams, bishops, pastors clergies and all religious organizations in Liberia to gather together in their various places of worship to give thanks and praises to the Almighty God that His blessings and mercies may continuously rest upon  the Nation and its people. A Foreign Ministry release quotes the Proclamation as saying that at this moment of the Nation's existence, the Liberian people are overwhelmingly confronted by a deadly Ebola disease which is wreaking havoc on the country and has cofounded the collective effort of the Nation and the international community to contain its effect, having already claimed the precious lives of more than 1,800 of persons. The Proclamation is in consonance with an Act of National Legislature which at its session in 1883 did enact a statute declaring the first Thursday in the month of November of each year as National Thanksgiving Day.  The Proclamation further stated that it is befitting that day be set aside for the Nation and its people to give thanks and adoration to the Lord for this dispensation of grace, mercy and providence for the preservation of the lives of its people to overcome the spreading of the pathogenic disease.  According to the release, the people of Liberia have always given thanks and praises to the Almighty God for His mercies showered upon the Nation, especially for His continuous protection  and blessing in time of peace, disaster and other natural phenomena upon the people of Liberia  politically, socially and economically over the years.

Related Captions: Thursday Is Thanksgiving Day(Daily Observer), Thursday Declare Holiday (In Profile Daily), Thursday Is National Thanksgiving Day(The New Republic), Ellen Declares Thursday Is National Thanksgiving Day(The News)

Six Gov’t Officials Quit Posts To Contest Senatorial Race

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has received the resignation letters of three Superintendents and two Ministers who have been qualified by the National Elections Commission (NEC) to participate in the forthcoming Special Senatorial Elections scheduled for later this year.
According to an Executive Mansion release, the resignations are consistent with a policy pronouncement by the Liberian President requesting all members of the Executive qualified by the NEC to participate in the upcoming senatorial election to resign their posts. Those who resigned their posts are Superintendents J. Milton Teahjay of Sinoe County, Daniel G. Johnson of River Gee County and Wellington Geevon Smith of Rivercess County as well as Mr. Conmany Wesseh, Minister of State Without Portfolio and Mr. Ranney Jackson, Deputy Minister for Operations, Ministry of Internal Affairs. Also resigning was Ambassador-at-Large Alhaji G.V. Kromah who has been qualified by the National Elections Commission (NEC) to participate in the forthcoming Special Senatorial Elections scheduled for later this year.
President Sirleaf praised the officials for adhering to the directive to resign and wished them well in their future endeavors. She called on others in the same category to follow their example or face dismissal, according to the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Related Captions: Pres. Sirleaf Receives Resignations From Five Senatorial Aspirants(The New Dawn), Five Government Officials Resign(Women Voices), They Resign, Finally Pres. Sirleaf Receives Resignations From 5 Senatorial Aspirants(The Analyst), 5 Resign Posts To Contest In Senatorial Election-3 Superintendents; 2 Ministers(Daily Observer)

NEC Proposes December 16 For Senatorial Election -Wants More Funding

The Chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Cllr. Jerome G. Korkoya, has formally proposed Tuesday, December 16, 2014 as the new date for the Special Senatorial Elections. The NEC boss informed Speaker Alex Tyler of the House of Representatives and Senator Gbehzohgar Findley, President Tempore of the Liberian Senate, that the new date was overwhelmingly accepted during consultations organized by NEC in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the Electoral Assistance Division of the United Nations (UNEAD).  Cllr. Korkoyah noted that the proposal of the new date is in compliance with the Joint Resolution adopted by the National Legislature and approved by President Sirleaf, in which NEC was mandated to conduct Special Senatorial Elections not later than December 20, 2014, and to hold consultations with relevant stakeholders to set a new date, reports the Daily Observer.

Related Captions: NEC Writes Lawmakers(Women Voices), NEC Seeks Legislative Approval For Election Date(The New Republic), Midterm Election Set For December 16- NEC Writes Legislature For Approval(INSIGHT), NEC Briefs Lawmakers…On Senatorial ElectionDate (The News)

Youth & Sports Minister Calls for Support to Post-Ebola Youth Development Plan

The Minister of Youth and Sports Eugene Nagbe is appealing for global support toward charting a new course for youth development in the World. Minister Nagbe said young people, whom he described as the "Forgotten Generation" in West Africa, have been hit hard by all the ills in society, stressing the need to re-orientate the methods being used to address the situation of young people in Liberia and the entire Mano river basin. The Liberian Youth and Sports Minister was speaking during the Global Youth Policy Forum that took place in Baku, Azerbaijan between 28-30th October. It was jointly organized by UNDP, UNESCO, Council of Europe and the Office of the SG's Envoy on Youth. Addressing the Plenary Session through a video link set up by UNDP, Minister Nagbe urged participants to remember Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone as they battle the deadly Ebola virus that is currently ravaging their respective economies, reports the In Profile Daily.

Related Captions: Youth & Sports Minister Calls for Support to Post-Ebola Plan(FrontPage Africa), Youth & Sports Min. calls for global support(The New Dawn), Youth And Sports Minister Calls for Support-To Post-Ebola Youth Development Plan(The New Republic), Minister Nagbe Calls For Support…To Post-Ebola Youth Development Plan(The News)

OTHER STORIES

GOL Doubles Efforts On Contact Tracing

The FOCUS newspaper writes that the Government of Liberia (GOL) said there are immense efforts being made to improve the contact tracing strategy across the country. Contact tracing is a generally accepted method mostly used to track individuals who may have come in close contact with a patient who shows signs and symptoms of the Ebola epidemic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is spread when a person, showing signs and symptoms of the disease, comes in contact with a non-infected person.  Appearing at the Ministry of Information daily press briefing on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, the head of Contact Tracing at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH&SW) Chea Stanford Wesseh noted that government is making significant progress in breaking the chain of transmission of the disease. He said reporting suspected Ebola cases in the various communities by community leaders will beef up government efforts in containing the spread of the virus across the country.  

Ebola Difficult to Narrow to Zero Says UN Representative

According to the New Dawn newspaper, the head of the UN Ebola Emergency Response to Liberia, Anthony Bambary, says it's difficult for the Ebola virus in Liberia to reach point zero. Speaking with reporters Tuesday in Monrovia, Mr. Bambary said cases in Liberia are declining in certain regions due to measures that have been adapted by the Government and with the help of the UN and international partners. He also said the Government of Liberia needs more logistical support and money to help in the fight against the deadly virus. Mr. Bambary said in 30 days, there has been fast deployment in West Africa to fight the virus and there will be more investments to help governments of the region and their peoples in the fight because the virus is a global treat.

Pres. Sirleaf, National Legislature Confer On Developments In The Fight Against Ebola

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and members of the National Legislature have held a meeting to discuss latest developments in the fight against the Ebola virus disease in the country. According to an Executive Mansion release, the meeting which was held Tuesday, November 4, in the Foreign Ministry’s  C. Cecil attended by Vice President Joseph N. Boakai received briefing on the Ebola epidemic from the head of the incidence Management System, Mr. Tolbert Nyenswah.  Mr. Nyenswah, who is also Assistant health Minister for Preventive Services, reported lowering cases of Ebola infections in the country, but cautioned against complacency in observing preventive measures. He reiterated that one infected person or dead body can trigger a chain of transmission that could contaminate an entire community, New Dawn reports.

Related Caption: Ellen, Lawmakers Confer on Ebola Issues(Daily Observer)

Denounce Discrimination – UN Secretary Gene

The United nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has told meeting with Conchita Wurst, in Vienna that discrimination has no place in the twenty first century. He explained that discrimination has no place in the United Nations, nor in the world of the twenty-first century stressing that he will continue to fight against transphobia and homophobia,  Women Voices reports.

No New Ebola Cases Among Health Workers-Says Min. Nyenswah, Clarifies: “Liberia Not Yet Ebola-Free”

Assistant Health Minister for Preventive Services, Tolbert Nyenswah, has disclosed that no new Ebola cases have been reported for one week among health workers across the country. Nyenswah said this is due to the level of training they have received from the Ministry of health and international partners. Making the disclosure at the Ministry of Information, Ebola daily press briefing, Monday, Nyenswah, however, stressed the need for health workers to continue to adhere to preventive measures to avoid new infections. “It is not yet over until we stop transmitting the virus completely. It will not be over until all counties report zero cases for over 21 days and in the next 42 days in our country”, The Analyst reports.

ARAQUA, Tohde Dedicate Ebola Information Center To Chugbor Community

Over the weekend a group called Tohde in collaboration with its German partner named ARAQUA dedicated an Ebola Information Center in the Chugbor community and also assisted residents with well chlorinated substances. Speaking at the dedication ceremony in Chugbor, Tohde chairperson, Pauline Kwabo, said the organization was established in 2011 to help provide support for girls who are not opportune to go back to school, Inquirer reports.

US Troop Reading Grand Bassa ETU

U.S. Troops in Grand Bassa County have disclosed that a 100-bed Ebola Treatment Unit will be ready by November 18 and start treating patients in the county that are infected with the Ebola virus disease. Speaking to a group of reporters in Buchanan, the head of the US Troops deployed in Buchanan, Mayor Tony Costello said when the ETU is completed it will have a red zone and a Green Zone, indicating that the red zone will be the section for treating sick people while the green zone will be the station for health workers and other staff working at the ETU. He said the ETU is being designed to ensure that enough space is available for both patients and health workers so as to ensure that the environment is safe for staff and health workers, reports the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Cocopa Donates 345 PPEs to Nimba Hospitals

According to the New Dawn newspaper, the Cocopa Rubber Plantation Company in Nimba County has donated three hundred and forty-five pieces of the Personal Protective Equipment to more than eight health facilities in Nimba County. The head of the community Relations Department at the plantation, Mr. J. Austin Yeanay said the donation was intended to help every hospital in the County combat the Ebola Virus. According to Mr. Yeancy, beneficiaries of the donation include the Ganta United Methodist Hospital, Bahn Health Center and Jackson F. Doe Hospital. Others are the Glayla Clinic, Saclepea Health Center, Karnplay Health Center and G. W. Healey Hospital.  Mr. Yeanay expressed the hope that the 345 pieces of the PPEs will help to boast the fight against the Ebola virus in Nimba County. Receiving the items on behalf of the hospitals, the Chief Administrator of the Ganta United Methodist Hospital, Victor Dolakeh Taryor expressed gratitude to the Cocopa Rubber Plantation Company for the donation.

163 Trained To Run Bomi ETU

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has trained 163 health workers to man the Bomi Ebola Treatment Unit, a health official has disclosed. Bomi County Health Services Administr4ator Davidson Rogers said of this number, 43 are professional health workers who were trained in infection control while the rest are support staff, In Profile Daily reports.

Declining Exports Hurt Liberia -CBL Wants Policy Reforms to Widen Export Base

The Daily Observer reports that the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has called for policy reforms and programs aimed at widening Liberia’s export base from the enclave mining sector towards non-traditional commodity exports. The Bank has warned that reliance on the enclave mining sector for export earnings will not develop the country. The CBL made the call in its latest 2^nd Quarterly ‘Financial & Economic Bulletin”. The Bank also analyzed that weak global demand for export products from Liberia is affecting the performance of the country’s key export commodities on the world market---iron ore and rubber.  In the second quarter of 2014, the situation posed serious problems for the overall export earnings for the country’s key commodities, rubber and iron ore, outweighing the gains recorded from minerals [diamond and gold] and round logs exported during the quarter relative to the preceding quarter.  

Brewerville Magisterial Court Dedicated

Ceremony marking the official dedication of the Brewerville Magisterial Court was held in the city of Brewerville, in Montserrado County on November 4, 2014. According to a judicial release issued Tuesday, officials of UNMIL, the Liberian Judiciary, local officials of Montserrado County and ordinary citizens of Brewerville attended the dedication ceremony.  Turning the keys over to the Liberian Government, a UN envoy here Cathrine Marchi-Uhel expressed delight in the relationship between UNMIL and the Liberia Government especially the Judiciary.  Madam Uhel who is the principal rule of law officer in the office of the Deputy Secretary General Special Representative to Liberia, said UNMIL will continue to support the Liberian Judicial reform process. She urged the staff of the Brewerville Magisterial Court to take charge and proper care of the building and provide proper accountability for the rule of law in Brewerville.  Receiving the keys to the building on behalf of Liberia’s Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor Sr., the Court Administrator of the Supreme Court of Liberia Cllr. Elizabeth Nelson promised UNMIL that the building will be properly maintained and asked the people of Brewerville to assist in the process, writes the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Caption: Brewerville Gets New Court(New Democrat), Brewerville Magisterial Court Dedicated(The Inquirer)