THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

Dominant stories in today’s dailies include Booker Washington InstituteAlumni’s donation of LD55, 000 to Liberia’s Lone Star team, the national essay competition and Former National Port Authority Boss request for more time from court.

DOMINANT STORIES

BWI Alumni Donate Ld55, 000 To Lone Star

The New Dawn newspaperreports that the Alumni Association of the Booker Washington Institute or BWI has presented a cash donation of 55, 000 Liberian dollars to the national football team, the Lone Star as it prepares to host the Elephant of Ivory Coast in Monrovia on Friday, 13 November at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS). Speaking at the regular press briefing at the Ministry of Information on Capitol Hill, alumni president, Jonathan Paye-layleh said: “We have come in fulfillment of the promise we made to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf last year when the deadly Ebola Virus hit Liberia where we donated series of preventive materials to the government, especially major healthcare centers”. Jonathan Paye-layleh, a Liberian Journalist and correspondent for the Associate Press, said the alumni association made a promise to support all national endeavors undertaken by the government in making sure it implements most of its priorities, adding that the little support citizens give the senior national team is better than just talking without doing anything to help the nation’s only pride. Meanwhile, the Managing Editor for the Daily Observer Newspaper, Mr. Kenneth Y. Best, who is also a 1977 alumna of the BWI, said the donation is in solidarity with the national team to encourage the players to do their best in the impending match against the Elephants. The Liberia Football Association was fined US$23,000 recently after jubilating fans stormed the playing pitch during the match between the Lone Star and Tunisia. Mr. Bility said if citizens claim to have love for the national team and the country, they will not do things that will hurt the nation.

Related Caption:BWI Alumni Give L$50,000 To Lone Star Against Elephants(Daily Observer), and BWI Donates To Lone Star(Inquirer)

Education Ministry Supports World Bank Essay Contest

According to the FOCUS newspaper, a nationwide youth easy competition has been launched by the World Bank Group in Liberia. The youth easy contest is targeting Liberians age group 18-25 years. The objective of this Essay Contest themed Youth and Sustainable Development is to give young Liberians the opportunity to voice their ideas and visions for their country’s development.  Acting Minister of Education Romelle Horton said that completion is welcoming adding that it will open minds of Liberians youth. “This competition will open the mind of young Liberians from 18 to 25 years,” Horton said. The Acting Minister of Education urged Liberian youth to come out and participate in the easy competition. “Liberian student we know what you can do come out and win; you are in street corners talking it now time to write,” Horton added. Madam Horton promised the fullest support of the ministry of Education to the process. “We at the Ministry of Education will give all the support, we are very proud of this accomplishment,” Horton added. The first, second and third winners will received cash prices of US$ 750.00, US$ 500 and US$ 250.00 respectively, including internship with the World Bank Group. Resident Representative of the International Finance Corporation Frank Ajilore said, that it their goal that writing on the topic Youth and Sustainable Development will raise awareness, encourage our youth to start thinking about issue affecting. “We will use this medium to propose new insights that contribute to the ways we are thinking in making developmental decision sustainable,” Ajilore said.

Related Captions:World Bank Group Launches Essay Contest(Inquirer), Nationwide Youth Essay Competition Launch(Daily Observer) and National Essay Competition Gets Underway
(FOCUS)

OTHER STORIES

Sixty Trained In Accessing Finance, Record Keeping By IBEX

The FrontPage Africa newspaper pens, inpreparation for the 2015 Small Business Administration (SBA) National Micro-, Small-, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSME) Conference and Trade Fair on 17 and 18 November in Monrovia, USAID Investing for Business Expansion Program (IBEX) has trained 60 Liberian entrepreneurs on improving MSMEs performance through access to finance and record keeping. The one-day training was delivered on Friday, November 6 at the Liberia Business Registry in Monrovia with the participants drawn from eight project-targeted sectors. These include agriculture/agribusiness, clean/renewable energy, general merchandize/trade, hospitality, infrastructure, construction, transportation/logistics and healthcare. IBEX provides free capacity building, training, and technical assistance to SMEs and banks to help grow and expand their businesses through coaching, mentoring, advising and loan facilitation. At the close of the training several participants gave their impressions. Zac S. Deranamie of ComNet IT Solutions Inc. said his key challenge was proper record keeping. “I am impressed about today’s training because it has provided me some basic skills and information on how to keep my records, specifically for securing loans, attracting investors and winning contracts.” Before, he said, revenues from contracts were expended without proper records. 

Related Caption:IBEX Completes Training On Access To Finance, Record Keeping For Local Business People(Daily Observer)

GOL Praises Keita For Winning Peace Prize

The Government of Liberia has highly commended Abraham Keita, a young Liberian who won the International Children’s Peace Prize in The Hague, the Netherlands. Abraham Keita, 17, won the 2015 International Children’s Peace Prize for his role in demanding justice for children who are victims of physical or sexual violence. He also successfully campaigned for the Liberian Senate to adopt the Children’s Law. At the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing in Monrovia yesterday, Minister Lewis G. Brown expressed the government’s gratitude and said Liberia celebrates with Keita’s family their son’s achievement of such an international award.

“These are joyous moments for Liberia especially having a 17 year old boy being nominated and winning an international prize. He won, and deservedly so. While we celebrate as government and people, we feel compelled to remind all of us that there is always someone watching us from a distance,” said Minister Brown. He said the international award signifies excellent achievements not only for the Keita family, but the people of Liberia, adding that this is a testament that Liberia has gained her rightful place among the community of nations, reports the Daily Observer.

Senator Taylor Abhors Negative Portrayal Of Country

According the News newspaper, Bong County Senator Jewel Taylor has frowned on the negative portrayal of the country by some Liberians. She observed that while the current situation in the country does not meet the expectations of citizens 100 percent, “things are not as bad as bad as some Liberians are portraying them”. Senator Taylor made the observation on at the weekend when she served as guest speaker at the inauguration of the leadership of the Central Matadi Right Wing Community held at the Trinity Lutheran Church in the Community in the Monrovia suburb of Sinkor. She also indicated that while the devastating civil war has resulted to lack of adequate electricity, water and other essential infrastructure and services, the country has enjoyed over ten years of peace, noting that this is something Liberia Liberians must celebrate.

Omega Market Gets Boost

According to the Inquirer newspaper, the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority Incorporated launched a big raffle draw at the University of Liberia’s main campus over the weekend, to enable the organization raise funds and complete the Omega Market project in Paynesville Community, Montserrado County. Speaking at the launching of the program, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Madam Matilda Wokie Parker, said Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) started in the United States of America (USA) in 1908, and it was established by a group of college women who wanted to make a difference in lifer. Madam Parker said AKA has supported many orphanage homes in Liberia and started a program and the organization has recruited 12 school students and taught them many things to enable them become useful in society and contribute positively to national growth and development of the country. The Students of the University of Liberia (UL), have praised Matilda Wokie Parker for the significant initiative embarked which will benefit thousands of business people at the Paynesville Community.

Liberia Embarks On Formation Of Standards Board

The Inquirer newspaper reports that an engagement with stakeholders to formulate a standards board organized by the WAQSP commenced yesterday in Monrovia. Under the theme “Awareness on the National Quality Infrastructure” twenty – two participants drawn from the Ministry of Health, Environmental Protection Authority, National Standards Laboratory, Ministry of Commerce & Industry and other relevant bodies will continue a four day workshop from November 9 -13,2015 at MSME Conference Room, Ministry of Commerce organized by the West African Quality System Program (WAQSP). Making presentations on the components of the Quality Infrastructure, International Expert in Quality Infrastructure Nimo Ahinkorah, disclosed that standardization entails two aspects which are the standard technical specification that could be voluntary and the technical regulations which are mandatory.

Gov’t Officially Pledges Support To Bility’s FIFA Presidential Bid

The Government of Liberia (GOL) on Tuesday, November 10 officially vowed to support the presidential bid of Musa Hassan Bility for the Federation of International Football Association or FIFA. Mr. Bility is the President of the Liberia Football Association (LFA), the umbrella organization for all football activities in the country. The FIFA’s elections, which are expected to be held in February, next year, are triggered by the resignation of Seep Blatter as President of the World football governing body.  In order to stand in the elections, the Liberia FA’s President successfully submitted his candidacy to FIFA on October 26, according to the Heritage newspaper.

Gov’t Urged To Promote Liberian Businesses

According to the Heritage newspaper, a prominent Liberian businessman, Mr. Paul Romeo Davis has urged the Government of Liberia (GoL) to prioritize and promotes locally owned Liberian businesses in a bid to increase economic growth and development. Mr. Paul Romeo Davis, who is the CEO of Zenith Multipurpose Company, said one of the ways through which the government can promote Liberian businesses is to reduce tariff on all imported goods. Mr. Davis made these comments at the weekend in Monrovia following a colorful ceremony in recognition of his (Davis) active role played over the years for immensely contributing to the economic revitalization of the country.

Regional Customs Experts, Others Brainstorm in Monrovia

A back page story of the Insight newspaper writes that Several Anglophone states in West Africa are currently attending an international symposium in Monrovia aimed at strengthening their customs’ organizations capacities to carry out their duties in line with international best practices. Among the countries represented are Liberia, Nigeria, Gambia, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. The facilitator of the seminar is from the World Customs Organization (WCO)-West Africa Customs Administration Modernization (WACAM). Speaking at the opening of the symposium on Monday, November 9, 2015, Madam Elfrieda Stewart Tamba, Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) committed Liberia to raising its customs regimes in line with international standards. “Customs have today moved away from the traditional gate-keeper concept to an approach which meets the growing demands of growing demands of growing trade facilitation,” Commissioner General Tamba said during the opening ceremony.

Dujar Technical College holds First Graduation Today 

Liberia Dujar Technical College, established in 2011, is set to conduct its first graduation exercise today, Wednesday, November 11, 2015. The President of the college, Mr. Nathan Mahteh, made disclosure Sunday at the First Baccalaureate Service of the college held at the New Life Ministries Center in Barnesville Township outside Monrovia, the state-run Liberia News Agency said. Mr. Mahteh challenged Liberian youth to be disciplined and remain focused on their educational pursuit to prepare for the challenges ahead. He observed that the youth who are the nation’s future leaders should be respectful and continue to pursue their education, despite the difficulties associated with the process, writes the Insight newspaper.