THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2016

Today’s News summary highlights news of President Johnson Sirleaf’s appointment of competent Liberians in several key positions including Finance and Development Planning Minister, CBL Governor, Liberia’s Chief of Protocol and others; the imposition of USD 10,000 fines  by the Environmental Protection Agency on the Bea Mountain Mining Corporation and President Johnson Sirleaf’s assurance to the Women Behind Wheels of government’s continued support to help empower less fortunate and street girls in Liberia.

Also Included in the today’s summary is the assertion by Foreign Minister Marjon V. Kamara that her Ministry is ready to collaborate with UNICEF aimed at addressing critical challenges and other issues confronting its operation in Liberia.

DOMINANT STORIES

CBL Governor, Finance Minister, Others  Appointed

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has made additional appointments in government affecting the Ministries of Finance and Development Planning, Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, Central Bank of Liberia, General Auditing Commission and the Independent National Commission on Human Rights. According to an Executive Mansion release, those appointed are: Mr. Milton Weeks, Executive Governor, Central Bank of Liberia; Mr. Boima Kamara, Minister, Ministry of Finance & Development Planning; Atty. Oretha Snyder Davis, Commissioner, Independent National Commission on Human Rights;  Rev. Jervis Witherspoon, Chief of Protocol, replacing Mr. Charles Allen who goes into Diplomatic Service and Mr. Emmanuel Munyeneh, Assistant Minister for International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Others are Mr. Adam Sheriff, Deputy Auditor General – Assurance Quality, General Auditing Commission and Madam Sara K. Kullie, Mayor, Voinjama City, Lofa County, Ministry of Internal Affairs.  The Profile Daily writes that the appointments are subject to confirmation by the Liberian Senate were applicable.

Related Captions:  Boima Kamara Is New Finance Min. -Another Weeks surfaces at CBL (The New Dawn), New Economic Managers…Kamara To Finance, Weeks Heads CBL (The CAPITOL TIMES), Kamara Heads Finance President Names New Officials in Government (FrontPage Africa), New Finance Minister, Central Bank Governor Appointed (Daily Observer), New Appointments In Gov’t (INSIGHT), Boima Kamara Takes Finance Ministry—As CBL Gets New Governor(The NEWS)

EPA  Fines Bea  Mountain USD 10, 000 over Pollution

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined Bea Mountain Mining Corporation, a subsidiary of Aureus Mining US$10,000 for disrupting an on-going investigation into allegation that it discharged acute toxicity of effluents into the Mafa River in Grand Cape Mount County. EPA Executive Director Anyaa Vohiri, who headed a team of environmentalists to the company’s operational site on Saturday, said “Bea Mountain Mining Corporation disrupted the investigation by blocking effluent from its Tilling Storage Facility (TSF) to the ‘point of compliance’ without notifying the EPA. She said the investigation into the allegation, which included sites verifications, laboratory analyses of water samples and technical conference with the company’s management was in response to several complaints by residents of Jikando, Gola Konneh District, the Women Voices writes.

Related Captions: EPA Slaps Aureus Mining…With US$10,000 Fine For Breach (The NEWS), EPA Slaps Aureus Mining With US$ 10,000 Fine (INSIGHT)

AFL Train in International Humanitarian Law

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has given a four-day training course in International Humanitarian Law (IHL) to 24 junior and senior Liberian army officers. The course, which was held at the Edward Binyah Kesselly Military Barracks outside Monrovia, was organized by the ICEC and the office of the Chief of Training of the Armed Forces of Liberia. “Under the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols, every army is required to teach IHL,” said Julien Lerisson, head of the ICRC’s delegation in Liberia. While the ICRC cannot substitute for the army in this regard, it can provide support, drawing on its experience and knowledge as a guardian and promoter of IHL, the NEWS daily writes.

Related Captions: Armed Forces Train In International Humanitarian Law (FrontPage Africa), AFL Receives Int’l Humanitarian Training (In Profile Daily)

Ellen Commits To Helping Women Behind Wheels Of GoL's Support-As Group To Be Absorbed Into NTA

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has assured Women Behind Wheels (WBW) of government’s continued support to help empower less fortunate and street girls in various employable skills including driving, painting, hospitality and business throughout the country aimed at enhancing their proficiency, growth and sustainability of adolescent girls and young women.An Executive Mansion release said, President Sirleaf gave the assurance on Friday, April 15, 2015 when she received in audience Madam Lucy Page, Executive Director, CEP/Women Behind Wheels at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She urged them to conclude all necessary arrangements and discussions in getting the process under way. “Look, I love the NTA model and I will like for the Authority to take charge of the process,” President Sirleaf noted. The NTA, she noted will establish a database to identify all those in need of assistance in that direction and keep track of all of the payment arrangements - by ensuring that all those who will be issues vehicles pay through the NTA. “The only thing that I will want to tell you is not to be too strong on the issue of payments,” the President stressed. In separate remarks, Lucy Page, Executive Director of CEP/Women Behind Wheels and Mrs. Sienne Abdul-Baki, Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection thanked President Sirleaf for her commitment in supporting women-inspired programs in Liberia. They noted that the issue of payments and other modalities has been workout for the benefit of the girls and young women that will be driving the vehicles. Madam Page, then pointed out that her organization was created to help empower young Liberian women and girls in the communities. According to the Women Voices newspaper, the program Women Behind Wheels was initiated under the Ministry's EPAG Project in partnership with the Community Empowerment Program (CEP), headed by Madam Lucy W. Page; an initiative strongly supported by the President of Liberia, which seeks to develop and implement measurable strategies that will advance more opportunities to help empower less fortunate and street girls in various skills training opportunities.

Related Captions: Ellen Assures Women Behind Wheels Of Support (INSIGHT), Pres. Sirleaf Assures Women Behind Wheels Of Govt’s Suport-As Group Poised To Be Absorbed Into NTA (The ANALYST)

OTHER STORIES

Foreign Ministry Ready To Collaborate-Minister  Kamara Tells UNICEF’s Country Rep.

The CAPITOL TIMES quoting a Foreign Ministry release says Foreign Minister Ms. Marjon V. Kamara has assured the Country Representative of the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) of her Ministry’s readiness to collaborate with his organization aimed at addressing critical challenges and other issues confronting its work in Liberia. According to the release, Ms. Kamara made the assertion when she met with Mr. Sheldon Yett at her Foreign Ministry office during a courtesy call on Friday, April 15, 2016. During the visit, the two officials exchanged views on critical issues of mutual concern. Foreign Minister Kamara hailed UNICEF for the many good initiatives it is undertaking in Liberia including children’s rights, survival, development and protection, among others and called on him to bring to her attention anything that requires the ministry’s intervention. She encouraged UNICEF’s Country Representative to also focus on peace building initiatives at the community level particularly among the young people of Liberia. The Dean of the Cabinet promised to work with Mr. Yett and the UN organization to explore new areas of mutual interests and benefits to both sides during the remaining months of his tenure in the country. Foreign Minister Kamara further hailed the organization for all that it continues to do for Liberia and its children at the same time looks forward to working with UNICEF in solving some of the many critical issues of mutual interests to Liberians and the organization. She promised to consult her legal team at the ministry to seek legal advice that would help address some of the challenges serving as distractions to the operation of UNICEF in Liberia.  Speaking earlier, the UNICEF-Liberia Country Representative, Mr. Yett, used the occasion to acquaint her about UNICEF's activities here, and at the same time, thank Minister Kamara for swiftly addressing some of the critical issues at the Ministry since her appointment as the country’s new Foreign Minister. He informed Minister Kamara about some of the challenges faced by UNICEF - Liberia and called on her to assist the organization find amicable solutions to the challenges faced by the organization. Commenting on some of the challenges, Mr. Yett indicated that there’s a lot to be done to ensure young people are engaged in activities that will transform their minds. He added that so much needs to be done to ensure that young people in Liberia are positively engaged into ventures that would transform their lives so as to enhance peace in the country. The UNICEF Country Representative hailed the Liberian Government for the many achievements and for enhancing good governance; adding, “Liberia has many good things that other countries don’t have including freedom of speech.”

WFP Hands Over Logistical Unit To LAA

The World Food Programme (WFP) says, as part of its efforts to continue supporting government’s logistics capacity, it will today 18 April, begin the first of a gradual handover of its emergency supply chain assets established during the Ebola outbreak in 2014/2015. At the event, WFP will hand over one of its largest logistical hubs located at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) in Margibi County to the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) that will immediately assume full maintenance and management responsibilities. The handover is expected to increase the government’s own capacity in emergency preparedness and response. According to the CAPITOL TIMES newspaper, the WFP Logistical Hub at the RIA consists of vital physical assets and materials including large storage tents, forklifts, generators, computers and accessories that were developed and deployed during the Ebola emergency response in Liberia in 2014/15,

Related Caption: WFP Hands Over Logistical Unit At R.I.A To LAA  (The New Dawn)

Liberian Senate To Probe Several Concession Agreements

The Liberian Senate on Thursday, April 14, 2016 mandated its committees on Judiciary, Concession and Investment to investigate concession agreements in Liberia that have reached the benchmark for review as required. The FrontPage Africa newspaper writes that the Senate’s decision comes in the wake of a communication written by Senator Francis Paye of River Cess County.  In his communication, the River Cess County senator informed his colleagues that agreements entered into by logging companies in the county expired three years ago. He said the companies continue to operate in flagrant violation of concession and investment laws when their agreements have not been ratified.