THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2016

Today’s News summary highlights news of President Johnson Sirleaf’s admittance of outgoing Finance and Development Planning Minister, Amara Konneh into the Order of the Star of Africa with the Grade of Grand Band honor, the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation pronouncement of its final negotiation for the acquisition of the Novafone cellular company and the opening of a two-day stakeholder meeting to discuss the country’s educational sector.

DOMINANT STORIES  

‘Demonstrated Intelligence’ President Sirleaf Tells Outgoing Minister  Amara Konneh; Receives Honor ‘Grade of Grande Band’ 

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has told outgoing Finance and Development Planning Minister, Amara Konneh that he demonstrated intelligence and the competence of a professional in the discharge of his many duties as an official of the Liberian Government. According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf made the statement on Thursday, April 28, 2016 when the Government of Liberia honored the outgoing Minister at a Special Investiture Ceremony held at the C. Cecil Dennis Auditorium at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The outgoing Minister was admitted into the Order of the Star of Africa with the Grade of Grand Band. President Johnson Sirleaf pointed out that Minister Konneh’s ability to make Liberia’s case led to the country being the highest recipient of grants from multilateral institutions and the international community.  “We have come to recognize and pay tribute to a young enterprising Liberian who has worked and earned my respect. She described Minister Konneh as the “Shock Absorber” in the relationship between the Executive and Legislative Branches of the Liberian Government through his strong inter-personal skills and professional conduct, the FrontPage Africa newspaper asserts.

Related Caption: Konneh Receives ‘Grade Of Grande Band’ honor (The New Dawn), Financial ‘Shock Absorber’-Ellen Describes Amara (The CAPITOL Times)

LIBTELCO Buys NOVAFONE

On Thursday, April 28, 2016, the Government operated Telecommunications Corporation (LibTelCo) announced that it is in final negotiation for the acquisition of Novafone.  Libtelco said in a press statement that the talks and negotiation on the acquisition was initiated since last October. The Managing Director of Libtelco, Sebastian Muah said the lingering question was whether to sell LibTelCo today as scrap for about $15 million and pay some liabilities and the Government could net about $10 million; try to build an operating network to reach the scope of the smallest competition Novafone for about $35 million over a 2 year period, or negotiate and acquire an operational network, the NEWSreports.

Related Captions: Lonestar Gets ‘Wahway’- Libtelco Takes Over Novafone (The CAPITOL Times), LibTelco To Take Over Novafone (The New Dawn), LibTelco To Buyout Novafone  (Women Voices), LibTelco Positive On US$10m Investment (New Democrat)

Gov’t Targets 23,000 Teachers

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf says in order to get to a target of 50 students per teacher, government needs to have 23,000 teachers in the next few years, which will see an increase from a current population of 16,000 teachers here. Speaking at the commencement of a two-day education sector stakeholder conference at the Monrovia City Hall Thursday, President Sirleaf stressed that the highest impact intervention through the education system is to improve the quality of teaching. The Liberian leader said government continues to make improvement in the payment for teachers, but admitted that the education budget still remains far below what is necessary to be able to pay that which will continue to attract quality to Liberian schools, the New Dawn reports.

Related Captions: Education Stakeholders Brainstorm (The CAPITOL Times), Stakeholders Meet To Discuss Messy Education System (WOMEN Voices)

OTHER STORIES

ILO Calls For Ratification Of Occupational Safety And Health Conventions

Liberia will join the rest of the world today to celebrate World Day for Safety and Health at work under the global theme "Workplace Stress: a Collective Challenge”. This day was first celebrated on April 28, 2003 and since that time, the day has been observed to raise awareness on occupational safety and health among trade unions, employers' organizations and government representatives alike. According to the NEWS newspaper, the ILO continues to encourage member states to ensure the implementation of stringent measures in order to bring about improved safety and health regulations at the workplace as this challenge can only be addressed through collective effort of all the tripartite partners.  The ILO Constitution sets forth the principle that workers should be protected from sickness, disease and injury arising from their employment. Yet for millions of workers, the reality is very different. According to ILO estimates, every year 2.34 million people die due to occupational fatalities, 2.02 million of which result from work-related diseases, equivalent to 5,500 deaths every day.

IREDD Ends Border Security Training For Citizens

According to the New Dawn newspaper, the Institute for Research and Democratic Development has ended a two-day training with citizens along the Liberian borders with Mano River Union Countries. The training, which took place in Gbarnga, Bong County, brought together participants from over four counties. It focused on how citizens along the borders could help security institutions in the country, as UNMIL gradually draws down. IREDD’s Executive Director Harold Aidoo said, the training was part of a long-term engagement wherein his institution would strengthen the capacity of local community members and groups to keep taking ownership of their security, as well as fostering peace along their respective border communities.

Sea Erosion Victims Face Relocation

The Commissioner of the Township of West Point, Sampson J. Nyan, has disclosed that victims of sea erosion in the township would be relocated to Brewerville. Commissioner Nyan said government is completing paper works for the acquired land and would construct housing units to relocate residents, whose homes were recently destroyed by the Atlantic Ocean.  He noted that government would also relocate residents of about 450 homes, which according to him, were washed away by the Atlantic Ocean between 2014 and 2016. According to him, West Point has been captured in government's costal defense project and indicated that this would help to prevent the repeated sea erosion in the township, the NEWS newspaper reports.

Related Caption: Stakeholders Meet To Discuss Messy Education System (Women Voices)

Chicago Health Experts Arrive In Liberia – Delegation Meets With President Sirleaf

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has received in audience a 12-Member Delegation from the Chicago Global Health alliance from the United States of America at her Foreign Ministry Office in Monrovia. The delegation was led by Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Rev. Kenety S. Gee, a Liberian who also resides in the USA. According to an Executive Mansion release, president Sirleaf welcomed the delegation to Liberia and thanked them for the life-saving interventions being made in the country’s health sector. The Liberian leader also told the visitors that many of the professionals of the country’s health sector were forced to relocate to other parts of the globe due to the conflict in Liberia and that need for professionals in all sectors including the health sector remains a key priority for the country. “I am hopeful that your presence will help fill the important gaps that currently exist and I want to thank you for the great services being offered the people of Liberia”, she concluded. For his part, the Co-Founder/CEO of the Chicago Global Health Alliance, the Rev. Kenety S. Gee told President Sirleaf that his group is working in Liberia to help equip Regional Medical Centers, offer pro bono medical, surgical and mental health services to needy Liberians, Women Voices newspaper reports.

Belarus, Liberia Establish Diplomatic Relations

A Joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations was signed between Belarus and Liberia at Belarus’ Permanent Mission to the United Nations on 27 April, BelTA learned from the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to a Belarus news online, the joint communique was signed by Permanent Representative of Belarus to the UN Andrel Dapkiunas and Charge of Affairs and interim of the Permanent Mission of Liberia to the UN George Pattern, Women Voices newspaper writes.

Liberians Urged To Be Patriotic – Former Foreign Minister –King

Liberia’s former Foreign Minister, Olubanke King-Akerele has cautioned Liberians both at home and abroad to take Liberia as their own country. Madam King-Akerele, executive director of Liberia Institute for Growing Patriotism said Liberia is the only Country that Liberians cannot be deported from; therefore it should be loved by Liberians. According to her, Liberia is the only country she has seen in her life time that its people always speak negative of Serving as keynote speaker at the Stella Maris Polytechnic recently for the official launched of a bathroom renovation project, the then Foreign and Commerce Minister argued that if all Liberians take the  initiative in the rebuilding process Liberia, the country will be one of the beautiful place on earth as it was before the war, Women Voices newspaper asserts.

World Bank, LWSC Sign US$10.4M Credit Deal…For Urban Water Expansion

The World Bank Group and the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) on Wednesday signed a credit loan agreement in the amount of US$10.4M. The loan is provided by the International Development Association (IDA) for the Liberian Urban Water Supply Project. The credit to the entity is part of efforts aimed at increasing access to pipe born water supply to several parts of Montserrado County. LWSC Managing Director Humbo Turlay expressed delight for the signing of the agreement adding that it was the first step to have water supplied to every parts of Montserrado County, the NEWS newspaper reports.

Related Caption: Clean Water Essential For Healthy Population-World Bank Boss Says At US$37.6m Signing Ceremony (The CAPITOL Times)

MFDP Launches Strategic Plan

The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning has launched its strategic plan covering the next three years (2015-2018). Outgoing Minister Amara M. Konneh said the ministry’s strategic plan is a step towards attaining national development goals. Speaking Thursday at the launch, Minister Konneh said one of the critical outputs of the strategic plan is a comprehensive and independent mid-course review of the Agenda for Transformation (AfT) and leveraging intellectual leadership in collaboration with other core institutions, the NEWS newspaper reports.

President Sirleaf, Others to Commit Globally to End HIV & AIDS

The Commissioner of the National AIDS Commission (NAC), Wilfred S. Boayue, has disclosed that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, together with other world leaders, has been invited by the Secretary General of the United Nations to commit globally to end the HIV & AIDS Epidemic. HIV & AIDS is one of modern day’s most devastating health challenges. The President will participate in the event because of her demonstrated commitment to the global response in the fight against HIV & AIDS. At a media briefing on Friday, held at UNAIDS office in Mamba Point, Dr. Boayue said the ambitious goal of the High Level Meeting is to end the epidemic by 2030, the Daily Observer newspaper writes.

MRU Countries to Settle on Power Purchase Plan

TRANSCO CLSG is organizing Commercial Framework workshops for the Power Purchase Agreement (PPAs) and the Transmission Service Agreements (TSAs) in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea respectively, with relevant stakeholders to discuss, validate and adopt the draft bi-lateral agreements for signatures. The group’s General Manager, Mohammed M. Sherif is leading a high=-level delegation to these meetings which commences on May 2, 2016 in Monrovia, Liberia, following which the delegation will travel Sierra Leone and Guinea to conduct similar activities. The General Manager will be accompanied by his deputies including the Director of Finance and Administration, Jigba Yilla and the Director of Project Implementation Unit, Etiennen Baily, the New Democrat newspaper reports.

Journalists Set For Voinjam City

According to the New Democrat daily, the Press Union of Liberia will join global partners and friends of journalism in the commemoration of this year’s World Press Freedom Day in Voinjama City, Lofa County. The events are slated to commence on April 30 to May 3, 2016 under the theme: “Promoting a free Press to ensure sustainable Development in Liberia”.  This is the first time the PUL is taking the celebration of World Press Freedom Day to northwestern Liberia. May 3 of each year is observed globally as World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) with appropriate programs highlighting the importance of a free press in a democracy.

TRANSCO CLSG Holds Commercial Framework Meetings

According the Capitol Times newspaper, Transmission Company Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea (TRANSCO CLSG), a special purpose company is organizing Commercial Framework workshops for the Power Purchase Agreement (PPAs) and the Transmission Service Agreements (TSAs) in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea respectively, with relevant stakeholders to discuss, bilateral and adopt the draft bilateral agreements.