THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2016

News of President Johnson Sirleaf’s submission for ratification a 7.2 million financing agreement between Liberia and the International Development Association, the ten thousand Liberian dollars fine imposed on each of the five lawyers representing Grand Cape Mount County Senator, Varney Sherman and the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company’s 30 US cents increment in the price of diesel fuel are among stories dominating today’s edition of the summary of the local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

Gov’t Submits Financing Agreement to Legislature

An inside story of the FOCUS newspaper reads that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has submitted for ratification a financing agreement between Liberia and the International Development Association (IDA) in the amount of seven million two hundred thousand Special Drawing Rights (SRD7, 200,000). SDR is an international reserve asset, created by the International Fund (IMF) in 1969 to supplement the existing official reserves of member countries.

Related Captions: President Sirleaf Wants 37-Year Financing Agreement Ratified (The INQUIRER), Ellen Wants Senate To Ratify US$10M Financing Agreement (Daily Observer)

Monrovia City Court Fines Sherman’s Lawyers for Obstructing Justice

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, the Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice has fined five lawyers representing the legal interest of the indicted Grand Cape Mount County Senator, Varney Sherman L$10,000 each, on contempt charges. The lawyers are Cllr. Moses Paegar, President of the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA), Cllr. Frank Musa Dean (Pictured), Cllr. Albert Sims, Cllr. Golda Elliot and Cllr. Cyril Jones. As part of its Tuesday’s ruling, the magistrate court has also ordered the five guilty lawyers to pay into government revenue the fine and present laptops and computers in their possession to the court immediately or they would be detained at the Monrovia Central Prison for three days.

Related Captions: Sherman’s Trouble Increase (The New Dawn), Lawyers Fined L$10,000 Each for Contempt (The INQUIRER), For Obstructing Justice: Sherman’s Lawyers Held in Contempt (Heritage), Sherman’s Lawyers Risk Imprisonment (FOCUS)

Petroleum Product Prices Increase

The Government of Liberia through the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has announced an increase in the price of diesel fuel on the Liberian market. According to a petroleum price circular issued by the government, the retail pump price for a gallon of fuel oil has increased from US$2.68 to US$2.98 or its Liberian Dollar equivalent of LD$275.00 which represents a 30 United States cents increment, while the retail pump price for a gallon of gasoline remains at US$2.96 or its Liberian Dollar equivalent of 270.00, the INQUIRER newspaper reports.

Related Captions: Diesel Fuel rice Increased (In Profile Daily), Diesel rice Jumps 30US Cents, LPRC Announces (Daily Observer), GoL Increases Diesel Price (FOCUS)

Former Senator Findley Challenges AME Zion University Graduates

Former President Pro-Tempore Gbezhongar Findley, serving as the Keynote Speaker at the graduation of over eight hundred students of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion University challenged the graduates that the pace of change in Liberia rest on their shoulders. He said that the timing of the graduation is crucial to the new direction the country is about to head. The former Pro-Tempore urged actors in the academic sector to do more in order to move Liberia education to another level, reports the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Related Captions: ‘Use Education With Integrity’-Speaker Challenges AMEZU Graduates (The INQUIRER), Dr. Findley Outlines Generation Marginalization Against Youth (FOCUS)

Small Arms Act Passed Into Law

The Chairman of the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms, James Fromayan, has disclosed that the passing into law by the National Legislature of the Liberia Firearms Ammunition Control Act of 2015 is a legal framework for regulating trade, manufacture, possession and use of all categories of firearms defined as ‘small arms light.’  Chaiman Fromayan made the disclosure Tuesday at the Ministry of Information, Culture Affairs and Tourism in Monrovia, indicating that they are in line with ECOWAS’ Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, reports the In Profile Daily.

Related Captions: Arms Control Body Upbeat About Firearms Act (Heritage), Arms Control Body Upbeat About Firearms Act (FOCUS)

LACC Completes School Integrity Program

According to the In Profile Daily, the Oversight Commissioner for Education and Prevention, at the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, Aba Hamilton Dolo, said they have completed 50 schools’ integrity Program in Montserrado County. She made the statement Tuesday at the regular press briefing of the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism in Monrovia, noting that corruption is public number one enemy.  Commissioner Dolo also stressed that looking at the origin of corruption; it came from a Latin Word corrupt, which means breaking rules.

Related Captions: LACC Official Wants Parent Teach family Values (Heritage), LACC Official Wants Parent Teach family Values (FOCUS)

Simeon Freeman Declared A Free Man

The New Dawn newspaper quoting a press release issued by the Liberia National Police (LNP) says the Minister of Justice/Attorney General Republic of Liberia has instructed the LNP to drop all perceived claims and charges against Mr. Freeman, and declare that Liberian businessman and politician Simeon Freeman is no longer wanted for questioning on concerns growing out of his utterances that the Government of the Republic of Liberia had a list of politicians to eliminate”. Mr. Freeman while addressing a press conference at his residence early February on the suspicious death of the ex-Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) Mr. Harry A. Greaves claimed he had information the Government was in possession of a list containing names of top politicians to be assassinated.

Related Captions: “MPC Leader no More Wanted says Liberia National Police (The INQUIRER), Gov’t Drops Charges Against Simeon Freeman (FOCUS)

PUL Extends Membership Registration

The Membership Committee and Leadership of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) have announced the extension of the Union's Annual Membership Registration/accreditation process till July 30, 2016. According to the NEWS newspaper, the extension is a result of a 7th April, 2016 Executive Committee Meeting that mandated the extra time due to legal bottlenecks created by an injunction filed against the Press Union of Liberia By-Election for Secretary General in November 2015. Normally, the accreditation of journalists by the PUL runs from November 1 to January 31 as sanctioned by the Constitution of the Union. 

Related Captions: PUL Extends Membership Registration (Heritage), PUL Extends Membership Registration (The INQUIRER)

OTHER STORIES

UNFPA Stresses Comprehensive Health Services

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Liberia Assistant Representative, Dr. Philderald Pratt has stressed the need to ensure access to comprehensive, quality sexual and reproductive health services in Liberia, including life-saving emergency obstetric care and most importantly family planning services for women and girls of childbearing ages. Dr. Pratt also called for sustained efforts to eliminate obstetric fistula from the country, one of the most serious and tragic childbirth injuries.  Obstetric fistula is a hole between the birth canal and bladder or rectum of a woman caused by prolonged, obstructed labor without treatment, according to medical experts, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

Senate Examines WAEC US$ 300,000 Request …To Reprint Leaked Exams

The Liberian Senate has mandated its committee on Education to evaluate Education Minister George Werner's request for US$300,000 to reprint the recently leaked West African Examinations Council test for 12th graders. The NEWS newspaper reports that the Ministry of Education recently canceled the exams for 12th grader after announcing that one of its storage facilities at the Konola Mission in Margibi County was broken into by unknown individuals.

Related Caption: Senate Com’ttee To Probe WAEC Exams Cancellation (FOCUS)

‘Take Responsibility For Your Own Life’

U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires, Sheila Paskman, has called on Liberians to take full responsibility for their lives by working in their respective local communities to achieve the health platform set up by Mercy Corps in collaboration with Ebola Action Community Platform (ECAP2) project. ECAP2 project objective focuses on the elimination of Ebola nationally through community led social mobilization, health education and behavior change, which made a major contribution to the containment of the deadly EVD crisis, writes the Daily Observer.