THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia  

NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016 

News of President Johnson Sirleaf’s request for direct budgetary support to Liberia from the World Bank, Vice President Joseph Boakai’s disclosure of plans to reopen Liberia’s borders with Côte d’Ivoire and his assurance to the Government and people of Cote d’Ivoire of Liberia’s support for regional and international alliances in dealing with terrorism are stories dominating today’s edition of the summary of the local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES  

Ivory Coast To Reopen Land Borders With Liberia, Celebrates 56th Independence Anniversary 

The Daily Observer reports that Vice President Joseph Boakai has disclosed that La Côte d’Ivoire’s land borders, which were closed to Liberia due to the civil war a few years ago, are shortly to be reopened. VP Boakai made the disclosure on Tuesday, August 9, when he spoke at the 56th independence anniversary of La Côte d’Ivoire. The VP, who represented President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, told the Ivorian Ambassador and his compatriots that the opening of the borders will ensure the full implementation of La Côte d’Ivoire-Liberia Quadripartite Agreement with the support of the international community. The VP assured the Ivoirian Ambassador that Liberia will remain committed to their shared goals for the mutual benefit of both peoples and countries. Speaking earlier, the Ivoirian Ambassador, Dr. Feni Kouakou, thanked Liberia for hosting more than 250,000 Ivorian refugees, who fled to Liberia at the peak of the post-electoral crisis in 2010 - 2011. Amb. Kouakou corroborated what the VP had said earlier about the reopening of the land borders and assured that their side is “making all the necessary arrangements for the opening shortly.

Related Captions: Cote d’Ivoire To Reopen Border With Liberia(The NEWS), Ivory Coast To End 2 Yrs Blockade With Liberia(FOCUS)

Boakai Call for Regional Alliance against Terrorism

Liberia’s Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has assured the Government and people of La Cote d’Ivoire that Liberia remains firm in its support for regional and international alliances in dealing with terrorism, as both countries bolter cross-border surveillance cooperation. Speaking at a program marking the 56^th Independence Anniversary of La Cote d’Ivoire in Monrovia on Tuesday, he said as the country celebrates its National Day, the Liberian Government recognizes the courage and resilience of the people of La Cote d’Ivoire in the face of the terrorist attack at the Etoile du Sud Hotel in the coastal resort of Grand Bassa, which claimed several lives and left many others injured, FOCUS reports.

Related Caption: Liberia Remains Unwavering Against Terrorism(The New Dawn), Boakai Recognizes Resilience Of Ivoirians-Following Terror Attacks(The NEWS)

Pres. Sirleaf Seeks Direct Budgetary Support From World Bank

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has stressed the need for a direct budgetary support to Liberia from the World Bank, saying the country has met all of the requirements to receive such support. President Sirleaf noted that full support of the World Bank is still important for Liberia because the country is still exhibiting signals of fragility and thus needs attention. She made the comments when the visiting World Bank Executive Director for Africa Group 1, Louis Rene Peter Larose paid her a courtesy call at her Foreign Ministry office Wednesday August 10. For his part, Mr. Larose indicated that the World Bank appreciates Liberia’s development challenges and that he was in the country to know the specific developmental needs of Liberia for the Bank’s intervention. “I sincerely believe that support and intervention must be based on the needs of a country and via GDP measurement of indicators”, Mr. Larose noted. He committed the World Bank to standing with Liberia and directing its support based on the needs of the country, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Caption: Pres. Sirleaf Receives World Bank’s Executive Director For Africa Group (FOCUS)

OTHER STORIES

5 Billion New Bank Notes Printed, Central Bank of Liberia Confirms

Authorities of the Central Bank of Liberia have confirmed printing new banknotes in the amount of five billion Liberian dollars. CBL said the printed money include the controversial 500 denomination, which has been criticized for its strange features. The Executive Governor of the CBL, Milton Weeks however told the Banking and Currency Committee of the House of Representatives Wednesday that the money was printed after request for printing was granted by the Legislature, the NEWS newspaper reports.

Related Caption: $5 Billion New Banknotes Printed New high-tech security features enable recognition By Visually Impaired(Daily Observer).Meanwhile, the INQUIRER newspaper reports under the caption “House C’tte Wants L$500 Issuance Halted” reports that a special committee of the House of Representatives has ordered the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) to halt the Issuance of the newly printed L$500 banknotes into the market. The committee said the CBL should also stop its awareness campaign being carried out because the issuance of a new currency without the authorization of the National Legislature violates the constitution of Liberia, thus making the currency ‘illegal’. The house committee also requested the CBL Governor to furnish it with all documents authorizing the printing of the money, something which he consented to. 

Cabinet Wants Action to Salvage Current Condition at A.M. Dogliotti Medical College

Cabinet has received additional updates reflecting agriculture particularly the recent visit of IFAD Executive Director to Liberia to breathe a sigh of relief and vibrancy into the sector, ICT National Backbone Fiber Optic, Liberia’s Financial Obligations to International Organizations, a situation report from Bomi County and immediate steps to salvage current conditions at the A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine. Cabinet received key and significant progress updates on the recent visit of IFAD Executive Director, Dr. Kanayo F. Nwanze with emphasis on documenting the impact of interventions in terms of how road rehabilitation and increase in yields and quality of Cocoa affected or changed the conditions and livelihoods of beneficiaries, Cabinet also having initiated and assessed the prevailing dire situations and poor facilities at the AM Dogliotti Medical College of Medicine immediately took three critical remedial steps to salvage such worrying development. Amongst steps resolved and mandated were: immediate Cabinet goodwill intervention to be delivered on Friday August 12, composition of task force to be led by GSA and a complete assessment of the dormitories at the medical school for quick impact intervention, the FOCUS newspaper writes.

ABIC Extols UN Women, UNDP, Others for Support to Women’s Situation Room

The Angie Brooks International Center, (ABIC) for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security on Thursday hosted a press conference at the Monrovia City Hall during which time it extolled the support of UN Women, UNDP as well as other national and international partners towards the Women Situation Room (WSR). The gathering was addressed via video conference from Ghana by Cllr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh, Establishment Coordinator of ABIC, and accompanied by a representative of UNDP-Ghana and Ms. Comfort Lemptey, Regional Policy Adviser for Governance, Peace and Security, UN Women West and Central Africa Regional Office, the WOMEN VOICES newspaper reports.

Related Caption: ABIC Extols UN Women, UNDP, Others For Support(The INQUIRER)

Calm Returns to Sasstown

State Security officers have visited the scene where the strange men were said to have opened sporadic gunfire on Sunday. Our reporter, who visited Sasstown Wednesday, quotes marketers and residents as saying that empty bullet shells were discovered in the area. Despite recent gunfire, calm has returned to Sasstown and its environs few days after gunmen caused panic in towns and villages in Bomi County. Our reporter said although calm has returned to the town,  it appears that the people are frightened about the possible recurrence of last Sunday’s shooting, the NEWS daily writes.

Related Caption: Calm Returns To Bomi Highway(Daily Observer)

Cellcom Launches Flagship Center

In its continuing strive to meet the demands of its customers, Cellcom Telecommunications Inc., over the weekend launched its flagship business center at the Royal Grand Hotel. The new center is a one of a kind and first in Liberia initiative with a focus on meeting the demands of pace business telecommunications customers. The cellcom business center, which is located at Royal Grand Hotel in Sinkor, provides a full service one stop shop for corporate and business customer. Corporate customers will be able to utilize the center to resolve all of their telecommunications needs ranging from purchasing devices, troubleshooting devices, and raising queries on issues amongst others, reports the INQUIRER newspaper.

ECOWAS Ministers Of Meteorological Services Adopt Report

According to the INQUIRER newspaper, the ECOWAS Conference of Ministers in charge of meteorology has adopted a Report meant to improve meteorological services and development of the region. The seven-page Report which was prepared by the Committee of Directors of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of ECOWAS region has six strategic pillars covering the improvement of service quality and service delivery as well as linkages and synergies between meteorology and development. The other strategic pillars border on the implementation of telecommunication and the World Meteorological Organization’s Information System (WIS) as well as a resolution to advance scientific research and application while developing an implementation strategy for same.

Liberia Mourns Former Senator of River Gee County, LMC Founder

The FrontPage Africa newspaper reports that within the scope of three days, Liberians are mourning the death of three known individuals. Monday, Army Deputy Chief of Staff Eric Dennis succumbed to death after a period of illness leaving many in a state of sorrow. Again on Tuesday, former River Gee County Senator Nathaniel Williams the man credited with pushing for the establishment of River Gee as a county died in Monrovia. The former River Gee Senator was very vocal in handling issues; his stance was most times entertaining on local radio stations in Monrovia and his home County River Gee where he was always narrative in his utterances. Late Wednesday, news surfaced about the death of Lawrence Randall who worked to develop the Liberian media before moving on to serve as media consultant to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.  Mr. Randall was pronounced dead Wednesday at the Georgetown University Hospital where he had been undergoing medical care for several months. He was 38.

Related Caption: Journalist Lawrence Randall Is Dead(WOMEN VOICES).

3 Died In Tragic Accident

Three people have reportedly died and several others wounded in a tragic motor accident in Worla, Bong County. A Mack Truck, marked TP 005, was en route from Kpatuo Nimba County to Monrovia when one of the tires was disabled, summersaulting several times on Sunday night at about 11:35. According to the New Dawnnewspaper, the truck, which was carrying over 30 people- mostly women and children, landed off the road, leaving many of its occupants injured and three dead.

Demolition Debris on UL Fendell  Property Kills Boy, 5

The Daily Observer reports that an eyewitness account says five year old Romeo King was killed Wednesday morning at the University of Liberia’s Fendall Campus when a large piece of concrete debris fell on top of him. The eyewitnesses said Romeo and his 8-year-old brother Joseph were playing hide-and-seek and were sliding from the top of the huge pile of concrete pieces when a large piece of the concrete fell on the youngster. His brother Joseph began to cry and tried to grab it in an attempt to free his brother. Mr. Timothy Duo, who ran to help the boy, told the Daily Observer, “Somebody called my attention that a child was under a pile of cement dirt and so I rushed there with three other men but we found out that we were too late.” “It took three of us to lift the heavy broken cement from the body,” Siakor told this reporter. Upon reaching the Bentol Health Center, about fifteen minutes’ drive away, Romeo was pronounced dead.

UPCL Donates To Hospitals, Schools

The United Pentecostal Church of Liberia (UPCL) has begun the distribution of assorted educational and medical equipment to schools, hospitals and churches. Speaking during the distribution, the Bishop of the United Pentecostal Church of Liberia, Bishop Dr. Stephen T. Y. Benda said the assorted educational materials and medical equipment were donated to the United Pentecostal Church of Liberia by Daphynl Fox; Head of the RECLAIM of the kids Foundation based in Massillon, Ohio, United States of America, the NEWS newspaper writes.