THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016

News of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s trip to Morocco to attend the COP22 Climate Change Conference, the installation of a metal detector at the B’hai Port of Entry in Grand Gedeh County and the United Nations Special Representative to the Secretary General in Liberia, Farid Zarif’s meeting with House Speaker J. Emmanuel Nuquay are among stories dominating today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES  

Ellen In Morocco To Attend COP22 

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has departed the country for Marrakesh, Morocco to attend the COP22 Climate Change Conference slated for November 14-17, 2016. An Executive Mansion release said, while the President is away from the country, Cllr. Frederick Cherue, Minister of Justice, will serve as Coordinator of the Cabinet in consultation with Vice President Joseph N. Boakai, according to the In Profile Daily.

Related Captions: Pres. Sirleaf Off Morocco(The New Dawn),Ellen Departs For COP22 Forum In Morocco(Heritage)  

‘Be Competitive and Hardworking,’ … VP Boakai Challenges EPAG Graduates 

According to the Heritage newspaper, Vice President Joseph Boakai has challenged graduates of the EPAG Program to be competitive, hardworking and exhibit the best positive attitude in their business skills and customer service after months of training and mentorship. The Liberian Vice President further urged the graduates to show gratitude by the exemplary way in which they apply the training to real world situation and tackle modern day reality in exhibiting their skills. Speaking on Friday, November 11, 2016 at a program marking the Greater Monrovia EPAG Round 4 Graduation Ceremony at the Monrovia Christian Fellowship Center, in Monrovia, Vice President Boakai called on the graduates to always remind themselves that so much have been invested in them naming time, money and human effort. 418 adolescent girls and young women along with 100 adolescent young men graduated on Friday.

Related Captions:‘Be Competitive and Hardworking’ –VP Boakai Challenges EPAG Graduates(In Profile Daily), ‘Be Competitive and Hardworking..VP Boakai Challenges EPAG Graduates(The INQUIRER), VP Boakai Challenges EPAG Graduates(The New Dawn),EPAG Boots National Agenda For Transformation – VP Boakai(FOCUS)  

LINCSA-BIN, UNMIL Install Metal Detector At Border 

The Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LiNCSA), in collaboration with the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) and the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), has installed an M-Scope Walk-Through Metal Detector at the B’hai Port of Entry (from Cote d'Ivoire) near Toe’s Town in Grand Gedeh County. The detector was installed recently when a joint LiNCSA/BIN team and officers of Global Venture Group travelled to Grand Gedeh to install the detector and train BIN officers on installation, maintenance, monitoring and troubleshooting the machine. The exercise is part of a joint UNMIL/LINCSA/BIN effort to install metal detectors at all ports of entry. Currently, border points that have consistent power supply are been targeted. The New Dawn newspaper reports that 3 M-Scope Walk-Through metal detectors were donated to LiNCSA by the Regional Centre on Small Arms & Light Weapons in February 2016. According to Commissioner Knuckles of LiNCSA, the team will be headed to Pedebo Border entry point in Maryland County next to install another detector and conduct training.

Related Captions: LINCSA, BIN and UNMIL Install Metal Detector at Border(The INQUIRER), LiNCSA, BIN & UNMIL Install Metal Detector At Border Entry (Heritage)  

‘Bills of Interest To UN’ Conveyed To Lawmakers 

The Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations (UNSRSG) in Liberia, Farid Zarif, has conveyed the UN’s interest to the House of Representatives regarding the passage of landmark bills to ensure its “moral support” to the Legislature for UNMIL soldiers’ presence in the country. House Speaker J. Emmanuel Nuquay said at a press conference at the Capitol Building Monday after a closed-door meeting with the UNSRSG, that Mr. Zarif expressed “interest” in the Land Rights Bill, the Local Government Act and the amendment of the Liberia Anti Corruption Commission (LACC) to give it “prosecutorial powers.” Speaker Nuquay said the UNSRSG wanted the “continuous presence of UNMIL in the country and the support of the Legislature ahead of the UNMIL Review Process in December to sustain the peace and remain on the trajectory for a peaceful transfer of power.” The House’s 2nd Extraordinary Session began November 8 and will end December 8, according to the Daily Observer.

Related Caption: UNMIL Spent US$8bn On Peace Mission(The New Dawn), Ahead Of 2017 Elections: UN SRSG, Speaker Nuquay Want UNMIL Continual Presence(In Profile Daily)

Four County Service Centers Record over 22,000 Users

The four County Service Centers (CSCs) currently operating in Liberia have reported that a staggering twenty-two thousand three hundred sixty-three (22,363) persons have obtained services over a short period. County Service Center is a one-stop shop where documentation services relating to permits, licenses and certifications are offered a t same quality and cost in Monrovia. The County Service Center is of the National De-concentration Platform, which is primarily intended to bring services closer to the people. The service centers include Grand Bassa County Service Center, Margibi County Service Center, Bong County Service Center, and Nimba County Service Center, the INQUIRER newspaper reads.

Related Captions: 22 Thousand Services Offered(The New Dawn), Over 20,000 Get Service At 4 CSCs(Heritage)

OTHER STORIES  

Commerce Minster Calls For Building Entrepreneurial Skills, Knowledge 

According to the Heritage newspaper, Commerce Minister Axel Addy has said Liberian Micro Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) can only be competitive within the local market if they improve their entrepreneurial skills and knowledge in commerce and trade. Minister Addy pointed out that this is most significant if Liberia must attain the overarching goal of MSME policy, because the four pillars of MSME policy are critical challenges which front eh basis of MSME development in Liberia.

National Investment Commission Hosts Liberia-UK Trade Investment Forum

The FrontPage Africa newspaper says the National Investment Commission in collaboration with the British Embassy in Monrovia (through its Foreign Commonwealth Office) and Developing Market Associates (DMA), a leading investment promotion firm for sovereign governments worldwide, will be hosting a one-day Liberia-UK Trade and Investment Forum on November 22, 2016 in Monrovia. The theme of the forum is: “Investment Opportunities in Liberia: Towards Inclusive Growth and Economic Diversification”. According to the daily, the forum will highlight the major business sectors of the Liberian economy: Agriculture, Energy & Mining, Health, and Infrastructure & Tourism and create the platform for Liberia to lay out its economic agenda and highlight opportunities for international investors, enhance reinforcement of existing interest in Liberia prior to the Ebola outbreak, and ensure value addition to Liberia’s raw materials.  

EU Commits To Support Climate Change 

The Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Jonathan Taylor, has restated the bank’s commitment to supporting climate-related investment and to strengthen efforts as it has since the Paris 21^st meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP21). The bank is the world’s largest global lender for climate-related investment and has confirmed its commitment to support climate action and increase the impact of climate-related investment in Europe and Africa with Taylor responsible for its climate action. According to Vice President Taylor, since COP21 was convened in Paris, the EIB has strengthened the impact of climate-related investment worldwide, reported Heritage newspaper.

African Ministers Sign Marrakech Tourism Declaration

According to the Heritage newspaper, African Tourism Ministers have adopted and signed the Marrakech declaration on tourism and climate change issues on the continent. The declaration provides for sustainable and responsible tourism across member countries. The charter adopted recently is based on the belief that the sector is one of the key drivers of social-economic development in Africa and an instrument that ensures that people’s right to development and dignity can be proactively achieved.  

Mobilization Key To Liberia’s Development’ MFDP Minister 

The Minister of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Boima Kamara, has asserted that local resource mobilization is key to the country’s development and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Serving as Chief Launcher at a two-day Montserrado Dialogue on Domestic Resource Mobilization held in Monrovia, Minister Kamara noted that the dialogue is a demonstration of taking power and governance to the people and not making decisions at the high table. According to him, the Montserrado Dialogue is in furtherance of the recent gathering of African Ministers of Finance and Economic Planning held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. African Ministers and leaders gathered in the Ethiopian capital, recently at the annual joint AU-ECA Conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development for the adoption of 17 resolutions that support Africa's efforts to implement the SDGs, reports the Daily Observer.

Over 200 Midwives To Be Trained Here

A United Kingdom (UK-based) non-governmental health group, Life for African Mothers, has disclosed plans for the training of 208 midwives across the country. Life for African Mothers is a Maternal Health charity aiming to make birth safer in Sub-Sahara Africa, by providing medication to treat eclampsia and post-partum hemorrhage. By providing medication to treat the complications of child birth, we have been able to support hospitals and health centers across Africa and see hug reductions maternal mortality. Speaking Monday, November 14, 2016, the Country Representative of the organization, Mr. Abdul-Rahman F. Bah, said the first set of training will be conducted in Montserrado, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Margibi, Grand Bassa and Nimba Counties, reports the Heritage newspaper.

MOA Combats Caterpillar Worms In Bassa

The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) has assured citizens of Grand Bassa County that it will do all it can to combat caterpillar worms and prevent them from spreading to other parts of the county. The Ministry said it regrets the resurfacing of the dangerous worms which are destroying crops and polluting creeks in the county. According to the Daily Observer, MOA County Coordinator Madam Joyce Kovah said her Ministry is committed to combating the pest that is rampaging eight villages in Belour Ward (St. John River City) in Glakon Statutory District No.2. The affected villages are Momo, Lee, Gussin, Jerky, Passin, Zeegar, Alice and Daydeh Sletewein.  

PYPP Outlines Recruitment Procedure 

The President of the Young Professionals Program (PYPP) has outlined recruitment procedures for its seventh cycle, targeting recent university graduates in the country. Executive Director Mr. Hh Zaizay said the 7th cycle is targeting 20 exceptionally talented graduates to form class VII from which they will be selected based on performance, eligibility for graduation and are Liberians not more than 35 years old, law-abiding, police clearance, and a Grade Point Average of at least 3.5. He pointed out that the program is demand-driven and designed to create job opportunities for highly qualified Liberian youth, facilitate the transfer of knowledge from current professionals to the next generation of Liberian leaders, and to strengthen Liberia’s public sector capacity thru a pool of eager and qualified youth, asserts the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Caption: PYPP Begins New Recruitment(IN Profile)

INQUIRER Opens Book of Condolence for Wlemongar

Yesterday, many media practitioners, friends and sympathizers flooded the offices of the INQUIRER Newspaper to sign the Book of Condolence for fallen Journalist Wlemongar M. Ciapha, who died last Month. At the gathering, the Managing Editor of the newspaper, Mr. Philip N. Wesseh said the death of M. Wlemongar Ciapha is a blow to the institution, stating that the institution was finding it difficult to replace him at the Court, the INQUIRER newspaper asserts.