THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR  FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2016

Today’s edition of the Summary highlights news of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s Departure to Nairobi, Kenya to Attend TICAD, The Land Rights Act Passage by the Liberian Senate, the Extension of the 5^th Session of the 53^rd Legislature by President Johnson Sirleaf, the Passage of the ‘Affirmative Action Bill by the Senate and the Progress Government has made in decentralizing activities as Government Prints Checks in Four Counties, among other stories.

DOMINANT STORIES  

Ellen off to Nairobi for TICAD 

An inside story of the Daily Observer newspaper writes that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has departed the country for Nairobi, Kenya, to participate in the Sixth Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD) scheduled for August 27-28 according to an Executive Mansion release. TICAD aims to identify common priorities for accelerating sustainable development, including the growing role of the private sector in driving progress on the African continent. The TICAD process also seeks to propagate Africa’s vision of its own leadership and development. The summit will also serve as an international platform to raise global awareness and ensure continued support for Africa’s development efforts, underpinned by the twin principles of international partnership and African ownership, the paper says, at the same time, the In Profile newspaper reports, under the caption, Ellen off to Nairobi for TICAD VI Summit.

Related captions: Ellen Off to Nairobi for TICAD IV Summit (New Dawn), President Sirleaf off to Nairobi for TICAD VI Summit (Focus), President Sirleaf off to Nairobi (Women Voices)

‘Land Rights Act Passage Timely for Liberia’ Deputy SRSG Declares

Waldemar Very, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) for Rule of Law, says land rights and land management are critical for the social cohesion and the safeguarding of communities to promote sustainable peace in Liberia, which makes the passage of the Land Rights Act timely. Mr. Very made the observation on Tuesday at the peoples’ forum organized by the civil society working group on the land reforms in Liberia under the theme, “Bridge the Gap: Ensure Land Rights for all Liberians,” and was witnessed by several local and international partners, the Daily Observer newspaper writes.

Related caption: Citizens Build Consensus to Support Passage of Land Authority Bill (The Inquirer), UN Others Crave Passage Land Rights Acts (Women Voices),

President Sirleaf Extends 5^th Session of the 53^rd Legislature

A front page story of the Focus newspaper reads that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has issued a Proclamation extending the 5^th Session of the 53^rd Legislature for a period of one month beginning September 1, through September 30, 2016 to allow the Legislature the opportunity to discuss and act upon matters of national concern. The fifth Regular Session of the 53^rd Legislature of the Republic Session of the 53^rd Legislature of the Republic of Liberia adjourns sine die on August 31 of each year. According to an Executive Mansion Release, President Sirleaf took the action following the receipt of a Certificate of extension signed by 29 members of the House of Representatives and 18 members of the Liberian Senate, the Focus newspaper reports.

Finally Senate Passes Affirmative Action Law

The Liberian Senate has passed into Law the controversial Affirmative Action for Equitable participation and Representation Act of 2016. The document seeks to create additional 21 seats in the House of Representative for Women, youth and the disable community. The law if concurred by the House of Representatives will provide 15 additional seats for women three seats for the youth and three for people with disability, writes the Focus newspaper.

Related Caption: Senate Passes “Affirmative Action Bill” (Women Voices)   

More Progress on Decentralization as Government Prints Checks in four Counties

Authorities in four counties have all reasons to smile, as the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has begun the creation of payment vouchers and printing of checks in these counties. The counties include Nimba, Bong, Margibi, and Grand Bassa.  During the weekend for the first time in the history of Liberia, the MFDP says it produced the first vouchers and printed checks for the Ministries of Internal Affairs and Health at the county service center (CSCS) in Nimba and Bong counties. Similar exercise will be carry out in Margibi and Grand Bassa counties, respectively before the end of the week, the Inquirer reports.

Related Caption: Gov’t Begins Printing Checks in the Counties

EHELD Urges Students to Choose Science and Agriculture

A USAID sponsored project referred to as “EHELD” has urged Liberian students wishing to enroll at universities to choose Science and |Agriculture as their life-building careers. EHELD gave the engorgement recently at the end of a career selection seminar for 40 Liberian students on the Fendell campus of the University of Liberia. A representative of EHELD at the closing ceremony, Oscar Goodyee, said in an exclusive interview with the Daily Observer that the program is meant to tutor and persuade high school students wishing to enter university to choose agriculture and engineering in their university studies, reads the Daily Observer newspaper.  

RESG Pleads for more Support to Mental Health 

The Executive Director of the Renewed Energy Serving Humanity (RESH), Ernest Gernark Smith, is calling on government and its partners to provide more support to mental health programs. Mr. Smith said during the decade-long Liberian civil war Liberians went through or witnessed disturbing and stressful situations, coupled with the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus which also left many Liberians traumatized. The story says this undesirable situation is worrisome in that “many of them are yet to be de-traumatized.”  He made the call recently at the opening of an intensive eight-week psychosocial support enhancement training for 300 newly recruited volunteers initiated by RESH, says Daily Observernews daily.  

EU Welcomes Rural Energy Plans 

The European Union (EU) has congratulated the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) on the completion of the Rural and Renewable Energy Strategy and Master Plan, a press release said yesterday. Speaking at yesterday’s launch, EU Charge d’Affaires Mrs. Emma Sundblad welcomed the definition of clear, quantifiable targets in three key areas which are Energy Access, Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency. She also congratulated the RREA on the identification of concrete programs and projects to be implemented under a comprehensive framework, and praised the Government of Liberia for prioritizing access to energy for all parts of the country, the Daily Observer reports.

PREVAIL Details Research Mission Host Editors on Progress for Prevention

The Partnership for Research on Ebola Virus in Liberia (PREVAIL), a joint Liberia-U.S. clinical research partnership has detailed its achievements and prospects following the deadly Ebola virus that killed scores of citizens in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. PREVAIL was established in response to request made by the former Liberian Minister of Health Dr. Walter Gwinegale, to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services at the height of the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak. The request sought assistance in developing collaboration between the U.S. and Liberian Governments to conduct research on promising therapeutics for Ebola Virus Disease and vaccines for its preventions. A technical team consisting of Liberians with expertise in clinical research was established to collaborate with their U. S. Counterparts, the In Profile writes.

“Trumpet Youth Work” LRA Assistance HR Commission Urges

Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) Assistant Commissioner for Human Resource (HR), Madam Joyce Johnson Dolo has challenged Human Resource professionals in the country to trumpet their work if they are to achieve their goals. Addressing her colleagues at a Performance Management and Retention Strategies training session, which was organized by the Association of Liberia Human Resource Professionals (ALHRP) recently, Madam Johnson-Dolo asserted that as HR professionals, they are the guardians of the most important assets of various organizations. The LRA Executive admonished her colleagues to continuously educate Senior Management Staff about their roles as strategic partners and the need to be sealed at the table, noting that only then, will we add to the organization achieving its objectives, the In Profile newspaper reports.

EPA To Dedicated National Standards Lab to Access Potential Impact of GMO

The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry will this Friday (August 26, 2016) formally dedicates the National Standards Laboratory in Monrovia. The Laboratory will be used to assess potential adverse impact of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) that could be introduced into the Liberian Environment, the In Profile reads.

ArcelorMittal resumes Normal Operations

The mining company ArcelorMettal has reportedly resumed normal operation in Yekepa, Nimba County after its train transported iron ore was gutted by fire recently while en route to the Port of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County. According to the State-owned Broadcasting System or LBS, the train was transporting 110 buckets of ores when the incident transpired, forcing management to suspend operations, Over the past two weeks no train has plied the rail from Nimba to Grand Bassa County, a situation which affected several employees of the company, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

Youth Group Honors 35 Successful Schools

A local group Coalition of Youth and Student against Poverty and Discrimination (CYSAPD) has identified with this year’s top 35 schools that made successful 100 percent passes in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams. The initiative is based on the results released by WAEC, which showed a list of 35 high schools with a “100 percent pass rate”. In other words, every student from these 35 schools who sat the WAEC made a successful pass, the New Dawn newspaper writes.

Boakai Movement Cleans Gbarnga City

The Bong County Chapter of the Movement to Support Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has launched a cleanup campaign in Gbarnga, Bong County. The Acting Chairman of the Bong Chapter, said the exercise is intended to give Gbarga City a facelift and promote the residential bid of Vice President Boakai, the New Dawn Says.

A Vice President Honor VP Boakai To Launch Up Country Basketball Tourney In November

Vice President Joseph Boakai is expected to launch this year’s upcountry tournament. According to the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) the tournament will be held in Ganta Nimba County from November 10-13. The four –day event will be held for the second time after 20 years, at the United Methodist High School. It has twice been held in Gbarnga, Bong County after a re-launch in2012,and Front Page Africa reports.

United States Embassy Back Fellows To Liberia

As a photocopier with a disability in front of Eco Bank in 2005, Mr. Rally T. Fallah, 29, never dream of becoming a President of the Mandela Washington fellowship programa.  But serving as the President of the fellowship in Liberia, he is seen as the leader of the group he led diligently not as a disable.  Meeting Fallah at the U.S. Ambassador Christine elder’s residence he said applying for the Mandela program was not easy as he applied in 2014 but did not make it, so he tried again in 2015 and was successful, Frontpage reports

Rep. Snowe Departs For Ecowas Parliament

Montserrado County Representative Edwin Snowe who Co-Chairs the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) Committee on Budget Control has been granted an excuse to attend the last session of that committee. Representative Snowe is also expected to attend the sap software meeting and budget hearing in Abuja Nigeria for two weeks, The Inquirer Reports

Bowier Wants Law Giving Women Equal Participation In Politics

The women Voices newspaper pans that Liberia’s former Information Minister Rev. Emmanuel Z. Bowier has called on the National Legislature to enact legislation for the equal participation and representation of women in the political processes of the country. “If we cannot pass this law now that we have a female President when we will do so”, the Former Information Minister asked.  He made the assertion on Wednesday when he served as the keynote speaker at the 169^th Flag Day celebration held at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion in Monrovia. Rev. Bowier recalled that the granting of voting rights to women by the Tubman administration in 1944 paved the way for many Liberian women to participate in political processes, including Ms.Angie brooks who rose to the presidency of the General Assembly of the United Nations. He stressed the need for men to change their mentality about their female counterparts by recognizing rights to gender equality, the paper says. 

Anti-Tyler Lawmakers Extend Session By Six Weeks

the women voiced newspaper also writes that the major members of the house of representatives campaigning for Speaker Tyler  recusal                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        amidst his recent criminal indictment by the grand jury of the Montserrado county have voted unanimously to sustain a motion for the body to extend its regular  session by six weeks after its legitimate date for its adjournment.  According to the timetable of the Liberian Legislature, regular session opens the second working Monday in January and adjourns on the 31th of august each year.