The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2017

Today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies highlights news of the admission of former Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al Mohammed Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah into the Most Venerable Order of the Knighthood of the Pioneer of the Republic of Liberia with the Knight of Grand Cordon by President Sirleaf, The Foundation for International Dignity's new project to conduct situational analyses of the socioeconomic and cultural status in Nimba County and the naming of Liberia’s former Ambassador to the Americas, Jeremiah Sulunteh, as the running mate to Alexander B. Cummings of the Alternative National Congress (ANC).

DOMINANT STORIES  

Ellen Honors Former Kuwaiti PM 

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has admitted former Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al Mohammed Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah into the Most Venerable Order of the Knighthood of the Pioneer of the Republic of Liberia with the Knight of Grand Cordon. An Executive Mansion release says Mrs. Sirleaf honored the former Kuwaiti PM for his personal and country’s invaluable services to the upliftment of mankind and humanity of the Arab State of Kuwait to there construction efforts of Liberia. The ceremony was held in Monrovia on Friday, 21 April at the Executive Pavilion on Broad Street. President Sirleaf says Mr. Al-Sabah’s visit here is a “great honor for the people of Liberia, recalling that former PM has always worked to strengthen and improve bilateral relationship subsisting between Liberia and the Arab State of Kuwait. For his part, former PM Al-Sabah recounted the long bilateral relations between Liberia and the Arab State of Kuwait, saying it has been rewarding to the two nations. The former Kuwaiti’s official recounted some of the achievements of President Sirleaf, prior to becoming the first female President of Liberia and Africa respectively. He expressed appreciation for the honor bestowed on him by the Government and people of Liberia, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Caption: Pres. Sirleaf Admits Former Kuwaiti Prime Minister into Venerable Order of Knighthood of Pioneer(FrontPage Africa)  

NPA Boss Lauds Kuwait Over Immense Support 

The Managing Director of the National Port Authority (NPA), David Williams, has commended the Government of Kuwait for its support to the NPA through the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development. The Heritage newspaper reports that in July 2012 the NPA, through the Government of Liberia, entered into a loan agreement with the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development for four million Kuwaiti Dinars, about US$13,120,000 intended to aid the NPA in the financing of the Port of Greenville rehabilitation project. The NPA boss made the commendations in Monrovia on April 22 at an Investiture Ceremony and Luncheon held in honor of Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, former Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait.

FIND Begins New Post-Ebola Project in Nimba

The Foundation for International Dignity (FIND), with support from the Government of Japan through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), has started a new project in Nimba County. “FIND will conduct situational analyses of the socioeconomic and cultural status, as well as local economic development opportunities and challenges, in Nimba County.  It will make recommendations on how the local economies can be stimulated for growth and development,” according to a press release signed by FIND’s Executive Director, Roosevelt A.K. Woods. FIND is a pro-democracy and human rights organization working to promote peace, good governance, the rule of law and access to justice in Liberia. The project, which is titled: ‘Supporting and Strengthening Sub-regional Post-Ebola Medical Surveillance and Socio-Economic Recovery Initiatives in West Africa,’ is designed to provide technical assistance and support at sub-regional, national and grassroots level to the three Ebola affected countries (Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea), and Côte d’Ivoire, writes the Daily Observer.

Related Captions: FIND Launches New Project In Nimba…Partners With Government of Japan(FrontPage Africa), FIND Launches New Project In Nimba(In Profile Daily), FIND Launches New Project In Nimba…Partners With Government Of Japan(The INQUIRER)

Jeremiah Sulunteh Emerges As ANC Vice Standard Bearer

The standard bearer of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) Alexander Cummings has named Liberia’s former Ambassador to the Americas, Jeremiah Sulunteh as his running mate. Jeremiah Sulunteh who had been a formidable member of the ruling Unity Party for over a decade recently crossed over to the ANC where he was welcomed by Cummings. Prior to him leaving the UP, it was rumored that Solunteh was eyeing the vice standard bearer space on the UP ticket. At the climax of the ANC national convention in Kakata, Margibi County, Mr. Cummings described the new comer as his "first choice" and "my partner in progress". Cummings lauded Sulunteh's personal character and political credentials, describing him as “character worthy of public trust and confidence”, writes FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Related Captions: Sulunteh No.2 ABC Ticket(Daily Observer), Cummings Picks Sulunteh As Running Mate(The INQUIRER)

OTHER STORIES

President Sirleaf Commends LACE…For LSP Implementation

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has expressed warm impression of the Legislative Support Project (LSP) by her Government, through the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE). During her tour of Grand Gedeh and River Gee Counties, President Sirleaf observed first-hand, that LACE is proceeding with implementation of the Legislative Support Projects in a timely manner and that the impact was more tremendous due to the high level of professionalism characterizing their work in the communities; mainly in leeward counties, writes the INQUIRER newspaper.

Related Caption: LACE Commended – For Legislative Support Project(In Profile Daily)

Charles Taylor’s ‘Arms Supplier’ Convicted in The Netherlands

The FrontPage Africa newspaper reports that an international timber trader, who used his business as cover for smuggling weapons into West Africa in defiance of a UN arms embargo, has been sentenced to 19 years in prison. Guus Kouwenhoven, 74, was convicted by the Dutch appeal court of being an accessory to war crimes and arms trafficking for selling weapons to Liberia’s then President Charles Taylor during civil wars that involved mass atrocities, the use of child soldiers and sexual slavery. He had denied the charges. Kouwenhoven, whose past exploits include deportation from the US in the 1970s for trying to sell stolen Rembrandt paintings, was not in court for the ruling.  The campaign group Global Witness, which investigates corruption and environmental despoliation, said it believed the case was the first war crimes conviction for a businessman profiting from conflict resources.

Related Caption: Taylor Allies Join Him In Prison(The New Dawn)

LTA Hosts Regional Regulators

According to the New Dawn newspaper, the Liberia Telecommunications Authority or LTA is expected to play host to 11 member states of the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) this week for its Annual General Meeting. Their meeting here comes on the heels of the ECOWAS parliamentary conference, which suggests that Liberia is once again becoming a key player in global and sub-regional affairs 12 years after a civil unrest that saw the death of 250,000 Liberians and the destruction properties worth millions. President and Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS States, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is expected to deliver a Special Statement to start the occasion and LTA Chairperson Angelique Weeks will be ascending to WATRA’s Chairmanship for the following year. The WATRA Annual General Meeting will be preceded by a two day conference, Tuesday and Wednesday, on the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) a nonprofit organization that is responsible for coordinating the maintenance and procedures of several databases related to the namespaces of the Internet, ensuring the network's stable and secure operation.

Related Caption: LTA Hosts Regional Regulators(Daily Observer)

Woman, 30, Discovered Dead In Well

A 30-year-old woman identified as Ms. Kebbeh Johnson has been found dead in an abandoned well at her residence in the Paynesville Community where she was hosting a wakekeeping on Thursday night, 19 April for her late aunt. The victim was discovered last Thursday at about 11 pm in the well at the Gobachop Community of Paynesville. Her uncle, Mr. William Barco, says the incident did not only come as a shock to his family, but has also left the family pondering over how the deceased got into the well. He told this paper on Friday, 20 April that the late Kebbeh was one of the family hosts of a wake for her aunt. Mr. Barco says what astonishes him most is that the top of the well is too narrow for such a fat woman as Kebbeh to have passed through it and drowned in the 30-ft well. Following the discovery of the late Kebbeh’s remains in the well, Mr. Barco says the family invited Liberia National Police or LNP Zone Five Depot in Gobachop to probe into the matter so as to establish whether the death of their niece was natural or carried out by anyone, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

‘Remain Peaceful,’ WANEP Urges Liberians

Madam Victoria Wollie, National Network Coordinator of the West African Network for Peace-building (WANEP), has appealed to every Liberian irrespective of social status to remain peaceful during the upcoming October elections. She made the statement recently in Monrovia at the end of a two-day validation and hotspot mapping workshop aimed at mitigating electoral violence. The workshop, which was organized by WANEP, brought together over 25 participants from various government agencies, the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), the Liberia National Police (LNP) and civil society organizations. Madam Wollie said the forum was part of WANEP’s efforts to discourage elections-related violence, and to also identify early warning mechanisms for any West African country including Liberia that is about to go to the polls, the Daily Observer reads.

Police In Harper City Launch Anti-Mob Violence

According to the New Dawnnewspaper, the Liberia National Police Maryland detachment has launched an anti-mob violence campaign code-named “Operation Stop Mob Violence” in Harper City. According to the LNP Maryland detachment community policing head Munah Sieh, the police have over the years noticed an increase in mob violence in the county and deems it wise to carry on awareness through sports, among students. Officer Sieh says often when the police go into the community to meet with residents, only elderly people show up with the youth being left out, and the reason usually provided is they are in school, so this time around, the police are taking the awareness to young people thru sports. She explains that since mob violence is usually executed by young people in Maryland, it is against this background that the LNP community policing department decided to host such program in schools to get the youth fully involved. Officer Sieh notes that the two days campaign featured five schools in Harper, including Our Lady of Fatima High, Cape Palmas High, Harper Demonstration, John Hilary Tubman, and A. Dash Wilson High.

NBC Retires 6 Employees

In recognition of their meaningful services to the government and people of Liberia, the National Bureau of Concessions (NBC) has retired six technicians, including a driver. According to NBC Director General, Madam Ciata A. Bishop, the decision is with heavy heart but also necessary as retirement is based on age and tenure in public service. She praised the competence and commitment of the retirees with whom she promises to maintain closed ties, especially in times of need for their expertise. Madam Bishop also hails the cooperation of the retirees in ensuring the transfer of knowledge over the last two years to those who will now succeed them after being retired. Those retired included former Gbarpolu County Representative and NBC’s Deputy Director General for Administration, Dickson T. Yarsiah, Sr, Drayton K. Hinneh, Concession Advisor, Edwin W. Walker, Forestry Concession Advisor, Peter D. Kanbor, Senior Tax Analyst, Johnnie K. Tucker, Project Analyst and Boakai Kromah, Driver, respectively. “Today we retire six people, who have worked in excess of 30 to 40 years; giving service to their country and people and so today, we have come to say thank you for your service, dedication and commitment that they have all made to their country,” she noted, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

Chinese University Research Heralds Affordable Treatment For Malaria in Africa

A researcher at the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine says the fast elimination of malaria by source eradication (FEMSE) is cheap and has achieved effective results since its introduction to Africa. Dr. Deng Changsheng, Manager of Science and Technical Zone at the university, says it will cost US$15.00 to treat a person with malaria within eight years by using FEMSE through mass drug administration (MDA) with Artemisinin-based combination therapies or ACT. Dr. Deng said the introduction of FEMSE in the Union of Comoros Island in 2006 achieved great success. From being a high malaria epidemic area with morbidity rate of 6%, Comoros saw low malaria cases reported without death and at the same time saved about US$11 million of its health budget. The Chinese researcher says it is important for the world to focus on different measures to enhance malaria control in countries seriously affected especially those in Africa, reports FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Bomi College Gets Two Modern Labs

According to the In Profile Daily, as part of efforts in revamping the already messy educational system of the country, the President of the Bomi County Community College (BCCC) Dr. Zobong Boima Norman has completed renovation of two labs of the College. He named them as a modern computers lab and an expanded medical lab intending for nursing students of the College (BCCC) in Tubmanburg. The computers lab currently has thirty computers. According to him, before the dedication of the renovated computers lab, there were only three computers for students; making it difficult for students.

For Immense Contributions In Agriculture Sector, Several Farmers Certificated

According to the Heritage newspaper, several fish and vegetable farmers were at the weekend awarded certificates in appreciation of their memorable contributions towards the agriculture sector.  The daily writes that the certification of the farmers was done by the National Fish Farmers Union of Liberia (NAFFUL) in collaboration with the Young Liberian Women Organization for Improvement (WOFIM) for the farmers’ outstanding achievements in the fish and vegetable farming sectors.

Buchanan Hosts ‘African Vaccination Week’ Today

The In Profile Daily reports that the port city of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County will host the launch of African Vaccination Week today, held under the auspices of the Ministry of Health in Collaboration with the World Health Organization. The launch is expected to take place in the morning and will witness both outdoor and indoor programs which health experts from WHO and their Liberian partners will grace in numbers. Various speeches are anticipated to be delivered to highlight success narratives about past achievements as well as challenges at hand that need to be tackled by the government and internal partners, aimed at providing appropriate healthcare delivery system to Liberia.

Judicial Institute Conducts Training For Public Defenders

The James A.A. Pierre Judicial Institute has held a three-day training for 34 public defenders from across Liberia. In collaboration with the Legal Professional Development and Anti-Corruption Project under the auspices of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the quarterly judicial training was held April 19 – 21, 2017, in Kakata, Margibi County. Organizers said it was aimed at enhancing the capacity of public defenders. The training focused on the public defenders. The training focused on the preparations of motions, resistance, judgment of acquittal, bill of exceptions, notice of completion, legal memorandum and brief as well as pre-trial and trial procedures among others, reportsIn Profile Daily.

National Youth Peace Building Confab Underway In Monrovia

A two-day National Youth Peace Building Conference  organized by the Accountability Lab Liberia in partnership with the Swedish Embassy and the United Nations Mission in Liberia gets underway in Monrovia on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. According to the Heritage newspaper, about 200 young Liberians from the 15 counties of the country will come together to deliberate on the critical challenges relating to peace and security and to generate concrete plans for youth engagement ahead of the October 2017 general and Presidential elections.

Related Caption:ALL Holds Nat’l Youth Confab(The New Dawn)