The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2017

Today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies highlights among other stories, news of Chief Justice Francis Korkpor’s warning to the National Elections Commission to speedily forward election cases intended for the high court to it for determination, the commissioning of two new baggage scanners at the Roberts International Airport by the Liberia Revenue Authority  with support of the United Nations Development Program and the awarding of the United Nations Peacekeeping Medals to officers of the United Nations Mission in Liberia by the Special Representative of the Secretary General.

Chief Justice Warns NEC To Speedily Forward Elections Cases Intended For High Court

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, Chief Justice Francis Korkpor, Thursday, November 16, warned the elections body to speedily forward election cases intended for the high court to it for determination. The daily says Chief Justice Korkpor’s warning to the NEC comes amid growing report of over 50 cases of un-heard complaints pending before that body from the October Presidential and Legislative polls hereby hindering the run-off election. “You see five of us sitting on this bench, we can hear 10 election cases in a two-day period and make determinations." "Election cases should be taken seriously by NEC.” According to the daily, Chief Justice Korkpor made the statement Thursday during hearing into the Bill of Information filed before the high court by the legal counsels of the ruling Unity Party (UP). In the Bill of Information, Cllr. Benedict Sannoh, asked the high court to prevail on NEC to surrender documents they had subpoenaed from NEC. In a related story captioned “Supreme Court Rules In UP’s Bill Of Information Today”, the INQUIRER newspaper reads that the Supreme Court of Liberia on Thursday entertained argument in the United Party’s Bill of Information filed  complaining the National Elections Commission’s delay in granting their evidence and have requested to prove their case against the NEC. The Court has reserved ruling and is expected to give an opinion on today, Friday.

NEC Rejects 182 VR Cards As Evidence  

The Chief Hearing Officer at the National Elections Commission (NEC), Cllr.  Mauna Sando Ville, Thursday denied the ruling Unity Party’s request to mark into evidence 182 voter registration cards testified to by one of its witnesses. Cllr. Ville’s action followed the NEC legal team argument that the witness, Neboe Kenneth, was wrong for collecting other people’s  cards that he claimed did not vote on October 10, because their names were not found on the final registration role (FRR). Cllr. Alexander Zoe of NEC said Mr. Kenneth has provided no affidavit granting him the right to summit into evidence the voters’ cards, according to the Daily Observer.

Related Caption: To Testify Against NEC For Alleged Electoral Frauds: UP Applies For Witnesses But… (INSIGHT)

LRA, UNDP Commission Modern Baggage Scanners At RIA

The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) with support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has commissioned two new baggage scanners at the Roberts International Airport (RIA). The machines will facilitate the clearance of luggage belonging to arriving passengers at the country’s only international airport. According to the Daily Observer, the equipment valued at about US$140,000 was donated to the LRA by the UNDP with the aim to strength custom operations at the airport.

Related Caption: LRA, UNDP Commission Modern Baggage Scanners At RIA (INSIGHT)

For Their Contribution To Peace In Liberia: UNMIL Peacekeepers Conferred With UN Medals

According to the INSIGHT newspaper, ten staff officers, eight Military Observers, 230 members of the Nigeria Contingent and sixty-nine officers of Pakistan Medical Contingent (PAKMED) serving with United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), were on November 13 awarded by the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) Farid Zarif, with the United Nations Peacekeeping Medals in acknowledgement of their contribution to peace and stability in Liberia. At the joint ceremony held at Camp Abuja in Monrovia, the SRSG Farid Zarif in his address stated that the peacekeepers have contributed towards strengthening and consolidating peace and stability in Liberia. He said they have brought pride and honor, not just to their contingents, but also to their nations.

FAO, Agriculture Ministry Validate New Agriculture Process Framework

A two-day validation workshop on the review of the Liberia’s Agriculture approval process is expected to get underway in Monrovia at the Robert L. Johnson (RLJ) Resort in Kendeja, ELWA from November 21 to 22, 2017. The workshop is organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). In a press release, FAO said the two-day seminar is being held in the framework of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT) Program. VGGT is a tool employ by FAO to Promotes and secure tenure rights and equitable access to land as a means for eradicating hunger and poverty. The FrontPage Africa newspaper quotes the FAO as saying that the objective of the seminar is to support the application of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance Tenure (VGGT) by providing technical guidance on how to safeguard the tenure rights in the context of agricultural land related investment. The release added that the two-day seminar will bring together participants from food security sectors, including the government line ministries and agencies, civil society organizations, community based organizations, concessionaries, private sectors  and the media.

Related Caption: GoL, FOA Hold Agriculture Investment Seminar (The INQUIRER)

Liberians Participate In First African Students Job Fair In China

Three Liberian graduate students studying in Beijing were part of over 500 African students, who participated in the first job fair for African students.  The event, held at the University of International Business and Economics on Wednesday, November 15, brought African students face-to-face with executives of over 60 Chinese firms looking to potentially hire Africans, who are prospective graduates of Chinese universities. It was organized by the China People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC)), an organization engaged in people-to-people diplomacy of the People’s Republic of China to further international cooperation and promote common development. The Liberian students – Filmore Wiagbe, Sekou Soko Kamara and Aaron G. Weaye – hailed the organizers and said the event signifies China-Africa economic cooperation for development and opens employment opportunities for African students, assert the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Liberia Revenue Authority Donates School Materials To Students In West Point

The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has donated assorted school materials to students of the N.V. Massaqoui Elementary & Junior High School in the Borough of West Point, a suburb of Monrovia. The items which included LRA branded copy books, pencils, erasers and crayons among others, were donated to a total of 150 6th graders as part of the LRA Corporate Social Responsibility program. Presenting the materials, LRA Commissioner General Elfreda Stewart Tamba, said the gifts to the primary students was a way of supporting their quest for education, while at the same time creating tax awareness, reads the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Related Caption: LRA Donates School Materials To Students In West Point (INSIGHT)

Liberian National Red Cross Society Admits to Fraud, Corruption

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, the Liberia National Red Cross Society, an auxiliary of the Government of Liberia, admits and deeply regrets the shaming fraud and corruption saga in which donations from local and international partners, and the Liberian Government for the people of Liberia, especially victims and those affected by the Ebola virus were stolen in 2014/15. The fraud and corruption saga was uncovered following an audit which report the National Society received with dismay and extends further apologies for the loss of US$2.7 million in Liberia. However, it is worth noting that the amount lost is equivalent to less 15 percent of the total fund. While the National Society regrets this embarrassing situation, its new leadership wishes to inform the general public that significant progress are being made to avert the re-occurrence of the situation and strong measures are being  taken to investigate and legally pursue any persons involved in the fraud saga. The daily says the Ministry of Justice has opened a formal investigation into the matter.

Related Caption: Investigates Red Cross US$2.7M Ebola Fund Scandal-Organization apologizes For Wrongs Committed   (Daily Observer)

Liberia, Others Celebrate World Prematurity Day Today

The INSIGHT newspaper says Liberia will join other nations around the world to commemorate World Prematurity Day on today November 17, 2017. World Prematurity Day also known as “Born Too Soon,” observed on November 17 each year, is a key moment to focus global attention on the leading cause of child death under age 5, complication from preterm birth, which, according to the United Nations Children Fund, account for nearly one million deaths each year. The Day aims to raise awareness of preterm birth or babies born too early and concerns of preterm babies and their families worldwide. According to the daily, this year, the Day is celebrated under the motto “Let Them Thrive” with sub themes Quality Care for the smallest, and Respectful care for the smallest.   

Antibiotic Resistance Threatens Global Health

The New Dawn newspaper says a national pharmacist at the Ministry of Health, Rev. Tijli Tyee says antibiotic resistance threatens global health, stressing that the more the resistance increases, it is likely for more people to get sick and death rate will increase. The comment comes as Liberia observes World Antibiotic Awareness Week, which runs from November 13-19 under the Theme: Seek advice from a qualified health care professional before taking antibiotic. Speaking Thursday, 16 November at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing, Rev. Tyee explains that antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security and development, saying, “antibiotic resistance can affect anyone of any age in any country.’ He notes that a growing number of infections such as Pneumonia, Tuberculosis, Gonorrhea, and Salmonellosis are becoming harder to treat as the antibiotics used to treat them have become less effective, adding that antibiotic resistance leads to longer hospital stays, higher medical cost and increased mortality.

Labour Halts Redundancy At Sime Darby

The Ministry of Labour has ordered an immediate halt to the planned redundancy exercise by the Management of the Sime Darby Plantation, Liberia Inc. TheNew Dawn newspaper quotes a release from the Labor Ministry as saying that the Acting Minister of Labour, Augustine W. Williams, is calling on the Management of the company to put a halt to the process and revert to the legal course under the law. The Ministry says it acknowledges a receipt of a communication on September 23, 2017 from the management concerning a planned redundancy exercise, citing economic reasons. The Ministry notes that immediately upon receipt of the communication, it requested the management to put a halt to the planned redundancy until all of the processes attending such exercise were fulfilled or certified in keeping with Chapter 14, Section 14.5 (j) of the Decent Work Act of 2015. The Ministry of Labour maintains that considering the critical nature of this matter, it would highly appreciate a dialogue on this matter so as to amicably resolve it, reads the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Caption: Labor Warns Sime Darby Against Redundancy (The INQUIRER)

We Do Not Want To Be Child Soldiers

The 2017 United Kingdom ‘Princess Diana Award’ Winner, Ambassador Israeli Tarway has appealed to Liberians to maintain the country’s peace for the sake of Liberian children, saying if anything bad happened to Liberia, the children will be highly affected. She says as children, they do not want to become child soldiers and sex slaves, but to continue with their education. Addressing a regular press briefing at the Ministry of Information on Capitol Hill Thursday, 16 November Ms. Israeli calls on the United Nations, ECOWAS, the Government of Liberia and political leaders to collaborate so that Liberia can continue to enjoy peace and children’s rights will not be violated or die from hunger and sicknesses, writes the New Dawn newspaper.

Judicial Institute Graduates Inducted As Magistrates In Margibi County

Three graduates of the James A.A. Pierre Judicial Institute at the Temple of Justice have been inducted as Associate Magistrates and subsequently assigned at separate Magisterial Courts in Margibi County. Those inducted are Aaron Y. Fallah, Sr. assigned at the Baypolu Magisterial Court, Sebastian N. Gonyon, Sr., assigned at the Bondiway Magisterial Court and Kosan D. Torseh, assigned at the Roberts International Airport Magisterial Court. The FrontPage Africa says the ceremony was officiated by Judge Mardea Tarr Chenoweth, the Resident Judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court of Margibi County.

Friendly Water Trains 50 Volunteers

An International Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Friendly Water for the World, has ended a week-long intensive training for at least 50 volunteers representing several local-based organizations in Montserrado County. The training workshop was held at the edifice of the Peaceful Lutheran Church situated in Du-Port Road in Paynesville, outside Monrovia. The exercise, according to international facilitator Ken Malloch, is aimed at helping people globally to sustain clean and safe water through the use of a new technology called Bio Sand Filter. Facilitators at the workshop note that the Bio Sand Filter mythologies are produced through concrete mixture and available materials like cement to help avoid water borne diseases. According to them, they are helping people through the provision of information and knowledge-sharing, health and sanitation, community-building, peacemaking, sustainability, training, and sustainability, writes the New Dawn newspaper.