The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY DECEMBER 5, 2017

Today’s edition of our summary  highlights news of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company’s condemnation on the hike of the prices of gasoline and fuel products on the Liberian market by unscrupulous individuals resulting to an increase in the transportation fare by commercial drivers and other local operators; Liberians’ decision to join thousands of other nationals around the world to protest against Libya for buying and selling migrants and refugees as well as the news of the Eye Clinic at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital treating over 6,000 patients within a three month period.

LPRC Condemns Petroleum Price Hike

The Liberia Petroleum Refining Company or LPRC strongly condemns the hike in the prices of gasoline and fuel products on the Liberian market resulting into an increase in the transportation fare by commercial drivers and other local operators. In a statement issues over the weekend, the management of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company says it is concern about reports in the public by some unscrupulous individuals that there is shortage of petroleum products in the Liberian market, which has led to hiking of transportation fares and gasoline prices. Meanwhile, the management of LPRC is encouraging the general public to report any individuals or filling station caught selling petroleum products above the approved pump price USD3.25 or its Liberian dollar equivalent of LRD400.00 per gallon of gasoline, and USD3.31 or its Liberian dollar equivalent of LRD 410.00 per gallon of fuel oil, according to the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Captions: Artificial Hike Affects Market (The INQUIRER), Over 30,000 Metric Tons Of Petroleum Products In LPRC Tanks (INSIGHT)

UN, AU, EU To Send Taskforce To Libya

The United Nations, European Union and African Union have agreed to put in place a joint Task Force to save and protect lives of migrants and refugees along the routes and in particular inside Libya. The decision was reached by UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, the Chairperson of AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, EU Commission President, Jean Claude Juncker, and EU High Representative/Vice President, Federica Mogherini at the margins of the AU /EU summit in Ivory Coast recently. In a joint press statement issued recently, the four envoys discussed concrete steps to address the dramatic situation of migrants and refugees victims of criminal networks in Libya, in particular to accelerate the assisted voluntary returns to their countries of origin, and the resettlement of those in need of international protection. According to the release, the action taken by the body will build on, expanding and accelerating the ongoing work done by countries origin, and the International Organization on Migration (IOM), with funding from EU, which allows for the voluntary return of 13,000 migrants from their countries of origin since January, reports the Heritage newspaper.

Thousands To Protest Libya Slavery Wednesday

Liberians are expected to join thousands of other nationals around the world to protest against Libya for buying and selling migrants and refugees, as well as other ‘heartless and deadly’ treatments. The organizers said their protest is a backlash to Libya’s crimes against humanity. The Liberia protest is organized by Gospel musical icon turned politician, Kanvee Gaine Adams. In a telephone conversation with the Daily Observer yesterday, Adams said the “march” is set for Wednesday, December 6, where Liberians will peacefully assemble in front of the Libyan Embassy for answers from Libya. The slave trade was brought to the United Nations’ attention after undercover CNN reporters witnessed a dozen men being sold at auctions outside Libya’s capital, Tripoli. Many of those being sold are migrants like Victory, a 21-year-old man who fled Nigeria and spent his life savings in hopes of reaching Europe. He made it as far as Libya when he ran out of funds, he told CNN, and smugglers sold him as a day laborer to make a profit, pens the Daily Observer.

Related Caption: Liberians Concerned About Gov’t Silence On Migrants’ Issue (The INQUIRER)

6,000 Treated At Eye Hospital

According to the INQUIRER newspaper, barely three months following the opening of the National Eye Center at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital the center has reported that 6,000 patients have already been treated. Making the disclosure recently, Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao said since his arrival in Liberia with a view to setting up a Branch of the L.V. Eyes institute at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center Compound, the eye center has since treated over 6,000 patients with various degrees of eye problems.

USAID Program To Launch Lab For Midwifery, Medical Education

Skills laboratory facilities at five Midwifery and three Medical Laboratory Pre-Service Education Programs are expected to be launched Monday, December 4, at the Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts, (TNIMA) in Sinkor, Monrovia. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through its implementing partner, Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP), Human Resources for Health Project will conduct the program in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Pre-Service Institutions and Health Partners. Ahead of Monday’s launch, the MCSP HRH Project had distributed teaching equipment and supplies to set up Skills Laboratories for each of its sponsored five-Midwifery and three Medical Laboratory programs, writes the Heritage newspaper.

MOH Launches LMIS

According to the Inquirer newspaper, the Ministry of Health today launched the 2016 Liberia Malaria Indicator Survey (LMIS), which provides data on malaria knowledge, prevention, and treatment, as well as the prevalence of malaria and severe anemia among children. More than 6 in 10 Liberian households own an insecticide-treated net (ITN), which increased from half of households last LMIS in 2011. Household ownership of at least one ITN ranges from 45% in South Central region to 77% in North Central regions, reports the INQUIRER newspaper.

Ellen Commends St. Teresa High School

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has commended students of the St. Teresa Convent Catholic High School and recounted the tremendous contributions of Liberia’s late President, Edwin Barclay some 80 years. She said she glad to be part of the St. Teresa Convent family adding - 80 years after one of our great Presidents, Edwin Barclay had being here to open and contribute to this school. According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf made the statement on Thursday, November 30, 2017 on the campus of St. Teresa Catholic High School where she had gone to visit and motivate students during the commemoration of the school's 80th anniversary. Addressing the students, President Sirleaf said St. Teresa Convent is a landmark institution in the history of Liberia while stressing that back in those days - there were three schools including her alma mater – the College of West Africa, St. Teresa Catholic High School and St. Patrick Catholic High School were noted for quality education, writes the Heritage newspaper

President Sirleaf Departs The Country For U.S.

 President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has departed the country for the United States of America at the invitation of the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, the United States of America. According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf will be out of the country from December 1 to 7, 2017. Meanwhile, Justice Minister and Attorney-General of the Republic of Liberia, Cllr. Frederick Cherue will serve as Coordinator of the Cabinet in consultation with the Vice President and with telephone directive from the President, according to the Heritage newspaper.

NEC Condemns ‘Fake Leaked Email’

The National Elections Commission (NEC), through its director of communications, Mr. S. Henry Flomo has sharply reacted to an email said to have come from one of its staffers, regarding the voter roll which is aimed at bringing NEC into public disrepute. Addressing the media at an unusual and impromptu press conference yesterday, Mr. Flomo said the alleged email was illegally generated and has been circulated to harm the reputation and credibility of the electoral process. “The Commission clarifies that the alleged email was never written nor circulated by the Chairman of the Commission, Cllr. Jerome George Korkoya and the contents therein are false and only designed to cause confusion in the country,” he said. The alleged email, a copy of which is in the possession of the Daily Observer, has ‘admin@necliberia.org’ as its source while the recipient is Jerome Korkoya (jkorkoya@necliberia.org). It is said to have been sent to Korkoya on Wednesday, July 28, 2017, at 9:19 p.m., with the subject, “Unknown Database Changes”, according to the Daily Observer.

CBI Pays Tuition for 190 Orphans, Ebola Survivors

According to the Daily Observer, the Community Base Initiative (CBI), a local non-government organization founded by Dr. Mosoka Fallah, last Friday paid the tuition for 190 orphans and Ebola survivors that are attending schools in Montserrado and Margibi counties. Some of the schools accommodating the students are Life Saving Center System, Linda Glover Christian Foundation both in West Point Community, Mary Sharp Memorial School, Water Street, among others. The beneficiaries are 65 percent female. CBI Director, Dr. Fallah said he established the organization after the end of the devastating Ebola virus disease in order to help less fortunate children and Ebola survivors around the country. He said the assistance his organization is providing to the students was made possible through the help of several institutions based in the United States.

KtK Networking Seminar Benefits 30 Rural Women

Thirty members of the Liberia National Rural Women (LNRW) from the 15 counties have participated in three day training in Gbanga Bong County to strengthen networking and coordination among themselves, along with their partners in order to reach their development goals. The total number of rural women in the 15 counties is 77,100. The networking and coordination training, sponsored by the Kvinna Till Kvinna (KtK) Foundation (meaning woman to woman) is to help them cooperate with other women to do things that will serve the nation. KtK representatives Elizabeth Dolo and Sianie Kolubah, said networking is the process of coordination, sharing independence functions, adding that it is all about connecting and communicating with each other to learn new skills that will speedily bring women on the path with men, reports the Daily Observer.

University Of Liberia Graduate Cautioned On Better Academic Preparation

The Director of Policy Support and Consultancy Services Unit at the Kofi Annan International Peace Training Center in Teshia, Accra, Ghana, Dr. Thomas Jaye has told graduates of the state run University of Liberia (UL) that adequate academic preparation leads to hopeful and better future. Delivering a keynote message at Liberia College’s Commencement Convocation, the first of seven college-based commencements forming part of the 98^th commencement Convocation of the University of Liberia on Monday, 4^th December, Dr. Jaye said, “Education is Insurance for you for the future,” reports the New Dawn newspaper. 

Related Caption: Females Top Liberia College Graduates…As Inquirer’s Reporter Gets BA Degree (The INQUIRER)

Africa Urged To Look Inwards For Workable Solutions

This, according to high-level speakers from the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is key to unlocking Africa’s potential and advancing its prosperity. The three agencies, therefore, pledged their readiness to support the continent’s pursuit of an African agenda for stronger democratic states and rapid structural transformation that positively impacts on human development. In his official opening address, the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, Hailemariam  Desalegn, advocated for strong democratic states with zero tolerance for corruption and mechanisms for wealth-sharing. “Conferences such as this are important in order to learn from experience and adapt practices to each country’s socio-economic conditions. There are no specific policy templates that work everywhere,” he stressed. Executive Secretary of ECA, Vera Songwe, called on leaders, economists and policy-makers to “look beyond the standard indicators of good governance. “There is a growing consensus that African countries require a more conducive governance environment for them to be able to pursue better public policies and ultimately to achieve better outcomes, including structural transformation and inclusive development,” she said. Célestin Monga, Vice-President, Economic Governance and Knowledge Management, at the African Development Bank, called for greater focus on addressing the economic loss caused by institutional inefficiencies and incompetence. Monga stressed how corruption endangers economic growth, but pointed to the hidden loss due to lack of strong institutions, noting how difficult it is to address this when people are hungry, asserts the New Dawn newspaper.