The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

The Senate concurrence with the House of Representative on the passage of the 2018/19 draft National Budget; the cautioning of journalists in the West African region by the ECOWAS commission to be conflict-sensitive in their reporting as well as the tragic motor accident in the Barnesville community are stories highlighted in today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies

Senate Concurs with House On Passage Of Draft Nat’l Budget For FY2018-19; Ratifies Africa Export-Import Bank Agreement

According to the FrontPage AfricaThe Senate Wednesday, June 27, concurred with the House of Representatives on the passage of the draft budget for the fiscal year 2018/2019 and the ratification of the of an act to establish in Liberia, the African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK). The Senate took the decision in a special session after they received the two instruments from the House of Representatives a day before. The two instruments received majority votes from Senate members, who were present. On Monday, April 30, President George Weah submitted the 2018/2019 Draft National Budget in keeping with Section 11(1) of the Public Financial Management Act of 2009, which requires the Executive Branch of Government to submit to the Liberian Legislature, the proposed budget along with accompanying documents no later than two months before the start of the fiscal year.

Related Captions: Senate Concurs With House On Budget(The INQUIRER), Senate Passes Budget, Export-Import Bank Act-But Fails To Hold Discussions On Currency Depreciation(Daily Observer), Weah’s First Budget Passed…At US$570M(The NEWS)

West African Journalists Tasked On Conflict-Sensitive Reporting

The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has tasked journalists in the region to be conflict-sensitive reporters. This, according to the Commission, will enable the journalists to help consolidate ECOWAS’ peacebuilding and conflict resolution processes. A release from the Liberian Embassy in Abuja says the remarks were made during the opening of a three-day workshop on the role of the media in promoting peace and security in West Africa. The opening session took place on Monday, the 25th of June 2018 at the ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria. Two female Liberian journalists, Mrs. Siatta Scott-Johnson and Mrs. Winnie Sayway Jimmy are representing Liberia at the workshop that will enable the building of effective channels of communication, visibility and networking towards the successful implementation of ECOWAS peace and security agenda, according to the FrontPage Africanewspaper.

Related Captions: West African Journalists Tasked On Conflict-Sensitive Reporting (Heritage), West African Journalists Tasked On Conflict-Sensitive Reporting (The INQUIRER)

Total Chaos

The Kebbah Community in Barnersville, outside Monrovia was a scene of total chaos on the wet morning of Wednesday June 27, when a tragic accident involving a truck and two motorbike riders sparked a bloody riot. According to the New Dawn newspaper, the two motorbike riders were killed on the scene of the accident, while a woman sustained bullet wounds in her neck when police allegedly open sporadic gunfire in an apparent attempt to disburse the angry crowd during a standoff. Eyewitnesses in Kebbah Community told our reporters that the driver of the truck marked HTC LB#14455, Abou Sheriff first hit a commercial motorcyclist only called Rufus and then hit the next motorcyclist who ran ahead of the truck to alarm the driver that he was dragging someone under his truck. The truck from the Caldwell direction had used the Dixville route, heading towards Barnersville Junction when it allegedly hit and killed the two motorcyclists. Driver Abou Sheriff fled the scene but is now in police custody. The daily says things got worse when a lady identified as Helena Nimely who was returning home from hospital got hit in her neck by a gunshot allegedly fired by police. The shooting of the woman exacerbated the already volatile situation, as rioters set roadblocks over the killings of the motorcyclists and wounding of the lady.

Related Captions: Hospital Confirms Bullet Wound on Woman, Police Denies Discharging Rounds in Barnesville Riot(FrontPage Africa), Following Accident Pandemonium Breaks Out In Kerbah…Passenger Killed; Several Injured(The INQUIRER)

OTHER STORIES   

Higher Education Commission Shuts Down Of 6 Illegal Universities 

The Government of Liberia, through the National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE), has ordered the shutting down of six private universities operating illegally in the country. According to Mr. David S. Dahn, the Acting Director General of the NCHE, the universities or colleges have neither Operational Permit nor Provisional Accreditation from the Commission and have been offering faked degree programs. The FrontPage Africa reads that those universities and colleges ordered shut down with immediate effect include Dayspring Bible College, Grace International Bible University, Pilgrims College & School of Ministry, Liberia College of Nursing & Divinity, New Dimension Theological Seminary and the ASSFI University College. The Acting Director of NCHE made the disclosure on Wednesday, June 27, at the headquarters of the NCHE on SD Cooper Road, Paynesville.

Related Caption: 6 ‘Bogus Universities’ Ordered Closed-47 Others To Be Affected(Daily Observer)

Veep Taylor Wants Reduction in Child Mortality

Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor has called for the reduction in infant mortality. Veep Howard Taylor made the disclosure at the second One Health Steering Committee meeting yesterday at the Golden Gate Hotel in Paynesville. One Health Approach is a proactive integrated approach that calls for multi-sectorial and interdisciplinary engagement across the human and animal. This include wildlife and environmental sectors and at their interfaces to better prevent, detect, and respond to interconnected health threats, the INQUIRER newspaper reads.

Related Caption: VP Taylor Wants M/Mortality Tackled…Chairs One Health Steering C’ttee Forum(The NEWS)

Weah Is Cuttington’s 57th Commencement Speaker

President George Manneh Weah will serve as the commencement speaker at the 57th convocation of the Cuttington University (CU) on Friday, June 29 on the university’s main campus in Suakoko, Bong County. CU’s Interim President, Fr. James Tamba, said for this year’s commencement program, the three campuses of the university at Suakoko, Kakata and Monrovia, will converge on the main campus where over 700 students will be awarded graduate, undergraduate and Associate Degrees in several fields of study, reads the Daily Observer.

ECOWAS Craves For Visibility Among Member States

The Economic Community of West African States says peace and security is a collaborative responsibility of all citizens therefore tasks journalists to domesticate its protocols in their respective countries as a sow of ownership in the region. At the opening of the three-day workshop for journalists from across ECOWAS member states, the Commission encouraged journalists to remind and ensure that member states are engaged in the domestication of the Protocols that have been signed, the NEWS newspaper reads.

‘’Address Gender Needs Separately’’ ROGET Gender Expert Recommends

According to the Heritage newspaper, as a two–day Regional OFF- Grid Electrification Project (ROGEP) workshop climaxes in Accra, Ghana, the Gender Expert for ROGEP, Ermelinda Lima has stressed the need to separately address and recognize the experiences, needs and interests of both genders in the sector. Madam Lima emphasized that gender inclusivity and mainstreamed over the years have become cardinal to the growth and development of every country in the world and the African continent is no exception to this new development. Presenting the Gender mainstreamed component, ROGEP’s gender expert averred that gender has become an issue that is to be taken seriously and included in every policy, regulations, law and program. Presenting further, the gender expert maintained that in order to facilitate the interest of woman in renewable energy market, awareness must be raised among them.

‘’Indian Group Opens Moderns Health Center Here’’ As consul General Jeety Lauds Initiative

In a bid to buttress national government’s effort in providing modern health service delivery in Liberia, the management of Shree Krishna has dedicated a modern Clinic in Monrovia to assist the government in providing health care for its citizenry. Providing a historical overview and mission statement of the clinic, the Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shree Krishna, Mr. Kishore Gurbani, said his entity was establish for the sole purpose of catering to the medical needs of Liberians. Mr. Gurbani said the facility will be open for 24 hours to address health challenges face by Liberians and Foreign residents, reports the Heritage newspaper.  

MCA-L Holds M & E Training  

According to the Heritage newspaper, the millennium Challenge Account Liberia (MCA-L) has begun a three – day training forum on results- base monitoring and evaluation in the compact projects activities. MCA-L is a legal, independent and autonomous agency of the government of Liberia (GOL) created by an Act of the National Legislature on October 23, 2015. It administers the compact grant between the Government of Liberia and the United State of America (USA) acting through the Millennium Challenge Corporation MCC. The MCC on the other hand signed US$257M grant between the Government of Liberia.

Life Water Canada Provides Safe Drinking Water to Armed Forces of Liberia

Life Water Canada has begun the construction and reconstruction of water systems in the various military barracks of the fifteen counties of Liberia. Personnel of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) and their dependents will benefit from the water systems. Speaking during a courtesy visit at the office of the Deputy Minister for Operations, the President of Life Water Canada, Jim Gehrels, said the aim of the initiative is to enable AFL personnel and their families get safe and enough drinking water in the barracks on a daily basis, writes the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Samaritan’s Purse Restores Sight Of Many Liberians