The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2013

 The dominant captions in today’s news summary reveal government’s funding of teachers arrear payment and the enlistment of 95 college graduates into the Liberia National Police.

Dominant Stories

Gov’t Raises Teachers’ Salaries – Allots L$6.9 Million to Settle Retroactive Salaries

Education Minister Etmonia Tarpeh says some 45 government school teachers who had not taken salaries  since 2010 will today begin receiving check stomps to make up for the time in review. Madam Tarpeh made the statement when she was hosted at the Ministry of Information special press conference yesterday. She was accompanied by the Civil Service Agency (CSA) Director General George Warner and Deputy Finance Minister Angelica Bush Bassell who told the gathering that they had secured some L$6.9millions to ensure the payment. The INSIGHT newspaper says, during the course of their presentation the trio recognized that teachers had staged protest on several occasion in demand of their salaries.

Related Caption: Gov’t. Funds Teachers Arrears Payment (The Analyst)

Some Gov’t Employees on More Than One Payrolls… Cleanup Exercise to Begin Soon

According to the Director of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), as a result of a vigorous exercise launched recently by the CSA to cleanup government’s payroll it has been discovered that several individuals are on multiple payroll. Addressing a joint news conference along with the Minister of Education and an official of the Finance Ministry yesterday, Mr. Warner said currently there are experts in the field taking finger prints and taking photographs of civil servants in a bid to properly structure the government’s payroll, reports the Inquirer newspaper.

Related Story: Konneh, Warner, David-Tarpeh At Special MICAT Press Conference (National Chronicle)

Police Enlist 95 College Graduates

Ninety Five college graduates with different professional backgrounds over the weekend received certificates of enrollment into the Liberia National Police of LNP at a program held at the National Police Training Academy in Paynesville City outside Monrovia. A police statement issued in Monrovia on 16 December said at the graduation exercise, Police Director Chris C. Massaquoi reaffirmed the LNP’s commitment to maintaining law and order here, stressing that this is the statutory mandate of the police. According to the statement, Director Massaquoi termed the induction of college graduates with specialties primarily in criminal justice and related disciplines into the force as significant milestone in the history of the LNP in the wake of UNMIL drawdown from Liberia, the New Dawn newspaper reports.

Related story: Police Enlist 95 New College Graduates (The News newspaper)

OTHER STOTRIES

Property Cases Dominate Civil Court Docket – As Judge Gbeneweleh Recommends Need For Second Branch

His Honor Peter Gbeneweleh, Assigned Judged at the first Judicial Circuit Civil law Court has recommended that a second branch of the Court be established to handle cases relative to properties. This recommendation was made yesterday at the ceremonial opening of the Civil Court for its December term where Judge Gbeneweleh delivered the Judges’ charge to officials of the Court present. He noted that the Civil Law Court has a huge docket predominantly consisting of cases that had to do with properties, the INSIGHT newspaper reports.

CRC, Traditional Leaders Meet In Bong

An inside lead story of the New Dawn newspaper reports that the Constitution Review Committee or CRC has ended a four-day consultation with the National Council of Chiefs, Elders and Traditional Leaders. The consultation highlighted some to the clauses in the present Liberian Constitution which after the tradition and customs of the country. Speaking at the close of the gathering at the weekend, the Chairman of the CRC Cllr. Gloria Scott commended the participants for their interventions in the review process, describing the process as important to achieving national unity and development.

Cuttington University Inaugurates $30,000.000 Soil Science Laboratory

The people of America through the USAID-Excellence in Higher Education for Liberian Development project have dedicated a multi-purpose soil science Lab at the Cuttington University in Bong County, central Liberia as part of commitment to improving the agriculture sector here. The USAID – EHELD Agriculture Education Advisor at Cottington University, Dr. Charles’s quest to improve agriculture in Liberia, Cuttington’s Partner Research Triangle Institute with support from USAID have commenced the process of providing an enabling environment to enable graduates produce agriculture products that will elevate Liberia, the New Dawn newspaper says.

Grand Bassa Targets US$200K

Grand Bassa County needs a little over US$200,000 to jump-start an Educational Trust Fund, according to the country’s Superintendent, Etweeda, Cooper. The intent of the project is to provide scholarships and financial aid for deserving students in the areas of Science and Technology. In an interview with the Daily Observer in Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County over the weekend, Sup. Cooper stressed the need for more funding and support to these students across the county in order to build the capacity of the young generation, the Daily Observer Newspaper assets.

Council Of Churches Speaks On Pressing National Issues – Murder of Saah Gbollie, Ellen Corkrum, Lofa’s Church &Traditional Saga Highlighted

The leadership of the body responsible for the spiritual uplifting of Christian residing in Liberia, the Liberian Council of Churches (LCC), over the weekend addressed a number of issues confronting the country. LCC believes that those issues need serious attention. The 1^st Vice President of the LCC, Reverend Kortu Brown, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Observer, began by describing as scary, he gruesome murder of former lawmaker of Liberia, Fayia Saah Gbollie Rev. Kortu challenged the Government to conduct a thorough the an intensive investigating and bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime, to justice, the Daily Observer newspaper reveals.

 Nelson Mandela Statue Unveiled In Pretoria By Zuma

A Top flash inside lead of the New Dawn newspaper asserts a statue of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black President, has been unveiled in the capital, Pretoria, a day after he was buried. The nine-meter (30ft) bronze statue has been erected at the Union Buildings, the government headquarters. The statue, with Mr. Mandela’s hands reaching outward, was intended to show that he had embraced the whole nation, President Jacob Zuma said.

Rotary Club Of Monrovia To Dedicate US$100K School In Marshall

The Rotary club of Monrovia and its support partners will soon dedicate a US$100,000 six-classroom school in Ben Town, Marshall City, in Margibi County; This development represents another demonstration of the Club’s regular service to the needy, humanity and society.  The disclosure of the Ben’s Town School project was made over the weekend during a charity ball at the Executive Pavilion in Monrovia. Commenting on Rotary International’s Global Initiatives, Rotarian Milton B. Weeks disclosed that a few years ago, Rotarians were able to raiseUS$200 million, writes the Daily Observer.

Post MDG Consultation Climaxing In Monrovia

 After hosting three regional youth consultations on the Post 2015 MDGS in Zwedru, Gbarnga and Kakata, all is set for the validation of the recommendations garnered in the previous sessions. The Monrovia event to attract an array of stakeholders will be hosted on 17^th December 2013 at the Paynesville Town Hall. Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is Co-chair of High Level Panel with British Prime Minister David Cameroom and Indonesia President Susilio Bambang Yudhoyono, the Analyst newspaper reports.

17 Detainees Set Free

The Resident Judge of Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice, A. Blamo Dixon has ordered the release of 17 detainees from the Monrovia Central Prison. According to the News newspaper, the 17 inmates were charged with various crimes, ranging from Burglary to Theft of Property, Robbery, Auto Boosting and Misapplication of Entrusted Property. The release of the inmates followed a motion to dismiss the charges against them after the Government of Liberia failed to proceed with the respective cases before court. The News daily quotes a Court document as saying that the defendants have be  languishing behind bars for between ten and nineteen months without trial.

OPIC President Ends Visit to Liberia

An inside story of the News newspaper writes that the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), Elizabeth L. Littlefield has concluded her visit to Liberia. Madam Littlefield was in Liberia to discuss how the United States Government can continue to support private sector investment in the country. As a U.S. Government’s development finance institution, OPIC’s portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa is nearly US$4 billion across a range of industries including power and renewable energy, housing and construction, tourism, agriculture, food security and financial services.

Pneumonia Remains 3^rd Killer Disease-Health Ministry

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH) says pneumonia remains the third top killer disease of children under five years globally while malaria and diarryrra are the first and second top most killer diseases. Mr. Augustine Newray of the Liberia Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) at the MOH said the introduction of the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) will help to save the lives of thousands of children in Liberia. According to the News newspaper, Mr. Newray spoke at the media training for the introduction of the PCV, quotes the daily.