The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2014

President Johnson Sirleaf’s promise to improve the country’s economy, Liberians increased sales in farm rice, the University of Liberia’s expulsion and suspension of five students coupled with its National Service Program for senior students are among dominant stories captured from our selected local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

Reshuffle, Prosecution Loom? Sirleaf Vows To Restore Economy

Amid the ongoing economic crisis in Liberia characterized by high exchange rate between the two legal lenders, the United States and the Liberian dollars, high prices of basic commodities and budget shortfall, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf remains confident that the country’s economy will be restored to its full potential. In a nationwide address Wednesday, President Sirleaf stressed her seriousness in salvaging what is left of an economy in tatters, vowing changes biting changes in policy and officials. “I renew to you this solemn pledge: Our economy will be restored to its full potentials. This effort is already underway with my direct leadership,” said President Sirleaf, moments before her departure for a private visit to the U.S. Sirleaf said the effort will require changes in officials, prosecutions of offenders, challenges to partners, as well as reforms in policies and actions. “It will require the various Branches of our Government continuously working together for the common good of those we were elected to serve. It will require new thinking and strategic repositioning. It may require new and more robust partnerships with civil society and the media. And it will require understanding from our citizens to whom we owe so much”. The promise by the Liberian leader to restore the local economy to its full potential was accompanied by a caution to Liberians with the President insisting that all cannot be done as fast as many might expect. “In the end, it should be realized, however, that the economy is not a machine subject to pulling of plugs or the pushing of buttons,” said President Sirleaf. “The economy is people – people in private business, people in official entities, people in civil society, people in the media all of whom must play their roles without prejudice to the right to pursue their goals, but with the full realization that what each does will have consequences, reports the FrontPage Africa.

Related Captions: Ellen Hints Changes in Government (New Democrat), MoF, CBL ‘Hinder’ Economy-As Pres. Sirleaf Cites Lack of Full Cooperation (INSIGHT),‘Economy Fundamentally Strong’- President Sirleaf Tells the Nation (Daily Observer), Ellen Vows To Improve Economy…Gov’t to Reduce Wasteful Spending; Streamline Priorities (The Inquirer), Ellen Pledges to Restore Economy (The News), To Restore Liberian Economy: Ellen Hints Changes In Officials, Others(Heritage),Ellen Blames CBL, MoF For Hardship (TheNew Dawn)

Liberian Farm Rice Makes Huge Sale

The year 2014 may go down in history for these farmers. The Bagagizia farmers sold over 70 bags of surplus paddy rice to local processor Fabrar Liberia, who traveled through Lofa County in the month of May to purchase rice. The Kabuke farmers sold 55 bags to Fabrar. Bagagizia Farmers Association near Voinjama is one of several rice farming cooperatives working with the USAID Food and Enterprise Development (FED) Program to increase lowland rice production. To increase the options for Liberian rice farmers, USAID FED began supporting Fabrar Liberia in 2014 with bigger warehousing and increased processing facilities in Kakata, Margibi. During a visit to Lofa, Fabrar Liberia made a 25% down payment on 1200 bags (60 MT) of paddy rice from nine farming groups in Voinjama, Kolahun and Foya districts. Fabrar’s purchase marks the first time in Liberia’s history that a local processor buys this much rice. Fabrar aims to buy rice from farmers from Nimba, Bong and other counties and hopes to reach 40,000 bags of rice in 2014, INSIGHTreports.

Related Captions: Fabrar-Liberia Motivates Liberian Farmers (Daily Observer),Fabrar Rice Purchases Locally Grown Rice, Motivates Farmers (In Profile Daily), Local Farmer Make Unprecedented Rice Sale-As Fabrar Liberia Spens $22,000 USD to buy over 1200 bags of Paddy Rice (The New Dawn)

UL Expels 3 Students, Suspends 2 Others

The Inquirernewspaper reports that the administration of the University of Liberia has expelled three students and suspended two others for acts incompatible with the rules and regulations of the University. Students Joyee O.T. Wilson, James E. Julo and Moivee Dennis were expelled for receiving money from candidates, forging Ecobank deposit slips and issuing fake UL receipts respectively. According to the daily, students Abraham B. Sarwah and Moses Kollie of the William R. Tolbert, Jr. College of Agriculture and Forestry were suspended for staging riot and holding several professors hostage.

Related Captions: UL Expels 3, Suspends 2 (Daily Observer), UL Expels 3 Students; Suspends 2 (The New Dawn)

UL Plans National Service Program

The University of Liberia (UL) plans to shortly launch a National Service Program for students on the government scholarship program at the institution. UL President Dr. Emmet Dennis explained that the National Service Program is intended to encourage students to move into the leeward counties to teach for one semester before graduation. He made the disclosure in an interview with the Liberia News Agency at a program marking the launch of the Ministry of Education Operational Plan for 2014 to 2016 held at the Monrovia City Hall over the weekend. The UL official said to empower universities to provide teaching services in other parts of the country will help enhance the learning process, and called for strengthening of the education base in the various counties. Dennis indicated that starting the National Service Program with students that are on government scholarship program would eventually encourage all university students to render national service before graduation. INSIGHT

Related Caption: UL Plans National Service Program (Heritage), UL Seniors To Teach In Leeward Counties – As Administration Launches “Natinal Service Program” (Daily Observer)

MOE, Save The Children Launch Practical Teaching System

The Ministry of Education in collaboration with Save The Children has launched a pragmatic teaching system for children at the primary level. The program is aimed at building the capacity of children in mathematics. Speaking at the official launch Wednesday, may 28, 2014 in Tubmaburg, Bomi County, Save the Children’s director of program operations, Mercy Giehuhi, said the program is a pilot project that Save The Children is using to promote literacy and numeracy, Daily Observer reports.

Related Caption: New Educational Concept Born (New Democrat)

Swedish Prison Team Assesses Liberian Prisons

A two-man delegation from the Swedish Prison Service (SPS) is in the country to assess facilities at a number of prison centers in Liberia. The delegation comprising Mr. Anbreas Wullin and Ms. Anna Vahbren will visit the Kakata, Tubmanburg, Robertsport and Monrovia central prisons, according to the Director of Communication at the Justice Ministry, Maude Somah. Others are the Gbarnga, Buchanan, Sanniquellie Central prisons and the National Palace of Corrections in Zwedru,  among others, FOCUS reports.

Related Caption: Swedish Prison Team Assesses Liberian Prisons (INSIGHT)

OTHER STORIES

IFRC, GoL Recommits To Combat Natural Disasters

A two-man delegation from the Swedish Prison Service (SPS) is in the country to assess facilities at a number of prison centers in Liberia. The delegation comprising Mr. Anbreas Wullin and Ms. Anna Vahbren will visit the Kakata, Tubmanburg, Robertsport and Monrovia central prisons, according to the Director of Communication at the Justice Ministry, Maude Somah.Other are the Gbarnga, Buchanan, Sanniquellie central prisons and the National Palace of Corrections in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, among others. Director Somah told the Liberia News Agency that while in the country the delegation will conduct a weeklong training on the management of prison facilities. She said the delegation, which is in the country at the invitation of the U. N. Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) Corrections Advisory Unit, will meet with UNICEF, UNDP, LIPA and ICRC in a bid to help improve conditions at the various prison centers around Liberia. The Swedish delegation is expected to be in the country up to June 10, 2014. INSIGHT

Five Journalists Off For Training…In Ghana

Five Liberian journalists leave the country today for Accra, Ghana, to participate in a two-day regional training on Contract Monitoring. The Training runs from May 30-31, 2014. The training is organized by the Media Foundatiojn for West Africa in partnership with the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC). About 20 senior journalists from Liberia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria will participate in the two-day event, The NEWS reports.

Lofa Health Team Alerted By 2 New ‘Ebola Cases’ In Guinea

The Lofa county health team has reported that two new suspected cases of the Ebola virus have been reported in neighboring guinea. The community health department director Edmond Essah made the disclosure at the regular Ebola briefing on Tuesday, May 27, at the office of the county health team in Voinjama city, Lofa county. He said there has been no new case of Ebola reported in Lofa county and Liberia as a whole in recent times. Mr. Essah noted that the county health team and partners will continue the Ebola awareness and preventive measures, Heritage reports.

Executive Masion Acknowledges…Receipt Of FOI Request

The Executive Mansion has acknowledged receipt of a Freedom of Information request filed last Thursday by journalist Sam Zota of The NEWS Newspaper. Zota had requested for a copy of the Executive Mansion renovation contract. Presidential Press Secretary Jerolinmek M. Piah confirmed receiving the request. He told the News Wednesday via mobile phone that the request has already been forwarded to the appropriate authorities for response, TheNEWS reports.