The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014

President Johnson Sirleaf’s visit to the Redemption Hospital expressing Government’s support to fight the Ebola pandemic, IFC launch of the country’s first collateral registry and the participation of  fifteen Liberians in the Young African Leaders Initiative program in the United States are stories dominating our summary of today’s selected local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

Pres. Sirleaf visit 'Ebola infected' Redemption Hospital  

In the wake of a renewed outbreak of Ebola virus in Liberia, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has expressed government’s commitment to fight the pandemic. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare recently announced a renewed outbreak of the Ebola virus in the New Kru Town vicinity that has claimed the lives of at least seven persons including a health worker at the Redemption Hospital who was infected by the virus while attending to a patient. The INSIGHT newspaper quotes an Executive Mansion release as saying that the Liberian leader had gone to the Redemption Hospital on the Bushrod Island to sympathize with the administration, nurses and staff there who are mourning the loss of their colleague, Esther Kesselee, and at the same time ascertain the state of affairs at the hospital relative to its preparedness to cope with an influx of patients if the need arises.

Related Caption: Ellen Consoles Redemption Hospital (The New Republic), President Declares Ebola A Crisis (New Democrat). In a related development, theINSIGHT newspaper writes under the caption“Lutheran Development Service Increases Ebola Prevention Awareness”, that the Lutheran Development Service in Liberia (LDS) has increased its Awareness and Prevention Campaign as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the Ebola Virus. Liberian Health Ministry authority has reported that Ebola has again surfaced with cases of deaths reported in Lofa and Montserrado counties. LDS Liberia is leaving no stone unturned aimed at ensuring that the necessary preventive awareness measures are taken against the spread of the deadly Disease. As part of the efforts, the third Prevention Awareness Workshop has taken place in Zorzor City, Lofa County by the Lutheran Development Service in Liberia (LDS) in Partnership with the "Action by Churches Together" (ACT Alliance), a General Base Organization. LDS Executive Director, Joseph S. Binda challenged the participants not to only acquire the knowledge but serve as Ambassadors to ensure practical Ebola sensitization and prevention.

Related Caption: Ebola Death Toll In Liberia Hits 16; Guinea 264; Sierra Leone 49(Daily Observer)

IFC Supports Smaller Business Growth In Liberia With Collateral Registry

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Central Bank of Liberia on Wednesday announced the launch of the country’s first collateral registry, a financing innovation that will support economic growth and job creation by allowing smaller businesses to obtain loans using equipment, inventory, or other movable assets as collateral. According to the New Dawn newspaper, the establishment of the electronic collateral registry, a public database that contains information on security interests in movable assets, will bring increased transparency to Liberia’s credit system, potentially benefitting thousands of businesses in the country by unlocking large amounts of private capital. This project has garnered support from Liberia’s public and private sectors.

Related  caption:IFC supports smaller business growth in Liberia with collateral registry (INSIGHT)

15 Liberians On Washington Fellowship PrograM….In The U.S.

Five hundred young African leaders, including 15 Liberians, have arrived in the United States to take part in the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, the flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). The Washington Fellowship aims to empower 500 of Africa’s most promising young leaders through academic coursework at U.S. colleges and universities, leadership training, networking, and professional opportunities. The Washington Fellowship is a key component of President Obama’s commitment to invest in the future of Africa, the NEWS reports.

Related Caption: U.S. Embassy sends 15 youth leaders to participate in Pres. Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative (INSIGHT), Profiles Of Liberia’s 15 YALI Washington Fellow (FrontPageAfrica)

OTHER STORIES

Ellen Meets With Ghanaian Foreign Minister, Pledge Support Cooperation Agreement

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 received in audience Ghanaian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Madam Hanna Serwaa Tetteh. Madam Tetteh, when the Minister paid a courtesy call on the President while concluding a two-day visit to Liberia, after signing an Agreement with her Liberian counterpart, Mr. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan that will lead to the establishment of a Permanent Joint Commission between the two countries, Heritage reports.

MOH Celebrates Blood Donor Day

In celebration of World Blood Donor Day here several students of the University of Liberia have donated blood to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Monrovia. This year’s celebration was held under the theme, “Safe Blood for Safe Mothers”. Speaking to reporters, the program director of the National Blood Safety program at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Madam Lorpu M. Bruce, said not every blood is accepted for fear of coming in contact with an infected person. She said donors should be free from malarial, HIV, AIDS and even fever before donating blood, the New Dawn writes.

House Passes Bill To Support Rural Radio Stations

The plenary of the House of Representatives has unanimously voted to pass the Rural Community Radio Stations Sustainability Act of 2012. The house took the decision on Tuesday, June 17, 2014 following the reading of a report from the Joint Committee on Information and Tourism, Ways, Means and Finance and Judiciary. The committee’s report was read during the 36^th day sitting of the Third Session of the lower house. Amongst other things, the bill which was introduced by Grand Bassa County District #4 Representative, Jeb Byron Browne, calls for subsidies to be provided to rural radio stations across Liberia, Heritage reports.

NEC Releases Statistics On Electorate

The National Elections Commission has released statistics on Liberian electorate, three months to the Special Senatorial Election in October.  NEC Commissioner on Civic and Voter Education, Sam Joe, said Election Baseline Survey conducted by the Liberia Media Center (LMC), covering civic and voter education was intended to enabling the National Elections Commission to continue the conduct of free, fair and credible elections in Liberia. Releasing the data collected from the survey, Commissioner Joe said, about 73 percent of the youth population is either aware or highly aware of the electoral process; that women, and persons with disabilities also demonstrate high levels of awareness with 53%, 63 and 56% respectively; that half of the participants associated as “Ordinary citizens” were not aware, showing a close correlation to the survey main finding and that voting fatigue and distrust of elected officials are serious threats to voters turnout in future elections,  the New Dawn reports.

Grand Kru, Rivercess Counties Donate 50 Acres For Football Academies

Grand Kru and Rivercess counties have joined eight counties to donate lands to the Liberia Football Association (LFA), for the erection of football academies in the country. The two southeastern counties donated 25 acres of lands each, the chairman of the LFA sub-committees and associations, Mr. Wallace G. Weiah said, Daily Observer reports.

Gender Ministry, Religious Leader Embark On Sexual Based Violence Prevention Campaign

The Ministry of Gender and Development (MoGD) in collaboration with some religious leaders has begun a two-day campaign aimed at curbing sexual and gender based violence in the country. The Heritage newspaper writes that as part of their duties, the religious leaders will preach anti sexual and gender based violence messages in their various areas of worship. Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Deputy Minister of Gender and Development, Madam Annette Kiawu, said with the support of religious leaders, it will be easier to spread the awareness of preventing SGBV.

VP Extols Tetra Tech DPK For Empowering Liberian Security

The Vice President of Liberia, Ambassador Joseph N. Boakai has extolled Tetra Tech DPK for empowering Liberian Security and local leaders with logistical supports, which are used for the mitigation of local disputes. Speaking at the symbolic turning over ceremony of logistical equipment, including solar panel and among others to the Lofa County |Security Council on Tuesday, June 17, the VP said the supplies will help to enhance secur8ity in Lofa,  Daily Observer writes.

Goat Farmers Get Resources Towards Better Animal Care

The USAID Food and Enterprise Development (FED), one the partners helping to improve Liberia’s food security, has hired Liberian technicians to source local lumber for the construction of animal shelters for farmers involved in the process. This year the program hired 23 sawyers and 29 carpenters to help 84 farming groups with goat shelter lumber and construction, the Daily Observer reports.

Liberia Endorses Blatter’s Fifth Term Bid

Liberia Football Association (LFA) President Musa Bility has publically endorsed the fifth term bid of FIFA President Sepp  Blatter and vowed to front his campaign in Africa, making the West African country to be the first ever to make such public acceptance. Bility said the decision to back Blatter in the pending FIFA elections in June 2015 was taken by the LFA’s executive committee, Daily Observer reports.