The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, JULY 29, 2014

The Government of Liberia’s pronouncement on the closure of the country’s major entry points or borders, the Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company initial US$75,000 contribution to the fight against Ebola and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance announcement of preventive measures in the spread of the Ebolavirus are among stories dominating our selected local dailies for today, Tuesday, July 29, 2014, summary.    

DOMINANT STORIES

Gov’t Institutes Measures, Closes ‘Porous Borders

As the fight to contain the deadly disease of Ebola virus in the country continues, the government over the weekend instituted several ‘stringent’ measures. Some of the measures include closure of the country’s major entry points or borders, with the exception of the Roberts International Airport, James Spriggs Payne Airport, Foya, Bo-Waterside, and the Ganta Crossing Points, reports the Daily Observer.

Related Caption: Liberia Announces Measures To Contain Ebola (FOCUS)

LPRC Contributes US$75,000 To Nat’l Ebola Task Force

According to the Daily Observer Newspaper, the Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) has announced that they are contributing an initial US$75,000 to the National Ebola Task Force, which was recently set up by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The Task Force is chaired by President Sirleaf, ci-chaired by Internal Affairs and the LPRC is a member .

Related Caption: LPRC Joins Ebola Fight(New Democrat)

Aureau Mining Company Donates Towards Ebola Fight

According to the In Profile Daily, the management of Aureau Mining Company involved in mining in Grand Cape Mount County has contributed assorted materials to the County Health Team (CHT) for use in the fight against the deadly Ebola virus. This was disclosed by the County Development Superintendent, Madame Tenneh Simpson Kpedebah, in an interview with the Liberian News Agency (LINA) correspondent in the county recently.

Related Caption: Aureau Mining Company Donates to Ebola Fight(FOCUS), Total Kakata Manager Urges Full Involvement Of Citizens In Ebola Fight(In Profile Daily)

Foreign Ministry Launches Ebola Sensitization

The In Profile Daily writes that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Monday, held Ebola awareness and sensitization meeting aimed at preventing the spread of the deadly Ebola virus among employees and members of the general public. A joint team from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) led by Assistant Health Minister for Preventive Service, Tolbert Nyansua attended the meeting based upon the invitation of the Ministry.  Authorities of the Ministry have therefore taken thorough sanitary measures that will help prevent the spread of the virus. As part of the preventive measures, the Ministry has warned that effective July 28, 2014, all staff and the general public should avoid bodily contact, shaking of hands, hugging and kissing of cheeks while interacting with staffers of the Ministry and members of the general public. Also as part of the new measures, every person is advised to do hand-washing before entering or leaving the building as well as after using the latrine/bathroom. During the well-attended meeting held at the C. Cecil Dennis Auditorium, Foreign Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan announced that the rules will be applied to everyone with no exception, to keep and prevent the employees and the public safe from the Ebola disease. “We are about to enforce no shaking hands rules, no hugging, no kissing of cheeks, while interacting with anyone in the Ministry.  

Related Caption: Foreign Affairs Launches Ebola Sensitization and Awareness Campaign(INSIGHT)

Finance Ministry Takes Measures

In the wake of the rapid spread of the deadly Ebola virus and the recent untimely death of Mr. Patrick Sawyer, Coordinator of the ECOWAS National Unit at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, having contracted the virus, the Ministry wishes to announce the following measures to ensure public safety and instill confidence in users of services at the Ministry. At the very highest level of the Ministry, all senior officials coming in direct or indirect contact with Mr. Sawyer have been placed on the prescribed 21 days observatory surveillance period starting July 20th, the day Mr. Sawyer departed the country for Nigeria. All concerned senior officials have been requested to telecommute up until when certified by the Ministry of Health to return to active duty. Further to this measure, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning Amara Konneh has requested the Ministry of Health to immediately quarantine and properly sanitize both the former Ministries of Finance and Planning and Economic Affairs buildings including the newly constructed National Authorizing Office of the European Union. According to the News newspaper, the Ministry was temporarily shut down 12: 00 PM on Monday, July 28, 2014 and reopened on Tuesday, July 29th, 2014.

Related Captions: Senior Finance Officials Under 21-Day Surveillance Following Death of Colleague (Daily Observer), Finance, Planning Announces Ebola Measure (FOCUS), Patrick Sawyer’s Remains Burned in Lagos-As Finance Ministry Takes Precaution (INSIGHT), MoF Officials Under Ebola Surveillance (New Dawn), Finance Institutes Strict Measures (In Profile Daily), Finance ‘Joins’ Ebola Fight (Daily Observer), Awareness Heightens On Ebola Prevention (The Inquirer), Finance Ministry Shut Down Unit… (Heritage). In a related story under the caption“Nigeria Isolates Lagos Hospital Where Patrick Sawyer Died, the National Chronicle newspaper, reports that the Nigerian city of Lagos on Monday shut down and quarantined a hospital where a man died of Ebola in the first recorded case of the highly infectious disease.

Dr. Samuel Brisbane Dies of Ebola One of the Nation’s Most Senior Medical Practitioners; as 2 US Citizens Test Positive

The Daily Observer reports that the remains of Dr. Samuel Brisbane were buried Saturday night at his home in Bomi County, less than 24 hours after he succumbed to the deadly Ebola virus, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH/SW) has confirmed.  Dr. Brisbane was a senior Medical Doctor working at Liberia’s leading referral hospital, the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Medical Center in Monrovia. The JFK’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Billy Johnson, confirmed Brisbane’s demise to the Daily Observer Saturday afternoon.  Liberia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Bernice Dahn, also confirmed Dr.  Brisbane’s death, which occurred at around one o’clock p.m. on Saturday at an Ebola treatment center at ELWA Hospital in Paynesville, near Monrovia. 

The US-based aid group, Samaritan’s Purse, also said Saturday that an American doctor working in Liberia is sick. A spokeswoman for the group says Dr. Kent Brantly is undergoing intensive medical treatment. She added that patients have a better chance of survival if they receive treatment immediately after being infected, which Brantly did. Dr. Brantly, 33, is married and a father of two. A second U.S. citizen working in Liberia has tested positive for the Ebola virus, Samaritan’s Purse also announced. Nancy Writebol is employed by SIM (Sudan Interior Mission) in Liberia and was helping the joint SIM/Samaritan’s Purse team that is treating Ebola patients at the Case Management Center in Monrovia.

.

Related Captions: Second American Infected With Ebola(New Democrat), American Missionary Tested Positive(The News)

NEC Clears Weah, Robert Sirleaf, Others

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has clears Congress for Democratic Change Standard Bearer, George Weah, Independent Candidate, Mr. Robert Alvin Sirleaf, son of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and 139 individuals to contest in the impending 2014 Special Senatorial Election. George Weah and Robert Sirleaf are expected to be tough contenders for the Montserrado County race. According to the New Dawn newspaper, NEC Press and Public Affairs Director, Mr. Joey Kennedy said the provisional listing will be sent to the public for reviewing and objections which will give the commission the opportunity to call for a conference or investigation between candidates and complainers, “if there are facts and evidence against any candidate, the commission by law will deny that individual to contest,” he said.

Related Captions: 140 Aspirants Vie for 15 Seats (FOCUS), 15 Seats, 140 Candidates (INSIHGT), 140 Candidates to Battle for 15 Seats (National Chronicle)

Former Liberia Minister Of State; Public Works, Willis Knuckles Dies

Liberia’s former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Willis Knuckles has given the ghost in the Ghanaian Capital Accra. The FrontPage Africa  daily quotes a family member as saying that Mr. Knuckles was diagnosed with stroke and other illnesses and he had to be flown to Ghana but died on Monday morning. Knuckles served as Minister of Public Works and later Minister State for Presidential Affairs to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and resigned after nude photos emerged showing him in a sex act  with two women. Since his departure from Government, Knuckles lived a quite life prior to his death although there has been speculation that he was contemplating returning to politics.

Related Captions: Willis Knuckles Has Died(Daily Observer), “Controversial” Willis Knuckles is Dead(FOCUS), Willis Knuckles is Dead(INSIGHT)

OTHER STORIES

Fast & Prayer Required

The In Profile Daily reports that as the issue of Ebola continues to threaten the lives of Liberians, many people have become homeless from fear of contacting the disease. The general overseer of the Living Water Evangelical Ministry in Cong Town, Harris W. Williams, says the case of Ebola requires a national deliverance through fast and prayer. Pastor Williams made the statement on Monday, July 28, 2014 on Johnson Street when he spoke to a group of people on the theme: “Is there anything too hard for God?”

Bishops, Pastors Converge To Strategize, Formulate ‘Spiritual Response’ To Ebola As LCC Wishes Muslims Eid Mubarak

The President of the Liberia Council of Churches has cited all Pastors, Bishops, General Overseers, Prophets, Evangelists and other ministers of the Gospel to an important emergency meeting.  According to a communication signed by Archbishop Dr. Jonathan B.B. Hart, LCC President, the meeting will, among other things, decide on a strategy to fight the Ebola epidemic. The first Vice President of the LCC, Rt. Reverend Dr. Kortu Brown on behalf of the LCC has expressed prayerful thanks for Muslims in Liberia for the sacrifice they continue to make, especially during the period of Ramadan, which was concluded Monday with the prayer of Eid Mubarak, reports the Daily Observer.

Guinea Ambassador Cautions Liberian Youths

Guinean Ambassador and Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps, Abdoulaye Dore has cautioned Liberian youth not to get involved in what he termed “political chase game” in the upcoming 2014 Senatorial election and subsequent elections. According to the Guinean Diplomat, the holding of peaceful elections in the country should be the goal of all citizens, especially the youths who constitute about 60 percent of the population of Liberia. Ambassador Dore made the call when he presented a statement on behalf of the diplomatic community at the Souvenir program marking the 167^th Independence Anniversary on Saturday held at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion in Monrovia, writes the INSIGHT newspaper.

Liberia FA Suspends All Football Activities-As Ebola Death Increases

The Liberia Football Association has with immediate effect, ordered the suspension of all and sundry football activities throughout the country to enhance the campaign on the awareness of the deadly Ebola disease. The INSIGHT quotes  Musu Bility, President of the LFA as saying that prevention of the disease has become a dilemma, hence all and sundry means necessary have to be introduced to augment the effort of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.