THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2016

Today’s summary of the local dailies includes news of Liberian Ambassador to Nigeria Prof. Al-Hassan Conteh’s commendation to the Economic Community of West African States at the 41^st anniversary celebration of the body and the burning of used electoral materials by the National Elections Commission

DOMINANT STORIES  

Liberian Envoy Lauds ECOWAS Achievements 

The CAPITOL TIMESnewspaper reports that Liberian Ambassador to Nigeria Prof. Al-Hassan Conteh says despite the current security and financial challenges facing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), there is much the over 300 million people in the sub region can be thankful for. A dispatch from the Liberian Embassy in Abuja says the Liberian envoy made the assertions on Friday, June 10, 2016 in Abuja during the official celebration of the 41st Anniversary of ECOWAS. The sub-regional bloc turned 41 on May 28, 2016 but official observance was pushed to a later date due to other major activities. Prime among them was the holding of the 49th Ordinary Session of the Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government which held in the Senegalese capital Dakar that witnessed the President of Liberia, Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, emerging as ECOWAS' new Chairperson. In his special remarks during Friday's event held at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, Amb. Conteh  who is also the Permanent Representative of Liberia to ECOWAS stated that ECOWAS' record over the last four decades since its founding in meeting its goal of economic development and regional integration is worth celebrating. Amb. Conteh said notable progress has been made in its plan to establish a single currency by 2020 and the adoption of a single biometric identification card for member states.

Related Captions: Ambassador Conteh Lauds Achievements At 41(New DEMOCRAT), Single Currency For ECOWAS Region By 2020(New DEMOCRAT)

NEC Burns 2014 Election Materials

The National Elections Commission (NEC), according to the Liberia News Agency (LINA), has begun the process of burning ballot papers and other electoral materials used during the 2014 Special Senatorial Election. The burning of the used elections materials took place Friday at the Upper Montserrado County Elections Magisterial Office in Bensonville, where used elections materials from Upper Montserrado County and the NEC Central warehouse were burnt. At the ceremony, NEC Chairman Cllr. Jerome G. Korkoya said the destruction of the used elections materials was a requirement of Section 4.16 of the New Elections Law of Liberia. Section 4.16 of the New Elections Law of 1986 states: “The Commission shall preserve all writs issued for elections and all ballots cast and registered voters made in elections until the validity of such election and its results can no longer be disputed, writes the Daily Observer.

Related Captions: NEC Burns 2014 Special Senatorial Elections Ballot Papers(FrontPage Africa), NEC Burns 2014 Ballot Papers(New DEMOCRAT)

Pres. Sirleaf Congratulates The Philippines

The New Dawn newspaper quotes a Foreign Ministry release as saying that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has sent a message of congratulations to the Government and people of the Republic of the Philippines on the occasion commemorating the 118th Independence Anniversary of that country on June 12, 2016.According to a Foreign Ministry release, in a message to her counterpart, His Excellency Mr. Benigno Aquino III, President Sirleaf expressed the hope that the bond of friendship so happily subsisting between the two countries and peoples will continue to flourish in the years to come. The release quoted the President as also anticipating collaboration for the actualization of the ideas and aspirations of their two peoples.

Ellen Returns From U.S., Senegal and Israel

The In Profile Daily reports that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has returned home following successful visits to the United States of America, Senegal and the State of Israel respectively.  According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf, who has been away on official visits since May 26, arrived at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) on Friday, June 10, 2016. Speaking to journalists upon arrival at the RIA, President Sirleaf expressed her commitment to lead ECOWAS through consultations as Chairperson of the Authority. She described her two weeks visits to the three countries as very successful and expressed the hope that Liberia will benefit from the advanced scientific knowledge of the Israeli in the field of agriculture as well as critical and much need training in the security sector.

Related Caption: President Sirleaf Returns Following Visits to U.S., Senegal, Israel(FrontPage Africa)

VP Boakai Reaffirms Liberia’s Commitment To Peace, Security

Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to ensuring that peace and stability continue to reign throughout the length and breadth of the nation as the smooth transition is predicated upon a peaceful Liberia. He said it was the responsibility of all Liberians to help sustain the peace attained in a decade and that all hands must come on board. According to theNew Dawnnewspaper, VP Boakai spoke Friday when the Chairman of the Peace Building Commission, His ExcellencyMacharia Kamau at the head of a nine member-delegation paid a courtesy call on him on Capitol Hill, according to a release from the Office of the Vice President. Speaking earlier, Mr. Macharia Kamau, Chairman of the Peace-Building Commission of the United Nations, who is also Permanent member of Kenya to the United Nations, assured the Vice President that the Peace Commission will ensure that the drawdown of UNMIL doesn’t in anyway undermine the peace and security of Liberia as the nation heads towards the 2017 elections.

WAEC Exams Reprinted – Education Ministry Official Discloses

The Capitol Timesnewspaper reports that amid fears that this year’s West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) exams would not be held due to the purported inability of government to raise the needed US$300,000 to reprint the test before the June 27 date, the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Education says they have already reprinted the WAEC which was cancelled last month due to its leakage on the campus of Konola Mission in Margibi county.

Kru Town Residents Petition House

Residents of the Borough of New Kru Town, Bushrod Island suburb of Monrovia have petitioned the House of Representatives to address the continuous threat posed to the borough by sea erosion. Presenting the petition on behalf of the residents, the borough Chairman G. Baccus Karpeh said New Kru Town currently has a population of over 150,000 low income inhabitants that need attention. Mr. Karpeh said the municipality faces constant threat due to massive sea erosion which has existed for decades.The residents thru their petition, calling on lawmakers to ensure that nothing less than the urgent best is implored to save their heritage. Receiving the petition on behalf of the House of Representatives, Montserrado County electoral district 16 Lawmaker Edward S. Ford, said he was very happy for the orderly manner in which the residents during presentation of the petition. The New Dawn

Related Caption: New Kru Town Residents Petition Lawmakers Over Coastal Erosion(FrontPage Africa)

China To Construct Capitol Building Annexes

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules, Order and Administration has informed Senate plenary that construction work on the two annexes to the Capitol Building for the House of Representatives and Senate will commence on July 1. According to Lofa County Senator George Tengbeh, the Government of the People’s Republic of China will finance and construct the two annexes. Senator Tengbeh made the disclosure on Thursday when he briefed plenary. He said negotiations for the project started in November 2012, “and now we have received communication from the Ministry of Public Works that arrangements have been concluded and that the work will commence on July 1 this year.”Senator Tengbeh did not say when the project will be completed, but noted that even though normal work at the Capitol Building will continue, some restrictions in movements will be put in place because of the work, reports the Daily Observer.  

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Aquaculture Seminar To Boost Jobs, Business For Youth  

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Liberia (GOL) will today begin a ten-day aquaculture training seminar in Compound #2, Grand Bassa County, on economic development through youth employment, entrepreneurship, and improved nutrition and poverty reduction. The ten-day seminar is organized by FAO in partnership with the government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) and the Bureau of National Fisheries (BNF) of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). According to the Daily Observer, the training is in line with FAO Strategic Objectives 2, 3, and 4 focusing mainly on rural sustainable development agriculture and rural poverty reduction. It is aligned with the United Nations Development Framework (UNDAF) Pillar II (Sustainable Economic Transformation), and is also contributing to the FAO Country Programming Framework (CPF) for sustainable agriculture development.

New Health Logo Unveils

According to the New DEMOCRAT newspaper, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with partners Friday unveiled the newly branded health logo symbolizing the county’s quality health system it has striven to build in recent years. The logo, which was unveiled at an elaborate program in Paynesville over the weekend, also summarizes the mission and vision of the nation’s current health sector.