THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2016

Today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies highlights among other stories news of the formal dedication of the Mount Coffee Hydro Power plant by the president of Liberia; PresidentJohnson Sirleaf’s remarks following her return to the country from the Gambia where she led ECOWAS’ Heads of state on peace mediation as well as hermeeting with Senegalese President Macky Sall’s Special Envoy, Mr. Abdou Aziz.

DOMINANT STORIES  

After White Plains Disappeared For 26 Years: Hydro Power Operation Resumes…Major Milestone for Economic Revitalization 

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her government officials, members of the Diplomatic Corps and partners will converge today, December 15, 2016 to formally dedicate the Mount Coffee hydro Power plant located at White Plains, outside Monrovia. A media dispatch from the Liberian Electricity Corporation (LEC) revealed that President Sirleaf will officially switch on the first turbine, which seems embedded in government’s resolve to fully implement the project of re-electrifying Monrovia and rural areas in the shortest possible time frame. The rehabilitation of the hydro plant is financed by the government, co-financed by the governments of Norway, Germany, KfW Development bank, European Development Bank among other partners, In Profile Daily reports.

Related Caption: "Mount Coffee: A Milestone For Liberia" - U.S. Embassy Elder(FrontPage Africa), Big Light Today…As LEC Begins Outreach Clean-up Exercise(The INQUIRER), Mount Coffee Comes Alive Today...As LEC Embarks On Intensive Cleaning, Sensitization Exercises (Heritage)

Ellen Returns From The Gambia…Says Concerned Parties Commit To Peace, Harmony.

Liberia's President and Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS - at the head of a High-level ECOWAS delegation returned home on late Tuesday evening following talks aimed at resolving the current political crisis in The Gambia. President Sirleaf said the concerned parties have committed to peace and harmony. According to an Executive Mansion release, the Liberian leader made the statement at the Robert International Airport (RIA) when she addressed journalists upon her arrival from The Gambia where she led a High-level ECOWAS delegation to mediate in the ongoing political crisis resulting from the just ended elections.  The delegation comprised H.E. President Muhammadu Buhari of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Ernest Bai Koroma of the Republic of Sierra Leone, H.E. John Dramani Mahama of the Republic of Ghana, the Special Representative of United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel; Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, amongst others.  President Sirleaf said the delegation traveled to The Gambia to hold talks with the parties concerned aimed at ensuring peace, security and harmony in the West African nation. She told journalists that following the mediation process, the parties concerned committed themselves to peace pending the ECOWAS Summit slated for later this week in Abuja, Nigeria, according to the In Profile Daily.

Related Caption: Ellen Holds Back On Jammeh(The New Dawn)

Ellen Receives Senegalese President

President Sirleaf on Wednesday received in audience Mr. Abdou Aziz, Special Envoy of Senegalese President, Macky Sall who presented a ‘special message and greetings’ to the Liberian leader. President Sirleaf welcomed the Special Envoy and commended her Senegalese counterpart - President Macky Sall through his Special Envoy Mr. Abdou Aziz for the visit and asked him to convey her brother and colleague best wishes. The Liberia leader said Senegal can count on Liberia for support in whatever positive endeavor. President Sirleaf said discussions will be furthered in Abuja, Nigeria later this week at the upcoming ECOWAS Summit. For his part, Mr. Abdou Aziz, thanked President Sirleaf for the audience and said he was in Liberia to deliver a special message of friendship and of solidarity from her brother and colleague President Macky Sall and as well seek Liberia’s continued support, reports the Heritagenewspaper.

Related Captions: Senegalese Special Envoy Arrives In Liberia(In Profile Daily), President Sirleaf Receives Senegalese President, Macky Sall Special Envoy,(FOCUS), President Sirleaf Receives Senegalese President, Mackly Sall Special Envoy(FrontPage Africa)

PFM Reform Strategy Confab Begins Tomorrow

According to the Daily Observer a new strategy to sustain the gains in the Public Financial Management (PFM) and Reform Strategy and Action Plan at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) will begin at a two-day (Dec. 16-17) validation conference for stakeholders in the country. The conference will involve a review of the structure, content, relevance and sequencing of the strategy to enhance the Government of Liberia’s service delivery awareness and promoting transparency and accountability in managing public finances. It will also focus on improving and building credible institutions and modernizing existing systems, processes and practices in the country. The coordinator of the PFM reforms at the Finance Ministry, Mr. Emmanuel Togba, said the PFM sector, like many others, suffered severe decline during the civil crisis as transparency and accountability in the use of public resources became almost nonexistent. “So, this conference will serve as a rallying point for attracting support from the development partners and other stakeholders; and at the end of the conference, the agreed strategy will drive government's reform agenda from 2017 to 2020,” Togba added.

Related Caption: New PFM Reform Strategy Confab Gets Underway(In Profile Daily), PFM Validation Conference Hits Liberia(FOCUS)  

UNMIL’S Deputy Special Rep. Pledges Commitment to Fight Against corruption In Liberia…Wants Liberians Take The Lead 

UNMIL’S Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for Peace Consideration and Governance has pledged the UN commitment to fight against corruption, but Liberians should take the lead. Yacolt Adhelu said while the government is making efforts in trying to tackle corruption, more needs to be done in prosecuting corruption cases. The D.S.R.S.G. noted that the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) should make progress in addressing concerns flagged about corrupt cases in the public domain. Mr. Adhelu stressed that with the application of anti-corruption laws, corruption will be painful, FOCUS newspaper reports.

Foreign Investment In Liberia President Sirleaf Welcomes Pamela White’s Investment Initiative In Liberia

The FrontPage Africa newspaper says President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has welcomed the need for more investment opportunities for the youth and young people of Liberia through building inclusive educational systems that will transition communities from conflict to peace, developing the capacity and making them more independent. President Sirleaf made the assertion when she received in audience Ambassador Pamela White and Elizabeth Mullen, Technical Manager, Workforce Development and Youth Employment Economic Growth Division of Creative Associate International on Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at her Foreign Ministry Office. President informed Ambassador White and Ms. Mullen that their initiative will be embraced by the young people - something she said will earn them additional livelihood. In separate remarks, Ambassador Pamela White and Ms. Elizabeth Mullen, Technical Manager, Creative thanked President Sirleaf for granting them audience as their initiative will provide outstanding, on-the-ground development services and will forge partnerships to deliver sustainable solutions to global challenges.

Women Political Agenda: US Ambassador Stresses Significance of Women-Based IssuesIn Liberia Ahead Of 2017

The United States Ambassador to Liberia Christine Elder says the wounds of the civil war are still affecting women who were raped during the crises. The US Ambassador to Liberia said securing justice for women including those who are raped is a long and promising process. “On top of the fresh wounds of violence I am curtained far-far women in this room are still walking through sexual assault as they experienced themselves during the civil crises to solve the impact of the civil crises,” she said. Although the US Ambassador didn’t directly call for the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation recommendation, she said without its completion the scars remain as an effect on women. Speaking at the launch of the women manifesto - a drive to involve women in politics effectively, Ambassador Elder said female candidates who are vying for elected offices received less support and discrimination from their male counterparts. The US Ambassador said the manifesto should affect women in rural areas so that they can have their views on issues of interest, according to the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

16 Days Of Activism Ends As Gender Boss Condemns Using Children As “Breadwinners”

Liberia’s Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP), Julia Duncan-Cassell condemned the unorthodox act of parents using their children as breadwinners and street peddlers. Madam Duncan-Cassell made the assertion on Saturday when the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP) and its partners concluded the celebrations of the 16 Days of Activism in Buchannan, Grand Bassa County. The year’s celebrations was held under the themes; ““For Peace in the Home to Peace in the World make education safe for all” as a global theme and “For Peace in the Home to Peace in the World, Stop Domestic Violence, End Child Marriage, banned FGM and allow the Boys and Girls to go to School,” as local theme. Madam Duncan-Cassell maintained that such an inhumane attitude is a gross violation of the children’s rights. She at the time warned against encouraging the use and involvement of children into unacceptable acts which according to her have the propensity of derailing the future of that child, writes the New Dawn newspaper.

Lions’ Club Int’l governor In Town

The Governor of the Lions’ Club International is in Liberia as part of his annual visit. This will afford him the opportunity to tour most of the projects being undertaken by the Lion’s Clubs of Liberia. Governor Gebbo Vetalino’s first visit was at Vice President Boakai’s office where he lauded the Liberian Vice President for identifying with the Lions’ club in Liberia.  The Lions’ Club International Governor expressed dissatisfaction over the number of Lions Clubs in the Country. He said with six Clubs in Liberia, he believed it should have been more if not for the Ebola crisis. For his part, Vice president Joseph Boakai thanked the Governor for his visit at his Capitol Building office and said despite the low number of Lions’ Clubs in Liberia the clubs are working beyond its expectation with lots of projects being undertaken around the country, the INQUIRER newspaper writes.

WASH Targets Border-Forest Communities For Safe Water Supply

The Daily Observer reads that Mano River Union (MRU) Resident Representative to Liberia Lawrence Morris says border communities in the MRU basin will soon benefit from the provision of safe drinking water, improved sanitation and hygiene services. The initiative, he said, is part of the MRU’s WASH Programs in the river basin to assist rural communities to have access to the provision of safe water. Mr. Morris said efforts are now underway to ensure that WASH services are provided to border communities in the MRU basin. He said the provision of safe WASH services will assist the union to fight any disease outbreak and would help improve the health condition of citizens of member states.

At the same time, the FOCUS newspaper reports under the caption “WSAH Campaigner Stresses The need For sustained Advocacy…Commends Local WASH CSO for Advocacy“, that outgoing Oxfam Advocacy Manager says sustained advocacy is key to providing improved WASH services in Liberia. Madam Jackie Okao encouraged local stake holders in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector to keep the momentum by engaging government on WASH issues. Oxfam Outgoing Advocacy Manager described her stay in the country as rewarding due some land mark achievements made in the sector through advocacy.

EPA Holds Stakeholder’s Workshop

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has conducted a one-day stakeholder’s workshop for members of the National Traditional Council of Liberia aimed at advancing their knowledge on the Nagoya Protocol. The EPA says the workshop for chiefs was intended to build their capacity, and provide them insight on issues of biodiversity across the country. Speaking at the official opening ceremony of the workshop, which took place in the Conference Room of the Booker Washington Institute in Kakata, Margibi County, a proxy representing the Executive Director Mr. Levi Z. Piah praised the chiefs for responding and urged participants to be open-minded in discussing issues that pose threats to the country’s genetic resources, reads the New Dawn Newspaper.