The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017

Today’s edition of our Summary of the local dailies includes news of the launch of the African Peer Review Mechanism’s National Sensitization and outreach campaign by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia, General Daniel Ziankan’s assertion that the AFL will be neutral in the pending Presidential and Legislative Elections among others stories.

MFDP Launches APRM National Sensitization Campaign

The Ministry Finance and Development Planning has launched the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) national sensitization and outreach campaign in the commercial city of Ganta, Nimba County. The Daily Observer quotes Minister Boima S. Kamara as saying that the APRM is geared toward a self-monitoring framework that African government can accede to on a voluntary basis. Minister Kamara said the objective of the APRM are primarily to foster the adoption of policies, standards and practices that leads to political stability, high economic growth and sustainable development and  accelerated sub-regional and continental  economic integration through experience sharing and reinforcement of success and best practice, including identifying deficiencies and assessment of  requirement for capacity building.  

Chief of Staff Distances AFL From 2017 Elections’ Influence Says Entity Remains Neutral 

The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) has disclosed that the AFL is a non-political institution and will be neutral in the pending Presidential and Legislative Elections in 2017. General Daniel Ziankan reaffirmed that the army will not be a part of the electoral process, stressing that no political influence will get the AFL involved in electoral campaign. According to the Liberian Army Chief of Staff, all army can do is to provide security for the country and will not be assigned to polling stations, but if there are stations, but if there are some logistical constraints the AFL can get involved, the FOCUS newspaper reads.

Related Caption: AFL Will Not Provide Security For Anyone(The INQUIRER)  

LEC Warns Against Power Theft…Connects Several Communities 

As the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) intensifies the connection of several communities around the city, the Management of the corporation has sent out a strong warning to customers of illegal connections. LEC Managing Director, Foday Soko Sackor warned that any customer who will allow illegal connection on their meters will be cut off and never connected again.  At the same time, the Management of LEC has begun connecting several communities in Monrovia and its environments since the turning on of the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant, reports the INQUIRER newspaper.  

Police Seeks Citizens’ Cooperation 

According to the INQUIRER newspaper, it is true that the confidence and trust the general Liberian public have had in officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) had over decades been disregarded due to the unprofessional responsive attitudes toward them by personnel of the police force. This has even caused fear into the citizenry and also turned the relationship between officers of the Liberia people unpleasant and created unfair business atmosphere for investors in the country. However, the Inspector General of the Liberia National Police, Gregory O. W. Coleman, has embarked on the path to regain the trust and confidence of the citizens, who are subject to safety and protection from the LNP in upholding the constitution of the land.

ECC Advances Strategies To Observe Voter Registration

According to the Daily Observer, the Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) has complemented two stakeholders’ engagements it organized to validate its observation deployment and communications strategies for the upcoming voter registration, which begins from February 1 to March 24 across the country. The exercise, according to ECC’s Chairperson, Oscar Bloh, is part of preparations the entity has put in place to observe the upcoming voter registration process. Mr. Bloh said the objective of the Deployment Strategy is to guide the ECC in observing the voter registration exercise that the NEC will conduct nationwide. He said the observation will be done in phases and will cover 15 of the total number of days stipulated by the NEC. During the observation, Mr. Bloh said the ECC will be looking out for easy access to registration centers for citizens, particularly the elderly, pregnant women and people who are physically and visually impaired (the blind).

EMOL Urges Liberians To Register To Vote

A Liberian non-governmental organization based in the United States of America (USA) known as the Emancipation Movement of Liberia (EMOL) is calling on all eligible voters in Liberia to register and participate in the pending presidential and representatives elections in October.EMOL’s Executive Director, Liberian Journalist Jarwinken Wiah said, Liberians can only exercise their constitutional rights to vote wisely during the elections if they registered during the voters’ registration exercise, which starts in February. In a press statement, he also called on Liberians, who are still sitting on the fence to join their fellow compatriots in exercising their political franchise by registering to vote, reads the New Dawn newspaper.

We Don’t Compromise Rape Cases

The New Dawnnewspaper reports that the Gender Coordinator for the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection in Montserrado County, Mr. Benedict Nyae, says there would be no compromise with rape suspects. Addressing reporters at his office in Bentol, Montserrado County recently, the Gender Coordinator confirmed that his office had transferred several rape cases to court for adjudication. He said apart from transferring rape cases, he has also transferred crimes involving violence against women as well as investigating cases of non-persistent support between couples. Mr. Nyae, said the Gender Ministry has provided logistics, including computers and motorbikes to facilitate his hob. He revealed that his office has been able to reduce domestic violence in the area through sensitization and awareness campaign throughout Bentol City, educating residents to stop rape, domestic violence and non-persistent support.

SGBV Workshop Trains, Equips Crime Responders

The Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV)  Crimes Unit at the Ministry of Justice recently ended a one-week workshop for 80 criminal justice personnel, including health workers, traditional leaders and community members in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County. Mrs. Linda Barrolle Saygbe, Training and Outreach Coordinator of the SGBV Crimes Unit said targeted groups at the workshop are SGBV prosecutors, county attorneys, health workers, women and child protection section of the Liberia National Police, investigators, victim support officers, case liaison officers, SGBV nurses, and traditional and community leaders from the various counties. According to Mrs. Saygbe, the workshop provided skills in interviewing child witnesses as well as making the participants able to prepare police charge sheets. According to the Daily Observer, the workshop was held under the theme: “Improving investigation and prosecution of SGBV cases through community involvement.” It was sponsored by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

YOP Project Targets 15,000 Youth

The New Dawnnewspaper says Liberia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Saah C. N’Tow, says a World Bank funded Youth Opportunities Project will be launched here on Monday, 9 January to benefit 15,000 Liberiansbetween 15 and 35 years. He said of the 15,000 persons being earmarked for the Youth Opportunities Project (YOP) Liberia, 50 percent will benefit vulnerable female youth during the recruitment exercise. Minister N’Tow says the project will last for five years following which he expects beneficiaries to be independent. He added that the project is intended to help empower young people, through farming and making of community garden, among others. According to him, 2,000 of the targeted beneficiaries will come from Monrovia, Montserrado County, while the rest will come from the remaining 14 counties here.

MOL Blows Hot Air Again, But Vows To Enforce Work Permit For Expatriates, Mandates BIN To Seek Its Approval Before Issuing Entry Only Visa

The Ministry of Labor has announced that effective January 15, 2017 employers or employment entities wishing to employ foreign workers or expatriates should first seek prior permission from the Ministry of Labor before requesting entry visa for those coming to work in Liberia. The Ministry also mandates the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) to only issue entry visa to employers or employment entities having prior approval from the Ministry before granting them entry visa, the FOCUS news daily says.  

 New WFP Country Director Presents Letters Of Credence To Foreign Minister Kamara 

A back-page story of the INSIGHT newspaper reads that The United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP) has a new country director and resident representative in Liberia. He is Mr. Bienvenu Djossa from the Republic of Benin. According to a Foreign Ministry release, Mr. Djossa presented his Letters of Credence to Foreign Minister Marjon Kamara at a brief ceremony at the Ministry’s conference room on Thursday, December 29, 2016. Welcoming Mr. Djossa to Liberia, Minister Kamara expressed delight at receiving the new WFP representative to continue the good work that his agency has engaged in over many years, the paper says.

“We Will Continue To Empower Girls With Education,” EGF Executive Director Stresses

An inside story of the Insight newspaper reads that the Executive Director and Founder of Education for Girls Foundation (EGF), Olivia Zarwolo, the Education for Girls Foundation was established when she saw the need for girls to speak out on issues that impact their lives in the Liberian society. According to Miss Zarwolo, the Education for Girls Foundation was established when she saw the need for girls to speak out on issues that impact their lives in the Liberian society, the INSIGHT newspaper says.

Man, 48, Gets 25 Years For Murdering Businesswoman

Judge Roosevelt Willie in Monrovia, Tuesday sentenced a 48-year-old man to 25 years in jail for killing a businesswoman early last year. Handling down final judgment, Judge Willie said his ruling is based upon a careful observation of all the evidence adduced during the trial and the jury unanimous guilty verdict, adding that the defendant was seen last with the deceased until her death, the INSIGHT newspaper says.