The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2017

Today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies highlights news of the African leaders’ visit to Abuja to mediate the country’s worsening security and the opening of a Book of Condolence for fallen Journalist, Martin Kerkula by the Press Union of Liberia.

DOMINANT STORIES

African Leaders To Visit Banjul to Push Jammeh To Go

According to the INSIGHT newspaper, West Africa leaders are to pay a visit to The Gambia to persuade President Yahya Jammeh to hand over power after his election defeat last month, according to Nigeria’s Foreign Minister. Min. Geoffrey Onyeama said on Monday Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari will visit Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, on Wednesday, along with his Liberian counterpart Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Ghana’s former President John Dramani Mahama.

Related Captions: President Sirleaf, Others End Talks On The Gambia-Return Friday to Banjul(Daily Observer),ECOWAS Meets Jammeh Again(The New Dawn)

PUL Opens Book of Condolence For Journalist Martin Kerkula

According to the New Dawn newspaper, the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) will today, January 11 open a book of Condolence for fallen Journalist Martin Kerkula, Sr.  who died on December 25 following a period of illness. The daily reports that the signing ceremony will be led by the President of the PUL, followed by members of the PUL, the family and the public. The remains of Mr. Kerkula will be removed at 10am Friday, January 13, 2017 from the AB Robert Funeral Home in Gardnersville and taken to the Capitol Building. Interment follows on Saturday after funeral service in Salala, Bong County. Press Union of Liberia President Charles Coffey described Martin Kerkula, Sr. as a giant of upright observance of journalism standards.

Related Captions: PUL Opens Book Of Condolence…For Journalist Martin Kerkula(The INQUIRER),andPUL Opens Condolence Book for Journalist Martin Kerkula(INSIGHT)

OTHER STORIES

Gov’t Committed To Decentralization-MIA assures outgoing Swedish Ambassador
the Daily Observer says the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) yesterday assured the outgoing Swedish Ambassador to Liberia, Lena Nordstrom, of government’s continued commitment and support to the decentralization program which ensures that civil services are brought closer to the people. Varney A. Sirleaf, MIA Deputy Minister for Administration, gave the assurance on behalf of Minister Henrique Tokpah during a farewell and gowning ceremony for Ambassador Nordstrom held at the Ministry.

CSO Holds Straining On Sexual Reproductive Health…Encourages Women & Girls To Be Proactive

A local CSI group, United Youth for Education, Transparency and Development in collaboration with the British charity, Oxfam has conducted two days training on sexual reproductive health rights in the Townships of West Point and Clara Town. The two training sessions brought together more than 50 women in the two communities giving them insight on sexual reproductive health rights. Speaking at the start of the program, the Executive Director of the group, Timothy Kpeh told participants at the workshop that it was essential for them to know their rights when it comes to reproductive rights, reports the INQUIRER newspaper.

MICAT Begins Annual Media Registration For 2017…Says Entitles Failing To Comply Will Not Attend Public Functions, Receive Advertisement Supplement From Government

The Communication Bureau at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) has announced the start of the annual regulatory registration permit process for 2017. The Ministry in statement issued Monday under the signature of Ms. Agatha Thomson indicated that the process begins on Tuesday, January 10, and ends on March 10. It is required each year that all Publishers newspapers and magazines, managers of radio and television stations, television and graphic arts entities operating in Liberia begin their annual regulatory registration permit process in January. According to the statement, regulatory registration permit of media entities is in keeping with the statutory provision that established the Bureau of Communication process on Tuesday, January 10, according to the INSIGHT newspaper.

House To Concur With Senate On US$13.7M Loan Agreement-For Tree Crops Extension Project in Nimba County

According to the Daily Observer, members of the House of Representatives has unanimously forwarded an approved bill from the Senate of a Loan Agreement, in the tone of US$13.7 million to three of its Committees for advisement and concurrence. The Committees on Agriculture, Ways, Means, Finance and Development Planning, and the Judiciary were mandated by the House’s Plenary to report on Tuesday, January,17.

For “Attempting” To Sell A 3-Year-Old Girl: 4 Under Probe

The Liberia National Police (LNP) has disclosed that police in Bomi County have arrested and are currently investigating four persons who the police said attempted selling a three-year-old girl. Speaking to this paper, the Spokesman of the LNP, Sam Collins, said that the four persons were arrested while attempting to sell the minor to a resident of Tubmanburg, identified as Lincolm Vincent for 15 Million Leones. Mr. Collins told this paper that the four persons were arrested by the police while carrying on the transaction following a tipoff. During preliminary investigation, the police spokesman said Mr. Vincent informed the police that he was approached by one Benjamin Fred, 20, of his desire to sell the minor, the Heritage newspaper says.

West Africa Youth Camp 2016 Concluded Here

Over 250 youth from the West African sub region recently ended their year-end camp in Liberia to brainstorm on common developmental agenda of the region. The 2016 youth camp0 ran from December 12 to the 16^th, 2016 and was hosted by the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY) with sponsorship from the Ministry of Youth and Sports at the Monrovia Vocational Training Center or MVTC. Delegates for the youth camp were drawn from Nigeria, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Togo, Sierra Leone, Republic of Niger and the host country Liberia, the Heritage newspaper reads.

Desist From Negative Utterances that Signal Civil Wars VP Boakai Challenges Senators Ahead of 2017 Elections

Ahead of the 2017 Elections in Liberia, Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has challenged Senators to desist from acts and utterances that have the propensity to cause chaos in the country. VP Boakai, who is the present standard bearer of the governing Unity Party, is also the President of the Liberian Senate.  He described the enduing elections as the biggest challenge facing the Liberian Senate. He made these assertions on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 in the Senate’s Chamber at the Capitol Building in Monrovia. The Capitol Building is the official seat of the Liberian Legislature, reads the Heritage newspaper.

Implementation of Nagoya Gains Momentum as EPA, Partners hold Strategy Forum

The implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) has gained more momentum here with the organizing of series of training forums by Liberia’s environmental body, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA is the principle authority for implementing the national environmental policy and sustainable management law for the protection of natural resources in Liberia. as a commitment to the environment, the Government of Liberia established the EPA in 2003 under the EPA  Act. The Agency became a fully functioning entity in 2006 with a board of directors and Policy Council, the Heritage newspaper reads.

Keep Sex Away from Female Students Reeves Cautions Teacher; As LICOSESS Graduates Over 400

Montserrado County Education officer, Cecelia Reeves has warned teachers to take the teachers code of conduct seriously as a safe-guide to them in the future. Madam Reeves made these assertions recently in Paynesville at programs marking the 11^th Associate of Arts degree graduation and Certificate program of the LICOSESS teachers training collage, the FOCUS says.

EPA Ends Workshop On ABS

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ended a one-day capacity building workshop on Access and Benefits Sharing (ABS) Protocol of Liberia’s Generic Resources for media groups and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). According to the New Dawn newspaper, the workshop was in furtherance of the global support for ratification and entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol on August 15, 2015.  The ABS is the way in which genetic resources may be accessed and how the benefits that result from their usage are shared between people or countries that provide them.