The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR Thursday, JANUARY 26, 2017

Stories dominating today’s Media summary contain pieces of information on the Former NTGL Chairperson Funeral Arrangement announcement by Government, President Sirleaf’s Congratulatory Message to the Government and People of India, NEC’s warning to Aspirants, Business Entities being booked for Power Theft, the Increase of School enrollment, among others.  

Former NTGL’s Chairperson takes Final Journey on Saturday in Ohio as Government Announces Funeral Arrangements for the Late Mrs. Ruth Sando Perry  

The Government of Liberia has announced the funeral arrangements for the late Mrs. Ruth Sando Fahnbulleh Perry, former Chairperson of the Council of State, National Transitional Government of the Republic of Liberia. According to a Foreign Ministry release, on Thursday, January 26, 2017, the Book of Condolence for the late Mrs. Ruth Sando Fahnbulleh Perry will be opened in the Foyer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs beginning at 10:00 a.m. On Friday,January 27, 2017, wake-keeping will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 125 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. On Saturday, January 28, 2017, Funeral rites will be said over the remains of the late Mrs. Ruth Sando Fahnbulleh Perry at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 125 East Broad Street, Columbus Ohio from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., to be followed by interment at the Glenn Rest Memorial Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. As a mark of last respect and tribute to the late former Chairperson of the Council of State of the National Transitional Government, the President of the Republic of Liberia, Her Excellency Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has declared a period of mourning during which time the national ensign of the Republic will be flown at half-mast from all public buildings from Tuesday, January 24, to Monday, February 6, 2017, Focus newspaper says.

Related Caption: President Sirleaf, Others to Sign Book of Condolence for Late Ruth Sando Perry (In Profile)Funeral Rites for Former NTGL Chair Ruth Perry in USA President Sirleaf, others to Sign Book of Condolence Today (Daily Observer) Ruth Sando Perry to be Buried Sat. in US Pres. Sirleaf, others to Sign Book of Condolence Today (Inquirer)

President Sirleaf Congratulates India on Its 68^th Republic Day

An inside story of the In Profile newspaper says The President of the Republic of Liberia, Her Excellency Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has sent a message of congratulations to the Government and People of India on the historic occasion commemorating the 68th Independence Anniversary of that country on August 15, 2015. In her message to her Indian Counterpart, His Excellency Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, President Sirleaf extended warmest felicitations and best wishes to President Mukherjee and through him to the Government and People of India. President Sirleaf hoped that the People of India will continue to enjoy peace, economic development and prosperity under the leadership of President Mukherjee as they celebrate another year of existence as an independent nation. According to a Foreign Ministry release, the Liberia leader then appreciated the Government of India’s continuous support to the Government and People of Liberia, especially for facilitating the line of credits with the Exim Bank and provision of Medical Equipment to strengthen the Liberia health sector.

Related Caption:Ellen Congratulates India on 68^th Republic Day (The Inquirer), Liberia Applauds India on Its 68^th Republic Day (Insight)

NEC Decries Pre-Campaign Activities pinpoints Display of Stickers, Billboards, others with Aspirants’ Photos

A front-page story of the Insight newspaper reads that with less than a week to the start of voters registration for the October 2017 Presidential and Legislative Elections, the Chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), has described as pre-Campaigning the proliferation of stickers, billboards, banners, and copybooks, with names of individuals aspiring for public offices ascribed to them. Political leaders, lawmakers, ministers and deputy ministers and other officials of government wanting to occupy public offices had their photos displayed on banners, stickers and billboards inscribed with messages for citizens to turnout for the pending voters’ registration exercises. The voters registration exercises would be held from February 1 to March 3, 2017, under the umbrella of NEC, the paper says.

Related Caption:NEC Threatens ‘Candidates’ (Daily Observer)

Liberian Children Smile after Surgery

Firestone Liberia, in partnership with Children’s Surgery International (CSI), has brought smiles to the faces of many Liberian children suffering from abnormal facial and pediatric conditions, during its sixth mission to the Firestone Medical Center in Duside. The 22-member CSI medical team, along with their counterparts from the Firestone Medical Center, performed 57 surgeries free of charge. The CSI team also conducted 15 hours of lectures and educational sessions with approximately 450 healthcare practitioners during its week-long surgical mission, the Inquirer newspaper says.

Related Caption:Firestone Liberia and Children’s Surgery International Create Smiles for Liberian Children(New Dawn), Firestone, CSI Perform 57 Surgeries on Children (Insight)

Integrity Idol Liberia Receives Rotary Club District Governor, Pres. Sirleaf Showers Commendation

An inside story of the Focus news daily reads that President Sirleaf has commended Integrity Idol Liberia for organizing and promoting accountability and integrity issues in the country. She highlighted her recent Annual Address to the Nation outlining the values that should be instilled in families, schools, churches, mosques and society in general regarding integrity. According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf made the statement on Wednesday, at Integrity Idol when she presented awards to five finalists including Sandra Roberts, Bockarie Sakila, John Madave, Patrick Goffah and Musa Dorley for their selection, the paper says.

Gbarnga-based NGO Promotes Awareness on Constitution Review Process

A Gbarnga-based NGO Development Education Network Liberia (DEN-L) has completed a meeting with citizens in Gompa on how to engage lawmakers in the ongoing constitution review process. In August 2015, the President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf received the final report on the National Constitution Conference. The report was presented to the Liberian leader by the Chairperson of the Constitutional Review Committee, Gloria Musu Scott, Sirleaf has earlier set up the CRC to review the 1986 Constitution, the Focus newspaper reports.

Higher Education Commission Cites Tertiary Education Improvements under Sirleaf

As the Administration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf wraps up, the National Commission on Higher Education has announced that there have been a large number of improvements in the standards of tertiary institutions. According to a publication from the Commission, at all 34 higher learning institutions currently operating in the country, there are 1,975 faculty members, a 36.5 percent increase from 2010. According to the 2016 enrollment and faculty statistics, the number of faculty members with a bachelor’s degree has also grown from 434 in 2010 to 786 in 2016, a 44.8 percent increase. In that span, faculty with masters’ degrees has increased from 777 to 1025. “While at the same time the number of faculty with earned terminal degrees has increased from 121 in 2010 to 126 in 2016, accounting for 4.0% increment,”, the updates revealed, says the Focus newspaper says.

School Enrollment Rises to 1.5M NTAL Welcomes ‘Free Education Policy’

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in her Annual Message to the nation on Monday named among her administration’s achievements over the past 11 years the rise in school enrollment to 1.5 million students. Spurred by this growing demand for education, the President further announced that students will now receive free and compulsory education from the first to the 12^th grade. In reaction, the spokesperson of the National Teachers Association (NTAL), Gabriel Paul, said the President’s pronouncement of free education to 12 grade level was welcomed, “because it would relieve parents of the financial burden they encounter to register their children and meet tuition costs”, the Daily Observer newspaper says.

Free Medical Support for Ebola Survivors Launched

Deputy Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah has launched a program to provide clinical guidance and free medical support for an estimated 5,000 Ebola Survivors across the country. Ebola struck the country in 2014, killing some 4,000 people. According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, about 5,000 persons survived the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak, which also left several children orphaned. The launch of the Ebola Transmission Prevention and Survivor Services (ETP &SS) program Tuesday attracted Ebola survivors, officials of the Ministry of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization (WHO) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The two years program which started six months ago is being held under the auspices of the Advancing Partners and Communities, a USAID-funded project implemented by JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc. and partner FHI360, the Focus newspaper asserts.

Pres. Sirleaf to Address 2017 Tana Forum

An inside story of the Daily Observer newspaper says that the Tana High-level Forum on Security in Africa Secretariat has announced that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will be the keynote Speaker at its sixth Forum to be held 22-23 April, according to a Statement released by Africa Press Organization (APO). Held every year in the northern Ethiopian city of Bahir Dar, the Tana High Level Forum is an informal gathering of heads of State and Government, leaders of regional organizations, Civil Society, the private sector and eminent scholars and practitioners, the Daily Observer newspaper reads.

Related Caption:Pres. Sirleaf to Address Security Forum (New Dawn)

318 Arrested for Power Theft Monoprixto pay US$380K

Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) Managing Director Foday S. Sackor, says the current campaign to end power theft has led to the arrest of 318 persons in Monrovia and its environs. Mr. Sackor said the exercise aims to curtail power theft and increase LEC’s revenue collection. The LEC, he said, is currently experiencing 47 percent revenue loss, “which is unacceptable,” and therefore, his administration will continue to be vigorous to ensure that the government regains its rightful revenues. Comprehension Realty, a real estate business with over 15 housing units located behind the Insurance Company of Africa in Sinkor, is one of the entities caught in the power theft, the Daily Observer newspaper says.

Related Caption:Business Entity Booked for Power Theft(The Inquirer)

LLA, LGSA To hold One-Day Consultative Meeting on Land Rights Bill

The Liberia Land Authority (LLA) in collaboration with the Land Governance Support Activity (LGSA), a USAID supported project, will on tomorrow, Thursday, January 26, 2017, host a one-day consultative meeting on the Land Rights Bill, as part of series of consultations being undertaken by the Authority. The consultative meeting takes place at the office of the Liberia Land Authority, located on 8^th Street and Jallah Town Road in Monrovia, beginning at 9:30am. It will bring together civil society organizations that are dealing with land and natural resources, including women land rights groups, the Inquirer newspaper says.

5-Yr. Old Fire Victim’s Mother Sends out SOS

The mother of a five-year-old boy who suffered from severe burns has sent out an SOS call to individuals of goodwill to assist her son seek medical treatment at an advanced hospital. Mercy Guah, 28, a single parent who narrated the ordeal of her little son, Charles Troteman, said her child got burnt in 2013 at the time he was two years old. She disclosed further that her child suffered the severe burns while playing football with his friends in their Pipeline Community. According to her when the incident occurred, she took little Charles to the James Davies Memorial Hospital in Paynesville where he spent seven months without any sign of recuperation. “Doctors there have been treating him but the sore on his head continues to expand. I have done everything possible to ensure that he gets well but to no avail,” Mercy tearfully informed this paper. For any assistance, Mercy can be contacted on cell number (+231) 0776599266, writes the Inquirer newspaper.

Govt. Attacks Erosion at D. Twe High

In the wake of continuous threat from sea erosion, the Government of Liberia has commenced a revetment project for the D. Twe High School in the Borough of New Kru Town, to safe the institution from collapse. Revetment involves asphalt and sandbag with a geo-textile filter. In stream restoration, river engineering or coastal engineering, revetments are sloping structures exposed as well as buried structures. The authorities have allotted about 750, 000 for the project with some of the amount transferred to the Ministry of Lands, Mines, and Energy in Monrovia, the New Dawn newspaper says.

Guinean Parliament Speaker Visits Liberian Legislature

Guinea’s House Speaker Claude Kory Kandiano was on Tuesday, January 24, 2017 the guest of Members of Liberian House of Representatives on Capitol Hill in Monrovia in his push to have a parliament established in the Mano River Sub-region. Upon his visit here, the Guinean Speaker Mr. Kandiano said he was very happy to be among the Liberian lawmakers, particularly the opportunity given him to co-preside over legislative session here. Due to the significance the Liberian House of Representatives attached to Speaker Kandiano’s visit here on Tuesday, rules at the Lower House were suspended to allow him to co-preside with Liberian House Speaker J. Emmanuel Nuquay, the New Dawn daily newspaper says.