The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

Today’s edition of our Summary of the local dailies highlights news of President Sirleaf’s commissioning of four marine crafts at the Samuel Alfred Ross Port of Greenville and the Government of Liberia’s release of activities leading to the burial of the late Ambassador Carlton Alexwyn Karpeh, former Ambassador-at-Large.

DOMINANT STORIES

Pres. Sirleaf Commissions Four Marine Crafts In Sinoe – Extols NPA’s MD & Management For Commitment, Dedication

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has commissioned four marine crafts - one patrol boat, one pilot boat as well as two tug boats at the Samuel Alfred Ross Port of Greenville. Commissioning the marine crafts, President Sirleaf commended the managing director of the National Port Authority (NPA), Mr. David Williams, and NPA management for their commitment and dedication. “This tells us how much we have done and that we need to do more,” she said. According to an Executive Mansion release, the Liberian leader, who departed Monrovia early Monday morning, March 20, 2017, broke grounds for the construction of a modern community college in Greenville. Performing the ground breaking ceremony, President Sirleaf said the construction of a community college will decentralize higher education and enhance quality education. The Liberian leader also made a brief stopover at the offices of Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL) Company in Butaw District to familiarize herself with activities of GVL. She used the opportunity to thank the management for the investment and commended them for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the citizens that seeks to establish mutual understanding among them regarding GVL’s specific obligations and social responsibility to the citizens. President Sirleaf commended the leadership of the Sinoe County legislative caucus as well as the citizens for sustaining the peace and called on them to continue maintaining and keeping the peace, reports the FOCUSnewspaper.

Related Captions: Pres. Sirleaf Tour Southeastern Region – Arrives In Greenville City(FOCUS), Ellen Urges Recommitment To Peace(The New Dawn), Marine Crafts Commissioned At Greenville Port(The New Dawn), Begin To Export Oil To Enhance Economic Activities – Pres. Sirleaf Urges GVL (FOCUS),President Sirleaf Commissions Maritime Crafts(In Profile Daily)

GoL Announces Funeral Arrangements For Carlton Karpeh…As VP Boaikai, Others Sign Book Of Condolence

The INSIGHTnewspaper says a Foreign Ministry release states that on today, Wednesday, March 22, 2017, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Honorable Joseph Nyuma Boakai and Members of the Cabinet will sign the Book of Condolencefor the late Ambassador Carlton Alexwyn Karpeh, former Ambassador-at-Large. The President Pro-Tempore and Members of the Senate will sign the Book of Condolence from 10:35 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., followed by the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives from 11:05 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. At 11:35 a.m. to 11:55 a.m., His Honor the Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia will sign the Book of Condolence.  On Friday, March 24, 2017, wake-keeping will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the St. Stephens Episcopal Church, 10th Street, Sinkor. On Saturday, March 25, 2017, funeral rites will be said over the remains of the late Ambassador Karpeh at the Trinity Cathedral Episcopal Church on Broad Street, beginning at 10:00 a.m., to be followed by interment at the Kaizer Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Brewerville, Virginia. The late Ambassador Carlton Alexwyn Karpeh, who also served as former Minister of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, died in his 86th year on February 28, 2017 at his Duport Road residence in Paynesville.

Related Captions: Government Announces Funeral Arrangements For The Late Amb. Carlton Alexwyn Karpeh- Vice President Boakai, Others To Sign Book Of Condolence Today(Daily Observer), Gov’t Announces Amb. Barpeh’s Funeral(In Profile Daily), Amb. Karpeh’s Funeral Protocol Out…Signing of Book of Condolence Today(The INQUIRER), Late Amb. Carlton Alexwyne Karpeh’s Funeral Arrangements Released – Gov’t Announcement The Vice President Boakai, Others To Sign Book Of Condolence On March 22, 2017(FOCUS), and VP Boakai, Others Sign Book Of Condolence For Late Ambassador Karpeh Today(Heritage)

OTHER STORIES  

US$2Million Given To Support Agriculture in Liberia – CHAP Boss Asserts 

The Executive Director of the Community of Hope Agriculture Project (CHAP), Robert Bimba, has described agriculture as a vibrant sector to Liberia’s food security recovery. The CHAP is a non-governmental organization working with local farmers in the urban and rural communities in Liberia, aiming at providing capacity building for farmers in the agriculture sector in order to prove food security in the country. According to Mr. Bimba, the fourteen years of war and Ebola epidemic in the country undermined Liberia’s agriculture development over the past years. The CHAP’s boss said, US$2 Million has been given to Liberia by the Japanese Government through the International Fund for Agriculture Development IFAD, which led to the collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture to design a project that would increase farmer’s income by developing the rice and cassava value chains in Liberia, reports the FOCUS newspaper.

Ellen, Nyenswah Honored

The 28^th and 29^th annual general meeting and scientific symposium and 58^th and 59^th Council meeting of the West African Post Graduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP) continued on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Deputy Health Minister for Disease Control, Mr. Tolbert Nyenswah honored. WAPCP is part of the many institutions or programs under the West Africa Health Organization (WAHO). The 28^th and 29^th annual general meeting and scientific symposium and 58^th and 59^th council meeting of WAPCP, which began March 20, 2017 at the Paynesville City Hall, is being held under the theme: “Pharmaceutical preparedness towards epidemic outbreaks in West Africa,” with the goal working through collaborative effort the combating future disease outbreaks in the region (West Africa). The forum is being attended by the Foundation President of WAPCP, Pharmacist Clavenda Bright-Parker. The West African health body bestowed an Honorary Fellow on President Johnson Sirleaf, while at the same time honoring Mr. Nyenswah as the Special Guest of Honor at the symposium, reports the Heritage newspaper.

Liberia Joins The World To Observe World Water Day Today

WaterAid Liberia is calling for urgent action from the international community and the government to reach the 847,000 rural people in Liberia without access to clean water. WaterAid’s annual analysis of global water access, Wild of World Water Day today, 22 March, examines the vulnerability of rural communities around the world to extreme weather events resulting from climate change including cyclones, ruinous flooding and prolonged drought. It warns that changes in weather patterns could make it even harder for the world’s poorest people to access clean water. Liberia also ranks in the top 9% of nations worldwide most vulnerable to climate change and in the top 17% least ready to adapt to it, according to the Notre Dame Global Adaption Index, writes the Heritage newspaper.

Related Caption: Liberia Joins Others To Celebrate World Water Day(INSIGHT)  

USAID to Structure Senate’s Financial System…Senate Protempore, USAID Boss Hold Discussion 

Senate Pro-tempore Armah Zolu Jallah and a delegation from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) headed by its Director of Mission, Anthony Chan, have held discussion aimed at structuring the central administration and financial management system of the Liberian Senate. According to a press release, discussion held with the USAID delegation will greatly improve the senate financial system that will include digital tracking and networking in the preparation and execution of the national budget as well as enhance the work of the Legislative Budget Office (LBO). According to the INSIGHT newspaper, the USAID-Senate financial structuring support will incorporate employees of the Legislative Budget Office, who will be trained to discreetly execute the Senate budget in a timely manner. Following the meeting, Pro-tempore Jallah appointed Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence to coordinate with the USAID officials in order to actualize the financial management structuring of the Senate to reflect accountability.

Related Caption: USAID To Structure Senate Financial System(The New Dawn)

UL Associate VP Dies

The University of Liberia (UL) administration has announced that Prince Sumo Tolbert, I, who was recently appointed as the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Services, has died. Mr. Tolbert, according to a release, died on Saturday, March 18, at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital following a period of illness. The Daily Observer reports that the news of Mr. Tolbert’s death was announced to the UL family by Dr. Ophelia I. Weeks, Vice President for Academic Affairs. UL President, Dr. Emmet A. Dennis, who appointed Mr. Tolbert to the position, was the first to express sympathy and remember his death. “Let us all come together and express our deepest sympathy to his family,” Dr. Dennis said, adding, “When something like this happens to a young, brilliant, friendly and progressive individual, it breeds the deepest kind of grief there is; and this is that which the UL Community should reflect.” Mr. Tolbert graduated from the UL on May 28, 2003 with a B.Sc. in Mathematics. He served as a part-time faculty in 2005 and was granted full-time status in the Mathematics Department in 2006. In January 2012, he was awarded a study leave to attain an MSc Degree in Mathematics Education at Makerere University in Uganda. He successfully completed his studies and returned to Liberia in November 2013.  

Students Benefit Three-Day Job Preparation Training 

According to the FOCUS newspaper, at least 100 college students and recent graduates from universities and colleges in Monrovia have benefited from a three-day intensive job preparation program. Two organizations, Calvary Empowerment Team and the Association of Human Resource Professionals of Liberia, organized the training. The training sessions ended on Saturday, March 18 at the Chevron Monrovia Central Park and focused on job application letter writing, resume development, and interview techniques. CET’s founding national director, Samuel Duo, said the training sought to empower young people with the skills necessary to improve their appeal in the job market. “The overall objective of this training was to improve the marketability of young people with or without degrees as they sought for employment opportunities in Liberia”, Duo said.