The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017

News of President Sirleaf’s appointments in Government affecting the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Labor, the Judiciary and the Grand Bassa Community College, the mysterious death of 7 persons in Greenville, Sinoe County and the plenary of the Senate’s mandate to investigate persisting reports that Cllr. Jerome Korkoya, Chairman of the National Elections Commission, holds an American passport.

DOMINANT STORIES

Ellen Makes New Appointments In Govt

According to the New Dawn newspaper, President Ellen Johnson has made several appointments in Government affecting the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Labor, the Judiciary and the Grand Bassa Community College. According to an Executive Mansion release dated 25 April; those appointed include Dr. Nathaniel G. Gbessagee, President of the Grand Bassa Community College with immediate effect. He replaces Madam Augurie Herring who has served as Interim President of the College since the removal of Dr. Levi Zangar. His appointment comes as a result of an independent Vetting Process instituted by the Commission on Higher Education of the Republic of Liberia. While appointing a new head of the Grand Bassa Community College, Mrs. Sirleaf has dissolved the Board of Trustees of the College. An Executive Mansion release says the Board of Trustees will be reconstituted shortly consistent with the Charter of the College. At the Judiciary, President Sirleaf has appointed Counselor Serena F. Garlawolu as Resident Judge of Criminal Court “E”, and Counsellor Scheaplor R. Dunbar as relieving Judge, Republic of Liberia. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Sirleaf has appointed Cllr. Lois Bruthus as Ambassador to the United States of America and Mrs. Musu Ruhle as Liberia’s Ambassador to neighboring Sierra Leone. Mrs. Sirleaf has also appointed Atty. Jerome B. Kolleh as Assistant Minister for standards at the Ministry of Labor. These appointments are subject to Senate confirmation, where applicable.

Related Captions: Lois Brutus Appointed Liberia’s Ambassador to United States (FrontPage Africa), and President Sirleaf Makes New Appointment in Gov’t (Daily Observer)

7 Die ‘Mysteriously’ In Greenville

The Daily Observer reports that residents of the port city of Greenville, Sinoe County woke up yesterday to discover that more than half a dozen of their kinsmen had died under mysterious circumstances. In his reaction to the news, Derry S. Dokie, the Ministry of Health’s representative in River Cess with oversight responsibility for Sinoe County, said in a text response to the Daily Observer that there were “unexplained causes of the deaths which started at about 5 a.m. Since 5 a.m. today [yesterday morning] six persons have died from suspected fever of unknown cause,” which health personnel in the county are investigating. The Ministry of Health in Monrovia has been urgently called upon to put into place interventions before the situation gets out of hand. The Liberian National Police (LNP) spokesperson, Sam Collins, confirmed to the Daily Observer that the LNP is investigating the deaths, and have dispatched homicide and forensic investigators to the county. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has confirmed the news and told ELBC that investigation is ongoing to ascertain the circumstances leading to the deaths.

Related Caption: Strange Disease Or Poisoning?...The Death Of Over 7 Persons In Sinoe (The INQUIRER), ‘Strange’ Sickness Kills Seven In Sinoe (FOCUS)

Korkoya’s Citizenship Saga Reaches Senate

The plenary of the Senate through a unanimous vote yesterday mandated its Committees on Autonomous Commission and Agencies, and Judiciary to investigate persisting reports that Cllr. Jerome Korkoya, Chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), holds an American passport, making him a citizen of that country. The decision was taken during the Senate’s first sitting after returning from a two-week Easter break. The Senators’ decision yesterday came after a lengthy debate on if the first branch of the government has the constitutional right to intervene in a matter that lies within the purview of the third, the Judiciary Branch, reports the  Daily Observer.

Related Caption: Senate Receives Complaint On Korkoya’s Citizenship…Halts Ombudman’s Confirmation (The INQUIRER), Lawmaker Wants Kprkoya’s “Dual-Citizenship” Investigated (In Profile Daily)

OTHER STORIES

Ellen Admonishes Youth At Peace Building Conference

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf says the responsibility to carry Liberia forward rests with the young people, recognizing that they make up a majority of the nation’s population. Mrs. Sirleaf was speaking Tuesday, 25 April at the Paynesville City Hall when she delivered a special statement at the opening of the Liberian Youth Peace Building Conference initiated under the auspices of the Accountability Lab Liberia. The event held in partnership with the Swedish Embassy and the United Nation Mission in Liberia or UNMIL, targets about 200 young Liberians from the 15 counties here. It intends to deliberate on challenges relating to peace and security, and to generate concrete actions for youth’s engagement ahead of the 2017 presidential and representatives’ elections. Participants at the conference include young men and women from diverse groups including the physically challenged and the less fortunate. The youth conference is first of its kind here, and it will enable young people to discuss five key areas including economic prosperity, entrepreneurship, diversity, tolerance, reconciliation, and sports and culture, among others. Also speaking at the conference Tuesday, 25 April in Paynesville, Liberian -born Nollywood Actor Van Vicker cautioned youth here to have self-esteem if the they must be the change they want. Actor Vicker says change doesn’t come with empty talk, but it rather requires actions, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Caption: President Sirleaf Launches Youth Peace-building National Conference (FrontPage Africa)

LTA Campaigns For Cross-border SIM Cards

Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA) Chairperson Madam Angelique Weeks says participants at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names (ICANN) Regulators Conference should brainstorm and strategize on how the telecommunications operations can be harmonized among ECOWAS countries. She told participants Tuesday, 25 April at that when SIM Cards are harmonized among ECOWAS states, citizens of the sub-region would not have to change their SIM Cards whenever they travel to ECOWAS states. She argues that citizens of ECOWAS countries are presently using a single traveling document which is the ECOWAS Passport, noting that it harmonizes the work of the sub-region and gives easy passage to citizens. During the conference on Tuesday, Madam Weeks noted the absence of a representative from neighboring Ivory Coast’s Telecommunications Authority, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Caption: ‘Time to Harmonize Telecom Regulations in West Africa’ (Daily Observer)

Trump’s America Deports17 Liberians

According to the New Dawn newspaper, the headquarters of the Liberia Immigration Service or LIS was a scene of sorrow and tears when relatives and friends went to receive family members deported from the United States of America for crimes committed and convicted of. Immigration officers prevented reporters from interviewing the deportees and refused to release their names to the media on grounds that they are Liberians and deserved the right of protection from the Government of Liberia, said Abraham Dolley, Press and Public Affairs Director of LIS. The Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Immigration Service received the 17 Liberians from the United States on Tuesday, 25 April onboard a chartered flight. 

Lawmaker Wants Eviction Halted At 72nd Barracks

Montserrado Country district#5 Representative, Thomas P. Fallah, is appealing to the Ministry of Defense to relax ongoing eviction of former soldiers and their relatives from the 72nd military barracks in Paynesville. Speaking Tuesday during regular session of the House of Representatives, he says the eviction of the occupants from the barracks at this time is very crucial, particularly when the country is going to elections and preparing for a peaceful transition. He argues that the decision by the Ministry of Defense to evict the ex-soldiers followed an urgent meeting with the Minister of Defense, Brownie Sumakai, including the leadership of the ex-soldiers and his office to discuss the matter. He says during the meeting, he made a candid appeal to Minister Samukai on behalf of his constituents, currently residing within the barracks to give a volte-face of the decision preferably to January, 2018, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Caption: House Summons Defense Minister Samukai (Daily Observer)

Voice Of Truth Gets 250-Kilowatt Transmitter

Voice of Truth, a community-based radio station in Pleebo City, Maryland County has received a 250 kilowatt transmitter. The American-built transmitter was donated by Mr. Eric Giko, a Marylander based in the United States. According to Eric, the gesture is aimed at helping to upgrading the station’s capacity to extend its s coverage in the county. He says he has been encouraged to do more for the station based on handling of prior donations by the management there. Eric Giko told this paper in Pleebo that in the past, he provided a 20kilowatt FM transmitter, which the Voice of Truth is using presently. A former representative aspirant of Pleebo Sodoken Statutory District, he says the donation has no political string attached. “I am not a political material in the upcoming elections, but will let my people know if a decision is reached to venture into politics”, Eric notes, according to the New Dawn newspaper.

‘Illegal Appointment’ - Senator Johnson Labels Lansanah’s Position

Bomi County Senator Sando D. Johnson says the appointment of former Senator Lahai Lansanah as Coordinator on Dispute and Concession Affairs by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is illegal. In response to Senator Johnson Claims of illegal appointment Lahai Lansanah said, if Senator Johnson has a problem with his appointment he should raise it with the President who has the appointment power. “Sando is a sitting Senator and I am former Senator I have no beef with him he is from the All Liberian People Party (ALP); I am a member of the Unity Party so I think that is the differences between us,” Lansanah added. Lasanah said his support to Representative Aspirant Edwin Snowe in Bomi County is another issue that is causing the hate. Senator Johnson who chairs the Senate Committee on Concession at the Liberian Senate is describing the appointment of former Senator Lansanah as mere a political accommodation and not in line with the law, reports the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Liberia Airport Authority Honors Retirees, Employees For Dedicated Service

The management of the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) has for the first time recognized and honored the dedicated services of over 100 employees both retired and active. The employees were honored during a colorful ceremony held near the Roberts International Airport (RIA) in Margibi County for services ranging from five to 25 years. Speaking during the honoring ceremony, the Managing Director of Roberts International Airport, Bil Bako Freeman, who served as keynote speaker congratulated the employees serving the LAA in various capacities at the RIA and James Spriggs Payne airports, asserts the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Spiritan Academy Dedicates Reading Room In Gbarpolu

According to the INQUIRER newspaper, students of the Spiritan Academy, a secondary school in Monrovia, have dedicated a reading room at the Nyaforta Public School in Gbarpolu County.  The daily quotes the chief architect of the project, Sister Mary Laurene Brown as saying that the initiative was funded by students of the Spiritan Academy. Sister Laurene said from September 2016 to date students of the Spiritan Academy began a process of dropping part of their recess in various boxes in the classes to undertake the project.  Sister Laurene Browne said the entire Nyaforta Public School Reading Room project costs almost US$10,000.00. She said the Spiritan Academy next journey is Rivercess County to help the needy get better education.