The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017

Today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies highlights news of President Sirleaf’s congratulatory message to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, on the occasion celebrating his birth anniversary and the National Day of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on April 27and health authorities’ report of no trace of Ebola in the recent death of 9 persons as a result of a mysterious disease in Sinoe County. 

DOMINANT STORIES

President Sirleaf Congratulates Netherland King On Birth Anniversary and National Day

The INSIGHT newspaper reports that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has sent a congratulatory message to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, on the occasion celebrating his birth anniversary and the National Day of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on April 27, 2017. According to a Foreign Ministry release, President Sirleaf, in her message on behalf of the Government and people of Liberia and on her own behalf, extended warmest felicitations to His Majesty and the Government and people of the Kingdom of Netherlands on the two special occasions. “The Netherlands, for many decades, continue to be a reliable and genuine friend to Liberia,” she said; adding, “The excellent ties of friendship we continue to explore were further bolstered by the visit to Liberia by Ms. Laetitia van den Assum, Ambassador-At-Large and Special Envoy of the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the one day Trade and Investment Conference organized in the Netherlands in November last year, which was attended by our Vice President, Mr. Joseph N. Boakai.” President Sirleaf also welcomed the resumption of the renowned Royal Dutch Airlines, KLM, flights to Liberia in March 2017.

Related Captions: Netherland’s King Willem-Alexander Commended-On Birth Anniversary, Nat’l Day (FOCUS), President Sirleaf Congratulates Netherland’s King On Birth Anniversary And National Day (Heritage)

Tests Rule Out Ebola

According to the New Dawn newspaper, health authorities here have ruled Ebola out in the recent death of 9 persons as a result of a mysterious disease. Health officials say the result from the testing of blood samples and other specimens of the dead and sick persons shows no evidence of Ebola resurgence. At least 9 persons have died from a mysterious disease after they attended a funeral in Sinoe County, southeast Liberia. A press statement issued by the Ministry of Health in Monrovia on Wednesday, 26 April says the Sinoe County Health Team informed the Ministry about a series of unexplained deaths in five communities in Greenville District. The four communities affected are Teah’s Town (8 cases), Congo Town (3 cases), Red Hill (2) and Downtown (1 case) all located in Greenville city. Liberia’s Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Francis Kateh, who read the release in a press briefing held at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism on Capitol Hill, disclosed that initial tests conducted by the Liberia Institute for Bio-Medical Research in Charlesville, Margibi County ruled out Ebola Virus Disease or EVD as cause of the deaths. Reports from the county says the dead include an eleven-year-old girl from Teah Town community, Greenville who attended funeral of a religious leader over the weekend after which seven persons died, who allegedly attended the same funeral. Name of the religious leader has not been identified, but prior to his demise, he was reportedly hospitalized at the John F. Kennedy Hospital in Monrovia where he was allegedly diagnosed of high blood pressure.

Related Caption: Initial Test At LIBR In Margibi Rules Out Ebola-Says Chief Medical Officer In The Death Of Seven Persons In Sinoe (FOCUS), Health Still Investigating Deaths In Sinoe (The INQUIRER)

OTHER STORIES

President Sirleaf Receives Global Fund Chief Executive Officer Mark Dybul

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has received in audience the Chief Executive Officer of Global Fund, Dr. Mark Dybul at her Foreign Ministry office in Monrovia. According to an Executive Mansion release, the Liberian leader thanked Dr. Mark Dybul of Global Fund for his organization’s support to Liberia during a critical moment in our history. She said Global Fund has actively supported the health sector through its Malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV & AIDS. She lauded the partnership that has brought about immense impact on the population. Earlier, Dr. Mark Dybul thanked President Sirleaf for the opportunity, her extraordinary support and strong voice for the work of Global Fund. Dr. Dybul described President Sirleaf as an advocate and champion of the aspirations of Global Fund.

Gambian President Visits Mediators Who Helped Kick Out Jammeh

Gambian President Adama Barrow is beginning a West African tour, his first since he was sworn into office as successor to long serving ruler, Yahya Jammeh. The INSIGHT newspaper says local media sources in the country indicate that Barrow left Banjul on Wednesday evening, he will fly to Sierra Leone, Liberia and will round up the tour in Ghana. During the visit, which will be his fourth overseas travel since he assumed office in January, Mr. Barrow will hold discussions with his fellow head of states aimed at strengthening trade, bilateral relations and other issues.

Sweden, Liberia Sign US$21.6M Agreement

The Government of Liberia (GoL) through the Ministry of Public Works has signed a US$21.6M contribution agreement with the Government of Sweden through the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). The agreement, which was signed at the Ministry of Public Works in Monrovia on Wednesday, April 26, 2017, is aimed at supporting the third phase of the Liberia Sweden Feeder Roads Project (LSFRP) in seven counties of Liberia. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Sida’s Assistant Director General for the Department of Africa, Mr. Torbjorn Pettersson, said the Swedish government’s gesture is aimed at reducing poverty across Liberia. According him, the rehabilitation of the roads will enable ‘poor farmers’ to transport their farm produce to the market and make some money for themselves, reports the Heritage newspaper.

Liberia's Public Defenders Elect First Female President

Barely after eight years of its formation, the Public Defenders Association has elected its first female president, who will steer the affairs of the association. The election of Atty. Edwina Barchue, former secretary of the Public Defenders Association, was met with smiles, when she was announced winner in the heavily male contested election in the America Corner Hall at the Booker Washington Institute (BWI), with 70% of the total vote cast Saturday, April 22, 2017. Atty. Yarlor Sawon, chair of the election committee, told the body that there were other positions which remained uncontested but did not announce the positions. Atty. Barchue defeated Cllr. Tobey Raynes who later conceded and congratulated the winners, expressing his willingness to work with the new administration while indicating that he had no qualms as the ballot box has spoken. Prior to the election, Associate Justice Jamesette Wolokollie who served as the keynote speaker told them they should elect a leader with a defined role, not who will continuously press for salary increment, according to the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Gender Official Vouches For Post-Ellen Platform

The Heritage newspaper writes that an Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is calling for the setting up of a platform for the post-Ellen era in the political governance of Liberia. Meima Karneh, Assistant Minister for policy and research, said when set up the platform will not only showcase the achievements and legacy of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, but also make women visible in the political governance of the country. She made the call when she represented Gender Minister Julia Duncan Cassell at the start of a three-day workshop that seeks to set the stage for the Feminist Agenda in the country. The workshop is being conducted by the Liberian-owned "Community Healthcare" with funding from Urgent Action Fund Africa, a women's human rights organization. It brings together feminists, women rights advocates and female aspirants in the 2017 elections as well as representatives of some female focus groups.

LNFS Craves More Support To Mitigate Fire Outbreaks

The Heritage newspaper asserts that the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS), has called for more capacity building training, empowerment and logistics to help mitigate fire outbreaks in Liberia. According LNFS Deputy Director for Administration, Varmah I. Malik, the lack of operational materials has been "a very serious problem" that is hampering the bureau in tackling fire outbreaks across the country. He named some equipment needed to fight fire as multi-purpose fire-fighting trucks, turntable ladder and foam compartment. Malik made the statement Tuesday in an interview with a team of journalists in Monrovia. He indicated that when there is a fire situation in any area the first person to move in is the fire fighter with the needed resources to respond to the incident.

EU Trains 30 CBRN Local Experts In Industrial Risks Prevention

According to the Heritage newspaper, about 30 participants from government ministries, agencies and industries have been certificated after completing a week-long training in industrial risks prevention and preparedness for response to hazardous chemical incidents in Liberia. The training held under the auspices of the Center of Excellence, an initiative of the European Union (EU), built the capacities of the local Chemical, Biological, and Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Liberian experts in responding to such situations. Speaking during the closing ceremony at the Ministry of Health over the weekend, the CBR National Focal Person, Martin Scott-Tabi, said the training afforded participants the opportunity to develop their capacity and enhance sound chemical hazard management within the African Atlantic Façade region.

Bong Service Center Records 6731 Users

Bong County Service Center records 6731 Service users in its first year of operations. Tuesday, April 25, 2017 makes it exactly one year since the Bong CSC was opened. Over the one year period, the Bong County Service Center general more than six million Liberia Dollars. Bong CSC Coordinator, Mr. Jefferson Garyan puts the total figure at LD$6,998,520.35 equivalent to US$69,431.97. According to Mr. Gvaryan, birth certificate tops the number services offered at the CSC with a total of 4032 services. Others include psychosocial services 1437, Business registration services 523 and Vehicle registration services 211. Deed registration services amounted to 106, Traditional Marriage services 60, while the CSC recorded 53 Letter of administration, 48 School registration services, 40 Motorcycle registrations, 36 Drivers; Licenses and 33 Western Marriage certificates among others, the INQUIRER newspaper reads.

UL Medical College Gets New Dean

The President of the University of Liberia Prof. Dr. Emmett A. Dennis has appointed Associate Professor of Physiology and Chairman of the Department of Psychology at the A. M. Dogliotti College of Medicine, Dr. Z’Sherman Adams Jr. as Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean of the A. M. Dogliotti College of Medicine. Dr. Adams, Jr. replaces Prof. Dr. Vuyu K. Golakai, former dean of the college. His appointment took effect on April 10, 2017, the INQUIRER newspaper says.

‘Prisons In Bad Shape’…Human Rights Commission Alarms…Catalogues “Damaging Living Conditions” Of Inmates

The Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) has described as appalling conditions of prisons in Liberia and violations of the human rights of prisoners. The Commission named worsening overcrowding of the prisons, prolonged pretrial detention and very poor facility structures as some of the appalling conditions. According to the INSIGHT newspaper, the INCHR recommends that the Government of Liberia take practical and concrete steps to address the appalling condition of prisons and prisoner in the country.

Africabio Enterprises to Enhance; Strengthen Laboratory System in Liberia

A Liberian Chief Scientist from the United State of America, Dougbeh Chris Nyan, has disclosed that their organization, Africabio Enterprises Inc. has come to Liberia to enhance and strengthen the country’s Laboratory System. Nyan said if their initiative materializes, it will help develop the Laboratory System in Liberia and in terms of improvement in the future; nobody will like to go to other countries when he or she is ill. Speaking in an interview Wednesday, April 26, 2017 with this paper at the Laboratory Week Conference, held at the Monrovia City Hall in Sinkor, Mr. Nyan noted that in order to standardize the process of diagnostics, there is need for more training for those who still have the passion of the profession, the In Profile newspaper reads.