The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017

Today’s edition of Summary of the local dailies highlights news of Liberia’s Foreign Minister Marjon V. Kamara’s description of the observance of the 54th anniversary of “Africa Day” as an “important milestone;” Central Bank of Liberia Governor Milton A. Weeks meetings with officials of Citibank and the decision of 31 members of the House of Representatives to support the Presidential bid of Vice President Joseph Boakai.

DOMINANT STORIES  

Liberia-African Union Hoist Flags in Observance of ‘Africa Day’ 

Foreign Minister Madam Marjon Kamara has termed the observance of the 54th anniversary of “Africa Day” as an “important milestone” which the continental organization has reached. She stressed that the day provides an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come, and to recommit ourselves as people of Africa to accelerate the efforts to achieve the goals and aspirations of the regional organization, the African Union (AU). “We are hoping that today, Liberians will join other African countries to celebrate this day and recommit themselves to playing their own role in bringing us closer to the achievement of the objectives set for ourselves as members of the African Union,” Foreign Minister Kamara urged. The New Dawn newspaper quoting a Foreign Ministry release says Madam Kamara made the assertion during a brief press stake out following the hoisting of the AU and Liberian flags on the grounds of the Foreign Ministry as part of programs marking “Africa Day”. “Africa Day,” formerly known as Africa Liberation Day, is celebrated annually on May 25, to mark the determination of the people of Africa to liberate the continent from foreign domination and exploitation as well as the signing of the Charter establishing the OAU. Africa Day is being celebrated under the theme: “Harnessing the Democratic Dividend through Investment in Youth.”

Related Captions: ‘Important Milestone’ Min. Kamara Describes ‘Africa Day’(In Profile Daily), African Union Hoists Flags In Observance Of ‘Africa Day’(INSIGHT), 54^th Anniversary Of Africa Day ‘Important Milestone’-FM Kamara Opines(FOCUS), Liberia-African Union Hoist Flags In Observance of ‘Africa Day’(FrontPage Africa), Liberia Celebrates 54th ‘Africa Unity Day’(Daily Observer)

CBL Gov. Seeks New Partnership

The Daily Observer reads that on the sidelines of the 52nd Annual Meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), Milton A. Weeks, has held meetings with officials of Citibank, aimed at exploring areas of cooperation between the two institutions, particularly the establishment of corresponding relationships for the CBL and commercial banks in Liberia. According to a press release, Governor Weeks informed Citibank representatives that CBL needed the corresponding relationships to handle its transactions and manage its reserves. The Citibank representatives welcomed the meeting and informed the Executive Governor that such collaboration is worth pursuing. The Citibank officials offered to provide guidance that would help to attract corresponding relationships from international banks.

Related Captions:CBL Gov. Seeks New Partnership …Meets Citi Bank Officials(The INQUIRER), CBL Seeks New Partnership(The New Dawn)

Support For Boakai Grows At Capitol

Thirty-one (31) members of the House of Representatives, who are partisans of the ruling Unity Party and other political parties, as well as independent representatives, under the banner of ‘the Like-Minded Members of the House of Representatives’ have endorsed the presidential bid of Vice President Joseph N. Boakai, in the rotunda of the Capitol Building. The Representatives and the already 19 Senators (who pledged their support to the VP Boakai two weeks ago) make up 50 of the 103 Representatives and Senators, and constitute 48 percent of members of the House of Representatives and Senate. In their support resolution, the 31 Representatives said they are “convinced that VP Boakai possesses the necessary moral, leadership and technical competency to ensure economic prosperity for all Liberians, promote genuine reconciliation, a thriving democracy, and sustained peace and security.” In response to the resolution, Boakai thanked the lawmakers, and said the endorsement is unprecedented, writes the Daily Observer.

Related Captions: 31 Reps. Endorse Boakai…Vow To Deploy Resources To Ensure His Victory(FrontPage Africa), Several Representatives Support Boakai(The INQUIRER), Endorsement Spree At Capitol-31 Representatives Join 19 Senators For Boakai’s Presidential Bid(In Profile Daily), 31 Reps Endorse Boakai For President(INSIGHT)

OTHER STORIES  

ECOWAS Echoes Security Challenge 

The West African sub-region is said to be smarting under serious security challenges despite the holding of two successive elections in the region, ECOWAS Commission President Mr. Marcel Alain de Souza said in Monrovia. Ghana and the Gambia are the two countries in the region to have held elections recently, although the latter was climaxed by pressure from the regional body to force the exit of President Yaya Jammeh. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that peaceful coexistence returns to every corner of our region”, he said Thursday, 25 May at the Monrovia City Hall before extending best wishes to Liberia “for a successful and peaceful general elections scheduled later this year”. An ECOWAS Summit is ongoing here in Liberia after some 40 years, with approximately 200 participants expected to attend the meeting that is due to be climaxed by the 51st Ordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on Sunday, 4 June. The ECOWAS Commission Chief urged during the opening session on Thursday that efforts be doubled towards the improvement of the lives of citizens within the region and the realization of an ECOWAS of people, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

ABIC Launches “Talking Bus” Project…Wants Communities Have A Say In Development

The Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security yesterday launched a new initiative called the “Talking Bus”, which is a component of the award winning women’s Situation Room. The launch ceremony to place at the Bella Casa Hotel in Sinkor and was graced by representatives from the US Embassy near Monrovia, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) as well as partner organizations and friends of the centre, reports the INQUIRER newspaper.

USAID-LEGIT Conducts Social Inclusion, Gender Awareness In Gbarnga

As part of its efforts to build the capacity of CSOs, CBOs, local authorities and other stakeholders to contribute to the provision of efficient services, USAID-LEGIT is conducting a two-day training of trainers workshop in Gbarnga, Bong County. The workshop brings together participants from the Governance Commission, the Ministries of Youth and Sports and Gender, Children and Social Protection, CSOs, CBOs, other stakeholders and representatives from Bong, Nimba, and Grand Gedeh counties. During the opening ceremony, USAID-LEGIT Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Manager George Tee Forpoh provided an overview of the LEGIT Project. He said LEGIT seeks to strengthen the government’s policy on decentralization by promoting the tenets of transparency, effectiveness and accountability of government resources. Mr. Forpoh explained that LEGIT operates in three counties and cities, namely Bong (Gbarnga City), Nimba (Gompa City) and Grand Gedeh (Zwedru City). He also said the training specifically focuses on four components of the USAID-LEGIT project in Liberia, according to the Daily Observer.

US$59.6m Loan Agreement For Road Network

The Daily Observer says President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has submitted for legislative ratification a pre-financing agreement recently signed between Liberia and the East International Group Incorporated, worth US$59,567,000. According to a letter to House Speaker Emmanuel Nuquay, which was read during Thursday’s session, the purpose of the pre-financing agreement is for the pavement of a 24.5km road from Klay to DC Clarke and 51km of selected neighborhoods and communities in Monrovia and its environs. The letter indicated that the objective of the agreement is to implement government’s developmental agenda and create an accessible and durable road network to make it easy for citizens and residents to travel in the said areas.

‘Illicit Financial Flows Impedes Development’-AFROPAC Boss Tells Int’l Conference

The President of the African Organization of Public Accounts Committees (AFROPAC), Senator Edward Dagoseh, has termed illicit financial flows as impediments to national development, which contributes to national development which contribute to cross-border movement of capital-associated and illegal activities. Senator Dagoseh made the assertion on Wednesday, May 24 at the Hilton Hotel in Cameroon Capitol Yaoundé, when he delivered the keynote address at the start of a three-day International Conference on ‘Illicit Financial Flows,” held under the theme “Tackling Illicit Financial Flows; An African Approach To A Global Phenomenon.” According him, the illegal hiding of income from tax authorities or tax evasion and corruption, minerals smuggling, sale of drugs and trafficking of people, political and economic insecurity or financing of organized crimes are major developmental hindrances, according to the In Profile Daily.

Related Caption: Illicit Financial Flows Impede Development AFROPAC Boss Tells International Conference(FrontPage Africa)

National Development Planning Retreat Climaxed

The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) on Thursday, May 25, 2017, concluded a two-day retreat held in Paynesville. The retreat focused on agenda for Sector Engagement bringing together different governmental sector to look at the transition process and then detail a plan for the next five years. The Director, Planning, Development and Coordinator at the Ministry, Mr. P. Morris Kromah said this year marks the end of the Agenda for Transformation, which is a five-year plan. Mr. Kromah named security and Rule of Laws; Education; Health, Transparency and Accountability; Infrastructure and Basic Services, Public Administration; Municipal Government; Social Development Services; Energy and  Environment and Commerce and Industry as participating sectors. He indicated that the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) and the Liberia National Police (LNP), amongst other security sectors and some of their partners are part of the plan that have development the Liberia Peace Building Plan and the transition plan are the two documents that are used to develop the medium term and the long term plans, asserts the In Profile Daily.

2 Arrested With WFP Relief

Two female marketers, ages 24 and 32 have been arrested with dozens of World Food Program (WFP) Super Cereal relief cornmeal in the Red Light General Market.  The suspects identified as Julee Teah and Melina Johnson, were apprehended by security officers on Thursday, 25 May while conveying the items in a wheelbarrow toward the Redlight-Duala parking station. The cereals are supplied to hospitals and clinics to feed sick infants and young children between zero and six months and above. The women told The New Dawn that they bought the relief food from an unidentified individual in Paynesville at the price of 1,850 LRD per cartoon. Julee and Melina said they don’t know where the individual in question who sold the relief items to them came from, explaining it was their very first time buying and selling relief food. However, the suspects were subsequently taken to the Paynesville police depot for further investigation into the relief food syndicate, reads The New Dawn newspaper.

10 Employees Trained To Enhance CSA Capacity

As part of efforts to develop dynamic change agents to strengthen institutional capacities for enhanced public services delivery, ten employees of the Civil Service Agency (CSA) have completed two-week intensive training on Public Service Delivery Improvement (PSDI) In Ghana. According to the In Profile Daily, the training, organized byy the Civil Service Training Center (CSTC) Ghana, brought together thirty (30) participants from the Civil and Public Service of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ghana and was held May 8-19, 2017. The In Profile Daily quotes a dispatch from the CSA as saying that the training sought to provide the necessary tools to reassess processes, augment skills and competencies of senior level civil servants, and enhance institutional capacity of the participating countries for quality service delivery to their respective citizens.