The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2017

News of President Sirleaf’s proclamation declaring Thursday, August 24, as National Flag Day and the departure of Miss Liberia, Wokie Dolo for Johannesburg, South Africa, to represent Liberia in the Miss Africa Continent Pageant are stories dominating today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies.

The Summary also includes the commissioning of three senior government officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the National Elections Commission by President Sirleaf.

DOMINANT STORIES  

Thursday Is ‘National Flag Day’ 

The Daily Observer quotes a Foreign Ministry release: “President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has by proclamation declared Thursday, August 24, as “National Flag Day,” to be observed throughout the country as a national holiday in keeping with an Act of Legislature approved on October 25, 1915”. President Sirleaf has called on all citizens and foreign residents within our borders to give prominence to the observance of the day by flying the National Flag from each dwelling and public building, and that all government offices, public and business houses be closed on that day. The President has directed the Ministry of Education and all other government agencies concerned to execute appropriate programs befitting the day.

Related Captions: Thursday Is ‘National Flag Day’ (The New Dawn), Thursday Is National Holiday (INSIGHT), Thursday, August 24 Is National Flag Day (Heritage)

Miss Liberia off to South Africa for Miss Africa Competition

After series of consultations in the United States and other parts of Africa, Miss Liberia, Wokie Dolo, has departed Liberia for Johannesburg, South Africa, to represent Liberia in the Miss Africa Continent Pageant, which will be held from August 22 to September 4. According to a press release issued in Monrovia, the pageant is expected to bring together beauty queens from all over Africa to compete for this prestigious crown, the INSIGHT newspaper reads.

Related Captions: Miss Liberia Off To South Africa To Vie For Miss Africa Crown (Daily Observer), Miss Liberia Departs Liberia For South Africa Today (The INQUIRER), Miss Liberia Departs Liberia for South Africa (Heritage)

OTHER STORIES

Ellen Commissions Three Senior Government Officials

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Monday, August 21, 2017- in keeping with tradition officially commissioned three senior government officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the National Elections Commission. She urged them to promote good relationship and development and reminded them to do the right thing for the country. According to an Executive Mansion release, those commissioned were: John A. Ballout, Jr., Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Liberia to the State of Qatar, Jeanette A. Ebba-Davidson and Boakai Amendu Dukuly, Commissioners of the National Election Commission respectively. The commissioning ceremony was performed in the Cabinet Room at her Foreign Ministry Office in Monrovia, the Heritage newspaper says.

Related Caption: Ellen Calls NEC To Attention (The New Dawn)

LDC Challenges GOL, Others To Fight Diabetes

According to Daily Observer, the prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes, an insidious killer disease that claims lives worldwide, should be the concern of every Liberian, including the government’s agency responsible for the health of the people, the Ministry of Health. That was a statement by Mr. James Momoh, the chief executive officer of the Liberia Diabetes Center (LDC), when he spoke to journalists in an interview yesterday on Front Street in Monrovia. Mr. Momoh, who resides in the United States, is in the country to promote diabetes awareness and prevention. He said, the LDC, established nearly two years ago, is determined to provide enough education to Liberians so that they can use the center to check their blood sugar levels, as well as receive other nutrients and vitamins that would help boost their immune systems against other diseases.

Related Caption: “Diabetes Is a Global Problem”…Liberia Diabetes Center CEO Asserts (The INQUIRER)

Police Chief Vows To Keep Country Safe During October Elections

The Inspector General (IG) of the Liberia National Police (LNP), Gregory Coleman, has assured that the police will do all it can to keep the country safe during this crucial election period. The LNP Boss vowed to ensure that the police, during these elections function in accordance with international best practices in order for the process to be violence-free, adding, “2017 policing has taken a different dimension, as it is all about service to country and people.” The Police Inspector General’s statement was in response to commendations from Liberians across Monrovia and its environs about the professional manner in which officers of the LNP guarded the official campaign launch of the Coalition of Democratic Change (CDC), theHeritage newspaper reads.

UL President Gets International Honor

The President of the University of Liberia (UL) Professor Dr. Ophelia Weeks has been appointed by the Florida International University as Professor Emerita of the College of Arts, Science and Education.  Quoting a release from the University of Liberia, the New Dawn newspaper reads that Dr. Weeks was appointed during a visit to the United States of America (USA) this month in recognition of her thirty years of distinguished service to Florida International University, The release disclosed that Dr. Week’s appointment was enthusiastically supported by the Biological Sciences department where she worked for many years as Faculty, Chairperson and Dean.

New Electoral Violence-free Campaign Started

Humble Youth International (HYI), a local non-governmental organization, in collaboration with Peacebuilding Hub Liberia,Monday began a civic awareness campaign against electoral violence during and after the upcoming October elections. Quoting the group, the Daily Observer reads   that HYI’s mission to preach electoral peace is a result of the way electoral activities are being conducted nowadays, with thought provoking expressions coming from opposition parties. HYI’s non-violence electoral campaign project is expected to cover communities in Monrovia and its immediate environs. It will last from August 21 to 24 focusing on the national theme, “Equal Rights for All,” and on the international motto, “Building Peace Together for a Safe and Better Liberia.” The project, according to HYI Executive Director Ibrahim S. A. Sankoh, was started with support from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through its Emergency Support for Preventive Diplomacy and related actions to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections. It is funded by the European Union (EU) Emergency Response Mechanism, reports.  

Lions Club To Do More for Paynesville’s Visually Impaired, Disadvantaged 

The newly elected and installed president of the Paynesville Lions Club, Mrs. Elizabeth S. B. Pelham, said there will be an increase in the presence of Lions Club projects, especially in Paynesville, to benefit the visually impaired and other disadvantaged persons. Mrs. Pelham, who spoke during the club’s first formal installation program held in Monrovia last Friday said the call to serve the poor and underprivileged is now urgent as their numbers are increasing in the communities, adding that it is the role of Lions, along with other entities and institutions to ensure that the weak have some means to improve their conditions, asserts Daily Observer.  

Agricultural and Cooperative Society embarks on Road and other Projects in River Gee 

In an effort to help address the acute lack of infrastructural development in Liberia’s newest county, River Gee, an agricultural Cooperative Development Society says it has begun construction of a feeder road through the Tienpo forest to connect various towns and communities in the county. If completed after the end of the current raining season, the road would enhance free movement of people, goods and services, said the Society’s Chief Executive Officer, Alex Poure, the INSIGHT newspaper reads.  

Liberian Women Policy Platform Launches Campaign Against Invalid Votes Target 8 Counties 

Women of this country are said to be making meaningful contributions towards peaceful and splendid democratic process, ahead of the October polls. Elections as usual are characterized by several challenges before and after the release of the final results by the National Elections Commission and one area the women group thinks is cardinal focus is sensitization of voters across the country to ensure the minimization of invalid votes. With recent report showing that about forty percent of undecided voters across Liberia, and if nothing is done by politicians across the Country to reduce such high margin or percentage, it is likelihood that said percentage may increase at a very high level, the Heritage newspaper reads.