Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

 DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2018

News of President George Manneh Weah conferring honor on former Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger and former Ghanaian President John  Kufuor during Liberia’s 171^st National Flag Day; the ECOWAS parliament’s Joint Committee meeting on Communication and Information Technology, etc. scheduled for today Monday 27, August in Monrovia are stories dominating today’s summary of the local dailies.    

DOMINANT STORIES  

Weah Bestows Highest Honor 

President George Weah bestowed the nation’s highest honor on his former mentor, former Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger and former Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor among others during the celebration of Liberia’s 171st national Flag Day on Friday, 24 August. Former President Kufuor received the Colar of State, Most Venerable Order of the Pioneers, while Sir Wenger, received the Knight Grand Commander, Humane Order of African Redemption. His fellow French compatriot, Coach Claude Marie Francois Le Roy, of the Togolese national team received the Knight Commander of Humane Order of African Redemption. Other honorees included former Lonestar Coach Alhaji Frank Jerico Nagbe, Commander, Star of Africa; Mr. Dominic Vava George, former Lonestar Coach; and basketball icon Ms. Gbuor S. Wilson, Commander, Star of Africa. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Weah called for a combine effort in the search for peace and prosperity in the country. Mr. Weah further called on Liberians to take time and reflect on those things that unite them rather than dwell on things that will divide them, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Captions: Wenger Gets Liberia’s Highest Honor(INSIGHT), Weah Shows Gratitude…Honors Ex-Ghanaian President, Arsene Winger, Several Others(Heritage)

ECOWAS Holds Delocalized Dialogue Here

According to the New Dawn newspaper, a week long delocalized meeting of the ECOWAS parliament’s Joint Committee on Communication and Information Technology, Education, Science and Technology, Labor, Employment, Youth, Sports and Culture is expected to begin in Monrovia on Monday, 27 August on Capitol Hill. A press release from the House of Representatives says the meeting will be held under the theme: “Contribution of ICTs to the Regional Integration Process.” The daily reads that Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard Tayor, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Moustapha Cissé Lo, Liberia’s House Speaker Dr. Bhofal Chambers, Special Representative of the President of ECOWAS commission to Liberia Amb. Tunde O. Ajisomo and Liberia’s Foreign Minister Gbehzohngar Milton Findley are expected to grace the occasion.

Related Captions: ECOWAS Parliament Delocalized Meeting Starts Today In Monrovia(FrontPage Africa), ECOWAS Parliament Begins Second Delocalized Meeting In Monrovia(INSIGHT)

OTHER STORIES  

To Consolidate Peace And Development. Flag Day Orator Calls For National Unity 

The National Flag Day Orator, Atty. Phil Tarpeh Dixon has called on Liberians to be patriotic, peaceful and to maintain the hope for a better Liberia. Speaking Friday August 24, 2018 at the program marking the observance of the 171^st National Flag Day of the Republic of Liberia and Investiture ceremonies in honor of distinguished Liberians and foreign personalities held at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville Atty. Dixon said with peace and unity, Liberia will move forward with development. Atty. Dixon who is also Deputy Minister of Labor, spoke on the Theme: “Realizing Hope and Becoming One, a Logical Outcome of Mental Freedom”. He stressed the need for Liberians not to motivate individuals to become bearers of words alone while being destitute of any action in pursuit thereof.  He further called on President George Weah to ensure that everyone has equal access to every given opportunity in Liberia in order for them to feel a part of the country’s economy, pens theINSIGHT newspaper.

Related Caption: Flag Day Orator Applaud Pres. Weah For Pouring National Unity(In Profile Daily)

Tubman High Wins ‘Flag Day’ Parade Award

The William V.S. Tubman High School in Sinkor, Monrovia, has been awarded the first medal of the August 24^th Flag Day school parade. The parade is an annual program hosted by the Ministry of Education in observance of the Day the National Flag unfurled and hosted on the soil of Liberia. Other school that were awarded for their performance during the Flag Day parade include the Cathedral Catholic School and the Len Miller High School as second and third place winner of the parade respectively. In addition to the first place award, Tubman High also won the most discipline school award during the parade and Muslim Congress High School got the Best Dressed School award, the In Profile Daily writes.

Weah Pays Tribute To Kofi Annan…Describes His Passing ‘Loss To The World’

Liberian President George Manneh Weah has paid tribute to the falling former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Atta Annan, describing his passing as ‘loss to the rest of the world, not only to his family and country, Ghana.’ President Weah said the African continent lost one of its greatest and finest sons in the death of Mr. Annan. The Ex-UN Chief Scribe died Saturday, August 18, 2018 at the age of 80. He spoke Thursday, August 23, 2018 when he led an array of government officials to the Ghanaian Embassy and United Nations Office to sign the Books of Condolence in memory of Mr. Annan. According to President Weah, his death also presents an opportunity for the people of the world to sustain global peace in order to keep his legacy alive. The late international Ghanaian diplomat was the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, who served from January 1997 to December 2006, and a recipient of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize for his role to bring peace to the world, according to the Heritage newspaper.

 Weah Appoints Dr. Camanor As CMO @JFK

According to the New Dawn newspaper, President George Manneh Weah has appointed Dr. Sia Wata Camanor as the new Chief Medical Officer of the John F. Kennedy Medical Center (JFK), while announcing the recall of Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Cuba, Amb. Lewis G. Brown. Mr. Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr. was announced as Amb. Brown’s replacement on Thursday Mr. Kemayah was named Ambassador Liberian Ambassador at its Permanent Mission at the United Nations in New Youk with concurrent accreditation to Cuba. Meanwhile, Dr, Camanon’s appointment is subject to confirmation by the Honorable Liberian Senate where applicable.  

Related Caption:  Weah Appoints New Chief Medical Officer for JFK(Heritage)

3,612 Youths Get US 150 Each Day

At least 3,612 of the productive Public Works or communal Farming component of the Youth Opportunity Project will on Monday August 27, 2018 begin receiving their first labor subsidy. Each of the youth from 129 project communities across the country will receive one hundred and fifty 150 United States dollars for completing their first milestone of farming activities.  A Youth and Sports Ministry release says an official ceremony marking the start of the payment exercise will take place in Gbarngba, Bong County during which Youth and Sports Minister D. Zeogar Wilson will serve as Keynote Speaker, reports the INSIGHT newspaper.

WHO Vows To Support Cancer Fight

The World Health Organization (WHO) has renewed commitment to support Liberia’s fight against cancer, including cost of dissemination of information regarding Liberia National Cancer Policies Validation. The New Dawn newspaper says the `    pledge was made at a one-day validation forum on Liberia’s cancer policy by Victoria Kataewere, when she proxy for WHO Country Representative to Liberia, Dr. Gbrekidan Zbelo Mesfin held Thursday 23 August at the Ministry of Health in Congo Town. Madam Kataewere notes that the global burden and threat of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) constitute a major public health challenge that undermines social and economic development throughout the world and has the effect of increasing inequalities between countries and within populations.

China Gives Over 80 Scholarships To Liberians

The Government of the People’s Republic of China has provided over eighty scholarships to personnel of the Armed Forces of Liberia, and students from various universities in the country. Chinese Ambassador accredited to Liberia Fu Jijun, made the formal presentation on Thursday at the Chinese Embassy in Congo Town. Twenty of the scholarships are bilateral, 18 under the Chinese Scholarship Committee and 25 provided by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. Ambassador Fu discloses that the scholarships cover several universities, including the University of Liberia, Cuttington University, Bong County and Tubman University, Maryland County respectively. He says some personnel of the Armed Forces of Liberia undergo training program in China, while other beneficiaries would attend other institutions such as the Confucius Institute. The Chinese envoy reveals that some of the beneficiaries are on the Ambassador Scholarship, reads the New Dawn newspaper.

Senate Grants City Status To Harlenville In G/Bassa

In Profile Dailynewspaper reports that the Plenary of the Senate has passed a proposed bill granting city status to Harlenville within the Nekreen Statutory District, Grand Bassa County. The passage of the bill on Tuesday August 23, 2018 was triggered by the recommendation from the committees on Judiciary and Internal Affairs. According to a Press release from the Senate Public Affairs Department, the bill seeking to create the City of Harlenville is sponsored by Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee K. Lawrence.  Following the reading of the committee’s report, members of the Liberian Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of the proposed Act based on a motion proffered by Grand Bassa County Senator, Jonathan Kaipay for the report to be endorsed and subsequently passed into law.  The act is expected to be forwarded to the House of Representative for its concurrence.

BRAC Liberia Holds Day-Long Agriculture Fair

BRAC Liberia under its Agriculture, Food Security and Livelihood (AFSL) program has ended a day-long agriculture fair in the country. The day long agriculture fair under the Pro-Resilience Action-RO-ACT 2015: Supporting the poor, food and nutrition insecure to react to crises and strengthen resilience in Liberia sponsored by the European Union was held at the Paynesville City Hall, Montserrado County, Liberia on Friday, August 17, 2018. According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, the event brought together several farmers across the 16 counties of Liberia who displayed their locally produce crops, vegetables, fruits, nursery, poultry and livestock items as well, to the buying public. The BRAC Liberia head reassured his organization full commitment of working with the Government of Liberia in ensuring the agriculture and other sectors improve to meet the pro-poor agenda of the government, noting that his organization is always open to working with the Liberian people as seen from its present activities across the country. The ceremony was fully organized by BRAC Liberia in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture under the sponsorship of the European Union.

To Add Value To Local Currency:  Gov’t To Take Drastic Action

Commerce and Industry Minister, Professor, Wilson K. Tarpeh, has said the Government of Liberia,( GOL) will take action in the market in order to added values  to the country’s local currency. As part of the measures, Minister Tarpeh disclosed that beginning September 1, 2018, all goods and Services sold in the United States dollars currency will be purchasable in the Liberian dollars at the Local exchange rate. According to the Heritage Newspaper, Minister Tarpeh was speaking recently when he served as a Panelist at the Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict Transformation (KAICT) of the State-run University of Liberia UL, Panel Discussions on the exchange rate crisis: Background and Policy Option. “We are in the free market system; and so, some people want to abuse this situation.  Some believe that Liberia is a farm and it must remain their farm; this is why we have to change the situation,” Minister Tarpeh asserts.    

US-Based Nimbaian To Build Student Center Near Fendell  

The Heritage Newspapers further reports under the above caption that Some US-based Nimba citizens under the banner: Nimba Association of Massachusetts (NAM), have secured a parcel of land to construct a Student Center near the University of Liberia (UL) Fendell Campus outside Monrovia.   The Center includes male and female dormitories and a Library. When constructed, the center will host Nimba County students attending the UL Fendell Compus.   NAM is an organization of citizens from Nimba, Liberia residing in Massachusetts, the USA. Ground breaking and Fundraising program for the project is expected to take place on November 3, 2018; the President of the Association, Paul D. Gailah and some Executives members are expected to grace the occasion. 

Related Caption:US-Based Nimbanians To Build Student Center Near UL Fendell(In Profile Daily)

Charity Group Donates To Public School

With barely a week to the reopening of schools across Liberia, a charity group under the banner: “Friends of Like Minds” at the weekend donated 50 arm chairs to the Kendeja Public School. The Kendeja Public school is situated in the Rehab Community in Paynesville, outsider Monrovia. Speaking at the ceremony, the Most Senior Friends of the organization Mr. Boakia Peagar said the gesture is part of the many activities of the group which aimed at giving back to the society, reports the Heritage Daily.     

African Court Rights Begins 50th Anniversary Today

The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) will begin its 50th Ordinary Session on today, Monday, 27 August 2018, at its seat in Arusha, the United Republic of Tanzania. According to the Heritage newspaper, the Session will begin with the swearing-in of three Judges elected during the 31^st African Union Heads of State Summit in Nouakchott, Mauritania. The Judges, among others, will examine over 10 applications during the four-week session to stretch up to 21 September, 2018.  Four Judgments are scheduled during the period. The 9^th Extra-Ordinary Session will be held from 24 to 28 September 2018.  The Heritage newspaper reads that the Court is composed of eleven Judges, nationals of Member States of the African Union elected in their individual capacity. The Court meets four times a year in Ordinary Sessions and may hold Extra-Ordinary Sessions.  

Senate Passes Land Rights Act…In Concurrence with Lower House…Outlines Different categories of land ownership & Right 

The Liberian Senate has finally concurred with the House of Representatives to pass the Land Rights Act. If signed into law by President George Weah, the act is expected to strengthen rights over customary land. The Committee on Lands, Mines, Energy, and Natural Resources, the Committee on Judiciary, the Committee on Human Rights, and the Committee on Petitions and Claims submitted a report recommending that the Lands Rights Acts be passed by the general body. The joint committee had been tasked with holding a wide range of consultation of views from the public and key stakeholders. According to existing Liberian laws, lands for which no deed exist are classified as public land. Rights groups have blamed this system for the government’s practice of giving large swathes of land as concessions to private investors. The report noted that under the proposed law, a community’s claim of ownership of customary land will be established by evidence including oral testimonies of community members, maps, signed agreements between neighboring communities and any other confirming documents. According to the INSIGHT newspaper, the new law is also expected to require a nationwide survey to be conducted to confirm the boundaries of all customary lands. The survey, to be conducted by the Liberia Land Authority, is expected to commence within 24 months of the effective date of the act.