MEDIA SUMMARIES
NEC Records 1.4 Million Registered Voters
(Reported by the Daily Observer)
• The National Elections Commission (NEC) has issued a preliminary report from the voters’ registration exercise which shows that 1,472,460 persons have received their voting cards for this year’s presidential and legislative elections.
NEC’s Chairman James Fromoyan disclosed that “unprocessed forms” will be thoroughly checked by the Information Technology and Data center. He said an estimated 2.4 million eligible voters were expected to be registered for the forth coming elections. However, he said, the NEC was satisfied with the preliminary reports.
Mr. Fromoyan indicated that the processing of the Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) forms by the Information Technology Section of the NEC has been proceeding well since January 24, 2011, though there have been detection of cases of double registration and attempts by non-eligible voters to register.
He said out of 613,557 forms received by the Information Technology (IT) Section, 303,324 forms which amount to 52.79 percent of the forms have been processed. He said out of the total number processed, 132,925 or 44 percent are females, while 170,399 or 56 percent are males. Accordingly, 18-year old registrants amount to 22,536 of the total number processed.
As regards the number of registrations processed by counties, Montserrado registered the highest totaling 183,101, followed by Margibi with 72,719 and Nimba with 58,549. Lofa has so far registered 54,308, followed by Bomi, 36,989, Grand Gedeh, 30,592, Grand Cape Mount, 28,376, Grand Bassa, 26,804. Others are Gbarpolu, 23,102, River Gee, 23,958, Bong, 21,183, Sinoe, 19,036, River Cess, 13,000, Maryland, 12,024, and Grand Kru, 9,533.
(Also reported in the News, INQUIRER, INPROFILE, Heritage and The New Dawn)
Defense Ministry Releases Armed Forces Day Program Calendar
-Nigeria’s Defense Minister to Serve as Orator
(Reported in the National Chronicle)
• The Federal Republic of Nigeria’s defense minister, Prince Adelokunbo A. Kayode, SAN is expected to serve as orator at the 54th anniversary and 103rd of Armed Forces Day, slated for Friday, 11th February 2011 at the Barclay Training Center. 11th February each year is celebrated as Armed Forces Day, a day legislated on 11th February 1957.
According to the assistant minister for public affairs, David Dahn, this year’s anniversary will be observed under the theme, “Fostering a Credible, Cohesive, and Robust AFL, Through Resources Availability and Enduring Relationship”.
Pre-celebration activities first commenced with a service at the Newport Street Mosque on Friday, 4th February, while on 5th February, the defense ministry staff and employees embarked on a major cleanup exercise commencing from the Capitol Bye-Pass through Benson and Johnson Streets and onward to the Masonic temple and the E.J. Roye Building. A Special Thanksgiving Service took place at the Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral on 6th February. On Tuesday, 8th February, a symposium will be held at the Monrovia City Hall under the theme: “The Challenges of Resource Mobilization and Budgetary Support for the New Armed Forces of Liberia”, with Professor Losay Kendor serving as moderator, while Minister of Finance Augustine Ngafuan will deliver the keynote address at the symposium.
In a related development, on 11th February, the official launching of two of the 27th Coast Guard defender boats to help patrol the coastal waters of Liberia. The exercise will form part of the Government’s commitment to protect the country’s coast which has, over the years, witnessed illegal activities such as smuggling and over fishing.
Grand Gedeh Superintendent Refunds US$20,000
(Reported in the Daily Observer)
• The controversy surrounding the US$20,000 worth of scholarship meant for Grand Gedeh students after they won a spelling contest but was reportedly squandered by the Superintendent, has ended with the Superintendent finally paying back the money. According to documents in possession of the Daily Observer, the money has been deposited into the accounts of the Grand Gedeh County Development Fund by Superintendent Christopher Bailey.
In October of 2010 the General Auditing Commission (GAC) revealed that Superintendent Bailey withdrew the amount from the county’s coffers for his personal use, a claim Bailey denied. He contended that he personally requested a loan to travel to Japan in 2008 and did not take it from the County Development Fund.
But a letter from Ecobank dated February 4, 2011, has revealed that the grand gedeh County Superintendent paid the amount on February 3, 2011. The document also revealed that the bank formally informed the government through Internal Affairs Minister Harrison Karnwea about the restitution of the amount.
When contacted, Superintendent bailey confirmed paying the amount to the bank but maintained that it was his personal loan.
(Also reported in the Heritage)
Ellen Dismayed Over Road Projects’ Delay
(Reported in the Daily Observer)
• President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf yesterday morning met with authorities of the Ministry of Public Works to discuss the low performance of local contractors, a factor which is slowing down the ongoing road-building and other infrastructure projects.
The President, during the meeting made specific reference of neighborhood roads, including Parker Paint road project, the Logan Town road and the Rehab road which is yet to be contracted. The president also spoke of delays in the renovation of the Executive Pavilion, and the overall performance of some local contractors who have been sub-contracted to undertake government projects. President Johnson Sirleaf urged the Ministry to review the performance of the local firms and take the necessary action against those who are not living up to the task.
Ellen Withdraws Fonti Koffa’s Nomination
(Reported in The New Dawn)
• President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has withdrawn the nomination of Mr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa from the Public Procurement Concession Commission (PPCC) after she was hinted of investigation into his past records in the United States. President Sirleaf made the new appointments in Government affecting the PPCC, subject, where applicable to confirmation by the Liberian Senate.
Presidential Press Secretary Cyrus Badio in his weekly press briefing on Monday noted that the president reconstituted the Board of Commissioners of the PPCC naming Mr. Fonati Koffa as one of the Commissioners of the newly constituted Board of Commissioners of the PPCC.
But it can be recalled that Mr. Koffa had pleaded guilty to four federal charges in America related to suspected embezzlement of US$500,000. It was also reported that Koffa could face as much as 10 years in prison and a US$250,000 fine. The verdict was finally announced and he spent two and half years behind bars.
According to reports, prosecutors didn’t dispute that Mr. Koffa spent nearly US$465,000 he took from his clients to help with public works projects in Liberia where he was born. Koffa, according to reports, once claimed he was born in Chicago, Illinois and he later listed Monrovia, Liberia as his place of birth.
According to Mr. Badio, President Johnson Sirleaf took the decision to withdraw Koffa’s nomination following a tip off of his past in the United States.
Gongar Names Post-Conference Follow-up Committee
-To ensure Implementation of National Education Conference Decisions
(Reported in the Daily Observer)
• The Minister of Education, in an extraordinary move during the closing of the National Education Conference at Cuttington University last Saturday evening appointed a Follow-up Committee which, he said is to ensure that the decisions and recommendations of the National Education Conference are carried out.
According to Minister Gongar, its mandate is to meet regularly and make “periodic reports” on the Education Ministry’s implementation of the Conference decisions. He named the following on the committee: Dr. Elizabeth Davis Russell, president Tubman University in Harper, Maryland County; Dr. Frederick Gbegbee, Provost of Cuttington University; the Development Partners, including UNICEF and its Country Director, Mrs. Isabel Crowley; the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and its Education Officer, Dr. Julia B. Richards; the Liberian Student Union (LINSU) and its president, Kwame Ross; the Federation of Liberia Youth (FLY); educator, Ms. Mardea White, founder of the Chid Development Academy (CAD); Counselor Ruth Samukai and Dr. weh Dorlieh, both of the Governance Commission; the Deputy Minister for Sectoral Planning, Ministry of Planning & Economic Affairs; the three Principal Deputies at the Ministry of Education (Administration, Instruction and Planning); the president of the National Principals Association (NPA); and Kenneth Y. Best, publisher and managing editor of the Daily Observer newspaper.
Liberia Gets New Mental Health Specialist
(Reported in the Daily Observer)
• A Liberian medical doctor has been appointed director for Mental Health at the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare. Dr. Meiko Josephine Dolo, for about seven years, resided in South Africa where she underwent advanced medical training in mental health. Dr. Dolo successfully obtained a scholarship in 2004 to study in that country, with the desire to return and render her services to the nation.
Her scholarship for the Masters Degree program was funded by the World Health Organization (WHO). Who also paid 80 % of the cost for her PhD program, while she personally paid the balance 20%.
Dr. Dolo obtained her Masters Degree in Mental Health Nursing from the University of KwaZulu Natal, School of Nursing Howard College in Durban. She later completed her PhD in Care of ‘The Elederly’ in the same University of KwaZulu Natal.
Government Provides Land for Ivorian Refugees
(Reported by the INQUIRER)
• The City Council of Bahn City, Zoegeh District has provided on behalf of the government of Liberia 200 acres of land for the construction of new housing units to host Ivorian refugees who have been arriving in the country since the political crisis in that country last November.
The Liberia Refugee Repatriation Resettlement and Rehabilitation Commission (LRRRC) representing the Liberian Government and other international partners such as UNHCR have been working to construct the new housing units for the Ivorian refugees in northern Nimba County.
The Bahn City Chairman Thomas Garr said that the 200 acres of land was presented free of charge as a way of the people of the district and the Liberian government’s own way of identifying with the Ivorian people during this time of distress.
Bomi Students Back Ambassador Neh Dukuly Tolbert
(Reported in the INQUIRER)
• University students hailing from Bomi County under the banner of the Bomi University Student Association have expressed their overwhelming endorsement for the candidacy of a seasoned Liberian diplomat Ambassador Neh Dukuly Tolbert to contest for the junior senatorial seat in the ensuing presidential and legislative elections.
The students said their decision to endorse the Liberian female diplomat is predicated upon her numerous support toward the development of the county through her personal foundation, “The Neh Dukuly Tolbert Humanitarian Foundation.”.
The students said having followed the development initiative of Ambassador Dukuly-Tolbert, they are pleased and find it expedient for her to represent the interest of the county at the National Legislature.