THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2019

Our summary of the Local Dailies today, June 5, captures stories including News of the  Government of Liberia receiving Petition from protesters on June 7, as disclosed by the Executive Mansion; the GO’L’s warning sent out to protesters to avoid assembling on the grounds of the Capitol Hill; The release of the timetable for the holding of the pending By-Elections as campaign opens in Montserrado County; the ending of Ramadan by Muslims in Liberia with Liberian Muslims Pledging Loyalty to the Presidency as well as  the recent call by the Liberia Bar Association for the Government and COP to uphold constitutional responsibilities in exercising their rights and duties during the June 7^th  protest and the purchasing of road machines by two lawmakers among other news.

STORIES

Gov’t Will Receive Petition from Protester; Executive Mansion Discloses

According to the News newspaper, with less than three days to the much-talked about June 7 save the state’ protest, the Executive Mansion has disclosed that the Government will receive the petition from Liberians who will assemble on that day to petition their government. Deputy Presidential Press Secretary Smith Toby said the government will not only receive the petition, but will look into it. Toby make the disclosure Tuesday, June 4, 2019 at the Executive Mansion regular press briefing held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia. He told journalists that the petitioners’ petition will be looked into because it will come from a cross section of Liberians who got some issues.

No Assembly On Capitol Hill Gov’t Alerts Protesters

Deputy Presidential Press Secretary, Smith Toby, has disclosed that the government of Liberia through the Ministry of Justice has denied request proffered by the council of Patriot (COP), organizers of the planned June 7 protest to besiege Capitol Hill in central Monrovia. According to the Inquirer newspaper Deputy Presidential Press Secretary, made the disclosure on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 during the regular Executive Mansion weekly updates held at the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs. ’’Organizers of the planned protest have requested to assemble on June 7, 2019, on Capitol Hill-between the Ministry of Lands, Mines to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where the would-be protesters will present their petition to Government, ‘’Smith Toby asserted.

Timetable For By-Elections Remain As Campaign Opens For Mont

The National Elections commission (NEC), has announced that the processes leading to the peaceful conduct of the By-election in Montserrado County are on course as all efforts to conduct the joint Senatorial and District #15 Representative By-Elections remain unchanged. Cllr. Jerome George Korkoya made the assertions yesterday when the commission officially declared Montserrado Political campaign activities open at the Headquarters of commission in sinkor adding that the campaign will run from June 6, 2019 at midnight. The Elections Commission’s statement comes after a commitment from the Government of Liberia to fund the By-elections and with an initial commitment of USD $1.5 million for the entire electoral process pens the Inquirer newspaper.

 Uphold Constitutional Responsibilities   Bar Urges Gov’t,  COP

The Government and the Council of Patriots (COP) have been called upon to uphold their constitutional responsibilities in exercising their rights and duties during the June 7 protest. The Bar pointed out and reminded the parties involved that the exercise of rights is accompanied by the corresponding duties to respect the rights of others and the law. The LNBA said the constitution and the international human rights instrument, to which Liberia is a signatory, guarantee the right of the citizens to a peaceful assembly but to be mindful of the responsibilities therein. The President of the Bar, Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe made the comments during a news conference yesterday in Monrovia ahead of the Friday, June 7 protest dubbed as ‘Save the state’ which is being organized by a group popularly referred to as Council of Patriots pens the Inquirer newspaper.

Muslims End Ramadan Pledge Loyalty To Presidency

 Muslims in Liberia yesterday joined their counterparts around the world to end the Holy Ramadan Month, a month long journey that ended in one accord unlike previous year. Speaking to the reporters at the Gurley

Street Mosque, The Inquirer newspaper reports the Grand   Musfti of Liberia, Sheikh Abubakur Sumaworo said that the new crescent has been cited  in different parts of the world which confirmed the Eldu Fitr Day. According to Sheikh Sumaworo, they were clothed with the responsibilities to perform their responsibilities to perform their religious duties in the month of Ramadan in peace and harmony and also to perform the religious rituals for the protection of national security and stability.

 Uphold Constitutional Responsibilities   Bar Urges Gov’t Cop

The Government and the Council of Patriots (COP) have been called upon to uphold their constitutional responsibilities in exercising their rights and duties during the June 7 protest. The Bar pointed out and reminded the parties involved that the exercise of rights is accompanied by the corresponding duties to respect the rights of others and the law. The LNBA said the constitution and the international human rights instrument, to which Liberia is a signatory, guarantee the right of the citizens to a peaceful assembly but to be mindful of the responsibilities therein. The President of the Bar,  Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe made the comments during a news conference yesterday in Monrovia ahead of the Friday, June 7 protest dubbed as ‘Save the state’ which is being organized by a group popularly referred to as Council of Patriots pens the Inquirer newspaper.

Timetable For By-Elections Remain As Campaign Opens For Mont.

The National Elections Commission (NEC), has announced that the processes leading to the peaceful conduct of the By-election in Montserrado county are on course as all efforts to conduct the joint Senatorial and District #15 Representative By-Elections remain unchanged. Cllr. Jerome George Korkoya made the assertions yesterday when the commission officially declared Montserrado Political campaign activities open at the Headquarters of commission in sinkor adding that the campaign will run from June 6, 2019 at midnight. The Elections Commission’s statement comes after a commitment from the Government of Liberia to fund the By-elections and with an initial commitment of USD $1.5 million for the entire electoral process pens the Inquirer newspaper.

Muslims End Ramadan Pledge Loyalty To Presidency

Muslims in Liberia yesterday joined their counterparts around the world to end the Holy Ramadan Month, a month long journey that ended in one accord unlike previous year. Speaking to the reporters at the Gurley

Street Mosque, The Inquirer newspaper reports the Grand   Musfti of Liberia, Sheikh Abubakur Sumaworo said that the new crescent has been cited  in different parts of the world which confirmed the Eldu Fitr Day. According to Sheikh Sumaworo, they were clothed with the responsibilities to perform their responsibilities to perform their religious duties in the month of Ramadan in peace and harmony and also to perform the religious rituals for the protection of national security and stability.

Liberia: UN Women Train 50 Rural Women To Enhance Agro-food Trade, Access to Market

For Teta Lloyd, leader of rural women of Rivercess County, she is “so impressed” about learning new things, especially new things that would change her livelihood. “I’m so impressed, too happy for the training because, all the things we are learning presently, we didn’t know them before; I know how to transform cassava chips into flour,” an excited Teta said in Monrovia at an ongoing training for rural female organized by UN Women. The training began last Friday and ends on Wednesday, June 5. It is a UN Women flagship programme on Climate-smart Agriculture in partnership with FAO and WFP and Ministries of Agriculture and Gender, Children and Social. Fifty women selected from Liberia’s 15 counties are being trained to produce value-added products from what they grow in their respective counties. They are also being taught how to use new farming technologies. The project aims to support cooperation among rural women farming groups and cooperatives in strategic agro-food value chains, building upon existing and past national initiatives from 2013 to present.  Before coming to the training, Teta said she used an old fashion method of cassava farming, Frontpage Africa writes.  

Two Lawmakers Jointly Purchase Road Machines 

In an effort to rehabilitate roads in rural Montserrado County, particularly in Districts #1 and #3, and also to boost one of government’s desperate promises, two additional caterpillars have been dedicated from the joint partnership of Representatives Lawrence Morris and Ceebee C.D. Barshell. The two earth-moving machines bring to three, which they have acquired in three months for the rehabilitation of roads in their constituencies. Two months ago, the two Montserrado County lawmakers jointly and personally purchased the first road machine to alternately and rotationally construct, rehabilitate and maintain feeders and farm to markets roads throughout the two districts, and since then there have been massive roads works. The two machines, which were dedicated on the campus of the Barshell University on Monday, June 3, 2019, will also be used by the Barshell University College Agriculture Department to help agriculture students improve in their studies, productivity and efficiency, the Frontpage news daily asserts.

European Union Mission Calls for Peaceful June 7 Protest in Liberia

A story in the Frontpage Africa online story reports that the European Union Mission in Liberia has cautioned organizers of the impending June 7 protest to “ensure that the protest unfolds peacefully” while emphasizing the significance of maintaining peace and stability in the country. In a Tuesday’s evening statement released in concert with the EU Heads of Mission in Monrovia, which includes France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, and the UK, the Mission highlights how the West African nation has made progress since the end of its civil conflict in 2003. “This progress was possible thanks to the sustained efforts of the Liberian people who cherish and uphold their hard-won peace,” the statement reads.

 Liberia: Grand Kru Dist. 2 to Benefit from School, Road Projects

The office of Representative Fonati Koffa of District #2, Grand Kru County, has announced collaborations with Atlantics Resources, a local construction company, for the rehabilitation of a four-mile road and a public high. According to Mr. Hilary Koffa, Chief of Office Staff Rep. Koffa, the effort is to boost government’s promises to help address the plight of the “intrinsically poor population”, especially in the remote parts of the country. “We all know Grand Kru County is among the southeastern counties, which are victims of bad road during the Rainy Season. To tackle this is to begin road rehabilitation at the beginning of the rain. Atlantic Resources-Liberia has agreed to team up with Grand Kru County District #2 Representative, Koffa to build schools and rehabilitate roads,” Hilary Koffa said. Speaking to Frontpage Africa newspaper Monday, June 3, 2019, Rep. Koffa’s Chief of Staff, also told journalists that ARL will recondition the roads from Warkpo to Nyankupo town, which is approximately four-mile long, the paper asserts.  

Lonestar MTN launches 21 Days y’ello Care 

According to the New Dawn newspaper, Liberia’s leading telecommunication giant Lonestar Cell MTN has launched a youth -focused 21 Days y’ello Care, seeking to equip 200 high school students with computer knowledge and information communication technology (ICT). Launching the program Monday, 3 June at the G.W. Gibson High School Campus in Monrovia, the company announced that it is sponsoring four public schools including G.W. Gibson; Bassa High School in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, Dolokelen Gboveh High School in Bong County and the J.W. Pearson High School in Ganta, Nimba County. 50 students will be targeted at each of these four locations cited, which will total 200 students in all for the training courses. The 21 Days y’ello Care campaign is launched as a result of the company’s observation that youth make up 65 percent of Liberia’s population, but a good number of them leave the walls of high schools and colleges without knowledge in computer and ICT, the news daily reports.

Reform Plan On Gov’t Responsibilities For Education Expenditure Unveiled

The News newspaper says the fiscal powers and expenditure responsibilities of China central and local governments in the field of education has been defined in a reform plan issued by the General Office of the State Council. The document calls for expedited efforts to establish a systematic, well-conceived, clear and efficient mode for the division of powers and expenditure responsibilities in the field of education between the central government and local governments to push for equitable access to basic public services in education. The plan stresses that the central government’s powers of making decisions on education expenditure should be clearly defined, while local government should fulfil their responsibilities in terms of education expenditure.

TCEP, CARI Sign Mou

Inside the News newspaper, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) through the Tree Crop Extension Project (TCEP) Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) for the establishment and operation of a national cocoa seed garden in Liberia. The national cocoa seed garden will guarantee availability of improved certified and quality planting materials and seedlings for small holders cocoa producers, village nurseries and privately owned nurseries across the 15 countries in Liberia.

ECOWAS Denies Frontpage Africa Story

The  News  newspaper reads that the officer of the Special Representative of the President of ECOWAS Commission in Liberia says its attention has been drawn to the purported “starling accusation” made against ECOWAS by Liberian Frontpage Newspaper publication on Monday, June 3,2019 and other media outlets. The paper among others reported that President George MannehWeah during a meeting with ECOWAS accused both former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Vice President Dr. Jewel Howard Taylor, of supporting organizers of the June 7 protest. But in a statement on Monday, June3, 2019, the office of the Special Representative of ECOWAS Representative of ECOWAS President of Liberia said at on time during the official visit of D. Jan-Claude KissiBrou did President George Weah speak to the president of the ECOWAS Commission that the former President Sirleaf and Vice President Taylor were supporting the planned June 7 peaceful assembly by the Council of Patriots.

VP Taylor Wants Liberians Work Together To Tackle Rape , Early Marriage

According to the News newspaper Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor is encouraging Liberians to work together in tackling the high prevalence of rape cases and early marriage of young girl in the Country. VP Taylor called on young woman in Liberia to maintain their integrity by getting involved in meaningful ventures that will help in supporting their families rather than getting involved in early sexual activities. The Vice President made the statement in an interview with reporters recently at the Monrovia City Hall during celebration of the 25thAnniversary of the International Conference of Population and Development (ICPD) and the 50^th United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and the launch of the state of world population 2019 report.