• Weah needs $1bn, Source: The New Dawn
• NDI Wants NEC Stripped of Judicial Role, Source: Daily OBSERVER
• Weah Warned Against CDCians Collecting Money and Promising Jobs, Source: Daily OBSERVER
• Vice President-elect calls for citizens’ interest in Bong, Source: The New Dawn
• Liberia’s Ambassador to Kuwait Calls on Liberians to Manage Expectations, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The New Dawn
• Elections Reassuring for Liberia’s Future –Says Liberia’s IMO Representative, Source: GNN Liberia
• WFP launches campaign to stop GBV, Source: The New Dawn
• Two Liberians Nabbed in the Philippines For Alleged Currency Manipulation, Source: FrontPage Africa
• ‘Lawmakers’ Vehicles Are Not Government Properties’ –Representative Browne, Source: FrontPage Africa
• Mulbah Morlu Warns: “CDC will not tolerate Financial Criminals in New Government”, Source: The Independent Probe
• George Weah To The Rescue Of Liberia's Wheelbarrow Economy?, Source: Modern Ghana

Weah needs $1bn, Source: The New Dawn

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senator H. Dan Morais is projecting that the incoming administration of President-elect George Weah needs one billion United States Dollars to be able to jumpstart the economy here. “And to be honest with you, this government if we must be able to jumpstart the economy, we will need nothing less than … one billion United States Dollars in the next one and a half to two years,” Senator Morais said Tuesday on a local radio station in Monrovia. Read more

NDI Wants NEC Stripped of Judicial Role, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) says the role(s) ascribed to the National Elections Commission (NEC) by the elections law to adjudicate cases emanating from electoral disputes as conflict of interest and a breach of legal protocols—and has, therefore, called for the electoral commission to be stripped of its judicial duties. While making the recommendations on steps that can be taken to enhance confidence in future election processes and further consolidate democratic institutions in the country, the NDI, last week, indicated that it does not make sense for the NEC to be serving both as referee and player in a case. Read more

Weah Warned Against CDCians Collecting Money and Promising Jobs, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The Daily Observer reports that a social media blogger and political commentator, Mike Khailelu Jabateh, in a video post on Facebook has warned President-elect George Weah about what he described as a disturbing trend among some unnamed individuals connected to the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) who are going around collecting money from some current officials and promising that they would convince Mr. Weah to let them maintain their jobs.

A visually upset Jabateh said while he would not reveal the names of the CDC officials who are doing this, he alleged that one Madam Mary Dahn paid UD3,000 and one Freddy Miller also paid UD4,000. “They paid the money because they were promised to maintain their jobs.” However, he did not reveal what government ministry or agency that the two alleged victims are associated with. He added those paying are already in the employ of the government and they want to maintain their positions. Read more

Vice President-elect calls for citizens’ interest in Bong, Source: The New Dawn

Vice President-elect Jewel Howard Taylor has called on Bong County authorities to put aside their personal interest and work together to improve the county. Speaking to a cross-section of citizens during her first visit to the county since the pronouncement of her victory by the National Elections Commission (NEC), Mrs. Taylor said seeking the interest of individuals has been the reason why several projects in the county have stalled. She named the Bong County Technical College as one of the projects. More than seven million is said to have been allocated for the construction of the technical college but the college is yet to be completed.

The vice president-elect said Bong will not move forward if leaders of the county continue to seek for only what they will carry home. According to Mrs. Taylor, the curiosity of Bong matters the most, adding that she will even work with the Bong Legislative Caucus in ensuring good leadership and speedy development. Read more

Liberia’s Ambassador to Kuwait Calls on Liberians to Manage Expectations, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The New Dawn

Liberia’s Ambassador to the State of Qatar John Ballout has called on Liberians to manage their expectations and give the new government chance to operate smoothly. “I feel the expectations of the people and I know it is high right now, but I urge the Liberian people to manage their expectations when it comes to this new government; let them understand that all will not be good at all times,” Ambassador Ballout said. Appearing on a local radio show in Paynesville, Ambassador Ballout congratulated President-elect George Weah and Vice President-elect Jewel Howard Taylor on their election. According to him, now is the time for the incoming Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) administration to focus on the main issues for which they were elected. Read more

Elections Reassuring for Liberia’s Future –Says Liberia’s IMO Representative, Source: GNN Liberia

Liberia’s permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Ambassador Isaac Jackson has described the conclusion of Liberia’s historic elections as a reassuring step in further consolidating the country’s development agenda. Ambassador Jackson said even more progressive was the pledge for inclusiveness and to safeguard investment in the acceptance speech of the President-elect, George Weah. He congratulated Senators Weah and Jewel Howard Taylor for their election as President and Vice President of Liberia, respectively. “Aside from bringing in an entire new paradigm to Liberian governance, the peaceful and orderly conduct of the elections, despite the legal wrangles that accompanied it, shows the Liberian people are determined to reach better heights through the rule of law and peaceful discourse,” the Liberia IMO permanent representative said. Read more

WFP launches campaign to stop GBV, Source: The New Dawn

The World Food Programme (WFP) gender focal person in Liberia has launched a call for more support to end GBV against women and girls in Liberia and the world at large. Speaking at a forum on awareness against all forms of violence directed against women in Gbawanken, Karluway District #3, Maryland County, southeast Liberia Mrs. Kabeh Enders says it is time for every entity to commit to addressing GBV to protect women and girls. According to Mrs. Enders, violence against women and girls is one of the widely spread human rights violations that denigrate the dignity of women and girls around the world. The WFP gender focal person names psychological effects that are associated with some of the consequences women and girls face as victims of GBV in the society. Read more

Two Liberians Nabbed in the Philippines For Alleged Currency Manipulation, Source: FrontPage Africa

A Philippines TV has reported that two Liberians have been arrested in that country in connection with currency manipulation. Abraham Victor alias George and Harry Shane Tennessee were arrested following a special action operative by the Philippines National Bureau of Investigation. According to the report, Abraham and Harry were caught in an entrapment operation in the capital, Manila. The two reportedly extorted money from a Korean national who filed a complaint after he was asked to pay USD10,000.00. Read more

‘Lawmakers’ Vehicles Are Not Government Properties’ –Representative Browne, Source: FrontPage Africa

Outgoing Grand Bassa County Representative Byron Browne Wednesday clarified in a FrontPage Africa interview that vehicles of lawmakers are not government owned but rather personal vehicles. “Vehicles of the legislators are not government properties, proprieties of government are vehicles marked by the General Services Agency (GSA), the only property of the government are the license plates,” said Mr. Browne. He was speaking in response to FrontPage Africa’s inquiry ahead of the transition of government. Read more

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

Mulbah Morlu Warns: “CDC will not tolerate Financial Criminals in New Government”, Source: The Independent Probe

CDC vice chairman for operation Mulbah Morlu is warning of grave consequences for any “financial criminals”, seeking job in the CDC led government. Mr. Morlu warning comes in the wake of the influx of former and current government officials unto the grounds of the Coalition for Democratic change (CDC). Addressing hundreds of CDC partisans on Wednesday at the party’s headquarters, the CDC-VOP stated that while the standard bearer of the CDC and President-elect George Weah remains committed to ensuring a government of inclusion, the CDC will continue to guard against re-circled corrupt politicians who caused the massive looting of the previous coffer of governments.

“Let me sound this warning to all who-be government officials or those seeking jobs within the CDC-led government. Gone are the days you will come to government to loot and undermine the developmental drive of the government and cause perpetual sufferings of our people. We will go after you as we have done in the  last twelve years without fear and favor remembering this government came into being with the blood and sweat of Cdcians.“ Read more

George Weah To The Rescue Of Liberia's Wheelbarrow Economy?, Source: Modern Ghana

President-elect of Liberia, George Weah is set to be sworn in on January 22, 2018, and he will be inheriting several challenges. Liberia said to be one of the poorest in the world but rich in resources, Mr. Weah has to deal with close to 85 percent youth unemployment. According to the United Nations, young people account for about 65 percent of Liberia’s population of 4.1 million. A visit to Liberia and the evidence is in black and white. In Monrovia, many people walk the streets either unemployed or involved in menial jobs. That will include people whose secondary school education was truncated and currently have to resort to riding motorbikes for a business or simply getting wheelbarrows to do business. At $150 a wheelbarrow can be purchased to start any business, from groundnut to sale of bread. Right on the streets of Monrovia, boiled groundnut is being sold in wheelbarrows. Read more