08 February 2018

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Weah Withdraws Gibson as Justice Ministry Nominee -Will other ‘questionable characters’ follow suit?, Sources: Daily OBSERVER, Executive Mansion News, News Public Trust, and FrontPage Africa

President George Weah has with immediate effect withdrawn the nomination of Cllr. Charles Gibson, as justice minister-designate. According to an Executive Mansion release, the decision was made on Wednesday in an official communication to the Senate President Pro-Tempore, Albert Chie, and Cllr. Gibson. The question now lingering on the minds of the public is whether other nominees with questionable characters will follow suit. It can be recalled that President Weah’s nomination of Cllr. Gibson to serve as justice minister ignited a virtual firestorm against his confirmation since the revelation of his unwholesome and unethical behavior which led to the suspension of his license by the Supreme Court. Read more

Musa Dean Replaces ‘Integrity Entrapped’ Charles Gibson as Justice Minister-Designate, Sources: Executive Mansion News, FrontPage Africa, News Public Trust, and The New Dawn

Series of issues on ethical transgression reported by the media on Cllr. Charles Gibson when he was nominated as justice minister and attorney general has forced President George Weah to rescind his preferment.

Cllr. Musa Dean, who served as lead lawyer for the National Elections Commission (NEC) during the October 2017 elections impasse, has been named as justice minister-designate.

Meanwhile, President Weah has nominated Nyemadi Pearson, managing director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC); Stanley Ford, deputy managing director for administration of the LPRC; Dr. Jerry Brown, as acting director-general and administrator of the John F. Kennedy Medical Center (JFKMC); Dama Yekeson Koffa, acting deputy director-general and administrator; and Cllr.  Cooper Kruah, post and telecommunications minister-designate among other nominees. Read more

“Academic Crime Court Needed” …Education Minister-Designate Tells Senate, Source: The NEWS

The education minister-designate, Prof. D. Ansu Sonii has told the Senate Committee on Education that he will push for the establishment of a special academic crime court to deal with issues undermining the country’s education system. Prof. Sonii said if the characterization of the Liberia education system as being a mess must be changed to best, a strong policy is required to weed out individuals responsible for the mess.

Speaking Wednesday at the Capitol Building when he appeared for a confirmation hearing, the education minister-designate said if confirmed, he will consult relevant stakeholders to ensure the establishment of the court to specifically handle malpractices in the education system. Sonii said the court will investigate teachers, school administrators, parents and students who are accused of engaging in bribery for services, and if found guilty will be charged with an academic crime. Read more

Teachers face mass dismissal, Source: The New Dawn

Liberia’s education minister-designate, Prof. D. Ansu Sonii says he and his team will dismiss about 6,300 unqualified teachers here in a plan to clean up the educational system. “We have already identified the mess and we are prepared to clean the system with your support and commitment to the process. We will ensure that “C” certificate holder will not teach junior level, “B” certificate holder will not teach senior level,” Prof. Sonii told a Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday on Capitol Hill.

The education minister-designate said the country needs about 22,000 trained and competent teachers in order to improve the education sector of the country that has suffered 14 years of bitter civil unrest. According to him, the country has about 16,000 teachers, of which he says 6,300 are unqualified while 2,000 are volunteers and 4,000 are supplementary. Sonii pledged to clean up the Ministry’s payroll and increase teachers’ salaries. Read more

Internal Affairs Minister-Designate proposes Chieftaincy Election for Liberia, Source: The New Dawn

The internal affairs minister-designate, Varney Sirleaf says if confirmed, he will work with the Legislature to conduct chieftaincy election in the country. Mr. Sirleaf said for too long, traditional chiefs have not gone to election, the situation which he said, has caused a problem for local government. The internal affairs minister-designate said chieftaincy election will help the government to address the many overlaps in the local government system. He further noted that the election will help the government cut down the wage bill, noting that in fact some chiefs presently do not constitutionally preside over legitimate jurisdictions.

Sirleaf who spoke Monday when he appeared before the Senate for confirmation hearing said one of the key focus areas of his administration will be the sustainability of County Service Centers (CSCs) under the Decentralization Program. Read more

Victim Family Wants Withdrawal of Dr. Jallah Nomination For Alleged Wrongful Death, Source: FrontPage Africa

The media reports that days after the nomination of Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah as health minister-designate, a family claiming that the medical doctor is culpable for the death of their relative are protesting her nomination. Larry Fahnbulleh, the widower of the late Pastor Desiree Fahnbulleh, who is leading the family protest, is urging President George Weah to withdraw Dr. Jallah’s nomination. “We are hurt, deeply frustrated over the nomination of Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah as Minister of Health Republic of Liberia,” said Mr. Fahnbulleh at a press conference Wednesday in Monrovia.

Dr. Jallah, an experienced practicing general physician in obstetrics and gynecology is currently facing a lawsuit for the ‘wrongful death’ of Fahnbulleh’s wife who died at her private hospital - Hope for Women International Incorporated hospital - during childbirth on 8 December 2016.

The Fahnbulleh family then filed a USD6 million action for damages for wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital with the Sixth Judicial Circuit Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia. The Fahnbullehs are now furious and disheartened that while the case is not yet adjudicated the accused has been nominated as health minister by the president. Read more

Sable Mining Case Dropped?, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and FrontPage Africa

The Sable Mining bribery case involving past and present top-ranking government officials appears to have taken a new twist with news reports that the Liberian government has dropped charges against British businessmen Phil Edmonds and Andrew Groves and by extension the top government officials linked to the bribery case. Read more

Jungle Jabbah’s Federal Immigration Fraud Sentencing Delayed, Source: FrontPage Africa

Sentencing has been delayed at the last minute for Mohammed Jabateh, the Liberian former rebel commander convicted last October on federal immigration fraud. A U.S. District judge will reset the date for the sentencing hearing one week from today. Jabateh, known during the war as Jungle Jabbah, was convicted last October by a 12-member U.S. jury on four counts of immigration fraud and perjury charges. Read more

House Judiciary Committee Investigates LEC-ESBI Management Service Contract, Source: FrontPage Africa

The House Judiciary Committee has begun hearing into a complaint against the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) Management Service Contract with ESBI Engineering & Facility Management under the auspices of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The contract, which was signed on 8 November 2017, is a USD15 million contract that outsources the management of LEC to the private firm for overall management of LEC and training of local staffs at the entity.

At the hearing on Wednesday, the complainant, Montserrado County Representative Dixon Siboe argued that the contract seeks to put Liberians out of job on grounds that there are qualified and competent Liberians capable of managing the LEC as was demonstrated by the Interim Management Team. According to him, the worth of the contract being USD15 million should have passed through the National Investment Commission (NIC) and also the Legislature for rectification. Representative Siboe said the contract also denies the Liberian government the right of termination, which in extension limits the power of the President of Liberia. The Montserrado lawmaker has meanwhile called for the contract to be annulled in the interest of Liberian people. Read more

Liberia to Lose USD120M if LEC Contract Prematurely Terminated’ -Board Chair Tells House’s Joint Committee, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The board chairman of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), Dr. Clarence Moniba Wednesday told the House of Representatives that Liberia will lose more than USD120 million if the current contract with the management is prematurely terminated. Dr. Moniba told lawmakers that the Management Service Contract with the Ireland-based ESBI Engineering & Facility Management Limited that is being investigated on allegations of undermining the laws of the country has not violated any of the country’s laws. Dr. Moniba said in October 2016, a USD257 million contract was signed between the Liberian government and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The money is intended to encourage economic growth and reduce poverty in Liberia by focusing on the inadequate road infrastructure and access to reliable and affordable electricity in the country. Read more

Weah Urged Not to Neglect ‘Senior Citizens’, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The founder of the National Senior Citizens Organization of Liberia (NASCOL) has urged the government particularly President George Weah not to neglect Liberia’s senior citizens (old people). Arthur Masalley, 71, told the Daily Observer Wednesday that NASCOL has carried out an assessment of the plights of ‘old people’ and has realized that their dire conditions need government’s urgent attention. “While we want to commend President Weah and Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor for the mandate given them by the Liberian people, we want to inform them the old people deserve their support,” Mr. Masalley said. Read more

Disclaimer
 

This media summary consists of selected local media articles for the information of UN personnel. The public distribution of this media summary is a courtesy service extended by UNMIL on the understanding that the choice of articles included is exclusive, and the contents do not represent anything other than a selection of articles likely to be of interest to a United Nations readership. The inclusion of articles in this summary does not imply endorsement by UNMIL.

 

 

 

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