• Dual Citizenship Bill, Others To Be Reviewed –Says New Senate Pro-Tempore, Source: The INQUIRER
• Do What Is Best for Our Country –Says Veep Boakai, As He Turns Over To Jewel, Source: The INQUIRER
• Weah’s Strike Ends Ellen-CDC Marriage, Source: New DEMOCRAT
• Ellen’s Weaknesses Will Be Worked On –Speaker Chambers, Source: New DEMOCRAT
• CDC Job Extortionists Jailed, Source: New DEMOCRAT
• Maintain The Standard In Recruiting LNP, Other Officers –Inquirer Boss Urges Incoming Government, Source: The INQUIRER

Dual Citizenship Bill, Others To Be Reviewed –Says New Senate Pro-Tempore, Source: The INQUIRER

The new Senate President Pro-Tempore has vowed to ensure that the controversial Dual Citizenship bill will be reviewed. Albert Chie said the Senate under his administration will also review the country’s Alien and Nationality Laws and various concession agreements. “On our legislative agenda, the interim will include some bills that are being worked on in committee room such as the Land Rights Act and the Local Government Act,” Senator Chie said in his acceptance speech following his election as Senate President Pro-Tempore. He said the bills are almost in the final stages of processing and will be enacted promptly.

Do What Is Best for Our Country –Says Veep Boakai, As He Turns Over To Jewel, Source: The INQUIRER

Outgoing Vice President Joseph Boakai Monday urged the incoming Vice President, Mrs. Jewel Howard Taylor to do what is best for the country at a turning over ceremony of the Office of the Vice President to his successor, Mrs. Taylor. He used the occasion to present some working tools to the new vice president informing her that the office is left with no liability. “You have a big shoe that will not be filled easily,” remarked Mrs. Taylor who promised to relate to Mr. Boakai in case of advice.

Weah’s Strike Ends Ellen-CDC Marriage, Source: New DEMOCRAT

According to the New Democrat, facing humiliation from her ruling Unity Party (UP), President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appears to be the biggest loser in the 2017 presidential elections as the political deal connecting her to the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) are being sidestepped in the infant stage of the Weah-Taylor administration.

Deciding the leadership of the House of Representatives, strategic cabinet positions, and the vacated Senate seat for Montserrado County were essential ingredients of the agreement that reportedly enticed President Sirleaf to supporting Senator George Weah’s presidential bid, the New Democrat understands from sources.

But President-elect Weah cut off the deal days to the Speaker of the House of Representatives vote to the annoyance of the departing Liberian leader. Rather than President Sirleaf determining who heads the Legislature, it is President-elect Weah who did. He reached a successful bipartisan arrangement with leaders of the ousted ruling Unity Party (UP), which led to 43 members-elect of the House of Representatives signing a joint resolution on 9 January 2018 to back Dr. Bhofal Chambers of the CDC and Prince Moye of the UP for Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively. Twenty-two of the 43 lawmakers are from the UP while 21 from the CDC.

On Monday, that resolution was confirmed with the overpowering election of Chambers (unopposed) and Moye who defeated incumbent Deputy Speaker Hans Barchue 41 to 25 votes. According to the bipartisan resolution, the membership of all committees will be decided by the UP and the CDC.

In the Senate, UP Senator, Albert Chie was elected President Pro-Tempore. This paper reports that Weah’s initiated strike against his predecessor did not go without retaliation as sources claim President Sirleaf has limited contacts with the incoming President.

Ellen’s Weaknesses Will Be Worked On –Speaker Chambers, Source: New DEMOCRAT

The House of Representatives Monday elected Maryland County and Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Representative Bhofal Chambers as Speaker of the 54th Legislature and Bong County and Unity Party Representative Prince Moye as Deputy Speaker to steer the affairs of the Legislature for six years, this paper reports. In his acceptance speech, Chambers applauded departing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for her level of stewardship but vowed his leadership as Speaker will work towards improving Sirleaf’s lapses and weaknesses. Dr. Chambers said being Speaker would not change him and that friendship will not be prioritized at the expense of the nation and its people. “Under our leadership, reconciliation will be our hallmark”, as he promised to rebrand the Legislature to regain its image. 

CDC Job Extortionists Jailed, Source: New DEMOCRAT

The Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice has sent to detention at the Monrovia Central Prison two men for allegedly extorting money from partisans of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) under the pretense of awarding jobs to them. Magistrate J. Kennedy Peabody ordered the detention of defendants Samuel Goll and Lawrence Fully on Monday after the pair could not obtain a valid criminal appearance bond to guarantee their release, this paper reports.

According to the court record, the defendants on Thursday were turned over to the Liberia National Police by Emmanuel Johnson, CDC Youth League secretary on allegation that the two and other persons believed to be partisans of the party were extorting LRD210 for an application form and an Identification card bearing the inscription “Youth Empowerment Service”.

Johnson claimed that the defendants were informing those who were making payments and others who were expressing their desire to make payments that they were going to be hired in order to carry out clean up of streets in Monrovia and its environs for the inauguration of President-elect George Weah. The police investigative report says even though the CDC is currently recruiting people to carry out clean up exercises for the upcoming inauguration program, the defendants were advised not to collect payments from people for application forms and identification cards, stating the CDC as an institution has its own cost-free application forms for persons to be recruited.

Maintain The Standard In Recruiting LNP, Other Officers –Inquirer Boss Urges Incoming Government, Source: The INQUIRER

The managing editor of The Inquirer has urged the incoming government to uphold the procedures in the recruitment of officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) and other security forces. Mr. Philip Wesseh said officers of the LNP and other security forces must be vetted before being allowed to serve. Mr. Wesseh indicated that such standard which has been going on for years must be maintained even under a new government. The veteran newspaper editor made the statement recently when he certificated several LNP officers during an honoring ceremony in Virginia outside Monrovia for their abundant contributions to society.