17 January 2018

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

“Next To Right To Life, Right To Education Is Crucial”-Says UNMIL Chief, Source: News Public Trust

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and head of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has said: “next to the right to life, the right to education is central to the exercise of all other human rights and freedoms.” Mr. Farid Zarif speaking Tuesday at a ceremony in Monrovia to commemorate ECOWAS Human Rights Day said 14 years of civil war left Liberia’s education in a total state of disarray. With some 65 percent of the children out of school, Mr. Zarif said, the future of Liberia was bleak, something President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf described as a big mess that must be fixed. Since then, the SRSG said there have been many initiatives taken and a lot of efforts and resources invested to address that unacceptable situation.

But Zarif noted that when these efforts were producing impressive results, along with many other socio-economic indicators, Liberia was hit by the horrific Ebola crisis, followed by a steep fall in the prices of the country’s traditional export commodities. According to him, these developments imposed other priorities on the government and distracted attention from the on-going efforts, including the education sector.

The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative said a further complicating factor was the rapid drawdown of UNMIL, which compelled the government to assume full responsibility for many areas previously supported by UNMIL, particularly in the area of security.  Read more

Weah Promises Steps to Improve Youth Education, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and The New Dawn

President-elect George Weah has committed to taking steps in education to develop the minds of the youth. Mr. Weah spoke Tuesday in Monrovia at the ECOWAS Human Rights Day celebrated under the theme, “Promoting rights to education towards the ECOWAS Vision 2020.”

He said the rebuilding of Liberia’s education sector after 14 years of civil war will continue to be a serious challenge to successive governments of Liberia. “The war did not only destroy our educational infrastructures but also changed our attitude towards education and created a huge demand for qualified teachers and professors for schools, vocational institutions, and universities. We hope that…our partners in ECOWAS and the international community will give us their support,” President-elect Weah said.

Contrary to his earlier stated position that ‘education cannot build the nation and cannot put food on the table,’ the incoming Liberian leader said, “Education is important because it gives knowledge…and it also develops in humans a perspective of looking at life and points of view in life.” Read more

New Speaker Picks Committee to Review House Rules, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and FrontPage Africa

House Speaker Bhofal Chambers Tuesday appointed an eight-man Ad hoc Committee to review the rules and regulations of the House of Representatives. The rules were first amended by the 52nd Legislature and recently amended by the 53rd, conferring authority on the Speaker to appoint heads of Statutory and Standing Committees, among others. The committee is chaired by Representative Kanie Wesso and is mandated to report on Tuesday, 23 January. Read more

What’s in President-elect George Weah Inauguration Budget?, Source: FrontPage Africa

The media reports that officials are putting the final touches on what would be nearly a week of celebrations for President-elect George Weah’s inauguration as President on Monday, 22 January. But ceremony and circumstance do not come cheap. Information Minister Eugene Nagbe said the budget was USD2 million but was cut by USD700,000 by both President-elect Weah and outgoing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of which entertainment tops the biggest expense. The official swearing-in ceremony will be held at the SKD Complex in Paynesville, outside Monrovia. Read more

LACC Wants Weah Declare Assets, Source: Daily OBSERVER

President-elect George Weah and the majority of the Legislature have yet to declare their assets as required under the Code of Conduct, says Cllr. Augustine Toe, acting chair of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), who has called on Mr. Weah to take the lead. Cllr. Toe told a local radio talk show Tuesday that it is important that the president-elect tells the Liberian people his financial worth when he takes office. According to the LACC official, when Mr. Weah declares his assets, he will send a strong message to the Liberian people that he is committed to fighting corruption. Read more

President Sirleaf Admits U.S. Ambassador Elder into Star of Africa, Sources: Executive Mansion News and FrontPage Africa

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has admitted U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, Christine Elder into the Star of Africa, with a Grade of Knighthood, for her invaluable services in improving already existing bilateral relations between Liberia and the United States.  “You are truly a trusted and true friend to Liberia and a wonderful representation of the United States to Liberia,” President Sirleaf said. According to an Executive Mansion release, the outgoing Liberian leader made the statement over the weekend at the Foreign Ministry.  Read more

Adesina: “AfDB Remain Supportive of Liberia’s Development Under Weah”, Sources: Daily OBSERVER, FrontPage Africa, and News Public Trust

The president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has assured Liberians that the bank will remain supportive of Liberia’s development efforts and will continue its engagement with the new administration of President-elect George Weah. Dr. Akinwumi Adesina recalled that Liberia has always made history as the “first” in many things including producing the first woman president of the United Nations General Assembly, first woman president on the continent of Africa, first to produce a footballer as Africa, Europe, and World Best and first to elect a soccer star as its president.

Dr. Adesina thanked President Sirleaf who he described as a “Jewel of Africa”, the Liberian government and the Liberian people for bestowing on him one of the country’s highest honors with his admission into the Order of the Star of Africa with the grade of Knight Grand Band.  Read more

CBL to Host National Payment Systems Stakeholders Forum, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), in collaboration with stakeholders in the financial sector, will tomorrow, Thursday host a National Payment Systems Stakeholders Forum at the Bella Casa Events Center. The Forum will bring together financial institutions, business houses, government agencies, educational and health establishments, utility companies, and mobile network operators, giving them an overview of a modernized payment system, including its status and opportunities. It will also streamline the current deliverables and formulate a revised road-map that will enhance the strategic objectives of the National Payment Systems Modernization. Read more

Carter Center Holds Mano River Union Traditional Women Peace Conference, Source: FrontPage Africa

Over 200 women from the Mano River Union (MRU) countries have met in Nimba County for a three-day conference supported by Carter Center, USAID, and Sweden aimed at preventing conflict and sustaining peace in the union. The head of Liberia Crusaders of Peace (LCP), Julie Endee, said there is a need for violence prevention and the relevance of Liberia ‘Kukartornon’ peace festival in Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone. Kukartornon is a Liberian dialect – Kpelle  word meaning “We are one.”  Read more

FCA, AFELL Hold Dialogue on Criminal Justice System, Source: Daily OBSERVER

A thorough review of the Criminal Justice System (CJS) in three of the 15 counties will take place at a national dialogue in Monrovia today Wednesday. The dialogue is an initiative of the Finn Church Aid (FCA) in partnership with the Rural Human Rights Activists Program (RHRAP), and the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL). The dialogue will focus on CJS situations in Bong, Lofa, and Nimba counties and will be graced by representatives from the Justice Ministry, the Judiciary, the United Nation Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), the Liberia National Police (LNP), the donor community, and civil society.

It is anticipated that the invited stakeholders will dialogue and share pertinent information around issues affecting the implementation of the country’s effective CJS. Today’s gathering is accordingly intended to solicit recommendations, build coalition and consensus to promote and protect the rule of law and fundamental human rights of community residents. Read more

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

Liberia's Sirleaf promises face-off with her party over expulsion, Sources: Africa News, Fox News, and The Washington Post

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is in the last days of her reign as Africa’s first democratically elected female president. She has, however, set a political battle for her days out of office. According to her spokesman Jerolinmek Piah, Sirleaf regarded the Unity Party (UP) decision to expel her as illegal and that she will return to the party to seek redress after she hands over power on January 22.

Sirleaf will pass on the presidential baton to former world footballer of the year, George Weah, who beat Sirleaf’s deputy, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, in a poll run-off in December 2017. The duo entered the run-off after the October 8 polls failed to register an outright winner.

The 79-year-old was on January 14 thrown out of the UP on whose ticket she won two mandates in 2006 and 2011. The executive committee accused Sirleaf of not backing the vice-president leading to the loss of power. 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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