• Boakai Promises 50K Jobs in First 150 Days, Source: Daily OBSERVER
• CDC Sets December 23rd For Final Rally -Promises to Fill SKD Complex to Brim, Source: FrontPage Africa
• Girls Alliance Wants FGM Abolished, Source: Daily OBSERVER
• USAID gives over $3m to Liberia’s forest sector, Source: The New Dawn
• Liberian economy needs critical intervention, Source: The New Dawn
• LCM outlines Liberia’s woes, Source: The New Dawn
• President Sirleaf Pre-dedicates RIA New Passenger Terminal, Runway, Source: Daily OBSERVER
• Weah’s bid to lead Liberia put on hold as political opponent alleges fraud, Source: Inside World Football
• 'Fugitive' Dutch arms dealer linked to Liberian war to hear if he'll be freed on bail. Source: News24

Boakai Promises 50K Jobs in First 150 Days, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Vice President Joseph Boakai has promised to create 50,000 jobs in 150 days to help ease the high unemployment rate that affects especially young people when he emerges victorious in the pending presidential elections.

The ruling Unity Party (UP) and the country’s largest opposition, Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), are poised to compete in the upcoming runoff, which has been scheduled for December 26th.

The UP standard bearer said bringing relief to many of the masses through employment opportunities is the best way to start his administration.

Addressing a local talk-show in Monrovia on Monday, VP Boakai said “We will create 50,000 jobs in our first 150 days in office. The essence of leadership is to help our people and this is why we are in this race. We have the vision to help this country and help our people—we will do just that upon winning.” Read more

CDC Sets December 23rd for Final Rally -Promises to Fill SKD Complex to Brim, Source: FrontPage Africa

The main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has planned to officially close its campaign activities for the runoff election on December 23rd, three days to the date set by the National Elections Commission (NEC) for the final play of the electoral activities of 2017.

Mulbah Morlu, CDC’s vice chairman for operations, said at a news conference, the rally will take place at the SKD Sports Complex and it will be the mother of all rallies the Coalition has had to date. According to him, the rally will be the last of 12 years of struggle in opposition. He further stated that CDCians from all the political sub-divisions of Liberia are expected to converge in Monrovia for this big rally. Read more

Girls Alliance Wants FGM Abolished, Source: Daily OBSERVER

A local NGO, the Girls Alliance for Future Leadership has called on the Legislature, Executive, and the Judiciary branches of government to abolishing the age-old practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the country.

Addressing students of the AME Zion University in Monrovia, the entity’s secretary-general, Faith Saar, said it was about time the government of Liberia secures the future of girls in all parts of the country, “because they are the next leaders.” Ms. Saar, a teenager herself, said harmful traditional practices are destroying the educational pursuits of girls. Read more

USAID gives over $3m to Liberia’s forest sector, Source: The New Dawn

USAID through the West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change program (WABiCC) has awarded two separate conservation grants to enhance conservation activities in the Country. The grants which worth USD1.8 and USD2.7 million each will facilitate the implementation of a three-year project in the Gola Transboundary Forest Landscape between Liberia and Sierra Leone and the Tai-Grebo-Krahn-Sapo Transboundary Forest Landscape between Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire.

A press release issued in Monrovia says the two projects will be carried out by the Society for the Conservation of Nature (SCNL), Royal Society to protect Bird, Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, and Fauna and Flora International, respectively. Read more

Liberian economy needs critical intervention, Source: The New Dawn

Liberian Bankers Association (LBA) president and president of the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI), John Davies says the Liberian economy is plagued with numerous challenges that need urgent interventions. Mr. Davis noted that the Liberian economy relies heavily on the extractive industry with the agriculture sector playing a very minimal role in the process. According to the LBDI president, Liberia still relies on rubber, iron ore, gold, and diaspora remittances to boost its economy. Diaspora remittances contribute significantly to foreign exchange generated in Liberia.

The LBA president commended government’s efforts toward poverty reduction, naming the Poverty reduction strategy, the Agenda for Transformation (AfT) among others but said much still needs to do a rain-check as to what worked or did not work, and what needs to be tweaked to address persistent economic challenges to the Liberian economy.

Mr. Davis spoke recently in Monrovia at the Policy Dialogue organized by the Governance Commission on the topic “the State of the Liberian Economy as at January 22, 2018”. Read more

LCM outlines Liberia’s woes, Source: The New Dawn

The Liberians for Change Movement, a local civil society group says Liberians ought to reflect and realize that they are confronted with greedy and diabolical corporate interests at varying levels that are dividing the country and excluding tangible social and economic dividends from a broad spectrum of the society.

In a press statement issued here, the LCM says Liberia has won and Liberians ought to realize this great achievement, noting that the mere fact, “we are using the courts to address our dissatisfactions or concerns and keeping our nation peaceful, shows a good level of maturity and civility.” It continues that what is and should be paramount to every peace-loving Liberian is how collectively the country could combat the tentacles of corruption that have bounded the citizenry to deliver economic and social inclusive policies for the wellbeing of the majority. Read more

President Sirleaf Pre-dedicates RIA New Passenger Terminal, Runway, Source: Daily OBSERVER

According to the Daily Observer, indications have emerged that the new passenger terminal at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) in Margibi County, which was pre-dedicated by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Monday, will increase passenger volume and provide better services comparable elsewhere in the world.

The opening of the new state-of-the-art passenger terminal, according to President Sirleaf will give RIA a new face and put Liberia on par with sister international airports in the West African sub-region, the rest of the African continent, and the world at large.

The president recalled that in 2006, when she assumed the leadership of the country, Liberia was faced with several hard choices; one of those hard choices is the RIA and today “we are proud to have a new and modern state of the art passenger terminal.” Read more

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Weah’s bid to lead Liberia put on hold as political opponent alleges fraud, Source: Inside World Football

Former World player of the year and Ballon d’Or winner George Weah has had his bid for political power stymied once again after the country’s current Vice President Joseph Boakai called for a postponement of the second round of presidential elections before the Supreme Court.

Weah, who played for a string of European clubs notably Paris St Germain and AC Milan, is due to go head to head against Joseph Boakai on December 26 as both bid to take over from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf when her 12 years in power comes to an end.

But Boakai’s Unity Party has filed a new appeal alleging fraud, his first appeal having already forced a postponement of the second round of voting that had been scheduled for November 7. Weah, who led the first round with 38% of the vote, has promised to bring stability to a country wracked by 15 years of civil war.

'Fugitive' Dutch arms dealer linked to Liberian war to hear if he'll be freed on bail. Source: News24

A Dutch arms dealer, convicted of selling firearms to former Liberian president Charles Taylor and who was arrested in Cape Town nearly two weeks ago, is expected to hear on Tuesday whether he will be freed from custody. The State has argued that Augustinus Petrus Kouwenhoven, 75, is a fugitive from justice and a flight risk. He is set to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court to hear whether or not he will be released. Kouwenhoven was arrested in the upmarket suburb of Fresnaye on December 8. Read more