• Angry Citizens Attack Talk Show Host Henry Costa in Monrovia, Source: FrontPage Africa
• Boakai ‘hypocritical’ –Findley, Source: The New Dawn
• CDC Has No Dealing with Ellen” … Acarous Gray Assets, Source: INSIGHT
• To Curtail Buildup of Invalid Votes in Runoff Election: Crusaders for Peace Launches Civic Education, Source: Civic Education, Source: INSIGHT
• Promote Peace Elections… ECOWAS Tells Liberians Journalists, Source: INSIGHT
• CENTAL Raises Qualms on Reappointment of Resigned Government Officials, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The New Dawn
• AYWDN Reviews Disability Laws, Policies in Margibi, Source: The ANALYST
• The George Weah’s Misfit Coalition: Can Weah and CDC survived in this Group, Source: The Perspective

Angry Citizens Attack Talk Show Host Henry Costa in Monrovia, Source: FrontPage Africa

Famous radio talk show host Henry Costa narrowly escaped mob action by angry traders on Mechlin Street in Central Monrovia whom he believes are members of the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).

But while the party has condemned the attack, they also pointed out that there is no evidence to those who carried out the attack are members of the party.

Mr. Sam Mannah, spokesperson to CDC standard bearer Senator George Weah told FrontPage Africa that he believes those who carried out the attack were aggrieved citizens expressing their disenchantment against Mr. Costa. He, however, added that the CDC political leader does not condone such acts.

Narrating his own ordeal, Costa said the sellers, who once saw him as a hero and always cheered him up whenever he was in the area, ganged up against him when decided to greet them as usual. “This group of people who sell there on Mechlin Street… I normally run into them and they’ll be cheering me up like a hero, like I’m their idol, but today it was very different, I went into the meeting and when I came outside I saw this angry crowd, you could see the viciousness in their faces – they were roughly about 40 people, men and women, young and old and they were angry and they were shouting at me, very angry,” the talk show host narrated his ordeal.

According to him, the mob threatened to burn his house and car if he continued speaking negatively against the CDC political leader. Read more

Boakai ‘hypocritical’ –Findley, Source: The New Dawn

Former Senate President Pro-Tempore Gbehzohngar Milton Findley is accusing the Unity Party (UP) standard bearer, Vice President Joseph Boakai of being ‘insincere and hypocritical’ in his quest for the Liberian presidency. Mr. Findley told a local talk show in Monrovia that it is embarrassing for the vice president who is one of the most powerful persons in two of the three branches of government to be shifting blame on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

According to the former Senate President Pro-Tempore, Boakai's blame shifting only creates the myth of being clean, noting that it is being totally insincere to his conscious and partisans. He further said that the statement of Vice President Boakai that he’s a racing car parked in a garage is nothing but deceit to the highest level, saying it is appalling for a national leader to create such insincerity in the name of wanting state power.

Findley insists that as vice president, Mr. Boakai has strong constitutional power to have changed things the way he wants, while also narrating that the vice president has the statutory power to attend cabinet meetings. Read more

CDC Has No Dealing with Ellen” … Acarous Gray Assets, Source: INSIGHT

Addressing a press conference Tuesday at his Capitol Building office in Monrovia, Montserrado County Representative Acarous Gray of the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), denied reports that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the chief financier of the CDC, stressing the Liberian leader is not a supporter of the party. According to Mr. Gray, President Sirleaf does not have any dealing with the party.

To Curtail Buildup of Invalid Votes in Runoff Election: Crusaders for Peace Launches Civic Education, Source: Civic Education, Source: INSIGHT

The Liberia Crusaders for Peace (LCP) has commissioned its county supervisors to engage in active civic and voter education ahead of the 7 November presidential runoff between the ruling Unity Party (UP) and the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). According to Ambassador Julie Endee, executive director of the LCP, the outreach is against the backdrop of the over 84,000 ‘invalid votes’ accrued from the 10 October polls.

Promote Peace Elections… ECOWAS Tells Liberians Journalists, Source: INSIGHT

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has reiterated its call on Liberian journalists and media institutions to help promote peaceful election in the country, this paper reports. The sub-regional group strongly believes that media practitioners are major stakeholders in the consolidation of peace and democracy in Liberia. The project coordinator of the ECOWAS Office in Monrovia also urged journalists to be cautious and professional as it relates to reporting conflict sensitive issues during the electioneering period.

CENTAL Raises Qualms on Reappointment of Resigned Government Officials, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The New Dawn

The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has frowned on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s recent reappointment of former government officials who resigned their respective positions based on Section 5.2A of the Code of Conduct for Public Officials, to contest as representatives in the just-ended October elections.

CENTAL says it is deeply disappointed in the president’s decision and sees her action as a continuation of the patronage system that has undermined effectiveness and efficiency in public service over the years.

CENTAL executive director Anderson Miamen said continuously working with a select few, especially family members and friends paints the picture that there exists a void of the competent. A proposition the watch group refuses to accept. Read more

AYWDN Reviews Disability Laws, Policies in Margibi, Source: The ANALYST

The African Youth with Disabilities Network Liberia Chapter (AYWDN) Monday began a five-day national forum on laws review policies and the Act creating the National Commission on Disability of Liberia.

The review process seeks to compare ideas with the Act that created the Sierra Leone National Commission on Disabilities, the Ghana National Commission on Disabilities, and other existing laws and policies in favor of persons with disabilities. The exercise which is being funded by OSIWA will also help the government in its efforts to close the gap that currently exists between the disabled and non-disabled population with special emphasis on healthcare, education, and improve the public perception of disability and their relationship with People with Disabilities.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

The George Weah’s Misfit Coalition: Can Weah and CDC survived in this Group, Source: The Perspective

George Mannah Weah is a soccer superstar, who is admired by Liberian youthful Liberians. He made millions of dollars as a compensation for playing football. Over the years, since his retirement and without utilizing any of the available vehicles of investment and revenue generating activities, he has become cashless, a broke man. He has suffered from the celebrity curse, which has afflicted many NBA stars in America. They played basketball and made millions of dollars only to mismanage the funds, leaving them to live in poverty.

But unlike many US athletes that have become victims of wasting millions, George Weah has a nation that has rescued him by making him a senator just to make a living, although he informed the Child Support Court in Georgia, USA that he could only afford $100 per month in child support payment….

As Africa Confidential puts, “Weah long ago depleted his fortune but his campaign was well funded: he flew from town to town in a chartered helicopter from Côte d'Ivoire – his photo and party's logo boldly emblazoned on it. He has refused to declare his assets or explain the sources of funds in his campaign war chest. United Nations, ECOWAS and African Union diplomats say they suspect Weah got support from three sources: Qatar, a network of Charles Taylor's friends, in and outside of Monrovia, and his own network of international soccer professionals.” Read more