26 January 2018

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Weah urges prompt action against Libya slavery, Sources: Executive Mansion News, FrontPage Africa, and The New Dawn

President George Weah has told African Ambassadors of the urgency to take a prompt action against human trafficking and slavery that is said to be taking place in Libya. An Executive Mansion release issued in Monrovia Thursday says President Weah made the call when he received 13 African diplomats accredited to Liberia at his temporary office at the Foreign Ministry. The president then assured the diplomats of his administration’s commitment in working with all African countries through regional groups including the Mano River Union (MRU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the African Union (AU). Read more

Senate Confirms Tweah, Findley and McGill, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and The NEWS

The Senate Thursday voted to confirm the first group of President George Weah’s cabinet, less than 24 hours after that body received their nominations and subsequent confirmation hearings. The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs in a report informed plenary that foreign minister-designate Gbehzohngar Findley was found qualified to handle the foreign affairs of Liberia and therefore, recommended his confirmation. Mr. Findley is former Senate President Pro-Tempore.

In its confirmation report to the plenary on finance minister-designate Samuel Tweah, the Committee on Ways, Means, Finance, and Budget recommended that “following a thorough examination of the nominee’s curriculum vitae, exhaustive analysis of his oral testimony, answers to questions posed to him by committee members, and given his services records with institutions of government and his policy vision, which the committee has determined will positively impact the government’s pro-poor policies through the Ministry of Finance, Development and Planning, the committee is convinced that Samuel D. Tweah has the requisite educational background and working experience to effectively serve the Ministry of Finance, Development, and Planning as Minister.”

On the confirmation report for the minister-designate for the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel McGill, the Committee on the Executive told the plenary that through the confirmation proceedings it found it pleasing to recommend Mr. McGill, who chairs the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) for the post. Read more

Weah under Pressure to Withdraw Nominee for Justice Minister, Source: The Bush Chicken

A pro-democracy group, Liberia Holding Consortium has launched a petition to call on President George Weah to stick to his commitment to fighting corruption and other vices that kept the country backward by withdrawing the nomination of individuals with questionable character. Making reference to the justice minister-designate, Cllr. Charles Gibson, the group’s principal, K. Abdullai Kamara, said President Weah cannot fight corruption by bringing in people accused of corruption or those perceived to have been engaged in corrupt acts. Mr. Kamara, a former president of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), said he was getting the larger Liberian society to express their views through the petition in the hope that it would lead the president to take prompt actions. In his inaugural speech, President Weah promised to end corruption. Read more

CDC Partisans Allegedly Demand Takeover of Government Ministries, Agencies, Source: FrontPage Africa

FrontPage Africa reports that CDC transitional team members are said to be asking officials in the then Ellen Johnson Sirleaf government to leave their offices whether tenure positions or not. They reportedly stormed a number of offices including the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO), Ministry of Justice, and the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) to press officials there to turnover. In another development, FrontPage Africa says it gathered that work activities are stalled at the Health Ministry. Read more

Weah changes passport, Source: The New Dawn

According to The New Dawn, President George Weah Thursday appeared before the Passport Division at the Foreign Ministry to process a new diplomatic passport that suits his status as the nation's 24th elected president after being sworn in this week. President Weah toured the Passport Division before his particulars were taken and photographed for his new diplomatic passport. The new Liberian leader paid USD100.00 to the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) booth and was given a receipt for the payment for the passport express service. Read more

Government will prioritize health, Source: The New Dawn

Montserrado Representative Saah Joseph says health will be a major priority in the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government. Speaking to newsmen following his appointment as chair of the House Committee on Health, Representative Joseph said the country’s health sector is challenged, but assured that the governing CDC will work to make sure that health care services are provided to the people. The Montserrado lawmaker further assured Liberians that in his new portfolio as chair of the House Committee on Health, he will bring lots of changes in the health sector so that the people can feel the presence of the new government. Read more

Teachers object to George Werner, Source: The New Dawn

The secretary-general of the National Teachers Association of Liberia (NTAL), Samuel Johnson says the association maintains its objection to education minister George Werner, claiming that he is not fit for the job. Mr. Johnson said NTAL has provided all the pieces of evidence to the previous government and added that the Senate had also passed a vote of no confidence in the minister during the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Speaking on a local radio this week, the NTAL chief scribe noted that President George Weah's administration shouldn't have retained Mr. Werner because has allegedly spoiled the system for the students and teachers; hence, he wants the government to remove him as head of the Education Ministry. 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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