30 January 2018

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

President Weah to Reduce His Salary by 25% …Asks Other Officials to Follow, Source: The INQUIRER

This paper reports that President George Weah has disclosed that Liberia is broke with inflation rising while the foreign reserve is always low. President Weah said the total revenue for 2017 is USD489.1 million a decline of 13 percent of the previous year 2016 when Liberia generated revenue of USD565.1 million. The president said even though the salaries of the President and Vice President are approved by the Legislature; he will reduce his and has asked members of the Legislature and other officials of government to follow his lead. Delivering his State of the Nation Address, President Weah said Liberians should make the sacrifice if the economic situation must improve. His decision to reduce his salary and benefits came at the time when there is a major public outcry relative to exorbitant salaries being earned by members of the Legislature and other government officials.

What President Weah’s 25% salary reduction means, Source: Daily OBSERVER

President George Weah has announced that he would reduce his monthly salary and benefits by 25 percent when he delivered his annual message to the nation Monday at the Capitol Building. He added that the proceeds from the cut will be deposited into the consolidation fund for allocation and appropriation. President Weah has, meanwhile, thrown out a challenge to lawmakers to follow his example. Read more

Weah admits inability to present overall economic condition of nation, Source: Daily OBSERVER

In his State of the Nation address delivered Monday in Monrovia, President George Weah has said he cannot report on the government’s expenditure and income because he has just been in office for a week. He, however, said the total revenue collected in the calendar year 2017 amounted to USD489.1 million which is a 13 percent decline in revenue collected in 2016, which was USD565.1 million. Read more

Lawmaker promises 3 ambulances for resilient district health sector, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Montserrado Electoral District #11 Representative Richard Koon has promised to provide three ambulances to the district to improve the healthcare and delivery service of the people. He made the promise at a program in Barnesville recently. Representative Koon added that the move was part of his pre-election promises to the people. Read more

Man, 19 found hung in Bentol, Source: Daily OBSERVER

A man, Thomas Russ, 19 has been discovered dead on Wednesday evening in Careysburg. Reports say the commercial cyclist body was found hanging on a rope tied to a mango tree and believed to have committed suicide. But his parents described his death as mysterious. Read more

Montserrado County Superintendent designate guilty of USD63k debt, Sources: Daily OBSERVER, FrontPage Africa, and The INQUIRER

The commercial court in Monrovia has found Montserrado County superintendent-designate, Florence Brandy guilty in a lawsuit filed by the management of East International Group, which she hired to recondition the Soul Clinic community road in the amount of USD63,002.28. Jude Eva Mappy Morgan ruled that Ms. Brandy pay a statutory interest of USD3,780.14 of the amount owed while over USD15,750.57 would be paid as attorney fees.  Read more

Nimba Electoral District #4 citizens protest against delay election case, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Suspending a hearing filed by defeated Nimba Electoral District #4 Representative, Garrison Yealue for alleged irregularities in the election has been greeted with a protest at the Supreme Court even though the matter has been scheduled for today, Tuesday. The matter was first heard in November 2017. The protesters said the long delay in resolving the matter has prompted their action.

JFK Hospital Staffs Reportedly Looting Hospital Properties, Source: FrontPage Africa

Unconfirmed reports say the outgoing administrators at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in the Monrovia suburb of Sinkor have been caught “looting” the facility as they take their exits. General administrator Wvannie-Mae Scott McDonald and deputy general administrator Munah Tarpeh are said to have been the two accused when a pick-up truck carrying a freezer, flower pack, curtains, beds, and other items were seen leaving the JFK compound late Thursday evening.

“The pick-up was filled; we became concerned on whose order were the things leaving the hospital. It was like someone moving from one apartment to another. When we inquired, the driver told us that it was Dr. McDonald, who had told him to take the things out. I’m standing here frustrated at the behavior of Munah and Dr. McDonald for them to take something like curtains is too regrettable,” a source at the hospital who asked for anonymity said.

Charles Brown, an eyewitness, told FrontPage Africa that it was probably because of the incident that made Representative Saah Joseph to visit the hospital late Thursday night. He also disclosed that officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) arrested a vehicle with one million Liberian Dollars, which resulted to the immediate deployment of Police officers at all the entrances and exits of the hospital. Read More

Disbanded officers demand USD70M, Source: The New Dawn

Some 27,000 deactivated Liberian state security personnel are demanding alleged USD70 million benefits from the new administration of President George Weah, having taken over from former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf whose government downsized the officers. A spokesman for the officers deactivated from the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Liberia National Police (LNP), Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU), and Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) now Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), Jerry Kollie claimed in an exclusive interview over the weekend at his office in Paynesville Red-light that the Sirleaf government owed them USD70 million after years of diligent service. Read more

Bong official blames government for road project's delay, Source: The New Dawn

Bong County assistant superintendent for development Anthony Boakai Sheriff has attributed the standstill of the Gbarnga concrete road project to the failure of the Public Works and Finance Ministries to pay contractors through the county authorities. Mr. Sheriff said the contract was awarded to East International (EI) by the Public Works Ministry with funding from the Finance Ministry. He stated that if the Finance Ministry had paid EI through the county authorities, it would have the right to fully monitor the Gbarnga Street pavement. According to him, they have limited right to continually question EI about reasons leading to the standstill of the project on grounds that EI does not look up to them when it comes to their operations. He alleged that they have on several occasions asked the construction company about the project, but they were told that there is no finance for the continuation of the project. Read more

Strange disease attacks 5 in Bong, Source: The New Dawn

A serious skin disease has hit Wornukai, Zota District in Bong County with at least five persons reportedly affected. The disease appears to be Chickenpox, but develops into blazer when victims scratched affected parts of the body. Though the suspected virus has not been reported at the Belifinai Clinic in the district, it has created fear among residents of Wornukai with affected individuals being barred from sharing bath materials such as soap, towers, and buckets with others. Recently the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) in collaboration with the Health Ministry reported a strange skin disease here that has reportedly spread to five counties, afflicting about 2,000 persons. Read more

Neisseria Meningitides Disease Hits Liberia, Source: FrontPage Africa

FrontPage Africa reports that three people are reported to have died from Meningococcal disease in Kelimabendu Town in Foya Statutory District in Lofa County, while one person is being hospitalized, according to the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL). The NPHIL was alerted of the disease by the Lofa County Health Team on Saturday, 13 January 2018. NPHIL, in a release, said the initial case started with a 45-year-old man who fell ill on 23 December 2017 and died on 1 January 2018. Four days after his death, two of his children also died from the same disease while one was taken to the Foya Boma Isolation Unit for treatment and was later discharged upon recovering from the disease.  Read more

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

George Weah vows to change Liberia's citizenship laws, Source: BBC News

Liberia's President George Weah has called for the removal of a "racist" clause in the constitution which restricts citizenship to black people. The clause was "unnecessary, racist and inappropriate", the ex-football star said in his first State of Nation since being elected president. He also pledged to scrap the law which prohibits foreigners owning land. Liberia was founded by freed US slaves in 1847 as "a refuge and a haven for freed men of color". The citizenship restrictions introduced at the time were no longer necessary, Mr. Weah said, adding that he also wanted a ban on dual citizenship to be abolished. "It contradicts the very definition of Liberia, which is derived from the Latin word 'liber', meaning 'liberty'," he said. 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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