5 December 2017

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Election Magistrate Admits to Error in Nimba,  Source: The INQUIRER

Nimba County Elections Magistrate, Princeton Monmia has reportedly admitted to discovering errors during the 10 October 2017 presidential and legislative elections and had to address it through a scanned document to the Executive Director of the National Elections Commission.

He made the comment when he testified in the election dispute case at the electoral body on Tuesday. “There might have been more but I was not able to check all”. He added during the hearing.

NEC Hearing Officer Denies Cllr. Kruah Recusal,  Source: The INQUIRER

At the ongoing legal argument in the election dispute now before the Supreme Court, the Hearing Officer at the National Elections Commission, Cllr. John Wonsehleay has denied a request  for the recusal of Cllr. Cooper Kruah and the summoning of the Daily Observer newspaper in  the ongoing investigative dispute in which incumbent Representative of Nimba County, Larry Yonquoi  was defeated by Saye Mianah in the 10 October election.  Yonquoi’s lawyer, Albert Sim  is quoted as making the request because Kruah had given legal advice on the matter to Representative Yonquoi. But Kruah  argued that he  did no wrong.

Sen Cooper: ‘Stay Order Was Not Necessary’ – Calls for Runoff, not Rerun, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Margibi County Senator Oscar Cooper has described as “unnecessary” the Supreme Court’s recent action ordering a stay on the scheduled 7 November runoff to the presidential poll between Vice President Joseph N. Boakai and Senator George Manneh Weah. In an interview with Senator Cooper at his Capitol Building office on Tuesday, he observed that Article 83 of the Constitution of Liberia, which exclusively deals with electoral matters, did not give room to a stay order on the election, as per the ruling in favor of the Liberty Party’s prohibition plea.

“Article 83 did not state that you must place a stay on the electoral process. The hearing into the complaint of fraud and irregularities should have continued, while at the same time the National Elections Commission continued with preparations for the runoff simultaneously. If it found out that there were material evidence of massive fraud and irregularities that would have cheated that person (party) out of the vote and changed his position, then there would have been a cause for nullification,” Senator Cooper asserted. Senator Cooper, who participated in the 10 October elections as an Independent candidate, emphasized that the Supreme Court should have allowed the process to go on “and subsequent to the runoff, the Constitution gives the right to nullify if it is found that the fraud and irregularities were so massive that they caused another person to lose.”

He argued that his former party – the UP, was not in compliance with the seven days time frame stipulated to file a complaint, unlike Liberty Party which fully complied. “NEC should never have permitted UP to conjoin with LP in their complaint, and the NEC should have stood its ground.” Instead of ruling for a stay order on the runoff, he said: “The Supreme Court should have asked the NEC to expeditiously move with LP’s grievances, while the process continued.” Read More

Defense Ministry Rejects Report, Sources: The INQUIRER and INSIGHT

Authorities of the Ministry of National Defense and the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) have dismissed report of a split within the army, even though AFL Chief of Staff Brig/Gen. Daniel  Ziankahn and some corps of officers  are reported to be supporting the George Weah’s Coalition for Democratic Change while Defense Minister, Brownie Samukai is also supporting the Unity Party presidential candidate, Vice President Joseph Boakai.

The ministry however termed the report which appeared in one of the local dailies as falsehood and a mere speculation.

FAO Strengthens Governmeent Capacity, Source: New DEMOCRAT

In an effort to boost the capacity fo Government of Liberia on the Sustainable management of the “Fall Armyworm” (FAW), the UN-Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) conducted a two-day training for the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) extension Officers in its decentralized offices. Over 40 participants representing the 15 counties of Liberia met at the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) in  Suakoko, Bong County from 29-30 November 2017 to obtain knowledge on the risk of FAW on agricultural production, productivity and food security. Their capacities were also built on how to identify the pest and put into place and effective surveillance and monitoring systems where efficient studies and control measures would be conducted,  this paper reports.

FAO Consultant, who is former Residennt Representative to Liberia, Dr. Winifred Hammond, is currently visiting three West Africa countries; Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau, to identify or confirm the presence of the FAW and provide technical guidance that will effectively help governments control the pest. According to Dr. Hammond, the overaching objective of the exercise in Liberia is to build the capacity of stakeholders on the identification, impact assessment and behavior of this new invasive pests in the country’s ecological zone; and ultimately assist the government develop a national action plan as well as advise the government on sustainable management of FAW. He told participants that the best practice to control the pest is to put in place a periodic surveillance/monitoring system.

Internews’ Liberia Media Development Program Concludes Community Media Forum in Gbarnga, Source: New DEMOCRAT

The Liberia Media Development Program, as part of its Community Media Forum, has concluded a dialogue with residents in Gbarnga in Bong County, featuring four panelists who focused on promoting democracy and preventing election violence through dialogue, with participants drawn from civil society, the National Elections Commission Magisterial Office in the county, the judiciary, and a representative of women in civil society.

According to media reports, Ms. Dorothy Toomann, the executive director of Development Education Network Liberia, addressed efforts by women to engage each other and first-time voters. Mr. Moses Bailey, the civil society actor, focused on the actions taken by civil society organizations to encourage voter turnout, while NEC’s Deputy Magistrate for upper Bong County, Mr. Robert Flomo, spoke of steps being taken to correct irregularities at the polls in order to ensure a credible outcome. He also spoke on civic and voter education for the run-off and Mr. T.N. D. Yarkpawolo, the city solicitor of the Gbarnga Magisterial Court, deliberated on the meaning of the Stay Order placed on the run-off election by the Supreme Court.

The Social and Print Media Advisor of the Liberia Media Development Program, Mr. Crispin Tulay, said the event aimed to inform and prepare citizens to remain peaceful as they await rulings from the Supreme Court into Liberty Party’s election fraud case.

Meanwhile, the Vice President of the Bong County Women Organization, Alice Siakor Garmo, has recommended to the National Elections Commission that there be separate lines for females and males at every polling place in future elections.

President Sirleaf congratulates Finland on its 100th Independence Flag Day, Source: INSIGHT

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has sent a  message of congratulations to the President of  Finland, Sauli Niinisto on the occasion  of that country’s 100 Independence Anniversary and Fla Day, according to a Foreign Ministry release. The president extended warm greetings   and wished the people of Finland prosperity.

USD41m Dangote’s Deal Faces Scrutiny, Sources: New DEMOCRAT and The INQUIRER

According to media reports, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s bill seeking investment incentive for billionaire Nigerian businessman, Aliko Dangote, has been tabled in the House of Representatives for review. The Nigerian has reached an agreement with the Executive to operate a USD41 million cement factory in the country. President Sirleaf wants the Legislature to ratify the deal, which has 15 years duration as of its effective date, between Liberia and the Nigerian billionaire.

The investment incentive’s deal is for the financing, construction, development and operation of a clinker grinding unit with cement packing and dispatched plant of 1,000 tons per day and could expand its productive capacity to 2,000 tons per day within the Freeport of Monrovia, the agreement states. “When ratified, this project will create jobs during its construction operations and expansion phases. The investor shall also provide scholarship for study in Liberia, throught an investor grant of USD15,000 annually President Sirleaf said in her communication to the Legislature. “The scholarship beneficiaries will be students who are Liberian citizens and residents of the district in which the terminal is located. The investor is also expected to assist government in the maintenance of the roads leading to its import terminal,” the President stated.

Gov’t, Partners Hold Second Dialogue on Social Protection - Participants at the Second National Dialogue on Social Protection, Source: Daily OBSEVER

The media report that the Government of Liberia and the International Labor Organization (ILO) have begun holding the second National Dialogue on Social Protection in the country. The meeting is in line with the second strategic objective policy mechanism that seeks to support poor and vulnerable groups – which include children, the elderly and persons living with disabilities – and to attain an improved minimum standard of living in line with minimum social protection. The dialogue is being held at a resort in Monrovia and is expected to agree on key minimum guarantees for the establishment of the social protection floor in Liberia.

Gender Minister Julia Duncan Cassell, who addressed the opening session, described the holding of the Dialogue as an important milestone in the history of the country especially when it seeks to address the needs of less fortunate Liberians. “Phase one of the implementation of the policy provides that Liberia will continue to develop three primary social assistance instruments to include the social cash transfer for households that are labor constrained, a productive social protection program for those with capacity to work and earn a living to help them graduate from extreme poverty and a school feeding program,” she indicated. The Gender Minister revealed that the government will also undertake a review of other social protection instruments that will support a move toward a social protection floor. She lauded the International Labor Organization (ILO) for its invaluable assistance in helping to build a comprehensive social protection system for Liberia.

On her part, ILO’s Social Protection Officer, Valeria Nesterenko praised the desire of social security institutions of the Government of Liberia, the UN and foreign partners who are aiming to ensure that every citizen gets the minimum guarantee that will enable them to get a decent living. She said while gains were being made in the attainment of social protection, areas such as those in the formal and informal sectors are yet to benefit fully from other work-related programs. The ILO Officer lauded the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection for its vigorous awareness initiatives that have made it possible to hold discussions on a way forward to achieve the social protection floor through national dialogue. The need for social protection is attributed to a shortage of finance, food, and fuel shortage, otherwise referred to as the triple effect, that affected the world.

According to Gabriel N. Fernandez, ILO National Social Protection Coordinator, social protection has its genesis at the point where the UN decided to assist fragile and developing countries to mitigate the impact of the triple effect crisis. Since then, cash transfer from 15 different organizations, including the Liberia National Red Cross, has revived the lives of thousands of poor and vulnerable Liberians; and by December 2016, the program had reached a total of 166,000. The program also seeks to improve the dignity of service delivery at public health facilities, raise awareness among communities as well as ensure that healthcare delivery is not donor dependent.

Health Minister blames Nurses for High Maternal Death,  Source: The INQUIRER

Making remarks at the dedication of a skill laboratory facilities at the six Midwifery and Medical Laboratory Pre-Service Institutions in Monrovia on Monday, Health Minister, Dr.  Bernice Dahn blamed nurses for not being patient enough to attend to pregnant women and the sick. 

Despite lots of opportunities given them in terms of training and provision of modern equipment, she said  the nurses do not have the  compassion to help  patients who are in severe pain saying, being a nurse is to have passion for the profession and have compassion on the patient who  must be  treated with humanity.

Rescue Liberians from Libya – Senator Wesseh, CSOs urge Government,  Source: The INQUIRER

Senator Conmany Wesseh has called on the government to repatriate Liberians who are part of the migrant population in that country as reports say the migrants are being treated as slaves and sometime executed by armed gangs. The Senator added that such report needed urgent attention. Meanwhile, a group of Civil Society Organizations on Monday petitioned the government  also expressing concern for the Liberians in Libya and called on the Foreign Ministry to do something about  the situation.

PSL Programs into year 2, Source: INSIGHT

The Education Ministry has welcomed the continued backing of the Partnership Schools for Liberia (PSL) program by international donor partners. A release from the ministry says nearly 60% of the Year-2 budget of (USD2.91 million) has already been committed by donors. The release stated that funding for the remaining budget for Year is expected to be raised in the coming months.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

New Report: Senators Weah & Johnson Have Not  Shown Up at ECOWAS Parliament, Source: News Public Trust

The Liberian Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria has today (Wednesday) clarified that Senators George Weah and Prince Johnson have not shown up at the current Fourth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament. It is now known that Senator Weah of Montserrado County and Johnson of Nimba County are two of the five Liberian ECOWAS Parliamentarians that are not in Abuja for the meeting, as was reported on Tuesday.

The report was based on a 5 December 2017 press release from the Liberian mission in Abuja which said: “Abuja, December 5, 2017: Liberian legislators at the ECOWAS Parliament have represented their Country Report, bordering on progress and challenges the country has faced since its last report in May of this year…. “According to the release, Montserrado County Representative Edwin Snowe, read the Country Report on behalf of the Liberian Delegation. The members of the Liberian ECOWAS Parliamentarian Delegation are Montserrado County Senator George Manneh Weah, who is the head of the Delegation and Nimba County Senator Prince Yormie Johnson. Others are Representative Jefferson Karmoh of Sinoe County who is the Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament and Representative Haja Fatta Siryon of Bomi County.”

But in a message to our Editor from the Minister Counsellor for Press and Public Affairs at the Abuja mission, Nat Bayjay, he said after the story was published: “I can understand why you might have thought so but that hasn’t been the case. I had only used a flashback picture to capture all of our five representations to the ECOWAS Parliament. And I had to mention that he is the head of the Liberian team for this Fourth Legislature.” Bayjay therefore suggested that “we make that correction that says otherwise. For the records, he and Senator Johnson are not here for this identical session for which the rest of the delegation gave an excuse but the nature of my job as a government PR, I had to be careful in mentioning that in the release based on past situations where his camp had thought I was the one who had told the Liberian media that he was absent from the other session that caused uproar back home. This still remains a sensitive issue for me who has to provide PR service for all members of all three branches of the Government.”

Previously, the media have reported series of stories about irregular attendance of Senators Weah and Johnson at sessions of the ECOWAS Parliament. Some reports have said when they show up for sessions is to collect their per diem packages and later disappear. But the two Liberian Senators had repeatedly dismissed those reports.

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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