Friday, 16 February 2018

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Weah begs for help, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The New Dawn

President George Weah Thursday appealed to Senegal’s Macky Sall to support his administration in any way possible to help him jump-start the Liberian economy, saying the country’s economy is in a deplorable state. President Weah, according to a dispatch from Dakar said unemployment here is at an unprecedented high, so are expectations, adding that “his government will not be able to deliver on the promise of change for the betterment of Liberia and the people of Liberia, without urgent and significant assistance from friendly governments.”

The Liberian leader said a support from a friendly government will help his administration focus on the structural adjustments; institutional and policy frameworks, that will allow his administration to achieve sustainable and stable improvements in the economy, in the medium-long term. He told his Senegalese counterpart that youth unemployment remains one of the greatest threats to peace and long-term stability in Liberia.

President Sall assured President Weah that his government stands ready to support his government’s pro-poor agenda in the areas of capacity building, education, and healthcare. The Senegalese leader further acknowledged the longstanding relationship that exists between both countries and the need to further strengthen that relationship for the common good of their respective countries. Read more

Health, Roads, Others Key Priorities of New Government, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Finance minister Samuel Tweah has disclosed that youth development, education, health, roads, and private sector development are key priorities of the new government and will be part of its short-term delivery plan. Minister Tweah said it will be accomplished through domestic resource mobilization and a coordinated effort led by the Government of Liberia and its development partners.

Speaking during a meeting with the United Nations and other development partners on Tuesday, the finance minister assured that the government is committed to working with all partners in implementing its pro-poor governance agenda. Tweah said the government is committed to mobilizing domestic resources through transparent budget execution and reduction of wasteful spending and called on development partners to align their interventions to that of the government’s to speed up pro-poor transformation in Liberia. He said the alignment of the interventions will improve the partnership and promote coordination, adding that the impact of all the interventions will be felt in all the counties. “There is a need for Government of Liberia and UN development partners to work together on a framework matrix modalities,” finance minister Tweah noted. Read more

Public Works Minister-designate Promises to Institute Zoning Regulations, Source: FrontPage Africa

The minister of public works-designate, Mobutu Nyenpan says if confirmed by the Senate, his administration will institute a robust zero-tolerance attitude towards violators of zoning regulations and those engaged in construction activities without obtaining the requisite permits from the Ministry. Mr. Nyenpan also promised to demolish structures that are deliberately built in alleyways, waterways, and contrary to zoning regulations. The public works minister-designate further promised to institute proper city planning, bring sanity to communities by stubbornly ensuring proper layout of communities and work to ensure conducive and improved road network.

Nyenpan also told the Senate Committee on Public Works that he will institute standard construction and implement city ordinance as required by global engineering and international best practices. He also said, consistent with the policy of President George Weah to empower Liberian businesses when confirmed, he will give priority to Liberian construction contractors and dedicate resources to the building of their capacity so as to enable them fairly compete with other companies in the industry.  Read more

Vice President Sister Faces Senate’s Health Committee for Confirmation, Source: FrontPage Africa

Norwu Gaba Howard, sister of Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, Thursday faced the Senate Committee on Health Committee to state reasons why she should be confirmed as deputy health minister for administration. She promised to work with the various legislative health committees to raise the country’s healthcare standards by ensuring that healthcare workforce is properly trained with the skills, knowledge, and tools to perform their duties. The deputy health minister-designate also promised to work to earn and keep the public trust by providing strong, evidenced-based administrative leadership to ensure that safety and compliance is government’s primary objective. “We must work with our stakeholders on the health plans set by the Ministry of Health, so that Liberians can benefit from care that yields the best outcomes, even in the most unlikely places,” she stated. Read more

Vice President Gets National ID Card, Encourages Liberians to Take Advantage, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and FrontPage Africa

Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor is encouraging Liberians to enroll into the National Biometric Identification System and obtain their citizen identification cards. Vice President Taylor stressed the importance of every Liberian be a part of the process, saying, it is helpful to country and people. She expressed confidence in the process and praised the management for a successful process. “Thanks for your hard work here, I am pleased with the process and I encourage the public to take advantage of it,” the vice president stressed. Mrs. Taylor carried out her biometric registration when she visited the Registry’s headquarters in Congo town on Tuesday, 13 February. Read more

Former officials risk arrest, Source: The New Dawn

Liberian police authorities have instructed their officers assigned across the country to arrest and turn over any former government official that is found to be in possession of government vehicle to face immediate investigation and prosecution. The police in a release Thursday said it a “deliberate refusal” of former government officials to turn over all assigned vehicles that are still in their possession, despite not being re-appointed by the current government. The police further said that such act on the part of former officials to hold onto government vehicles is a blatant violation of the 9 February deadline set by the government. Read more

Holding On to the Party that Let Her Go, Sirleaf Sues Boakai, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Lawyers representing former president and standard bearer-emeritus of the former ruling Unity Party (UP), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf have filed a lawsuit against former vice president and standard bearer of the UP, Joseph Boakai, alleging her expulsion orchestrated by Mr. Boakai was in violation of the constitution of the party and the 1986 Liberian constitution. The suit before the Board of Commissioners of the National Elections Commission (NEC) named other party’s officials also expelled and seeking legal redress were Senator Conmany Wesseh, his wife Medina and Patrick Worzie. The matter is expected to be heard on Tuesday, 20 February at the commission.

Mrs. Sirleaf and other party executive were expelled on January 18 of this year for allegedly violating the party’s constitution as she was seen campaigning with now President George Weah, who was then running under the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) during the 2017 elections. “The behavior of the expelled persons… constitutes sabotage and undermined the existence of the party,” said the statement announcing the decision, which was taken by the party’s executive committee. Read more

‘There’s No Glass Ceiling for African Women’ – Mo Ibrahim, Source: FrontPage Africa

Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, founder of the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership has told FrontPage Africa that former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has proven to women in Africa that there is no glass ceiling for women’s achievement in leadership. “It is an achievement for African girls and women that there is no glass ceiling and they can really help to move Africa forward,” Mr. Ibrahim said while commenting on the awarding of the prestigious prize to former President Sirleaf.

In an exclusive interview with FrontPage Africa on Monday, Ibrahim said Liberians should be proud of the former president’s achievements. He noted that the Foundation’s Index of African Governance of over a hundred parameters in rule of law, security, health, education, amongst others, discovered Liberia as the only country that improved in all four pillars of the index.

He said the award given to Mrs. Sirleaf is “in a way a recognition for the Liberian people who went through some terrible experiences: The civil war was really terrible, the toll was huge, human cost and then, of course, it fractured the economy and the Ebola crisis that was painful. For Liberia to manage to really move into a peaceful society which is able to move forward and select a next President in a proper and peaceful manner and still standing as a country, I think that is a major achievement”. Read more

CDC Chair resigns, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The New Dawn

The chairman of ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Nathaniel McGill has resigned with immediate effect his post as party chair weeks after President George Weah appointed him as minister of state for presidential affairs and chief of staff. At a short program held at the party’s headquarters on Thursday in the Monrovia suburb of Congo Town, Mr. McGill said his decision is based on the huge responsibilities he is currently carrying as a government minister. Meanwhile, the party’s vice chairman for operations and mobilization, Mulbah Morlu has subsequently been appointed to act as chairman to steer the affairs of the party until its next national convention. Read more

One Health Validation Meeting Begins, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The NEWS

A three-day validation meeting of "One Health" governance manual and annual work plan has begun in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County. A release said the meeting is sponsored by the Liberian government and the USAID through the National Public Health Institute of Liberia. One Health Coordination Platform (OHCP) is an approach based on the collaborative efforts of professionals from multiple disciplines working locally, nationally and globally to attain optimal health for people, animals and the environment that cut across multiple sectors in other to strengthen a functional One Health approach in Liberia that addresses public health events including zoonotic disease. Read more

Government Urged to Make Agriculture a Priority, Source: Daily OBSERVER

A former acting deputy agriculture minister, Isaac Flowers, wants President George Weah’s government to focus on agriculture to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign imports. Speaking recently at a day-long workshop organized by the National Fish Farmers Union of Liberia (NAFFUL), Mr. Flowers said if the government makes agriculture one of its pillars of development, the country will move into mechanized farming. He said Liberia has one of the most fertile soils in the world, and therefore, the land is a garden that should be used to produce the country’s staple food, rice. Flowers wants the government to allow each county to produce food to contribute to the country’s fight against hunger. Read more

Weah consoles America, Source: The New Dawn

President George Weah has sent a condolence message to the United States government and people following the death of at least 17 persons. A Foreign Ministry release said the suspect, Nikolas Cruz, 19, allegedly gunned down 17 students and staff with a rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday, February 14, 2018. Read more

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

New Liberia president Weah to visit France, Sources: AFP and Daily Mail

Liberia's new president, the ex-footballer George Weah, will visit France later this month and meet President Emmanuel Macron, the Elysee Palace announced Thursday. "This will be George Weah's first trip to Europe since his election", a statement said, calling his victory "an exemplary democratic change of power". Weah, 51, took over from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who over 12 years steered the West African country away from the trauma of a civil war but failed to ease dire poverty. 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.

 

 

 

 

Online Headlines