Friday, 23 March 2018

LIBERIA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

President Weah Hails UN Intervention In Liberia -Receives UN Deputy Secretary-General, Source: News Public Trust

President George Weah has commended the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) for its numerous interventions in fostering and maintaining the peace Liberia now enjoys. President Weah underscored UNMIL’s enormous contributions in maintaining the nation’s peace that is positively impacting the lives of Liberians. The Liberian leader spoke Thursday during a media stakeout at the Foreign Ministry ahead of the end of UNMIL’s mission in Liberia at the end of March this year.

President Weah welcomed the UN Deputy Secretary-General (DSG), Madam Amina Mohammed and her delegation and commended the gallantry of the men and women in blue helmets for ensuring peace and stability in Liberia. The UN, the president said has positively impacted the lives of Liberians as well as every fabric of the Liberian Society since its arrival in 2003. Weah noted the significance of the visit of Madam Mohammed especially at such crucial time of the end of the peacekeeping mission in the country.

On her part, Madam Mohammed congratulated President Weah on his elections and noted that after 15 years of strengthening the democracy and ensuring peace, the UN remains committed to helping his administration succeed. The UN DSG said the UN is excited about President Weah’s national development plans and is willing to assist him to achieve his Pro-Poor Agenda. She noted that the purpose of her visit is to bring an end to a successful partnership between Liberia and the UN in the restoration of peace to the country. Read more

President Weah Receives Ambassador Skoog - Promises to Sustain Peace, Source: FrontPage Africa

President George Weah Thursday met with Ambassador Olof Skoog, Swedish Permanent Representative to the UN and Chairman of the UN Peacebuilding Commission in Liberia and delegation at his Foreign Affairs Ministry’s office. President Weah informed Ambassador Skoog of his commitment to taking peace serious as well as sustaining it. The Liberian leader commended the delegation for their efforts in sustaining the peace in Liberia and assured them of government’s commitment towards continued peace and reconciliation.

The president applauded the Swedish Envoy and the government of Sweden for their role in strengthening Liberia’s democracy and peace. He, however, reaffirmed his determination to youth development, women empowerment and the issues of land rights; as these are the three cardinal points of the UN peacebuilding initiative. “I take peace very serious. We must do everything to ensure we sustain the peace,” he said.

On his part, Ambassador Skoog congratulated President Weah on his ascendency to the presidency and said he was impressed with the president’s soccer career.  He said the purpose of the visit was to form a partnership with the Liberian government in ensuring that reoccurrence of the issues that could bring Liberia back to chaos are avoided. He pledged his support for the promotion of youth development and women empowerment. Read more

RIA “Shoot To Kill” Notice Backfires, As AFL Distances Itself, Source: News Public Trust

Days ago, the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) released a “shoot to kill” announcement as part of drastic measures to secure the premises of the country’s only international airport (RIA), which it said was “in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL)”, but the army has dismissed the claim, the News Public Trust reports. The LAA said the measures to secure the airport premises especially the airside included: “Stringent patrols by armed men of the AFL at entry point or aerodrome or airside at RIA; Authorities of the AFL to shoot at sight, anyone who attempts to steal any of the navigational equipment within the aerodrome or on the airside at RIA.”

But the Defense Ministry Wednesday denied that the AFL was of any arrangement to shoot on site as stated by the airport authorities. “The AFL distances itself from “shoot and kill notice by RIA authorities. AFL only takes marching orders from AFL command,” said assistant defense minister Sam Collins. Read more

Weah talks on war crimes, Source: The New Dawn

President George Weah says he hopes all actors will be called to make sure that either “we forget” or justice is done, in response to an inquiry if he is considering calls for Liberia to create the environment for war crimes victims to face their perpetrators. “And I hope that those who are responsible, the ministry that responsible which is Justice Ministry and the Peace and Reconciliation Committee will come back on the table and call all of the actors to again look at what is there to make sure that either we forget and justice be done to who all justice needs to be done to,” he said Thursday in Monrovia.

During a press stakeout with Deputy UN Secretary-General (DSG) Amina J. Mohammed at the Foreign Ministry, President Weah said the peace and reconciliation body here has already had a case and those that are victims have their rights also to listen to those that victimized them.

He argued that peace is not just one-day thing, suggesting that this is the time that “we” make sure that the environment is created that Liberians will find a reason to forgive each other so that they can move on. Weah acknowledged that his government has to follow the rule of law, and it is not trying to undo what is already there. But Mr. Weah emphasized that his government incurred a lot of things and it has to follow the rule of law step-by-step.

Also speaking, UN DSG Mohammed said it is now on President Weah’s leadership and government with the full support of the UN and other international partners to continue to address the issues of poverty, youths unemployment, illiteracy and the lack of basic infrastructure that connect the capital to the rest of the counties.

She observed that today Liberia enjoys peace and UNMIL leaves behind a country that has great potentials to achieve lasting stability, deepening its democracy and prosperity. But she cautioned that sustainable peace is about justice, strong institutions, governance and continuing the work of the national reconciliation and the constitution. Read more

Weah defends LEITI’s appointment, Source: The New Dawn

President George Weah says he is not breaking laws here, following a wave of criticisms locally and internationally for appointing a new head at the Liberia Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (LEITI) Secretariat. Addressing a press stakeout Thursday in Monrovia with visiting Deputy UN Secretary General (DSG) Madam Amina Mohammed, President Weah argued that he didn’t break any law and urged his critics to go back to the constitution and read those guidelines. The UK-based watchdog group Global Witness has since condemned Mr. Weah’s appointment of Gabriel Nyenkan and the subsequent removal of LEITI head of the Secretariat Konah Karmo from office by use of police force as illegal. Read more

House to Hold Popular Consultations on Dual Citizenship, Land Ownership Bills, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Members of the House of Representatives have agreed to unprecedentedly add one week to their traditionally two-week’s Easter Break to have a face-to-face with their respective constituents about the ‘controversial’ Dual Citizenship and Land Ownership Bills.

The constituents’ meeting is intended to help lawmakers make an informed decision on a growing controversial issue currently the subject of intense public debates. Some legislators have already raised questions about the granting of citizenship to non-Negros and have openly expressed opposition to it. On the other hand, some legislators share President George Weah’s opinion that the constitutional clause restricting citizenship to individuals of Negro descent is racist and needs to be scrapped. Read more

Senate Receives USD50M Annual Budget Proposal for Pavements of Highways, Freeways

The Liberian Senate Thursday received a letter from Senator Armah Jallah seeking the Senate’s approval on an annual basis, USD50 million appropriation in the national budget over a period of 15 consecutive years for roads. According to Senator Jallah, the purpose of the budget is for the pavement of highway systems, freeways, major and minor highways and primary streets, among others.

Senator Jallah, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Works, recalled that “This road finance and trust fund proposal was made during my early years as President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, but was never considered by this honorable body.” Notwithstanding the facts that roads make a critical contribution to the economic development and growth of a nation and result in important social benefits, Jallah noted that it has “made it a compelling need for me to resubmit this proposal.” Read more

Representative Koffa Requests ‘Discharge Petition’ on Economic Empowerment Bill, Source: FrontPage Africa

Representative J. Fonati Koffa has written his colleagues in accordance with the House of Representatives’ Rules and Procedures notifying them of “Discharge Petition” on the Liberia Empowerment and Economic Act of 2018. The Act was introduced by Representative Koffa and read in plenary on 30 January 2018. According to him, the 30-day period in their rules for an act to stay within a committee room has now elapsed since the Liberia Economic Empowerment Act was referred to the relevant committees. The Act seeks to empower local Liberian entrepreneurs. Read more

Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah, Dozen Others Confirmed, Sources: Daily OBSERVER, FrontPage Africa, The New Dawn, and The NEWS

Following weeks of delay and reported intensive closed-door lobbying, the plenary of the Senate Thursday received a report from its Committee on Health, Gender, Children, and Social Protection recommending the confirmation of health minister-designate Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah who made two appearances before the Senate Committee. At both appearances, she refused to comment on the issue relating to the death during surgical operations of a female Prelate, Desiree Fahnbulleh, at her clinic. She had informed the lawmakers that her inability to address the issue was due to legal advice from her lawyer, as the matter is already in court.

But during her last appearance, Dr. Jallah clarified that the death of Pastor Fahnbulleh was not intentional and that in fact, she had, like all medical practitioners, taken that very important oath to save lives, which she asserted she has done over a period of more than 30 years.

Also recommended for confirmation by the Committee on Information, Broadcasting, Culture, and Tourism was another controversial nominee, Eugene Fahngon, for the position of deputy information minister for public affairs. The Committee on Agriculture also reported to plenary that agriculture minister-designate Mogana Flomo, Jr. during confirmation hearing and based on his educational background and experiences, deserves the plenary blessing. 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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