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Law & Order

Corkrum Beau Melvin Johnson Says His Fight Against Corruption Caused him to fail in completing the annual training for judges, as required by state law which led to the termination from his job in America

I MADE A CONSCIOUS CHOICE

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TAYLOR POLICE HENCHMAN ON COURTS RADAR

CENTRAL BANK OF LIBERIA

MARKET BUYING AND SELLING RATES LIBERIAN DOLLARS PER US DOLLAR

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YEKEH APPEARS IN COURT OVER LAND DISPUTE

BUYING MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2014 SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014 MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2014 L$86.00/US$1 L$87.00/US$1 L$87.00/US$1

SELLING L$87.00/US$1 L$88.00/US$1 L$88.00/US$1

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These are indicative rates based on results of daily surveys of the foreign exchange market in Monrovia and its environs. The rates are collected from the Forex Bureaux and the commercials banks. The rates are not set by the Central Bank of Liberia.
Source: Research, Policy and Planning Department, Central Bank Liberia, Monrovia, Liberia

VOL 8 NO.583

TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 2014

PRICE L$40

ITC HELPING LIBERIA TO IMPROVE TRADE

This is what we do, helping small and medium enterprises to unlock their potential, adding more value which generates growth, serving as employment, so that trading is diversified, ITC Executive Director Arancha Gonzalez.
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DIVERSIFYING TRADE

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LAWMAKER SUES CHRONICLE NEWSPAPER FOR $500K DAMAGES

Wherefore and in view of the law, facts and circumstances plaintiffs pray your honor and the court to enter judgment against the defendant, hold them liable jointly and severally for act committed against plaintiffs so that they can be awarded damages in the amount in an amount to be determined by jury, which should not be less than US$500,000.00 for the losses, inconvenience and embarrassments the plaintiffs were made to suffer by the defendants stated the complaint. pg 11

- Tale Of A Teenage Girl Forced Into Marriage By Caretaker-Parents In Monrovia, Nurses Preempt Complications at Childbirth pg 7

RAPE FOR LIFE

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ormer National Transitional Government of Liberia Chairman Chares Gyude Bryant frustrated by the cancellation of a contract the company he locally represents was negotiating with the NPA is now dead and gone but justice has prevailed at last with a complaint filed before the Public Procurement and Concession Commission of Liberia (PPCC) by the Damen Shipyard now

Tuesday, April 29, 2014 Accordingly, the Complaints, Appeals and Review Panel (CARP) invalidates and reverses the decision of the National Port Authority to abort all negotiations and cancel the procurement process relative to the purchase of tugs, and that to ensure compliance with the PPC Act, the National Port Authority is hereby ordered to formalize the contract for the acquisition of tugboats with Damen Shipyards Gorinchem in keeping with prior negotiations, AND IT IS HEREBY SO ORDERED, a ruling dated April 25 and signed by a five member panel stated.
present form or a substantially similar form is not appropriate, the PPC Panel ruling finds. Binding on parties In the opinion of the Panel, circumstances that surrounded the biding, exchange of sealed bid and acceptance of bid by the NPA followed by a letter of intend to award met the meeting of the kinds of the two parties and was therefore binding on both parties. Stated the Panel In this case, the exchange of the sealed bid by Damen, and the acceptance thereto, that is to say the letters of award and contract negotiations from the NPA to Damen essentially met the meeting of the minds of the parties thereby binding them. Either party could not have cancelled the contract without the knowledge and consent of the other or without due process of the laws. For either party to have done so, in the mind of the Panel, is arbitrary and a violation of the PPCC Act. The authority to cancel a contract is vested within the Judiciary Branch of government. As such, any party exercising that authority without due process is void ab initio. Case history The National Port Authority in July 2012 advertised an International Competitive Bid (ICB) for the supply of two second hand tugs for use by the NPA and six companies participated in the process including Damen Shipyards. Following the review of the bid documents, the NPA declared the Damen Shipyards as the winner of the bid and wrote the shipping agency notifying it of intent to award a contract. In a letter dated May 1, 2013, under the heading Notice of Intent to Award, signed by Matilda W. Parker, Managing Director of the NPA, the NPA notified the DAMEN Shipyard Gorichem of its intent to award the contract for the supply of the tug boats to the shipping agency requesting the agency to prepare for the contractual process. I present my compliments and on behalf of the Procurement Committee of the National Port Authority (NPA), I thank you for the two visits made to the NPA Conference Room on April 17, 2013 and April 19, 2013 respectively, in which the reports from the Due Diligence process were scrutinized by the Procurement Committee. In view of the aforementioned, we wish to notify you of our intent to award a contract to Damen Shipyard consistent with IFB NoNPA/ICB/002/2012-Tug Boats acquisition. Meanwhile, I request that you kindly prepare yourself for the NPA contractual process along with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Finance, upon approval by the PPCC, a letter signed by Matilda Parker, NPA Managing Director with CC copy to Hon. M. Nathaniel Barnes, Chairman/NPA Board of Directors, Dir. Rudolph J. Merab, Chairman, Operations Sub-Committee/ NPA Board of Directors, DMD/A/NPA; Comptroller/NPA, Legal/ NPA and Dir of Ports & Harbor/NPA stated. The NPA through its Managing Director, Matilda Parker wrote another letter to the General Manager of DAMEN Shipyard on July 25, 2013 requesting the agency to a meeting in the NPA conference room to negotiate the contract in keeping with the PPCC laws. Stated the NPA July 25, 2013 letter signed by Managing Director Matilda W. Parker: We present our compliments and wish to inform you that the PPCC Laws require a contract negotiation for the purchase of capital items. In fulfillment of that law, you are invited to a meeting on Tuesday, July 30, 2013, at 3:00 pm in the Conference Room of the NPA Head Office to negotiate a contract for the purchase of two (2) tugboats. In follow-up to the supply of the tugboats, former NTGL Chairman Bryant wrote the NPA on October 3, 2013 inquiring why the NPA had been mute on the contract negotiations after it had notified the Damen Shipyard that the agency gets ready to negotiate the contract. Former Chairman Bryant stated in the letter: Dear Mrs. Parker: You will recall that on the 23rd of August 2013, you communicated to me that the NPA was in the process of seeking approval from PPCC for the purchase of new tugs. Since that date, we have heard absolutely nothing from the NPA. Please be informed that if the NPA is having difficulties getting approval from PPCC for the purchase of new tugs, built to the full specification of the NPA, we wish to confirm that second hand tugs are still available to be delivered in keeping with our original bid for used tugs. Please let us know when these negotiations can be continued for either used or new tugs in keeping with your specification, and Notice of Intent to purchase two (2) tugs from Damen. Responding to Bryants letter Matilda Parker, NPA MD stated: Dear Mr. Bryant, I am very pleased to present avid compliments, and hereby acknowledge receipt of your letter concerning the second hand tugs that are also available for purchase. You will be contacted by our legal department to continue negotiations. Damen Shipyard in a January 10, 2014 letter to the NPA requested information on the delay in getting word from the Legal Department of the NPA as stated by Managing Director Parker in her communication to Mr. Bryant. In the beginning of November we received your notification letter MD-1/648/2013 dated 29 October, 2013, in which you mentioned that your legal department would contact us in order to continue negotiations for the acquisitions for tug boats. However, until now we havent had any message from your legal department, Dereck Oerlemans, Damen Shipyard Regional Director Africa stated in the letter. Cllr. Jeffrey George, Legal Division of the NPA in a letter dated January 13, 2014 informed Damen Shipyards that the NPA was aborting the contract. In an effort to support the PPCC Law by affording all bidders equal opportunity, coupled with the fact that it does not have the capacity readily to purchase new tugs, the NPA has decided to exercise its rights as stated under E: Evaluation and Comparison of Bids Prior to Contract Award in section 39.1 (Purchasers Right to Accept Any Bid And To Reject Any or All Bids) of the bid document to abort all negotiations relative to the purchase of tugs and hereby abort the process until it is financially capable of purchasing new tugs; at which time bid documents for new tugs will be published. Accordingly, we wish to inform you that all negotiations for the purchase of tugs are cancelled for now and the immediate future, the indicated. Damen Shipyard again wrote the NPA informing the Port that the issue of new tugs was not a major problem as the agency was available to provide used tug boats based on the need of the NPA. The shipping agency stated in the letter: Dating back to our letter DJo/MvV/P240574 of April 24, 2013, we confirmed that the used tugs were available. We repeated that confirmation of availability of used tugs built to the specification of the NPA in our letter of October 3, 2013 signed by our Local Representative, C. Gyude Bryant (see Attachments 1 and 2). Therefore Damen would like to stress we have never neither verbally nor in writing said or put that used tugs are not available. In fact, for a very long period already Damen has two perfectly suitable tugs available meeting the requirements. The shipping agency appealed to the NPA to reconsider its decision aborting the negotiations, but Managing Director Parker in a January 28, 2014 letter confirmed the NPAs action aborting the contract. On behalf of the National Port Authority, this letter serves as confirmation of the cancellation of said bid, MD Parker declared. President Sirleaf gives go-ahead In a letter dated July 8, 2013, Edward B. McClain, Jr. informed that NPA that President Sirleaf interposes no objection to the acquisition of the used tugboats. The Letter States: This is in response to request for presidential authorization to proceed with the acquisition of two used tugboats for the National Port Authority. It is our understanding that there is some concern that the purchase of two tugboats might be prohibited by Governments policy because the tugboats are not new but used. It should be noted that Governments Fleet Management Policy, published by the General Services Agency, which expressly prohibits the purchase of used vehicles for Government, applies to land-based vehicles and is not intended to apply to sea crafts or aircrafts, which can be very costly when purchased new. The Ministry of State cautioned the NPA that when such equipment are purchased all care should be taken to ensure that the item are thoroughly examined and under proper and reasonable warranty. It is imperative, however, that whenever such used equipment are being purchased for use by Government or an agency of Government, all care should be taken to ensure the items are thoroughly examined and under proper, reasonable warranty. The tugboats to be purchased are necessary to facilitate safe international and domestic trade by ocean-going vessels that carry goods and passengers within our territorial waters. The National Port Authority has confirmed that all other procurements under existing laws have been duly met. We understand these have been or are being further confirmed by the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission and because of the amount of money involved, the Ministries of Finance and Justice will participate in concluding the acquisition of the tugboats, the Ministry of State noted in the letter to NPA MD, Matilda Parker. The Ministry concluded in the letter that President Sirleaf interposes no objection to the purchase of used tugboats. In view of the above, Her Excellency herein interposes no objection to the acquisition of the two used tugboats, the letter from the office of the President stated. Despite a letter of appeal from the shipping agency calling on the NPA to reconsider its decision coupled with the letter of no objection from the President, the NPA did not recommence contract negotiations prior to the death of Bryant.

decided. Bryant who had been ailing, fought in vain with the NPA over a tugboat contract he had legally won through a competitive bidding process. Bryant, who was the Liberian representative for Damen Shipyard, a Netherlands-based company, had filed a complaint before the Complaints, Appeals and Review Panel of the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission(PPCC) against the NPA for Tugboats that the company submitted bid for and the NPA illegally cancelled in contravention of the PPCC Act. In the letter of complaint to the PPC dated March 3, 2014, addressed to the Executive Director of the PPCC, Damen Oerlemans, Regional Director for Africa for Damen Shipyard, filed a formal complaint to the Commission against the NPA. The complaint stated: We present our compliments and herewith file a formal complaint concerning our Bid offered to the National Port Authority (NPA) in keeping with the NPAs advertised invitation to tender for the acquisition of two (2) second-hand tugs-Bid Ref. ICB No NPA/ICB/002/2012. This complaint is made in keeping with Part V111-125-rights to review, of the amended and Restated PPCC Act of 2005, approved September 16, 2010, stated the complaint. In rendering ruling into the case entitled Opinion in the Case: Damen Shipyards Gorinchem vs. National Port Authority, the PPCC held the National Port Authority in violation of the PPCC Act and reversed the decision of the port to cancel contract negotiations with the Damen Shipyards. NPAs Action Reversed Accordingly, the Complaints, Appeals and Review Panel (CARP) invalidates and reverses the decision of the National Port Authority to abort all negotiations and cancel the procurement process relative to the purchase of tugs, and that to ensure compliance with the PPC Act, the National Port Authority is hereby ordered to formalize the contract for the acquisition of tugboats with Damen Shipyards Gorinchem in keeping with prior negotiations, AND IT IS HEREBY SO ORDERED, a ruling dated April 25 and signed by a five member panel stated. The Panel in its findings declared that the NPA was in violation of the PPC Act 2010 by cancelling the bid proceedings after the issuance of a letter of intent to award the contract to Damen Shipyards Stated the Panel Opinion Wherefore and in view of the foregoing facts and laws, it is the opinion of the independent Complaints, Appeals and review Panel of the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission of the Republic of Liberia that the National Port Authority was in violation of the PPC Act 2010, when she called the bid proceedings after issuance of a letter of intent to award contract and another letter authorizing Damen to begin contract negotiations with the NPA. Faulty reliance The PPC in detailed analysis on the compliant stated that justification by the NPA that it cancelled the contract because of another negotiation with the Kuwaiti Fund is unjustifiable as such was the reason the NPA should have indicated such in its bid advertisement. During investigations, the NPA provided reasons for the cancellation of the bid in two separate letters dated March 31, 2014, and April 15, 2014. In the March 31, 2014 letter, the NPA informed the Panel that the NPA had the right to cancel or reject all bid documents thereby incurring any liability to bidders. In reliance thereto, the NPA cited section 1 (39.1) of its bid document. In its second letter of April 15, 2014, the NPA said that she cancelled the bid because, it was in the process of rectifying a loan with the Kuwaiti fund for the purchase of tug boats among other things that must be bided for following specific rules that had o be preapproved by the fund. The later suggest that the Kuwaiti fund was in fact the pre-condition for advertising the bid. If this is the case, the panel thinks, that such preconditions should have been mentioned in the NPAs advertisement. To have failed to mention it in the bid document and/or notice of intent to award and the letter authorizing the contract negotiations, as well as the series of negotiations itself constitutes a waiver and a bar to exercise the right to cancel the bid proceeding as in this instance case, the panel stated. The Panel contends that the NPAs reliance conflicts with the PPC Act as the establishment of the commission is to ensure that all procurement proceedings are in compliance with the PPCC Act of 2010. The NPAs reliance on its letter of March 31, 2014 conflicts with the PPCC Act of 2010. As such, the Act prevails over the bid provided by the NPA. The essence of the establishment of the PPCC is to ensure that all procurement proceedings are complaint with the PPC Act of 2010, the Panel expressed. According to the Panel, assuming without the NPA admitting that the Kuwaiti fund could be used as a precondition for the awarding of the contract subject to dispute, the PPCC Act is clear and unambiguous on contracts. According to Part IV, section 36 (2b), a procurement proceedings may be cancelled for insufficient funding at any time prior to the acceptance of a bid where continuing with the procurement in its

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FrontPage EDITORIAL
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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

COMMENTARY

Commentary

FRIENDS LIKE GARDNER BAD FOR SIRLEAFS IMAGE, LEGACY

Adelaide Gardners rants, Liberia Telecommunications Authoritys assault on the media, clearly suggest that those advising President Sirleaf are determined to ensure that she ranks right up there with the likes of Samuel Doe, Charles Taylor and Robert Mugabe.
THE WORLD IS PREPARING to observe another World Press Freedom Day. This year. Theme is Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the Post-2015 Development Agenda. LIBERIA, A SIGNATORY to the Table Mountain Declaration boasts a President, in Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf who has won the Nobel Peace Prize, for her non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work". SIRLEAF SHARED the prize with fellow Leymah Gbowee. Other recipient of the coveted Nobel Prize over the years, include Dr. Martin Luther King, President Barack Obama, Mahatma Ghandi. THE PRESIDENT has also been honored as a recipient of the Friend of the Media in Africa Award from The African Editor's Union. SHORTLY AFTER her election in 2006, Sirleaf was honored by the Hunger Project at a fanfare gala in New York, during which Joan Holmes, founding president of the project, praised the commitment of Sirleaf to the empowerment of women, and to rebuilding her nation following 14 years of devastating civil war. CITING THE ENORMOUS destruction of the war, Ms. Holmes said: "Can you imagine the courage it would take, the vision it would take, and the belief in the goodness and resilience of people it would take to lead a country with this amount of devastation? We have always said that we award the Africa Prize to leaders who exhibit courage, vision and the commitment to the well-being of Africas people. This statement has never been more true than in the case of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf." THIS IS WHY we are particularly concerned over the manner in which President Sirleaf is allowing her so-called friends to wreak havoc on what she took 40 years to build, a political life and the world at her feet. SADLY, THE PRESIDENTS lack of political will is giving reason for the world to lose confidence in her leadership and donors to lose faith and trust in her ability to lead a nation emerging from war. THIS HAS BEEN bolstered by actions and statements by many of the presidents close friends and associates. THE LATEST involves Ms. Adelaide Gardner who used her weekly talk show with Mr. Charles Snetter to take aim at the media and advocate for the government to shut down radio stations in the country. SAID MS. GARDNER: Its time for LTA(the Liberia Telecommunications Authority) to act against illegal operators. Too many doggone radio stations. LTA, I must admit, havent been vigilant. So maybe this is the whole thing. If you(LTA) were really checking on these people to see whose broadcasting and for what reason and information whose supposed to be giving out licenses, all this stuff wouldnt be happening. And why some of them want to start a radio station to do what, to attack the government? Your sit down and let it happen? For what? CONTINUED GARDNER: Im sure they got some kind of guidelines for people opening radio stations and you cant just get on the air and start attacking the government and start talking all that mess there. What you want say, freedom of speech? We got it now in Liberia but I give your two and a half more years, your will see whether your will get it MS. GARDNERS rants against the media from someone considered to be an influential member of the presidents kitchen Cabinet validates the fears many had last week when the LTA announced that it would begin shutting down so-called delinquent radio stations and media institutions. THE LTA inappropriately used the Ministry of Information, Culture Affairs and Tourism(MICAT) weekly press briefing to throw a bummer, threatening to shut down radio and Television stations, it considers illegally operating. "There are some radio stations that are operating without any reference to the LTA whatsoever, they are illegal, and those entities we will shut you down completely," LTA Commissioner of the Licensing, regulations Anthony McCritty warned. MCCRITTY FAILED to name the radio and Television stations the LTA considers illegal and intend to close but one of those

AHEAD OF WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY, PRESIDENT MAY WANT TO RETHINK ASSOCIATION WITH THOSE IN HER INNER CIRCLE

CITIZENS PATRIOTIC ROLE VS THE LIBERIAN GOVERNMENTS RESPONSIBILITIES TO ITS CITIZENS: THE CASE OF THE FOUR SHOT LIBERIANS IN TURKEY

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Monrovia -

amuel P. Jackson, an erstwhile progressive, who is also an economist and controversial political commentator, said Liberias neglect of blind people was scandalous. Speaking at the National Convention of the Christian Association of the Blind on Saturday, April 27 along the Robertsfield Highway, Mr. Jackson noted that the destitute condition of blind people was a reflection of societal neglect and not in conformity with the social contract of the state to support its most vulnerable population. Mr. Jackson spoke on the Agenda for Transformation and how it could support the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for Blind People and other vulnerable members of society. Mr. Jackson noted that the visual signs are clear, indicating that a large number of blind people have become street beggars, eking out a meager existence, without critical support from state institutions and philanthropy from the general public. This neglect of the blind is tantamount to abrogation of the social contract between the state and its people. He noted limited educational opportunities for blind people, as reflected in the fact that no tertiary institution in the country has the technology to teach them through Braille. The Agenda for Transformation is the countrys long term visioning exercise that seeks to make Liberia a middle income country by 2030. Mr. Jackson said while he supports the Agenda for Transformation, he reminded the government that inclusive growth, which means that benefits from the countrys economy must flow through to all its citizens was still a long ways off in the future, even beyond 2030. Mr. Jackson said despite the Agenda for Transformation, yet, and unfortunately, poverty continues
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to be disaggregated into urban-rural divide, young versus old and vulnerable groups such as blind people versus the rest of society. Blind Yearn for Charles Taylor Days During the question and answer period, many of the blind intimated that they were better off during the Taylor regime and that the economy was better. Mr. Jackson, who calls himself a rational empiricist, challenged those assertions stating that before 2006, 76 percent of Liberians live below the poverty line and now according to our national poverty rates, only 56 percent did. He however, sadly noted that if blind people are feeling such economic pinch under the administration of Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and longing for the days of Charles Taylor, then the current administration had failed in many respects in not connecting with its own people. How people could feel, with all of the progress in the country that things are worse of today, he cried. Mr. Jackson said it was a failure on the part of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf government to implement a social welfare policy that did more for the blind. Mr. Jackson was reminded by some of the blind that during the administration of Charles Taylor, the jailed and exiled president donated an 18-seater bus to them, supported the hospital by providing drugs and gave 20 bags of rice every month. Mr. Jackson ended the discussion by promising the blind that he would convey their messages to the President of Liberia, his personal friend and political ally for 40 years and indicated that she must understand that if blind people are crying in the country, it means that more must be done and he acknowledged that even the perception that they are hungrier today should claim the attention of the national government.

frequencies happened to belong to Mr. Henry Costa, host of the Costa Morning Show on FM 102.7 who has been served by the LTA with the blessings of the Ministry of Information. MS. GARDNERS RANTS and the LTAs assault on the media clearly suggest that those advising President Sirleaf are determined to ensure that she ranks right up there with the likes of Samuel Doe, Charles Taylor and Robert Mugabe. IRONICALLY, THE VERY STATION Ms. Gardner is now using to air her rants and anti-media insults, fell prey to acts she is now advocating, under the brutal regime of Charles Taylor. DURING THAT ugly period, several other stations endured similar issues. Star Radio was subject to government pressure. On January 7, 1998, the Taylor government closed Star Radio citing illegal use of frequencies as reason although Star Radio and Radio Monrovia had a time sharing contract. After pressure from foreign governments, Star Radio was able to regain the air waves. In October 1998, the Liberian government withdrew the short wave licenses of Star Radio and Roman Catholic Radio Veritas. Nonetheless, based on a 1999 survey, there were approximately 400,000 people listening to Star Radio FM because of its independent reporting. ON MARCH 15, 2000, the government closed down both Star Radio and Radio Veritas. President Taylor cited "outside influence" and "outside money" as reasons and attacked Star Radios internet news service as being biased against Liberian interests. It is said that Taylor was not only dissatisfied with the existence of independent media but even more dissatisfied with the poor performance of his own media in the ratings. CITING THE CONSTITUTION, the Catholic Church filed a lawsuit against the government it has the right under the constitution to own and operate a shortwave station in the country. Article 15, Sections a, b and c of the Liberian Constitution state: a) Every person shall have the right to freedom of expression, being fully responsible for the abuse thereof this right shall not be curtailed, restricted or enjoined by government save during an emergency declared in accordance with the Constitution. b) The right encompasses the right to hold opinions without interference and the right to acknowledge. It includes freedom of speech and of the press, academic freedom to receive and impact knowledge and information and the right of libraries to

make such knowledge available. It includes non-interference with the use of the mail, telephone and telegraph. It likewise includes the right to remain silent. c) In pursuance of this right, there shall be no limitation on the public right to be informed about the government and its functionaries. AS WE CELEBRATE ANOTHER World Press Freedom Day, we hope that the Sirleaf administration and the likes of Ms. Gardner and the LTA will take time to reflect on where Liberia has come. The so-called anti-government stations today reflect the anger many are feeling because the wealth and resources are not being felt by those languishing at the bottom of the economic ladder. PERHAPS IF the president can exhibit the political will and muster the courage international organizations once believed she possessed, those so-called anti-government and illegal stations and media entities will have nothing to say or write. WE AGREE WITH UNESCO that this years World Press Freedom Day serves as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. Just as importantly, it is a day of support for media which are targets for the restraint, or abolition, of press freedom. It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. WE ALSO agree with UNESCO that Freedom of information is a fundamental human right and the touchstone of all the freedoms to which the United Nations is consecrated. A UN RESOLUTION adopted by the General Assembly on December 14th 1946 was right in declaring that Freedom of information implies the right to gather, transmit and publish news anywhere and everywhere without fetters. As such it is an essential factor in any serious effort to promote the peace and progress of the world. LIBERIA HAS COME so far and been through so much. We must not allow anything, anyone or any repressed forces to take us back down the painful path that led us to war. Tolerance is crucial to Liberias post-war survival. Lack of these virtues and values, is all the recipe one would need to ensure any but a peaceful transition from war to peace, especially in the aftermath of UN peacekeepers from Liberias still fragile soil.

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WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT OUR STORIES ON THE WORLDWIDE WEB

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INTRIGUE AND DENIALS OVER JUSTICE MINISTER TAHS RESIGNATION

COMMENTS FROM FPA ONLINE

The Editor,

A PLEA FOR THE IS LEWIS BROWN THE NEW BAGHDAD BOB CONSTRUCTION OF A CLINIC IN KLAY OF LIBERIA?
The Editor, The united Klay Organization in the Americas, Inc. (UNOKLAYA) is calling for the construction and staffing of a public clinic in Klay town, the oldest and most centralized district headquarters in Bomi county. This healthcare facility is extremely necessary because the town hosts five institutions of learning, a popular market center, a major transportation hub, amongst others. We,the leadership, want to thank President Sirleaf's government and the county leadership for efforts at development in Liberia, generally, and the county, specifically. We to, particularly, laud the government for effectively combating the recent ebola virus outbreak in Liberia. UNOKLAYA believes that the construction of a health facility in Klay will greatly enhance government's health delivery program. The UNOKLAYA is an active organization composed of the Liberians from Klay living in the diaspora , former Peace Corps volunteers, and other American friends. To date UNOKLAYA has helped to upgrade the school building in Klay, built a shelter for an outdoor kitchen at the school, sent a large shipment of textbooks to Klay from the United States, and helped support the building of bookcases for the library. UNOKLAYA has also constructed a bus stop where the main road intersects the town. In conclusion, we want to thank President Sirleaf's government and the county leadership efforts at development in Liberia and the county, specifically. We particularly want to laud the government for the effectively combating the recent ebola virus in Liberia. In related development, I just wonder how the entire healthcare workers in Bomi would continue to hold meetings in Klay without convincing authorities to construct a healthcare center in Klay, that has such a strategic need for a healthcare center Dea Telee Brown, BOD Chairman teleebrown@yahoo.com

YOU WRITE; WE PUBLISH; THEY READ!

SYLVESTER MOSES TOP COMMENTER As long as you are an appointed official, if the president sees you in her dream and she doesnt like the way you appear, she can fire you. Although it merely shows that the president need not conspire with anyone to dismiss Ms Tar, the ministers expansiveness is troubling, yet true. The constitution gives our presidents absolute authority over their appointees. Thank God we have a president in Mrs. Sirleaf who stubbornly supports her appointees instead of dismissing them for every thing under the sun, for there are downsides to misusing it. First, appointees feel a lack of job security, which causes insecurities and impairs frankness, thus output. Second, it reinforces corruption since theyve to save for dismissals. And third, it can ignite trouble, as some dismissed appointees may resent the action and turn anti. For instance, the split in the PRC that led to the civil wars started with Doe transferring Qwinwonkpa from Commanding General of the Army to Secretary General of the PRC. The constitutional review commission must consider better job security for appointees. OBED NATION TOP COMMENTER WORKS AT U.S. ARMY What has Christiana Tah accomplished as Justice Minister that warranted her resignation being news? There are corruptions everywhere and it is duty of the so-called Justice Minister to lunch an investigation into these allegations. But all she does is sit behind a desk while dressed in Lappa Suit playing Minister. I like how the Liberian press gives relevance to these empty and brainless talking drums posturing around as Ministers PHIL GEORGE TOP COMMENTER UMASS LOWELL What's the intrigue about the resignation of a useless Minister of Justice? What is her accomplishment as MOJ should be topic of conversation in my opinion. I could care less about her leaving because in my opinion she's useless to the people of Liberia. They don't need her because she's not serving their interest. R. PHILLIPS Though Ms Tah is mute over report that she has resigned, her request to allow her travel out of the country suggests she has not resigned. Does she have to ask permission from the president even if she is no longer a minister? The silence of Ms Tah about the report that she has resigned or hasn't did not give any particular media an edge on the report. One thing that is however noticeable, is that, it appears the Daily Observer and Minister Brown are eager with intent to discredit Front Page Africa Online's report, either for enviable or prolific reason. Rob

OBED NATION TOP COMMENTER WORKS AT U.S. ARMY THERE MUST BE NOTHING SECRET ABOUT LIBERIAN WEALTH. The Liberian people hold rights to their resources and they must know how they are being managed.and that information comes from the press. When any company does business within the borders of the United States, the company is forced to operate under U.S. Law than its own law from the country it came from. Chevron cannot in any way operate under a U.S. Law in a sovereign nation that does not fall under the jurisdiction of United States. Liberia is sovereign nation with its own business laws. To operate any form of business within the borders of Liberia, such business must operate within the confines of Liberian law. But our situation is complicated by a so-called female warlord turned president, unfortunately, to the peril of the nation, who then went on to give 45% share to Chevron, from a foreign country, U.S.A, she considers her second home. That company is now claiming to operate under a law belonging United States than operating under our law. This situation must be corrected as soon as possible. The House of Legislatures must summon this so-called president to answer question as to why Chevron operates under a foreign law that is not a Liberian law.
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CHEVRON COY OVER LIBERIA OIL DRILL

In case you don't know who "Baghdad Bob" is, he was the Iraqi Minister of Information, under Saddam Hussein, during the 2003 invasion of Iraq! Coincidentally, Lewis Brown was the Foreign Minister under another murderous thug (Charles Taylor) in 2003! But "Baghdad Bob" was well known because of the big, big lies he told to the outside world during the invasion of Iraq. Even though American troops and tanks were rolling down the streets of Baghdad---Baghdad Bob was on TV extolling the invincibility of the Iraqi Army!: "There are no American infidel in Baghdad! Never!"... "We've destroyed 2 tanks, 100 fighter planes, 200 helicopters!.. "We've driven them back!!" (I've to suppress the laughter here) Now, let's meet the Liberian Minister of Propaganda, oops, I mean Information: Liar Lewis Brown Jr! Brown said that the allegation, made by FPA, of the Justice Minister's resignation, was based on "conspiracy theories"!... Oh really??? But FPA says that "strong sources within the President's circle" told them that the Justice Minister was asked to resign because of her role she played in temporarily releasing Rodney Sieh from prison. (Re "... BROWN BLUNDERS AGAIN!") He (Brown) went on to say that the suspended Minister "sought specific leave of absence from the President to be able to travel to the United State on a medical leave".. But who are you going to believe? Liar Lewis Brown or your two brown eyes? (By the way, Minister Tah is in America to do her twelfth face lift (plastic surgery) so she can look 10 years younger!) We all know that the Justice Minister was suspended for Contempt of Court . The Supreme Court barred her from practicing law in Liberia for six months because she had the temerity to temporarily release Rodney Sieh from prison. (Re "Eyeing a Way Out - Sirleaf Consulting Over (Justice Minister's) Suspension, FPA, January 14, 2014). As the chief spokesman of the Liberian government, the Minister of Information is requires to say all sorts of absurdities (spin the news so the government can look good) with a straight face, but is the Minister required to lie or play the Liberian people for fools? I don't think so.. Granting the Justice Minister sick leave to coincide with her six month suspension is just another way to buy time (until the Minister's supreme court suspension is over!) and ignore the legal implications of the her 6 months suspension! Unless there's evidence to the contrary, Minister Tah is NOT sick. (Look at her picture on the Daily Observer website!) She's on a paid vacation in America! Minister Lewis should stop lying to the Liberian people! Martin Scott Atlanta, Georgia martyretire@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER

Rodney D. Sieh, Managing Editor, 0886-738-666; 077-936-138, editor@FrontPageAfricaonline.com; rodney.sieh@FrontPageAfricaonline.com Wade C. L. Williams, News Desk Chief, wade. williams@frontpageafricaonline.com; 0880664793 Francis F.B. Mulbah, Layout Editor; 0886639382 REPORTERS Sports Editor, Danesius Marteh, danesius.marteh@ frontpageafricaonline.com, 0886236528 Henry Karmo, henry.karmo@frontpageafricaonline. com Al-varney Rogers al.rogers@frontpageafricaonline. com, 0886-304498

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Sports Reporter, A. Macaulay Sombai,macaulay.sombai@ FrontpageAfricaonline.com, 077217428 COUNTY NEWS TEAM Grand Bassa, Alpha Daffae Senkpeni, 0777432042 Bong County, Selma Lomax, selma.lomax@ frontpageafricaonline.com, 0886-484666 Sinoe County, Leroy N.S Kanmoh, leroy.kanmoh@ frontpageafricaonline.com 0886257528 BUSINESS/ADVERTISING Kadi Coleman Porte, 0886-304-178/ 0777832753, advertise@ frontpageafricaonline.com

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Monrovia: t was a place famous for criminals where prostitution was practiced, serving as motel and at the same time dwelling place for drugs users and other criminals who saw the place as an ideal hideout. Delta-Boo located on the GSA road in Paynesville was bulldozed on Saturday to the surprise of occupants when a 4x4 yellow machine forklift brought down the building upon the orders of the Paynesville City Government. It was a site of attraction as several passersby stood in amazement to witness the demolition of that history and famous structure that has served sex workers for over a decade. The famous prostitution site came into existence during the administration of former President Charles Taylor where his Police Director Paul Mulbah operated a Night club that was named Delta Boo. Since then the area has existed and operated in the same manner providing room for sex workers to transact with their customers and promoting prostitution

FAMOUS DELTA-BOO BULLDOZED

Henry Karmo (0886522495) henrykarmo@yahoo.com

NEWS EXTRA ILLEGAL SEX TRADE, CRIMINAL DEN DEMOLISHED

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especially for teenage girls who should be in school. On numerous occasions the Ministry of Gender in collaboration with the Liberian National Police have raided the area and arrested

teenage boys and girls who were caught in the act of sex trade. The demolition process according to the PCC is part of its plan and agenda to clear off all illegal structure

A FILM NEVER MADE

WISCONSIN WITHOUT BORDERS RECOGNITION AWARDS FOR GLOBAL ENGAGED SCHOLARSHIP
After more than a quarter century of political instability, the history of Liberia, and particularly its indigenous past, has faded as archives were destroyed and elders died or were killed during the war. I graduated from high school, attended college, and received both a B.Sc. and MPH in Liberia. But it was not until I came to UW Madison that I saw a sizable collection on Liberia that further strengthened my Kpelle and Liberian consciousness. This anecdotal experience further emphasizes the deep knowledge gap that exists between younger Liberians and their elders. Therefore, making available the historical expedition footage, historic documents, and oral histories captured on camera will not only revive cultural traditions, deepen historical self-consciousness, and aid the reconciliation process by giving voice to the history of Liberias indigenous people, it will also enhance the work of other researchers. Few people understand the vital role that Liberia has played in the development of US foreign policy in Africa and in the rise of multinational corporations like Firestone, nor appreciated the importance of Liberia as a place of opportunity for African-American physicians, public health experts, engineers, and diplomats during the Jim Crow era in the US.

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constructed in all alleys in Paynesville. The municipal government of the city of Paynesville confirmed that the structures demolished were all in the alleys including the famous Delta-Boo.

The Jannie Jallah, PCC Head of communications told FrontPageAfrica in a Telephone interview that those living and operating businesses in the areas were the demolition was carried

out did not have legitimate Dees and at such had not ground to claim ownership of the said property. Mr. Alvin cooper victim said he owned a building in the area but according to him his building was marked a day before the demolition process. He claimed that the PCC did not give them much time to settle. Cooper said: The PCC did not tell me why. People from there only came here and marked structures that were to be demolished and what I cannot understand is that my building wasnt marked, only portion of my fence was marked but to my surprise they came and demolished my property. He claimed that he has lived in that area for over twenty years and his house was a ten bed room house where he used part of the building for business purposes. He threatened to take up the issue legally with the PCC to give him reasons why his property was destroyed because according to him his property wasnt on government land.

escription of the project and my roles in it A Film Never Made is a project that includes the making of a documentary film and a public history website, which aim to put the motion picture footage of a 1926 Harvard scientific expedition into circulation again in an effort to put the past in the service of the present. The documentary film seeks to connect a younger generation of Liberians with older generations to ask what can the past offer a nation seeking reconciliation when a new generation faces cultural loss and land insecurity? Sponsored by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, the 1926 Harvard expedition conducted a four-month biological and medical survey of the interior of Liberia, while also capturing on film the daily lives of indigenous and settler societies in Liberia. The motion picture record they left behind is the earliest film footage of Liberias past to survive a 14-year brutal civil war. We have embarked on project to repatriate the footage, now in private hands, to Liberia and to use the footage to prompt elders to share with us their memories and stories, oral histories of Liberias past unknown to many young people and which are rapidly disappearing in the wake of war. Through a collaborative partnership with Alchemy Films in London, the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, the Center for National Documents and Archives (CNDRA) of Liberia and the Liberian Collection Project at Indiana University, we are also building a public history website that will be the foundation of a new national digital archives in Liberia hosted at the CNDRA. The website will give viewers access to the expedition footage, photographs, supporting historical documents, and oral histories through an interactive platform that will enable visitors to add their own stories and materials to a growing, collective history of Liberia. . I am both a central character in the film, and an advisor and research assistant to the public history website. I was born and grew up during a period of great political instability and violence in Liberia. I could not read or write until age 14. But despite remarkable hardship and personal loss as a result of the war, I am now a PhD student in a world-class university at age 32.

I believe my life story is a symbol of hope for a war-torn country and its people. Straddling the worlds of a rural African village and an American research university, I find myself struggling to belong, as land insecurity and my efforts to help bring economic and educational development in my home village produces both joy and sorrow. My passion of connecting young people with their past has further immersed me in this project. In addition to conducting many of the oral history interviews with elders, I am also transcribing all the interviews, as well as translating interview in Kpelle, for the documentary film. Through my own personal story, the film seeks to tell a larger story of land insecurity and cultural loss in the nation. I am also the primary research assistant for the public history website. Because of my familiarity with the places captured on film, I am editing the expedition footage into short scenes and geolocating it with the aid of the expedition diaries in order to produce an interactive map that will serve as the web interface for the archival materials our team has been gathering. I am also working with a Liberian advisory group to recommend metadata categories and assist with content development. Project impact on the community

Service-learning orientation As already indicated above, the method we have employed in carrying out this project is characterized by learning by doing. It encompasses a process whereby community members actively discuss their past, highlighting successes and challenges at the same time proposing solutions to current problems. As researchers, our role is to capture these diverse emotions and opinions on camera, organize them in an orderly fashion and make them available through a film and website for the public and current and future researchers. It is our hope that these undertakings will further strengthen the Wisconsin Idea, and contribute to the reconciliation process underway in Liberia, part of which is focused on the rewriting of Liberian history to include the voice of its indigenous people as well as Americo-Liberians. Engaging Scholars across disciplines Success of this project is based upon contributions from scholars across disciplines from the public sector. We have archivists, historians, political scientists, anthropologists, cinematographers, and geographers from Liberia and the United States engaged with both the film and public history website. Of course, we cannot overemphasize the valuable contributions from our

informants. Global impact The documentary film, A Film Never Made, will appeal to a transnational audience, both in the US and West Africa. Our focus on Liberian youth, hipco music, and past and contemporary transatlantic crossings will make A Film Never Made of interest to both an elder generation and a younger demographic in Liberia and in the African Diaspora community in the US. A Film Never Made will also tap into viewer interest in the history of US in the world. A Film Never Made can also play an invaluable role in the educational curriculum in the US on black history, and in Liberia in beginning efforts to include indigenous voices in the nations history. As Garry Denny, head of programming for Wisconsin Public Television, who has offered a broadcast letter of commitment, writes: Because African history is so much a part of American history and there is still so much to uncover, I feel strongly that A Film Never Made will generate an enormous amount of attention and serve audiences for years to come. The issues facing Liberialand insecurity, cultural lossare issues faced by many post-conflict countries. The efforts underway in Liberia to recognize both African and Western traditions of land security, as well as attempts to write a more inclusive history of a country and its people, tie into struggles over land and ethnic inclusion throughout the globe

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

- Tale Of A Teenage Girl Forced Into Marriage By Caretaker-Parents In Monrovia, Nurses Preempt Complications at Childbirth
By Samuka V. Konneh
have decried the act but insist that the law does not operate in a vacuum. In the absence of a complainant, it might appear difficult to prosecute such case, especially when her aunty might go all out to hinder investigation because it might implicate herself. In any case, this is a good lead and we will see what can be done in the soonest possible time, one of them had promised during an interview on Capitol Hill. Though investigation and possible prosecution appear to be miles away, what Siah needs right now, she says, is a friend to talk with and someone to save her out of her ugly situation. Can she get one soon?

RAPED FOR LIFE

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I MADE A CONSCIOUS
Corkrum Beau Melvin Johnson Says His Fight Against Corruption Caused him to fail in completing the annual training for judges, as required by state law which led to the termination from his job in America

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CHOICE

his special investigation, supported by the Liberia Women Media Action Committee (LIWOMAC), features a teenage girl brought in Monrovia from Foya, Lofa County, by relatives who promised her education, protection and better life. But her present life is a complete irony of what was promised her few years ago. My name is Samuka V. Konneh, a Liberian but a journalist with a story to tell. For obvious protection of identities, names used in this feature are fictitious and any resemblance is only a coincidence. Siah, now 16, has been married ever since she was 13 in 2011, same year she was brought in Monrovia from Foya, Lofa County by her aunty, Mamie Finda, on the promise of good education, protection against societal ills and better social living. Beneath these promises, Mamies intentions were quite clear: Siah is of age to get married to help her poor parents back home. Living around the DC Road area at Stephen Tolbert Estate, Siah struggles to survive her pregnancy with maximum risk of eventual collapse. From mere looking, her body is no doubt still unprepared to manage another life within it. Yet, she carries on with life; hoping that one day her nine months would come to a successful end. But this remains a challenge considering her realities. She sells biscuits and coal for the whole day before eating around 9pm each day. She has to fetch her own water from a well because no one cares to help. She is woman of her own. Despite these troubles, her greatest challenge remains her 34 years old able-bodied husband who sits around the checker table all day only to retire late nights expecting to eat what he really didnt leave his wife to prepare. His name is Sah, the equivalent to Siah in the Kissi culture that refers to firstborns in the family. When life was okay at first, just before the deal to marry Siah was sealed with her aunty, Mamie, Sah sold cell phone accessories such as packs, batteries and earphones. Proceeds from these sales were used

provide sustenance for to Mamie and her kids in return for a promised-wife; and Siah was brought in as a collateral damage. Though Siah agrees that her life has been made a collateral damage, she blames not Mamie. She blames her parents who didnt make due diligence before letting her off their control. (sync) Aunty Mamie used me to pay her debt. She brought me to satisfy Sah. She took things from him and then she used me to pay. I am here, she aint care for me. Whether I am happy or not, she aint care. But I leave my own with God. I also blame my parents. They mind their poverty and just sent me here to suffer. They aint even know what I am passing through. One day, one day, I will see them and I will tell them what I am going through because of them, Siah has told me in a friendly but emotional chat during the Christmas season in 2013. Nurses attending to her at the Stephen Tolbert Estate government clinic or the Chicken Soup Factory government clinic wont disclose much information concerning Siahs medical condition except that they anticipate serious physical complications during accouchement. Her health is poor. She doesnt eat and she has serious sexual and urinary infections. Moreover, we cant predict her state of mind. Every day, shes not happy; and this plays on a woman during childbirth. Even though shes already pregnant, from where

I sit, she is not prepared for childbearing. She is young, hungry and angry. Lets just wish for the best, a nurse attending to her had told me. For Siah, being bold is one step towards seeking help. The man na (doesnt) have heart. He can hurt me during sex. I feel pain in my waist and my stomach. When he drinks liquor, he will just have me anywhere, anytime, and anyhow. He doesnt care. If I say lets go to the clinic, he will refuse. Da my one can go to the clinic every day. I am sick, I want to go home to my parents, she told me faking her smiles. Siah, finally, has estranged herself from the rest of world, confining herself to the four walls of her one bedroom makeshift house. Well, apart from the violence and pains Siah undergoes each day of her three years surprised-marriage, a crime has been and still is being committed, thats according to the New Rape Law of 2009 and the New Panel Code of Liberia. According to Section 14.70 (b) of Liberias New Panel Code, a person has committed rape if the victim is less than 18 years old, provided the actor is 18 years of age or older. This makes Siahs case a crime; she is less the 18 years. In fact, she has been subjected to rape when she was just 13yrs old by a man almost three times her age. Ever since then, she continues to be raped in the name of marriage. Sex crimes investigators and lawyers at the Ministry of Justice Sexual Crimes Unit

In Foya, Siahs father, Pa John Tamba, survives on rice farming, mat and net weaving. The biggest news anyone from Monrovia is expected to tell him is how good his daughter Siah is doing in Monrovia. Any news on the contrary is like death news. Realizing this after being told by my interpreter, I had to mince my words selecting them in a way that will not tell the whole story in it ugly form. But the fact remains the fact; Siah is not fulfilling her Monroviadream of a better life. For Pa John, not even an angel would convince him that his daughter is being used and abused in the way he is being told. We all serve the God of Moses, Isaac and Jacob. He shall see my daughter through. God knows I gave her (Mamie) my daughter because I trusted her as a family. I didnt give her my daughter to find food for her. I who born her never send her to get food for me. But our God will fight for us, he told me on his farm, few kilometers outside of Foya main town, along the Guinean border. Any mention of his coming to Monrovia to rescue his daughter is just loose-talk. He cant afford and wont afford. Can you call the police for them and arrest them and bring my daughter here for me? Pa John asked, of course understanding that that might be impossible for me. From all indications, at least so far that I can tell, Siah is on her own - left at the mercy of her aunt Mamie and husband Sah.

Monrovia ormer Liberian-American Judge Melvin Johnson has disputed a news report he was fired from his post in Lithonia, Georgia. Johnson said he made a conscious choice to spend his time fighting corruption in Liberia. He is one of two Liberian-Americans indicted by the Liberian government for economic sabotage last year. Monrovia is seeking their extradition from the United States. He and his partner, Ellen Corkrum, secretly recorded senior Liberian government officials, including President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, to prove their allegation of corruption within the government. The Atlanta-based Internet publication On Common Ground reported that Johnson was terminated from his position after repeatedly failing to complete the annual training for judges, as required by state law. Johnson said the article contained false information and the author has promised to retract it. I read the On Common Ground article, and [it] wasnt truthful in a lot of ways. I tried contacting the author of the article. A colleague, a lawyer friend of mine, representing me in Liberia also contacted the author of the article. That author admitted that there were things in it that were false. The author apologized and promised to retract the article, he said. After serving as a judge for seven years in Georgia, Johnson said he made a conscious effort to focus on other areas of interest. Essentially I did. I served for seven years and I took on a cause in Liberia that consumed my time, and I no longer was able to spend the requisite time here in Lithonia, Johnson said. The On Common Ground article reportedly said Johnson was terminated after officials learned he repeatedly failed to complete the annual training for judges, as required by state law. But, Johnson said, if what the publication said was true, state officials responsible for monitoring his judicial license should be in trouble and not him. Anybody that has any experience with the system here in the US can attest that no governmental body will allow you to go five years when youre required to annually renew your license. If that were true, I wouldnt be the one getting in trouble. Those that work for the state that would have allowed it to go five years would have been the ones getting in trouble, Johnson said. Johnson said he and his partner, Ellen Corkrum, began secretly recording senior government officials, including President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, when they learned of a plot by government officials to undermine their anti-corruption measures. He said, now that he is no longer a judge, he will spend more time fighting against corruption in Liberia. Absolutely, this will allow me to do more [of] that now. Of course, currently were engaged in this cause to bring liberation to our people, to bring equality, to bring a halt to the corruption, more specifically to the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf government and the corruption clique that has been described by her own officials, Johnson said. He said he sees a correlation between the end of his judgeship and his anti-corruption efforts in Liberia, although he did not disclose any specific information to prove such a correlation. I have seen documentation; I have had conversations with different people on different levels here in the US, those conversations Im not privy [to]. But, its been very clear [that], once we started exposing corruption in Liberia, once we started to bring an end to the ghost employees phenomenon, it became very clear that the president and her group had a witch hunt for me and Ellen Corkrum, he said. Liberian Justice Minister Christiana Tah told VOA last December that Johnson and his alleged co-conspirators had been indicted and that the Liberian government had asked the US government to extradite both Johnson and Corkrum. Tah refused to discuss the merits of the case because its before the court. But, Johnson said US government officials have yet to approach him and Corkrum about any extradition. Weve always known that there wasnt going to be any extradition. So, nobody has contacted us and were not expecting anybody to contact us, Johnson said. Johnson said he and Corkrum have more secret recordings of people in government, including President Sirleaf. He said they were holding on to the recordings and hopes to play them in US courts, if the alleged request for extradition had become a reality. He said now that there are going to be no extradition proceedings, they will release the remaining recordings. What we decided to do was to hold on to the more damning recordings in an effort to see if this extradition threat was going to be fulfilled. Our hope was that, if it were going to be fulfilled [in] the US court here in a public manner, with the US press, with the international press listening, it would have afforded us a perfect opportunity to play those recordings in the open court, Johnson said.

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in the night for money to go do what your go do with it. But some of us here, we do work hard for our little two cents and we enjoy spending it. I enjoy spending my money too. They Will Know Who Born Dog Without naming names, Gardner took aim at some government entities she says are against progress in the Sirleaf government. People dont understand why some of these things happen. Because you got some of these organizations here that actually feel that theyre supposed to run every government ministry here, thats not their job. You got some people here that have overstepped their bound; they want to put their mouth in everything that they dont know about. But they know what theyre doing and why theyre doing it. Why do you think theyre doing it? They got their own agenda. Theyre sitting down here acting like theyre so straight and all that stuff there looking for boguman in the bush. And there arent no buguman in every bush. Some bushes there got bugumen inside there. You know. You got some hard working Liberian here cant see sky nor show because you got people there who got their own agenda and pretending to be so straight, straight my foot. And when the time come, we will duke it out, like they say, high noon on broad street, not with guns. Im not going to do that thing like Costa and Fomba Sirleaf, let me tell you. Im not a physical person. You pull rope, rope will pull forest, your mess with me I will disgrace some people round here, they will know who born dog. Gardner slammed her accusers as jealous characters. They just jealous, they are jealous but guess what, I work hard for my money and Im proud to say and I will say it- I will enjoy whatever I work for. At the end of the day, I feel good about it because guess what, Im providing jobs for people, Im not taking jobs from people like some of your there, firing people for thing, they aint do because why, your got your own agenda. They dont want people to be in the office to see what they doing thats why theyre firing the people. But those people who she firing and all the different things they doing round there, guess what, they better come out and talk, you know, its time for people to speak up for their rights. Nobody got the right over your rights here. If you know you are doing the right thing and somebody want to mess with your reputation, give it right back to them and my reputation for me, its my money. And I aint got nothing but my reputation and nobody taking it away from me, nobody. I never went to jail one day for stealing. And nobody will tell you say one day I ate their money. Justice Conspiracy? Despite Gardners assertions, an opinion by the Department of Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Justice, in possession of FrontPageAfrica, found evidence among the records presented by Ms. Gardners ASR International, Inc that the company and the Liberia National Police made changes, amendments or modifications to the bid evaluation reports submitted to the PPCC by the Academy. In spite of the findings, it appears the Ministry of Justice, represented by Deputy Minister Benedict F. Sannoh, Deputy Minister of Justice for Economic Affairs, recommended that the MoJ had found no violations. Ironically, Sannohs findings concluded that the Academys intent to award the contract to ASR International, Inc. was in violation of the objectives of the PPCA which calls for equal access without discrimination to all eligible and qualified providers of goods, works and services and fair and equitable treatment for all bidders. Sannohs own conclusion noted: The Academy failed to comply with Section 31(2) of the PPCA 2010 which states that if the Commission objects to the proposed award, no award may be made until the procuring entity takes steps to bring the proposed award into compliance with the PPCA. Sannoh further concluded: The Academys submission of a fraudulent Bid Evaluation Panel report contravenes Section 131(1)(d) of the PPCA, 2010 which states that any public officer involved in requisitioning, planning preparing and conducting procurement or concession proceedings and administering the implementation of contracts shall not commit or abet corrupt or fraudulent practices. Interestingly, Sannoh concluded that knowingly obtaining an approval from the Commission based on Fraudulent Practices is a breach of the PPCA, 2010 and the Commission deems it as a display of the Academy not being committed to upholding integrity, transparency and accountability as well as the economic development of Liberia. FrontPageAfrica has learned that Sannohs contradictory findings are complicated by possible conflict of interests violations. Sannoh, a party to the contract under consideration exercised dual role as Deputy Minister of Justice and signatory to the contract in question, raising questions about his motives and objectives in one instance raising violation concerns and in another, questioning his own objectivity. In addition, questions are also being raised about Sannohs approach to the opinion on the matter. In Sannohs own admission, Upon review of the communications and supporting documents, and the laws controlling, we find that changes, amendments, and addition were made to the Bid Evaluation Panel Report to induce the commission to approve the request for No Objection to award the contract to the contractor in ways that may be characterized as fraudulent and corrupt in contravention of section 131(1)(d) of the PPCA, 2010.

Rodney D. Sieh, rodney.sieh@frontpageafricaonline.com

Monrovia delaide Gardner, an influential member of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleafs Kitchen Cabinet has strongly defended a catering contract, the Department of Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Justice opined was characterized by fraud and corruption in contravention of Section 131(1)(d) of the Public Procurement Concessions Agreement, 2010. The contract to procure food and catering services for the Liberia National Police Training Academy is said to be valued at US$1.2 million per year. The contract has reportedly been revoked by the PPCC based on documentary evidence which identified fraud and corruption. The contract is already gaining traction among Liberias partners and donors, concerned that the contract does not present the best value for money and violates the Public Procurement and Concessions Act. In the name of the president Gardner, according to information and documents in possession of FrontPageAfrica, had succeeded in being awarded the contract for the provision of catering services to the NPTA for about three consecutive years, prior to the current fiscal period. However, within this Fiscal Year 2013/14, highly-placed sources tell FrontPageAfrica that the NPTA was set to award the catering contract to Rose M. Wang (Garden Restaurant), recorded to be the only bidder with healthy values and who, sources say, quoted a price lower than that of Ms. Gardner, when Gardner reportedly bulldozed her way through higher ups at the academy, using her ties to the president as a shield and forcing authorities into violating procurement laws. FrontPageAfrica has also learned that some commandants had reservations about giving the catering contract to Gardner especially after the PPCC had been notified that Rose M. Wang (Garden Restaurant) had won the bid. It was a situation where we would be putting forward one entity with two very different statements to the PPCC, said one source. The source added that Gardner was initially a consultant and not actually into catering services. But used her influence to push commandants around and in some instances refer to them as country people. It is reported that there has been many complications with issues regarding fraudulent and corrupt practices surrounding this matter which has allegedly resulted to the replacement of the Commandant and his deputy at the NPTA. Even dreadful, training of police recruits for the UNMIL Drawdown transition is in a deadlock. Documents in possession of FrontPageAfrica suggest that Rose M. Wang (Garden Restaurant) was the only bidder with healthy values which according to the Bid Evaluation Panel is paramount to catering to a large group of people. In fact, Wang Restaurant, in addition to having better health values, charged the government, US$8.50 per training. Per three times meals per day. Gardners ASR International which lost the bid but was given the deal any way, charged US$10 per two meals per day. Two Awards, Same Date According to sources highly placed within the LNPTA and the LNP, the very first letter of award was in favor of Rose M. Wang (Garden Restaurant), submitted to the PPCC on October 4, 2013. Subsequently, another letter was sent to the PPCC bearing the same date of October, recommending Gardners company, ASR for the same award which further complicated the controversy. Additionally, some recruits at the academy who spoke to FrontPageAfrica on condition of anonymity explain that they had issues with the services Gardners company provided but

their complaints fell on deaf ears. We made complaints to our commandants that we were not eating on time and we complained to senior officers. I recalled a time when she provided only 20 cans of sardines for some 450 recruits. In addition, the bread provided was stale at times and stayed two to three days, prompting some commandants to refuse the food. More importantly, sources tell FrontPageAfrica the total bill submitted by Gardner surpassed the US$500,000 set aside by the government, totaling US$540,000.00 above what the government was offering to feed the recruits at the Academy. The controversy comes as foreign partners are raising concerns that the government is being delayed in filling the security gaps being created with the gradual drawdown of UNMIL, and are even more alarmed at the exorbitant cost of the catering services which is said to be about half a million US dollars, alongside a blatant breach of applicable legislations in an attempt to award a contract to one of the President's many comrades. Breaking her silence on the matter for the first time last Friday, Gardner used her weekly radio show on Radio Monrovia 92.1 to take on her critics, she dubbed fools in suggesting that she has nothing to be ashamed of and did not give a damn about the noise surrounding the contract. Nothing to be Ashamed of, Gardner Says Said Gardner: At first I wasnt going to say anything much about this but the more I thought about it; I said Im not going to ignore these fools for them to think that Im running scared, scared for what? I aint got a damn thing to be ashamed of. In fact I am very proud of myself. I am proud of the job I have done going on for the past four years for the police. Ask them, they will tell you. I am a very professional woman, I did more than they even asked me to do and I will do it all over again and I will sign any doggone contract I want to sign and do my job. Government pays me, government pays me If I give a price to the government, government feels say, oooh that money too much, fine, no problem. But Ive got something to sell, theyre buying and trust me, its cheaper than you believe and I will do it again any doggone time whether I know the president or not, the next person who come, I see any doggone thing coming there, Im going there for it too. All of us got the right. Continued Gardner: For those of your who sit down all day and plan how not to work and get free money, keep it up, thats why your butts gonna sit down broke and be begging people

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
Office of the Secretariat
Liberia Old Bureau of the Budget Office Behind the Executive Mansion Monrovia,

Frontpage

Page 9

VACANCY NOTICE
POSITION:
BACKGROUND: The Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI) is an autonomous public entity created by statute to promote transparency over extractive industry revenues. It is part of a global initiative known as Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) International. Since the establishment of the LEITI, it has made significant progress resulting in Liberia being bestowed the Best EITI Implementing Country Award in 2009. The LEITI is overseen by a Multi-Stakeholder Steering Group (MSSG), comprising of government, civil society, representatives of companies in Liberias extractive industry, the National Traditional Council of Liberia, with international development partners as observers. The LEITI Secretariat is responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the policy decisions and directives of the MSSG and leads nationwide efforts in implementing Liberias LEITI law. The Secretariats role specifically includes outreach, advocacy, communication, monitoring and facilitating information sharing. More information about the LEITI can be found on the LEITI website: www.leiti.org.lr. The Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI) is currently recruiting for a competent and dynamic Liberian to serve as the Head of Secretariat. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The Head of Secretariat (HoS) is the head of the management team of LEITI and is responsible for the effective implementation of all approved activities and programs of LEITI. The specific responsibilities of the HoS include, but not necessarily limited to, the followings: 1. To provide evidence-based information and advice to the LEITI MSSG to enhance policy-making decisions to strengthen LEITI interventions; 2. To support the MSSG in policy formulation that are consistent with EITI standards, local legislation and other government reform efforts in the oil, mining, agriculture and forestry sectors; 3. To coordinate and supervise implementation of all LEITI activities and programs articulated in an annual, time-bound and fully - costed work-plan; 4. Lead the articulation of a multi-year strategic plan for LEITI to outline opportunities for expansion and growth of the initiative; 5. To lead and supervise preparation of annual budgets for LEITI;
6. To work with the Government of Liberia and other donors to mobilize funding and material resources for the effective discharge of the functions of LEITI, and, in connection therewith, to draft project proposals and grant requests; To develop programs and activities to implement the Communications Strategy of LEITI with the intention/desire of making the aims and objectives of LEITI known all over the country; To identify, initiate and lead the execution of activities that are necessary, preparatory and/or required for regular annual publication and dissemination of Liberia EITI Reports; To be the technical and media contact for LEITI implementation;

American Underwriters Group INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE

JG Bull BLDG, Randall Street, Adjancent DITCO Store

HEAD OF SECRETARIAT

Announcement
In keeping with the vehicle and Traffic Law; Title 38, approved May 9, 1972, and published in 1978, the Government of Liberia is pleased to announce the approved rates for Third Party Compulsory Motor Insurance Policy in Liberia. These rates take effect January 2, 1996.
Approved Rates Sticker Price No. 1 2 3 Category of Vehicles Taxi Transport Pick-Up S/Size-1/2 Ton B/Size 1 Ton Transport Buses 400.00 450.00 15.00 15.00 Price US$300.00 $ 15.00

M/Size- 1 Ton 425.00 15.00

S/S-Max 18 Persons 550.00 15.00 M/S-30 Persons 600.00 15.00 B/S-30 Over Persons 650.00 15.00 4. Transport Truck 10 Tons (10 Tires) 720.00 15.00 12 Tons (12 Tires) 750.00 15.00 14-18 Tons (18 Tires) 800.00 15.00 5 Trailer-22 Tires 1,000.00 15.00 Private Car (PC + Personal Plate

7. 8. 9.

10. To edit and also supervise the production of LEITI Newsletters and other media items; 11. To organize meetings of the MSSG, and supervise the recording, preparation, dissemination and filing of the minutes of every meeting of the MSSG; 12. To facilitate a multi-stakeholder dialogue process leading to the establishment of a Regional EITI Center of Excellence linked to an academic or semi academic institution in Liberia that will identify and respond to natural resource capacity deficiencies across sectors in resource-rich countries through appropriate tailored made capacity building programs, including study visits/exchanges; 13. To establish a data base that will annually compile, review, research, document and analyze lessons and experiences from Liberias implementation of EITI and make this inf ormation publicly available. 14. To establish and maintain good working relationships between LEITI and the international EITI Secretariat, other EITI countries, and current and potential donors; 15. To provide support to any visiting EITI international Secretariat and other partners; 16. To draft the Terms of Reference (ToR) of needed personnel and consultants; 17. To coordinate the timely annual recruitment of independent auditing or accounting firms to audit and reconcile payments and revenues data from extractive industry companies and Government ministries and agencies; 18. To report and remain answerable to the Chairperson and members of the LEITI MSSG in respect of all of his/her functions and responsibilities, and 19. All other activities associated with the successful implementation of the duties and functions of this position. REPORTING PROCEDURE: The Head of Secretariat shall report to the MSSG, through its Chair /Co-Chair or designated representative. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 1. 2. 3. 4. A masters or advanced degree in natural resource management, economics, law, public administration, or related field or bachelors degree in any of the above fields with at least 15 years of progressive working experience within the government, private and public sector; A minimum of five (5) years of progressive work experience in managerial position; Excellent research, analytical writing and presentation skills; Knowledge of auditing or accounting standards is an advantage;

Sedan 150.00 15.00 Jeep 225.00 15.00 6 Business Car (BC) Sudan 175.00 15.00 Jeep 225.00 15.00 7 Pick Up PP 250.00 15.00 BP 300.00 15.00 8 Business Truck (BT) 10-Tons (10 Tires) 575.00 15.00 12-Tons (10 Tires) 600.00 15.00 14-18 Tons (18 Tires) 640.00 15.00 Trailer (22 Tires) 800.00 15.00 9 Business Bus (BB) S/S-Min 6-8 Persons 250.00 15.00 S/S-Max 18 Persons 440.00 15.00 M/S- 30 Persons 480.00 15.00 B/S-30 Over Persons 520.00 15.00 10 Private Bus (PB) S/S-Max 18 Persons 335.00 15.00 M/S-30 Persons 385.00 15.00 B/S-30 Over Persons 420.00 15.00 11 Private Truck (PT) 575.00 15.00 12 Private Motorbike 150.00 15.00 13 Business Motorbike 125.00 15.00

5. Previous experience of engagement with multi-stakeholder groups, particularly private, public, and civil society actors; 6. Familiarity with the principles and procedures of EITI will be an added advantage; 7. Demonstrated strategic partnership building and maintenance abilities, professional maturity to engage senior-level government, donor and private sector representatives. 8. Proven organizational management skills, supervision of professional level staff, attention to detail and results oriented; 9. Experience (1) with extractive industries and (2) in governance-related work; 10. Proficient in the use of computers and Microsoft suites/office (word, excel, power point, etc.) APPLICATION INSTRUCTION: To be considered for this position, qualified applicants must submit the following as part of their application: o A letter of application summarizing individual qualifications for this position; o A current resume in reverse chronological format; o A list of at least 3 professional references including name, contact information, and statement of relationship to the applicant. Deadline for submission of applications is May 9, 2014 at 4 pm GMT. Hard copies of applications must be submitted to: The Administration and Finance Committee C/o of the LEITI Secretariat Old Budget Bureau Building Behind the Executive Mansion Applications can also be submitted via email to: leitirecruitment@leiti.org.lr ONLY SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED. QUALIFIED FEMALES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.

Please ask Pearl 0886 578 981/ Lucinda 0886 514 623 / 0777 514 623 / AB 0886 529 776

Page 10 | Frontpage

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

IN SEARCH OF A HOMELAND: THE STORY OF A LIBERIAN MANDINGO,

PERSPECTIVE

Abdoulaye W. Dukul, PhD

Thematic Review of The Land of My Fathers birth, by Nvaseekie N. Konneh, Royal House Communications Consortium Inc., 2013. ISBN: 978-0-578-11300-5; US$17, 95.
amongst other tribes in Liberia, Blacks in the White world in America and in the world, Christianity and Islam. The narrator cant come to grip with why people could not just be people, why everyone cant be tolerant. However, he does not pontificates. He says as he sees. Through his travels, he learns that there is always an anxiety about social identity everywhere. Americans have their Black problem, Israel has its Palestinian problem and Liberia has its problem, to paraphrase the narrator. Patrick Burroughs once wrote that citizenship in old Liberia had three basic conditions among which attending church was primordial. This may be the first factor that made Mandingoes to be called in the strangers in the land where they were born. The narrator of Konneh spends a great deal of pages dealing with this issue: the place of the Mandingo, Muslim person in the body of Liberia. This is a central and existentialist issue throughout the book. As he says, America has its Black problem, Israel has its Palestinian issue and Liberia has its Mandingo dilemma. At times, there is a Kafkaesque feeling. Like many Liberians, the narrator was proud of the military regime of the 1980s and looked upon General Thomas Quiwonkpa a fellow native of Nimba and others as the new heroes and masters of the land, the brave young men who put an end to the century old Americo-Liberian domination. However, disillusion quickly sets in and by the time the war started in 1989, he was ready for a change. He writes that he could not forgive Samuel Doe for the death of Quiwonkpa. But as in the case of the military regime, the war to unseat the dictator turned into an open season on his people. Mandingoes became the most disposable commodity during the war. Until fighting reached the outskirts of Monrovia, everyone thought the purpose of the war or its by-product was to get rid of the dingoes and send them back home to Guinea. The narrator was surprised that people he considered as friends were ready to butcher him, simply because he was Mandingo. He had taken for granted that the relationship between the Mandingoes and the other tribes in Nimbaand the rest of Liberia - were strong and deep-rooted. He had been oblivious to the true nature of those relationships. Mandingoes held on to cultural and religious values that kept the non-Muslims at bay. The wall one builds to protect oneself can also turn into a prison. By overprotecting their culture, Mandingoes kept themselves out of the Liberian political body. The domination of the Liberian-American culture gave all natives, Muslims and non-Muslims a false sense of tribal equilibrium. The narrator witnesses the appearance of the fault lines, the shaky foundations and the volcano that slowly exploded. In their movement towards the South, Mandingoes assimilated other cultures but managed to resist assimilation into any group. They did so by sticking to a few core values, mostly drawn from the Holy Koran. The strong rejection of alcohol goes beyond its religious aspect. Not allowing their daughters to marry outside of the clan/religion is a dictate of the Koran, but for a migratory people, it was a matter of cultural survival. For example, they took local tribal women as wives as did the narrators grandfather but they did not allow their daughters to marry to local tribesmen. They refuse to share meals or even allow non-Muslims to eat and drink with them. They controlled trade, as they have done all

here are few intellectual pleasures greater than seeing a work of art from its conception to its completed form. It was almost four years ago when I had the privilege of reading a first version of this book. Now holding it in print conveys a sentiment of joy. As I reached the last page of the immense book written by Nvaseekie Konneh, The Land of My Father, I couldnt help but think of the great work of memory and research that it took to turn the manuscript into a book. The immensity of the book is not about the volume or number of pages, but rather its content, its multidimensionality and also this very special flavor that makes it so deeply personal, therefore universal. This universality flows through the themes that Mr. Konneh aligned, trying to make sense and to bring to our attention certain things dear to his heart. The book starts as the simple story of a young Muslim Mandingo man growing up during the years of great instability in Liberia, an era that the younger generation now refers to as normal days - the time of President Samuel K. Doe or the days before the war. We follow him from his small dusty town in Nimba, in northern Liberia to Monrovia, going from one school to another and from village to village. We step into his footprints as he takes the road plowed by hundreds of thousands of Liberians who had run for their lives during the conflict, a war that killed everything and everyone. From Monrovia to Guinea to Cote dIvoire, from washing cars in New York City as a new immigrant to watching sunsets aboard the US warship Detroit and leading antiCharles Taylor demonstrations in front of the United Nations in New York, we witness his growth. We see his metamorphosis from an innocent young lad to a politically astute young man who questions almost everything. He survives his childhood illusions but manages to stick to his core values, inherited from his parents and generations of descendants of the old Empire of Mali, who migrated south, evading the inexorably advancing Sahara. As the character matures chapter after chapter, he becomes aware of the dichotomies that characterize his social landscape: Muslims-Mandingo-non-Muslim-Liberians; tribal identity nationhood; ancestral traditions beheld by his mother who wants him to become a learned Koran reader a position of power and prestige in the traditional setting - the western education that his father pushes him to pursue. He is keenly aware of the small divides that cover bigger gaps between the various tribes in Liberia, until everything explodes during the war, exposing a divided society, with ethnic groups moving around each other without really being connected, a country of small unconnected social groups. There is a strong sense of belonging, culturally and religiously that threads through the story. He carries that strong bound of kinship that cemented and kept the Mandingo culture throughout the centuries, whence they managed to cohabit with other cultures without ever losing their identities. Their reluctance to consume alcohol is not only rooted in religious but also forms part of the valuesystem of cultural resistance. In their movements across the savannah, they held onto beliefs that kept them together. The book is about race and religion as well as it is about the narrator personal discovery of life. Race and religion are posed through looking at such divisions as Mandingo

through history, occupying therefore the same position as the colonizers. The difference was that the colonizers through evangelization and western education that provided new social standing to natives, managed to keep their aura of superiority. The fact that Mandingoes had long preceded the Americo-Liberians in the country but are still considered foreigners is a historical irony that has can only explained by the fact Mandingoes usually assimilate other cultures. They survive as a culture and a religion since the days of the Ghana Empire, in the 10th Century B.C, moving from southern Morocco to the seashores of Liberia. Much later, in the course of the war, Alhaji Kromah will emerge as a redeemer for his tribe. He joined forces with the Krahns and mounted a resistance against Charles Taylor and forced the NPFL to peace talk that put an end to the war in the 1990s. But then, that redeemer becomes a disappointment. Like Doe, like Taylor, Alhaji Kromah will fall from grace once he was bitten by the bugs of power and money. But the narrator still looks at him as a hero as many Mandingoes do. His fight propelled Mandingoes from the kola basket to the national body politics. No matter what he did later, Kromah still stands as a redeemer in the Mandingo society. The writer poses the question of clan, tribe and religious affiliation in the Liberian society in a very off-handed way that makes everything come out real. He takes the reader into the various social, religious, cultural and political setting he traverses with an almost innocent sight. The story is journey into Liberian culture, from the village in Nimba to the USA. The narrator raises many questions about Liberia. The first one, is included in the title. One is tempted to put a question mark and read: The Land of my father? Because in the end, he decides to leave it behind and becomes an American citizen, as if to resolve the burden and anxiety of belonging. Through his eyes, we see a Liberia that holds more to clan identity than county or country. This is why Dr. Elwood Dunn constantly asks the question about what makes Liberian a Liberian? This story is one of existentialism, one that questions everything and exposes the deep antagonism that characterizes the tribal relations in Liberia. Clan, tribe and county are the basis for identity before national citizenship. Under this apparent pessimistic view, there is a profound sense of belonging and love in the book, towards friends, towards families and colleagues on the road and a desperate search for identity, both in Liberia and in America, his new country. In the end, we learn, as the narrator discovers, that everywhere, under the sun, rom Jerusalem to Paris and to the dusty village in Nimba, people are people, with the same basic needs and aspirations. The world is just the world and Liberia will always be LIB. The Americans have taken a step forward by electing Barack Obama but the issue of race is still there. The world may get tired of the IsraeliPalestinian war but will that erase race and cultural issues? Liberians may get tired of being Congaus, Mandingoes or Native to just be Liberians, but other issues may emerge. This was a thematic review, focusing on the social aspect of the story, with its political, religious and ethnic dimensions. There are many other possible levels of reading it. One can read it again and again. It is a book of discovery and selfexmination.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

TAYLOR POLICE HENCHMAN ON COURTS RADAR

Monrovia ollowing his arrest over the weekend by the Liberia National Police, former senior police officer under former President Charles Taylor, Yekeh Kolubah has been arraigned before Roberts International Airport Magisterial court along with on multiple charges. Yekeh Kolubah, was ordered arrested through the RIA Magisterial Court on charges of armed robbery, criminal conspiracy to commit armed robbery and criminal mischief. Kolubah is said to have been involved in a land dispute with one Jartu Tubman concerning a parcel of land in an area around Boys Town in Marshall. Sources told FrontPageAfrica that the defendant took thugs on the parcel of land and the thugs brutalized workers on the land using cutlasses and made away with huge sum of money. In the writ of arrest issued on April 25, 2014 the magisterial court stated You are hereby commanded to arrest the living bodies of defendants Yekeh Kolubah, Elijah, Shadrack and others to be identified, defendants charged with the commission of the crimes of armed robbery, criminal conspiracy to commit armed robbery and criminal mischief, to be forwarded before this Honourable Court for criminal prosecution as provided for by the law controlling. The courts order indicated that there is no compromise in the arrest of the defendants, mandating that when the

DIVERSIFYING YEKEH APPEARS IN COURT TRADE OVER LAND DISPUTE

This is what we do, helping small and medium enterprises to unlock their potential, adding more value which generates growth, serving as employment, so that trading is diversified, ITC Executive Director Arancha Gonzalez.

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LAW & ORDER

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NEWS EXTRA

LAWMAKER SUES CHRONICLE NEWSPAPER FOR $500K DAMAGES

Kennedy L. Yangian kennedylyangian @frontpageafricaonline.com 077296781
Republic of Liberia. Again, the two plaintiffs furthered that the publications are defamatory and libel perce by the publication and circulation of the said newspaper with front page articles of the senior senator photograph because said articles fall within the definition of the word libel which is defined in Blacks Law Dictionary as a method of defamation expressed by print, writing, picture or sound all of which the defendants did do and commit. According to the plaintiffs the defendants publishing these defamatory stories without the iota of truth, circulating same has injured the reputations of the plaintiffs by imputing that they are complacent in the commission of a crime. Wherefore and in view of the law, facts and circumstances plaintiffs pray your honor and the court to enter judgment against the defendant, hold them liable jointly and severally for act committed against plaintiffs so that they can be awarded damages in the amount in an amount to be determined by jury, which should not be less than US$500,000.00 for the losses, inconvenience and embarrassments the plaintiffs were made to suffer by the defendants said the complaint. The libel lawsuit against the Chronicle Newspaper comes after public outcry over excessive fines imposed on newspapers in libel lawsuits under the current government. In August of last the FrontPageAfrica Newspaper suffered a libel lawsuit when its managing editor Rodney Sieh was ordered detained by the lower court after he admitted that he could not pay a US$1.5m for damages to former Agriculture Minister Dr. Chris Toe after losing a libel lawsuit for stories the paper published accusing the former minister for his alleged failure to account for funds provided him by the government to fight army worm and other issued against the Minister culled from a report released by the General Auditing Commission (GAC). The hearing for the libel lawsuit against the Chronicle Newspaper has been scheduled for June 16, 2014 during the morning hours at the Civil Law Court while the paper and staffers named in the lawsuit have been asked to file their formal appearance and or answer to the office of the clerk of Civil Law Court on or before the 5th day of May 2014.

defendants are arrested at night, they should be detained at the nearest police station. Kolubah in an interview at the LNP Headquarter on Sunday stated that he had never committed any armed robbery rather it was the police that had built up the case against him because of the land dispute that had ensure between he and the lady in question. I am not a criminal Police Director Chris Massaquoi is the criminal because he is the one who stole generator from this place that all of us know about, said Kolubah. He said that he was already to go to court and when he goes to court the court will surely exonerate him because the charge was manipulated by the police to incriminate him appear as though he is a criminal, which is not. That in the even the defendants

are arrested in the night or during non court working day, you are hereby commanded to have the defendants detained at the nearest police detention cell to be forwarded before this court on the next court working day before this court for trial, stated the arrest order. According to the court record, since the defendants have placed themselves in hiding, to prevent arrest and prosecution, there is no compromise for their arrest. That, there is no COMPROMISE for the arrest of the said defendants herein mentioned, since indeed they have placed themselves into hiding purposely to prevent arrest and prosecution, the Magisterial Court ordered. The court in a communication to the Director of the Liberia National Police, appealed to the police to help arrest the defendants.

Sated the court letter Wherefore, and in view of the foregoing, this Honourable will appreciate were you to kindly assist by the provision of additional manpower to augment the strength of the court officers in effecting the arrest order herewith attached. Yekeh was one of the powerful police officers during the regime of former President Charles Taylor and was acclaimed for combating armed robbery. It is now an irony that a once police officer who was known for fighting armed robbery is now allegedly involved in such act. Yekeh has been a strong advocate against the current police regime, criticizing the current officials of the force of involvement in acts of corruption. He has been calling on public talks-shows narrating internal events at the police.

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Monrovia:

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omi County Senator Lahai Lansanah and Victor Jah claiming to have been injured over the Chronicle Newspaper story linking them to the gruesome death of a woman in Bomi county have filed a joint US$500,000.00 action for damages for wrong (libel) against the paper. Sianneh Mulbah 42, a coal seller from the Rally Town Market who traded in coal business between Monrovia and Bomi County went missing after she had gone to the county to purchase coal early this year. Her body was discovered two weeks after going missing with reports that several parts of her body were extracted by her killers. Two persons were arrested but officers of the Liberia National Police who are investigating the two suspects are yet to release the finding with reports that investigation into the cause of her death is still ongoing. In the aftermath of Siannehs death the National Chronicle Newspaper first reported that the campaign manager of Senator Lansanah had murdered a coal seller for human parts, while her family cries for justice. Lawmaker sues National Chronicle Newspaper in continuation of its story stated that officers assigned with the Crime Against Person Unit have arrested the campaign manager of Senator Lahai Lansanah for the death of Sianneh Mulbah and that Victor D. Jah was on April 14, 2014 at about 5 p.m. arrested by CSD officers in Bomi County where he resides. According to Senator Lansanah and Jahs lawsuit issued against the Chronicle Newspaper and its Editor in Chief Wedeo Johnson, the managing editor/staff writer Jah Johnson and News Editor Edward Mortee, both plaintiffs say that they are law abiding, respectable and reputable professional citizens of Liberia who have never been convicted of any criminal act (s) in the country. The plaintiffs indicated that the intent of the publication was to damage, impeach, destroy, blackmail their reputations, thereby exposing them to hatred, public ridicule and to cause them to lose the confidence reposed in them by the people of Bomi County and the

he International Trade Centre is working with the Government of the Liberia, the Ministry of Commerce and local Liberian farmers to diversify Liberias trade sector with the aim of adding value to the sector, the Executive Director of the ITC has told FrontPageAfrica. Currently Liberias trade sector is predominantly import base but Arancha Gonzalez, Executive Director of the ITC says the Center is working to help Liberia diversify its trade and also become a member of the World Trade Organizations. This is what we do, helping small and medium enterprises to unlock their potential, adding more value which generates growth, serving as employment, so that trading is diversified, says Executive Director Gonzalez. Executive Director Gonzalez said the ITC will endeavor to look at particular sectors that are competitive and work with local farmers to make those sectors add value by helping to train famers in techniques that will lead to improved yields. Specifically, the cocoa, cassava, rubber, fisheries and oil palm sectors are of priority at the moment but she also indicated that the furniture and tourism sectors will also be considered for improvement. Liberia, she says has a beautiful coast which can be developed into a tourist attraction which will in turn leads to construction of hotels and other facilities for visiting tourists, tourists guide and other employment related activities. Fisheries, the ITC Director disclosed is a sector that can be used to produce fish firstly for consumption on the local market and also for export. The strategies of the ITC according to its Executive Director includes access to finance, quality management and trade facilitation The ITC, Executive Director Gonzalez said will sit with rubber workers and other farmers to build their capacities by training people who will serve as trainers for the rest of the farmers. Gender dimension The ITC Executive Director disclosed that the work in Liberia like other countries will take into account gender dimension where women will be given an opportunity to be a part of the processes. We are taking into account the gender dimension of the program, women economic empowerment so that every process has a good gender dimension. Women, she said have been known to reinvest up to 90% of their income, noting that women empowerment will help with the sustainability of the program. Director Gonzalez disclosed that it is time to translate strategy into concrete action. The ITC also intends to use the program to help Liberia become a member of the WTO which requires Liberia exercising openness of its market to other nations, aligning legislations related to trade to WTO regulations, amongst others. The ITC has supported the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the development of the Liberia National Trade Policy (LNTP). The policy was developed after years of consultations with the private sector, and its objectives were validated in a workshop organized by ITC and MoCI in February this year. The LNTP was launched recently in Monrovia. The LNTP promotes policy coherence to enhance business competitiveness and its role is to ensure that trade-related policies-including but not limited to the investment code, medium and small Enterprises (MSME) policy, national transport policy, food and agriculture policy, national industrial policy and mineral policy-work together to achieve Liberias trade objectives, such as membership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Framers of the document have indicated that the LNTP will serve as a living document and will be amended as policy conditions change. Amongst the vision of LNTP are- pulls together policies and strategies to create an umbrella trade policy for the Government, enabling efficient implementation and monitoring; outlines Liberias strategy for trade policy issues, which is currently not adequately covered in Government policy and lays the foundation for a broad spectrum of legislative and policy reforms required for membership in ECOWAS and the WTO-essential steps for Liberia to integrate into value chains and the global economy.

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iberias President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says unless there is a change in the long standing historic structure that has limited the sustainability of the local economy, government wish for economic growth cannot be achievable. The Liberian leader said, the country cannot succeed in building a strong economy if Liberians themselves are not key actors in the private sector which she described as the driving force for any economy. The President said: Yes financial and human resources are limited because we have goals that are very aggressive beyond our ability to achieve them at a given time frame but unless we do it by ourselves, by having our own entrepreneurs, investors and business people we will not be able to get it, others will come and make their contributions and leave because they want profit they are business people. Speaking at the launch of the newly constructed state of the art mineral water production plant in Kingsville Montserrado County owned by a Liberian entrepreneur Representative Josephine Francis, she frowned on the action by some Liberian businesses that in the habit of taking loan and refusing to payback something she described as irresponsible act. President Sirleaf who worked as a financial expert prior to her ambitious political endeavor stated that the action by businesses not to pay back loans taken also undermines government effort in trying help Liberian businesses grow to an appreciable level. She cautioned Liberian businesses to remain responsible and sustainable because according to her every time a business is closed it undermines the local economy by taking away the jobs government want to create and basic social services provided by businesses to Liberians. President Sirleaf also disclosed plans by her government through the Commerce Ministry to change the structure of the local Economy by providing capital for businesses at the bottom of the ladder because according her it has always favor people with large capital.

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Henry Karmo (0886522495) henrykarmo47@5mail.com

NEWS EXTRA F PRESIDENT SIRLEAF ENCOURAGES LIBERIAN ENTREPRENEURS TO TAKE OVER ECONOMY
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F
Monrovia

She also challenged Liberians to endeavor to do business with like qualities compare to their foreign counterparts. There have been some Liberians who have been able to stand the test of time even in difficult situation they succeed. Francis has been

oreign Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan has applauded the Liberian Christian Association of the Blind (CAB) through its President, Mr. Beyan Kota for its farsighted leadership and the tremendous humanitarian work the Association continues to provide by catering to the needs of blind brothers and sisters in the country. The Foreign Minister who spoke during a ceremony marking the Associations 5th General Assembly held in Paynesville on Friday, April 25, 2014, lauded the Association for not only working for the social and material needs of the blind, but for also inspiring hope in them and building their consciousness on the fact that you are blind does not mean you cannot succeed in whatever you do or in life generally. He said to the leadership of the Association: I have been following the activities of CAB for quite some time now and I have never ceased from admiring your resilience and courage and your demonstrated determination to improving the societal chances of your members. By your actions you gain the

MINISTER NGAFUAN LAUDS BLIND ASSOCIATIONS FARSIGHTED LEADERSHIP

rose above the ordinary. He spoke under the topic The Enactment of Policy On the Use of the White Cane, Its Impact and Challenges in the Achievement of Government Poverty Alleviation Strategy for the Blind and Visually Impaired, a topic he said came at a more appropriate time as Liberia continues on the path of recovery from several years of devastating crisis. He then emphasized the importance of giving keen attention to the issues involving the blind and people living with visual impairment and other forms of disabilities which he stated cannot be overemphasized: When we look across our country we are sadly reminded that our civil war did not only destroy lives and properties, it also shattered limbs, sights and left society with serious traumatic experiences. Referencing statistics from the Liberia Rising 2030, the Foreign Minister noted that 16 percent

one of those Liberians. She has promoted Agriculture in all parts of the country by encouraging people to get involved in Agriculture. President Sirleaf continues: there is a popular saying that I rather light a Candle than curve

the darkness. Josephine is an example of those who have lighted their candles instead of complaining, the President added. Also speaking Representative Josephine Francis commended government for the 35% tariff

placed on imported water stating that it will help Liberians in the water sector to sell their water on the Liberian market. She said, the new state of the art water producing equipment produces sixteen thousand (16,000) meter which is 3,000

bottles per hour. At the new water factory there is a micro biology and chemical lap to test the water produced with the help of an Indian Technician who was sent from the factory where the machine was produced to help train Liberians. Representative Francis said: We are ready to re-enter the market to become a new force in this new market. We are 100% Liberian owned and this business is owned by me and my two daughters. Asked about her status as a politician and how it could favor her in the business environment when it comes to winning bigger contracts she said; there are politicians around the world who are billionaires from business, so I dont think my position as a politician has anything to do with me selling my water because I give my customers good products. Representative Francis a Liberian Legislator and entrepreneur in an interview with reporters said she was proud that she is a politician and is using the bank to get loan to do her business and hope that within the next two to three years, she will realize a huge turnover with her water already been favored on the Liberian market. Lawmaker Francis connection with the Unity Party could be to some extent paying off as she continues to make strive in her business. She joins other politician but from the opposition block Simeon Freeman who is also in the water production business. Simeon Freeman another Politician and businessman in Liberia has been a serious critics of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf led government. He contested in the 2011 election as stander bearer of the opposition Movement for Progressive Change MPC party.

attention necessary to tell the story and highlight the plight of a very important segment of our population and engender optimism in people who are blind and visually challenged regardless of their disadvantages they can also live dignified lives. Minister Ngafuan noticed that under the leadership of Mr. Kota, CAB continues to develop the capacity of its members; whether it is through the Braille Education Program, training for social empowerment, and other forms of capacity building activities. He stated that the programs and activities of the Association have placed blind people on the path of higher social empowerment, deeper integration into

the mainstream life of society and equal opportunities for sustainable and dignified living. Let me say that being blind does not mean that you are not able, he added. Recollecting some major strides made by some eminent blind people in the world, Minister Ngafuan stated: We know of Helen Keller who had a triplicate of challenges, she was deaf, mute and blind but rose above them to become one of the most influential humanitarians of the 20th Century. We also know of, Stevie Wonder, Clarence Carter, Dr. Sakui Malaikpai, our own Beyan Kota and scores of others who though physically challenged still challenged the odds and

of the population of Liberia was considered disabled before the civil war of which number 61 percent is physically disabled, 24 percent blind, 7 percent deaf, and 8 percent with mental disabilities. In response, the CAB president, Mr. Kota who applauded Minister Ngafuan in return for his commendations re-echoed the Ministers emphasized needs and entitlements for the blind with specific reference to the use of the white cane. It is not just to ensure our free movement but also traffic safety which is important for free movement. It is also an economic tool because it protects our rights to engage in the socio-economic rights of the state, Mr. Kota said. The head of the CAB then appealed to the Foreign Minister to represent the interests of the blind at the level of the Executive Mansion during cabinet meetings.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

REGULATOR STILL IN LACC DRAGNET

and illicit Drug Trafficking on the Fundamental Rights and governance system of the Liberian people- a keynote address by Tiawan S. Gongloe, at a one day symposium organized by CAMTEFIL under the theme: Capacity Building and Sensitization Campaign against Money Laundering, Illicit Drugs and Terrorist Financing in Liberia, held at the YMCA Auditorium on Crown Hill, Friday, April 25, 2014. Ijoma Robert Flemister, irflem@msn.com, Contributing Writer

THE COUP D'ETAT OF 1980 HAD THE IMPACT OF PREDICATE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE 1979 OFFENSES AND ITS Commission on Higher Education Director General long Corruption tale RICE RIOTS - PRESIDENT SAMUEL ANTECEDENTS Corruption, Money laundering, terrorist financing, bribery K. DOE DID NOT KILL PRESIDENT WILLIAM R. TOLBERT.

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fficials of Government, the National Director of CAMTEFIL, heads of CBOs and CSOs, the representative of OSIWA, other distinguished ladies and gentlemen. You have asked me to deliver a keynote address under a theme that requires a greater length of time just for the key to be located. As for the notes, I could take a whole week to write and I will still need more time before delivering same to you. Let me first congratulate CAMTEFIL for undertaking an initiative that is so important for protecting Liberia against becoming a paradise for transforming money generated from criminal conduct into good and clean money. Your effort to educate policy-makers, key actors in the banking and commercial sectors as well as in the civil society will go a long way in creating the knowledge required in Liberia to deal with the danger posed by money-laundering. It has been true throughout history and it is true today that knowledge is power. Thank you for helping the Liberian people, through your awareness creating project, to get the power they, so urgently, need to fight money-laundering. What is money laundering?Money laundering is the process of taking the proceeds of criminal activity and making them appear clean and legal. Those notoriously known for money laundering in the world are drug traffickers. They generate so much money from this criminal enterprise and their intention is to put the proceeds of their criminal conduct in the financial system in the same manner as people engaged in legal business activities. It is easy to do this in countries that do not have limitations on how much money a person is allowed to carry on his person through a border or to deposit at one time in a bank. Money-laundering is not just restricted to drug traffickers. People engagedin white-color crimes such as corrupt public officials do the same thingwhen they convert public money to their own or take bribes, also engage in money-laundering. They like drug traffickers, also find ways to make their dirty money clean.Some put the volume of the proceeds the crime of money-laundering around the world at hundreds of billions of dollars, and may be a trillion dollars, annually. Lets look at some examples of money-laundering. A drug trafficker has millions of dollars that he wants to deposit in the bank in country A, but he cannot do so because the banking law of that country requires banks to ask questions on the sources of money deposited, once the deposits go beyond a certain limit. So in order for a drug trafficker to put himself in a position to explain the sources of his deposits, he may put the money into business ventures and then justify his deposits as proceeds from his business ventures. A drug trafficker or a corrupt government official could open a night club, a big farm, a transport business, a petrol station or jewelry business, or engage in the buying and selling of diamonds, etc. and by that transform his illegal money into clean money. Sometimes you see a person engaged in a small business, such as a night-club or a small commercial farm and within a short time he starts showing off his wealth and you then get inspired by that person and you go ahead and borrow money from the bank to carry on the same business in order to live like him, but you find yourself not succeeding. The real story in a situation like that is that the business that you admire so much is a front for the ill-gotten wealth or the means by which criminal money is made good money. Money-laundering works in more sophisticated ways then the examples that I have given. But this is just to give you an indication of how it works. Money-laundering is not good for any country. It has numerous bad effects on any country. The first is that if drug-traffickers find themselves in a country where the proceeds of their criminal activities can be easily transformed into good money, they will bring in more drugs and more and more young people of that country will be exposed to drug addiction. The more the young people are exposed to drugs, the more they will commit violent crimes such as aggravated assault, rape, armed robbery, murder, and all kinds of organized crimes. This is not good for any country. Another effect of money-laundering is terrorism. In countries where moneylaundering is not tracked, terrorist find a safe-haven for better organizing themselves because it is easy for them to raise money to support their criminal activities. Another negative effect of money-laundering is more and more corruption. If corrupt public officials can easily deposit and withdraw money without being questioned and there is no law on how much money one can deposit within a day, then public officials will easily deposit proceeds of conversion of public funds into private funds and bribes taken by them,in local banks easily. This means that government will not be in the position to provide the needed social services for the people due to the criminal conduct of public officials. Another negative effect of money-laundering is that, people who have clean money tend to move their money from banks in which laundered moneys are deposited. This tends to create liquidity problem in a country where money-laundering is not an issue or is not closely monitored. There are many more negative effects of money-laundering than I have enumerated. The fight against money laundering is therefore, morally justified. But it cannot succeed without the collective efforts of the government, particularly its law enforcement officers, the business sector, particularly, the banks, and the citizens. The first step in this fight is to have a strong law against money laundering. Liberia now has a strong anti-money laundering law. It is called the Anti-money laundering and terrorist financing Act, 2012. This law came into force on May 2, 2013. Under this law, a person or body corporate, or other legal entity commits the offense of money laundering if that person or entity knowing or having reason to believe that a property is the proceed of a crime: converts or transfers the property with the intent of concealing or disguising the illicit origin of that property, or of aiding any person involved in the commission of the criminal conduct to evade the legal consequences of the conduct; Conceals or disguises the true nature, origin, location, disposition, movement or ownership of the property; Acquires, possesses or uses the property; Engages directly or indirectly in any transaction which involves the property; Receives, possesses, conceals, disguises, transfers, converts, disposes of , removes from or brings the property into Liberia; or Participates in, associates with or conspires to commit, attempts to commit or aids, abets or facilitates the commission of any of the above acts. The offense is graded as a felony of the first degree. Money laundering can be committed through the commission of other crimes. These crimes are referred to under the law as predicate offenses. They include fraud, terrorism, forgery, bribery, corruption, and many others. In order for the law against money laundering to be effective, the Legislature has also enacted other laws to complement it. They include: An Act to Amend the Civil Procedure Law to Provide Provisional Remedies for Proceeds of Crime; the Fraud Act, 2012; An Act to Establish The Financial intelligence Unit of Liberia, 2012; An Act to Amend the Penal Law Regarding Extortion, Environmental Crime, And Illicit Trafficking in Human Beings And Migrant Smuggling, 2012; An Act to Establish Procedures for the Distribution of United Nations List of Terrorists and Terrorist Groups, 2012; and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, 2012. I hope that in your subsequent workshops, you will bring lawyers and law enforcement experts to provide education on the importance of these complementary laws. With these few words, I wish you a successful deliberation. Thank you.

he Coup d'tat of 1980 was the result of failed negotiations between the United States/ NATO and the group of African leaders (Ahmed Sekou Toure of Guinea, Leopold Sedar Senghor of Senegal and William Richard Tolbert of Liberia) who had sought a trade accommodation/ agreement with the United States for an Executive Chairman of the OAU to manage Africa's natural resources and commodities via commodity cartels. Throughout 1978-1979 there were extensive planning and discussions around the then Uruguay Round of GATT, which involved President Tolbert taking the lead in the discussions. In 1979 there was a high level and quiet conference of Africa's Finance Ministers convened at Ducor Hotel to establish Africa's position on the intricacies of the commodity cartels. President Tolbert assigned me to observe the deliberations of the conference. Note that the main reason for USA President Jimmy Carter's visit to Nigeria and then subsequently to Liberia, was to hold face-to-face talks with the leaders of Nigeria and Liberia. I was on the official high level Liberian delegation that sat with President Tolbert during the discussion with President Carter. The details submitted by President Carter involved a cash allotment to Liberia (President Tolbert) of 100 million USD, Liberia granting military base rights in Grand Gedeh, and the CIA command and control in Liberia be extended to also monitoring Libya's and the Arab League's activities in Africa. By January 1980, President Tolbert specifically said to me, "Ijoma, as long as I am President of Liberia and Chairman of the OAU they can not have a military base in West Africa." But Presidents Tolbert, Senghor and Toure continued to insist on the implementation of the commodity cartels. Let's analyze the results. (1) After the saga of the Arab Oil Embargo against the United States, there evolved a situation where the national security apparatus of the United States saw President Tolbert as a threat to the security of the United States. President Carter initialized security directives against President Tolbert and President Reagan subsequently implemented those directives. (2) It is clear that Liberians DID NOT carry out the assassination of President Tolbert. Remember what First Lady Victoria Tolbert recounted that there were white skinned men in masks who came into the Executive Mansion. (3) For the first two days after the Coup, the BTC Post Stockade was under the command of American English accent men. I was there. (4) Note that President Tolbert was due to visit Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) on Monday, April 14, 1980 to codify the impending independence of that nation. President Tolbert had worked with Dr. Henry Kissinger on the detail of the independence. The USA had to act quickly to interrupt President Tolbert's trip to Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). If President Tolbert had been successful in the independence issues, he would have been untouchable - by British acceptance. Remember who all receive the Nobel Peace Prize regarding the independence of that nation that is still governed by President Mugabe? I sat in on the confidential negotiations held in the Executive Mansion in Monrovia, and also sat in on many of the meetings between President Tolbert and Dr Kissinger. (5) Note that President Senghor, who was President Tolbert's Vice Chairman of the OAU, was forced to resign as President of Senegal within a year after the Liberian Coup. President Toure, was slated to be the first Executive Chair of the OAU, never became Chair of the OAU in spite of all the OAU preparations in Guinea. President Toure subsequently died at the Cleveland Heart Clinic in the USA. (6) Note that United States Secretary of State George Shultz subsequently initialized the CIA command and control operations in Liberia by visiting Liberia several times, confidentially, during the early days of the PRC. (7) Note that the United States had yet never had a southern Atlantic military base until the advent of AfriComm, which even now is managed from Stuttgart, Germany. I recently met in Columbus, Ohio with the AfriComm Operations Commander. the United States executed a PERFECT "Hidden Hands" operation in staging the background and action of the Liberia Coup d'tat of 1980. The rest is history! ----------------------------------------------------------On the Wednesday before the Coup of 1980, The Honorable Ijoma Flemister was emissary to the Political Officer at the Monrovia USEmbassy. Subsequent to that meeting with the Political Officer, in reference that a coup would be initiated if terms were not met, President Tolbert noted to the Honorable Flemister, "Tell him, I am ready. As long as I am President of Liberia and Chairman of the OAU, they can not have it."

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UKRAINE MAYOR SHOT, U.S. ANNOUNCES NEW SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA

IN BRIEF

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) he mayor of Ukraine's secondlargest city was shot in the back Monday and hundreds of men attacked a peaceful pro-Ukraine rally with batons, bricks and stun grenades, wounding dozens as tensions soared in Ukraine's volatile east. One presidential candidate said the mayor was deliberately targeted to destabilize the entire city of Kharkiv, a hub of 1.5 million people. Armed insurgents tacitly backed by Moscow are seeking more autonomy in eastern Ukraine and possibly even independence or annexation with Russia.

STOWAWAY BOY'S REFUGEE MOM CRIES FOR SON

ASSAD SEEKS REELECTION AS SYRIAN CIVIL WAR RAGES

SHEDDER REFUGEE CAMP, Ethiopia (AP) he Somali mother's home is a frame of sticks covered by ragged blankets on the dusty grounds of this refugee camp. It was here that her 15-year-old son wanted to travel on an impossible journey as a stowaway on a plane from California. Ubah Mohammed Abdule hasn't seen her boy who was hospitalized in Hawaii after landing there in the wheel well of a jetliner for eight long years. Wearing a black and white head covering, Abdule wept as she stood before the flimsy shelter holding her meager possessions and spoke about her son. She told journalists from The Associated Press, who traveled to see her in remote eastern Ethiopia, that she was alarmed by the dangerous method of travel her son undertook.

MINYA, Egypt (Reuters) n Egyptian court sentenced the leader of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and 682 supporters to death on Monday, intensifying a crackdown on the movement that could trigger protests and political violence ahead of an election next month. The Brotherhood, in a statement issued in London, described the ruling as chilling and said it would "continue to use all peaceful means to end military rule". In another case signaling growing intolerance of dissent by military-backed authorities, a pro-democracy movement that helped ignite the uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011 was banned by court order, judicial sources said. The death sentence passed on Mohamed Badie, the Brotherhood's general guide, will infuriate members of the group which has been the target of raids, arrests and bans since the army forced President Mohamed Mursi from power in July. Some Brotherhood members fear pressure from security forces and the courts could drive some young members to violence against the movement's old enemy, the Egyptian state. Badie, considered a conservative hardliner, was charged with crimes including inciting violence that followed the army overthrow of Mursi, who is also on trial on an array of charges. The slight, 70-year-old veterinary professor stood trial in Cairo in a separate case hours after the sentence was affirmed. "If they executed me one thousand times I will not retreat from the right path," Badie was quoted as saying by lawyer Osama Mursi, who attended one of his trials in Cairo. The comments were published on the Facebook page of Osama Mursi, son of the Brotherhood leader ousted as president. Two security officials told Reuters that Badie appeared relaxed and joked, asking other Brotherhood members to buy him the red outfit that prisoners condemned to death wear. Tough measures against the Brotherhood suggest the

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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

authorities still see it as a major threat, even though most of its leaders and thousands of members are behind bars. Authorities are well aware that the movement founded in 1928 has survived repression under successive Egyptian autocrats. BROTHERHOOD SUPPORT The Brotherhood, believed to have about one million supporters in the nation of 85 million, has vowed to topple the government through protests. Reacting to what it called the "chilling" court ruling, the Brotherhood said the world can no longer afford to stay silent. "The Muslim Brotherhood reaffirms it will continue to fight relentlessly for freedom and democracy in Egypt, and continue to use all peaceful means to end military rule and achieve justice for the Egyptian people," the group's London office said in an emailed statement. In a separate case, a court affirmed death sentences on 37 others. The rulings were

DEATH SENTENCE
Egyptian court sentences top Muslim Brotherhood leader to death
part of a final judgment on 529 Muslim Brotherhood supporters condemned last month. The remaining defendants were jailed for life, judicial sources said. Death sentence recommendations in the case involving Badie will be passed on to Egypt's Mufti, the highest religious authority. His opinion can be ignored by the court. The rulings can be appealed. Many defendants are on the run. Mass trials in the biggest Arab state have reinforced fears among human rights groups that the government and antiIslamist judges are using all levers of power to crush opponents. "The decisions are possibly the largest possible death sentences in recent world history. While they're exceptional in scale, they're certainly not exceptional in kind," said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director for Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch. "It seems that these sentences are aimed at striking fear and terror into the hearts of those who oppose the interim government." In an early reaction from a Western government, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt wrote on Twitter that the mass trials were an "outrage". "The world must and will react!" Egypt's ties with the United States - source of $1.5 billion in annual aid, most of it to the Egyptian military - have been strained in the three years since Mubarak was overthrown. Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy is on a visit to the United States he says will "redirect relations". Washington froze some of its military aid in October after Mursi's overthrow and the violent crackdown on his supporters. Last week, Washington promised 10 attack helicopters to aid a fight against Islamist militants in the Sinai Peninsula. The political turmoil that has gripped Egypt and an Islamist insurgency based in the Sinai have hammered the economy, which grew by a meager 2.1 percent last year. "In a month, Egypt sentences more people to death than the rest of the world combined. PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT BANNED

It is not the kind of news to rekindle confidence," Angus Blair, chairman of business and economic forecasting think-tank Signet, wrote on Twitter.

As word spread of the death sentences, relatives screamed and cried outside the court in the town of Minya. "This is a corrupt government. This is a failed regime. We have no real police. We have no real state," said Sabah Hassan, whose son was sentenced to death. Others collapsed on the street as soldiers with AK-47 assault rifles standing on an armored vehicle looked on. Relatives blamed Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the general who deposed Mursi. The former head of military intelligence under Mubarak is expected to easily win presidential elections on May 26-27 in a country long ruled by men from the military, Mursi's time in office representing the rare exception.

SAFRICA CELEBRATES MANDELA, 20 YEARS OF DEMOCRACY

BEIRUT (Reuters) yrian President Bashar al-Assad declared on Monday he would seek re-election in June, defying calls from his opponents to step aside and allow a political solution to the country's devastating civil war. Assad formally submitted his nomination to Syria's constitutional court to stand in an election which his Western and Arab foes have dismissed as a parody of democracy. He is the seventh person to put himself forward for Syria's first multi-candidate presidential vote in decades, but none of his rivals are expected to mount a serious challenge to 44 years of Assad family rule.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) outh Africa's president urged voters to head to the polls next week in the spirit of "democracy and freedom" as he unveiled a large bronze bust of the country's most famous anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela in front of Parliament on Monday. "May the spirit of Madiba also inspire all South Africans as they vote yet again on the 7th of May," President Jacob Zuma said in Cape Town, referring to Mandela by his clan name and revealing a bronze sculpture on a granite plinth standing more than 2 meters (yards) high. South Africans are celebrating 20 years of democracy. Mandela's election in 1994 ended decades of white-racist rule and his example of forgiveness after 27 years in prison inspired millions around the world. Mandela died in December at the age of 95. "The unveiling of this bust confirms that our Parliament, which was once a symbol of white domination, has now been transformed into a progressive institution that upholds the values of unity, equality, freedom and the dignity of all South Africans," Zuma said. Zuma's comments came as a parliamentary

committee investigating allegations of misspending by the president suspended its work so it can be tackled by the next parliament. The May 7 election is likely to see the ruling African National Congress return to power with a smaller majority than in past elections, reflecting discontent with the movement that led the fight against apartheid. South Africa boasts a widely admired constitution and an active civil society and the government has delivered housing, water and electricity to millions since 1994, but a wide gap between rich and poor overshadows the many achievements of the "rainbow nation." South Africa struggles with high unemployment, one of the world's highest rates of violent crime and labor unrest. Zuma has also been criticized because more than $20 million in state funds were spent to upgrade his private rural home. Public Protector Thuli Madonsela presented a 450-page report in March that concluded the president had inappropriately benefited from state funding and should pay back some money. A special committee set up to consider the president's response to the report on Monday voted to suspend its activities citing a lack of time to complete the work, the ANC said.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

UNEASY DRAW FOR LONE STAR LIBERIA DRAWS BURKINA FASO, ANGOLA,

2015 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS

GABON, LESOTHO,KENYA, COMOROS

Sports

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DIEGO SIMEONE: ATLETICO MADRID SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE

SPORT BRIEF

iberia will look to regain their footing in international football with the qualifying rounds of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. But the nation which showed glimpse of the Weah-Debbah years in the 1980s and early 90s will have to beat some tough teams to go through. The Confederation of African Football(CAF) unveiled the groupings for the qualifiers Monday placing Liberia in Group C along with Burkina Faso, Angola, Gabon plus one of Liberia, Lesotho, Kenya and Comoros. Africa Cup of Nations champions Nigeria will face South Africa and Sudan when it bids to reach the 2015 tournament in Morocco. Stephen Keshi's men lifted the trophy for the third time in 2013 with a 1-0 win over Burkina Faso and will meet the hosts of that tournament, South Africa, in qualifying for the 2015 competition. The two sides are joined by Sudan in Group A, with a final place to be taken by a qualifier from the preliminary rounds in the form of Namibia, Congo, Libya or Rwanda. Burkina Faso faces matches against Angola and Gabon in Group C, and could be joined by Liberia, Lesotho, Kenya or Comoros. Cote d'Ivoire and Cameroon, who will join Nigeria at this year's World Cup in Brazil, were drawn together in Group D of qualifying alongside the

iego Simeone reminded his Atletico Madrid players that defeat was not an option after they secured a vital 1-0 victory overValencia at Mestalla. The narrow away win, secured through Raul Garcia's first-half header, puts Atleti six points ahead of rivals Real Madrid having played a game more. But with a clash against reigning champions Barcelona to come at Camp Nou on the final day of the season, Simeone is aware that just one slip could cost his side its dream. "We have two big rivals behind us and we simply cannot afford to lose," he told Marca after the win on Sunday. "This was an important win. We showed a great attitude and we fought nobly to get the three points.

Democratic Republic of Congo. Ghana - another nation heading to the World Cup - faces West African rivals Togo in Group E, while Algeria, Africa's other representative in Brazil, has games against Mali and Ethiopia to look forward to in Group B. Seven-time winners Egypt will face Tunisia and Senegal in Group G. The winners and runners-up of each group plus the best third-placed team qualify for the finals. Africa Cup of Nations 2015 qualifying draw in full: Group A: Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan plus one of Namibia, Congo, Libya and Rwanda Group B: Mali, Algeria, Ethiopia plus one of Sao Tome and Principe,

Benin, Malawi and Chad Group C: Burkina Faso, Angola, Gabon plus one of Liberia, Lesotho, Kenya and Comoros Group D: Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, DR Congo plus one of Swaziland, Sierra Leone, Gambia and Seychelles Group E: Ghana, Togo, Guinea plus one of Madagascar, Uganda, Mauritania and Equatorial Guinea Group F: Zambia, Cape Verde, Niger plus one of Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Sudan Group G: Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal plus one of Burundi, Botswana, Central African Republic and Guinea Bissau.

DANI ALVES THANKS FAN WHO THREW BANANA DURING VILLARREAL CLASH

or all these despicable revelations tumbling out of the hateful heart of Donald Sterling, there promises construction of a roadmap to redemption for the Los Angeles Clippers and the NBA. There's a way out for the most hated man in Los Angeles now, a way out for the commissioner's office and the owners responsible for long legitimizing and harboring a bigot and slumlord. Magic Johnson and his billionaire backers, the Guggenheim Partners, want a chance to purchase the Los Angeles Clippers, league sources told Yahoo Sports. "Magic's absolutely interested," one source closely connected to Johnson's business interests told Yahoo Sports on Sunday night. To bail themselves out of the NBA's worst crisis of credibility since the Tim Donaghy officiating scandal, the easy part for the NBA will be enlisting the eagerness and financial muscle of Magic Johnson and Mark Walter of the Guggenheim Partners owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers. For commissioner Adam Silver, the chance to turn the Clippers over to Magic Johnson and his partners is the best possible of solutions. Exit Sterling, enter Magic. It would be the greatest trade in sports ownership history since, well,

EXIT STRATEGY FOR NBA, DONALD STERLING: SELL CLIPPERS TO MAGIC JOHNSON

Magic for the McCourts, with the Dodgers. Magic Johnson is the ultimate cleanser in sports, and steering a Clippers sale to him could be transformative for the franchise. Truth be told, it could change the balance of basketball power in Los Angeles forever. To keep Doc Rivers as president and coach, to hold together the core of a championship contender and keep building it, Magic can make it happen. Make no mistake: Magic's Dodgers

group is angling for a Southern California sports empire. Magic Johnson and Guggenheim had been aggressive in pursuing a purchase of the Los Angeles Lakers only to have the Buss family make clear to them the franchise isn't for sale, sources told Yahoo Sports. Nevertheless, this is business and Magic's willing to change colors and make himself a Clipper. Between the Dodgers and Clippers, Magic Johnson could be the face of two championship contenders. Magic could have it all.

"This is 100 percent Magic's plan," a league official intimately involved in the buying and selling of franchises told Yahoo Sports. As an exit strategy, Sterling could walk away with a $1 billion-plus sales price for his franchise, and a final act of goodwill to soften his exile into the sports netherworld. Sterling will be reviled forever, but he has to understand clearing the way for Magic Johnson and the $200 billion-plus group backing him could be a decent farewell punctuating a most indecent

ownership tenure. Sterling made Magic Johnson a part of those hideous audio tapes that have started to crumble his Clippers ownership, and here's the old man's way to make it right. After all, he has little choice left. Sterling will never be able to sit courtside for a Clippers game again, never be able to march through his locker room gladhanding players. All the reasons Sterling has loved owning an NBA team, well, they're all gone. Across the league now, owners want Sterling out. They should've done so years ago, but understand every franchise will now pay a price for failing to remove Sterling. Finally, they're pushing Silver to find a way. These owners are on the clock, and they know it. "If the owners can't force [Sterling] to sell, they need to be held accountable to change the bylaws so they can," one member of the NBA's Board of Governors told Yahoo Sports on Sunday. "A fine and suspension is meaningless, and that'll be seen as a lack of acceptance that the league and owners are responsible for this ass---."

arcelona defender Dani Alves thanked a supporter who threw a banana from the stands during his side's 3-2 win over Villarrealon Sunday. The Brazilian picked up and ate the piece of fruit which was hurled from the crowd as he prepared to take a corner in the second half of the Liga encounter. And Alves, whose crosses caused two own goals as the champions came from two goals down to win 3-2, claimed the supporter in question helped to give him the energy he needed to spark Barca's comeback. "I don't know who it was, but thanks to whoever threw the banana, the potassium gave me the energy for the two crosses which led to a goal," he told reporters after the match.

arcelona coach Gerardo Martino claimed football "seems to mean so little" after his side's 3-2 win at Villarreal on Sunday. It was an emotional day at El Madrigal as both teams paid homage to the champions' former coach Tito Vilanova, who tragically lost his battle with cancer on Friday. Goals from Cani and Manuel Trigueros put Villarreal 2-0 up but own goals from Gabriel and Mateo Musacchio set up a close finish. And Lionel Messi bagged the winner with seven minutes to play to keep Barca's La Liga title push intact.

'FOOTBALL MEANS SO LITTLE' - MARTINO PAYS TRIBUTE TO VILANOVA AFTER VILLARREAL COMEBACK

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VOL 8 NO.583

UNEASY DRAW FOR LONE STAR

2015 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS

TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 2014

Sports

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ROAD CONSTRUCTION DRAUGHT RAINING SEASON IS HERE; GOL HAS DONE NOTHING!

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D
Monrovia-

uring the start of the year there was a lot of noise from government quarters about the construction of major roads including those in Monrovia and other cities, but all Liberia has seen is just empty talk and no action. The new public works minister Antoinette Weeks like President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said have not shown her footprints. The rain is here again, what will the government do now? Will they begin construction in the rainy season? Some might say its a dumb thing to ask, but the truth of the matter is, many projects have not been completed. The Somalia Drive project is sitting there- untouched and the ministry of public works has given no explanation as to why it did not touch this road and other roads. The Liberian people deserve better on this one. Government please, next time tell us about projects you can tackle in time.