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LEGISLATIVE
BEAT
LIFESTYLE
VOL 8 NO.610
FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014
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CENTRAL BANK OF LIBERIA
MARKET BUYING AND SELLING RATES
LIBERIAN DOLLARS PER US DOLLAR
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
THURSDAY, MAY29, 2014 L$86.00/US$1 L$87.00/US$1
BUYING SELLING
L$87.00/US$1 L$88.00/US$1
L$88.50/US$1 L$87.50/US$1
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2014
THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014
HEALTH pg. 5
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER RENEWS FEAR OF DEADLY
VIRUS PRESENCE IN LIBERIAS TERRITORY
LIBERIA NOT
EBOLA FREE
Is the country Ebola free? No. While it is true that the last time we confrmed or had a suspected
case was April 4th, Sierra Leone announced an outbreak, I think the last week in May. The Situation
in Guinea is still fragile and these cases are on the border with Liberia. We all know that there are
families living across the borders, they move across the border to make farms and they come across
to sleep. And so people are moving across the border back and forth so we cannot say we are free.
- Dr. Bernice Dahn, Chief Medical Offcer
PLEASING
REPATRIATION
NEWS EXTRA HUMANITARIAN NEWS
THOUGHTLESS
GOVERNMENT?
FLEEING
ARTISTS
PROTECTING REGIONAL
PEACE AND SECURITY
AU wants Liberian Legislature expedite
Ratifcation of ACDEG legislation
UNHCR Liberia resumes refugee repatriation to Cte dIvoire
WHY LAWMAKERS
BECOME BOOTLICKERS
SENATOR NYENABO WALKS
REPORTERS THROUGH THE
DARK SIDE OF LIBERIAN
PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS
www.frontpageafricaonline.com
Sports
FrontPage
PRICE L$40 VOL 8 NO.610 FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014
Ghanaian Witch Doctor Claims He Caused Cristiano Ronaldos Knee Injury
G
hanas most infuential witch doctor
has claimed he is responsible for
the knee injury that is threatening to
Cristiano Ronaldos participation at
the World Cup.
Nana Kwaku Bonsam whose name translates
literally as Devil of Wednesday predicted in
February that the Real Madrid forward would be
forced to miss this summers tournament in Brazil
with injury. A statement from the Portuguese
FA on Wednesday confrmed that Ronaldo is
suffering from tendinosis in his left knee as well
as nursing a muscle problem in his left thigh,
which caused him to miss the 0-0 draw with
Greece at the weekend.
Ghana are set to meet Portugal in their fnal match
of Group G in Brasilia on 26 June and Bonsam
claims to have conjured a special powder from his
gods, mixed with several leaves and concoctions
which have been placed around an image and
caricature of the former Manchester United
player.
I know what Cristiano Ronaldos injury is about,
Im working on him, Bonsam, who serves at the
Kofoo Kof shrine, said in an interview with the
Kumasi-based Angel FM.
I am very serious about it. Last week, I went
around looking for four dogs and I got them to
be used in manufacturing a special spirit called
Kahwiri Kapam.
I said it four months ago that I will work on
Cristiano Ronaldo seriously and rule him out of
the World up or at least prevent him from playing
against Ghana and the best thing I can do is to
keep him out though injury.
This injury can never be cured by any medic, they
can never see what is causing the injury because it
is spiritual. Today, it is his knee, tomorrow it is his
thigh, next day it is something else.
CAN JUJU STOP RONALDO?
Spot News FrontPage
6 Days to go: All the action leading up the Brazil
COUNTDOWN WORLD CUP




Page 2 |
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014
Henry Karmo (0886522495)
Monrovia-
L
ike Madam Mary Broh, former Acting City Mayor of
Monrovia and former Superintendent Grace T. Kpan
both of whom were held in legislative contempt with
a vote of no confdence handed the pair by the House
of Representatives resulting into exit from their positions, Public
Works Minister Antoinette weeks is at risk of facing similar fate
as the House of Senate is requesting the Minister to appear with
her legal counsel to show cause why she should not be held for
legislative contempt.
Though it has been a debatable issue in Liberia over the years
specifcally as regards what amounts to legislative contempt
but members of the National Legislature have used legislative
contempt to seek the removal of offcials from the Executive
Branch of government whom they deem uncooperative.
During day two of the appearance of the under pressure Minister
before the Senate, Senator Armah Jallah (Gbarpolu County,
National Patriotic Party) requested the plenary of the senate to
endorse his suggestion for the Minister to show up on next Tuesday
accompanied by her lawyer to show cause why she must not be
held in legislative contempt for impeding legislative functions.
Mr. Presiding and colleagues of the senate, I move that the
Minister of Public works re-appears next week Tuesday with her
lawyer to give reasons why she should not be held in contempt for
impeding legislative function, said Senator Jallah.
In endorsing the motion by senator Jallah, the lawmakers voted
13 for, 1 abstention and one against but it took a motion of
reconsideration flled by Senator Alphonso Gaye (Grand Gedeh
County- to calm the situation provided the senator follow-up his
motion in writing in keeping with the senate standing rules.
The architect of the motion for reconsideration, Senator Gaye
contends that the senate Committee on Public Works has not
offcially written plenary complaining about the failure of the
Minister to comply with the committee in the discharge of its
duties.
In recent days Minister Weeks has become the highly discussed
offcial of government facing inquiry from the National Legislature
with both the House of Senate and the House of Representatives
citing her to provide explanations for the stagnant state of roads
construction across the country.
On Thursday, Weeks was requested to return on Tuesday along
with her legal counsel to face further questioning as to why she
should not be held in legislative contempt for impeding the work
of the frst branch of Government.
Failure to oblige
Senator Oscar Cooper (Margibi County, Unity Party), head of the
Senate Committee of Public Works during deliberation Thursday
said Minister Weeks on the numerous occasions failed to respond
to communications from the committee seeking information on
the status of roads construction.
Some senators including Dan Morais (Maryland, National
Patriotic Party) complained that Minister Weeks failed to meet
senators who requested a meeting with her, insisting through her
offce assistant that she needed appointment before meeting some
of the lawmakers.
Motion to be tested
In keeping with the standing rules of the Liberian Senate, the
motion for reconsideration announced by Senator Gaye will have
to be tested during the next sitting of the body and disposed of.
Rule 34, motion to reconsider, section 1of the senate rules states
A motion to reconsider any question decided by the Senate may
be made by any Senator who voted on the original question,
provided however, that such motion shall be made on the same
day on which the vote to be reconsidered was taken. Such a
motion may also be fled within the next three succeeding sitting
days provided, however, that the mover gives notice of the fling
of that motion on the day the decision was taken.
Amid high public sentiments against Minister Weeks due to the
poor state of roads in the country, the senators in keeping with
their rules will have to either reconsider or reaffrm the frst
decision for the Minister to appear with her lawyer.
Section 2 of Rule 34 of the Senate rules states If the Senate refuses
to reconsider the question, or if upon reconsideration the Senate
affrms its frst decision, no further motion to reconsider shall
be in order. A motion to reconsider shall be deemed a privileged
motion and shall require two-thirds vote of Senators present. A
motion for reconsideration shall be deemed as a stay order on the
original question against which it is fled. No action shall be taken
on the original question until the motion for reconsideration has
been considered and disposed of.
Minister Weeks earlier on Tuesday appeared before the Senate
where she was quizzed by the lawmakers on the delay in projects
implementation but shifted the blame at her predecessor saying
that she inherited a nightmare at the Ministry of Public works.
The issues senator Coleman raised is a nightmare that we have
inherited and we need to fnd a way to deal with it. One of the
nightmares Senator Coleman alluded to is how we address the
issue of the contractors, Said Weeks
But some lawmakers including Senator Geraldine Doe Sheriff
called on the Minister to resign her post if the problems at the
Ministry are complex for her to handle.
Weeks woes, from senate to House
Minister Weeks problems seem complex as while she will be
awaiting the outcome of the Senate decision in testing the motion
for reconsideration, she will not rest in answering queries at the
Capitol with an appearance before the House of Representatives
on Tuesday.
In a statement issued the House of Representatives announced
that Minister Weeks will appear before the body on Tuesday.
Minister Antoinette Weeks has been rescheduled to appear
before Members of the House Tuesday, June 10, 2014, to address
a number of concerns raised by the Houses Joint Committee on
Public Works and Contract & Monopoly, the statement from the
House of Representatives stated.
According to the body, the rescheduling of Madam Weeks was
granted by plenary on June 3 during its 33rd day sitting following
a communication written by the minister requesting the House
Plenary to extend her appearance from Tuesday, June 3 to June 10,
2014 in order to better prepare her to effectively address concerns
raised by the House Joint Committee.
The House of Representatives Joint Committee on Tuesday,
May, 12 recommended that the Minister should appear along
with the Minister of Finance after it expressed reservation on the
poor quality of roads and other infrastructural projects across the
country and the questionable manner in which contracts are given
out to contractors.
Twenty contracts outside PPCC standards
Investigation conducted by the House Joint Committee disclosed
that twenty (20) contracts the Ministry of Public Works awarded
to contractors for roads rehabilitation did not meet the required
standard set by the Public Procurement Concession Commission,
as a result, road construction in the country often meet zero
compliance.
The Legislative committee stated in the report that all Public
Works contracts covering the period, 2011-2014 have been based
on single source without competitive bidding as required by law
thereby undermining the doctrine of comparative advantage for
quality works.
Minister Weeks replaced Atty. Samuel K. Woods whose
administration at the Ministry of Public Works presided over
the construction and completion of several roads including the
Caldwell Road, Samuel K. Doe Boulevard and other roads across
the country.
Pundits believe the Minister might not have an easy task facing
the House of Representatives as in the past several other offcials
of government have faced the toughest of time at the House of
Representatives.
Former Mayor Broh and Montserrado Superintendent Kpan have
been on the wrong side of history with the House of Representatives
as they suffered a vote of no confdence from the body.
The body ordered the imprisonment of Superintendent Kpan but
accordingly Madam Broh obstructed resulting in the casting of vote
of no confdence against the two. The House of Representatives
further mandated the Sergeant At-Arms of the body to arrest
Madam Broh and Kpan and take them to prison.
Under pressure the pair resigned and Broh later took the matter
to the Supreme Court where she won the case against the House
Representatives.
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014 Page 3
v
I
n the face of a tight and unbearable economic situation,
Liberian workers are suffering to get jobs simply due to two
public offcials whose unnecessary rivalry continues to hurt
our nation: Central Bank Governor Mills Jones and Finance
Minister Amara Konnehs continuous misunderstanding is more
than worrisome and could not be ignored by the President in her
State of the Nations Economy Address recently.
. in the absence of full cooperation between the Ministry
of Finance and the Central Bank of Liberia, have created stress
in the banking system and the depreciation in the exchange rate,
the President noted in lying out some of the main reasons for the
countrys current poor economic situation.
For the past fve to six months now, the Liberian Government
lacks funding to honor its obligations to contractors, ofcourse with
emphasis on those who are responsible to fx or repair our roads.
This makes one to wonder about the survival of these Liberian
workers just as the rainy season gets into full gear.
When the Public Works Minister Antoinette Weeks during her
recent appearance on Capitol Hill told the Liberian Senate about
the indebtedness of the Liberian Government to contractors in
the tone of over US$84 million, it makes one to project the kind
of hardship Liberian workers who fnd themselves in this sector
will continue to endure based on Governor Jones and Minister
Konnehs hardened rivalry.
But just a minute: where are all the taxes or revenues generated
by the Finance Ministry with no return to beneft Liberian
contractors?
But you may also wonder where is Governor Jones professed
nationalism (of dashing out unregulated loans) when he is refusing
to prioritize the interests of those who just merely surviving to
get their wages through these companies that are either already
shutting down or have ceased to operate due to the lack of funds
to pay workers and vendors?
For Minister Konneh who always preaches austerity but practices
wastes and abuse, he must know that he needs to cut-off such non-
compliance posture with the Bank Governor so payments can be
made to those companies for his compatriots to get some money
in their pockets.
Just so you know, 90% of these companies have already closed
down or ceased operations because they are being owed too long
and Liberians earning their living through these companies are the
only victims.
If the primary reason for non-payment to contractors is the
song Lack of Funds In The Budget, then why cant a reported
US$10,000 monthly allowance to the Finance Minister be curbed
considerably to help address these issues? As a matter of fact, how
is he justifying that amount in the frst place? Now possible in
that when Governor Jones continues to parade Monrovia and the
entire country in his very expansive and luxurious bullet-proof
jeep?
Just for the record, when former Minister Augustine K. Ngafuan
(now Foreign Minister) was at Finance, it is a known secret that
there were fewer taxpayers and businesses and every contractor
and vendor were getting paid at least three times in a single Fiscal
Year. Unlike, now where taxpayers and businesses have increased,
the situation is just the ironical reality. What sense does that make?
Where are the reserves at the CBL? Aint they supposed to be used
to intervene in such an economical time as this? (Or is the focus
only on the civil servants salaries and allowances, some with
very fabulous ones eventhough these Liberians in the contraction
sector who depend only on their respective monthly pays are also
Liberians and deserve same treatment under the law?)
Where are accrued funds or revenues from the Foreign Direct
Investments that yielded over US$16 billion? Yes, we know that
some of these investments have been spread over time (some up to
25 years) but they and most of the others are all spread over phases
which means phase-payments for the past almost nine years.
Which is more important: getting the hydro up in order to have
suffcient power supply for our citizens who, however, wont
afford to buy a single cup of rice, least to mention access to
adequate medical services due to the prevailing situations of
Liberians being cut off from jobs?
Which is more important: giving out political loans at the
expense of the Liberians state resources for the Governors
political motives or ordinary Liberians empowerment to keep
food on their families tables by paying contractors through which
they too will get paid? Which is better: the Finance Ministers
lobbied Finance Minister of The Year Award or lifting Liberians
out of poverty by making sure the companies with which they
daily bread is tied remain functional?
Which is more important: satisfying the individual political
motives of these politics-drunk public offcials or preventing rural
(and urban) Liberians from potential disasters of terrible roads in
the midst of heavy rains that would leave some homeless?
What about the CBLs responsibility to regularize institutional
failures in order to make corrective measures like contacting the
World Bank (and probably other donors) to lend Liberia some
funds to meet its budgetary obligations?
As we speak, Public Works workers and contractors are striking
not because there is no electricity, but not a single pot-hole in
Monrovia has been repaired since over six months now. So, that
predicts the story of rural dwellers who expect to get basic social
services including medical supplies and others. They too are
Liberians who will be expecting to transport and also food to and
fro but how possible in the absence of maintained and repaired
roads now that the rains have begun coming?
Those Liberians in rural parts are threatened with hunger and
serious medical situations if Governor Jones and Minister Konneh
cannot afford to collaborate in the interest of the country. Infact,
it would be best for the President to request their respective
resignations, if you ask me for the best solution. These two men
are holding an entire nation hostage and Liberia, in its current
recovery drive cant afford to be held hostage by its two greedy
and selfsh fscal and monetary bosses. Please for once, Madam
President, take action and take it now!
Where are we heading, I wonder? So when will the President take
against these two fscal and monetary offcials whose behaviors
continue to undermine her Government? When she hinted in her
recent address that she will make sure of her direct leadership in
effective changes and prosecuting offenders, I think that time is
now when she would put the right people at the right places in
such a time in the history of our countrys economy.
If both men truly love their country, this is the time to show it.
Politics aside, they will truly be hailed in return
LIBERIANS ARE WITHOUT JOB CUZ
OF KONNEH & JONES RIVALRY
FrontPage
v
Commentary
EDITORIAL
THE ENVIRONMENTAL Protection Agency of Liberia has
requested the Ministry of Justice to provide its inspectors with
police protection in a bid to remove the generator that supplies
FrontPageAfrica with power to operate its offce in Congotown.
THE EPAS DECISION stems from a complaint fled by Dr.
Martha Sendolo Belleh, a former Minister of Health and Social
Welfare in the Samuel K. Doe government.
FOR THE RECORD, FrontPageAfrica has been operating in the
vicinity in question since 2008, long before Ms. Belleh commenced
construction of her building. Nevertheless, following a meeting
with Ms. Belleh, FrontPageAfrica and Ms. Belleh agreed that we
would carry out a number of facelift to prevent the emission from
entering Ms.Bellehs building.
For the past three month, since FPA was informed by Ms. Belleh,
we have not used the generator in question because we came to the
conclusion that we would complete the tune-ups which included
raising the fence adjacent to Ms. Bellehs building and raising the
pipe above her building so that the emission from the generator
will no longer enter her premises.
THAT WORK is nearly completed.
IN THE MEANTIME, our staff has been working off the premises,
unless in cases where the Liberia Electricity Corporation decides
to give power to the area and that has not been the case for some
time now.
WE DID ALL THIS just to satisfy the wishes of Ms. Belleh and
avoid confrontation with her, or any breach of the EPA regulations.
TO OUR SURPRISE, while the construction was taking place,
the EPA continued to send us communications regarding the
complaint when in fact we were doing everything in our power to
ensure that this matter was resolve.
AFTER EXPLAINING TO ANYAA VOHIRI, Director of the EPA
the efforts we were making to rectify the issue with Ms. Belleh,
the director agreed that we should continue with the retooling of
the building to keep the emission from Ms. Bellehs yard.
TO OUR SURPRISE, Ms. Vohiris deputy, Stephen Neufville
took it upon himself to write the following letter seeking police
protection from the Ministry of Justice to remove the generator
from our offce.
IN A LETTER dated May 28, 2014 sent to Cllr.Wheatonia Dixon
Barnes, Acting Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the EPA
writes:
Dear Minister Barnes,
I wish to present you my compliments and to inform you of
EPAs decision to remove a generator located in the vicinity of
Congotown and owned by Mr. Rodney Sieh of the FrontPageAfrica
Newspaper. This decision is the result of the intervention of a
complaint brought to the EPA by Madam Martha Sendolo-Belleh,
a resident of Congotown against Mr. Rodney Sieh for the emission
of generator smoke into her house by means of the exhaust pipe
built through her fence.
Upon receipt of said complaint, Mr. Sieh was invited for inquiry
and at the end of our inquiry, it was decided that the generator
be removed within seven (7)working days as of the date of the
decision which was on Thursday, May 1, 2014. But the removal is
yet to take place.
In view of the above and in keeping with Section 69 of the
Environmental Protection and Management Law of Liberia 2003
entitled Prohibition of Pollution by Emission which prohibits
pollution by Emission, we are therefore requesting that the
Ministry of Justice provides police protection to our inspectors in
the exercise of removing the generator. This exercise is scheduled
to take place on Tuesday, June 3, 2014 at 10: 00am.
Please accept the sentiment of my highest esteem as we strive for
save and clean environment for Liberians.
Kind Regards
Stephen Y. Neufville
Acting Executive Director
FOR THE RECORD, no representative of FrontPageAfrica
was part of any inquiry as claimed by Mr. Neufville. Secondly,
FrontPageAfrica is only a tenant in the building and its publisher
Rodney Sieh is not the owner of the generator. The generator is
COMMENTARY
WHAT DOES EPA
WANT FROM US?
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY SEEKING POLICE PROTEC-
TION AGAINST FRONTPAGEAFRICA
Philomena Wreh, unearthing2014@gmail.com, Contributing Writer
owned by FrontPage Corporation.
WE ARE UNSURE what the motive is behind Mrs. Belleh and
the EPAs attempt to shut down our operations within the vicinity
when right next door to Mrs. Bellehs building is the Lonestar
Communication Corporations which has an even bigger generator
which spreads more smoke into the environment and her building.
The company equipment and operations are much larger than
FrontPageAfrica.
LONESTAR CELL operates two 500KVA generators which run
more hours than FrontPageAfrica which has an 80KVA generator
that operates less than fve hours daily and used only for printing
purposes at night.
ADDITIONALLY, the community is host to several companies
including Putu Range, Bea Mountain and others all with bigger
generators than FPA. This is why we are puzzled and do not see the
rationale for targeting FrontPageAfrica.
EPA HAS NEVER inspected the environment to know the volume
of smoke sent into the air by Lonestar Cell Communications and
other companies but is singling out FrontPageAfrica for reasons
best known to the EPA and Mrs. Belleh. More importantly, no other
company within the vicinity has taken the steps FPA has taken to
ease the concerns of Mrs. Belleh.
IT IS SAD that Mr. Neufville chose to use his power and infuence
to try and sabotage our operations by taking the generator away
from our premises.
IN A POST-WAR nation still struggling to restore electricity to
millions of its citizens, generator is the only source of power for
many homes and businesses.
THROUGHOUT Monrovia, the buzzing sounds of generators
can be heard daily and nightly. It is sad that the EPA has chosen
FrontPageAfrica as the only violators of its Section 69 EPA
Prohibition of Pollution by Emission policy.
WERE PRETTY sure that if this policy is implemented throughout
the length and breadth of Liberia, the EPA would need a lot of
police escorts to push a lot of businesses and homes into darkness.
Page 4 |
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014
MINISTER
WEEKS SHOWS
CONTEMPT AGAIN
WHERE IS THE
HOUSE ETHICS
COMMITTEE WHEN
YOU NEED THEM?
FrontPage
Send your letters and comments to:
editor@frontpageafricaonline.com
YOU WRITE; WE PUBLISH; THEY READ!
COMMENTS FROM
FPA ONLINE
DISCLAIMER
The comments expressed here are those of our online readers and
bloggers and do no represent the views of FrontPageAfrica
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
Sports Editor, Danesius Marteh, danesius.marteh@
frontpageafricaonline.com, 0886236528
Henry Karmo, henry.karmo@frontpageafricaonline.
com
Al-varney Rogers al.rogers@frontpageafricaonline.
com, 0886-304498
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
E
DITORIAL TEAM
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
ABOUT OUR STORIES ON THE
WORLDWIDE WEB
The Reader's Page
SYLVESTER MOSES TOP COMMENTER
In their 2013 book on campaign reporting and political science
entitled THE GAMBLE: Choice and Chance in the 2012 Presidential
Election, John Sides and Lynn Vavreck devoted a section to the three
stages of media coverage many candidates go through during primaries
on the road to the American presidency; they are as follows: discovery,
scrutiny and decline.
As a result of his charisma, and the adulation of a rising population of
soccer crazy youths and young adults, our legend, Ambassador George
Weah, didnt have to go through the stage of discovery. And apart
from the issue of education which he overcame, the popular candidate
hasnt yet undergone a serious scrutiny by the press on his integrity,
except now.
Despite his defense, would these emails be the smoking gun to trigger
a decline, and an end to his thrilling trek to the presidency? if Weahs
meteoric rise from rags to riches through determination, hard work and
competitive advantage is any guide, it would take more than emails to
slow down his ambition. Time will tell, we thank FPA for breaking the
story.
SELTUE R KARWEAYE SR. TOP COMMENTER METRO STATE
183 SUBSCRIBERS
The revelation of George Weah is sickening. It seem everyone is a
fatherly fgure to confused Weah. First Sapp Blatter and now Bin
Hammam. It was Sapp Blatter who appointed Weah to the Pretigious
FIFA Committee which also includes Members like Roger Milla and
Pele. Blatter even Weah continue to used his fame for corruptible
practices in order to maximize wealth-from the back door dealing
in Liberia politics to the international footballing stage. He should
be ashamed of himself! Unfortunately, the Brother have no Ethical
principles or Standards. Accepting mere 30 British pound for so-called
school fees is sad. I believe it's God revealing the true color of Weah and
criminal enterprise. We beat on Ellen's led government for corruption
and malpractices and yet Weah and his compatriots are catched with
their pant down and folks want to justifed Weah dealing in the FIFA
Scandal. Let called Spade a Spade. Sometime, I wondered if We
Liberian are Cursed People or just Wicked and Selfsh People.
JOHN WILLIAMS TOP COMMENTER EASTERN UNIVERSITY,
ST. DAVIDS, PA
Football made Weah and helped to propel him to the national political
scene. I hope football does not help to destroy his political career.
The elections in 2017 will be completely different from 2005 or any
presidential elections Liberia has ever seen. There will be rigorous
scrutiny of candidates like never before. In the past it was easy for
anyone to claim that "America or the UN sent me" and people would
buy it. After Ellen's performance that propaganda will not easily
work. Similarly, after the performance of the legislature and cabinet
ministers, just being a "country" man or woman will not earn anyone
automatic acceptance. Too many people have died and the Liberian
people have a responsibility to ensure that those hundreds of thousands
of innocent people who were killed did not die in vain. Liberians have a
responsibility to ensure that they elect people, from the lowest position
to the presidency, who will seek the interest of the country. I have
always maintained that academic excellence and international contacts
are good but they do not guarantee patriotism and good governance.
Liberians must search for competent and incorruptible people to move
the country forward. The state of Liberia is shameful and leaders who
are prepared to sacrifce for the country to make the great leap must be
identifed and given the opportunity to lead. As this story has shown,
there are people with money in the world who are prepared to buy
anything. If Liberia has not already been sold, Liberians have a duty
to ensure that the integrity of the country is retained and maintained!
EDWARD ROYE TOP COMMENTER LIBERIA COLLEGE
World best player turned BM? this is unfortunate. for sure, the rumor
that lone star sold her chance of going to worldcup in 2002 seem to
be real. if weah of all personalities who played for millions of dollars
can come so low as to take $50,000.00 to infuence vote in liberia, just
shows how unserious this guy who want to lead Liberia is. all of his
predecessors(renown world class footballers) are linked to positivities
not criminality; from King pele, Abdi Pele, Platini, kanu, abu trikha,
etc. why should it be our Weah?it is time for Amb. Weah to step out
of public domain and clear his name at the FIFA saga. it is time for
the CDC to ask amb. Weah to clear his name before being considered
political leader of his party. i m sure CDC would dare ask weah to do
such.
The Editor,
T
his is where the rubber meets the road, as the
expression goes. Would FPA please go back into
its fles and reprint the story,--either after "DR."
Antoinette Weeks was appointed or when she went
for her Senate confrmation hearings--to read again her resume,
degrees earned and ENGINEERING PROJECTS she claimed
that she supervised, managed and or completed. I wrote then
and asked for verifcation of those engineering projects listed on
her resume. Classroom accomplishment as in schools attended
and degrees earned is not equivalent to work experience or work
history, and verifable work references. But in the Senate did
they dare question the stated accomplishments of a DR. WEEKS,
an arrogant congua who rained insults on her native deputy as a
"country ass?"
Weeks has even shown her contempt for constituted authorities
to the Senate when she frst refused to appear to answer to the
deplorable state of the roads in Liberia. Not only that, she was a
no-show when her boss the president surprisingly showed up at
her offce recently, and not once but twice. Does Weeks cares?
No, she is a Weeks whose father and Ellen worked together and
were "b-friend-g-friend" back in the good old days at Finance
in the TWP era. So "Cousin" Ellen must look out for "Cousin/
Uncle" Weeks' children and siblings. Hence, the presence of three
WEEKS in Ellen's government
with top lucrative positions,---Dr. Antoinette Weeks, Minister
of Public Works; ANGILIQUE WEEKS, Chair of the Board,
Liberia Telecommunications Authority; and KIMMI WEEKS,
Chair of the Board of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation--
and justifably the reason for their corrupt and arrogant behavior,
to a point where Angelique, in violation of the law engineered a
US$1 million building leasing ponzi scam and could not be fred
by the president.
So Antoinette now wants to use Kof Woods as a scapegoat for
her incompetent handling of the giant Public Works Ministry. But
Kof is not a pushover and has challenged the government to sue
him if it suspects he was a crook. All because Kof is a lawyer
who defended Rodney Sieh and Woods could harbor presidential
dreams in 2017.
But for Ellen who is an "economist" from Havard, long term
strategic planning for our roads is necessary instead of the annual
temporary band aid solution of resurfacing rather than paving
if one takes into consideration our annual six months of heavy
tropical rain. But then again, I did not go to Havard University.
But this problem of the rainfall has been around as long as
the beginning of time, and will always be with us unless some
powerful magical forces move Liberia physically to somewhere
in all yearlong hot climate region like the Middle East.
Fantasy dream.
Why trade our fertile soil and virgin rain forest for yearlong hot
weather because we lack the genius to plan? So our government
must think and plan long-term solutions.
Maybe we need to ask the United States for help with its best
engineers and the best road networks of any country in the world
to help design and build our roads. Tradeoffs would be some
WEAH DEFENDS FATHER
FIGURE ADMITS PROBED
IN FIFA SAGA
natural resources: iron ore and now OIL. It would be a win-
win for both Liberia and the US which has been babysitting and
breastfeeding us since birth in 1847. Didn't the US literally stop
the war, and when President George W. Bush told Charles Taylor
its time to pack up and leave and Taylor fed into Nigeria? The US
has pumped billions of dollars into Liberia and what have we got
to show for that money? Liberians can have frst class all weather
roads if we put our ego on one side and ask the country with the
best roads and best road construction engineers in the world, the
United States of America.
Ellen, you should have made me one of your advisors. See what
I just suggested? I am awaiting a call from you President Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia. My number is: 301-789-7786. Trust
me, it will work and can be done, ONLY if we ask. It is called
technical agreement/aid. The Chinese are doing it all over Africa.
I just rather put my money on American road engineers.
Jerry Wehtee Wion
Washington, DC, USA....
The Editor,
H
ow many times will this goon (Rep. Acarous Gray)
get away with felony? (Re "Acarous Gray Denies
Phone Theft" Daily Observer Online)
Representative Acarous Gray has ALL the markings
of a felon!!!.. But will you ever see Gray in an orange jumpsuit??
Please. In Liberia, lawmakers are entitled to legislative immunity
for felony!
In case your short term memory has failed you, let's recap some of
Gray's felonious activities, shall we??
#1) Have you forgotten how Gray and his goons threw stones at
3 year old school children and blocked productive citizens from
going to work during their (CDC) so called "peace march" on
March 25, 2011???
#2) Have you forgotten how Gray dressed up in a military fatigue
to intimidate elections offcials and incite election violence
because a CDC candidate was correctly disqualifed from a the
by-election (Re "CDC By-Elections Disqualifcation Leads to
Another Violent Turn in Monrovia")???
3) Have you ever seen a picture of Rep. Gray on the internet
(FPA website)?? Gray is an opium smoker.. Look at his red eyes!
Red eyes are an indicator of heavy marijuana use, but our public
servants not required to take drug test, so Gray gets high and does
all kinds of crazy shit to law-abiding citizens!
Look. When you assault school children; incite election violence;
smoke pot on the job; and steal other people property-- you belong
in the jail house, not in the House of Representatives!
Where the hell is the damn House Ethics committee when you
need them?
Martin Scott
Atlanta, Georgia
martyretire@yahoo.com
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014 Page 5

Is the country Ebola free? No. While it is true that the last time we confrmed or had a suspected case was April 4th,
Sierra Leone announced an outbreak, I think the last week in May. The Situation in Guinea is still fragile and these
cases are on the border with Liberia. We all know that there are families living across the borders, they move across the
border to make farms and they come across to sleep. And so people are moving across the border back and forth so we
cannot say we are free. - Dr. Bernice Dahn, Chief Medical Offcer
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER RENEWS FEAR OF DEADLY
VIRUS PRESENCE IN LIBERIAS TERRITORY
Monrovia-
A
uthorities at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
have disclosed that Liberia remains vulnerable to the
deadly Ebola virus that has already taken the lives of
six persons.
Addressing journalists Thursday at the Ministry of Information,
Culture and Tourism regular press briefng in Monrovia, Liberias
Chief Medical Offcer Dr. Bernice Dahn revealed that though no
new case of Ebola has been confrmed as of June 4, 2014, Liberia
is not completely free from the Ebola virus because the disease
continues to affect neighboring countries in the Mano river Union
basin.
Said Dr. Dahn: Is the country Ebola free? No. While it is true
that the last time we confrmed or had a suspected case was April
4th, Sierra Leone announced an outbreak; I think the last week in
May.
The Situation in Guinea is still fragile and these cases are on the
border with Liberia. We all know that there are families living
across the border, they move across the border to make farms and
they come across to sleep. And so people are moving across the
border back and forth so we cannot say we are free.
Dr. Dahn said as a result of the outbreak of the virus in neighboring
Sierra Leone, with six suspected deaths and 50 suspected and
confrmed cases reported, the Ministry of Health is currently
following up on 11 persons in Foya, Lofa County, who may have
come in contact with a suspected person that arrived from Sierra
Leone and died in Foya. According to Dr. Dahn, the dead body
was however taken back to Sierra Leone for burial.
We also continue with our disease surveillance activities; we
continue with social mobilization and we continue to distribute
and air health messages in different languages, she said.
We provided personal protective equipment and chlorine to
counties that are bordering Sierra Leone. We sent a central team
from the Ministry of Health to Lofa County to help strengthen the
County Heath team.
Dr. Dahn told journalists that a cross border meeting between
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone was held on June 30 with the
aim of strengthening collaboration to do follow-ups, information
sharing and communication among the three MRU countries.
Dr. Dahn said that some key issues of concern among member
states of the MRU that is contributing to the increase in the Ebola
cases include traditional and cultural beliefs, burial ceremonies
of dead Ebola affected person and health workers not taking
infection control measures when attending to patients.
At least 292 cases of Ebola has been confrmed in Guinea with 193
deaths reported, 13 suspected cases confrmed in Liberia with 10
suspected deaths and 58 tested Ebola cases, 18 confrmed positive
in the Kailahun district in Sierra Leone with 6 suspected deaths, a
situation that has resulted to the death of over 200 persons in the
sub region.
Meanwhile, Assistant Health Minister for Preventive Services
Tolbert Yeshua has revealed that the Ministry of Health and Social
Welfare received over US$ 300,00.00 (three hundred thousand
United States dollars) in response to a 1.5 million request made
by the ministry to fght the Ebola virus.
He said the ministry received US$ 100,000.00 check from the
Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Finance, L$
LIBERIA NOT
EBOLA FREE
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HEALTH
Stephen D. Kollie, stephenkollie13@gmail.com 0776329124
12,525,000.00 (twelve million, fve hundred twenty-fve thousand
Liberian dollars) totaling US$250,000.00 offered by the Liberian
government to battle the disease.
Other donations included, US$ 54, 000.00 from the Mano River
Union, $66,120 dollars from the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS).
Recently, a member of the National Legislature, Senator Cletus
Wotorson(UP, Grand Kru) said the Ebola noise made by health
authorities was much ado about and intended to extort money
from donors.
Senator Wotorson during a regular Senate session alleged that the
pronouncement concerning EBOLA outbreak in Liberia was a
ploy to attract donor funding.
While the senate was discussing the refusal by Health and Social
Welfare Minister Dr. Walter Gwenigale to reinstate two dismissed
health workers, Senator Peter Coleman (CDC, Grand Kru) was
making a case about the Health ministers deliberate refusal to
adhere to an agreement reached between the lawmakers and the
Health Minister during the mediation of the striking workers and
the impact on the Country.
As Senator Coleman made his point, Senator Wotorson remarked:
What kind of EBOLA? That thing your did to get donor funding
your say EBOLA in Liberia.
In the wake of the renewed comment by Helath authorities that
Liberia is not free of the virus, the Ebola virus appears to still be
around the West African sub region with new cases reported in
Sierra Leone. It has been reported that fve people have died in
Sierra Leone's frst confrmed outbreak of Ebola virus, the World
Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday, signaling a new
expansion of the disease which regional offcials said had been
brought under control.
Ebola, a haemorrhagic fever with a fatality rate of up to 90 percent,
is believed to have killed some 185 people in neighbouring
Guinea and Liberia since March in the frst deadly appearance of
the disease in West Africa.
Previously, several suspected cases of Ebola were recorded in
Sierra Leone early on in the West African outbreak, but they later
tested negative for the disease.
In a statement posted on its website, the WHO said the outbreak
in Sierra Leone was located in an area along the country's border
with Guinea's Guckdou prefecture, where some of the earliest
cases of the disease were recorded.
"Preliminary information received from the feld indicates that
one laboratory-confrmed case and fve community deaths have
been reported from Koindu chiefdom," it said.
The WHO said it was deploying six experts to the area along with
essential supplies.
The West African outbreak spread from a remote corner of Guinea
to the capital, Conakry, and into Liberia, causing panic across a
region struggling with weak healthcare systems and porous
borders.
A total of 258 clinical cases have been recorded in Guinea since
the outbreak was frst identifed as Ebola, including 174 deaths
- 95 confrmed, 57 probable and 57 suspected - according to the
WHO.
No new cases of Ebola have been detected since April 26 in
Conakry, where an outbreak could pose the biggest threat of an
epidemic due to the city's role as an international travel hub.
First discovered in DR Congo and Sudan in 1976, several
outbreaks of this viral haemorrhagic fever have been reported in
East and Central Africa, but not in West Africa.
Guinea is one of the least developed countries, periodically hit
by epidemics such as meningitis, yellow fever and especially
cholera. On 22 March the Guinean Government revealed that
Institute Pasteur in France had identifed the Ebola flovirus in
samples of cases initially associated with Lassa fever.
The highly contagious, human to human transmission of Ebola
occurs by simple contact with blood and body fuids. No vaccine
or treatment is yet available for this pathogen, one of the world's
most lethal with a case fatality rate of up to 90% depending on
the strain.
Page 6 |
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014
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NEWS EXTRA
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LEGISLATIVE BEAT
AU wants Liberian Legislature Ratify ACDEG legislation
Senator Nyenabo Walks Reporters Through The
Dark Side of Liberian Presidential Politics
Monrovia-
A
mbassador Oluwatoyin Solaja, special representative of the chairperson of the African
Union (AU) commission to Liberia has called on the Liberian legislature to expedite
the much-awaited ratifcation of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and
governance.
He said, as a signatory to the 2007 adoption of the African Charter on Peace and Democracy,
Elections and Governance (ACDEG) Liberia is yet to ratify the agreement.
Ambassador Oluwatoyin Solaja said: I am equally aware of ongoing efforts within the National
Legislature to ratify the legislation, but I will like to add my voice to the calls for the urgent
consideration and ratifcation of the charter given the numerous benefts to be derived from it in term
of guaranteed human and state security, rule of law, peace, stability and development.
He also asked the Liberian Media to help disseminate information about the charter to the Liberian
public at large and ask Liberians to familiarize themselves with the provision of the charter and rights
and responsibilities therein.
The ACDEG was adopted by the eighth ordinary Session of the Assembly of heads of state of the
African Union on 30th January 2007 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Its adoption was inspired by the
signifcance of good governance, popular participation, the rule of law and human rights.
The charter reaffrmed the collective will of African leaders to work relentlessly in order to deepen
and consolidate the rule of law, peace and development on the continent.
The chapter among other things frowned on the unconstitutional changes of government which result
in insecurity, instability and violent conficts across the continent. It also expresses the determination
to strengthen good governance through the institutionalization of transparency, accountability and
participatory democracy.
What this means therefore, is that the provisions of the ACDEG, including the holding of regular
free, fair elections; the prohibition, rejection and condemnation of unconstitutional changes in
government; upholding of the Protection of independence of the judiciary; as well as accountability
in the management of public affairs become legally binding on these states, the ambassador said.
The AU special representative told reporters at a press conference Thursday that of the 45 AU
member states who have signed the charter, twenty-three have ratifed, and these same twenty three
have deposited the charter with the AUC.
Since the AU replaced the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 2001, it has set as its core goal,
propelling and united the continent towards Peace and Prosperity. This goal according to the AU is
based on its belief that confict must be settled before there can be a chance to achieve prosperity.
In 2013, at the request of the Peace and Security Department of the AUC, International alert alongside
PSD, started work on strengthening the capacity of two AULOs (Liberia and Sudan) to deliver on
their stated objectives and country-specifc mandate.
The project Partnership for effective and sustainable AULOs was designed to address some of the
concerns raised during various assessments conducted on the African Union Liaison offces (AULO)
and the recommendations thereof.
It is a three-year project funded by Swedish International Development Association (SIDA) and
implemented by Alert International, in partnership with peace and security Department at the African
union commission (AUC).
PROTECTION REGIONAL
PEACE AND SECURITY
THROUGH LEGISLATION
Henry Karmo (0886522495) henrykarmo47@gmail.com
Henry Karmo (0886522495) henrykarmo47@gmail.com
Monrovia-
S
enator Isaac Nyenabo (NDPL-Grand
Gedeh County) has admitted that
he cherishes his friendship with
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and
will do everything in his powers to maintain that
relationship.
In a conversation with Journalists and some
individuals from the public at the Capitol on
Tuesday, Senator Nyenabo said most decisions
that are taken by the legislature have been hugely
infuenced by the executive because of the level
of connection some individual lawmakers have
with the President.
He said most of his colleagues in the Legislature
(House and Senate) try to do everything in their
might to maintain a cordial relationship with the
executive because of personal interests.
His comments were in response to a question
raised by one of the Journalists asking why the
Legislature has over the years failed to summon
the president to address herself to some of the
problems the nation is faced with, rather than
repeatedly inviting ministers who are only her
lieutenants.
The Grand Gedeh Lawmaker blamed such act
by members of the Legislature himself included,
to what he described as Trans-Generational
poverty that has engulfed the nation since its
establishment.
You know what they (the executive) can do to
us in the night? He asked.
Oh if you raise your voice hard on issues on the
foor, you receive calls in the night telling you to
relax; so politics is about interest. The president
will only identify with people who are in her
interest. So I want to be a friend of the President.
You must be close to the president to know what
is going on around you.
He also told the gathering that as a matter of fact,
an international job is awaiting him as soon as
his tenure is over as a senator but failed to say
what kind of international job it is.
Nyenabo also failed to confrm or deny whether
or not he will contest for re-election in October.
Nyenabo over the year has fallen out of favor
with citizens of Grand Gedeh County and has
been accused of under representing them at
the level of the Senate. These citizens have
threatened to punish him by voting against him
in the upcoming elections should be contest.
Asked if he was aware that his admittance of
dancing to the tune of the President warrants his
impeachment by those who voted him he said:
Do you know my strength in my county? Asked
Representative Zoe Pennue. Do you think just
the way you Young men admire educated people
and want to reach their status, young people of
my county dont want to do the same?
Whenever I go to my county and decide to
speak at a public forum as I am doing here
today, those young people come around to gain
Knowledge. So, I am considered a role model
for young people of my county.
Senator Nyenabo has over the years demonstrated
his latest admittance of dancing to the drum of
the executive by his action as a legislator where
he has always been seen defending offcials of
the government against lawmakers action.
One of the most recent was the action taken
against the Central Bank Governor, barring him
from contesting for political activities while
serving as Governor of the Bank.
Nyenabo referred to as the master of the rules by
some of his colleagues, described the senators
decision as unconstitutional and in violation
of the rights of governors and members of the
board of governors of the CBL.
He did not succeed in convincing his colleagues,
as members of the Legislature (Senate and
House) were resolved in their decision to take
the action against the CBL governor.
CBL governor Dr. J. Mills Jones was seen as
a threat to them especially with rumors that
Speaker Alex Tyler is anticipating contesting the
Presidency come 2017.
Executive, Legislative rift
Another scenario that brought about a rift
between the Executive and the Legislature was
the situation with the former Monrovia acting
City Mayor Madam Mary Broh. Broh was
summoned for disrespect meted against the
House of Representatives and the brutalization
of a senators staff member.
The Lower House communicated with the
Senate to support their decision in declaring
the Former Mayor a non-governmental material
because of the attitude and she was accused of
obstructing justice.
The senate in majority decided to support their
colleagues stance in the spirit of cordiality, but
Senator Nyenabo again took to the constitution
as his reliance to protest decisions of his
colleagues.
He accused his colleagues of violating the
constitutional rights of a Citizen and warned
that they did not have to honor the request of
the lower house because they owe them no
commitment especially if it is unconstitutional.
Nyenabo again stood tall in his advocacy to
protect the interest of Broh but did not succeed
as majority of the lawmakers took the decision
to pass a vote of no confdence in her (Madam
Broh), which led to her dismissal.
WHY LAWMAKERS
BECOME BOOTLICKERS
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014 Page 7
A
lexise Ouedraogo, a TV journalist from Cote dIvoire,
Victor Akinwande, a software developer from
Nigeria, and Lawrence Yealue, a technology activist
from Liberia have been chosen as the winners of
Transparency Internationals Social Entrepreneurs Initiative for
West Africa competition, Transparency International said today.
The Social Entrepreneurs Initiative is run by the International
Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) within Transparency
International with the aim of empowering young people to fght
corruption in their own communities. This is the frst time that it
has been run in West Africa.
Over 65 entries from young people aged 18 to 35 from Benin,
Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote dIvoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,
Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo, were
submitted for the competition, focussing on the theme Promoting
Integrity in the Education Sector.
Selected by the judging panel for their creativity and potential
impact, the three winning ideas aim to raise awareness and take
action to combat the devastating impact of corruption in education
through flms, infographics and SMS technology.
The competition proved that young people from West Africa
have great ideas to defeat corruption. Submissions showed deep
understanding of how corruption affects young peoples future
and how they can be part of the solution, said Transparency
International Board Member Rueben Lifuka who served on the
jury of the competition.
Launched in partnership with the Open Society Institute for West
Africa (OSIWA), the Social Entrepreneurs Initiative (SEI) for
West Africa supports innovative ideas from young entrepreneurs
who aspire to boost transparency and create positive change in
their communities.
The 2014 competition was judged by Abdul Tejan-Cole,
Executive Director of OSIWA; Rueben Lifuka, Member of
Transparency International Board; MiklosMarschall, Deputy
Managing Director of Transparency International Secretariat;
Emmanuel Sanyi, Manager of Education Information Services
International Cameroon and Member of Global Youth Anti-
Corruption; and NjoyaTikum, Regional Policy and Programme
Advisor, Anti-Corruption & Economic Governance at United
Nations Development Programme.
The competition winners will be honoured at a ceremony to be
held at the 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference in
October 2014, in Tunisia.
THE WINNERS
Victor Akinwande (20) Nigeria Budget transparency tool on
education spending.
AlexiseEvelyneOuedraogo (28) Cte dIvoire Sensitization
documentary on the effects of corruption on school girls.
Lawrence Yealu (35) Liberia SMS reporting and integrity
clubs in secondary schools.
WINNERS WILL RECEIVE
An award, each worth $3000 cash
A sponsorship to attend the 16th International Anti-Corruption
Conference to be held in Tunisia in October 2014.
Monrovia (UNHCR)
T
he United Nations
High Commissioner
for Refugees
(UNHCR) has
resumed the voluntary
repatriation of thousands of
Ivorian refugees remaining in
Liberia after a break of about
two months.
On 4 June, a convoy of some
351 Ivorian refugees left the
Bahn Refugee Camp in Nimba
County for Cte dIvoire with
departing refugees singing
cheerfully and bidding goodbye
to friends, and to the camp they
had called home over the past
three years. The refugees were
returning to areas such as Bin
Houye, Danane, and Danipleu.
The voluntary repatriation
process was suspended at
the end of March following
a request by the Government
of Cte dIvoire citing health
reasons in the wake of the
deadly Ebola virus outbreak
in Guinea and Liberia. The
suspension was lifted last
week.
From January to March this
year, more than 8,600 Ivorian
refugees had returned home
with UNHCRs assistance and
hundreds of others living in
camps and communities had
registered to return when the
process was suspended.
We are very pleased that
the voluntary repatriation
programme has resumed. It
is my sincere hope that the
momentum that picked up in
the frst few months of 2014
will continue uninterrupted,
remarked UNHCR
Representative Khassim
Diagne.
Representative Diagne said
there has been no disease
outbreak in Ivorian refugee
camps in Liberia since six
camps were established over
three years ago, three of which
had been closed with decreasing
refugee population. UNHCR,
working in collaboration with
the Government of Liberia
and health partners, has also
taken all measures to prevent
an Ebola virus outbreak in the
camps.
The Executive Director of the
Liberia Refugee Repatriation
and Resettlement Commission
(LRRRC), Cllr. Abla G.
Williams, has described the
resumption of the voluntary
repatriation exercise as a
welcome development. We
are happy that the Ivorian
authorities are once again
ready to receive their citizens.
It shows that all the parties are
committed to the Tripartite
Commission Agreement which
calls for the acceleration
of voluntary repatriation of
Ivorian refugees in Liberia.
Last month, UNHCR organized
a Go-and-See visit for 12
Ivorian refugees from Grand
Gedeh County, during which
they returned to Cte dIvoire
and visited various towns and
villages in order to obtain
frsthand information on peace,
security, development, and
reintegration activities in their
country. The refugees returned
with positive impressions and
more missions are expected to
be organized.
Liberia currently hosts more
than 42,000 Ivorian refugees
most of whom are living in
three remaining refugee camps
in Grand Gedeh, Nimba and
Maryland counties.
F
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NEWS EXTRA
LIBERIAN
TECHNOLOGY
ACTIVIST WINS
TRANSPARENCY
INTERNATIONAL
AWARD
UNHCR Liberia resumes refugee repatriation to Cte dIvoire

Monrovia -
T
he Executive
Chairperson
of the Liberia
Anti-Corruption
Commission (LACC), Cllr.
James N. Verdier, Jr. is in Vienna,
Austria participating in the Fifth
Session Review Group of the
United Nations Convention
against Corruption (UNCAC).
The session brings together
countries that are states parties to
the convention.
The UNCAC Convention which
is being held from June 2-6,
2014, focuses on the review of
the Implementation of the United
Nations Convention against
Corruption, performance of the
Mechanism for the Review of
Implementation of UNCAC
and its term of reference,
technical assistance, fnancial
and budgetary matters, and
provisional agenda for the sixth
session of the Implementation
Review Group.
The United Nations Convention
against Corruption (UNCAC)
is a multilateral convention
negotiated by members of
the United Nations. It is the
frst global legally binding
international anti-corruption
instrument. UNCAC helps
countries prevent and combat
corruption more effectively.
UNCAC requires that States
Parties implement several anti-
corruption measures which may
affect their laws, institutions and
practices. These measures are
aimed at preventing corruption,
criminalizing certain conducts,
strengthening international
law enforcement and judicial
cooperation, providing effective
legal mechanisms for asset
recovery, technical assistance
and information exchange, and
mechanisms for implementation
of the Convention, including
the Conference of the States
Parties to the United Nations
Convention against Corruption
(CoSP).
Liberia has already prepared,
validated and submitted its
responses to the United Nations
Convention against Corruption
(UNCAC) comprehensive
self-assessment checklist in
preparation for the peer review
of the country as a State Party.
Liberia is expected to be
reviewed by the Republics of
Benin and South Africa.
PLEASING REPATRIATION



LACC BOSS ATTENDS UNCAC IMPLEMENTATION
REVIEW GROUP SESSION

Page 8 |
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014 Page 9
Jacob D. Massaquoi and Cllr. Frederick A.B. Jayweh, Esq., Contributing Writers
Investment Table 2006 to 2014
T
his brief analysis
and refection on the
culture of impunity
in Liberia highlighted
since 1847 to today, demonstrates
that the fundamental problem
facing Liberia (i.e. the Liberias
conundrum) is not based on the
strengthens or weaknesses of a
particular political party, civil
society organization, ethnic
grouping, Americo-Liberians/
Conguos People, or Aborigines;
nor human rights issues, or
political activism of a particular
group of people; but rather, this is
an aged-old systemic and structural
problem of governance. Liberia,
as a nation, has a Constitution and
government modeled after that of
the United States; but regrettably,
successive Liberian governments
and leaders have consistently and
systematically refused to abide by
the rule of law and the principle of
good governance and democracy
in Liberia.
Hence, the cancerous problem
facing pre and post war Liberia
and its people, is the culture of
impunity and the lack of moral
and political will on the part of
previous and current governments
to implement most needed
structural and societal reforms in
the general and common interest
of the Republic and its people.
As the saying goes, Liberia, is
a nation of paradox; unlike the
United States where there is a
check and balance system in
place to ensure good governance,
accountability and the rule of
law on the part of its citizens
irrespective of ones social and
political persuasion, status or
wealth, Liberia as a country, has
a serious defcit when it comes to
good governance, accountability,
and democracy.
Although 99% of Liberian past
and present leaders are products
of some of the most prestigious
academic institutions in the
world, (i.e. Harvard University),
notwithstanding, they willfully
refused to uphold ethical and
judicious practices, and/or
implement ethical business
principles according to industry
good governance and acceptable
legal standard. Past and Present
governments in Liberia, have
always operated in a vacuum
without a clearly defned and
measurable strategic plan covering
their term of offce. Universal
ethical business standards all over
the world, demands that public
offcials be subjected to extensive
background checks, which involve
declaration of assets during and
after employment, academic
credentials, family background,
work, criminal history, etc. before
ascending to and continuing in
offce. In the Republic of Liberia,
it is business as usual and dont
dare rock the boat.
But in the current government
of Liberia and in Mrs. Ellen
Johnson Sirleafs world, there are
no ethical or business oriented
standards. For instance, in
another attempt to deceive the
Liberian people and international
community as usual, on 22 August
2012, 46 government offcials
including the biological son of
Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
were ordered suspended for what
Madam Sirleaf referred to as
failing to declare assets . The
unprecedented and inconsistent
salary gap for the same positions,
F
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PERSPECTIVE
LIBERIAS PROBLEM
MINING SECTOR CAPITAL POTENTAL
JOBS
LOCATION
China Union/Bong Mines MDA $2.6 Billion 3,000 Bong County
BHP Billiton/Kitoma, Goe Fentro MDA $1.8 Billion 2,500 Lofa, Nimba
Counties
Africa Aura (Gola Konneh) $150Million 200 Grand Cape
County
AGRICULTURE


Decoris Oil Palm Plantation $64Million 1,000 Maryland
County
Sime Darby Gurthrie Plantation $800Million 30,000 Grand Cape
County
Equatorial Palm Oil $100 Million 10,000 Grand Bassa
County
HOTELS
Golden Gate Hotel/SKD Stadium $8 Million 100 Montserrado
County
INDUSTRIES
BR Power 35MW Power Plants $150 Million 300 Grand Bassa
County
FORESTRY
4 Forestry Management Contracts $60 Million 2,000 Various
Counties
PETROLEUM
20 New Total Stations $20 Million 1,000 Various
Counties
FINANCE
Access Bank $6 Million 100 Montserrado
County
Liberian Enterprise Development Fund $8 Million 10 Montserrado
County
Major Companies
skills, qualifcations, and
experience for the current Liberian
government employees, local and
Diaspora employment in Liberia,
highlights the inconsistency and
incompetence and total lack of
respect for the rule of law, good
governance, and accountability,
and fairplay in Liberia.
Prior to ascending to state power
and assuming the national role
as President and commander-in-
chief, Mrs. Johnson Sirleaf and her
associates were highly consumed
with being the most vocal critics
of Liberian history. But today
after assuming the Presidency
and Power in Liberia, the story of
development, advancement, good
governance, and accountability in
Liberia stays the same; nothing
has really changed. Liberians
are saying that the Sirleaf-led
government is ten times more
corrupt than the governments
of Presidents Edwin J. Barclay,
Charles D.B. King, Samuel K.
Doe, Charles G. Taylor and the
late interim President Charles G.
Bryant who Mrs. Sirleaf arrested,
imprisoned, released and later
let go from further prosecution;
believing that the Johnson Sirleaf-
led government is doing the worst
and repeating the identical and
same bad form and type of history
of bad governance in Liberia.
Foreign Investments And No
Development
Since ascending to power and
the Presidency of Liberia, the
government of Mrs. Johnson
Sirleaf formulated and signed
into law investment contracts
relating to nearly 70 foreign
companies and concessions. The
most permanent investors already
operating in Liberia are displaced
as following:
The above foreign investment
record of concessions in Liberia
shows that since January 16, 2006,
the government of Mrs. Johnson
Sirleaf has encouraged and signed
billion of United States dollars
worth of investment contracts with
foreign investors, but the crimes
of corruption, money laundering,
and capital fight and other serious
violations of the laws of Liberia
have reduced Liberia into the
Sirleafs Family Enterprise Ltd;
leaving Liberia and its people
with the least to show resembling
development and advancement
in Liberia. At worst, it is reliably
reported that out of the nearly 70
concessional agreements signed
into law by the government of
Mrs. Sirleaf, a total of 68 of those
contracts signed into law and
permitting these foreign investors
and companies to operate in
Liberia are in absolute violation
of the Constitution, Statutory and
Administrative Laws of Liberia.
To date, the Sirleaf-led
government has remained mute
and done nothing to remedy these
public violations of our laws.
By compulsion, indigenous and native inherited lands are ceased and
given out to foreign investors without the peoples prior and informed
consent and compensation as demanded by national and international
law. By law, the native inhabitants of indigenous lands must give
their prior and informed consent to have their lands contracted out for
investments purposes. Absolutely, the Sirleaf-led government careless
about this law and rights of the people of Liberia; hence the following
concessional agreements are in absolute violation of Liberias laws;
and thus, constitutes a ground for impeachment as provided for by the
Constitution and Statutory laws of Liberia.
Capital Flight in Liberia
Corruption, Money Laundering, and Capital Flight, are domestic and
international crimes. When unchecked and controlled, developed and
developing countries and their citizens are startled by war, confict and
countless suffering. The table below shows how corruption, money
laundering, and capital fight have engulfed Liberia and are responsible
for continual suffering of Liberia and its people.
As reported by the United States Department of Justice and published
on www.fara.gov, the government of Mrs. Johnson Sirleaf without
appropriation and approval by the National Legislature of Liberia, went
ahead, appropriated and spent about US$362,979,645 Million dollars
on LISCR for allegedly providing Maritime Support and Services
to the government of Liberia from 2006 to 2013. Also, www.fara.
gov reports that from 2006 to 2013, the Government spent a total of
US$341,254 on Mr. Edward A. McClain, Liberias Minister of State
for Presidential Affairs for purportedly providing public relations
services to the government of Liberia. And also from 2006 to 2013,
the government spent US$494,705 on other private companies to
provide alleged lobbying services to the government of Liberia. Did the
Sirleaf-led government get legislative appropriation and approval prior
to spending the following amounts of money generated by Liberias
Maritime Fund? Are the following spending in violation of Liberias
Constitution? Do these extra-constitutional and statutory spending
amount an impeachable offenses?
The Legislative Power
Chapter 5, Article 29 of the Liberian Constitution provides that the
legislative power of the Republic shall be vested in Legislature of
Liberia which shall consist of the Senate and House of Representatives,
both of which must pass on all legislation. Consequently, the Legislature
shall have the following power:
a) Create new counties and other political sub-division
b) Provide for the security of the Republic
c) Provide for the Armed Forces of the Republic and make
appropriations therefor
d) Levy taxes, duties, imports, exercise and other revenues, to
borrow money, issue currency, and make appropriations for the fscal
governance of the Republic, subject to the following qualifcations:
(i) All revenue bills, whether subsidies charges, imports, duties
or taxes, and other fnancial bills, shall originate in the House of
Representatives, but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments
as on other bills.
(ii) No monies shall be drawn from the treasury except in
consequence of appropriations made by the legislative enactment and
upon warrant of the President; and no coin shall be minted or national
currency issued except by the expressed authority of the Legislature.
An annual statement and account of expenditure of all public monies
shall be submitted by the offce of the President to the Legislature and
published once a year. And,
(iii) No loans shall be raised by the Government on behalf of the
Republic or guarantees given for any public institutions or authority
otherwise than by or under the authority of a legislative enactment.
Absolutely, no government of Liberia has the power to appropriate and
spend a cent from out of the revenue and resources of Liberia, except
by expressed appropriation enacted into law by the Legislature of the
Republic of Liberia. No monies shall be drawn from the treasure of
Liberia except in consequence of appropriations made by legislative
enactment. The Johnson Sirleaf-led government, particularly President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by appropriating and expanding over US$400
Million dollars from the treasury of the government of Liberia
without legislative enactment, violates the Constitution of Liberia,
and consequently this unlawful action of Mrs. Sirleaf constitutionally
amounts to an impeachable offense.
The Executive Power
Chapter 6, Article 50 of the Liberian Constitution provides that
Executive Power of the Republic shall be vested in the President who
shall be Head of State, Head of Government and Commander-in-Chief
of the Armed Forces of Liberia. Also, Chapter 6, Article 57 provides that
the President shall have the power to conduct the foreign affairs of the
Republic and in that connection he is empowered to conclude treaties,
conventions and similar international agreements with the concurrence
of the majority of each House of Legislature . Under the Constitution
and Statutory laws of Liberia, the President of Liberia has no expressed
or implied power to raise and conclude investment contracts that are
violative and repugnant to the Constitution and Statutory laws of
Liberia. The nearly 350-page auditing report of Moore And Stephens of
May 2013 underscores and holds that all the concessional agreements
executed by the government of Mrs. Johnson Sirleaf and personally
signed into law by Mrs. Sirleaf, 68 out of the nearly 70 concessional
agreements are in absolute violation of the Constitution and Statutory
laws of Liberia. This willful violation of the Constitution, Statutory
and Administrative laws of Liberia constitutes an impeachable offense
under Constitution and laws of Liberia.
Page 10 |
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014
ENSURING WOMEN POSITION
IN THE CONSTITUTION
Liberian Women Hold Two-Day Consultative
Conference On The Constitutional Review Process
Henry Karmo (0886522495) henrykarmo47@gmail.com
F
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PAGE
GENDER ISSUES
Monrovia-
O
n August 30, 2013,
the President of
Liberia established
the Constitutional
Review Committee with the
mandate to lead a process that
will organize and guide the
process of a constitution review
for producing appropriate
amendments.
This mandate by the president
include: the formulation of
policy, drafting and enactment of
legislation and approval by the
electorate through referendum.
Some of the committees term
of reference include: arranging
public discourse and debates on
the provisions of constitution,
with a view to ensure that the
constitution is in harmony with
Liberias post confict democratic
realities and aspirations as well
as the crafting of proposal for
amending the constitution,
consider as appropriate among
other matters, national policies
such as the National policy
on decentralization and local
governance, the establishment
of positions of principal
administrative offcers and other
sector reform.
The committee is also charged
with the responsibility to draft
specifc pieces of legislations,
pertaining to the constitution
and ensure adequate public
participation in related hearings.
In keeping with these mandates
given by the President, the
Ministry of Gender and
Development is engaged in a
two-day consultative process
with various women and men
groups to seek their input into
the constitutional review process
from a gender responsive
perspective.
According to Gender Minister
Julia Duncan Cassell through
this consultative process the
Ministry developed a minimum
Gender Agenda with regards
to gender and womens rights
issues to be seriously considered
in the constitutional review
process.
Minister Cassell said amongst
several issues; the issues about
rights to personal security
and Freedom from cruel and
degrading treatment including
sexual and Gender based violence
against women, Childrens
rights, marriage and property
rights, representation of women
in decision making positions
and Citizenship will be highly
recommended for inclusion into
the new constitution.
Speaking on the issue of
marriage, the Gender Minister
said women of Liberia are
recommending that the age of
marriage shall be 18yrs and
above with high preference
placed on the need for customary
and civil or statutory marriage
rights.
Minister Cassell said: The
Constitution must provide equal
rights in marriage for both
genders irrespective of types
of marriage, allow the issue of
property especially with regards
to debt and liquidation to apply
to both spouses. The constitution
must also ensure that property
acquire be equally divided in
the case of divorce between both
spouses.
When the woman and a man
live together for at least two
years that woman is entitled to
50% of the property acquired
during the marriage and in the
instance where a man does not
marry a woman but both of them
have lived together for a period
of fve years they are consider
husband and wife whatever
property they have purchase
or work for belongs to both of
them no matter whose name that
property is in.
Delegates at the two-day forum
will also recommend to the
constitution review Committee
the enforcement of laws that
speaks against all form of gender
based violence; ensure that there
is awareness of violence against
women through dialogues and
training. Delegates want severe
punishment awarded to criminals
and violence against women
should be made a capital crime.
The women are also
recommending to the committee
to ensure that the new constitution
have children rights embedded
in it and that no gender exceeds
50% representation of elected,
selected or appointed positions
in government as well as giving
rights to every gender to pass
their citizenship to their children
whether the childs other parent
is a Liberian or not.
A 30% gender Parity bill
passed by the Liberian senate
in the amended election law
was rejected by the House of
Representatives and sent to the
Constitution Review committee
to take it to referendum.
The House committee on
elections and inauguration
argued that as it is now, there
is no law calling for women
participation in electoral
processes with evidence by the
number of women currently
in elected positions in the
legislature.
The forum brought together
women delegates from
Montserrado, Margibi, and
Grand Bassa and Bomi counties
amongst others.
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014 Page 11
Henry Karmo (0886522495)
henrykarmo47@gmail.com
Monrovia-
I
n an effort to support maintenance of healthy and clean beaches
Representative Muna Pelhm-Youngblood on Monday dedicated
a 4-room modern pit latrine in Sinkor for residents of 13th and
14th streets in Montserrado County.
During programs marking the dedication of the latrine, Representative
Youngblood commended residents for their patience exhibited over
the years.
Rep. Youngblood said: In coming to help to do what we have done
here today is because of the commitment to you during the period of
elections. We stop by during election period and ask you to give us
your votes and promised to help provide these basic social services
that are lacking by engaging national government and doing what we
can in our own capacity to help.
She said the latrines come as a fulfllment of commitment made to the
twenty-one communities making up district #9 to construct 21 public
pit latrines under the county development funds but she said, such
money is not forthcoming and because of that she is being compelled
to use her personal funds to sponsor the projects.
It is our commitment; you kept your commitment during the period
of election to vote for me and I want to reaffrm to you that the promise
you kept for me in voting for me that I must be honorable enough to
keep my own promise in providing the necessary basic social services
that I spoke about, she said.
To the women of this community, I want to say to you that we have
brought back your proud and to the youth I want to say stay away
from the beaches make use of the latrine constructed by my offce
she added.
In response to the lawmaker the residents commended her for the
gesture and committed their votes to the CDC and promised to
maintain her as their representative in coming subsequent elections.
Beaches around the world are used for recreation and tourism
purposes but in Liberia especially Monrovia, it is a different scenario
as many people here use beaches for latrines.
Two years ago President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf mandated the then
acting City mayor of Monrovia madam Mary Broh to collaborate
with the Liberia maritime Authority in cleaning major beaches in
Monrovia to rescue it from pollution.
The mandate led to short term employment for several young
Liberians most of whom reside in those very beach communities; but
has contributed little to cleaning beaches and stopping people from
using them as latrine.
Many politicians and critics believe that the government could not
succeed in sustaining the program because the presidents mandate
was not supported with alternative for residents who reside in those
areas through the construction of public latrines.
F
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PAGE
COUNTY NEWS
DIGNITY
TO PEOPLE
CDC LAWMAKER DEDICATES
MODERN PIT LATRINE


CATHOLIC PARISH FASTTRACKS SCHOOL
PROJECT IN GRAND BASSA
District Three, Grand Bassa
County-
O
ne of the all time
dreams of the late
Catholic Archbishop
Michael Francis of
the Monrovia Archdiocese in
Liberia is tremendously gearing
towards realization in District
Three, Grand Bassa County as
St. Joseph the Workers Parish
located on one of Liberias
biggest rubber plantations
(LAC) exhibits commitment and
dedication to complete a school
project which may later become
Grand Bassa Countys frst
polytechnic.
The Parish Priest, Father Jonathan
Aido told FrontPageAfrica that
so far most of the funding for the
project is being made available
by another Catholic Parish
which bears the same name as
St. Joseph the Workers Parish
based in Massachusetts, Boston
USA.
The Priest who also praised his
Parishioners and some county
authorities for their support
toward the project said he and
his parish were motivated by
the late Archbishop who during
the late 1980s crafted a plan for
the construction of a school and
a polytechnic in the District to
aid students graduating from
high school the opportunity
to advance their education in
the district instead of going to
Monrovia for the same purpose.
By 1989 Bishop Francis
negotiated and purchased 40
acres of land from the local
chiefs of the area but this amount
was reduced to 25 acres after
the war subsided and the church
considering that it is unwise to
quarrel with the locals over land
accepted the available land, paid
additional money to the locals
and began plans to start the
project.
During the very 1980s,
Monrovia Archdiocese during
the leadership of the late Bishop
solicited over 900,000 Deutsche
Mark from donors; the money
was deposited in a local Bank
but after the civil war, the bank
could not remit the money.
Father Aido said Bishop Francis
had a very good foresight for the
people of the district, so when he
(the Bishop) came back after the
end of the war, he was always
mentioning the need to have a
polytechnic in the district, and
really had interest in the children
of the area.
Father Aido revealed to FPA that
he has been challenged by the
objective of the fallen Bishop
and had always hold discussions
with Archbishop Jerome Ziegler
and his parishioners to ensure
that the project is implemented.
But with fnance or funding
being a serious issue, he wrote a
project before the parishs 50th
anniversary with the perspective
of the church achieving
something that will beneft
the community after being in
existence for half a decade.
For now, the primary school
component of the project is being
roofed as students gear up for
enrollment next academic school
year, while the polytechnic
component is expected to realize
full completion in the next three
years.
Father Aido clarifed that the
Parish is not working in isolation
of the Monrovia Archdiocese
while he also noted that once the
school is completed it will be
managed by the Archdiocese.
In early February this year,
Bishop Jerome Ziegler broke
grounds for the project while
prominent politicians including
Pro-Temp, Gbenzongar Findley,
Senator Nyonblee Kangar-
Lawrence and her husband Hon.
Adolf Lawrence, Rep. Jeh Byron
Browne, Rep. Eugene Fallah
Kparkar, locals and parishioners
attended the ground breaking
ceremony and made several
pledges toward the project.
With the level of work done
since the ground breaking
program, residents in the district
are amazed and are aware of the
impact the school will have on
the community especially with
only two senior high school in
the district which is the most
populated in the county and with
the population on Compound
Three- the district provisional
Capital - growing frequently the
presence of a well established
high school or polytechnic will
obviously enhance the human
resource capacity of people in
the area.
Some residents say with
the passage of the Districts
Multilateral School bill
which was introduced by
Representative Brown more
than two years ago and is yet
to be actualized due what they
are terming as government
unwillingness to allot funds for
the project, the Catholic Parishs
Polytechnic initiative will
certainly bridge the long existing
gap in the districts education
sector.
As the frst phase of the project
nears its full completion, the
Parish Father is calling on well
wishers to continue praying
with the church and also hoping
that the community will help
provide manpower support and
donations that will enhance the
projects progress.
At the same time, one of the
parishioners who have worked
tremendously for the project has
praised his fellow parishioners
for their dedication and support
and said as a parish it is their aim
to have a technical institution
which was also the dream of the
late Archbishop Francis.
Edwin Nelson who was also
praised by the Parish Priest for his
fnancial and leadership support
towards the project said all of
the committees in the church
and individual parishioners have
been volunteering, providing
materials and food for the
project.
Mr. Nelson said the technical
school component of the project
will enable many young people
in parts of Bong, Nimba and
Grand Bassa Counties acquire
basic vocation that will allow
them get gainful employment
with companies operating in the
country.
Mr. Nelson disclosed that the
primary school will offer some
basic technical studies that
will enable students learn the
fundamental of various technical
skills that interest the student. He
said with this, students will have
a direction as to what profession
they want to pursue in the future.
As the project fast tracks,
Mr. Nelson said the church is
planning to invite most of the
projects donors from the United
States to see the impact of their
sponsorship, something that
may motivate them in other to
continue providing additional
support for the phase two of the
project.
When begun operating, the
school is expected to be managed
by the Archdiocese of Monrovia
and Mr. Nelson and his fellow
parishioners are optimistic that
considering the tremendous
impact the Catholic Church has
had on Liberia education sector,
sustaining the school will not be
a problem.
Until then, St. Joseph the
Workers Parish is optimistic
about working with the
Archdiocese, the community and
all its donors to ensure that the
dream of its late Archbishop is
realized, a dream that is expected
to transform the lives of many
young Liberians in Grand Bassa
County.
ALPHA DAFFAE SENKPENI, daffae82@gmail.com
KEEPING THE
DREAM ALIVE

Page 12 |
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014
The feet of Liberian Artists relocating to other countries due to lack of support at home highlights the little or no interest
the Liberian government have in its entertainment industry. From David Mell to Kanvee Gaines Adams and Artus Frank
to Josephus Tolbert and Cyrus Townsend: all have settled in other countries for the sake of greener pastures. Does
our government lack what it takes to make this a paradise for artists, or is this just another sign of how careless this
government is in utilizing and upgrading a potential job creating industry?
THOUGHTLESS GOVERNMENT?
L
iberian is a country blessed with so much natural resources
capable of raising this land from its present state of economic
shambles to a glorious state of national transformation and
development in all of its sectors. Although we understand
that rebuilding a nation after a prolonged period of civil war is a
daunting task, we also believe that having the right mechanisms in
place and the right laws enacted and fully implemented will give its
citizens everything needed to keep them happy and well cared for.
But this is not the case today as many Liberians are doing all they
can to relocate to the diaspora in search of greener pastures whereas,
foreigners are striving to come to our country to make money at our
expense because of the weak laws we have on the books.
But take a moment and ponder: Have you for once sat down and tried
to think of a reason why most of our entertainers are leaving Liberia
and settling in other countries? Well, it is quite obvious that they are
going to seek greener pastures, right? But that is not just the only
reason.
This country is being run by an administration that has absolutely no
interest in the welfare of its entertainers to the extent that President
Sirleaf and members of her cabinet have turned so much as a blind
eye to this sector of our society.
Liberias Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism requires
movie practitioners to submit copies of any new movie for its review
and approval, and the payment of a set amount of money before
allowing the movie into the Liberian market.
But what have they done for us, the movie practitioners that should
keep us bound by their selfsh laws? Why dont they stop the illicitly
pirated movies and X-rated contents from fooding our markets and
making sure that our products are not pirated by thumb pushing street
peddlers on the corner of every street in Monrovia?
This should serve as a clarion call to every Liberian producer not to
submit any of their products to the Ministry of Information, Culture
and Tourism or pay any amount of money to them until they start to
do what it takes to empower this entertainment industry of ours.
You would come to wonder what runs to the minds of many Liberians
at home and abroad when using the phrase The Love of Liberty
Brought Us Here, do they really understand the meaning of the
phrase? Are their hearts really full of love towards the motherland?
Will they do anything within their power to make a positive difference
in Mama Liberia? These questions demand sincere answers from the
hearts of well-meaning Liberians.
Liberia is plagued with too many prints of backwardness to the full
extent that most of our kids of today are without the basic manners
expected of them. Not just the kids, but the grownups as well as
the older folks of Liberian society are stained with insincerities of
all sorts in the public as well as private sectors, in our schools and
churches, at home and abroad as well as those within the Arts and
Entertainment industry.
Liberia is a country blessed with immense natural and human
resources, but our society is such that you will not believe that we
have any natural resource at all. While every branch of the Liberian
government is vibrant and kicking to their fullness, our Entertainment
Industry is struggling in the backwaters of underdevelopment and
extreme lack of investment from within and without.
A while back in 2011, a handful of Liberian entertainers, especially
those from the four collective societies-The Liberian Movie Union,
Liberian Music Union, Liberian Culture Union and the Fine Arts
Union joined hands to petition the Liberian government through the
53rd National Legislature to give us a stake in the nations resources
as a means of establishing Entertainers on a strong footing of national
employment and development.
After several letters were sent out to members of the 53rd National
Legislature without proper response, the group of artists under
the banner of Concerned Liberian Artists staged several events in
Monrovia as a means of garnering support from our own government.
One of such events was a grand march from the Vamoma House in
sinkor to central Monrovia on a day which coincided with heavy
political campaigns by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Monrovia,
although harshly restricted, we did not relent and managed to gatherin
our numbers, as most of Liberias infuential Artists, including the
likes of Zarweay the elder, David Mell, Kanvee Gaines Adams,
Courage Borbor, Takun J, John Bricks, King Face, Josephine Blamo,
Mr. Smith among others took to the streets chanting slogans such as
our status must change, why are we forgotten and so on.
The grand march took a turning point when the group of artists
came head-on with the motorcade of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
on Crown Hill where she promised to meet us after a campaign
engagement in the New Kru Town area. She later came and we
expressed our grievances and laid out a way forward.
F
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PAGE
LIFESTYLE
FLEEING ARTISTS
By Esau Owusu Dahnsaw-Actor

Her response was the promise of meeting with the leadership of the
Concern Artists after the elections. Since that day, every effort exerted
to make that meeting a reality has proven futile as she has vehemently
refused to honor her promise.
Now, I brought that into play to show how irresponsible it is to
speak words which are not matched with deeds, as manifested by
our president in dealing with the affairs of a potential employment
sector of Liberian society. But this blame is also shared with Liberians
residing abroad who often host entertainment events in the name of
Liberia, but have also failed to ever host any of such events in the
Republic of Liberia.
One of such events is the Liberian Entertainment Awards which has
been hosted in the United States of America since its establishment in
2009 by Tarkus Zonen.
According to Wikipedia, the LEA is said to be an accolade awarded
to Liberians at home and in the diaspora for their outstanding
contributions to the Liberian Entertainment Industry. The annual
ceremony, held across the United States, features performances by
established and promising artists.
My question is, what outstanding contributions have the LEA itself
made to the actual Liberian Entertain Industry when, in fact their
inaugural ceremony was held at the Central Piedmont Community
College in Charlotte, North Carolina in January 2009 and not in
Liberia?
Is this the patriotism we speak of, hosting a Liberian event outside of
Liberia every year without due respect to the republic whose name it
bears? And then everyday they shout and yell that Liberians at home
are not willing to collaborate, a blatant lie that is.
How do we expect the government of the Republic of Liberia to give
us due credence when they are not seeing any form of collaboration
between artists at home and abroad? Especially seeing Liberian artists
and groups with the means refusing to show the government that
indeed THERE IS NOWHERE LIKE HOME?
A fortnight ago, on 24th May 2014, another awards ceremony dubbed
the New Liberia Fm Honors Awards was held at the luxurious Hilton
Hotel in the U.S. state of Philadelphia. According to its organizers, it
was meant to honor rising stars in the Liberian Entertainment Industry.
But then again, why not host such events here, in Liberia, where the
most infuential Liberian artists and content producers are based and
not abroad? Why not give respect where it is due?
If you love Liberia and keeps the development and rise of its
Entertainment Industry at the core of your every goal, then now is the
time to start showing it by deeds and not words. For it is often said
that a man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds.
Host all the entertainment events in Liberias name in the Diaspora
and invite all the foreign stars to attend, it will make no positive
impact in Liberia from whence lies your navel strings as long as its
not in the public glare of our very own government.
But I applaud Gregory Artus Frank who recently returned home and
shot a movie that includes almost all of Liberias infuential actors at
home. Even that is a step in the right direction, for this is where the
storm must frstly gather strength before taking off.
When I raised this issue on the internet about two weeks ago, those in
the Americas and the wider Diaspora had nothing to say but witlessly
infer that local companies are not willing to provide sponsorship for
such events here in Liberia, which is a blatant lie because sponsorship
is not an issue once your events are current and always on a good
footing locally.
We have Novafone, Celcom, Lonestarcell MTN, Delta airways, the
National Oil Company of Liberia, LPRC, Firestone and a host of
other companies that sponsor events which usually gather thousands.
Ask Checago Bright-Sawo how he managed to host a successful
charity fundraiser here, ask Barkue Tubman how things are done
here. Ask Yanumbe Marjean how she and others were able to contact
companies here to sponsor mega events successfully, ask Royal Gold
International how they managed to bring in Ghanaian Actor John
Dumelo for last year's All White Ciroc party.
Most of those I mentioned are in the music industry directly or
indirectly, but are willing to collaborate for success. While I was
on vacation in Freetown last year, there was a fashion fair held in
Monrovia and sponsorship was no problem as it ran for over a week
successfully.
You cannot be in America and expect to land a sponsorship deal with
a local company through online communications, No Way! Show me
which local artists have been fully sponsored to receive awards in
America by those organizers, none to my knowledge. Again, these
awards are usually conferred in absentia!
My point here is, while Musicians are gradually thriving in Liberia,
Actors and Actresses are struggling because those of you who have
the means Do Not want to come home to make a difference. So the
few who have the means here keep misusing it at our disadvantage to
the extent that Producers are not willing to pay Actors and Actresses
as of yet.
Has Liberia become so ugly that you can no longer be proud to host
events here? Dont you think the Liberian government will have a
rethink and provide support once they start seeing the determination
of entertainers being made manifest at home?
Dont you think the Liberian government will then start paying
attention with the understanding that our industry can indeed create
thousands of employment opportunities for our jobless brothers and
sisters?
Dont you think our government is capable of sponsoring Actors,
Directors, Producers and Crew Members to undergo required courses
at the Colorado Film School or the New York Film Academy as was
done by the Nigerian government less than a month ago?
Look around you, see how everyone in the diaspora has no time for
you except yourself? But come home and see how much attention is
given you, is that not welcoming enough to show you that there is
nowhere like home?
A hint to the wise is quite suffcient. Now is the time for you to stop
the lousy talking and start to match it with deeds; which is what we
need at this juncture.
Am calling on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to honor the promise
she made to the Concerned Artist in 2011; because we all know that
promise is a debt.
But Madam President, come to think of it, why would David Mell
decide to move to South Africa despite the huge following he has
here? Why would Kanvee Gaines Adams, Tokay Tomah, Marie
Nyenabo, and Friday the cellphone man and other musicians leave
Liberia to settle in the United States of America?
Why would Artus Frank, Hardin Whitnies, Beatrice Mulbah, Magnus
Brooks, Charles Dean, Eddie Watson and Van Vicker settle in Ghana
and Nigeria? Why would Cyrus Townsend prefer Australia to Liberia?
Why would Jon Bricks and Kzee prefer Asia to Liberia?
It is because our government has attached no premium to the
entertainment industry of this vibrant republic, as manifested by
President Sirleafs refusal to honor her promise. Posterity will judge
you harshly, Madam Sirleaf, for refusing to do the right thing in favor
of this sector of the Liberian economy.
But we all will not relent or run away from Liberia, but will remain
here and continuously stress these points and highlight the ails until
the right thing is done, I mean it.

Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014 Page 13
REGULATOR STILL IN LACC DRAGNET
Commission on Higher Education Director General long Corruption tale
Geneva (AFP) - More than 200 people have died from the highly
contagious Ebola virus in Guinea, making it one of the worst ever
outbreaks of the disease, the World Health Organization says.
IN BRIEF
OBAMA, TOP EUROPEAN
ALLIES CONFERRING
ON UKRAINE
NIGERIAN IN COURT
OVER FAKE WEDDING
SCAM WITH AUSSIE
GRANDMOTHER
PUTIN CALLS HILLARY
CLINTON A 'WEAK' WOMAN

BRUSSELS (AP)
P
resident Barack
Obama is
consulting
with two of his
most important
European allies Britain and
France as they navigate
shifting conditions in the
Ukraine crisis now that a
new government is coming to
power.
Obama was meeting Thursday
with British Prime Minister
David Cameron in Brussels,
then planned to hop a short
fight to Paris for dinner with
French President Francois
Hollande. Earlier, he was
seated in between the two as
world leaders gathered at an
EU conference center for the
Group of Seven summit.
Topping the agenda was what
to do about Russia and its
actions in Ukraine.
Paris (AFP) -
R
ussian President
Vladimir Putin waded
into US politics
Wednesday describing
former Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton -- and possible 2016
presidential candidate -- as "weak"
in some sarcastic comments about
women.
In an interview with French
television, Putin was asked about
Clinton's recent remarks that
the Russian leader was trying to
redraw the boundaries in eastern
Europe just like Adolf Hitler did
in the 1930s.
"It's better not to argue with
women," Putin replied, adding:
"But Mrs. Clinton has never been
too graceful in her statements."
Putin remarked that he met Clinton
when she was the US top diplomat
"and had cordial conversations
Lagos (AFP) -
A
Nigerian man who
allegedly conned an
Australian pensioner
out of $90,000 in an
online dating scam has appeared in
court charged with deception, the
country's anti-graft agency said on
Thursday.
"The man was brought to court in
Ibadan yesterday (Wednesday) for
conspiracy and obtaining the sum
of $90,000 from an Australian
woman under false pretence,"
Wilson Uwujaren, of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC), told AFP.
He said Orowo Jesse Omokoh
had met 67-year-old Jette
Jacobs, a grandmother from
Western Australia who lived in
Johannesburg, South Africa, on the
Internet in 2012 with a promise to
marry her.
F
RONT
PAGE
WORLD NEWS
NIGERIAN POLICE RETRACT APPARENT
BAN ON SCHOOLGIRLS PROTESTS
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP)

B
oko Haram militants
dressed as soldiers
slaughtered at least
200 civilians in
three villages in northeastern
Nigeria and the military failed
to intervene even though it
was warned that an attack was
imminent, witnesses said on
Thursday.
A community leader who
witnessed the killings on
Monday said residents of
the Gwoza local government
district in Borno state had
pleaded for the military to send
soldiers to protect the area after
they heard that militants were
about to attack, but help didn't
arrive. The killings occurred
in Danjara, Agapalwa, and
Antagara.
"We all thought they were
the soldiers that we earlier
reported to that the insurgents
might attack us," said a
community leader who
escaped the massacre and fed
to Maiduguri, Borno state
capital.
The militants arrived in
Toyota Hilux pickup trucks
commonly used by the military
and told the civilians they
were soldiers "and we are here
to protect you all," the same
tactic used by the group when
they kidnapped more than 300
girls from a school in the town
of Chibok on April 15.
After people gathered in the
center on the orders of the
militants, "they begin to shout
'Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar'
on top of their voices, then
they begin to fre at the people
continuously for a very long
time until all that gathered
were all dead," said the witness
who didn't want to be named
for fear for his safety.
The slaughter was confrmed by
both Mohammed Ali Ndume, a
senator representing Borno and
whose hometown is Gwoza,

and by a top security offcial in Maiduguri
who insisted on anonymity because he isn't
allowed to speak to the media.
It took a few days for survivors to get
word of the massacres to Maiduguri, the
provincial capital, because travel on the
roads is extremely dangerous and phone
connections are poor or nonexistent.
The community leader wasn't shot because
"I was going round to inform people that
the soldiers had come and they wanted
to address us," he said. As people were
feeing, other gunmen lurked outside the
villages on motorcycles and mowed them
down, he said.
Militants of Boko Haram, which wants
to establish Islamic state in Nigeria, have
been taking over villages in the northeast,
killing and terrorizing civilians and
political leaders as the Islamic fghters
make a comeback from a year-long military
offensive aimed at crushing them. The
death toll from Monday's attacks is among
the highest. Thousands of people have
been killed in the 5-year-old insurgency,
more than 2,000 so far just this year, and
an estimated 750,000 Nigerians have been
driven from their homes.
Nigeria's military has insisted that the
big infux of troops and a year-old state
of emergency in three states which gives
them the power to detain suspects, take
over buildings and lock down any area has
the extremists on the run.
But while Boko Haram has in large part
been pushed out of cities in the northeast,
they have been seizing villages with
thatched-roof huts in the semi-arid region
where they once held sway, boldly staking
their claim by hoisting their black fags
with white Arabic lettering, and making
large swaths of Nigeria no-go regions for
the military.
The villages attacked on Monday are in
the Gwoza local government, a regional
political center whose emir was killed in
a Boko Haram ambush on his convoy last
week. Emirs are religious and traditional
rulers who have been targeted for speaking
out against Boko Haram's extremism.
Borno Gov. Kashim Shettima traveled on
Saturday to Gwoza to pay his respects to
the fallen emir and was quoted as saying it
was a terrifying ride.
"If I say I was not petrifed travelling
through that ... road to Gwoza I would be
lying because that road had been designated
a no-go area for about two months now due
to the incessant attacks and killings that
occur there," the governor was quoted as
saying by Information Nigeria, a web site.
A local journalist who was in the convoy
that was escorted by 150 soldiers counted
at least 16 towns and villages that were
deserted along the 135 kilometer (85 mile)
route, according to the local media report.
DEATH ANNOUNCEMENT
GUINEA EBOLA DEATH
TOLL RISES ABOVE 200
T
his is to announce with deep sorrow the death of Samuel
Benedict Cooper Jr.
This sad event took place in the ambulance en route to St.
Josephs Catholic Hospital,
on Thursday, May 15, 2014 at 12:40 pm.
This is a tremendous loss for the Cooper family and for countless
others that affectionately referred to him as Ben Cooper, Papa Zulu,
Jolly Pappy, or JP.
Funeral arrangements will be as follows:
Removal of Bens body from the Stryker Funeral Home:
Friday, June 6, 2014 at 4 PM
With the wake keeping to follow at Trinity Cathedral, Broad Street.
Funeral Service will be held at Trinity Cathedral, Broad Street:
Saturday, June 7, 2014 at 10:00 AM
This announcement was brought in by the Cooper Family.

Samuel Benedict Cooper, Jr
June 22, 1944May 15, 2014
T
he UN's health
agency said it so far
had registered 328
confrmed or suspected
cases of Ebola in Guinea,
including 208 deaths, with 21
deaths registered between May
29 and June 1 alone.
Neighbouring Sierra Leone and
Liberia were also increasingly
affected, said WHO, which has
described West Africa's frst-
ever outbreak of the deadly
haemorrhagic fever as one of
the most challenging since the
virus was frst identifed in 1976
in what is now the Democratic
Republic of Congo.
Two hundred and eighty people
died in that outbreak, which was
the deadliest on record.
To date, 79 confrmed and
suspected cases have surfaced in
Sierra Leone, which has seen its
death toll from the disease jump
from one a week ago to six, the
agency said.
The virus, one of the deadliest
known to man, meanwhile
appeared to have resurfaced
in Liberia, which earlier this
year had seen 12 suspected
and confrmed cases of Ebola,
including nine deaths, but had
not seen any new cases for nearly
two months.
A person believed to have been
infected in Kailahun in Sierra
Leone came across the border
and died in Foya, WHO said,
pointing out that the dead body
was taken back to Kailahun to be
buried, WHO said.
Mustapha Brima, a member of a
Sierra Leone government team
charged with raising awareness
about the virus, told AFP that
village chiefs and elders were
being educated on how to prevent
its spread.
He stressed though that there
was an acute danger of the virus
spreading across the porous
borders in the region.
"There have been serious
interactions between tribes
in Sierra Leone, Guinea and
Liberia, speaking the same
language and sharing identical
culture since time immemorial,"
he pointed out.
Sierra Leone health ministry
spokesman Yaya Tunis
meanwhile stressed that the
country's "level of preparedness
and response is increasing and
our focus is to save lives."
Sierra Leone has restricted travel
in some areas, and reaffrmed an
earlier ban on trips to funerals in
neighbouring Guinea in a bid to
stop the spread of the disease.
- Possible to overcome Ebola -
Aid organisation Doctors
Without Borders (MSF)
suggested Wednesday that the
practice of moving dead to be
buried in other villages, along
with the reluctance of the sick
to go to hospital could explain
why it is so diffcult to get the
situation under control.
Page 14 |
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014
CHILE'S EYE-OPENING PERFORMANCE AGAINST GERMANY
MEANS THEY WON'T BE SLIPPING UNDER THE RADAR
JUVENTUS MIDFIELDER ARTURO VIDAL SELECTED FOR
CHILE WORLD CUP SQUAD AS VETERANS MISS OUT
Jorge Sampaoli drops old favourites David Pizarro and Humberto Suazo for the
World Cup as all Chile sweat over the ftness of Arturo Vidal
C
hile head coach Jorge
Sampaoli included
no surprise names in
his provisional 30-
man squad named on Tuesday
ahead of the World Cup. The
only exclusions of any real
note were those of David
Pizarro and Humberto Suazo,
with both failing to make a
lasting impression after recent
stints with the national team.
After good early season form
for Fiorentina and a couple of
impressive displays for Chile
after his reintroduction in to
the team 40-cap Pizarro looked
like a genuine candidate for a
seat on the plane to Brazil.
However, average
performances at the tail end
of World Cup qualifying,
culminating in a poor back pass
that led directly to a Bolivia
goal, meant that Sampaoli, the
manager who fnally coaxed
Pizarro out of international
retirement, overlooked the
34-year-old for what was
certainly his fnal chance to
feature at a World Cup.
Suazo, on the other hand, has
been in fne form for Mexican
club side Monterrey this
season, scoring an impressive
12 goals in 16 appearances. The
60-cap striker was thought to
be in with a chance of making
the provisional 30-man list, but
his poor record for the national
team over the past three years
means the 33-year-old misses
out, despite being the top
scorer during qualifying for the
2010 World Cup.
The real talk over the past two
months has been about Arturo
Vidal and his knee injury. The
Juventus player suffered the
6 Days to go: All the action leading up the Brazil
COUNTDOWN WORLD CUP



damage to the meniscus in his right knee while playing
against Pizarros Fiorentina in the Europa League over
two months ago. Despite being given various periods
of rest, Vidal failed to recover and was fnally sent to
see a surgeon earlier in the week.
The operation was deemed a success, with Vidal
tweeting a photo of his post-operation knee receiving
a massage, just the start of his intense rehabilitation
programme that will hopefully see him fully ft to face
Australia in Chiles opening game on June 13.
If Vidal is not available, then at least Sampaoli knows
his team are capable of competing even without
him. The victory against England at Wembley and
the narrow defeat against Brazil in November were
both played without Vidal, as Udineses new signing
Charles Arnguiz and FC Twentes Felipe Gutirrez
proved to be more than capable deputies.
The players will now make their way to the training
camp in Santiago.
Chile World Cup squad (provisional 30):
Goalkeepers: Claudio Bravo (Real Sociedad/ESP)
Johnny Herrera (Universidad de Chile), Cristopher
Toselli (Universidad Catlica), Paulo Garcs
(OHiggins)
Defenders: Gary Medel (Cardiff City/ENG), Jos
Rojas (Universidad de Chile), Eugenio Mena (Santos/
BRA), Gonzalo Jara (Nottingham Forest/ENG),
Marcos Gonzlez (Unin Espaola), Enzo Anda
(Universidad Catlica)
Midfelders: Arturo Vidal, Mauricio Isla (both
Juventus/ITA), Marcelo Daz (FC Basel/SUI),
Francisco Silva (Osasuna/ESP), Rodrigo Millar (CSD
Atlas/MEX), Pedro Pablo Hernndez (OHiggins),
Felipe Gutirrez (FC Twente Enschede/NED), Jos
Pedro Fuenzalida (Colo Colo), Carlos Carmona
(Atalanta/ITA), Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic/
ENG), Charles Arnguiz (Internacional/BRA), Miiko
Albornoz (Malmo FF/SWE)
Forwards: Alexis Snchez (Barcelona/ESP), Eduardo
Vargas (Valencia/ESP on loan from Napoli/ITA), Jorge
Valdivia (Palmeiras/BRA), Mauricio Pinilla (Cagliari/
ITA), Esteban Paredes (Colo Colo), Fabin Orellana
(Celta Vigo/ESP), Matas Fernndez (Fiorentina/ITA),
Gustavo Canales (Unin Espaola)
By Matias Grez, World Cup
Nation: Chile
C
hile continued their
preparations for the
World Cup with a
1-0 defeat against
Germany on Wednesday.
Despite the disappointing fnal
result, manager Jorge Sampaoli
was pleased with how his team
played, even though he admitted
they lacked a killer instinct in
front of goal.
It was a typical Chilean
performance; players
interchanged between a 4-3-3,
3-3-1-3 and a 3-4-3 formation,
just to name a few, and Germany
rarely found an answer for
their high-tempo pressing and
passing.
For the frst 15 minutes,
Germany could not get out
of their own half, however,
perhaps most disappointingly of
all from a Chilean perspective,
the frst time they did, Mario
Gtze opened the scoring.
A dominant performance against
one of the European favourites
heading into the World Cup this
summer did not go unnoticed,
and it only increased Sampaoli
and his players' glowing
reputation further.
Up until recently, Chile were
heading into the World Cup
under the raider and as dark
horses. However, with each
passing game they begin to
A dominant performance against Germany heading into the
World Cup this summer has not gone unnoticed

draw more admirers from
across Europe. After the game,
Germany captain Phillip Lahm
lauded the Chilean national
team.
"A win is a win, but Chile
were the better side," he said.
"They are a great team and
we should have played much
better if we wanted to make a
good impression on a rival like
Chile."
It was then Germany manager
Joachim Lw's turn to heap
praise on Sampaoli and his
players. "We saw how strong
Chile can be," he said. "It is a
team that plays incredibly well,
they showed a lot of dynamism
and played a very good game."
Manchester City and Spain
striker Alvaro Negredo went
one further and backed Chile
to get out of their tough group
at the World Cup, that includes
Spain and the Netherlands.
"Chile are at a higher level than
Holland," he said.
Very little was widely known
about Chile, aside from Arturo
Vidal and Alexis Sanchez,
before they played England at
Wembley, but they have since
gained a much larger number
of admirers for their rapid and
entertaining style of football.
Sampaoli and his side would
have preferred to go into
the World Cup in Brazil as
anonymously as they did in
South Africa, however that is
looking increasingly unlikely.
The media exposure and
subsequent pressure this places
on the team should not faze
them, they have had to deal with
it from the Chilean press and
public ever since they returned
from the last World Cup.
Vidal has already admitted that
he enjoys the pressure and is
ready to carry the team through
the fnals in Brazil if he needs
to.
With more friendlies to come
between now and June 13, when
Chile begin their World Cup
campaign against Australia,
they may well end up heading
into the tournament as one of
the most talked about sides.
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014 Page 15
Sports
SPORT BRIEF
ROJER, GROENEFELD
WIN FRENCH OPEN
MIXED DOUBLES
PARIS (AP)
J
ean-Julien Rojer of
the Netherlands and
Anna-Lena Groenefeld
of Germany won the
mixed doubles title at the
French Open by defeating
eighth-seeded Nenad
Zimonjic of Serbia and Julia
Goerges of Germany 4-6, 6-2,
10-7 on Thursday.
Rojer was playing his frst
Grand Slam fnal while
Groenefeld won the mixed
doubles title at Wimbledon
with Mark Knowles of the
Bahamas in 2009.
"I gained a friend this week.
I lost one, because I had to
tell some other player that
I'm not playing with her,"
Rojer said. "So I hope she
understands, especially now.
But I apologized like 18 times
to her."
MADRID, June 4 (Reuters) -
A
tletico Madrid
president Enrique
Cerezo has made it
clear Chelsea will
have to pay Diego Costa's buyout
clause of just over 40 million
euros ($54.5 million) if they are
to secure the coveted forward's
services.
Commenting on reports in
England that Brazil-born Costa,
who has the same agent as
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho,
had passed a medical and the
London club had paid the buyout
fee, Cerezo suggested the deal
was some way from being
fnalized.
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
D
onald Sterling is
leaving without a
fght.
He is dropping his
plans to sue the NBA, leaving
only approval by the league's
owners for Steve Ballmer to
become the new owner of the Los
Angeles Clippers.
Sterling agreed Wednesday to
sign off on the $2 billion sale
to the former Microsoft CEO,
bringing the possibility of a
resolution to weeks of rumors,
uncertainty and looming legal
action.
ATTORNEY: DONALD STERLING
AGREES TO SELL CLIPPERS
CHELSEA MUST PAY COSTA'S
BUYOUT CLAUSE - ATLETICO

F
ootballs world
governing body
FIFA unveiled
its fnal football
rankings before the start of
the 2014 World Cup with
reigning champions Spain
atop the pile, Germany
Second and host Brazil in
third. Liberia, despite a poor
form of late moved three
places up into 116th place.
Liberias form has been
moody of late.
In the last year, impressive
victories against World Cup-
Bound Ghana Black Stars
and impressive draw against
Nigeria, another world cup
bound team was hampered
by a 4-0 loss to Angola
which shattered the countrys
chances of qualifying for
the group stage of the World
Cup and a recent 2-0 loss
to Lesotho which all but
shattered Liberias Afcon
chances.
In both matches, Liberia was
unable to capitalize on edgy
home results in Monrovia
against both Angola and
Lesotho, winning 1-0 in both
home matches.
The countrys poor form was
a key reason, team captain
Anthony Laffor who plies
his trade for South African
side Mamelodi Sundowns
announced his retirement
from international football
following the Lesotho defeat
citing lack of support from
the football association.
Laffor said the end of his
international career will see

IVORY COAST COLOSSUS TOURE FIGHTS FOR AFRICAN PRIDE
him focus entirely on his
club, Sundowns.
Liberia had its best Fifa
ranking during the heydays
of George Weah and James
Debbah in October 1995
when it was ranked 38 and
came close to qualifying for
the World Cup. The team had
its lowest ranking by FIFA
in October 2010 when it was
ranked 164.
The latest rankings also saw
Argentina and Switzerland
climb two places to Nos. 5
and 6. Colombia drops three
to No. 8. Group D rivals
Uruguay, Italy and England
are also all in the top 10. No.
11 Belgium is the lowest-
ranked of the seeded World
Cup teams. The United States
at No. 13 leads CONCACAF
nations. Algeria, at No.
22, is top-ranked in Africa
and No. 43 Iran heads
Asian confederation teams.
Australia, No. 62, is the
lowest-ranked team at the
World Cup.
(Reuters) -
I
vory Coast midfeld colossus
Yaya Toure has few obvious
reasons to be unhappy - he
is enormously successful,
earns more than $350,000 a week
at Manchester City and will soon
play at the World Cup.
Yet Toure says the fact he comes
from Africa means he is not
properly appreciated.
"In the minds of people, they think
Africans are like animals, are not
human beings," he told the BBC in
April, saying he was determined to
raise the continent's profle during
the fnals in Brazil.
Toure's uncompromising
comments refect a drive for
success that took the powerfully
built player to Belgium at the age
of 18 and then in quick succession
to teams in Ukraine, Greece
and France before he signed for
Barcelona in 2007.
The 31-year-old was part of the
team that won the Spanish title in
2009 and beat Manchester United
in the fnal of the Champions
League, a match where he showed
his fexibility by playing out of
position at centre-back.
But frustrated by a lack of playing
time and tempted by the enormous
salary on offer, he moved to
Manchester City the next year,
reuniting with his elder brother
Kolo.
The move was a great success
and Toure can hardly complain
about being overlooked this year.
He made the shortlist for the
players' Player of the Year award
in England and was named African
Player of the Year for the third
consecutive year.
Yet what he perceives as second-
class treatment of African
players by fans, media and the
soccer establishment upsets him.
Everyone in Africa knows who
Barcelona's Lionel Messi is, he
told the BBC.
"But when you come to Europe
and say 'Yaya Toure' they say 'Who
is that?' Some of them will hear
my name but they don't know my
face," he said.
He says other under-appreciated
top players include Ivory Coast
teammate Didier Drogba and
Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o.
LANGUID SWIPE
At Barcelona he played a more
defensive midfeld role but, at
Manchester City, then-manager
Roberto Mancini allowed him to
prowl further forward.
Toure is now famous for box-to-
box runs and the ability to score
spectacular long-distance goals
with a seemingly languid swipe of
his boot.
He was a crucial part of the City
team that won the Premier League
in both the 2011-12 and 2013-
14 seasons. Juan Mata, then of
Chelsea, described him as "the
complete player."
Mata said: "He can defend, attack,
score, dribble, he has great skills
and he's so tall and powerful. It is
so diffcult to defend against him."
Toure has switched teams often
in his career and might be on the
move again. Last month his agent
said he was considering leaving
City after no one from the club
wished him a happy birthday - a
move that earned widespread
ridicule on social media.
"I will give an interview after (the)
World Cup to explain," Toure,
one of the highest-paid players in
the game, said on Twitter. He also
told North American network beIN
SPORTS he wanted to fnish his
career at Barcelona.
Toure has scored 16 goals in
82 appearances for the national
side and although he predicts an
African team will soon make it to
a World Cup fnal, it is unlikely to
be Ivory Coast.
The Elephants lost the 2012 Africa
Cup of Nations fnal to unheralded
Zambia and were eliminated at the
frst stage of both the 2006 and
2010 World Cups.
The team's outside chances of
glory will not deter Toure from
pursuing his new role in Brazil.
"I am very proud to be African. I
want to defend African people and
show the world that African players
can be as good as the Europeans
and the South Americans," he said.



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Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014 Page 17
Page 18 |
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014 Page 19
Page 20 |
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014
My Simple Ques-on and Answer
Book on Liberian Oil


Public Aairs Division, NOCAL
1


Is Liberia producing oil?

No, Liberia is not producing oil yet, but we are
s-ll looking for oil. African Petroleum (one of
the Interna-onal oil companies opera-ng in
Liberia) found small oil in February 2012, but
the company is s-ll checking to see if the oil is
enough (commercial) to sell and make prot.
If the oil African Petroleum (AP) nds is
enough, the company will have to develop
the oil eld before it can begin the produc-on
of the oil. This will take between 5-7 years.

1 2


How is explora5on done?

For oshore (in the sea) oil, NOCAL is working with a company called
TGS-NOPEC. This company uses special equipment to get
informa-on from pictures of the ground and the earth to help them
know where to look for oil. This company hires a special ship that
moves across the sea and collects small, small, picture samples of
certain areas of the sea. These small, small picture samples taken by
TGS- NOPEC are sold for the government, to oil companies around
the world who want to use it to help them decide whether to do oil
business in Liberia. The money that they make from selling the
pictures is divided between the government of Liberia and the
company (TGS NOPEC).

Oil companies that buy these sample pictures will study them in a
special place in their oces to nd a sign of oil. If their studies show
a sign of oil, and they are interested, they will come to Liberia to pay
some money to sign a contract with the government. The contract is
called (Produc-on Sharing Contract- PSC) and it allows the
companies to check for oil, pull it out of the sea and, if they nd that
there is enough for them to make prot, the companies will share
with government the amount of the oil that they pulled out.

According to the contract, the -me the companies can
take to check for oil should last no more than for 5yrs: 3
years to study and understand the sample picture in the
lab, and 2 years to check in the sea for the oil.

During the two years checking for the oil in the sea, oil
companies can hire a special ship called a drill-ship. The
drill-ship is dierent from the ship that is used to collect
the sample pictures in the sea. When they use a drill ship
to drill for oil, it costs plenty money - about 1 million US
dollars a day and not all the oil can be drilled in one day -
some-mes, it will take plenty days.
4 3


How is produc5on done?

If the company nds oil and it is enough to sell and
make prot, (commercial quan--es) the company
will write the government and ask for a permit to
start pulling the oil from the sea. The government
will look at the way the company wants to pull out
the oil, and if the government is happy that
everything is okay, the government will tell the
company to start pulling the oil from the sea. The
company then will build dierent machines around
area (s) that the oil has been found before it starts
pulling it out. Some-mes, it will take 5 years or
more to build all the machines that the company
would need to start pulling out the oil. Yes, it can
be a long process oh, this oil thing. Tha not small
thing.
6 5


Why are companies like Chevron, ExxonMobil or
African Petroleum doing the work and not
NOCAL?


NOCAL or Liberia does not have the equipment, the money,
and the trained people needed to look for and pull oil from
the sea. To check for oil alone (explora-on) will cost over US
$100 Million. Look at our countrys budget - it is below US
$500 million. Our whole countrys budget for one year is
almost half of the money to look for the oil. That is why
Liberia is not ready to spend that amount of money to check
for oil that it may or may not nd. So the best thing to do for
now, is to leave the hard work with the oil company, and if
they nd and pull out the oil from the sea they can take
away the money they put inside to nd the oil, and then the
company and the Liberian government will share the balance
oil money that is the prot. Later on, when Liberia gets
enough money and trained people, it can also do some of
the oil company work. Right now, we have not reached there
yet.
7
8


How much money will this oil business
bring?

It is hard to know how much money we can
get right now because we are s-ll checking
for oil. But when we hear about what other
countries went through, it shows that oil can
bring in plenty money if every thing is done
the right way by everybody concerned.

What does commercially viable mean?

It simply means the amount of oil under the
sea should be plenty enough for the oil
companies to sell, take away all their
expenses they made for trying to nd and pull
out the oil from the sea, and s-ll make prot.


9
10


How do PSCs work?

The contract between the oil company and the Government
of Liberia is called: Produc-on Sharing Contract (PSC) and it
is dierent from Mineral (mining) Development Agreements.

A Produc-on Sharing Contract (PSC) is like the type of
agreement that government signed with Firestone or Acelor
Mieal, that charges royal-es (special fees) and taxes. But this
contract is a liele bit dierent because in addi-on to
royal-es and taxes, the company will also share part of the
petroleum produced with the government either in cash or
oil. The produc-on share part of it comes out of the prot
oil.
The dierence between a produc-on sharing contract and
a concession agreement is like this: PSC is like a land
owner who gives out his land to a farmer to plant rice and
receives payment for the land as well as some of the rice
that will be harvested.
11
12
Concession agreement is like a landowner who
gives his land to a farmer to plant rice but only
receives payment for the land and not some of
the rice that will be harvested. So the PSC gives
the land owner ( Liberia) more.



How are PSCs signed? Is it only NOCAL that can
sign them?

No, NOCAL is not the only company that can discuss or sign
oil contracts with the oil companies. They way we do it right
now is that oil contracts (PSCs) are discussed between the
companies and the government of Liberia through a special
commieee called the Hydrocarbon Technical Commieee
(HTC). The agreement is then signed by the President of
Liberia and approved by the Legislature.

Members of the Hydrocarbon Technical Commieee are:

NOCALChairman
Jus-ce Ministry
Finance Ministry
Lands and Mines Ministry
Na-onal Investment Commission (NIC)
Environmental Protec-on Agency (EPA) and
The Legal Advisor to the President of Liberia.
13
14
Friday, May 30, 2014
8
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014 Page 21


What about shares in oil blocks?

There are two dierent kinds of shares being talked
about: The rst is State share and the second is
Ci-zens share. State share is for the government,
through NOCAL, to have a share in the opera-on of the
oil companies. This means, Liberia will share with the oil
companies the expenses to get the oil as well as the
prot amer the oil is sold.

The second is Ci-zens par-cipa-on. This form of
par-cipa-on comes in more than one way. One of the
ways is for individual ci-zens to be allowed to buy shares
from the oil companies and share with the company the
expenses to get the oil as well as the prot amer the oil is
sold. It also means they have small ownership of the
company through the shares that they buy from the
company.

The other way ci-zens can par-cipate, is for the
government to pay ci-zens, their por-on of the expenses
to get the oil and the prot amer the oil is sold, and this
will be divided among Liberians through their individual
accounts, social security and or health benets.
15 16


When will Liberia start receiving oil
money?

Liberia will start genng the oil (money)
revenue when enough oil is found and we
start pulling it from the sea. Remember, we
said before that even if enough
(commercial quan-ty) oil is found today, it
will take up to 5 or 7 years to build all the
machine around the place the oil is found.
However, Liberia is currently receiving
some money from the following places:

The sale of the oil pictures (Seismic
data) collected from the sea by the oil
sample picture collec-on company TGS
NOPEC.
Rental fees from the oil companies for
the area of the sea they are using to
check for the oil (drilling site).
Fees paid by the oil companies to
develop the various local communi-es
and the countrys human capaci-es.

17 18


Where do all these monies coming in go?

The money is divided among NOCAL, the
Government of Liberia through the Ministry
of Finance, and the University of Liberia.

NOCAL uses its por-on of the money for its
opera-ons including scholarships, community
projects and to run NOCAL.

The part of the money pot that is sent to the
government through the Ministry of Finance
is added to the na-onal budget; and

The one sent to the University of Liberia is to
develop science educa-on.

19 20


What are cost oil and prot oil?

Cost oil is the amount of oil a company needs to
sell to pay for all the expenses (costs) it makes to
check for and pull the oil from the sea.

Prot oil is the amount of oil that is lem over amer
an oil company takes away all the expenses (cost) it
takes to check and pull the oil from the sea.

Going by the Produc-on Sharing Contract (PSC), the
money from the prot oil is then shared between
the oil company concerned and the Liberia
Government according to a sharing schedule
agreed in the contract.
21 22


What is this thing they call local content?

Local content means the opportuni-es for
Liberian (local) businesses to benet from the
oil sector through business for example
Liberian (local) business companies should
provide support services to the big
Interna-onal Oil Companies (IOCs). These
services can be: taking care of the drilling
ships, selling food & drinks to the oil
companies, transporta-on, and housing for
workers, etc.

For good local content, countries usually make
strong laws to force the Interna-onal Oil
Companies (IOCs) use local contractors.

23 24


When will oil create jobs for Liberians?

The oil companies cannot provide many jobs
right now but, these companies will need plenty
goods and services (business) and Liberian
companies providing those goods or services
will give dierent kinds of jobs to qualied
Liberians. But all this job crea-on business will
only start if we nd enough oil and start pulling
it from the seaBut we have not reached that
bridge yet to cross it.

25 26


Will we rene oil in Liberia?

Right now, the main thing that the government is
thinking about is how to look at the old law on oil
in Liberia and make it beeer and stronger for the
country and the people and the companies. The
government is working on making a policy and law
that will cover checking for the oil and pulling it
from the sea (also known as upstream and
midstream ac-vi-es). The renery part is what is
called downstream but we have not reached there
yet. But when we nd enough (commercial
quan-ty) of oil, we will cross that bridge in the
future.
27 28


Why is the Legislature organizing Palava Hut
mee5ngs in the coun5es and Monrovia on the
Na5onal Petroleum Law?

The legislature wants to make sure that everyone
in Liberia can say something about how it wants
the new petroleum law to work for the best
interest of Liberia. It wants to make a petroleum
law that everyone is happy with. So that is why
they are mee-ng with people all over the country
to talk about how to make the new petroleum law
good for everyone to benet: the people of
Liberia, the government and the companies who
are bringing their money in to start doing the oil
business in Liberia.
27 28


Produced By the Public Aairs Division of NOCAL

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Na5onal Oil Company of Liberia ( NOCAL)
LISCR Building,
Corner of Randall and Ashmun Streets
1000 Monrovia 10
Liberia

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Na5onal Oil Company of Liberia ( NOCAL)
LISCR Building,
Corner of Randall and Ashmun Streets
1000 Monrovia 10
Liberia

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Email: info@nocal.com.lr
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Produced By the Public Aairs Division of NOCAL

Public Aairs Division
Na5onal Oil Company of Liberia ( NOCAL)
LISCR Building,
Corner of Randall and Ashmun Streets
1000 Monrovia 10
Liberia

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Friday, May 30, 2014 9
Page 22 |
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014
Frontpage
Friday, June 6, 2014 Page 23
Monrovia -
The death of Roman Catholic
Archbishop Michael Francis
at 77 is drawing reactions
from all quarters with many at
home and abroad recalling the
late clergymans fght against
injustice. Archbishop Francis
had been ill since 2004 after
suffering a stroke. The Most
Reverend Lewis Zeigler,
Archbishop of Monrovia, who
succeeded Francis, said the late
archbishop stood for justice
because he strongly believed
in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
First, my reaction is that of
sadness, and then coupled with
that, I would like to give thanks
to God for his many blessings.
"
"Nine years have gone by and
he has been suffering. While
I grieve, I also thank God that
He has called him to go home
and rest. " "He was a frm
believer in the Gospel of Christ
and, because of his faith, he
stood for justice, Zeigler said,
in a VOA Daybreak Africa
interview Monday.
Edmund Bargblor of
Providence, Rhode Island,
a student in Nimba County,
Liberia, where Francis was
a parish priest, called on all
churches in Liberia to fll the
vacuum left by the death of
Francis. Are there individuals
in Liberia that will fll that
vacuum? Yes. But they, too,
have to defne their role,
especially the church. Bishop
Francis has left us, but he
left a legacy and I would like
for the church of Liberia,
the various churches, the
In Monrovia, Catholics and many Liberians remembered Bishop Francis for his
fiery sermons which spoke truth to power. Below is a sample of how Liberians across
religious lines are reeling over the death of the Catholic Archbishop
VOICES
SAYDEE MONBOE II, CIVIL SOCIETY LEADER FREDERICK JOLMSON, BUSINESSMAN
SULAIMA V. SHERIFF STUDENT
ALI SYLLA PROBATION COORDINATOR LIBERIA
RACASSIUS MATOHSON, MANAGING EDITOR OF THE
PEOPLE DAILY NEWSPAPER
VICTOR D. WEAH BUSINESSMAN
I think the death of Bishop
Francis is a lost to this
country. These are people
when they die we should take
a cue in terms of their death.
The many contributions made
by Bishop cannot be over
emphasized. Because when
he became a Bishop, his own
contributions to Liberia as it
relates to good governance in
Well I want to express my
condolence to the bereaved
family. His death is a great
lost to the Liberian people,
the Christians society,
religious setting, political
and economic society of our
community. Also I want to
register our disappointment
that Michael Francis have left
us at the time we need political
economic transformation.
During his tenure as Bishop,
he played a pivotal role in
transforming the Liberian
society. He spoke critically
on issues. He was one of
main advocates to criticize
successive governments. If
he had been well up to now
Today is sad day for me and the country at large. Bishop
Michael was a good man thats, why his legacy has been spread
The death of Bishop Michael
Francis is a loss to the
transformation of Liberia
and humanity, He had spoken
on a lot of ills in the Liberian
society, injustices toward the
masses and he said truth to
tyranny.
He was one of the greatest
leaders with a very humble
beginning. A great leader, a
founding father of the inter-
religious committee and later
the inter regions council.
He was very tolerant to the
different religions in Liberia
and a mentor to many
Liberians
It is sad news for everyone of us in Liberia, especially for
me. Though I am a Muslim but when it came to an inter
religious council, he spoke objectively. During the war
I feel very sad for his death
and I extend my sympathy
to the more than one billion
Catholics around the world
terms of human rights, gender
equity were reinforced. The
peace and stability as it relates
to popular participation in
politics and governance. I can
recall when the war started
in 1989. By 1990-1991 he
led a delegation to Karnplay
to meet Charles Taylor to
explain to him that war was
not necessary, and as a result
of that meeting, we saw a
peace meeting, at the end we
saw Liberians had a lull in
the fghting. From there, they
continue to build the platform
to bring the war to an end.
I can recall Bishop in his
capacity as Archbishop, was
able to bring the two religions
together under a nomenclature
called Inter-Faith council
and today Liberia has
a harmonized religious
tolerance and that institution is
contributing immensely to the
peace process. Again he ran
schools to educate Liberian
children. I can recall when he
was Bishop the Radio Veritas
was one of the station that
was propagating the views of
Liberia as it relates to their
human rights, their political
rights and social rights in
terms of their own existence.
We need to give state funeral
and build him a monument so
that we can remember him.
The day Bishop Francis got
sick and was speechless from
that day, we knew that he
was gone and we will never
have his replacement. Even
when he was sick no one has
replaced him religiously. All
he would have spoken against some of the malpractices in our
judiciary system and our governance program. We want for other
Liberians to emulate the legacy left behind by this bishop. They
should not reduce themselves to surrogates like other people are
reducing themselves to.
and Liberians for his home-going. I remember the role the
Bishop played during the administration of the late Samuel k
Doe. He was very instrumental in bringing religions together
in getting the conficting parties for peace talk. The role he
played also help to keep the war from degenerating into a
religious war. He was able to get the Muslim community on
board to see how best they could bring their ideas together and
bring a stop to the complicit. But since he got sick everything
came to a standstill. There have been no one now to speak on
ills in society.
throughout the country and
his advocacy on behalf of
the poor people will forever
be remembered. To be
specifc the government of
Samuel K. Doe and Charles
Taylor, when these people
went wrong, Bishop Francis
created checkpoints in his
advocacy and he told them
their lapses as a government.
I wish he was still strong
and alive today to go on in
this current government,
I believe all things that
he preached against other
governments, we are seeing
them today.
though I was not around, but
I saw clips of him that he
was there to speak for the
people and that he told the
international community
that all Taylor was saying
were all lies.
In 2003 during the rock
war between Muslims
and Christians, he spoke
very objectively. He was
objective between all
religions regardless of all of
us background

B BISHOP MICHAEL FRANCIS SPECIAL EDITION


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Liberia

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