Liberia: US$1.1m of Donor Fund for Health Programs Wasted, Stolen and Abused
MONROVIA – Renowned international health body The Global Fund has released a damaging report on the Ministry of Health, unearthing alleged acts of corruption amounting to nearly US$1M. The Global Fund is a partnership designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics. After OIG’s 2019 Audit of Global Fund Grants in Liberia found that Fiscal Agent oversight was inadequate, a new Fiscal Agent Team Leader was assigned in 2020. However, the Committee’s findings will not impact OIG’s investigation findings or the subsequent actions taken by the Global Fund as a consequence of OIG’s investigation findings”. In its report, the Fiscal Agent Cardno disagreed with OIG’s conclusions regarding conflict of interest on the part of the former Fiscal Agent team.
Source:Front Page Africa
April 13, 2022 20:27 UTC
First and Foremost, African Gas Must Be Used in Africa
Africa is well-positioned to drive sustainable economic growth continent-wide through the monetization and utilization of gas. Firstly, expanding gas production will enable African economies to achieve energy security which is vital for industrialisation and socioeconomic growth. Firstly, Europe must invest in African gas so that the continent is better positioned to increase its exports. Courtesy: African Energy ChamberAEW 2022 is the AEC’s annual conference, exhibition and networking event. AEW 2022 unites African energy stakeholders with investors and international partners to drive industry growth and development and promote Africa as the destination for energy investments.
Source:Daily Observer
April 13, 2022 19:50 UTC
UNHCR, Government of Liberia Implement Cessation For Ivorian Refugees
BAHN, Nimba – A total of 244 Ivorian Refugees including men, women, and children of 46 households on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, were repatriated to The Ivory Coast. The Government of Liberia announced the invocation of the Cessation Clause for Ivorian Refugees on 24th February 2022 and it will take effect on 30 June 2022. This process is happening in all countries that are hosting Ivorian refugees. The voluntary repatriation of Ivorian refugees started in late 2012. While UNHCR facilitated the return of some 40,000 refugees from Liberia, an additional 160,000 are believed to have returned on their own.
Source:Front Page Africa
April 13, 2022 08:49 UTC
National Civil Society Council Calls on Ruling, Opposition Parties to De-escalate Tensions Leading To Liberia’s 2023 Presidential, Legislative Elections
Monrovia – The National Civil Society Council of Liberia (NCSCL) has called on the ruling Coalition for Democratic (CDC) and opposition political parties to stop what it termed as the political weaponizing, pre-election campaigning, and escalating existing inter-party or legal battling. These trends are manifesting ahead of Liberia’s high stakes 2023 elections, the Council warned. Regarding pre-election campaigning, the Council singled out President George Weah’s gesture to the chiefs and county’s health teams in February this year. “We observed that opposition political parties continue to use concerning social and economic issues in Liberia to weaponize the CDC-led Government. The Council noted that these are just a few cases among several studied which reflect the general patterns of Liberia’s pre-election democratic context.
Source:Front Page Africa
April 13, 2022 08:48 UTC
Liberia: Abusive Boyfriend Kills Girlfriend, Commits Suicide
A 24-year-old lady was murdered by her boyfriend whose lifeless body was also found near the deceased. The incident happened in the early hours of Monday, April 11, in Gleeyelu Community, where Grace moved after she left Preston. She hailed from Karnplay, Gbehlay Geh District, while the late Preston Dolo also hailed from Kpei Tiara in the Yarpea Mah Administrative District. The body of the alleged perpetrator, Preston Dolo is still in the hands of the government awaiting the family. Similarly, in March 2017, a lady and her ward were gruesomely killed by her boyfriend in her rented apartment in Ganta.
Source:Daily Observer
April 12, 2022 13:12 UTC
Liberia: Members of Diplomatic Corps Visit Roberts International Airport to Assess Conditions
Margibi County – Several members of the diplomatic corps on Thursday, April 7, 2022, visited and toured the facilities of the Roberts International Airport to assess for themselves the present condition of the airport. Also, the team of diplomats visited the control tower of the Roberts International Airport. Alexandra Saye is the Manager for Air Traffic at the Roberts International Airport. Despite boasting of trained staff, Saye said the building that hosts the Control Tower Department at the Roberts International Airport needs improvement. So, I think their visit is a good step in the right direction.”According to Shannon, the Roberts International Airport has lots of challenges.
Source:Front Page Africa
April 11, 2022 17:36 UTC
Liberia: Dr. Toga McIntosh, Weah’s Last Straw to Restore Governance Integrity ahead of 2023 Elections?
The LapsesMany of these issues unfolding under this regime could have been averted had the Code of Conduct, one of the major achievements of the Governance Commission, been adequately implemented. Dr. McIntosh has a strong education and work background in policy formulation and reforms. Dr. McIntosh was one of the few under the wings of Madam Sirleaf who expressed support for a Weah-led administration before the 2017 elections. Reviving a Dormant CommissionHowever, the Governance Commission has relatively been dormant – almost non-existent and without much attention from the government. This leaves so much burden on Dr. McIntosh should he accept and be confirmed to revive a seemingly dormant agency, especially with just 17 months remaining to the next presidential and general elections.
Source:Front Page Africa
April 11, 2022 07:59 UTC
Liberia: VP Taylor Calls for Elimination of SGBV at Generation Equality Conference in Malawi
Jewel Howard-Taylor has addressed the 2022 Generation Equality Conference organized by the Government of Malawi in coordination with The Joyce Banda Foundation (WED) and some international NGOs. Speaking to Women, the Vice President said: “God has given each of us all the inherent traits we need to succeed. But through it all, VP Howard-Taylor emphasized: “We each learned to stand, preserve, grow and glow; as we traveled our Life routes. Meanwhile, the 3-day Generation Equality conference organizers have honored Malawi’s President H.E Lazarus Chakwera as a true HE4SHE CHAMPION. At the honoring ceremony, Vice President Howard-Taylor hailed President Chakwera for the honor, reechoing that he is genuinely a HE4SHE champion.
Source:Front Page Africa
April 11, 2022 06:30 UTC
Liberia: Poland Expresses Unwavering Support to Ukraine in the Midst of the Russian Military Attack
MONROVIA – The Polish Government says it remains firm in its condemnation of the Russian attack on Ukraine and will continue to stand with Ukraine in these times of crisis. Apart from the humanitarian assistance Poland continues to solidarity with Ukraine, becoming a humanitarian hub coordinating humanitarian assistance flowing via Poland to besieged Ukraine from over 30 countries worldwide. “The Polish government has launched a robust and comprehensive system for provision of humanitarian assistance not only in Poland but also in Ukraine. The Embassy of Poland equipped a computer lab at the Don Bosco Technical School in the capital of Liberia. Her Excellency J. Howard-Taylor stressed that Liberia is open to economic cooperation and that the government expects friendlier relations between Liberia and the countries of the European Union in terms of political and economic cooperation.
Source:Front Page Africa
April 11, 2022 06:16 UTC
CDD-Ghana Partners With Sida To Promote Democracy In West Africa
ACCRA — The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) have entered into a new partnership to establish a transnational democracy solidarity network, to be known as West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (“WADEMOS”). The purpose of the Network is to mobilize, coordinate, and leverage the collective power of prodemocracy actors, resources, and opportunities in West Africa, to address the erosion of democracy in the Sub-region. During this phase, CDD-Ghana will collaborate with Network Partners to organize convenings and programs to reflect on significant democracy milestones in the Sub-region such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Protocol on Democracy and Governance. Phase II of the project will focus on implementing the various components of the Strategy agreed with Network Partners in Phase I. “I am excited about this new CDD-Ghana-led initiative as it seeks to address the problem of democratic backsliding in West Africa,” said Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, Executive Director of CDD-Ghana.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 31, 2022 05:28 UTC
Liberia: National Elections Commission Denies Unity Party’s Request to Dismiss Complaint by LP, ANC
Monrovia – The National Elections Commission (NEC) has denied the request by the Unity Party (UP), seeking the dismissal of the complaint filed by the Liberty Party and the Alternative National Congress. “There have been no official communications from the ALP or UP to either the CPP National Advisory Council or National Executive Committee regarding the said withdrawal. However, the UP, in a counter action, and citing several reasons, filed a motion to dismiss the two parties’ complaint. However, the NEC, citing the Constitution and the current elections’ laws, said the complaint filed against the two parties falls specifically within its responsibility. Therefore, the UP/ALP Motion To Dismiss was denied and the case will be heard by NEC.”
Source:Front Page Africa
March 30, 2022 20:54 UTC
Liberia: The Nexus Between Education And Crime – A Look Beyond Dr Daniel E. Cassell’s Alleged Offending
But research generally shows that having an education reduces one’s risk of committing a crime. MOST importantly, the percentage of PhD holders in prison around the world is almost non-existent even in the US which currently houses about 25% of the world’s prison population despite making only 5% of the world’s population. THE purpose of this article has been to look beyond Dr Cassell’s alleged offending and examine the connection between educational attainment and/or the lack of it and crime. It is important to conclude that there is still support in the literature that having an education reduces one’s risks of offending. Therefore, Dr Cassell is a rare breed with an earned PhD to have allegedly committed a crime.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 30, 2022 08:39 UTC
Liberia: “Honesty and Transparency Required for Success of New Political Coalition”
.... Says NDC Int’l Vice-Chair Dr. Dougbeh Chris NyanAs Liberian opposition political parties regroup to form another coalition, the International Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, has stressed that “transparency and honesty are required for the Liberian people to have confidence in any new coalition of opposition political parties that will be formed in the future.”“The next coalition should put the interest of the people and the country first, and must bring together sincere, patriotic, and honest citizens that will focus on national interest so as to avoid in-fighting for positions,” Dr. Nyan emphasized. Taylor went on to win that race. In the last two odd years, another alliance, the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), also broke apart due to the lack of compromises as to who takes the presidential slot on the ticket. When quizzed on the issue of who will be the political leader or standard-bearer of the next opposition coalition, the NDC Vice Chairman who is also an infectious disease scientist, stressed that “when the political union is formed based on the principle of national interest, then it can select the leadership and a standard-bearer through consensus or other democratic means and put forth a unified ticket for the 2023 elections” in Liberia. It is comprised of the New Democratic Alternative for Liberia Movement (The NEW DEAL Movement), the Free Democratic Party (FDP), and other social-democratic political groupings in Liberia.
Source:Daily Observer
March 27, 2022 18:08 UTC
Biden Can Pull Liberia Back from the Brink
In the late 20th century, Liberia suffered two civil wars ending only when President Charles Taylor resigned. President-elect George Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) speaks during an interview with REUTERS at his residence in Monrovia, Liberia, January 2, 2018. At Liberia’s bicentennial, delegation head Dana Banks, to the Biden administration’s credit, condemned Liberia’s growing corruption. “Like many democracies, Liberia still has work to do to seriously address and root out corruption,” she said. As Liberia teeters under Weah, it is time for Biden and Blinken to recognize that putting diplomacy first must be more than rhetoric.
Source:Daily Observer
March 27, 2022 18:08 UTC