Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia Commander, Others Temporarily Incarcerated for Terroristic Threat, Disorderly Conduct
MONROVIA – The commander of the pressure group Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia (EFFL), Emmanuel Gonquoi, and three of his deputies, have spent their first night behind bars at the Monrovia Central Prison. Gonquoi and his accomplices were incarcerated after they failed to file their criminal appearance bond to secure their release. They were sent to prison on Monday, August 9, 2021, by Monrovia City Court Judge Jomah S. Jallah for the alleged commission of the crimes of Terroristic Threats, Simple Assault, Felonious Restraint and Disorderly Conducts. They were arrested and incarcerated on a writ of arrest issued out of the court (Monrovia City Court) for the alleged commission of multiple crimes. The arrest order grew out of a complaint filed to the Monrovia City Court against the defendants by the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Justice.
Source:Front Page Africa
August 10, 2021 11:28 UTC
Liberia: Foreign Ministry Contributes over US$540k to National Budget; Exceeds Previous Projection of US$2,864,000
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is situated on Capitol Hill, Monrovia. Interestingly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contributes and supports the National Budget through several revenue lines. They are Consular Fees (Fees for Issuance of single and multiple entry visas), Passport Fees, Laissez-Passer Fees, Articles of Incorporation, and Dissolutions. Prior to his ascendency as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kemayah served as Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN). He previously served as Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Source:Front Page Africa
August 10, 2021 11:14 UTC
GIABA Intelligent Unit Brainstorm on Ways to Combat Illicit Cash Flow in & Out of Liberia
The training workshop was organized by the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) in collaboration with Liberia’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). The pre-assessment workshop is the first step into Liberia’s second round of mutual evaluation that culminates with onsite visitation in February 2022. “We will be publishing the national risk assessment on money laundering for the first time in Liberia. He said the evaluation is conducted in line with existing FATF Standards and Methodology and the GIABA Mutual Evaluation Process and Procedures (P&P). The mutual evaluation onsite visits are based on the calendar approved from time to time by the GIABA Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee.
Source:Front Page Africa
August 10, 2021 11:08 UTC
SUP’s Protest Makes the University of Liberia Revert Its E-Learning Proposal
Monrovia – After days of protests by the Student Unification Party (SUP), a student-based political party at the state-owned University of Liberia, the President of the university, Rev. The University of Liberia was then in the process of commencing the 2nd Semester of the Academic Year 2020/2021. One week after the students’ protest, the UL Administration has released a statement to revert on their 100 percent e-Learning proposal. The university administration informed their students that classes will resume on Wednesday, August 25, 2021, and end on Saturday, November 27, 2021. According to the UL president, everyone must always wash their hands at the gates of the UL campuses and wear facemasks while on campus.
Source:Front Page Africa
August 10, 2021 11:08 UTC
Liberia: BRAC Int’l Welcomes Shameran Abed New Executive Director
BRAC International new Executive Director, Shameran AbedMONROVIA – The Board of Directors of BRAC International (BI), one of the leading development organisations in the world, has named Shameran Abed, a longtime executive with the organization, as new Executive Director effective from August 1, 2021. Shameran succeeds BI’s, Executive Director, Dr Muhammad Musa, who stepped down on July 31. “The Board of BRAC International is confident that Shameran is the right person to steer BI at this time, driving innovation and positive transformation while ensuring continuity. Shameran joined BRAC Bangladesh in 2009 and BRAC International in 2012, and has been instrumental in bringing BRAC’s flagship programmes of microfinance and ultra-poor graduation to global scale. Through its community-led development programmes such as agriculture and food security, health, education, empowerment and livelihood for adolescents, and ultra-poor graduation programmes, BRAC Liberia reached over 550,000 people living in poverty in 2020.
Source:Front Page Africa
August 10, 2021 10:58 UTC
Liberia Immigration Service Wants Retirement of 132 Officers Delayed over Budgetary Constraints
MONROVIA – One hundred and thirty-two officers of the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) risk being retired without any immediate benefits and this comes at the behest of the Civil Servant Agency (CSA) which has requested the Immigration Service to retire these officers. As we speak, we have the CSA again that has written us to retire 132 of our officers without doing planning for replacement. “Honorable Senators, the retirement that was done last year, the handshake packages for those retirees didn’t take effect until June this year. We have been told if we don’t do this those officers will be removed from the payroll at the end of this month. We expected that the next retirement will be done next year because we have had two retirements in recent time.
Source:Front Page Africa
August 10, 2021 10:54 UTC
Liberia: Victims of Niko Ivanka Family Decry Slow Pace of Investigation
Keamah, family members and loved ones of the victims have been kept in suspense since the tragedy. He said the victims’ families have reached a decision to collect the bodies of their relatives at the same time, but the current situation is preventing them from doing so. “The victims’ families are kept in suspense and according to the Maritime Commissioner, they are investigating. Call for justiceMr. Keamah pointed out that the victims’ families want justice to prevail in the matter. According to him, these authorities should also submit to investigation instead of serving as Chair and members respectively on the investigative team.
Source:Front Page Africa
August 10, 2021 10:43 UTC
Welthungerhilfe (WHH) Donates Assorted Office Equipment To The National WASH Commission Of Liberia
Monrovia – Welthungerhilfe (WHH) (former German Agro-Action), has donated assorted office equipment to the Liberia National WASH Commission in an effort to support the operation of the institution. As a newly established commission, charged with the mandate to lead and regulate the WASH Sector, the need for equipment to facilitate efficient service delivery remains a challenge. Receiving the donation on bahalf of the National WASH Commission of Liberia, the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Amb. He commended WHH for its continuous support to the Government of Liberia’s efforts in building a strong WASH sector through the WASH Commision. “For recognizing some of our needs as a commission, and wasting no time in responding in such a big way, we recognize WHH as a special and dependable partner of the WASH Commission” Mr. Whitfield added.
Source:Front Page Africa
August 10, 2021 10:34 UTC
UNDP Increases Support to Decentralization; As Rivercess County Service Center Receives US82,000 Solar Panel For Power Generation
Cestos City, Rivercess County – The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) with support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has turned over Solar Panel System to the Rivercess County local authority for the smooth running of the Rivercess County Service Center valued at eighty-two thousand five United States Dollars. The system built in Germany was procured and installed by UNDP through a local vendor called EcoPower Liberia. On behalf of the local leadership, Rivercess County Inspector and Acting Superintendent Mr. Daniel Tokoe Doe described the project as huge and timely. According to Doe, it was like a dream to him that Rivercess County Service Center to be the first to receive such a magnanimous gesture and attributed it to God’s divine intervention. Since the opening of the River Cess County Service center on December 8, 2017, operations at the service center has not been as expected due to limited financial resources to fuel the generator to provide 24 hours electricity.
Source:Front Page Africa
August 10, 2021 09:54 UTC
UN Peacekeeping Sector Center Decorates Armed Forces of Liberia Officers
BARCLAY TRAINING CENTER – UN Peacekeeping Sector Center in Mopti, Mali on 6 August 2021 decorated four AFL Officers with United Nations Peacekeeping Medals for their valuable services to peacekeeping operations in MINUSMA, Mali. The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) has four (4) of its Military Officers assigned at Sector Center Headquarters. The AFL officers were decorated on 6 August 2021 for their valuable services to peacekeeping operations in MINUSMA, Mali. The Military Staff Officers (MSO) in Sector Center (SC) Sevare, Mopti are supporting the operational and administrative activities among the United Nations Contingents deployed in Sector Center Area of Operations (AO). The Sector Center HQ is headed by a Brigadier General as Sector Commander and a Colonel serving as his Deputy Sector Commander.
Source:Front Page Africa
August 10, 2021 08:26 UTC
New USAID Mission Director Pays Central Bank of Liberia Courtesy Call
MONROVIA – August 6, 2021: The new Mission Director for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Mr. Jim Wright, Friday August 6, 2021, paid a courtesy call on the Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), Hon. J. Aloysius Tarlue, Jr.Welcoming the new USAID Mission Director, the CBL Executive Governor lauded the partnership between USAID and the Bank and expressed reassurance of heightening collaboration with USAID. Six (6) of the fifteen (15) counties, many of which have mining communities are without banks, the Executive Governor indicated. Friday’s meeting was also attended by the Deputy Governor for Operations at the CBL, Madam Nyemadi D. Pearson and Deputy Governor for Economic Policy, Dr. Musa Dukuly. Buttressing the Executive Governor, the Deputy Governors re-emphasized the need for USAID to consider support to the establishment of additional cash hubs throughout the country.
Source:Front Page Africa
August 09, 2021 20:37 UTC
Liberia Revenue Authority Employee Reportedly Goes Missing
A close friend of the missing LRA employee, who spoke to FPA based on anonymity, disclosed that family members and relatives of the missing employee do not want to politicize or point accusing fingers to anyone at this time. Joana Teta Moore is the wife of the missing LRA employee. Family optimistic“For now, the family members are not thinking that he is dead or he has been murdered. Two days later, another auditor from the LRA, Mr. George Fahnboto, reportedly died in a vehicle accident around 72nd Paynesville, outside Monrovia. Meanwhile, family members of Mr. Saryon Moore have reportedly complained the matter to the Liberia National Police (LNP).
Source:Front Page Africa
August 09, 2021 08:12 UTC
Liberia: Ministry of Transport Reduces Registration Fees for Commercial Vehicles
MONROVIA – As part of efforts to ensure the commercial drivers comply or adhere to the adjustments in transportation fares, as well as to bring relief to commuters against the arbitrary hiking of transport fares by commercial drivers, the Ministry of Transport with immediate effect has reduced the registration fees of taxis from US$190 to US$75; commercial buses from US$250 to US$150; tricycles from US$150 to US$50. The National Transit Authority (NTA) round town buses are also been increased from 10 to 25 buses, especially in the morning hours to help students, marketers, workers, etc. According to the Ministry of Transport, there is a plan underway to reduce the transport fares of NTA buses from pick-up points to arrival points in Monrovia and its environs. The Ministry of Transport further disclosed that it is working with the Ministry of Commerce to ensure that a technical committee is set up to access the prices of assorted vehicle spare parts and petroleum products on the market to enable the authorities of the government to undertake future development or actions on the transportation sector of Liberia. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport is expected to conduct a two-day stakeholder for more than 500 motorcyclists in Monrovia aimed at ensuring road safety through the application and observance of safety rules or traffic law to help minimize the alarming rate of accidents or road crashes in Liberia which continues to post threats to the lives of citizens and properties, as well as undermine the socio-economic growth of the country.
Source:Front Page Africa
August 09, 2021 08:03 UTC
Liberia: Forestry Advisory Group Calls FDA To Order
The Group is an advisory body to the FDA and part of its role is to make policy recommendations to the FDA, assist the implementation of community forestry programs; and help to build stronger ties between FDA and forest communities. The communication was channeled through the Technical Manager of the Community Forest Department (CFD) at the FDA, Atty. Predicated on the observations, the forest working group called on FDA to develop and put in place a monitoring mechanism to track the disbursement of community forest funds. This process is necessary, as it would help FDA to determine whether ECs and CFMBs are properly managing community forest funds. This is a professional working group.
Source:Front Page Africa
August 09, 2021 07:57 UTC
Liberia: Experts, Stakeholders Want Structural Changes in Covid-19 Response
The emergence of the new variant couple with its level of devastation has left stakeholders calling for structural changes in the national response team if the country is to stand any chance of triumphing over the pandemic. Some people, including medical experts and other stakeholders, began to call for structural reform to the national response, especially the composition of the team. National Civil Society Council of Liberia (NCSCL) is one of many groups that feel wary over how health authorities are responding to the pandemic. That incident, however, brought some dark cloud over the credibility of the Covid-19 testing process, with many insinuating that the fight was being politicized. “This, the council believes, will give Liberians and our international friends and partners confidence in the handling of the COVID-19 situation here in Liberia,” the group said.
Source:Front Page Africa
August 09, 2021 07:52 UTC