Denmark, Others Suspend Use of Astrazeneca Covid Vaccine Brought to Liberia over Suspected Side Effects
The Issue in EuropeAn unconfirmed number of patients have developed blood clots after receiving the shot, according to health authorities. The Danish Health Authority on Thursday halted the use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for 14 days. It follows reports of “serious cases of blood clots among vaccinated people,” a statement read. The EMA found no evidence linking the Austrian cases to the AstraZeneca vaccine, the agency said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Italy banned the use of a batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine over the blood clot suspicions.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2021 09:18 UTC
Liberia: House Controversially Passes Free Education Bill amid Dismay by Huge Segment of Lawmakers in Session
Capitol Hill, Monrovia – The House of Representatives has passed a bill seeking to create a special education scheme to support deserving students attending public tertiary institutions across Liberia. The House took the decision on Thursday following recommendations from its joint Committee on Education, Public Administration, and Ways Means and Finance and Development Planning contained in its report read in plenary. Those lawmakers who raised their hands in support of Rep. Karfia’s motion to overturn the previous vote include Reps. Rustonlyn Sucacoco Dennis (District #4, Montserrado County), Ceebee C.D. Others include Reps. Moima Briggs-Mensah (District #6, Bong County), Joseph Papa Kolleh (Dist#7, Bong County), Francis S. Nyumalin (District #1, Lofa County), Julie Fartoma Wiah (Dist. #2, Lofa Co.), Clarence Massaquoi (District #3, Lofa County), Larry Younquoi (District #8, Nimba County), Ellen Atto-Wureh (Dist.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2021 09:11 UTC
Liberia: Two Minors Escape Homes after Step-mothers Threatened to Beat Them
Paynesville City — Samuel Siafa, 10, and Jackson Davis, 9, left the respective homes to avoid being ‘abused’ by their step-mothers. According to Inspector Tokpah, the children were found in the Clar Duncan Weah’s Market in Rehab Community by a passerby who brought the kids to the Depot. Inspector Tokpah further said that they have tried to contact their parents, however, the parents have shown interests in reclaiming custody of the children. In an interview with little Siafa, he said that he lived with both his father (Moses Siafa) and step-mother (Oretha) but his step-mother constantly beats him. Little Davis said since his uncle brought him to Monrovia, he has never been to school.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2021 09:11 UTC
Liberia: National Elections Commission Board Confirms Jeremiah Koung’s Victory in Nimba Senatorial Election
MONROVIA — The Board of the National Elections Commission (NEC) has affirmed and confirmed its hearing officer ruling against Madam Edith Gongloe-Weh due to her inability to provide substantial evidence to prove fraud. On Thursday, the Board of NEC concluded to dismiss Madam Gongloe-Weh’s case with the confirmation that the hearing officer, Cllr. Boakai Harris who conducted the investigative hearing in the matter did not err as assumed by Edith’s legal team. NEC Board reminded Madam Gongloe-Weh that to prove fraud she should not have based her complaint and evidence on presumptions to authentic that fraud occurred during the just-ended senatorial elections in Nimba County. Meanwhile, Madam Gongloe has announced an appeal to the Supreme Court of Liberia siting in its March Term of Court.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2021 09:09 UTC
United States Government Donates Testing Kits to Boost COVID-19 Fight in Liberia
Monrovia — As part of its many contributions to aid Liberia in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Government, through the USAID Infectious Disease Detection and Surveillance (IDD) Project has donated a huge consignment of COVID-19 testing kits. The items containing detect whether a person has COVID-19 or not was presented to the Health Minister Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah by United States Ambassador to Liberia, Michael A. McCarthy. We were running short, but thanks to the United States government and all of our partners. Liberia’s reference lab has been recognized as one of the best in the world owing to its accurate and robust COVID-19 testing. Recently, the country received 96,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses shipped via the COVAX initiative, a partnership between CEPI, Gavi, UNICEF and WHO.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2021 09:00 UTC
Diaspora Liberians Group ‘Grateful’ to Pres Weah for ‘Indispensable Role’ in Dual Citizenship
“We remain indebted to him for his bold and measured leadership on dual citizenship for natural born Liberians. The diaspora Liberians threw jibes at their compatriots, whose argument against dual citizenship often question the allegiance of Liberians with dual nationality. However, many blacks who naturalized are dual citizenships because their native countries allow dual citizenship. You have matched your words with actions, thereby reigniting the aspirations of the thousands of diaspora Liberians who are determined to maintain their Liberian citizenship. Diaspora Liberians will also be forever grateful to Senator Dillion and other lawmakers, who will get the nationality law repealed especially with no restriction, and these lawmakers will leave an indelible imprint that Diaspora Liberians will always cherish.”
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2021 08:55 UTC
Central Bank of Liberia to Prioritize Policy Support for Agriculture Development
Despite the downward inflation trend, the CBL Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to maintain the monetary policy rate at 25.0% for the fourth time with the aim of managing Liberian dollar banknotes outside banks, counteracting inflation expectations and stimulating interest rate transmission in the financial sector. Accordingly, global economic growth for 2021 is projected at 5.5%, on account of anticipated containment of COVID-19 and other policy measures. Monetary policy rates in advanced economies were relatively stable and remained broadly unchanged within most of the countries in the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) in the fourth quarter of 2020. In the fourth quarter, the average outstanding issuance of CBL Bills increased by 3.72% in comparison to the previous quarter. Similarly, in the fourth quarter of 2020, the deficit in Liberia’s trade balance improved from 5.6% to 4.6% of GDP, while inward worker remittances increased to US$65.4 million.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2021 08:51 UTC
Liberia’s Young Philanthropist Aminata Sheriff Intensifies Mission in Putting Smile on Faces of Underprivileged Children
Monrovia – One of Liberia’s youngest humanitarians, Aminata Sheriff and her team continue to make headways over their meaningful interventions in the community. Since she germinated into the realm of humanitarianism, Sheriff has proven that age has nothing to do with one’s ability to impact the world. So, at the age of 16, Amie realizes that she needed a team to push the agenda of putting smiles on the orphanage needy and abandoned children faces. Fast forward, she and her industrious teammates established a local nongovernmental organization, tagged “Orphan Needy and Abandoned Children (ONAC)” Inc. Their initiative has inspired other young people to come up with the glowing desire of joining the fight against poverty through charity.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2021 08:48 UTC
CSO Concludes Two-Day Workshop to Validate Number of KBAS in Liberia
MONROVIA — A two-day intensive workshop to improve freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) in Liberia was concluded on March 10, 2021 in Monrovia with a call to conserve and protect freshwater KBA species. The workshop was also intended to validate the number of KBAs in Liberia and enhance the capacity of conservationists in identifying new once. Liberia holds four of the thirteen KBAs in West Africa with critically endangered species including fishes, crabs, plants among others. He said Liberians will work harder to identify more KBAs to promote freshwater KBAs conservation and sustainable use of forest landscape with hard conservation value. He noted that with the support of the IUCN and other conservation groups, Liberia can achieve the KBA process.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2021 08:37 UTC
Liberia: LACC Partners with Local Civil Society Organization to use ITC to Fight Corruption
MONROVIA — The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) has agreed to partner with a local non-governmental Organization “The Integrity Watch Liberia” in the fight against corruption and will do so through the use of Information technology and citizen involvement. The partnership between LACC and the local CSO will breathe the development of online platform using the most innovative and up to date technology that enables citizens anywhere in Liberia to report incidences of corruption. The Partnership will also ensure the development of an online platform that enables anonymity functionality of citizens reporting incidences of corruption using mobile technology either through video clips, documents, photos etc. Part of the Partnership Provide the LACC with a smart monitor that displays all nationwide data from the web-portal Support LACC with well research data on corruption related issues both within the public and private sectors. “It is herein understood by the parties that either party may terminate this agreement by giving two week notice to the other party of its intention.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2021 08:37 UTC
Liberia: Speaker Convoy Knocks Down Pregnant Woman leading to Death of Baby
This is the second time in less than a year that the Speaker’s vehicle has been involved in an accident. In June last year, the Speaker’s convoy was involved in an accident with a cab while driving on excessive speed on the opposite lane around in front of Palm Springs Hotel in Congo Town. The Speaker is clothed with the privilege of driving with sirens on the opposite lane. “I hold strongly that this new Law is bad; it is against the public good and against public safety. Since the passage and subsequent signing into law of the new vehicle and traffic law of Liberia, there has been limited knowledge on its printing into handbills by the Liberian government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 11, 2021 08:46 UTC
Liberia: Monrovia Residents Still Wait for COVID-19 Food Relief from Government
MONROVIA — Months after a programme to provide food for the poor under a COVID-19 food relief effort had started, some residents of Monrovia are still waiting for their rations. The World Food Program (WFP) and the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-information Services-LISGIS were chosen to coordinate the food distribution. The structure sat right beside a drain just a step away from the Slipway Community main street. Narrating her experience about how the food distribution was done in her community, she was not happy, she said. Seeking to establish why some of the community members did not benefit from the food distribution, I spoke to Lasana Sannor.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 11, 2021 08:45 UTC
Government, National Traditional Council Of Liberia, Embark On Re-Dedication Of Graves Of Fallen Liberian Chiefs, Kings, And Peacemakers
The initiative includes the rehabilitation and rededication of graves of fallen Liberian Kings, Chiefs and others across the country. Minister Turkolon pointed out that the initiative will help ensure that chiefs and traditional leaders do not feel forgotten or neglected in the Liberian society. For his part, the Chairman of the National Traditional Council of Liberia, Chief Zanzan Karwor commended President George Manneh Weah for giving ears to his recommendation. According to him, the Liberian Chief Executive’s latest gesture shows that he holds with high esteem indigenous and traditional leaders of the country. Chief Karwor, however, challenged the traditional leaders and chiefs across the country to guarantee the preservation of the remains of their forefathers with respect and dignity.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 11, 2021 08:37 UTC
Witness Links Gibril Massaquoi to RUF Activities in Liberia
Gibril Massaquoi in his first day in court in February in the Finnish city of Tampere. The group was heavily supported by former Liberian President Charles Taylor in the 11-year-long Sierra Leone Civil War. The witness also named RUF fighters “Mosquito”, “Sannoh”, Morris Kalon, Augustine Blamo, Ernest McCauley, Ibrahim Bah, “Sankara”, Issa Sesay and others who he said were all RUF fighters brought into Liberia to work for former President Charles Taylor. The witness told the Finnish Judges that most of the RUF activities in Liberia happened between 2000 to 2001. He said the RUF activities were mostly in Lofa County on the Liberian and Guinean border where RUF fighters were combatting rebels from LURD, another rebel faction.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 11, 2021 08:37 UTC
Liberia: Rep. Frank Foko Calls for Reconciliation in Constituency at Swearing-in Ceremony
Capitol Hill, Monrovia — Montserrado County District #9 new Representative, Frank Foko has called for Liberians, especially his constituents to reconcile their differences and move the country forward following a polarizing election. Representative Foko replaced the late Representative Munah Pehlam Youngblood who died in 2020 following a protracted illness. He made the call on his first day in session following his swearing-in ceremony performed by House speaker Bhofal Chambers. He also thanked President George M. Weah and the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) for affording him the chance to contest on the party’s ticket. Prior to his election, Rep. Foko served as Chief of Office Staff for the late Rep. Youngblood.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 11, 2021 07:07 UTC