Liberia: National Elections Commission Unveils Symbols For Referendum
Madam Browne Lansanah said the symbols for the 2020 national referendum as agreed by all primary stakeholders would now prepare Liberians to vote during the Constitutional Referendum and Special Senatorial elections slated for December 8, 2020. Monrovia – The first in a series of official unveiling ceremonies of symbols for the conduct of the 2020 Constitutional Referendum has taken place in Ganta City, Nimba County, under the umbrella of the National Elections Commission, (NEC). Performing the unveiling ceremony Monday, the Chairperson of the NEC Madam Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, reaffirmed the commission’s delight for the journey leading to the closing of the symbol finding chapter as well as the national referendum vetting consultations. Madam Browne Lansanah said the symbols for the 2020 national referendum as agreed by all primary stakeholders would now prepare Liberians to vote during the Constitutional Referendum and Special Senatorial elections slated for December 8, 2020. 2 has opened in Monrovia at the headquarters of the National Elections Commission on 9th street in Sinkor.
Source:Front Page Africa
October 06, 2020 06:33 UTC
Liberia: Rural Communities Continue Call for Share of Logging Revenue
The group early last month petitioned the Legislature to allot US$1,006,055.18 or 30 percent of revenue collected from logging companies in the last three fiscal years—2016/2017, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020—to communities as land rental fees. Under the New Forestry Reform Law of Liberia, these CFDCs represent the interest of the communities where logging concession are located. They are entitled to 30 percent of logging revenue as land rental fees in addition to cubic meter fees and social agreements they sign with logging companies. This was a huge part of the forestry reform in Liberia in order to give communities their share of forest resources. The Government of Liberia owe communities US$8.3 million out of the $27.7 million it has collected but only $2.6 million has been transferred to date.
Source:Front Page Africa
October 06, 2020 06:33 UTC
National Teachers Association of Liberia Wants Government Refrains from Pensioning its Members without Prior Notice
Nyumah, the president of the National Teachers Association of Liberia speaking on World Teachers DayMonrovia – Madam Mary W.M. Nyumah, the president of the National Teachers Association of Liberia is calling on the government to pay more attention to improving the welfare of teachers. Madam Nyumah made the call during program marking the celebration of this year World Teachers Day under the theme: “Teachers – Learning in Crisis, reimagining the future”. Nyumah, the president of the National Teachers Association of LiberiaAlso, serving as Keynote Speaker, Montserrado County Education Officer K. Samuel G.S. He added that this year’s World Teachers Day has a greater significance in light of the challenges that teachers have faced during the COVID-19 crisis.
Source:Front Page Africa
October 06, 2020 06:22 UTC
Liberia’s Youth Are Central to National Development – And Land is Essential to their Success
With secure rights to land, instead of working for low wages on someone else’s land, youth can invest in their own land and labor to grow a farm-based livelihood. Moving toward secure land rights for youthWhile these challenges are pervasive, securing youth land rights is an achievable goal. Hailed as one of the most progressive land laws in sub-Saharan Africa, the Land Rights Act (LRA) established legally guaranteed land rights for all Liberians (previously, almost 80% of the population lacked legally recognized land rights) and includes specific protections for youth and women’s land rights. Civil society organizations (CSOs) must act to raise awareness of youth land rights among youth and broader communities. Aside from land, youth will benefit from agricultural inputs and trainings that will set them up for success in the agricultural sector.
Source:Front Page Africa
October 06, 2020 06:11 UTC
DID USAID, IDA, ETC. SPEND USD $612M ON AGRICULTURE IN LIBERIA?
Did her Government use any of the USD $612M donation/loans to buy any agricultural equipment, supplies, employ former combatants, etc.? allocated USD $612M for agriculture, a portion of the USD $5B donated/loaned to Liberia. This is the million-dollar question; is this USD $612M agricultural project another fiasco as was the USD $30M Lofa Rice Project? But the USD 612M project has no such evidence to show that the INGOs and/or private farmers started any farms. IRAQI FOOD FOR OIL SAGA: (https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2004/04/15/the-oil-for-food-scam-what-did-kofi-annan-know-and-when-did-he-know-it/)Lofa Rice Project with Equipment: (https://frontpageafricaonline.com/opinion/why-the-foya-rice-project-became-a-fiasco-the-true-story/)Lofa Rice Project: (https://www.facebook.com/notes/frontpage-africa/liberias-us30m-snafu-how-libyan-funded-agriculture-project-vanished-into-thin-ai/204694182884109/)2012/2013: (https://www.cabri-sbo.org/en/documents/citizens-guide-to-the-national-budget-2012-2013-fiscal-year)2013/2014: (https://www.cabri-sbo.org/en/documents/a-citizens-guide-to-the-national-budget-fiscal-year-2013-2014)2014/15:(https://docs.google.com/a/mopea.gov.lr/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=bW9wZWEuZ292LmxyfG10ZWYtYnVkZ2V0fGd4OjUxODNkYzUwM2YyMzU5MTc)2015/16: (https://www.cabri-sbo.org/en/documents/2015-16-citizens-guide-to-the-national-budget)2016/17: (https://www.cabri-sbo.org/en/documents/fact-sheet-or-short-citizens-guide-to-the-fiscal-year2016-17-draft-national-budget)2017/18: (https://www.cabri-sbo.org/en/documents/a-citizens-guide-to-the-national-budget-1)2018/19: (https://mfdp.gov.lr/index.php/department-of-budget-reports/citizen-s-guide/citizen-guide-fy2018-2019)
Source:Front Page Africa
October 06, 2020 03:11 UTC
Liberia: LFAM, British Embassy Take COVID-19 Awareness to Local Communities
The campaign under the theme “Supporting Women and babies mothers to prevent COVID-19” started on September 1, 2020 and is expected to climax on December 1, 2020. LFAM’s Country Representative to Liberia, Abdul- Rahman Fayiah Bah disclosed his institution is concerned about the welfare of pregnant women, babies and their mothers during this global pandemic. He said qualified Liberians have been sent into three communities, including Old Road, New Kru town and West Point communities. The Cardiff-based organization works to reduce the number of women who die during pregnancy and childbirth in Sub-Sahara Africa. Through its maternal mortality programme in hospitals and health centres across Africa, it dispenses medicines to prevent post-partum haemorrhage.
Source:Front Page Africa
October 05, 2020 12:11 UTC
Is there Hope for a Failing Liberia?
1 in 3 children under the age of 5 are stunted and Covid19 has uncovered a festering rape culture in Liberia. The current state of Liberia is an unwritten death sentence that has ushered in collective paralysis. Human capital gains are directly correlated with economic growth and there’s no counterfactual to prove otherwise. Our governments have never prioritized human capital as an economic strategy for real transformation to lift millions of our people out of excruciating poverty. Just as in the investment world long-term investments require patient capital, Liberia requires patient capital, patient people, patient politics, patient democracy, and patient opposition.
Source:Front Page Africa
October 05, 2020 10:41 UTC
Prices for Data And Voice Increase Due to Liberia Telecommunications Authority Order
MONROVIA – In February 2019 the Liberian Telecommunications Authority (LTA) issued LTA Order: 0016-02-25-19, which imposed surcharges of US$0.008 for each minute of on-net voice calls and US$0.00065 for each megabyte of data. The Civil Law Court issued a Prohibition or Injunction on the LTA Order and mandated that the LTA Order shall not take effect until the matter before it was finally determined. It should be recalled that after a hearing at the Civil Law Court, that Court ruled that the LTA had the power and authority to issue the LTA Order. In response to this Ruling, Orange Liberia appealed to the Supreme Court. This has been announced by both Orange Liberia Inc. and Lonestar MTN late last week; and this means that as of October 5, 2020 there will an increase in the prices for data and voice call.
Source:Front Page Africa
October 05, 2020 07:52 UTC
More Dangling Questions Than Answers after Bodies of Researcher, Auditor at Liberia Revenue Authority Were Discovered on Snapper Hill
Gifty was known to Albert’s family and her spouse knew him and workmates indicate that there was nothing to suggest an unhealthy social relationship. According to police, Mrs. Peters was said to be the first to have discovered the bodies in the vehicle. “It is while on their way to Snapper Hill that her daughter spotted Albert’s car and alerted both her mother and the relative who was driving them. It was this relative who approached the car first just as Mrs Peter’s was getting out of her car. It was her driver who took the keys to Albert’s car which was still in the ignition.
Source:Front Page Africa
October 05, 2020 07:41 UTC
Orange Liberia Reportedly Preparing to Fight Recent Supreme Court Ruling on Payment of Revenues to Govt, Despite Making Millions
FrontPageAfrica has been informed that in spite of the ruling, Orange Liberia is again putting up a defiant posture against paying government just revenue and is preparing another court challenge to delay payment. In the recent Court ruling, the Supreme Court warned Orange and its lawyers against strange legal practices. Signed: Management, Orange Liberia Inc.”The decision by Orange is rattling feathers in the sector and the government which expressed a willingness to work along with the cellular operators on a payment regime. “This is deceptive because as a result of this very LTA order, Orange eliminated three-day free calls last year September and blamed the LTA order for that. In the recent Court ruling, the Supreme Court warned Orange and its lawyers against strange legal practices.
Source:Front Page Africa
October 05, 2020 07:30 UTC
Liberia: AFL Soldier Who Was Electrocuted While on Duty Threatens to Commit Suicide
Sergeant Kaifa continues to suffer from multiple wounds that have not been healed up to present, and only two of his remaining nine fingers are partially functional. Sergeant Kaifa claimed that his present salary cannot also shoulder the cost of his house rent of US$650 per annual. Every day the Chief of Staff (of the AFL) will tell me different thing. For sometimes now, Sergeant Kaifa has been complaining about alleged abandonment from hierarchies of both the Ministry of National Defense and the AFL. Sergeant Kaifa disclosed that only a medic from the AFL has been consistent in visiting his home to dress his wounds regularly.
Source:Front Page Africa
October 05, 2020 07:22 UTC
Liberia: Eleven Illicit Ghanaian Miners Arrested in Bong County
Monrovia – Eleven Ghanaian ‘illegal gold and diamond miners’ have been arrested in Bong County by a joint operation comprising the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Ministry of Mines and Energy. The accused illegal miners were handcuffed and made to line up on Friday at the Ministry of Mines and Energy and later turned over to the Ministry of Justice for further investigation and prosecution. The men, he added, do not have any residential document and were arrested at two locations in Bong County called samba and Wologbah. He called for sustained collective effort among the relevant agencies including the Liberia Immigration Services (LIS) and the Ministry of Justice to stop illicit mining across the country. Currently, the forests and waters across the country are inundated with illicit miners, mostly foreigners with mining equipment like dredges and other harmful substances in search of these valuable resources.
Source:Front Page Africa
October 05, 2020 07:18 UTC
WASH Commission Applauds USAID and CRS for Enhancing Sanitation and Hygiene in Liberia
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the National WASH Commission Bobby Whitefield speaking at the launch of the US$500,000 projectPaynesville – The Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the National WASH Commission, Bobby Whitefield has commended USAID and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for improving sanitation, and hygiene in Liberia. Chairman of the National WASH Commission Mr. Whitefield made the statement when the CRS through the support from USAID launched a US$ 500,000 economic empowerment and sanitation project at the Kpelle Town Market in Johnsonville. According to the WASH Commission Head, US$300,000 will go to hand-washing facilities in Bong Margibi, and rural Montserrado Counties. For us at the WASH Commission, when we got to know that CRS was going to be implementing and we (WASH Commission) are going to be partnering in the delivery of this project, we were really happy. According to the Health Office Director of USAID, hands washing plays a pivotal role in preventing the spread of the disease.
Source:Front Page Africa
October 05, 2020 07:07 UTC
EPA, UNDP Organize Private Sector Engagement on Addressing the Effects of Climate Change in Liberia
“It is important for the private sector to engage in adapting to climate risks because financial impacts related to floods, storms, coastal erosion, and other weather-related disasters have risen steadily due to climate change. The degree to which the private sector will engage depends on numerous factors including the level of awareness on the impacts of climate change and the risk to businesses,” he said. “As you may know, climate change is not only an environmental issue but rather a developmental issue. “There is an urgent need for us to take immediate action and your source of electricity is very pivotal in contributing to climate change. Private sector stakeholders at the workshop have set up a private sector working group on climate change adaptation to remain engaged with the EPA , National Investment Commision, Ministry of Finance & Development Planning and other actors in fostering access to private sector financing and public private partnerships to fund climate change adaptation initiatives in Liberia.
Source:Front Page Africa
October 05, 2020 07:07 UTC
Liberia: Int’l Rights Group Calls for Establishment of Independent Commission to Handle Rape Matters
“We need to handle this issue of rape holistically and not by various groups in different ministries and agencies. Further unveiling the rights group’s intent, Togbah said the establishment of an independent anti-rape commission for Liberia, will help fast track all matters pertaining to rape in the country. “It is because of this that FOHRD believes that a commission is needed to be established to handle rape cases holistically,” he added. “It’s important for FOHRD to ascertain how civil society organizations and human rights groups feel about having a commission that will only handle rape matters,” Togbah said. Currently, a roadmap has been developed to fight rape and initial financial support of US$6 million from the government.
Source:Front Page Africa
October 05, 2020 07:07 UTC