Liberia: Parents Accuse Private Schools of Collecting Extra Fees to Prepare Home Work for Children During COVID-19 Lockdown
Maretha International School is among few private schools, where parents are asked to pay for resource materials for pupils’ instructional materials. However, many schools are accused of requesting parents to pay extra fees to procure instructional materials to enhance distance learning. One of such schools, accused by parents for requesting extra fees, is the Maretha International School in Monrovia. Maretha International School is among few private schools, where parents are asked to pay for resource materials for pupils’ instructional materials. “Schools should not impose upon parents and parents should not expect anything from schools, this is why PTA is important,” he said.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 12, 2020 07:58 UTC
The Untold Story Of COVID-19 And Its Mental Health Impact On Liberians
The Untold Story Of COVID-19 And Its Mental Health Impact On LiberiansMonrovia – In Liberia, the efforts to Combat COVID-19 largely revolves around people’s physical health whilst little or no attention is placed on mental health, in spite of the new challenges and realities the outbreak brings. The Carter Center Mental Health Program Lead adds that the MHPSS Pillar is responsible to address the mental health needs of people infected and affected, and that includes responders such as doctors, nurses, mental health clinicians, social workers, burial team and ambulance team. Without support from the IMS response, it is difficult for the pillar to effectively function and address the mental health needs of frontline responders,” Dossen said. All attempts to get the mental health division of the Ministry of Health to respond after weeks of email exchanges failed. But the Carter Center Mental Health Lead Benedict Dossen stressed that getting coronavirus should not be a sentence of guilt or punishment.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 12, 2020 07:56 UTC
Liberia: Humane Society International Launches ‘Feed And Treat’ Exercise For Domestic Animals in Charlesville
Margibi County – Humane Society International Liberia on Thursday launched a “feed and treat exercise” for domestic animals in Charlesville, Margibi County. The animals benefiting from the exercise are dogs, cats, and other domestic animals. Speaking to reporters about the initiative, Humane Society International Liberia Country Director, Morris Darbo said the initiative is a respond to the fight against COVID-19. He said diseases diagnosed in these domestic animals are tick and flee, worms, skin diseases, rabbis, and pad virus among others. “Humane Society is not strange to us, so they are trying their best to do what they supposed to do [for us].”Humane Society International is an international organization that provides lifetime care for animals.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 12, 2020 07:40 UTC
Liberia: Clar Hope Foundation, Merck Distribute Food Items, Locally Made Face Masks to People with Disabilities
The donation include 100 bags of rice, three hundred tins (five gallons) of oil and dozens locally made masks to 100 households. She added that First Lady Clar Marie Weah, through her foundation is soliciting support for the needy and disadvantaged communities including people with disabilities, orphans, the elderly and vulnerable girls. “The role of the first lady is to go out and ask for help to support you. Madam Harris called on the First lady and her Foundation to support her organization undertake sustainable programs that will improve the livelihoods of people living with disabilities. At the end of April, the foundation, in partnership with GSM giant, Orange Liberia donated 15,000 locally produced face masks to the COVID-19 National Response Center.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 12, 2020 07:40 UTC
Liberia: Health Ministry Debunks Freedom FM’s Reportage
Deputy Health Minister for Administration, Ms. Norwu HowardMonrovia – The Ministry of Health has come out strongly to defend its Deputy Minister for Administration, Ms. Norwu Howard, against what it describes as “orchestrated attempt to ruin the hard-earned reputation. In a press release under the signature of Mr. Sorbor George, the Health Ministry’s Communication Consultant, the ministry said Freedom FM, in a series of radio shows, had reported that Dep. “Following a Technical Management Meeting on April 30, 2019, the Ministry then forwarded the company’s request to the Liberia Revenue Authority, which is the agency of government solely responsible to grant or deny duty free privileges. “LRA granted the company’s request in the interest of the government and People of Liberia, to ensure the successful end and a durable product.”The contract for the construction of the new Redemption Hospital was signed in 2017, long before Minister Howard took office. Minister Howard only renewed the contract after it expired and has been successfully facilitating its implementation.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 12, 2020 07:30 UTC
The effects of Taxes on The Economic Growth of a Country: The case of Liberia
Abstract:This paper attempts to evaluate the impact of individual types of taxes on economic growth by utilizing regression analysis. The paper is based on entrepreneurs complains on the taxes imposed by the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), qualifying some of them as arbitrary. Wolokolie, MBA, CFE, CA, CPA, CFIP, CTP, PhDKey words: Taxes, Liberia Revenue Authority, Economic Growth. Since economic growth is one of the fundamental economic objectives of the economic policy makers and it is the basic assumption of fulfilling other social objectives, the following can be stated resulting from this paper. In their effort to stimulate economic growth, countries like Liberia should try to lower taxation rate in the case of corporate taxation, personal income taxes and social security contributions.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 12, 2020 07:30 UTC
What Is The Legal Basis For Election Postponement? Implications For Social And Political Stability In Liberia Amid The Health Care Crisis
In view of the aforesaid, are there legal basis for the postponement of the SSE? The National Elections Commission was represented by Counsellor F. Musah Dean Jr. (now Attorney General of Liberia) and the late Counsellor Theophilus C. Gould while the government was represented by Cllrs. The Republic of South Korea is recorded as the first country to conduct nation-wide elections in the coronavirus pandemic era. Electoral officials declined to postpone the election; South Korea has never postponed any election, even the 1952 election which was held during the Korean War. Liberia’s continuous political stability and economic development is contingent the holding of free fair and democratic elections before the end of 2020.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 12, 2020 07:18 UTC
The Need for Youth Advancement in Liberia
The youth in Liberia are faced with formidable challenges which has exacerbated over time leaving them with less opportunities and limited options for advancement; not to mention females, the future of young women in Liberia is at stake. An estimated 51% of youth ages 15-24 are illiterate and approximately 60% have not completed primary school according to Liberia Youth Assessment Situational Analysis Report 2019. This is scaring for the future of Liberia because youth capacity is extremely essential to the sustainable economic and development of Liberia; it is important that the youth of Liberia be skilled, competent and erudite enough to deliver. The Liberia national youth policy shows that the youth constitute more than a third of the total population and nearly half of the labor force in Liberia. In addition, in 2009, African Union Heads of States and government declared the year 2009-2018 as the decade of youth Development in Africa to accelerate youth empowerment for sustainable development.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 12, 2020 07:18 UTC
Building a Beloved Community: A Call for Justice, and Transformation
What are the best strategies and or means for achieving the basic human freedom, peace and the beloved community? Dr. King’s analysis of social and or systemic and collective evil undergirded his quest for the ethical ideal of the beloved community. For him the beloved community was the goal of one’s civil rights and of the human struggle as a whole. Finally, as we endeavor to build the beloved community, we must realize that the church needs the community and the community needs the church. We cannot afford to turn our backs on the building of the beloved community in post-civil was Liberia.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 12, 2020 07:18 UTC
Opioid Overdoses on the Rise During Covid-19 Pandemic
Most of these deaths, 78.2% were drug overdoses with known drug classification. Moreover, 21.8% were unclassified drug overdoses. A further investigation revealed that for unclassified drug overdoses, 71.8% involved opioids, translating to 99,160 additional opioid-related deaths. Another study on Opioid Overdose found that the number of drug overdose deaths decreased by 4% from 2017 to 2018. In 2018, more than 67,000 people died from drug overdoses, making it a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 11, 2020 20:48 UTC
Liberia: History of Fraudulent Elections Resurrecting Concerns as President Closes in on NEC Appointment
Emmett Harmon declared that late President Samuel Doe won the ’85 elections with 264,362 votes, or 50.9% of the popular vote. Emmett Harmon was at the helm of the National Elections Commission. Late President Doe’s choice of Harmon to head the elections commission was seen at the time as a good move. Frances Johnson-Morris was tipped to steer the affairs of the elections commission. Under elections law, he will have to renounce his membership before taking office.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 11, 2020 07:30 UTC
Liberia: Four Candidates Lining Up In Quest For Leadership Of Former Ruling Unity Party
Monrovia – Nearly three months after Wilmot Paye’s unceremonious departure from the former ruling Unity Party, the race is heating up to find a replacement. Mainly staying in the background, he has been a long-standing supporter of the Unity Party. Many see him as an assertive, well connected, and levelheaded leader who would bring refreshing credibility to the party and national political arena. Wisner has lived almost his entire political life in the shadows of the Unity Party and the Liberia Action Party. His paternal uncle, Walter Y. Wisner was a founding member of the Unity Party in 1984 and a former Secretary General.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 11, 2020 00:56 UTC
A Tragedy Waiting To Happen
UNDER THE CLOAK of darkness, when no one was paying attention, the lawmakers passed the bill into law. UNDER THE SECRET LAW, lawmakers are not legally required to abide by rules against reckless driving, operating a vehicle in an unsafe condition, or speeding. The senior government officials would also not have to adhere to traffic signals or be banned from driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. THE ACCIDENT COMES amid mount criticisms of wanton abuse of traffic laws by both elected and appointed officials of government. It is also not right to pass a law that makes it legal to kill a citizen in cold blood in traffic because you happen to be in a government job.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 11, 2020 00:45 UTC
From Monrovia To Banjul: David Belgrove Departing After Five-Year Run As Ambassador
During his stay in Liberia, Ambassador Belgrove has been supportive of Liberia’s fight against corruption, gender and education issues. Monrovia – Mr David Belgrove is ending his tenure as British Ambassador to Liberia following his appointment as British High Commissioner to The Gambia. In April 2015, on his return to Liberia, Ambassador Belgrove replaced former Ambassador Fergus Cochrane-Dyet. During his stay in Liberia, Ambassador Belgrove has been supportive of Liberia’s fight against corruption, gender and education issues. In April last year, Ambassador Belgrove emphasized the importance of promoting education in Liberia and how gender-responsive education in Liberia was a top priority of his government’s.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 11, 2020 00:33 UTC
Liberia: Amid Suspicion of Bribery, FPA Delves Into Why EPA Acting Executive Director Was Lenient with A Company that Imported Hazardous Chemical without Permit
Now, a private company, York Trading Inc., committed the same offense in April and the acting Executive Director, Randall Dobayou fines them US$1,400 – the least fine ever in the EPA’s history. Report by Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]Documents obtained by FrontPageAfrica show that York Trading In. Your application to EPA was prompted by the confiscation of the chemical by the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) for lacking EPA permit. He added that the fine imposed by York Trading was advanced by the technical team and not by the agency’s Deputy Executive Director. In fact, we had contacted York Trading, but they said they had already spoken to the boss,” the source said.
Source:Front Page Africa
June 11, 2020 00:32 UTC