Liberia: Journalist Brutalized by Police Officer Recounts Ordeal
The protest saw the petitioning of the Liberian government and the international community against maltreatment of journalists in the country. Kadi, who is still with a wound right on top of his left eye, is the latest victim of state security operatives’ unscrupulous conduct. His ordeal brings to 11 the number of journalists who have been brutalized and or humiliated by state security officers while performing reportorial duties. When he opted to intervene, the unidentified police officer hit him on his head. Journalist Kadi is amongst several other journalists who have been victim of brutality this year.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2020 19:18 UTC
Liberia: “Private Sector Investment Key To Liberia’s Fisheries Sector”
Monrovia – The Director-General of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Madam Emma Metieh Glassco, has described private sector investment as the driver of Liberia’s fisheries sector. A NaFAA release quotes Madam Glassco as saying one way to have a more viable fisheries sector is to attract additional private actors into the area. Madam Glassco said to pave the way for the acceleration of growth in the sector, NaFAA has strengthened its legal framework. The NaFAA DG was honored by the Inquirer Newspaper as the Director-General of “the Year 2019 for her outstanding leadership in the revitalization of Liberia’s fisheries sector”. According to Worwee, prior to the appointment of Madam Glassco, NaFAA formerly the “Bureau of fisheries” was practically dead.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2020 18:22 UTC
Liberia: Govt Issues Administrative Measures to Halt Growth in Wage Bill; Sets Up Multi-Agency Ghosts Removal Task Force
Finance Minister Samuel Tweah and President George Manneh WeahMONROVIA – The Government of Liberia has issued administrative control measures intended to reduce growth in its wage bill, as well as to ensure efficiency in the allocation of the National Budget. New employment or promotion of existing employees will have to be co-approved by the designated authorities of the CSA and MFDP. Additionally, as part of the new administrative expenditure control measures, all new employments across Government shall be thoroughly vetted and duly authorized through the CSA and MFDP before placement on the wage bill. The Taskforce will institute headcounts of all government employees at various spending entities across Liberia, and Foreign Missions outside of Liberia. The ghost removal taskforce is given a six-month mandate beginning March 2020 to comprehensively and sustainably clear the public sector wage bill of ghost employees.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2020 15:45 UTC
Liberia: U.S. Human Rights Report Details Arbitrary Killings, Abuses And Harsh Conditions In Liberia
MONROVIA – Liberia has once again made a notorious appearance in the U.S. State Department 2019 County Reports on Human Rights, cataloging several cases of abuse and harsh practices. Security forces and law enforcement officials undertook some training to increase respect for human rights,” the Report stated. The 2019 Human Rights stated gross overcrowding of prisons remain a major challenge in Liberia. Police sometimes requested money to effect arrests for prosecuting authorities, the 2019 Human Rights Report stated. Harassments against JournalistThe Human Rights report recognized that law enforcement officers occasionally harassed newspaper and radio station owners because of their political opinions and reporting, especially those that criticized government officials.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2020 06:22 UTC
Finland Arrests Sierra Leonean over Liberia’s Civil War
Gibril Massaquoi was remanded by Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Tampere in southern Finland, where he lived. MONROVIA – Finland has arrested a Sierra Leonean national suspected of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Liberia, the first African who is not a Liberian to be held in connection with the country’s 14-year civil war. Gibril Massaquoi was remanded by Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Tampere in southern Finland, where he lived. He even testified before the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) against members of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) in 2005. Finnish police began investigation into his alleged crimes in 2018, interviewing witnesses in Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2020 06:22 UTC
Fans Disappointed Over Liberian Artists’ Continued Snubbing of Quincy B’s Grave On Decoration Day
Quincy B was in the driver’s seat, accompanied by his colleagues Feouls Kaba, Margas and Maurice Terziq Gayflor, alias CIC. Several of them expressed dissatisfaction over the continued no-show attitude by the late Quincy B’ friends at his gravesite on Decoration Day. “Every Decoration Day, no star can come here to pay respect to Quincy B. Dowie explained that every Decoration Day, he and his friends gathered at the cemetery to help clean and decorate the graves of their lost family members. That’s why we will always honor him.”“Every Decoration Day, no star can come here to pay respect to Quincy B.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2020 06:11 UTC
Liberia: Govt Likely to Borrow from Central Bank to Fund October Midterm Election
The IMF made this recommendation in March 2019 after a team was dispatched to Liberia to investigate the cause of Liberia’s economic nosedive. Of the necessary preconditions, the most critical is that the Government refrains from borrowing from the central bank in addition to reducing the central bank’s operational deficit. He said, “… in my economic speech last year, I announced a policy of no government borrowing from the Central Bank of Liberia. I am pleased to report that, despite salary delays and a tight fiscal situation in fiscal year 2019/2020, the Government of Liberia remained firm in this commitment and did not borrow from the Central Bank of Liberia. Jerome Korkoya said despite agreeing to squeeze the US$23 million budget down to US$17 million, the government has to date not provided any funding to support the process.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2020 06:00 UTC
Liberia: Rep. Edwin Snowe Appointed to Head Top Committee at ECOWAS Parliament
Rep. Edwin Snowe of Bomi County was appointed by the ECOWAS Parliament Speaker, Hon. Sidie Mohammed Tunis, to head the Committees on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and African Peer Review MechanismMONROVIA – Representative Edwin Snowe of Bomi County has been appointed to chair the ECOWAS Parliamentary Committees on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and African Peer Review Mechanism. He was appointed by the Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament Hon. I was therefore elected by my colleagues on the committee to chair the political affairs committee. They include Senator Steven J. H. Zargo, Vice Chairman: Committee on Trade, Customs and Free Movement, Clarence Kortu Massaquoi 2nd Rapporteur: Committee on Public Accounts, Haja Fata Sayon Member: Committee on Administration, Finance and Budget Control, and Prince Yormie Johnson Member: Committee on Mines and Energy.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2020 05:48 UTC
Liberia: Lawmakers Summon Mayor Jefferson Koijee, Others For Filthiness of Monrovia And Surrounding Cities
The House also sent for the Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC), Duannah A. Kamara and the Chairman and CEO of the National WASH Commission Bobby Whitefield. Following the reading of the communication, several lawmakers backed Rep. George and called for the invitation to be extended to the Majors of Monrovia, Paynesville and Township Commissioner of Gardnersville as their municipalities are always filthy. Long before Rep. George’s communication, there have been several attempts by lawmakers to invite Mayor Koijee to explain his plan for the cleaning of Monrovia that is always engulfed with garbage. Rep. Rustonlyn Suacoco Dennis (district #4, Montserrado County) said Mayor Pam Belcher-Taylor of Paynesville and the Commissioner of Gardnersville should be invited also. Rep. Youngblood is credited for strongly advocating for budgetary support for the WASH Commission.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 12, 2020 05:48 UTC
Liberia: Pres. Weah Demands LEC to Submit Power Distribution Plan
On Monday, March 9, 2020 the President requested the LEC management to submit to his office its power distribution plans. Deputy Press Secretary, Smith Toby, told reporters Tuesday that the President was concerned about the unfortunate situation of consistent wave of power outage in Monrovia and its environs. Like most of you are concerned about LEC, so is the President,” Toby said during the Executive Mansion Press Briefing Tuesday. “The President himself is a user of LEC, and so he is concerned,” he said. Similarly, the Deputy Press Secretary has disclosed that President Weah has made adjustments in the schedule for his County Tour, which would have initially begun with southeastern counties.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 11, 2020 15:11 UTC
Liberia: This Is One Time That Bong County Needs You, Madam Vice President
THIS IS THE CASE with the only famous referral hospital in Bong County — Phebe Hospital and School of Nursing. The county gave the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) its Vice President, Madam Jewel Howard Taylor. IN FACT, THIS VICE PRESIDENT, who is a prominent daughter of Bong County, was born into the ‘royal’ household of Kerkula Giddings of Sanoyea District. MADAM VICE PRESIDENT, we are going to play the devil’s advocate and pretend that you don’t know what’s happening at Phebe. MADAM VICE PRESIDENT, you know Phebe hospital and its compound, too, well.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 11, 2020 08:26 UTC
GN Bank supports Ghana Independence celebrations in Monrovia
Monrovia – GN Bank Limited, a leading Liberian Bank recently joined the Ghanaian Community in Liberia to celebrate the 63rd Independence Anniversary of Ghana, here in Monrovia. GN Bank Liberia, which was incorporated as a result of Ghanaian based investments in the Liberian banking sector, supported the celebrations by the Ghanaian embassy. In addition, with MoneyGram at GN Bank, you can send money directly to any bank account or mobile money wallet in Ghana’. GN Bank operates in Liberia via 15 locations across the country and MoneyGram services are available in all locations. We encourage you to visit any GN bank location for more information about these and many other products offered.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 11, 2020 00:11 UTC
EITI Lifts Liberia’s Temporary Suspension
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Board has agreed to lift Liberia’s temporary suspension effective 6 March 2020. The decision is due to improvement in implementation related to multi-stakeholder group (MSG) oversight (Requirement 1) and the publication of outstanding EITI Reports. Within a short timeframe, the Government of Liberia has demonstrated its full commitment to the EITI process, which has led to the restoration of the credibility of Liberia EITI. The Board agreed that Liberia would need to demonstrate progress in meeting the requirements by 31 December 2019 to avoid delisting. The EITI Board reviewed progress made and agreed that the EITI process in Liberia has been credibly revived.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
Liberia: Police Officer Allegedly Flogs Motorcyclist to Death in Ganta
The late Samuel Selleh, was allegedly flogged to death by the Ganta City Deputy Police Commander who is said to be on the run following the incident. Yei further narrated that she and one of friends met her son and the victim in front of Jackie’s Guest House. Jackie’s Guest House, on the outskirts of Ganta, is one of the leading guesthouses in the bustling city that never sleeps. “We were at the area where the incident occurred near Jackie’s Guest House when this man called Sensee Kowo was called by his two private security friends. The Ganta police commander told journalists that he couldn’t speak with them.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 10, 2020 08:48 UTC
Liberia: Presidential Security Unit Admits to Manhandling Journalist As Press Union Plans Mass Protest
The EPS, in its communication to the PUL, admitted that the reporter bag was taken away from him. Also, Deputy Information Minister Eugene Fahngon denied that there was no evidence that journalists were brutalized by state security personnel. The highest decision-making body of the Press Union of Liberia also mandated the leadership to be opened to dialogue with the government for a possible security-media dialogue to end the brutalization of journalists and media workers. Shortly after the meeting, the EPS quickly admitted in their letter sent to the union and promised that action will be taken against the EPS agent. An investigation by the Police following a complaint by FPA about the manhandling of Journalist Walker has been at a snail speed.
Source:Front Page Africa
March 10, 2020 08:26 UTC