Preventing Another Bloodbath in Liberia: A Case for International Intervention
Williams, [email protected], Contributing WriterDuring the course of recent weeks, Liberia has made many international headlines. Medical facilities across Liberia are unable to provide treatment to the sick because of lack of drugs and other resources. In order to forestall the possibility of Liberia sliding back into another state of violence, this urgent appeal is being made for a robust international intervention. Given Liberia’s prevailing state of affairs under the government of President Weah, it is apparent that the country is not yet fully prepared for self-governance. He is the author of the recently-published book, “Corruption is Destroying Africa: The case of Liberia,” which is available online.
Source:Front Page Africa
January 02, 2020 22:23 UTC
Liberians Will Have to Grow Out of the Dependency Mentality
There is no national emergency that necessitates the issuance of a press release on national issues by four big foreign missions. If foreign diplomats take the lead in resolving Liberian issues, stakeholders will soon start talking to their fellow Liberians through foreign diplomats. The more visible and powerful foreign diplomats become, the weaker the government will appear. There is no national emergency that necessitates the issuance of a press release on national issues by four big foreign missions. Liberians will have to grow out of the dependency mentality that has engulfed the nation as a by-product of the war.
Source:Front Page Africa
January 02, 2020 22:07 UTC
Liberia: COP Terms Govt, Intl. Community New Protest Date ‘Undemocratic’; Eyes Jan. 6
Bad precedentCosta maintained that the COP would be setting a ‘bad precedent’ if it proceeds to accept date proposed by government for the holding of its protest. And we the COP, do not want to be active participants in the violation and abuse of our constitution”. He said the International Community, particularly the United States, cannot compel citizens to do things that are not in line with their constitution. Neufville levied the allegation barely few hours after the COP planned December 30 protest failed to take place. At the news conference, Costa denied that the COP received money from government to call-off the protest.
Source:Front Page Africa
January 02, 2020 21:56 UTC
No Sympathy for Ben Sanvee
Brumskine was, the runaway partisans used his picture, duping partisans of the Liberty Party that their cross carpeting had his tacit approval. And so, Mr. Sanvee is mad. However, what we do know is Mr. Sanvee and others are responsible for the current mess they think we are engulfed in. In 2014, Mr. Sanvee ran against Mr. Weah to be Senator of Montserrado County and remarked that Weah was incompetent then to be Senator. Now, Mr. Sanvee wants us to sympathize with him for the spilled milk from the mug.
Source:Front Page Africa
January 02, 2020 21:56 UTC
Weah Wants Liberians Reflect on “Incredible 2019” in Watch Night Sermon
President Weah- ‘2019 had been an incredible year’MONROVIA – President George Manneh Weah has asked his fellow Liberians as they begin 2020 to reflect on the past year, which ended another decade. The things we have seen the things we have heard, the things we have done. According to Preacher Weah, there are five signs that manifest to show that discontentment is dragging one down spiritually. Still on the protest master-minders, President Weah asked: “Why are they not bringing their children forward if they believed what they are doing is right? “If you don’t want to talk then we don’t talk but you want to talk we talk, so when you say something that makes sense we buy it but if it doesn’t make sense we move on.
Source:Front Page Africa
January 01, 2020 19:41 UTC
Liberia: SDA Church Rejects Jan. 4 as COP Protest Date
In a Joint Statement issued in Monrovia on Tuesday, the Ambassadors proposed Saturday, January 4 as the new date for the protest. “Liberia, being founded on a Christian principle, Sunday is a religious day in our country and to protest on Sunday is not feasible. The SDA Church requested the change of January 4, as the date for the postponed protest, since in fact, the protest has been previously postponed by the organizers because of religious reasons. “The Council of Patriots rejected Sunday, January 5, 2020 and proposed January 6, 2020 as the new date for the postponed protest on religious ground. On Monday, the COP somersaulted over its previous decision to stage the protest, following the interventions of the United Nations, ECOWAS, the United States Embassy, and the European Union (EU), through their respective representatives in Liberia.
Source:Front Page Africa
January 01, 2020 17:36 UTC
Is the George Weah’s Step Down Campaign the Start of a West African Spring or People Power Revolution?
Weah to step down because of the failing Liberian economy. The Weah-led government needs to take a critical reflection of the People Power Revolution in the Philippine and the Arab Spring. The People Power Revolution commonly known as the EDSA Revolution and the Philippine Revolution of 1986 poured over 2 million citizens in the streets of Manila, the Philippine’s capital. Marcos was forced to step, having held power for 21 years as a dictator (https: /en.wikipedia.org/ wiki /People_Power_Revolution, retrieved December 29, 2019). Hence the question “Is the George Weah’s Step Down Campaign the Start of a West African Spring or People Power Revolution?”S. Kpanbayeazee Duworko, IIEmail/Skype: [email protected]Mobile: +231886540036
Source:Front Page Africa
January 01, 2020 05:48 UTC
Liberia: Is the George Weah's Step Down Campaign the Start of a West African Spring or People Power Revolution?
Weah to step down because of the failing Liberian economy. The Weah-led government needs to take a critical reflection of the People Power Revolution in the Philippine and the Arab Spring. The People Power Revolution commonly known as the EDSA Revolution and the Philippine Revolution of 1986 poured over 2 million citizens in the streets of Manila, the Philippine's capital. Marcos was forced to step, having held power for 21 years as a dictator (https: /en.wikipedia.org/ wiki /People_Power_Revolution, retrieved December 29, 2019). Hence the question "Is the George Weah's Step Down Campaign the Start of a West African Spring or People Power Revolution?"
Source:Front Page Africa
January 01, 2020 05:48 UTC
The Liberian Constitution Does Not Guarantee Tenure Completion to Anyone
Lamii Kpargoi, Esq, [email protected], Contributing WriterThe truth, though, is that the Liberian Constitution says nothing about elected officials being guaranteed the completion of their tenures. What is this action the Constitution gives the people the power to give rise to? These show that the Liberian Constitution does not guarantee that anyone will remain in office for the full length of their tenure regardless of how they conduct themselves. There are people currently arguing that the Liberian Constitution should be respected at all cost by allowing Mr. Weah to serve out the remainder of his term unimpeded. The Liberian Legislature still has time to railroad a bill through the two chambers to establish a recall standard.
Source:Front Page Africa
January 01, 2020 05:26 UTC
Liberia: ANC Leader Cautions Weah Administration Against Attacks on COP, Opposition, Urges Calm
In a New Year’s Day statement, the ANC leader said his party maintains its earlier position regarding the issue of a step-down campaign against the Weah administration. As I always say, we cannot continue to do the same things over and over and expect different results. Instead the ANC leader said Liberians should begin mobilizing for the upcoming Senatorial By-elections slated for later this year. “We, therefore, caution the Government against intimidation and unprovoked attacks on members of the opposition and headliners of the COP. The COP has rejected the January 5th date as it falls on the first Sunday of the new year.
Source:Front Page Africa
January 01, 2020 04:41 UTC
Liberia Releases EITI Report on Last Day of the Year to Avert Delisting
Monrovia – The Multi-stakeholder Steering Group (MSG) of the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI) on December 31, 2019, endorsed and approved the10th & 11th EITI Reports for Liberia covering the periods 2016/17 and 2017/18. LEITI MSG at the start of October 2019 commissioned BDO-UK in collaboration with Parker & Associates Liberia, two reputable auditing firms to prepare the 10th &11th EITIReports for Liberia. In addition to the 10th and 11th EITI Reports, the LEITI MSG has also approved and published the 2017 and 2018 Annual Progress Reports, and the 2019/20 fully costed Workplan in keeping with EITI Requirements. He encouraged the entire MSG and other stakeholders to continue their good support towards the EITI implementation so that Liberia passes EITI Validation. The Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI) is a part of the global Standard-the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)-that promotes revenue transparency in the extractive sectors in resource rich countries.
Source:Front Page Africa
December 31, 2019 16:52 UTC
UBA Foundation Embarks on CSR Programs
UBA Foundation, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) embarked on its annual social impact programs in Liberia to give back to the community. On December 13, 2019, the UBA Foundation project, dubbed ‘Each One Teach One’, took over African Countries where UBA has presence, to make a continental impact on young people and encourage the culture of reading in Africa. Then on December 20, 2019, the UBA Foundation launched its food bank to feed the homeless, poor and needy. The UBA Foundation team in Liberia visited the Era Supermarket, Vamoma Junction and served community members, as well as where the UBA Head Office is hosted (Broad Street). The Head of the Foundation in Liberia, Melody Ketter, who led the team, explained how important such initiative is for the staff of UBA Liberia and the UBA Foundation as a whole.
Source:Daily Observer
December 31, 2019 14:48 UTC
Liberia: Inside the Whein Town Garbage Crisis
WHEIN TOWN, MOUNT BARCLAY – Wede Julius Morris, a mother of eight, says she had no idea that the government of Liberia would build the largest solid waste disposal site in the country close to her home when she moved to Whein Town in 2001. The death rate in Whein Town has increased over the last five years, residents say. Saah Vannie, Whein Town youth chairman, claims he recorded the deaths of three people in October this year alone, including a homeless man who scavenged through the dump. There are no official figures to back Vannie’s claims, but malaria cases are on the the rise in the community, according to the Whein Town Community Clinic. We are in empathy with the Whein Town community and understand that issues raised by them are all legitimate.
Source:Front Page Africa
December 31, 2019 13:18 UTC
Business Activities Resume in Monrovia
The CoP has also finally rescheduled the protest for January 6, 2020, against government date, which is January 5, 2020, at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium in central Monrovia. Henry Costa, chairperson of the Council of Patriots has vowed to put one hundred thousand people in the streets on January 6. Right after the postponement announcement, the police were recalled thereby allowing free movement and resumption of normal activities. The level of caution exhibited by the business community during times of protests and other political tension in Liberia remains quite high. He said the LNP was not informed about any protest by the Council of Patriots or any group.
Source:Daily Observer
December 31, 2019 12:00 UTC
Takeover Syndrome? Liberia Is Slipping into Total Dependency
Liberians can’t blame the ‘international community” in the days to come for taking away their sovereignty, their government gave it away. The international community bought into the argument by the government that demonstrations would spark violence and may lead to war. But for the past two years, the international community is everywhere whenever a group wants to vent its frustration. Liberians can’t blame the ‘international community” in the days to come for taking away their sovereignty, their government gave it away. Will the international community continue to baby sit and protect failing policies or will it set aside and allow Liberians to solve their problems?
Source:Front Page Africa
December 31, 2019 10:30 UTC