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"My dad had a vision to raise this country from mat to mattress," she said, evoking one of Tolbert's famous slogans. "That man gave the people economic empowerment so they would not sleep on the floor, but would instead sleep on mattresses." Christine Tolbert Norman, 70, Newly Appointed Mayor of Bentol

TOLBERT IN CHARGE

DAUGHTER OF FORMER PRESIDENT BENTOL NEW MAYOR

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PRESIDENT REINSTATES SUSPENDED DEFENSE OFFICIALS AFTER INVESTIGATION

BACK IN PLAY

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CENTRAL BANK OF LIBERIA

MARKET BUYING AND SELLING RATES LIBERIAN DOLLARS PER US DOLLAR

BUYING MONDAY, MARCH 10, 2014 SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014 MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2014 L$83.00/US$1 L$84.00/US$1 L$84.00/US$1

SELLING L$84.00/US$1 L$85.00/US$1 L$85.00/US$1

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These are indicative rates based on results of daily surveys of the foreign exchange market in Monrovia and its environs. The rates are collected from the Forex Bureaux and the commercials banks. The rates are not set by the Central Bank of Liberia.
Source: Research, Policy and Planning Department, Central Bank Liberia, Monrovia, Liberia

VOL 8 NO.553

LAWMAKER CHAMBERS RELEASES MORE DOCUMENTS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS SAGA

TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

PRICE L$40

Government itself should be asking questions and not when people ask questions and raised concerns than a kind of Drum mayors will come out to sound tones of the establishment and insult people, I think that is unfair. Rep. Bhofal Chambers

EXECUTIVE MANSION LIED

Politics pg. 5

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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

or transparency. She has proven that she is willing to act under the right circumstances, but weights the political and economic consequences carefully, even if there are effectively no checks and balances. For example, many interviewees told the LGSS Team that she has personally overseen the renegotiation of certain concession agreements. Liberia unable to maintain security The Liberian National and other security apparatuses including the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization and the Armed Forces of Liberia have all experienced revamping but the LGSS report states that Liberia cannot maintain its own security. The vast majority of laws in Liberia are not enforced, businesses are not effectively regulated, and justice is not carried out in accordance with the constitution. The culture of impunity is one cause; weak institutions are another. Liberia cannot maintain its own security or enforce laws through the Iberian National Police (LNP) alone; its role is bolstered by the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) force, which has been 15, 0000-strng at times, but is now drawing down, the report indicated. According to the report, there is brain drain and capacity in a problem across ministries and agencies of government further compounded by poor leadership. Stated the LGSS report Ministries and agencies in general lack the capacity and will to regulate. Decades of neglect, brain drain, and poor leadership have left the judicial system in shambles. Prosecutors have difficulty building basic cases and the courts rarely make independent decisions, meaning that contracts are unlikely to be enforced. Most citizens-and nearly all of the indigenous rural population-do not have or want access to the formal legal system. Yet, the traditional system that they trust lacks consistency, fairness, transparency and documentation. Members of the LGSS that conducted the survey includeMichael Geertson, Expatriate Team Leader, Katelyn Baldwin, Expatriate Chemonics Liberia Representative; Elizabeth Martin, Expatriate Washingtonn-based project Director and Field Training Lead; Fatu Gbedema, Liberian Political and Cultural Expert; James Thompson, Land tenure Specialist; Thomas Nah, Liberian Concessions Specialist; and Jackson Dunor, Liberian Logistics Specialist. In addition Joseph Urban and Denise St. Peter, both expatriates, provided research, administrative, and logistics support from Washington. Emily Elliot, another expatriate from Chemonics, interviewed several individuals working in the accounting and auditing profession in Ghana who had knowledge of the accounting and auditing sector in Liberia. The report stated that generally speaking, the team reached consensus on its understanding of issues analyzed in the study by discussing the issues in small-group settings facilitated by the Team Leader, incorporating those points of view in the key study report draft, and then reviewing iterations of the draft and such process also helped to ensure the reports objectivity. LGSS stated that the analysis and report also benefited from multiple rounds of review and feedback with the USAID team, indicating that there was no significant divergence of opinions between USAID and Field team, nor did the team feel that USAIDs input compromised the reports objectivity. The latest report is one in a series of damning reports conducted by international organizations highlighting issues of bad governance in Liberia. United States State department in a recent report described corruption, access to justice and human rights abuses as prevalent in the country. In its 2013 US State Department Human Rights report, the United States Secretary of State described human rights abuses as pervasive in Liberia. According to the report, the most serious human rights abuses were those tied to a lack of justice: judicial inefficiency and corruption; lengthy pretrial detention; denial of due process; and harsh prison conditions. Violence against women and children, including rape and domestic violence, and child labor were also serious problems, the report stated. The State Department report noted that other important human rights abuses included police abuse, harassment, and intimidation of detainees and others; arbitrary arrest and detention; official corruption; human trafficking; racial and ethnic discrimination; discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons; unlawful deprivation of life under customary law; mob killings; and ritualistic killings. On March 2 the United States issued a travel alert highlighting the poor health, sanitation and other conditions prevailing in Liberia. On the health sector, the alert stated: Hospitals and medical facilities in Liberia are very poorly equipped and are incapable of providing many services. Emergency services comparable to those in the U.S. or Europe are non-existent, and the blood supply is unreliable and unsafe for transfusion. For serious medical problems, U.S. citizens in Liberia should consider traveling to the United States, Europe, or South Africa for treatment. Medicines are scarce, often beyond expiration dates, and generally unavailable in most areas, the alert slams the Liberian health sector.

Monrovia resident Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for years advocated against successive Liberian regimes including that of presidents William R. Tolbert, Samuel K. Doe and Charles Taylor, speaking against vices such as corruption, nepotism, cronyism, kinship and other forms of bad governance practices. Sirleafs advocacies led to her strong support for the establishment of the Good Governance Commission which has now been transformed into Governance Commission. The President while out of state power also supported the independence of the General Auditing Commission of Liberia and the establishments of other anti graft and transparency institutions. Now in power and with high and good stature internationally, where she has won laurels and dozens of honors, the situation in the country is still the aged old story of the past, according a new report released by the Liberia Governance Stakeholder Survey (LGSS) published May 1, 2013. The report entitled Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) highlights excesses in broad spectrum of Liberias governance system ranging from corruption, political patronage and family ties, weak enforcement, regulatory, and rule of law institutions, strong executive power and lack of checks and balances, amongst others. The United States Agency for International development (USAID) and the United States Embassy in Liberia were acknowledged in the report for providing extensive guidance and assistance during the planning and implementation of the filed study that led to the collating of the report. Kinship ties strong amongst Liberias elites The LGSS report states that political patronage and family ties is still strong in Liberia with elites having stronger connection in protecting their personal and business affairs and with such ties extending in the employment sector. Only a small fraction of Liberias relatively small population of 3.7 million operates in the formal political, governance, and economic sphere. As a result, kinship ties among those elites are strong, and everyone knows one another and their personal and business affairs. There is a cultural trend toward hiring people that you know well and not creating a stir when a family member, friend, colleague, or even an acquaintance does something that is clearly wrong or illegal. Likewise, many interviewees told the LGSS Team that the trend in Liberia s to live and let live. Interviewees during the survey told the LGSS team that those are some of the vices that led to the armed conflict the shattered Liberia. Stated the report Some people we interviewed suggested that both of these are coping strategies to deal with scarcity and protracted armed conflict. In other words, if you have access to a revenue or resources stream, then you must take care of your own and spread that wealth around. It is better, at such times, to look the other way than to take action if doing so could create a stir and lead to more violence. Together, these factors are a leading cause of the culture of impunity described above. Relative to the focus of the LGSS, there is no better example of this than the President herself. She has appointed three of her four sons to high-level government positions.

Robert Sirleaf I head of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL). Fomba Sirleaf is head of the National Security Agency. Charles Sirleaf is a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank. Many interviewees suggested that they receive personal financial benefit from their positions beyond their official salaries. In August 2012, the President suspended Charles and 45 others for not declaring their assets consistent with her Executive Order. Some Liberia interviewees pointed out the nuance of suspended versus sacked within Liberias culture of political patronage and family ties: He essentially got a slap on the wrist and soon returned to his job. The President took care of her own and did not create a sir, the report stated. Robert Sirleaf has since resigned as head of NOCAL but has once again resurfaced and was recently appointed Special Envoy to Kuwait to negotiate petroleum deals on behalf of the Liberian government. Robert is also still said to be running the affairs of NOCAL behind the scene, making major decisions through proxies. Corruption entrenched than wars years The LGSS reported indicated that corruption is very entrenched in the Liberian society and touches nearly every aspect of daily life in Liberia and that it appears to be more systematic and well organized now than it was during the wars. In some instances, corruption is still every man for himself (or every woman for herself) endeavor, in which individual members of the elite or elite families benefit from corrupt practices without controlling multiple industries and sectors or rolling up the proceeds of corrupt activities in a systematic way. For example, in the land sector, a member of the elite may gain access to insider information and then forge a deed document proving that he or she owns land adjoining a proposed development project. He or she benefits from this one-off transaction and passes the proceeds onto his or her family, stated the report. Other forms of corruption, the report stated involve multiple parties who strategically coordinate their activities over a sustained period, serving as a syndicate. For example, in the payroll sector, some interviewees explained that officials at the MOF, Ministry of Education, and private banks systematically conspire to keep ghost workers on the payroll and split the profits from the arrangements. Through this, the report stated that these schemes are carried out with the direct knowledge of more senior officials in both ministries. There are times when these higher level officials undermine efforts to remove ghost from the payroll, for example, by sending a letter ordering the MOF to add people back onto the payroll after they have been removed and then taking a cut of those salaries stated the LGSS report. Strong executive power The report cited that there exists strong executive power creating the feeling that anything done by President Sirleaf is always final and right, noting that in some instances the President gets involved in the renegotiation of concession agreements. Stated the report The president is very strong, both as an individual and as an institution. Weaknesses in the legislature and court systems, coupled with her stature in the international community, often allow her power to go unchecked. Multiple interviewees told us that she is willing to at under the decisions with little external input

FrontPage COMMENTARY EDITORIAL ADVOCACY ON SALE: A BAD REFLECTION

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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

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Commentary

NOCALS ALASKA KID ARGUMENT FAILS TO HOLD WATER

D. Edwin Clarke, edclarke_79@yahoo.com, Contributing Writer

said groups and individuals and have now made their positions clear on the role of said groups, due to the way they portray themselves on issues of grave concerns. After the civil conflict in Liberia, advocacy decreased considerably without any reference to integrity. Some are attributing the declining wave of advocacy in Liberia to poor state of the economy, where poverty seems to be a bottleneck to national progress, thereby shedding coat of honesty. This argument, in my opinion, cannot hold water because it takes one with emotional fortitude to be an advocate. On our various radio and television stations, names of new groups are formed in a twinkle of an eye to defend public figures that are accused of corruption, forgetting to realize that only the court has the power to set some one free after due process is accorded that person. Though every Liberian should be given the right to freedom of expression, said freedom should be exercised within reasonable bounds. In the absence of accountable and responsible comments, the nation and its people become the victims of irresponsible self-absorbed statements. The unbridled- style of advocacy embedded in the corridor of stupidity and the lack of respect for characters only questions the motive for which one enters the craze. The shadow of darkness hanging over Liberia can also be attributed to Liberians ways of doing things. We have refused at most times to look at the bigger picture for the sake of the nation (Liberia), but instead gaze at the narrow span of issues that satisfy our own interest. The acts of deceit, lies, hypocrisy and cowardice have taken roots in all of our engagements without any slide scruple of the after-math. We, as Liberians, cannot continue to live this way, if we are to build a new Liberia void of acts of bad governance that are gradually eating up the fabric of society. During the days of the So-call Progressives, including the likes of, Samuel Kofi Woods, Frances Johnson- Allison, James Verdier, Augustine Toe, Michael Kpakala Francis, and Aloysius Toe, advocacies in Liberia were well- respected, but now a days, it is the contrary. But the more repulsive part of their advocacies has left no positive legacy that would reference their stringent and indelible footprint. During their days, these activists did not put into proposition a succession corridor that would absorb the space left behind. Their absence shows a very big gap in their style of advocacy. Some of these one-time staunch activists are all serving in the government of Madam President, something I believed, has lulled them to silence, thereby making them to solely rely on the adage that says You cannot bite the hands that feed you. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mr. D. Edwin Clarke is a Liberian Journalist, with emphasis in Broadcast Journalism. He has earned for himself twelve years of practical experience in the field of journalism. Mr. Clarke holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communications and Political Science from the University of Liberia. He holds several certificates in journalism and has worked with a number of media institutions, both print and electronic. Mr. Clarke has written several articles, some of which include : Laziness: an impediment to productivity and progress, What Kind of Justice, The Nightingales principle in the nursing profession, Cronyism, Tribalism & Nepotism: Three evils to Governance, Where Are The Advocates?
WE HAVE NO reason to doubt the potential of young Estrada Bernard but we do feel extremely disappointed that NOCAL has wasted a lot of money on a roundtable discussion that is unlikely to reap anything substantial for Liberia, now or in the future. Both NOCAL and the legislative branch of government have failed the people of Liberia with this roundtable and must remedy the situation before it gets too late. A stitch in time, could save Liberia from a lot of headaches in the future.

FOR LIBERIAS DEMOCRACY

THE NATIONAL OIL COMPANY of Liberia finds itself in a major public relations nightmare over one of the speakers invited at the oil companys six-day roundtable draft petroleum law consultation. ESTRADA J. BERNARD III, a grand nephew of the sitting president, is currently in his last year at South Anchorage High School, where he is an honors student, varsity athlete, and student leader. But many Liberians are puzzled over whether he possess the right experience and knowledge to serve as an expert on petroleum and a draft legislation which will decide Liberias future. WHILE WE take note of the impressive bio presented by NOCAL on the young Bernard suggesting that Mr. Bernard began his study of resource management during Anchorage School District Gifted Mentorship with Malcolm Roberts, founder of Malcolm B. Roberts & Associates, a firm with expensive experience working on issues of natural resource management; that their research has led them to determine ways in which resources around the globe can be managed, and how the idea of The Commons can be applied to societies around the world; that Mr. Bernard authored a paper for the Institute of the North (a public policy forum), entitled: Resource Management in Sub-Saharan Africa: Alaskan Parallels with Liberia, we are still of the conviction that NOCAL was wrong to give him such a platform to contribute to Liberias budding oil sector. FOR ONE THING, the oil company has spent millions of dollars over the past few years sending scores of Liberians to universities around the world to improve their knowledge of the sector. Did NOCAL really need a high school student to tell Liberia how to manage or preserve its budding oil sector. JACQUELINE KHOURY, Director to the Board of NOCAL, sought to dismiss the issue when pressed by reporters last week, by saying NOCAL was making use of the clause of the draft NOCAL law that talks about citizens participation. ACCORDING TO KHOURY Liberia has a Citizens participation clause in that law and that NOCAL is now drying to develop how this clause gives direct benefits to each and every citizen prompting a request to the government of Alaska to provide the experts. In the course of that, I saw young Bernard on the internet. Liberia pays nothing for their expertise; they were all, including the young man, given to us by the state of Alaska to help us with our process. WE ARE TROUBLED by Ms. Khourys sudden disappointment that the media is focusing too much on the family connection of young Bernard when she stated: This is the most important conversation that we will have for the next 15 to 30 years. Lets focus on how we will achieve the maximum benefit of our new law so we can now fund education, health, social welfare, roads, transportation and put fund aside for our people, that is the focus of our conversation thank you. WHAT MS. KHOURY failed to recollect is the nagging controversy regarding the first familys role in the countrys budding oil sector, bolstered by a new sensitive but unclassified report by Liberias stakeholders suggesting that political patronage and family ties is still strong in Liberia with elites having stronger connection in protecting their personal and business affairs and with such ties extending in the employment sector. States the report: Only a small fraction of Liberias relatively small population of 3.7

he dark- days in our budding democracy seem to be viewed by many as the periods intended for the survival of the fittest. Survival of the fittest is an ancient philosophy that tends to shift aconcept whereeach person in a struggle growls for him/ herself, and not the general interest of the organization or the state. This way of life has permeated our political landscape where a key component of the tenets of democracy is being impinged. Advocacy in our country today reminds Liberians of a come and graspstate of affairs where our political leaders are using state resources to sponsor surrogate groups to speak on their behalf whenever they come in conflict with the law. This trend of advocacy is gradually deepening the essence of truth telling and boldness. These Fly by night groups under the awning of advocacy have brought total ignominy to this dignified calling that is undermining our democracy. In today Liberia, those claiming to be advocates are deviating from the real meaning of the vocation and have chosen personal aggrandizement as the hallmark of their venture. Liberia, over the years, has been blighted bymis-use of economic, social and political power, and to ensure a big difference, it is imperative for us as a people to strengthen this democracy through realism and not self-worthiness. But on the contrary, 80% of these organizations are not duly registered and as such initiate techniques by which they forget their responsibilities as advocates and put up a defensive carriage. While carrying out their wagons, they shower praises on individuals and organizations that are abusing and mortifyingpublic offices. These groups, according to gauges, sit on the side and wait for any storm that will glimmer involving government officials or Institutions. Instead of cramming the circumstances at hand, these so-call advocates take their brief cases to the offices of the Perceived indictees with the pretense of defendingtheirunbelted bad deeds. During this initiation, they discuss the fees attached as theytransmit their narcissistic mission. How will a nation develop when those chargedwith the smack to expose and identify these ills are the veryones receiving kickbacks from culpritswho arenibbling the Nations coffers. Instead of looking at the overall good of the society, the grass hoper activists engage the airwaves and newspapers headlines with unnecessary defensive comments, glorifying their godfathers who are bent on bleeding the coffers of the people. As a result of these hard-hazard advocacies, bulk of the citizenry suffers, only because those who claim to be in their interest by charming government have joined the rage by soliciting peanuts. This style of promotion increases the frustration of the people and corrodes moral and social fabric of society. In my view, if a united front is formed with stern determination to sincerely speak with one voice, much can be achieved, but without this method, stakeholders will have the notion that they can fall for anything at any given time through the inducement of few dollars. Instead of dis-abusing the minds of these groups, they at times sponsor them to attach their peers, only because they want to be smugly seated in pursuit of their wishes. Liberia can no longer continue to being a nation that pretends to be on par with other nations in nurturing democracy, when civil society organizations that are to serve as catalysts by check mating government turn out to be otherwise. The issue has become so glaring that Liberians have now recognized the names of
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million operates in the formal political, governance, and economic sphere. As a result, kinship ties among those elites are strong, and everyone knows one another and their personal and business affairs. There is a cultural trend toward hiring people that you know well and not creating a stir when a family member, friend, colleague, or even an acquaintance does something that is clearly wrong or illegal. Likewise, many interviewees told the LGSS Team that the trend in Liberia s to live and let live.

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WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT OUR STORIES ON THE WORLDWIDE WEB

Send your letters and comments to: editor@frontpageafricaonline.com

YOU WRITE; WE PUBLISH; THEY READ!

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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

COMMENTS FROM FPA ONLINE

SPEAKER BOYCOTTS PRESENTATION OF BERNARD AT OIL ROUNDTABLE
JOHN WILLIAMS DAVIDS, PA EASTERN UNIVERSITY, ST. Sweet Liberia, the land of interesting people! First of all, Khoury is quoted as saying "Liberia has a citizen participation clause in that law. This clause is very important and we are now trying to develop how this clause gives direct benefits to each and every citizen so we asked the government of Alaska to give us experts..." In the course of that, I saw young Bernard on the internet. Liberia pays nothing for the expertise; they are all, including the young man, given to us by the state of Alaska to help us with the process." Wow! So one of Alaska's greatest experts in oil management is a high school student. Long live North Dakota and Texas! However, the young man is quoted as saying that although his father may be Liberian, he is an American from Alaska? So where is the citizens participation? Is Alaska a county in Liberia? So who actually identified this expert? Khoury saw young Bernard on the internet and then Alaska give the experts to Liberia? As the Greboes would say " Popo welee ooo" BOKAI PAGII STANFORD UNIVERSITY I have read with great interest the reaction of the Honorable Speaker to yet another ploy by the Ellenites to flaunt their arrogance and disdain to the bulk of the Liberian masses. The passing of their grand children now as experts on guarding the future of Liberia make a mockery of all Liberians. I do not have a problem with people displaying their offspring whom they believe is exceptional, but definitely have a problem with when those offsprings are saddle with state funds to facilitate their grandstanding, while thousands of other Liberian sits on the floor of dirty schools trying to get a little bit of substandard education. The people of Liberia are being taken for a ride and that should stop. Hats of Mr. Speaker for taking such a bold move. SYLVESTER MOSES Responding to a question why a high school student from the US was participating as an expert in the debate, Madam Khoury observed, I am disappointed in you for that is your focus of your question. This is the most important conversation for the next 15 to 30 years. Lets focus on how we will achieve maximum benefit of the law. No, Madam Khoury, the Liberian people are disappointed in you for trivializing by a muddle - headed internet search - the most important conversation for the next fifteen to thirty years of the law regarding a mineral thats reportedly been a blessing and curse in many countries. Our embassy in DC could have identified Liberian experts, if you had asked. But this propensity to kowtow to the bosses isnt peculiar to Liberia, it occurs daily in most African countries. We so overdo ourselves in supposedly pleasing that we sometimes embarrass them, or generate bad press. And occasionally such fanaticism had resulted in fatalities never even wished or thought of by the powerful. JEROME SAKPEIDER MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA I am just wondering: Besides this young man being well connected and a protoge of some husband and wife team, what other credibility, if any, did he establish with respect to his experience and involvement in the Alaskan oil sector? Why do experts have to be relatives? What expertise does the husbandwife team bring to the table? Isn't it an extreme luck to find experts who also happen to be relatives on the internet? While this entire saga seems laughable, it should not be taking lightly. Liberians should be alarmed as this situation appears to be an attempt to avoid hearing the hard truths from real experts and cleverly lay the groundwork for duping Liberians of future oil revenues. The comments expressed here are those of our online readers and bloggers and do no represent the views of FrontPageAfrica

The Editor,

LAW IS NEITHER ARITHMETIC NOR TRAFFIC LIGHTS, THE CODE OF CONDUCT BILL IS CONSISTENT WITH THE SPIRIT OF ARTICLE 77 B OF THE LIBERIAN CONSTITUTION.

the very equal protection doctrine, how or why on earth some would have the effrontery to treat the Code of Conduct Bill or the new CBL Law with contempt or disrespect?: When besides these laws being free from any suspect classifications as race, religion, ethnicity, gender, etc, the both laws, especially or particularly the Code of Conduct Bill is in no way contradictory to the spirit of Article 77 B but is, in fact, a corroboration, similarity, a paralleling ligament, and is indeed, consistent with the spirit of Article 77 B of the Anchor of our national existence...The great Liberian Constitution! Let these Anti-Code of Conduct Bill individuals rescind their positions immediately! Dortu-siboe Doe

Law is neither arithmetic nor traffic lights, the Code of Conduct Bill is consistent with the spirit of Article 77 B of the Liberian Constitution. In detail articulations: Mr. Kullie Kennedy and others must be made to learn that In law, jurisprudence dictates that not every differentiation of treatment will constitute discrimination, if the criteria for such differentiation are reasonable and objective and if the aim is to achieve a purpose which is legitimate as is the case with the new CBL Law and the Code of Conduct Bill!!! Thus, Mr. Kennedy etc. etc. must realize that in the sacred discipline of law, there are two fundamental discriminations..... the permissive and the prohibited. A permissive "discrimination" (not seen as discrimination under the law but in fact morally weighty) is legally allowed, respected, and accepted, for it obtains when its basis (as is the case with the Code of Conduct Bill and the new CBL Law) is reasonable and objective with the aim of achieving a legitimate national or public purpose. A prohibited discrimination (seen as illegal) is not allowed and is in fact unconstitutional and immoral, most especially so when its substantial factor is based on race, ethnicity, religion, etc. etc. Hence, the Speaker did not mispeak. The legislature enacting a law (the Code of Conduct Bill) with such a legitimate public and national purpose is neither contradictory, nor antithetical, to the spirit of Article 77 B as evidently manifested in its (the Code of Conduct Bill) not every differentiation of treatment will constitute discrimination, if the criteria for such differentiation are reasonable and objective and if the aim is to achieve a purpose which is legitimate Again, let the word go forth from this time and place that not every differentiation of treatment will constitute discrimination, if the criteria for such differentiation are reasonable and objective and if the aim is to achieve a purpose which is legitimate! And more so when the substantial factor....a major consideration is not any of such suspect classifications as race, religion, gender, ethnicity, etc. etc. Exampli gratia: Affirmative action, margin of appreciation, etc.etc. Or better still, the recent Grutter v Bollinger case in which the court held that where race was a substantial factor, the policy violated the equal protection clause. However, the Court went on that where it was only one consideration and was not substantial, the consideration of race in the admission decision did not violate the Constitution. Now, with this evidence supra, regarding the legality and constitutionality of such differentiation of treatment, under

To: Her Excellency President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf President, Republic of Liberia

AN OPEN LETTER ON THE INCLUSION OF JUSTICE AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN THE POST -2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

Her Excellency, As you know, the United Nations Secretary General Ban KiMoon Created a High Level Panel to produce an assessment for the post-2015 development agenda. The UNSG appointed the Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyno, British Prime Minister David Cameron and you Madam President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to lead the High level panel Team. The High Level Panel published her report last year. Included in their report were the following recommendations for the post-2015 development framework: human rights, including access to Justice, equal access to opportunity, and sustainable environment. Prison Fellowship and other civil society organizations and individuals; support the work of your government and the High Level panel in your respective efforts to develop goal and targets for realizing prosperity and freedom for every human being on the globe. It is our sincere belief that the next development goals must also include targets that support the principles of Justice and good governance including human rights, social Justice, Transparency and accountability. In particular, PFL ask that access to information, legal identity, right to land and property and legal participation be made concrete in the goals of the post-2015 development framework for Liberia. The Liberian constitution has recognized Justice and governance, including human rights, social Justice, the people participation in decision making process and public accountability. We have the believe that the Liberian government is taking part in the discussions on the new development goals as a member of open working Group at the United Nations. Therefore, PFL as a civil Society organization working in the field of grassroots justice, urge your honorable office and the Liberian parliament to support the inclusion of justice and governance targets in the post -2015 development frameworks. Thanks for your consideration and partnership Prison Fellowship Liberia

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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

n what now appears a tussle between a member of the House of Representatives and the Executive Mansion regarding huge payments purportedly for public relations abroad, the lawmaker in the fray has released more documents in support of his call for investigation of the Executive Mansion for what he termed exploitation indicating that the third branch of Government headed by the president has lied to the Liberian people. Representative Bhofal Chambers (Congress for Democratic Change, Maryland County) Monday unveiled new information to back his claims. Speaking at the launch of an Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) sponsored project being implemented by the Center Against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in Liberia (CAMTEFIL) Monday Representative Chambers provided more documentary evidence in support of his claims. In the document, copy of which is in the possession of Frontpageafrica it is stated that the Executive Branch of Government paid US$ 50,000.00 to BKSH and Associates owned by Charles Ray Black, Jr. located in Washington DC in the year 2006 as fees for Public Relations, US$544,500.42 to Clearly, Gottlieb, Steen and Hamilton located in Washington DC in 2006 for legal/other/ lobby fees and US$ 412,424.52 to Jefferson Waterman in 2007 located in Washington DC as public Relations. The document also shows that KRL International the only company President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf communication

EXECUTIVE MANSION LIED

Government itself should be asking questions and not when people ask questions and raised concerns than a kind of Drum mayors will come out to sound tones of the establishment and insult people, I think that is unfair. Rep. Bhofal Chambers
in the world including the pope of the catholic church, so today people should be rushing to pay our president to do work for Liberia and not the other way around. He also said his decision to raise concerns about the manner in which Liberias resources is being spent is not idiotic and preposterous as claimed by the president in her communication because according to him Liberia is for every Liberian and no one should pretend to be more Liberian than the other. The Maryland lawmaker stressed the need for putting in place systems in Government and promised to always tell government it is wrong whenever things go wrong and to also say things are right whenever they are right. I think it is helpful to tell people they are wrong whenever they go wrong. Sometimes Madam Sirleaf has been right and sometimes not so right. I must say she is not the only person who knows and she is not the only person who exists, Chambers added. Recently the office of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf responded to an allegation by the Maryland County Representative that the Executive spent over two hundred million on foreign public relations, describing it as idiotic, irresponsible and misinformation. The President in a letter to the plenary of the House of Representatives claimed that Liberia could suffer potentially great harm by the allegations made by Representative Bhofal Chambers. The President in her communication to the House plenary last Tuesday said, it is simply preposterous to believe that with a budget under US$ 600 million and under a transparent and accountable financial system government could spend such amount. According to the President in her communication, Liberia Ambassador accredited to the United States of America Mr. Jeremiah Sulunteh, who was at the time in the country to participate in the US Liberian partnership Dialogue confirmed the concern expressed by friends of the Liberian government in the US congress who may believe that a statement made by the legislators has to have been verified.

POLITICS LAWMAKER CHAMBERS RELEASES MORE DOCUMENTS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS SAGA

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to the National Legislature admitted doing business with received US$ 502,018.34 also in Washington DC for public relations, Radelet, Steven Charles another firm in the US State of Washington DC also received US$90,000.00 as lobbying fees while US$ 261,635,941.00 was given to LISCR owned by Yoram Cohen

in Washington DC as lobby / other fees by the Sirleaf led government between the years 2007 to 2012. Representative Chambers said: Government itself should be asking questions and not when people ask questions and raised concerns than a kind of Drum mayors will come out to sound tones of the establishment and

he Chairman of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission says security and intelligence survey conducted on Liberia by International groups has named Liberia as boiling point for several of criminal conducts and as such it requires concerted efforts to safeguard the country from being used for these criminal acts. Cllr. James Verdier named child trafficking, drugs, terrorist financing and money laundering as some of the crimes that are being pointed out as criminal activities taking place in Liberia. Verdier said: These criminal practices have serious consequences on the peace, security and territorial integrity of Liberia. While we look to the government to adapt laws and establish cultures to address these growing criminal activities in Liberia we as citizens and residents of Liberia share equal responsibilities to ensure the protection of our soil, sovereignty, peace and stability. The LACC chairman cautioned Liberians to report to security authorities strange movements of goods, cargos and suspicious financial transactions. Speaking at the official launched of a civil society group under the banner Center Against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in Liberia (CAMTEFIL) he called on other Liberians to support the initiative to disseminate information to the public about the unlawful practices of money laundering. He stressed the need for government to strengthen and capacitate institutions involved with providing awareness about existing laws which according to him will give force and meaning to all of the laws especially financial laws. The LACC welcomes the establishment of CAMTEFIL as a necessary and unavoidable partner in its drive to minimize the occurrence of corruption in public and private institutions by insisting on transparency, accountability and integrity in the administration and operation of entrusted public duties and responsibilities, Cllr. Verdier added. Also speaking at the launching program the country director of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) Ms. Massa Crayton said, in efforts by OSIWA to create an open society the

CRACK DOWN ON MONEY LAUNDERING-CIVIL SOCIETY GROUP LAUNCHED

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insult people, I think that is unfair. The lawmaker continued: we lifted the issue that has to do with lobbying and public relations, lobbying and public relations are two good things but Liberia has a unique case. In Liberia we should be proud that our President has enough fans around the world than anybody

issues of integrity is one of the major threats. She called on Liberians and the national government to make efforts in eliminating the threats of integrity issues before it manifests itself into realistic issues. Ms. Cryton said: Liberia is highlighted as one of the threats in financing terrorist money laundering; our intervention with this grant is to create the awareness in promoting the anti-money laundering law. For his part Mr. Edwin W. Harris, Jr. National Director of CAMTEFIL said, the organization unlike other civil society organizations is limited to Money laundering, anti-terrorism financing and illicit drugs. He also disclosed that the organization has received a grant of one hundred and nine thousand United States dollars from OSIWA to carryout sensitization on the anti money laundering law and will collaborate with the National Legislature Committees on Investment and Banking and Currency in creating awareness about the law. He also named dual currency as a major contributing factor to Money laundering in Liberia because according to him on a daily basis Liberia receive lots of foreign currency through investment

and other activities. Harris said: As we go into the 18 months we will expose and give evidence to the public so that they can be also mindful in contributing to safe guarding our economy. Under the project title and theme: Capacity Building and Sensitization Campaign against Money Laundering, Illicit Drugs and Terrorist Financing in Liberia, CAMTEFIL will use the project to get more citizens, including youth and women, to speak openly against financial and economic crimes and issues of drugs. The project aims to ensure that pressure mounts on government to increase actions against perpetrators of financial and economic crimes as well as reform policies on drug-related issues; sharpen knowledge of appropriate oversight Committees of the legislature on the dangers of money laundering, terrorist financing and drug trafficking to the national economy. Effective legislative oversight and control in fiscal financial management to increase understanding by oversight lawmakers of grey areas covered in concession contracts, increase consciousness of Liberians of the threats posed by the laundering of money, drug trafficking and terrorist financing.

FULL SPEECH OF HON. JULIA DUNCAN-CASSELL, LIBERIAS COMMITTED TO IMPLEMENTING MDGS, MINISTER OF GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT, REPUBLIC LIBERIAS GENDER MINISTER OF LIBERIA AS DELIVERED AT THE 58TH SESSION OF TELLS GLOBAL WOMEN THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN(CSW), NEW YORK, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA MARCH 13, 2014

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Mr .Chair.

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iberias Minister of Gender and Development, Hon. Julia Duncan Cassel has said that the Government of Liberia is committed to ensuring the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and that concrete measures have be taken to improve specific areas which have enabled the Government to remain on track in achieving targets such as Access to universal Primary education, promotion of gender equity among others. Minister Cassel made the remarks at the 58th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women held at the UN Headquarters in New York. She pointed out that Liberia was pleased and note s with appreciation the UN Secretary's General report on the priority Theme" Challenges and the achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and Girls". The Minister said some gains have been made globally but challenges remain which according to he, demand concerted efforts on the part of the global community. On the home front, the Minister said Liberia like many developing countries, is still faced with the challenges of gender -based violence in spite of measures put in place to prevent and respond to those crimes perpetrated against minors who are sexually abused and harassed on a daily basis. She said that the Liberian Government continues to exert efforts towards eradicating poverty, child mortality, improving maternal mortality as well as combating HIV/AIDS and other disease. On Liberia's MDGs 2012 report, the Minister expressed optimism that Liberia remains firmly on target. she noted that the World Bank's Report has set a 66% of Liberian females , age 15 and older as participating in some of form of employment, which according to her is a mark of progress that must be continued. She however, acknowledged that progress being made in the implementation of MDG 5 was in adequate as the country still lacks behind in that area. Speaking further, Minister Cassell emphasized the need for increased women participation in decision making processes and to enhance and build their capacity so that they can contribute more effectively to the socioeconomic development of the country. Minister Cassell told delegates that affirmative action is needed to move forward as nations put across views on many issues before them. She said that Gender equality, empowerment and mainstreaming should be maintained as separate goals within the post 2015 agenda. She noted that cultural practices such as early child marriages, discrimination in places of work, which hinder the advancement of women and girls be abolished.

The delegation of Liberia joins pervious speakers in congratulating you on your election as Chair of the 58th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women(CSW), and pledges its commitment to working with you and the entire bureau to ensuring that a successful outcome is achieved at this session and subsequent session of your tenure as chair. Liberia associates itself with statements made by the Permanent Representative of the Pluri-national State of Bolivia on behalf of G 77 and China, and the Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso on behalf of the African Group. Mr. Chair, Distinguished delegates, Liberia acknowledges and welcomes the Secretary Generals comprehensive report on the Priority Theme of this 58th Session of the CSW: Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls, and alludes to the statement within the report that globally, some gains have been made for women and girls in addressing some Millennium Development Goal targets, such as primary education; however, overall progress on gender equality and womens rights across all the Goals remains slow and uneven. Since 2006, the government of Liberia has put in place several policies, strategies and programs which have enabled the country to be on track to achieving targets such as Access to universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowerment of women, and development of global partnership for development. Achievements: Regarding MDG 2- {achieve Universal Primary Education and its target - Ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling}, with the introduction and implementation of the free primary education policy of 2006, several gains have been made in increasing enrolment for boys and girls throughout Liberia. For example, net enrollment ratio has increased from 33 % in 2007 to 44% in 2011.The boys net enrolment rate increased from 44 % in 2009 to 45% in 2010, while girl net enrolment rate also increased from 40% to 42 %.2008/9- 2010/11. The ratio of girls to boys in primary education increased from 69% in 2001 to 88% in 2011 indicating 19 points increment in a decade. Similarly, the ratio of girls to boys in secondary education increased from 69% to 74% and tertiary education grew from low 38% to 49% from 2001 to 2011 respectively. According to Liberias MDGs 2012 report, MDG3 is a goal that is most likely to be achieved. A World Bank Report has set a 66% of Liberian females, age 15 and older, as participating in some form of employment. In addition, a percentage share of women in wage employment in the non-agriculture sector increased from 11.4% in 2001 to 47% in 2008, indicating 35.6% increment in seven years. The proportion of seats held by women in the national parliament was 11.1% in 2001 and increased to 13.8% after 2005 general and Presidential elections. However, this has decreased to 12% since 2011 elections. Women constitute 40% of the Supreme Court bench, Liberia National Police 17.5%, Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization 30%, Cabinet Ministers 30% among others. Mr. Chair, Distinguished Delegates, Liberia is making some gains toward MDG 5. However, the level of progress made is not adequate to put the country on track towards achieving goal five. Maternal mortality ratio was at 890 in 2008, and has reduced to 770 per 100,000 live births in 2010. Liberia has a young population. Over 55 percent of the countrys population is under twenty years of age. The

government, through the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare has begun initiating youth friendly reproductive health services which include outreach in schools and the larger communities to address the reproductive health needs of adolescents and youths. There is considerable difference with HIV prevalence rate among women (1.8percent) being 1.5 times higher than among men (1.2percent). Strikingly, this gender disparity is more apparent among young people aged 15-24 years wherein the HIV prevalence rate among females is three times greater than that of males (1.3percent vs. 0.4percent), respectively. Violence against women and children still remains a challenge, despite the various mechanisms put in place to prevent and respond to various forms of violence in the Country, more needs to be done. For instance, children between the ages of 4months to 15years are being sexually abused; intimate partner violence is on the increase. According to statistics gathered by the Ministry of Gender and Development, between January to December 2013, a total of 2,159 cases were reported, which included child abuse, domestic violence and rape. Whilst Liberia continues to exert efforts toward addressing the challenges encountered with regards to the following goals such as eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, reducing child mortality, improving maternal mortality, and combating HIV/ AIDS and other diseases, the gap to overcome these challenges between now and 2015 is quite large. Therefore, overcoming these challenges would require the following: Building of supporting institutions and infrastructures; Putting in place the requisite framework, policies and national legislations; and Collective and creative strategies are needed to mobilize resources, generate popular support and political will from all branches of government which are critical to achieving sustainable development. Let me state that H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, as one of the CoChairs of the Eminent Persons of the High Level Panel on Post MDGs 2015 and Chair of the African High Level Panel stands committed to ensuring that Liberia strategizes well to address those gaps identified in the achievement of the MDGs, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals( SDGs). Therefore, We strongly support and call for the following 1. Gender equality and womens empowerment should be maintained as a separate goal within the Post 2015 agenda and gender is mainstreamed in other goals with expanded indicators that cover reduction of sexual and gender based violence, early and child marriages, equitable attainment of learning outcomes and reduction in harmful cultural practices that hinder womens and girls advancement. 2. Put young people at the forefront of development, recognizing the need to adopt rights- and gender equitybased policies and investments that address young peoples, including adolescents, sexual and reproductive health needs and reproductive rights and create opportunities for young people to realize their full potential 3. Including the following measures as part of the sustainable development agenda: addressing the issue of climate change through improved energy efficiency and use of renewable energy; the spread of more sustainable agricultural practices; tackling deforestation and increasing reforestation, and food security. Countries should endorse and adhere to international agreements on climate change, recognizing and taking into account the need to include women and mainstream gender in the climate change adaptation and mitigation policies, national strategies, programs and processes. Thank you all!

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es, there is an apparent, deliberate approach designed to ignore, reject, condemn and decry questioning of existing, announced, proposed, advised or decry public policies an apparent Conspiracy of Silence within Liberian officialdom.

THE CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE HURTS THE NATION AND PEOPLE

and it is an indictment, also, of our reputation, both national and international, as a nation, government and people. There is need, an urgent need, Mr. Minister, for rational action!! 3. Liberias Staggering Macro-Economic Woes tackle Supply-Side Constraints. This is a commentary on the state of the Liberian economy with policy suggestion for corrective planning by a Liberian economist, based on classic, macroeconomic theory on planning/policy analysis. Although we are not persuaded by the conservative theory of Supply-Side economics as championed by the late Ronald Reagan Presidency (of the US), but we are convinced that application of this economic policy approach is inevitable, particularly, in the planning dedicated to production and supply of Liberian goods and services. Supply-Side planning approach will, hopefully, reduce and, eventually, eradicate our excessive demand for and dependence on imported goods and services, with profound, negative impact on our economy terms of trade and declining value of our national currency, the Liberian dollar. Accordingly, we ask, as we have suggested, consistently, in newspaper articles, that the national planners of our economy the Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning and the Central Bank of Liberia take note for corrective action, in unity. This is important for the survival of the nations economy, the nation, government and people. The Troubling, unanswered Questions Apparent, Conspiracy of Silence A. Under In Her Own Words We drew attention to the statement, reportedly made by the Honorable, Senator Clarice Jah, a statement which tends to lend credibility to the widely-published recordings by Ms. Ellen Corkrum and Mr. Melvin Johnson (the pair now under indictment for economic sabotage, but in the USA and for whom extradition has been and is, reportedly, in progress) of alleged corruption not only in high places of our government, including alleged questionable acts by the highest, national security officials, but also raise painful questions allegedly implicating President of the Nation. Ms. Corkrum has, now, expressed willingness to return to Liberian on the condition that her personal safety and security be guaranteed while in the country. This decision presents an excellent opportunity to clear up this tirade with profound, negative impact on the image of our nation, government and people. Therefore, this conditional guarantee should and must be granted to both, Ms. Corkrum and Mr. Johnson. Up to this writing, there is a deadening, Conspiracy of silence!! B. Regarding the US $200m PR Outcry We wrote and published the article (Reckless and Irresponsible, LiMA Boss Reacts . . ., February 10, 2014) under LiMAs Press Conference, as foolows: In his press statement (The New Dawn, July 8, 2013), Honorable, Binyah Kesselly, LiMA CEO, confirmed that at the time of LISCRs FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act) registration in 2000, the nature of services being provided (for which large sums of US dollars were and are being paid) was wrongly characterized as lobbying and was never changed until it was brought to LMAs attention in 2011 (some 11 years later!!). At that time (2011) I instructed my staff and LISCR to approach the US Department of Justice, and have the category corrected, since the services that were being provided were not lobbying in nature . . . the correction were made . . . and the updated FARA Report of December, 2011, clearly reflects this change. From this press statement, it was LiMAs agent, LISCR, that characterized wrongly, as lobbying, the nature or category of services provided since 2000. The First crucial question, then,

PERSPECTIVE

Bai M. Gbala,Sr.

bai_gbala@yahoo.com, Contributing Writer

During a press conference (The New Dawn, March 14, 201), Liberian Government Spokesman, the Honorable Lewis Browne, termed Sensless Outcry the recent questioning of alleged US $200m for public relations by our government. According to the newspaper, The Minister (of Information) argued strongly that it hurts the nation and people . . . that the government was sending out $200m instead of using it here to build latrines, schools and hospitals. Indeed, we could not agree with the Honorable Minister much, much more. For, that which the people demand is not only to explain openly, reasonably, decisively and justify, but also, to clear the air and set the records straight, regarding the critical issues that do injustice to, hurt, and damage the image of our government, people and nation. In this case, it was the President who wrote to the House of Representatives, explaining that PR expenditures were a mere US $368,000, not $200m. The presidential aide or official involved in this process could have provided a line-item attachment to the letter for clarity and credibility. Open Letter to the Minister Our Open Letter to the Minister of Information, dated February 10, 2014, drew the attention of the Minister and, hopefully, his colleagues, thus: In the light of these responsibilities (your and colleagues), we write to invite your (the Ministrys) attention to the critical issues raised by individuals, organizations and the Press, with request for reasonable, timely action. Some of the issues are: 1. In Her own Words, reported by the newspaper (FPA, February 7, 2014), the statement, reportedly made by the Honorable, Senator Clarice Jah, a member of the National Legislature. That statement tends to lend support and credibility and, therefore, validity to the widely-published recordings by Ms. Ellen Corkrum and Mr. Melvin Johnson of alleged corruption not only in high places of our government, including alleged questionable acts by the highest, national security officials, but also raise painful questions allegedly implicating the President. Now in the USA, the pair Ms. Corkrum and Mr. Johnson has become instant celebrities to and by the Liberian Community USA, with numerous, Liberian invitations/requests for press interviews, radio talk shows and online press conferences. Ms. Corkrum, however, has expressed willingness to return to Liberian (The New Dawn, January 31, 2014) on the condition that her personal safety and security are guaranteed while in the country. We believe that this decision presents an excellent opportunity to clear up this tirade with profound, negative impact on the image of our nation, government and people. Therefore, we ask that this guarantee be granted to both, Ms. Corkrum and Mr. Johnson. 2. Selective Justice, a poignant narrative (FPA, February 6, 2014) on fair, equal treatment presented in contrasts, starring the Weeks and the Broplehs. The accompanying photograph, in color, provides reality Mr. Albert Bropleh, in detention, handcuffed, slippers, rumpled shorts/T-shirt, unshaved and bearded; while Madam Angelique Weeks, clean, fashionably-tailored and attired, radiates confidence, success and power. However, these two Liberian professionals are or have been charged, allegedly, with similar illegal acts but one (Mr. Bropleh) is or was placed in the clutches of the law, while only the others (Madam Weeks) bank account is frozen, but continues to enjoy her liberty and freedom of movement with socio-political pomp and pageantry. This is a sad commentary. It is a serious indictment of our professed commitment to fairplay, equal treatment, the absence of discrimination and prejudice, ethnic/tribal or socio-economic;

that remains unanswered and that which the LiMA must answer, among others, is why did this US Company paid, handsomely, for its services as an agent and, perhaps, based in Washington, D.C., failed to correct the nature of services provided for 11 years!!? Moreover . . . the vast majority of the Liberian people are concerned deeply and, in fact, extremely troubled by the many, large payments made by LISCR to several organizations without clear indication of the nature of the services that these organizations performed, since CEO Kesselly claims that no Lobbying or Public Relations has ever taken place. Further, this vast majority of the Liberian people realizes and is aware that foreign relations or diplomacy and, indeed, national economic and political development depend, to a large extent, upon honest, objective Public Relations as the means of efficient/ effective communication of policy goals and strategies to our foreign, friendly supporters/donors. This is a known, accepted and a practiced international convention, characterized by transparency and accountability. The second question that the LiMA CEO must answer is doublebarrelled: why is LISCR paying or made all of those enormous US dollar-payments to the conclave of firms on K Street and others in and around the City of Washington, D. C., USA, without (1), a clear indication of the services performed and (2), why is there an apparent absence of an aggressive public relations program? Among the list of firms to which LISCR had made payments, for Public Relations includes an organization known as AmLib United Minerals, with no known address or contact information. According to the Former Deputy Speaker of the Liberian House of Representatives, of the 52nd Legislature, the Honorable Tokpah Mulbah (Africanstandardnews, July 3, 2013), Amblib Mineral or AmLib United Minerals was operating (in Liberia) criminally and illegally. Amblib does not have a concession agreement. They are operating here illegally and we are calling on the national government to stop their operation . . . We are not the enforcement arm of government. We have told the Justice Ministry and the National Investment Commission that Amblib is a criminal company that is operating in our country. To this company, an outfit known as a minerals company with no known address or contact information, LISCR paid a total of US $181,933.00 in three payments for Public Relations. And finally to recap, the LiMA/LISCR must provide answers to the following questions: 1. Why did LISCR failed to correct the nature of service provided for 11 years, 2000-December, 2011? 2. Nature of Service Provided (a) Why there is not a clear indication of the services provided for which LISCR paid and continues to pay huge sum of money out of the nations ship registry program? (b) Why is there an apparent absence of an aggressive, transparent and accountable PR Program? 3. The AmLib United Minrals (a) Why did LISCR pay US $181,933.00 to this firm for PR, a minerals company, when LiMA/LISCR was not, ever, involved in PR, according to LiMA CEO, Honorable Binyah Kesselly? (b) How was it possible to make the payment without a known address or contact information of AmLib United Minerals and, for what nature of services was this amount paid? In the light of the facts known at this point in time, LiMA must provide credible, satisfactory answers to the questions, and that LiMA/LISCR must recover the US $181,933.00 paid to AmLib United Minerals, including the large sums paid to others for unknown services. Record of all of these payments is available. To any and all of these critical questions, the answers are the deadening, apparent Conspiracy of Silence !!

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DONT ALLOW US RETIRE IN POVERTY

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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

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Monrovia-

JUDGE FROWNS ON LOW RETIREMENT INCENTIVES

Henry Karmo (0886522495)/FPA STAFF WRITER

LIBERIANS IN AUSTRALIA DONATE ASSORTED ITEMS TO STUDENTS

Monrovia tudents of the T-Five Elementary and Junior High School have benefited from the donation of books and other assorted items donated by Liberians residing in Australia. Distributing the items, Mr. Francis David President of the Liberia Association in Australia, said, the gesture is a project initiated in 2010 under the theme Support Education/Health in Liberia. Mr. David said students of the T-Five Academy institute are first beneficiaries of the donation because according to him T-Five Academy institute is among several institutions of learning identified by the group in Australia for assistance. Mr. David also disclosed that the institution was selected in District Five, Montserrado as a result of Representative Thomas Fallahs recent visit to Australia. Our sole mission is to help educate our young Liberian brothers and sisters back home through the support we solicit from our friends in the Diaspora. The Australia-based Liberian averred that his organization solicited assistance from foreign governments, foreign humanitarian organizations and Liberians themselves to make the donation possible. The items, which according to him, is valued at more than a half of a million United States dollars, will be donated to health centers in and around the country including; Catholic and Redemption Hospitals. Mr. David appealed to Liberians to do everything possible to assist young people in the country. It is the sole duty of all of us who are opportune to travel to foreign lands to assist others who are still below the ladder because without education we will go nowhere in our development and peace process, he said. Mr. David also called on Liberians to be transparent in exercising whatever piece of task given them to perform especially those in the private sector. Receiving the items on behalf of the students Representative Thomas Fallah (CDC-District #5 Representative) Thomas Fallah commended the group for the gesture and described it as a breakthrough. Said Fallah: We are blessed today to receive 400 carton of books, sneakers, computers and other sporting items. These items will be placed in the school library and will help students of the district receive first-hand education in computer training.

elivering his charge Monday to mark the formal opening of the March Term of the Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice, presiding Judge Peter W. Gbeneweleh frowned on the low retirement incentives offered judges during retirement. He said this is recipe for judges to be corrupt. With Article 72 (b) of the constitution providing that the Chief Justice and Associate Justices including Judges of subordinate courts of records to retire at age 70, Judge Gbeneweleh indicated that judges should not be allowed to retire in poverty. He stated that a judge is a government paid official and must be paid adequately and that he/she holds an exalted position, which prevents him/ her from engaging in any business pursuit. The Judge must be encouraged and given the incentive to live a decent and dignified life that would prevent financial and domestic worries and enable him to repel temptation which is susceptible to human life, said Gbeneweleh. Gbeneweleh said that a judge should not be given the cause to be corrupted in the performance of his duties so as to be justified for any disciplinary action to be taken against him if found deficient in those qualities. He told the lawyers, prospective jurors and party litigants attending the Civil Law Court opening ceremony that it was

Kennedy L. Yangiankennedylyangian@frontpageafricaonline.com 077296781

regrettable that judges who served the country tirelessly for many years, were retired without adequate retirement package. He said that judges too are entitled to medical treatment abroad like other government officials in the other two branches of government. As judge of the Civil Law Court swamped with land dispute cases, Judge Gbeneweleh called on parties in ejectment proceedings to agree to arbitrate to speedily settle land disputes when there is no fraud raised in the pleadings. He said that the Board of Arbitration which is composed of licensed and qualified surveyors have the technical knowledge and are competent to determine the geographical locations of disputed properties, encroachment if any and that these complex or technical

V
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ice President Joseph N. Boakai said the greatest threat to peace in Liberia is the failure to provide opportunities for young people. Veep Boakai said, the National Technical Vocational Educational Training Policy would serve as the roadmap for achieving governments goal to reduce unemployment. I believe that governments role in achieving this milestone is to create the enabling environment for our young people to get income earning opportunities, Vice President Boakai said. This view is different from the government focusing on creating jobs. Boakai said, TVET will make young people become the creators of jobs through entrepreneurial ventures instead of them [youth] waiting for government to create jobs. He said the TVET policy will focus on bridging all the gaps and the coordination problems by creating a national TVET commission, adding that it will oversee the sector. This TVET Commission will develop a qualifications framework that will make it easy for young people to transition from one level to another, VeepBoakai. The Vice President made three recommendations to the panel

UNEMPLOYMENT THREAT TO PEACE

BY: Al-Varney Rogers-alrogers2008@gmail.com
policy is an important first step. The building of a very robust and responsive TVET sector is a long term investment. Dobraja assured the government of Liberia of the World Banks support in economically empowering young people. The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Friday, held a daylong national technical vocational education and training (TVET) stakeholders forum to validate the draft National TVET Policy, designed a year ago. The draft policy, among other things, seeks the formation of a national commission on TVET that will regulate the TVET sector, standardize a national TVET curriculum, accredit TEVET providers, and put in place a national qualification framework to standardize a TVET certification regime in Liberia. When validated, the National TVET Commission will use labor market information to direct TVET needs of the country. The forum, which takes place at the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Paynesville, will bring together major TVET stakeholders, including the Ministries of Education, Agriculture, the private sector, TVET providers, UNESCO, the World Bank, and FAO.

issues cannot be determined by the jury or the judge. The Civil Law Court Judge continued that the court observes the high cost of arbitration proceedings but called on lawyers executing arbitration stipulations or agreements to ensure that each party should pay his/her surveyor and that both parties jointly pay the Chairman on the Board of Arbitration. Turning over to the prospective jurors Judge Gbeneweleh indicated that their purpose at the court for this term is to perform a civil duty to their country and people. He reminded them thatthey were not chosen for financial gain and their verdicts should be predicated upon the evidence of the law. He however praised the government and the administration of the Judiciary

for the level of improvement made for incentives for judges unlike the past but there is still a need for more to be done in the near future. The President of the Montserrado County Bar Association Sam Cooper in remarks stated that the issue of retirement package should not be restricted to only judges, but all civil servants in the country who reach retirement age. Cllr. Theophilus Gould President of the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA), who also made remarks at the Civil law Court opening, stated that Judges need better retirement package after long years of service. Gould said the current retirement package (not disclosed) now offered by government though low should not give judges the cause to be corrupt.

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deliberating the creation of a National TVET Commission. He noted that the panel should think about vulnerable youth who lack skills, opportunities, and live in disadvantaged locations, particularly those below poverty line. Boakai continued: Please think about our disadvantaged girls and boys, the former child soldiers, the poor urban youths, the rural youth, the disable youth. Please think about how you will give them pre-employment or life skills, entrepreneurial skills, livelihood skills, and career guidance skills that will

make them self -sustaining, he asserted. The Vice President made these assertions during a one-day TVET stakeholders forum to validate the draft National TVET policy. The World Bank Liberia Country Manager Inguna Dobraja said the TVET policy need to create opportunities for all segments of the youths. The draft policy is beginning to bring cohesion in the sector. This will require more than the traditional TVET, Dobraja said. Dobraja continued: Your Excellency, the preparation of the

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"My dad had a vision to raise this country from mat to mattress," she said, evoking one of Tolbert's famous slogans. "That man gave the people economic empowerment so they would not sleep on the floor, but would instead sleep on mattresses." Christine Tolbert Norman, 70, Newly Appointed Mayor of Bentol

TOLBERT IN CHARGE

DAUGHTER OF FORMER PRESIDENT BENTOL NEW MAYOR

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POLITICS

BACK IN PLAY

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Monrovia-

President Reinstates Suspended Defense Officials After Investigation

resident Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has reinstated Mr. Joseph F. Johnson, Deputy Minister for Administration at the ministry of National Defense with immediate effect. In a letter from the President dated March 14, 2014 addressed to Johnson, the President said Johnsons reinstatement comes after he was cleared following an investigation into the situation leading to his suspension. I refer to my letter of December 18, 2013 by which you were suspended pending the conclusion of an investigation, regarding the alleged fraudulent transaction between the Ministry of National Defense and the Don Kan Incorporated, stated President Sirleaf in her letter. I am pleased to inform you that the investigation report cleared you of all charges levied against you. In this regard, you are hereby reinstated to your post as Deputy for Administration with all entitlements, such as remuneration and benefits, which are due you. The President has reportedly also instructed Defense Minister Brownie J. Samukai, to likewise reinstate Defense Ministry Comptroller Nyumah Dorkor. The Defense Minister has complied with the directive of President Sirleaf and reinstated Comptroller Dorkor, and ordered him to report to work effective Tuesday, March 18. The Ministry of National Defense has at the same time welcomed the findings of the investigation panel, which exonerated the two officials based on the lack of evidence. The Ministry has accordingly welcomed Deputy Minister Johnson and Comptroller Dorkor back to their respective duties. Deputy Minister Johnson was suspended in December of last year in connection with a fraudulent transaction with petroleum products involving some officials of the Ministries of National Defense and Finance, and the DonKan Gas Station. The President also then instructed the Minister of National Defense to suspend, with immediate effect, the Ministry's Comptroller, Dorkor. The president at the same time concurred with the suspension of the Comptroller/Accountant General of the Republic of Liberia, Mr. Boom Wilson, a Presidential appointee, pending a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding a transaction with the DonKan Gas Station. These suspensions still remain in effect as there has been no announced conclusion of ongoing investigation.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ENTOL, Liberia (AP) More than 30 years after her father was slain in a bloody coup, the daughter of former Liberia President William Tolbert has been sworn in as the new mayor of Bentol, her family's base and a town that has played an outsized role in the West African nation's political history. At an inauguration event over the weekend, 70-year-old Christine Tolbert Norman promised "speedy development" modeled on the work of her father. "My dad had a vision to raise this country from mat to mattress," she said, evoking one of Tolbert's famous slogans. "That man gave the people economic empowerment so they would not sleep on the floor, but would instead sleep on mattresses." While Norman's family ties evoke memories of a more stable period before autocratic rule in the 1980s and then 14 years of civil conflict that killed more than 250,000 people some said her election provided further evidence of Liberia's continued dependence on the same families who have dominated the country's politics for decades. Bentol, a small town located not far from Liberia's capital, takes its name from two presidents: Stephen Allen Benson, who ran a farm there and was in office in the mid-1800s, and Tolbert, who was born there and took power in 1971. Norman worked for her father as an assistant education minister. She still speaks admiringly of Tolbert's efforts to develop the country, and to bridge the divide between Americo-Liberians, who descended from freed American slaves, and the country's indigenous population. Those efforts were cut short, however, on April 12, 1980, when a 28-year-old military officer name Samuel Doe staged a coup that involved killing Tolbert in the Executive Mansion. The exact circumstances of Tolbert's death have never been confirmed. Some reports indicate he was shot, while another version holds that he was disemboweled in

his bed. Less than two weeks after the coup, Doe's People's Redemption Council ordered that 13 leading officials in Tolbert's government be stripped down to their undergarments, tied to poles and executed on the beach by firing squad. One of the few high-ranking Tolbert officials to survive the purge was current President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Norman escaped the violence, spending eight months under house arrest before fleeing to the United States and then moving to Ivory Coast, where she lived for 18 years. She returned not long before Sirleaf took office in 2006 as the first elected postwar president. Sirleaf, who won re-election 2011, has vowed to cultivate a new generation of political leaders. Doris Myers, who runs a program that encourages Liberian youth to pursue careers in science and technology, criticized Sirleaf's decision to appoint Norman. "They are not creating a generation of young leaders," she said. "If you appoint a 70-year-old person to such a position, where do you leave the young ones who are the future leaders?" Norman, who since returning to Liberia has devoted her time to education projects including a popular private school in Monrovia's Paynesville district, dismissed criticism about her age and said she was focused on the wellbeing of Bentol. She said she would start a project to restore the town's buildings, many that remain damaged from wartime looting. One of the few surviving structures in the town is the Zion Praise Church, where her father served as pastor until his death. Norman said that with time, religion had helped her to forgive her father's killers. "Forgiveness is not an option. It is essential for an individual," she said. "Our family has generally forgiven the people who took my dad's life because it is a command of God."

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

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POSSIBLE KIDNAP AGAIN IF NO HELP

MENTALLY ILL GIRL HAS ANOTHER BABY AFTER LOSING FIRST TO KIDNAPPERS
Massa F. Kannehmasskanneh@yahoo.com or 0886848625

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mentally ill woman who was allegedly raped once by unknown men, and child got stolen by known people has given birth to another child. In August 2013, FrontPageAfrica reported a story about a girl called Mya not her real name who is believed to be mentally ill and was allegedly raped by unknown men and got pregnant for the second time. This time, Mya has given birth to another child and she is frequently seen moving around with the young child. She doesnt care whether the sun is hot or it is pouring rain; Mya takes the seven-month-old baby clenched to her chest everywhere. She moves on street corners begging people to either give her money or food. During the first FPA interaction with her during which time she was still pregnant, it was this same begging Mya did to survive. Now that the baby is born, she said since there is no one to help her and she does not know who her babys father is again, she will continue to beg. People moved Many who have interacted with Mya have expressed frustration over the manner in which young girls that are mentally ill are abandoned in the streets without any care from family members or the government. She only remembers how often unknown men who come in contact with her have raped her. Men can just have me and leave me; I dont even know them but they can be plenty. The first time I got pregnant I dont know my baby pa {babys father} said Mya Both parents are dead According to Mya both her parents are dead and that she currently lives with her grandma who does not have enough to cater to the family, so as the result she has to get in the streets to beg for either food or money. She said it is in that process men take advantage of her and abuse her. And my grandma not get nothing to feed us so I go in the street to beg for money and food, she said. A top official at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare who spoke on anonymity said that mentally ill people who are abandoned in the streets are the responsibility of family members. The official added that the government of Liberia does not have anything in the budget to deal with such a case. Facts and Statistic on mental health in Liberia In Liberia the load is especially heavy for a country that has just emerged from a 14-year-civil-war. A 2008 study conducted by members of the American Medical Association found that 44% of Liberian adults displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet according to the MHP, there are virtually no qualified mental health workers in the country. Furthermore, a 2008 report drafted by the World Health Organization found that there are only 0.06 mental health professionals per 100,000 people in Liberia.

UNCOMMON VISION
Blind Liberian Student Eyeing a Better Future
District, Bong Suakoko County-

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

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MONROVIA

Selma Lomax, selma.lomax@frontpageafricaonline.com

wame Wreh, a seventh grade student of the Keenan Institute in Golls Farm, Suakoko District, said he has begun the second semester of academic 2013/2014 with renewed vigor and a hope of gaining promotion at the end of the academic year. A person who was blessed with that something extra, Wreh is the type of individual others in his Goll farm community allude to in conversations about inspirational behavior or the indomitableness of the human spirit. At age 3, Wreh went from sighted to blind overnight after suffering from measles, according to his parents, which triggered a rare condition known as pseudo tumor. With pseudo tumorwhich literally means false brain tumorthe body leaps to the alert and reacts as though one has a brain tumor. It produces more fluid around the brain than can be absorbed, and this excess of fluid creates a great deal of pressure, according to doctors. In cases such as Wrehs, the pressure squeezes and destroys the optic nerves. Although the condition normally strikes male between 3 and 50 and sometimes does not result in loss of vision or causes loss of vision over an extended time Wreh recounts the story of his loss of sight with no sense of being misfortunes victim. Regardless of my blindness, I believe I can do whatever I want to do in life, says Wreh. Its important that people realize blindness is not impairment its just an inconvenience. Continuing, he added: Ive had several wonderful role models who were blind and were happy, independent people, achieving incredible things and having perfectly normal lives. Ive never felt limited. To say Wreh has never been limited by his physical disability is a significant understatement. In addition to graduating from the Christian Association of the Blind vocation program, Wreh also plays piano for both school and church and serves as Teacher Assistant (TA) in his class, according to class sponsor Alfred Martins. At first I did not realize whatKwame is in the blind community and the impressive level of respect he commands, says Martins. Hes extraordinary and just being around him makes you realize how much more you could do because hes accomplishing things that people with sight wont even try. Wreh told FrontPageAfrica that courage, optimism and an

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Kwame is renowned for playing piano for his school
it work? And he immediately begins to generate solutions. If you can even vaguely imagine what it would be like to taking oral exams among people who tease you, you get some idea of how many obstacles someone whos blind has to overcome to do this. Ive witnessed something really interesting as Ive watched Wreh over three academic years with these very young children, says Smith. The children, after they understand what it means for Wreh to be blind, assume more responsibility for their own behavior, Martin said. They dont let abuse the situation and theyre clearly showing they realize they have a role in how well or badly each day unfolds. They have this strangely adult way of dealing with this difference in Wreh and begin to think about and react to the blindness in a positive way, Martins said. Its a class where students have the freedom to be creative and where music, his passion, is incorporated in everything from history to math lessons. Its a sanctuary where independence and personal responsibility are encouraged and where he serves as facilitator rather than babysitter or drill sergeant. I know that Wreh wants to be a teacher when he grows up, says Steve Keenan, an American friend to Wrehs parent whose house Wreh lived when he went for eye surgery in the United States of America. He added: I think hes going to be a pretty good one. He can do things without seeing, and thats really hard to do. Especially when the kids are not always good. Hes special and very smart and knows all of our voices, even from the other side of the room.

Kwame sits attentively in class

absence of self-pity continue to help him hold onto his childhood dream of becoming a teacher. Whatever I want to do, whether its finding my way through a building or learning to be a teacher, I just have to figure out the how, said Wreh. I have to do things a bit differently, but, in the end, I get it done. Copying notes in class has presented Wreh a series of problems that have tested hiscreativity but also hardened his resolve to succeed. Wreh has a special machine which helps him to copy his notes. Because of his condition he doesnt do Mathematics because it requires signs and he doesnt have the machine for that, Martins told FrontPageAfrica. Wreh, 27, said he has explained to his friends and teachers what it means for him to be blind and stressed the permanence of it. After telling the students and teacher what his life as a blind person is like, he has opened the floor for discussion and questions. If a student wants to know how Wreh chooses an outfit to wear in the morning, he tells them. If a student wants to know how he finds food for breakfast, he tells them. If they want to know what he sees in the darkness of blindness, he tells them. If they want to know if blind people get married (Wreh believed when he is educated and earning morning for himself he can get the best woman he needs), he tells them. Although there are occasions when students have tested and teased him, doing things like raising two fingers in front of his face and asking him how many fingers they were holding up, for the most part the students get it, Wreh told FrontPageAfrica. Hes an incredibly gifted student, says Martins. And he has an uncanny directional sense and awareness of his environment. Martin told FrontPageAfrica that it has been quite hard work, though, to copy notes and being in a class full of children. Its intimidating even for someone who isnt blind, Martin added. Every time a new problem arises, Wreh thinks, okay, so this is the situation as it stands nowwhat am I going to do to make

Monrovia -iberian President Ellen Sirleaf, along with Liberian Minister of Gender and Development Julia Duncan-Cassel, welcome land reform recommendations from Central and West Africa regional organization REFACOF (African Women's Network for Community Management of Forests) and Liberias Foundation for Community Initiatives (FCI). As honored guests at Liberias International Womens Day Celebrations in Monrovia on Saturday, March 8, REFACOF and FCI presented a statement to President Sirleaf urging the President to include clear safeguards and specifics on how womens rights to own, access, use and control land would be recognized and protected in Liberias New Land Law, currently being vetted by Liberias internal vetting committee. In an open statement to participants, REFACOF President Ccile Ndjebet stressed the importance of securing womens rights to land and providing equal protection of these rights to enhancing womens status and accelerating prosperity in Liberia and across Africa. For real political and social change to take place, there are three issues that need to be addressed, we need legislation that protects equal rights for women, mechanisms that provide for political and social equity, and a change in social and cultural perceptions of women, said Ccile Ndjebet. The recommendations presented were the outcomes of the Third Regional Workshop on Gender, Climate Change, Land and Forest Tenures in Africa, co-organized by REFACOF and FCI, with support from the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI). The workshop convened women participants from 16 African countries, and included donors, development partners, and issue experts. During the workshop, participants discussed the insecurity of womens land protection in Liberias current land reform policy. Despite the promise made by President Sirleaf in an interview with Reuters last year, in which she stated, women will have the full right to own their land like anyone else, clear safeguards and specifics on how these rights would be realized in practice have yet to be included. We must remember that action is necessary and we need more than just promises, said Solange Bandiaky-Badji, Africa Program Director for RRI. In Liberia, land conflicts remain the single most explosive issue, which, if not adequately addressed, could undo years of progress. The requested policy provisions not only stand to prevent rollback, but provide a path forward in empowering women and enhancing their representation and participation in all aspects of life, not just in Liberia, but across Central and West Africa. Should REFACOF and FCIs recommendation come to pass, they could propel land equality, and greater gender equality, across the region, in country such as Cameroon, Cote dIvoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Senegal, where land reform processes are just beginning. From woman to woman, a call to action To help demonstrate solidarity and apply pressure on President Sirleaf, REFACOF garnered international support through an online petition that gathered signatures from across the globe, in six continents. As Guest of Honor Julia Duncan-Cassel remarked, the Celebration not only marked a day to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of womens rights but, to further empower Liberian women at home. Secure rights to land are a necessary step in realizing equality. Not only do they enable women to combat poverty, provide food and income for their households, and protect themselves against domestic violence and the contraction of HIV/AIDs, they provide greater opportunities for women to become active participants in political and social processes. Women have to be there to play, and to be in to win. Women need to start with registration for transformation. If women want womens representation, they need to put them there through their vote, said President Sirleaf. Julia Weah, Executive Director of FCI, reiterated the importance of the days events, stating: These are critical moments in history for women in Liberia, a game-changing moment for womens secure ownership rights to land, and we dont want to miss it.

WOMEN FROM ACROSS AFRICA CALL FOR EQUAL PROTECTION TO LAND OWNERSHIP

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BIKERS FURY LEAVES POLICE BOSS VEHICLE DAMAGED

Henry Karmo (0886522495) henrykarmo47@yahoo.com

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

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ANGRY RESIDENTS ATTEMPT STALLING LATRINE CONSTRUCTION IN WEST POINT

esidents of the White Flower community in the densely population of West Point nearly disrupted the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a modern toilet facility in their community on grounds that the area designated for the project was not appropriate. The toilet facility is being constructed just four feet away from several zinc houses, the home of residents in the White Flower Community in WestPoint. The facility is being constructed by the Liberia Wash Consortium which include, Concern Worldwide and Oxfam, and partners Monrovia City Corporation, Association of Evangelicals of Liberia and Liberians united for Rescue Action with funding from the EU Water facility. Residents were in awe that the construction of the latrine ran contrary to the aim of the Liberian Wash consortium which seeks to promote Water, sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), asserting that the group appears to be closing their eyes on the site designated for the project and paying deaf ears to some of the citizens concerns. I am not satisfy ; I get my place here, I get my woman, children here. Building toilet down there as time goes by the place will be polluted, and you know we have children the sickness all involve, chloride can come, in so doing, I am the head here. They supposed to reach me before building the toilet here Gray said in a frustrating mood. Dempster Gray, owner of a zinc structure told FPA that he was not consulted over the construction of toilet facilities in front of his premises which now host ten family members. Dempster says while he believes that the toilet facility is good, the location is unhealthy for the residents well-being and promised not to support the

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building of the project . Mr. Gray expressed shock and disappointment that members of the WASH consortium and the commissioner of West Point Madam Miattta Flower have given their blessings to the toilet project. Mr. Gray said the caretaking of the toilet will not be properly carried out as the facility is being built in front of his house. My brother, take a step away from my house door; it is just one, two, three, four steps from my house, amen. People can reason too, not because we are living on the beach but our health must be a concern to them, he lamented . Mr. Gray argued that he was never informed about the situation but was contacted by some occupants of his house while at his workplace in Bo Waterside, Grand Cape Mount County regarding the construction of the project but to his surprise when he reached his community, the ground breaking program was on. Gray and other residents built their structure on the beach, just several feet away from the Atlantic ocean at the back of the Ducor Palace hotel in the populated community of West Point, Monrovia Mary Weah, a female resident in the area, described the construction project as cruel and a complete disrespect to residents. Even the white people that sitting with them over there, they will not see well right here, then they come and take toilet and build it right here she said as she pointed to the group of people who had gathered to grace the occasion (pointing to the EU boss and Oxfam representative both of whom are foreign nationals). The can build it other areas, there are other big areas in this community, they can build the toilet she noted. According to Weah, the well is being used to provide cooking and bathing water for hundreds of residents in the area and as such building the latrine will pollute the area. The people said we are not even valued. The township commissioner Madam Flowers realizing that the residents were protesting the construction, rushed to engage residents, lashing at them as she warned them to desist from any further protest. You people should be grateful that someone is coming to build toilet in your community, Madam Flowers, in a rather harsh tone, told residents as she ran to the program to give her remarks. Flowers welcomed the construction of the latrines in the White Flower Community in West Point. The latrine will help ease the many difficulties residents are faced with in accessing latrines in the area, according to the Advocacy and Communications Coordinator of the Liberia WASH Consortium Robertetta Rose. Madam Rose said residents in four slum communities in Monrovia are to benefit from increase sanitation coverage and improve hygiene practices and named the slum communities as West Point, New Kru Town, Logan Town and Clara Town respectively. Rose said the project is being carried out by the Liberia WASH Consortium with funding from the European Union (EU) and under the project 200 latrines will be constructed as well as the rehabilitation of 35 communal latrines in institutions and communities, drainage clearage and community-based recycling of solid waste. Rose also disclosed that other components of the project include social mobilization and dissemination of key sanitation and hygiene messages, including the training of WASH Committee and School WASH Clubs.

he Assigned Police Vehicle of Mr. Abraham Kromah deputy Police director for Operation Republic of Liberia was Thursday smashed with stones by some alleged Motor bike riders (phen-phen riders). According to Police spokesman, Sam Collins, the unidentified bikers threw stones at the police deputy boss vehicle during one of his usual enforcement routine of the band placed on bikers by the government of Liberia from plying major streets in Monrovia. He said, while Kromah commonly referred to as 102 was at the 22nd junction in Paynesville trying to enforce the policy, stones and his bodyguards by the bikers who escaped were thrown at him arrest. He also confirmed that two of the bikers allegedly involved in the stone throwing were arrested and are in the custody of the Liberian police been arranged for court. Collins lamented that no amount of intimidation from bikers and individuals in the public will stop the police from carrying out its function. Collins said: The police has a statutory mandate and function to protect lives and property and maintain law and order. The court action against who be guilty will sent a clear message to those who believe that they can take the law into their hands In an interview with some bikers who asked not to be named or photographed, they said, though they were not part of the act at the 22nd junction but expressed how pleased they were to hear what some of their colleagues have done to the police boss. According to them director Kromah is always in the habit of chasing them even if they are not riding in restricted areas. 102 always running behind motor bike riders, at times he chases us until we are wounded and with the wound he still place cuff on our hands and arrest us while we bleed from our wound. So for me they should have killed him to end this nightmare, one biker stated. The Police spoke man also disclosed of an investigation into rape cases of two13 and 12 years old girls by a 28 year old man identify as Cece Gbamu and Malayea cooper. He said, the alleged doers of the rape have been processed and sent to court. Collins also told FrontPage in an interview that the police is investigating a suicide of a suspect in a rape case age 42 identified as Matthew Stanphur who has been on trial for raping a 13 year old girl. He said the incident occurred Wednesday night and was discovered Thursday morning at the Soul Clinic deport in Paynesville. Stanphur according to Collins was been arraigned for court already for his act but committed the suicide the night before his appearance in court. We are seriously fighting rape and we will do everything possible to curtail rape but to do that we need the contribution of every stakeholder including the media, he added.

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REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

VEGA Liberia DCA Program Statement of Work: IBEX Enterprise Development Specialist Position: IBEX Enterprise Development Specialist Program: Liberia Investing for Business Expansion (IBEX) Program Location: Monrovia, Liberia Duration: 2.5 years Target Start Date: April 2014

Secure Risk Bldg., 4 Floor Broad & Lynch streets Monrovia, Liberia.

GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION BASIC EDUCATION PROJECT (GPEBEP)

IDA GRANT ID: 097456 PROJECT ID: P117662 NATIONAL COMPETITIVE BIDDING IFB NO.:MOE/GPEP/CW/NCB/33-36

CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS

1. The Government of the Republic of Liberia has received grant from the World Bank toward the cost of the Second Phase of the Global Partnership for Education Project (GPEBEP) School Construction Program. 2. Global Partnership for Education Basic Education Project (GPEBEP), a Unit of the Ministry of Education, acting on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Liberia, now invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for theConstruction of four (4) Bidders may bid for more than one Lot but a successful bidder can onlybe awarded more than one (1) LOT only upon demonstration of adequate capacity to execute concurrently both in nature and value. The criterion for qualification is aggregate minimum requirement for respective lots.

Lot No.

Description of Project

Package No. MOE/GPEP/CW/NCB/33/14

Bid Security Bid Securing Declaration Bid Securing Declaration Bid Securing Declaration Bid Securing Declaration

Construction of Pennokon

Elementary School (BES) in Putu District, Grand Geddeh County Construction of Kaffeh Elementary MOE/GPEP/CW/NCB/34/14 School (BES) in Barrobo (Nyanken), Maryland County Construction of Welso Elem. & Jr. MOE/GPEP/CW/NCB/35/14 High School (BES) in Sasstown District, Grand Kru County Construction of Draoh Public MOE/GPEP/CW/NCB/36/14 School (BES), Central Kpanyan District, Sinoe County

Construction period 10 months from date of effectiveness of contract

IESC the International Executive Service Corps is a US based not-for-profit with a focus on supporting private enterprise in developing countries. We have worked in partnership with local people in 130 countries - mainly with the generous support of USAID - designing, implementing, managing and evaluating a wide range of market driven solutions along the entire value chain of a company or industry. We are proud that we have helped create more than one million jobs throughout the world, leaving behind a legacy of increased economic stability and skills, burgeoning private businesses, and strengthened public and private institutions where they are needed most. In Liberia, IESC implements the Investing for Business Expansion (IBEX) program. This four-year program is funded by USAID through a Leader with Associate Award under the Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA). The program works with commercial banks and SMEs to facilitate increased access to commercial finance. Under this program, IBEX is seeking an Enterprise Development Specialist (EDS). This is a ful l -time position based in Monrovia and anticipated to last through the end of 2016. Under the supervision of the Chief of Party (COP), the Enterprise Development Specialist will work with organizations and enterprises from five new sectors, infrastructure, construction, general merchandise/Trade, transportation, and hospitality chains. The EDS will conduct outreach to educate small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on the role of credit in growing businesses and cultivate a pipeline of SMEs that would benefit from debt financing. Working with these SMEs, the EDS will provide counseling and technical assistance to improve their credit readiness and develop their loan application and supporting documentation. The Enterprise Development Specialist will be responsible for keeping accurate records of their activities and reporting them to the programs Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist. The EDS will also follow up with IBEX clients through periodic visits to their business to assess progress and identify potential impediments. Qualifications Fluency in English; At least five years of professional work experience in one or more of the following sectors: infrastructure, construction, general merchandise, transportation, and th hospitality chains; Secure Risk Bldg., 4 Floor Broad & Lynch streets Monrovia, Liberia. At least two years of business management experience;
International Service Corps 1900 m M Street NW Ste 500 Washington, DC 20036 202.589.2600 Executive University degree in business anagement, accounting, finance or related field; iesc.org Previous experience conducting training or capacity building;

How to Apply: Please submit a detailed resume and a brief message summarizing your interest and qualifications to IBEXCOP@gmail.com or jobs@iesc.org with IBEX Enterprise Development Specialist in the subject line. Only finalists will be contacted. No phone calls please. IESC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Strong organizational, writing and communications skills; Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs; Ability to work as part of a team, to prioritize work, and handle multiple tasks under tight deadlines; Ability to travel throughout Liberia; Prior experience working on a donor-funded development programsespecially USAIDwould be a plus.

Secure Risk Bldg., 4 Floor Broad & Lynch streets Monrovia, Liberia.

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3. Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) procedures specified in the World Banks Guidelines: Procurement under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits (dated May 2004 revised October 1, 2006 and May 1, 2010), and is open to all bidders from Eligible Source Countries as defined in the Guidelines. 4. Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from the Offices of the Global Partnership for Education Basic Education Project (GPEBEP), Ministry of Education at the address below from 09:00 17:00 hours GMT each working day. 5. Qualifications requirements include: i. For Basic Education Schools Experience as prime contractor in the construction of at least three works of similarvalue, nature and complexity in the last five years; Average annual turnover amount of construction works performed during the last five years of at least US $250,000.00. Evidence of access to Financial Resources of at least US$ 100,000.00. Detailed qualification requirements are stipulated in the bidding document. A margin of preference for eligible national contractors/joint ventures shall not be applied. 6. A complete set of Bidding Documents in English may be obtained by interested bidders on the submission of a written application to the address below indicating the lot number and name. The Bidding Documents will be collected from the address below. 7. Bids must be delivered to the address below at or before Monday, March 31, 2014at the 3rd Street Office Ground Floor at10:00 am. Electronic bidding shall notbe permitted. Late bids will be rejected. Bids will be opened physically in the presence of the bidders representatives who choose to attend in person at the address below on March 31, 2014 in the main Conference Room L.30, 2nd Floor, Ministry of Education, 3rd Street, Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia at 10:00GMT. 8. A pre-bid will be held on Monday, March 24, 2014 in the Conference Room of the Ministry of Education on the Room L.30, 2nd Floor, 3rd Street, Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia at 10:00 GMT. All bidders are invited to attend. 9. All bids shall be accompanied by a Bid Securing Declaration in the form provided in Section III of the Bidding Document 10. The addresses referred to above are: For submission of application and clarification purposes only: Attention: Mr. David Woods Baysah Project Coordinator Ministry of Education/Global Partnership for Education Basic Education Project Ministry of Education Building (Ground Floor Room No 020 (GPE Project Office.) 3rd Street Sinkor Tubman Boulevard Monrovia, Liberia ZIP Code: 10-1000 Telephone: 231777550234 Email:baysah.fti.cf.moe@gmail.com For Bid Submission purposes: Attention: Mr. David Woods Baysah, Project Coordinator, Global Partnership for Education, Basic Education Project Ministry of Education, (Ground Floor Room No. 020 (GPE Project Office) 3rd Street Sinkor, 1000 Monrovia 10, Liberia.

IBEX Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Liberia Investing for Business Expansion (IBEX) Program Monrovia, Liberia 2.5 years April 2014 IESC the International Executive Service Corps is a US based not-for-profit with a focus on supporting private enterprise in developing countries. We have worked in partnership with local people in 130 countries - mainly with the generous support of USAID - designing, implementing, managing and evaluating a wide range f market riven solutions along DC the entire value chain of International Executive Service Corps 1900 Mo Street NW d Ste 500 Washington, 20036 202.589.2600 iesc.org a company or industry. We are proud that w e have helped create more than one million jobs throughout the world, leaving behind a legacy of increased economic stability and skills, burgeoning private businesses, and strengthened public and private institutions where they are needed most. The International Executive Service Corps (IESC) is seeking a Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist for its Liberia Investing for Business Expansion (IBEX) program. IBEX facilitates access to credit among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Liberia through conducting outreach and providing technical assistance to banks and SMEs. This is a full-time position expected to last until April 2016. Duties and Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the IBEX Chief of Party (COP), the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist will be responsible for ensuring accurate collection and timely reporting on IESCs IBEX program activities and results. The M&E Specialist will take the lead on all aspects of program monitoring and evaluation. Specific duties will include: Executing the revision of results framework, performance management plan, and performance indicator reference sheets (PIRS) for the USAID-IBEX Project in concert with IESC HQ and Liberia Monitoring and Evaluation Program (L-MEP); Strengthening and developing monitoring and evaluation tools and processes, incorporating feedback from data quality assessment results; Providing training and technical support to program staff regarding sound M&E procedures; Ensuring the chief of party and project staff understand their roles and responsibilities for project monitoring and evaluation including data collection and data analysis; Developing procedures that seamlessly integrate M&E efforts into regular management and technical activities Contributing to the development of program deliverables, including annual workplans and quarterly reports;
Entering quarterly program data into Performance Indicators Database System (PIDS); Ensuring reliability and accuracy of programmatic data; and Overseeing the identification and dissemination of lessons learned and best practices.

Position: Program: Location: Duration: Target Start Date:

VEGA Liberia DCA Program Statement of Work: IBEX Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Liberia

Qualifications: Fluency in English; International Service Corps 1900 M Street NW Ste 500 Washington, DC 20036 202.589.2600 Executive University degree, preferably with a focus on economics, international development, statistics, or social science research methods; iesc.org At least five years of experience working on donor-funded development programs; At least three years of prior experience performing monitoring and evaluation for USAID-funded programs; Strong organizational, writing and communications skills; Strong writing, quantitative, analytical, and research skills; Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs; Ability to work as part of a team, to prioritize work, and handle multiple tasks under tight deadlines; Ability to travel throughout Liberia; Working knowledge of geographic information systems would be an asset; Previous experience with Environmental Mitigation & Management Plans (EMMPs) would be a plus. To Apply: Please forward a letter of interest and current resume to IBEXCOP@gmail.com or jobs@iesc.org, with M&E Specialist in the subject line.

Page 12 | Frontpage

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Frontpage

Page 13

Invitation for Bids

REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA INTEGRATED PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT REFORM PROJECT (IPFMRP) Credit No.: IDA50260 Contract Title: SUPPLY OF FURNITURE Reference No.: IPFMRP/NCB/8
1. . The Republic of Liberia has received Financing from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the International Development Association (IDA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) toward the cost of an Integrated Public Financial Management Reform Project (IPFMRP), and and intends to apply part of the proceeds toward payments under the contract for Supply of Furniture. 1. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) now invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for Supply of Assorted Furniture.

LOT No.

DESCRIPTION

QUANTITY

LOCATION

DELIVERY PERIOD from contract signature

1 2 3

Workstations Conference Room Furniture Office Desks and Chairs

Various Various Various

Liberia Revenue 10 weeks Authority Headquarters, Monrovia, Liberia

2. Bidding will be conducted through the International Competitive Bidding procedures as specified in the World Banks Guidelines: Procurement of Goods, Works and Non-Consulting Services under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers January 2011 (Procurement Guidelines), and is open to all eligible bidders as defined in the Procurement Guidelines. In addition, please refer to paragraphs 1.6 and 1.7 setting forth the World Banks policy on conflict of interest. 3. Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from the Ministry of Finance, bjappah@liftliberia.gov.lr and inspect the bidding documents during office hours i.e. 0900 to 1700 hours at the address given below. 4. A complete set of bidding documents in English may be purchased by interested eligible bidders upon the submission of a written application to the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee of US$100.00. The method of payment will be bankers draft. Banking details will be provided upon request. The Bidding Documents will be provided in hard copy. 7. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 11.00 hours GMT on March 26, 2014. Electronic bidding will not be permitted. Late bids will be rejected. Bids will be publicly opened in the presence of the bidders designated representatives and anyone who choose to attend at the address below at 11.00 hours GMT on March 26, 2014. 8. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid-Securing Declaration. 9. The addresses referred to above are: For Bid Opening: For obtaining Information and Bid Submission: The PFM Reforms Coordinator IPFMR Project, 4th Floor Conference Room I PFMR Project, 4th Floor Ministry of Finance Ministry of Finance Broad and Mechlin Streets Broad and Mechlin Streets Monrovia, Liberia. Monrovia, Liberia Tel: +231-886512462

Page 14 | Frontpage

IN BRIEF MALAWI POLICE, ACTIVIST KILLED AFTER PRESIDENT'S RALLY

Blantyre (Malawi) (AFP) Malawi police said on Monday an officer was axed to death and one person shot dead in clashes with stone-throwing opposition activists after a weekend rally by President Joyce Banda. Police spokeswoman Rhoda Manjolo told AFP police had to fire in "self defence" after a hostile crowd attacked the officer. One demonstrator was shot and killed. The policeman was declared dead on arrival at a hospital in Blantyre. The clashes occurred shortly after a rally by Banda at Goliyati village, east of the capital in Thyolo, a stronghold of her rival Peter Mutharika of the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Malawi heads to the polls on May 20. Opposition supporters earlier attacked rally goers with stones, according to presidential spokesman Steven Nhlane. Stones came within 100 metres (yards) of the podium where Banda and senior party officials were sitting, causing "quite a security scare," said Nhlane. The rally proceeded after police fired tear gas to disperse the hostile crowd, and the president left safely under heavy police escort. "But things worsened after the rally ended as the mob continued to throw stones at the crowd, forcing police to fire tear gas to control the situation," Nhlane said.

The plane's transponder -- which relays the plane's location -- was switched off just two minutes after he spoke, and a few minutes later the aircraft turned back on its flight path. Yahya said it was not clear precisely when the ACARS system, which sends a signal every 30 minutes, was disabled. Officials had previously maintained it was manually turned off before the final cockpit message. The Malaysian authorities have stressed that the backgrounds of all the passengers and crew were being checked, as well as engineers who may have worked on the plane before take-off. But Michael McCaul, chair of the US House Homeland Security Committee, said US intelligence briefings had seemed to lead "towards the cockpit, with the pilot himself, and co-pilot". The plane went missing early on March 8 with 239 passengers and crew aboard, spawning a massive international search across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean that has turned up no trace of wreckage. China's damning assessments of Malaysia's crisis management continued Monday. Premier Li Keqiang in a phone call asked his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak to provide more detailed data and information about the missing flight "in a timely, accurate and comprehensive manner", state news agency Xinhua reported. The state-controlled China Daily said the "contradictory and piecemeal information Malaysia Airlines and its government have provided has made search efforts difficult and the entire incident even more mysterious". Relatives of the Chinese passengers also voiced anger

PAGE RONT

WORLD NEWS

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Last words from missing Malaysian jet spoken by co-pilot

and frustration after a meeting with airline officials in Beijing. "Only the Malaysia government knows the truth. They've been talking nonsense since the beginning," said Wen Wancheng, whose son was on Flight 370. At Monday's press briefing, Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein reacted angrily when a foreign journalist suggested Malaysia should apologise for its handling of the crisis. "I think it is very irresponsible of you to say that," he shot back. Twenty-six countries are now involved in searching for the jet after satellite and military radar data projected two dauntingly large corridors the plane might have flown through. The northern corridor stretches in an arc over south and central Asia, while the other swoops deep into the southern Indian Ocean towards Australia. Satellite and radar data from countries in the northern corridor should allow investigators to confirm within "two or three days" whether it crashed in that area, a foreign member of the investigative team told AFP. Malaysia announced that it was deploying its navy and air force to the southern corridor, where Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said his country would take the lead in searching a vast area off its west coast. Three officials from France's civil aviation accident investigation agency arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Monday to share their experiences of the search for Air France Flight 447, which crashed in the Atlantic Ocean in 2009.

'CONTRADICTORY INFORMATION'

MICK JAGGERS GIRLFRIEND FOUND DEAD

L'Wren Scott was found dead on Monday in her New York City apartment. The fashion designer, who has been dating Mick Jagger since 2001, was found hanged to death. She was 49. According to authorities, the body of L'Wren Scott was discovered hanging from a scarf on a doorknob by her assistant around 10 a.m. in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Preliminary reports suggest a suicide and foul play is not suspected; however, the medical examiner will determine a cause of death. Police sources tell the New York Daily News that Scott texted her assistant around 8:30 a.m. asking her to come over.

scar Pistorius once went into "code red and combat mode" when he mistook noise from his washing machine as an intruder, a gun expert who had done business with Pistorius told the Blade Runner's murder trial today. Sean Patrick Rens, a firearms service provider who facilitates gun purchases, told the court he had sold several weapons to Pistorius. Rens testified about a moment in 2012 when Pistorius came home and went into "code red and combat mode" because he heard a noise that he feared was an intruder. Pistorius later tweeted, "Nothing like getting home to hear the washing

OSCAR PISTORIUS WENT INTO 'COMBAT MODE' OVER WASHING MACHINE NOISE
machine on and thinking it's an intruder to go into full combat recon mode into the pantry!" Pistorius, 27, is accused of shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through his locked bathroom door on Feb. 14, 2013. The paralympian has claimed that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder. Pistorius paused on his way into court today for the third week of his murder trial to nod hello at June Steenkamp, the mother of his former girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp and a rare visitor to the trial. June Steenkamp nodded back at Pistorius. After Pistorius took his seat in court, Pistorius sister Aimiee went to June Steenkamp, kneeling in front of her as the two chatted for several minutes.

Oscar Pistorius Trial in Photos But June Steenkamp had to leave the courtroom at one point when photos were displayed of Pistorius with Reeva's blood on his shorts and smeared on his body. The mother later returned to court. A police photographer also described blood splatters above the bed where Steenkamp slept on the

night she was shot, but how they got there and their significance was not explained. The court heard today about Pistorius' love affair with guns and that in the months before he shot Steenkamp he had ordered seven more weapons, Rens testified. He told the court that Pistorius expressed a great love and enthusiasm for guns. The gun order included

a Smith and Wesson 500 revolver, a Smith and Wesson .38 special, a rifle or carbine vector LM6, a Winchester shotgun, a Mossberg Maverick shotgun, a Mossberg semiautomatic self-loading shotgun, and another selfloading rifle. Pistorius received the Smith and Wesson 500, but the rest of the gun order was cancelled a month after the Feb. 14 shooting, Rens said. Pistorius was aware of gun safety and had passed a firearms safety test, Rens told the court. Rens read from a written firearms test he administered to Pistorius, demonstrating that Pistorius understood the safety requirements associated with operating a firearm, and when it may and may not be acceptable

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

THE RETURN
CHELSEA V. GALATASARY
Very special moment to return to Chelsea, says Drogba

Sports

Frontpage

Page 15

SPORT BRIEF
INJURY ENDS FORMER LAKERS STAR ODOM'S EUROPEAN STINT

WENGER PREDICTS TIGHT END TO TITLE RACE

Madrid (AFP) wo-time NBA champion Lamar Odom's foray into European basketball has been cut short due to a back injury, his Spanish club said Sunday. Laboral Kutxa Baskonia said Odom's personal doctors in New York have ruled him unfit to play for two months, meaning "his present contract with the club has finished". "The club hopes that the recovery process will go well and leaves open the possibility of resuming a future commitment to the player depending on the evolution of his injury," the statement added. Odom joined the Spanish side last month on a two-month deal with an option to extend it for the remainder of the season.

alatasaray striker Didier Drogba has warned Chelsea not to expect any favours when he makes an emotional return to his old club for a decisive Champions League last 16 clash on Tuesday. Jose Mourinhos side are reeling after a tempestuous 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday ended their 14-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and cast doubt about their ability to cope with the pressure of the title race. The Blues imploded in spectacular fashion as Willian and Ramires were sent off, while Mourinho got his marching orders from referee Chris Foy after stepping onto the pitch to protest during the row that followed Ramiress dismissal. The FA will examine Foys match report before deciding whether to charge Mourinho, but there was no escaping the sense that Chelsea need to quickly recover their equilibrium to stop a promising season going up in smoke. Mourinhos men remain four points clear at the top of the table, but they have less margin for error in Champions League, where a win or high-scoring draw for Galatasaray in Tuesdays second leg at Stamford Bridge would send the Turks into the quarter-finals following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Istanbul last month. In the circumstances, it will be something of a bittersweet reunion with Drogba, who is certain to be greeted as a returning hero by Chelsea fans before the match but could end up shattering their European dreams by the end of the night. Drogba, who remains close to Mourinho and is reportedly considering an offer to return to Chelsea as a striker coach next season, won every major prize during a glorious eight-year stay in west London. He was the hero of the clubs 2012 Champions League final victory against Bayern Munich, scoring a late equaliser and then netting the winning penalty in the shoot-out to seal Chelseas first ever European Cup. On the eve of his first appearance at the Bridge since his departure immediately

after that unforgettable night in Munich, Drogba admitted he is nervous about how he will react to being the centre of attention. First of all I was happy to play against my ex-club, against my friends. But at the same time it is a very special moment because I do not know what my reaction will be, Drogba told Uefa.com. You know that I spent eight years at Chelsea, so I really dont know, I am quite apprehensive about it. Its the club where I experienced everything. It allowed me to get closer to the best players in the world. Drogba makes no attempt to hide his love for Chelsea, but he would relish another run to the latter stages of the competition, even if it comes at the expense of his old friends. I hope that Galatasaray qualify. It will be difficult, but I think that regarding the welcome, I think Im allowed to say that I will receive a warm welcome, because I know Chelseas fans and our relationship is really special, Drogba said. It will be great to see them again, I am looking forward to it. There was one piece of good news for Mourinho after the Villa match as it emerged that Samuel Etoo is expected to be fit for the Galatasaray tie. Etoo sat out the Villa game, but Fernando Torres gave a lacklustre performance in his place and Mourinho is likely to throw the Cameroon striker back into the fray. Despite Saturdays troubling defeat, Chelsea are still firm favourites to advance to the last eight in Europe, which would be a welcome tonic for Mourinho, who has never hidden his dislike for Galatasaray coach Roberto Mancini. In Istanbul we saw each other and only said hello. We certainly arent friends, Mancini was quoted as telling Italian newspaper La Repubblica. I dont think Mourinho wants to have friends, or maybe thats just the way he likes to appear.

rsene Wenger believes Arsenal made the title race very interesting by defeating Tottenham on Sunday. An early goal from Tomas Rosicky gave the Gunners a narrow 1-0 win at White Hart Lane and kept them level on points with secondplaced Liverpool, who thumped Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford. The results mean the two sides sit four points behind the Blues with a game in hand each while Manchester City lurk in fourth with three games in hand on the leaders and Wenger is sure the race for the trophy will go to the wire. "We wanted to get back in the race and the defeat of Chelsea, the win of Liverpool and of Man City away makes the final sprint very interesting, he told Arsenal's official website. "It put us back in a good position.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Even before meeting with him, Knicks players like Phil Jackson's hiring to run their franchise. ''I'm a chess player, so that was a power move right there,''Carmelo Anthony said. ''So now we're going to see what's the next move. But that was a great power move.''

KNICKS PLAYERS EAGER TO SEE WHAT JACKSON CAN DO

FrontPage
www.frontpageafricaonline.com
VOL 8 NO.553

TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014

Sports

PRICE L$40

CHELSEA V. GALATASARY
Very special moment to return to Chelsea, says Drogba

THE RETURN

International Press Freedom Delegation in Liberia for one-day stakeholders meeting to draft legislation to end expression of abuse of freedom of expression.

DECRIMINALIZING LIBERIAS LIBEL LAWS

FrontPage

Spot News

Monrovia delegation from the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers and the Media Foundation for West Africa on Monday visited the offices of FrontPageAfrica in Congotown ahead of a one-day stakeholders meeting to draft a new legislation to end expression of abuse of freedom of expression in Liberia. Both organizations were among scores of advocates who pressed for the release of FrontPageAfrica Publisher Rodney Sieh from incarceration from the Monrovia Central Prison last year. In August 2013, Sieh was imprisoned after he was unable to pay $1.5 million in libel damages awarded to former Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Chris Toe. Toe sued for libel in 2010 demanding US$2 million in damages after a series of publications reported that he had allegedly embezzled millions of dollars from public funds. The World Association of Newspapers issued a statement on the paper's behalf, stating that while it had no opinion on the merits of the case itself, the amount sought was clearly punitive. Today, the world Association of Newspapers, the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism and the Center for Media Studies and Peace Building are combining to host a one day stakeholders meeting. The delegation is led by Alison Meston, Di-

rector, Press Freedom at the World and Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa(MFWA). Malcolm Joseph is the executive director of CEMESCP says the one-day stakeholders meeting on the draft law to decriminalized libel and the violation of freedom of expression will take place at the Corina Hotel with Information Minister Lewis Brown delivering the keynote presentation. Presentations will also be made by Taiwan Gongloe, Inquire newspaper publisher Philip Wesseh, Alison Meston and Jallah Barbue. The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, or WAN-IFRA, is the global organization of the worlds press, representing more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries. The organization was created by the July 2009 merger of the World Association of Newspapers and IFRA, the research and service organization for the news publishing industry. The two organizations have a 110-year history between them as the global representatives of the worlds press. The Media Foundation for West Africa promotes, defend, protect, consolidate and expand the fundamental freedom of expression of all persons particularly the media, communication professionals, organizations and human rights defenders in West Africa