Crime Watch

TOP
pg 7
STORIES

Politics

pg 12

BUHARIS
TENACITY

MYSTERIOUS

DEATH

CENTRAL BANK OF LIBERIA

MARKET BUYING AND SELLING RATES
LIBERIAN DOLLARS PER US DOLLAR

LIBERTY PARTY CONGRATULATES

Nigerian PRESIDENT -ELECT

Woman Murdered with missing body

parts; But Buried Without Autopsy

BUYING

FrontPage
www.frontpageafricaonline.com

L$84.00/US$1

L$85.00/US$1

MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015

L$84.00/US$1

L$85.00/US$1

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015

L$84.00/US$1

L$85.00/US$1

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2015

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

PRICE L$40

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

VOL 9 NO.60

SELLING

PROTESTING
FOR RIGHTS
TENSION MARS CONSTITUTION REVIEW PROCESS

The action to ask us to vote for a process on whether Liberia should become a Christian nation is a mirage
and an attempt to dampen the future of Liberia. We cant engage in a process that will spell doom for
Liberias future political process. - Mulbah Morlu of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC)

LICENSE
TO KILL?

MEN IN LIBERIA RAPING WOMEN

AMID IMPUNITY REIGNS

p 8 & 9

STANDING
ALONE

SENATOR CHIE FACES TRIAL ON MULTIPLE

CHARGES WITHOUT UREY, DUNBAR

pg -6

News Extra - pg.5

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Page 2 | Frontpage

Monroviaigeria is Africas most populous nation, the

continents largest economy and it is known as the
political God Father of the West African region.
West African countries hold Nigeria in high esteem
as the powerful West African nation plays a major role in the
region-providing support in terms of economic, military and
others for struggling countries including Liberia, Sierra Leone,
Mali and others.
All eyes have been on the 2015 general and state elections
in Nigeria, an election considered significant for two major
reasons including a race to oust an incumbent from power
marking the end of rule by a single political party for over
25 years and also what was believed to be the final push for
presidency by one of the candidates, former Army General
Muhammadu Buhari who was contesting the highest office for
the fourth time.
General Buhari has contested the presidency on three
occasions and it was predicted that at the age of 72, losing in
the 2015 election could see the former general reaching the
age of 77 by the time of the next polling in 2020 meaning it
was his last attempt to be democratically elected President of
Nigeria.
Thus the 2015 Nigerian election was looking toward two
outcomes for the former general -winning the election
or eventually retiring from politics after numerous failed
attempts.
The process was also a tuning moment in the history of
Nigerian politics, where the PDP of the incumbent Goodluck
Jonathan which has been ruling the country since military rule
in 1999 was endeavoring to hold onto power.
Buhari offers regional hope

Although the Nigerian election is a little different from Liberia

in terms of numbers with Nigeria having over 30 million
voters as opposed to Liberia which normally see less than
two million registered voters out of its overall population of
close to four million but the two countries share some political
variables in common.
Several Liberian candidates will have their campaigns boosted
by the election of an opposition president and not only that
but also a candidate who is winning after three failed attempts,
similar to a number of Liberian politicians.
Liberia heads to election in little under two years and the
country has been watching the Nigerian election eagerly
based on the similarities the two countries share in terms of
political transition.
At least three of the main presidential hopefuls who have not
had luck on their side in their quest for the highest office in
Liberia will be looking to gain hope from the performance of

Buhari ahead of 2017.

One of the presidential hopefuls who has already declared
intention to contest the 2017 election will be contesting for
the third time while another will be looking to equal the
record of now Nigerian President -elect, Buhari, yet still with
one more candidate looking for a second tryout.
Tipoteh to equal Buhari

Dr. Togbah Nah Tipoteh who has openly declared that he will
be a presidential candidate in two years will be contesting for
the fourth time after falling on three separate occasions-1997,
2005 and 2011.
After defeats in three successive elections, Dr. Tipoteh will
only gain hope of a comeback from the victory of former
general Buhari with the par having the same political records.

Although the Nigerian election is a little

different from Liberia in terms of numbers
with Nigeria having over 30 million voters
as opposed to Liberia which normally see
less than two million registered voters out
of its overall population of close to four
million, the two countries share some
political variables in common.

Like Buhari whom many Nigerians view as incorruptible,

hoping that he will fight corruption which is blamed for
the complex problems facing the country, Dr. Tipoteh in his
declaration of intent for the presidency said recently that his
desire to fight corruption has prompted his fourth bid for the
presidency.
Said Dr. Tipoteh: This worse situation was openly admitted
by President Sirleaf when she declared in her 2015
Annual Message that corruption is huge, widespread and
uncontrollable to the point that it has become a vampire,
Dr. Tipoteh will be the candidate with the most attempts
than any other candidate in 2017 and there is no example of
a beacon of hope to the economist other than the election of
Buhari.
Many believe that although an old name on the Liberian
political scene, Dr. Tipoteh does not have the popularity to
match that of his other competitors in Liberia and may also
fall short on the campaign financing front, seen as key to 2017
presidential race.

Brumskine chases Buhari

Another candidate to openly declare intention, Cllr. Charles
W. Brumskine will be making his third attempt in 2017 after
a good showing in 2005 managing only third spot followed
by a poor performance in 2011 where he finished fourth
behind incumbent Sirleaf, Cllr. Winston Tubman and Prince Y.
Johnson.
With no incumbent factor as President Sirleaf will be
constitutionally ineligible to contest, Cllr. Brumskine now
believes that it is an ideal opportunity for him to achieve his
long awaited dream of becoming president of Liberia.
Cllr. Brumskine who following the 2011 election announced
retirement from politics shocked the country when he
changed his decision, announcing that he will be a candidate
come 2017.
I look forward to the convention in Lofa, I will be contesting
for the Presidential position in Lofa, said Cllr. Brumskine.
He will be looking to make amend for his failure in 2005 and
2011 with a political comeback and the election of Buhari will
also provide the lawyer a glimmer of hope in two years.
George Weah, the most popular politician if elected by his
political party as the standard bearer will be contesting the
presidency for the second time after coming close in 2005
and running as vice presidential candidate to Cllr. Winston
Tubman on the ticket of the Congress for democratic Change.
While Weah is popular, most Liberians still believe he does not
have the high sophistication and level of maturity to become
President of a country with plethora of problems ranging from
underdevelopment to employment and others.
His recent election as Senator of the most populous
Montserrado County has been described by his fanatics as a
gateway to building on his experience in politics.
In whatever scenario, the election of Buhari offers hope
to opposition political parties in Liberia and a number of
candidates who can rightly believe that they too can overcome
past disappointments like the case of Buhari.
Nigeria has a say in the trend of politics across West Africa as
outcomes from the last few presidential elections in countries
such as Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone have all followed the
same pattern with incumbents holding unto to power.
In Ghana, Vice President John Mahama won election after
completing the presidential term of President Jon Atta Mills
who died in office; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won a second term
of office in 2011 after opposition boycott of the run-off while
Ernest B. Koroma of Sierra Leone is now serving a second
term of office.
Now that an opposition politician has won election in Nigeria,
known as the Power House of West Africa, political observers
say, it could trigger hope for opposition political parties in the
West African region.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Frontpage

Page 3

FrontPage COMMENTARY
EDITORIAL LIBERIAN LITERACY REDEFINED
v

DISMISSALS FOR
DISCRETIONARY
SALARIES MUST BE
COMPREHENSIVE
ON FRIDAY, MARCH 27 President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
dismissed three officials from the Liberia Institute for Public
Administration (LIPA) for discretionarily increasing their
salaries while the head of the entity was away from office.
THE EXECUTIVE MANSION named the affected individuals
as Mr. P. Emmerson Harris, Deputy Director General for
Administration and Management; Mr. Richard S. Panton
Deputy Director General for Training and Development;
and Mr. Harris F. Tarnue, Esq. Deputy Director General for
Research and Consultancy.
THE MOVE BY the President is welcoming as it will deter
heads of other entities from lining their pockets with tax
payers money through unilateral decisions by increasing
their salaries without justifications.
WHILE THE PRESIDENTS decision is welcoming, it is not the
first instance where officials of government have increased
their salaries and incentives in the absence of a national
policy.
FOR 10 YEARS the regime of President Sirleaf has not been
able to develop a policy setting salaries and other incentives
for heads of Government agencies specifically autonomous
commissions resulting into huge disparities in salaries and
incentives of heads of agencies and autonomous commissions.
PROVIDED THAT THESE autonomous commissions have
different scope of work, some with income generating capacity
and others just service providers, there must be a policy
outlining the basis for apportioning salaries and incentives to
heads of these agencies and autonomous commissions.
WITH NO EXISTING policy, there are no explanations for
the high salaries of heads of agencies such as the Liberia
Telecommunications Authority (LTA), the General Auditing
Commission, the National Port Authority, the Liberia
Petroleum Refining Company and others.
FOR THE GAC, it was a known fact that the European
Union contracted former Auditor General John Morlu, II
who was paid by the EU but upon Morlus departure with
the Government of Liberia taking over the salary of the his
successor, Robert Kilby was allowed to pay himself the same
EU salary of US$15,000 and since then the trend continues
without action from President Sirleaf.
THE HEAD OF the LTA also makes around US$15,000 for
regulating a small telecommunications sector with President
Sirleaf yet to question the basis for such high salary.
FEW YEARS BACK when the President was quizzed on
salary disparity, she provided a comment that looked like a
defense for the high salaries of heads of some autonomous
commissions mainly the Liberia Maritime Authority when she
declared that the head of the LMA has huge responsibilities
and deserves decent income.
THE GOVERNMENT THROUGH the Civil Service Agency
(CSA) has failed to track the payroll of these autonomous
commissions to look out for any unexplained increment
in salaries to be able to draw out a policy that will reflect
fairness and transparency.
IN DRAWING OUT a good and competitive compensation
program, fairness, transparency and level of work or output
of employees are all taking into account.
THE CSA WHICH is statutorily responsible for staffing, pay
and benefits, pension, conditions of service and human
resources development has failed dismally to develop a policy
in 10 years to guide the apportioning of salaries, as such there
is no benchmark for setting salaries in these autonomous
commissions, agencies and ministries.
DISMISSALS OF THREE at LIPA is good news in the fight
against waste but equally, the President needs to move
beyond LIPA and look into issues of salary disparities in all
other agencies, autonomous commissions, and ministries.
TACKLING SUCH ISSUE as abuse of public resources through
discretionary actions can only be done through holistic
actions and not selective because solution at one institution
does not heal the overall.
PRESIDENT SIRLEAF MUST move beyond LIPA and extend
the fight against waste to all other agencies, ministries and
autonomous commissions.

Commentary

Quiwonkpa Zuo, Nimbazuo3@gmail.com, Contributing Writer

here are few things that bother me more than when

people try to confuse knowing to read and write as
being literate and not knowing how as illiterate. This
uninformed assumption could not be furthest from the
true meaning of the word. In this piece, I will give you a clear
distinction between the two, and how it should be defined
in Liberia rather than going along with the present distorted
definition that is causing our beloved country so much confusion.
But first, I will define literacy as understood by civilized and
educated societies; this will be followed by how we Liberians
should define the word we perceive as negative illiterate, and
positive form, literate.
The word in its most simplistic form is defined as being able to
read and write or showing knowledge about a particular subject.
Notice the second portion of this simple definition is beginning
to reveal the true meaning of the word and removes itself from
that narrow definition that the typical Liberian understands.
In its broader meaning, literacy is a process that enlightens
and changes ones thoughts and attitudes; is knowledgeable
and constant, well-read, scholarly and educated; in essence, it
is transformative in its application. It doesnt look at the world
through selfish lenses, but rather employs its scholarly lessons
to elevate the communities in which it resides. To put it even
simpler: It is the light!! As the good book would say, By their
fruits, we should know them. Such is literacy. If youre not
bearing the fruits that a literate society bears, simply put, youre
not literate.
Now lets come to Liberia and discuss how we see literacy and
how we shouldnt see it. Now that we know what literacy is, I will
focus on what literacy is not.
For example, the reliance on foreigners to initiate, engineer, and
lead everything that strengthens economic growth in a given
location and naively expecting them to put Liberian interests
first, the acceptance and indifferent attitude of our overpaid
officials towards the long-suffering of the overwhelming majority
of the population, the total disregard of the rule of law by the
very people charged with upholding it, is the birth of Liberian
illiteracy.
When you have foreigners come into our country and rape our
young women and pillage all we have, walk around boastfully
claiming that government officials are in their pockets without
consequence; commit murders at will, and in many cases walk
free. In the few cases where they are tried and convicted, those
verdicts are eventually overturn because some corrupt official
has been paid off to circumvent statutory laws not realizing his
actions devalues the lives of every single Liberian including his
own, is nothing but self-hate illiteracy.
For those of you who went to America under the age of 40,
allowing con artist pastors to chop all you have in your quest to
get a visa, fill three acre swamps in Duala so prayer mothers can
pray for you, and by some luck you win DV, arrive in America
with all the opportunities on Gods green earth presented to
you on a silver platter, and you settle for doing double in some
smelly nursing home, that, my friends, is your suffering just
started illiteracy. Working three shifts in some group home in
America simply to buy an inflated plane ticket to go to Liberias
105 degree heat in an Alaskan fur coat to bluff and possibly die
from dehydration, is Jonny just come illiteracy.
Catering to foreigners, especially white ones and refusing to
extend that same courtesy to your fellow Liberians because you
believe doing so will lower your social economic status, is just
plain inferiority complex illiteracy.
Preaching against nepotism, and when youre given a double
chance to do away with such practice refuse and employs it to
the highest degree and claim that since your sons are qualified
(whatever that means) it is not nepotism but a leadership
sanctioned by Western Countries, this is treasonable illiteracy.
Knowingly appointing incompetents and thieves to very crucial
roles in the government to the detriment of the suffering masses
is unforgiveable illiteracy. Purchasing $60k luxury vehicles
every year (not 10K off road pickups) for officials whose last
vehicle rides were in the back of a dump truck in a country
with poor roads, poor schools and hospitals, half the population
malnourished, infant mortality amongst the highest in the world,
unemployment at 80%, corruption, cronyism is rampant, the
courts and legislature hold no one to account, this, my friends is
time for drastic action illiteracy.
Electing idiots and thieves who have accomplished nothing in
their lives but sat in a cushioned position given them by wicked
leaders is you sentenced yourselves to long-suffering illiteracy.
Buying grades from University of Liberia and claiming youre
education is just laughable illiteracy. Stopping a governmentissued vehicle in the middle of busy traffic (while everybody
else is waiting on you) to make sure everybody sees you in your
cheap Chinese suit while talking to a teenage girl youve already
impregnated, is 25 to life illiteracy.
Hiring a news anchor who can barely read on a 7th grade level
and claiming s/he will learn on the job is simply stupid illiteracy.
Studying the dictionary and memorizing fancy vocabularies you
cant properly pronounce is just village illiteracy.
Building a million dollars mansion overnight in the mist of the

very people you help impoverished, and when they jump over
your poorly built fence to reclaim what you have stolen from
them, then you turnaround and call them armed robbers, is
God bless you illiteracy. Raping our teenage girls and forcing
homosexuality on our boys and claiming they wore provocative
clothing in a 105 degree heat is mob justice justified illiteracy.
Starting LU night school after you get elected (stopped in the
7th grade before the war) and out of sudden youre the new dux
and Suma Cum Laude extraordinaire even though you still cant
read, thats just wonders never end illiteracy. Wearing a three
piece suit so people can call you kwi (civilized) as described by
the brilliant Liberian Poet Kona Khasu in his poem Our Man on
Broad Street, is just mind-boggling illiteracy.
Having a public official fail miserably at his task, millions
entrusted to him disappeared, same road paved 3x in one year
because the public works minister is a thieving idiot, and a
so-called Harvard educated economist (she actually studied
something else but goes along with the economist label),
reshuffles him as the special economic advisor to the president
is third world illiteracy.
Claiming to be educated with a masters and boasting about your
academic prowess, yet your girlfriends live better than your wife
and kids; your wife is a stranger who doesnt even know your
salary or any details that could protect the family, whenever you
get paid you disappear from your family for days chartering
drinking spots while your wife and kids beg neighbors for food.
Your idea of spending time with your family is coming home
drunk at 3 am, vomiting all over the house and telling your 5 year
old daughter to keep quiet because shes crying too much from
hunger pains. My people, this is the mother of all illiteracy.
Calling poor people in an over populated shanty town country
for throwing dirt in the streets when the government has not
provided any sanitary means of disposing wastes, is just plain I
am holier than thou illiteracy.
Believing that because your embezzlement-funded house, car
and office are cleaned, all your friends and closed confidants eat
in the best places in town and the next possible Ebola outbreak
will skip you because you hang out with govt thieves, not
realizing these best place buy their restaurant food from some
of the nastiest, most unsanitary places is just illiteracy pass
max.
I could go on for days, but time and space wont permit me. Now
lets turn to what civilized people consider literacy and why we
cant straightly limit literacy to reading and writing.
When Tamba builds his toilet downhill and his well at the top
of the hill taking gravity into consideration and ensuring he
does not contaminate his drinking water, thats health literacy.
When Ma Fatta sweeps the sidewalk in her community to keep
a clean and safe environment for the kids to play, who can argue
that this is not literacy? When brother Trokons trap catches a
deer and he shares a pound of meat with each member of the
village as mandated by tradition, thats One for all and all for
one literacy. When a farming village in the hills of Bomi, can
adequately calculate the seasons and continuously ensures a
bountiful harvest, thats astronomical literacy.
The point I am trying to make is literacy is not limited to having
three pens in ones breast pocket and claiming to know book. The
true meaning of knowing book is when that acquired knowledge
transforms your people. If your literacy only transforms you,
youre still illiterate. Literacy cannot preach one thing, and when
given a chance and the tools to right those very ills it preached
against, turns around and practices them at levels never before
seen. Literacy must be constant, transferable, admirable,
honorable (not as we know it in Liberia) considerate, selfless and
imaginative. It must be free of quid pro quo. In truth, it must light
up those in its presence!!
I will leave you with a quote of one of the most literate men I
know my grandfather. He lived all of his 92 years in our village,
but could accurately predict the weather, build bridges, read
and understand the thoughts of the forest, interpret dreams;
an expert marksman and master builder, the financier of the
first grade school built in our village, lone voice against some
practices of the Grebo Bush and a chief, who was loved by his
people. He was illiterate by Liberian standards but a problem
solver and a scholar by developed societies standards. Son
he begins, you can have ideas greater than our ancestors, but if
they are not coupled with action, they can never become bigger
than the brain cells the occupied!
Dedicated to my grandfather, old man Momoh, who bought me
my first book and taught me how to lay my first possum trap.
Miss you and RIP, Grandpa.
About the Author: Mr. Zuo is the author of several articles
including the Liberian Psyche. Hes a proud graduate of Buutuo
Cultural University, specializing in Changing Liberians Minds and
Attitudes. He presently lives in Buutuo, Nimba County with his
two hunting dogs, Government Official and Chief Embezzler. He
loves to drink palm wine with roasted cassava dipped in fresh
palm oil.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Page 4 | Frontpage

The Reader's Page

FrontPage

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

ABOUT OUR STORIES ON THE
WORLDWIDE WEB

COMMENTS FROM
FPA ONLINE

LIBERIANS FACE TRAVEL BOTTLENECKS

TO OBTAIN FOREIGN VISAS

Lorenzo Bernard Top Commenter Classified at Classified

"Presidential delegation to Brussels, Belgium for an important
conference". This is Nonsense, hundreds of thousand of Liberian
tax dollars being spend unnecessarily on chartered flights, 4 star
hotel accomondations and decent meals 3x daily while children are
dying of malnutrition, and the speard of TB, HIV , EBOLA , malaria
is increasing by the minutes. I mean how worse can it get yet you
have these useless , selfish , greedy clowns, self centered, corrupt
incompetent fools living like queens and kings while my people
suffer.
Just the other day with their shameless selves accepted a $6,000
generator from the US DEA through its State Dept. You can not
afford a common $6,000 generator but you have the means to
travel extensively. You are all nothing but a bunch of mafia, I mean
gangsters running the affairs of an independent nation. On the denial
of visa, the world doesn't regard this administration/government it
is known as being one of the most corrupt in the world with a bad I
mean really bad human rights record.
Sampson Bloh Monger Top Commenter Holy Family
University, Pennsylvania
The facts of the matter are, Liberia is a failed state with the Ellen's
government having no defined and sustainable policy and strategies
to lead. Secondly, our Liberians failed government is corrupt and out
of touch.

Nyemade Wani Top Commenter University Of Liberia,

Monrovia, Liberia campus
Pepper does not hurt in only dog eye. Liberians want to deny other
Liberians their birthright and then cry nonsense. US citizens can go
almost everywhere with no visa, even South Africa, Botswana, all the
EU countries, even Mugabe is not as racist as Liberians., Liberia is an
insignificant nation now because we have abandoned our democratic
ideals and have become second to Nigeria in corruption. Also, too
many government officials want to travel. Let them sit home and hug
their Liberian citizenship tight, it will make them fly without visa.
Now, how can a government that is solely depending on begging and
donations from foreign governments to survive, be respected among
responsible nations? How can a government that firmly neglect
99% of Liberia with muddy roads and an Old Stone Age bridges
in modern times impress the world to be respected as a sovereign
nation? Dignity is earned and just doesn't fall from the sky.
Emphatically speaking, Liberia is being abused and neglected by our
corrupt officials and therefore needs reform to meet the challenges
of the 21st century.

STILL HOPEFUL- CHARLES TAYLORS

WIFE CONFIDENT OF BREAKTHROUGH

Lorenzo Bernard Top Commenter Classified at Classified

Mr. Taylor, was never denied his visitation rights, however; what
Taylor is requesting is special accommodations. Taylor is a convicted
criminal therefore it is required he receives the same treatment like
any other convicted criminal. Jewel Howard can resign her senatorial
seat move to England and be by her beloved Charles side. That is if
the British embassy will grant her traveling visa, I think It would
make thing much easier. She can then cook palm butter, fufu N soup,
and many other Liberian meal. I don't know how it works with the
British correctional system however; I think with good behavior
Mr. Taylor can also enjoy contact visit with wife Jewel and maybe
produce another wicked Chuckie Taylor lll.
You see people like Jewel and many others war lords need not hold
any political offices they all need to be prosecuted and if found guilty
sent to prison for life and then Liberia and the world will be a better
place. Keep dreaming Jewel your day is right around the corner.
Moses Harris Top Commenter Works at Retired
Is the Senator still the wife of Former President Charles Taylor? I am
just curious to know, because sometime ago I read that someone else
was claiming to be the wife of President Taylor.
Daa Onenokay Top Commenter Works at State of New Jersey
Senator Taylor is not hopeful about her visitation right to England
but rather,she is hopeful of Charles Taylor coming to Rwanda to stay
and complete the rest of his jail term. I think Bong County people
should think twice about you now. If you think Rwanda is a soft
target for your husband to use that route to come to Liberia, you ar
making a big mistake. You need to resign and move to England to be
with your husband.If you don't resign, the people of Bong County
will write a petition and call for your forceful resignation.

DISCLAIMER

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bloggers and do no represent the views of FrontPageAfrica

Send your letters and comments to:

editor@frontpageafricaonline.com
YOU WRITE; WE PUBLISH; THEY READ!

ALLISON DEATH BLUNDER CONTINUE

TO EXPOSE EJS-LED GOVERNMENT

The Editor,

iberia now needs a few more Kofi Woods,

Henry Costas, Rodney Siehs, Jonathan
Koijees and others with spine to stand up
to this licensed criminality disguised as
government. Enough is enough. We can send this
regime packing which is daring us to stand up and
be counted when it matters most. Let the mysterious,
questionable drowning death of Michael Allison serve
as our red line drawn that this regime has crossed.

In my previous commentaries on the Allison tragedy,

I wrote that nothing would come out of it. And we are
witnessing the lies, disdain, coverup and contempt
this regime has for human life. We made noise and
quietly wiped our tears when the regime shot and
killed Shaki Kamara of West Point. Now it is Michael
Allison. Soon it may be you or someone you know?

Is this how the nation is rewarded by some in this

government who helped, planned and financed our
14-year genocidal holocaust only to hijack power
and employ the same tactics that plunged us into
such mayhem? We are so complacent that we can't
even protest for our rights to protest protected by the
constitution against such constant abuses.
And where is our Nobel Peace Prize winner president
who is conspicuously silent since Allison's death? The
Nobel award connotes the highest respect for human
life and rights. This is our beginning of our oil wealth
curse. NOCAL has become their next pepperbush and
they would not allow Allison or anyone to meddle
with their latest cash cow. So it is no accident that
unchecked dirty money is doled out to lawmakers to
sing and dance to the music of oil money corruption,
a disease that has infected oil giant Nigeria.
But Ellen and company are rookies who have not
mastered at art of erasing their enemies with no
traces left like Charles Taylor did or other repressive
regimes. And so they have been caught with their
pants down and can't tell a good lie.

The many blunders are now exposing them. They

came up with an invincible girlfriend who they must
produce in court during trial. They created a witness
when in sophisticated repressive regimes there is no
need to create and quote witnesses that you will be

asked to produce.

Another witness would be the man from "Brazil"

that this novice Police planted in their not-sosmart cover-up strategy, the man the Police said
Allison's supposedly grieving girlfriend cried out to
and allowed the use of his boat to fetch a drowning
Allison from the ocean. Another unnecessary witness
the Police created that must now appear in court and
bring his boat in court as part of the evidence. Again,
rookies in the Police who are not professionally
trained like their counterparts in North Korea, Libya
under Gaddafi or the KGB of the old Russia. And so
the Police went to the beach, saw his body but were
"afraid of catching Ebola" and left the body there until
the next day? By then Allison's body was "mutilated"
and parts missing and cuts found around his chin?
After the world gave us equipment and the training
on how to handle Ebola dead and patients, the Liberia
National Police did not undergo such training, nor got
any of the protection equipment of gloves and plastic
clothing and body bags? Laughing out loud.
And a Justice Minister who made a mess of an already
messy cover-up. What has a victim's alleged multiple
identities got to do with how he died? Even if Allison
was not a Liberian citizen does that diminish the
value of a human life taken away by hidden hands?
Next will be the Judiciary which is seen as a stooge
for the regime and again its independence and
integrity will take center stage when the trial gets
underway. This is where the rubber meets the road.
And we expect, as Allison's lawyers will demand, all
the witnesses will be subpoenaed: the mysterious
grieving girlfriend, the good Samaritan Brazilian boat
owner, both pathologists to testify under oath, as will
the unprofessional police officers.
If this case doesn't arouse in us Liberians the need
to try a people power nonviolent protest to demand
regime change---because NOTHING will come out
of it---then we have all endorsed the continued
criminality against our people.
Jerry Wehtee Wion
Journalist and Political Commentator,
Washington, DC

EDITORIAL TEAM

Rodney D. Sieh, Managing Editor, 0886-738-666;

077-936-138, editor@FrontPageAfricaonline.com;
rodney.sieh@FrontPageAfricaonline.com
Wade C. L. Williams, News Desk Chief, wade.
williams@frontpageafricaonline.com; 0880664793
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frontpageafricaonline.com, 0886236528
James-Emmanuel D. Cole, Jr, Graphics Designer
& Layout Editor, echange4life@gmail.com;
0886 211 390, 0777 027 030
Henry Karmo, henry.karmo@frontpageafricaonline.
com
Al-varney Rogers al.rogers@frontpageafricaonline.
com, 0886-304498

Sports Reporter, A. Macaulay Sombai,macaulay.sombai@

FrontpageAfricaonline.com, 077217428
COUNTY NEWS TEAM
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County,
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Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Frontpage

Page 5

Gbarnga, Bong Countyhe start of the national

Constitutional
Review Conference in
Gbarnga was Monday
marred by series of protests.
On one hand, placards wielding
youths stormed the Gbarnga
administration
building
demanding
representations
at the event while Christians
and Muslims slugged it out
for voice to guarantee their
religions.
A group of clergymen and
women from the Christian
community are calling for
the restoration of Liberia
to Christian heritage while
the Muslim community is
protesting that one religion
must not be given dominance
in the Liberian constitution.
Youth
protest
participation

for

The protest by the youths

followed a press conference
Monday by the Liberia National
Students Union (LINSU) and
the Federation of Liberian
Youths
Meanwhile,
President
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf says
decentralization
requires
appropriate
constitutional
reform to strengthen Liberias
democratic governance.
President
Johnson-Sirleaf
was speaking at the start of
the nationwide governance
decentralization
program
needs legal support.
The
conference
amongst
several
recommendations
from the public is seeking to
cross examine the tenures of
the president, vice president
and representatives. They want
the tenures of the president
reduce to four as well as the
tenure of the representatives
and the tenure of the senators
reduce to six.

TENSION MARS CONSTITUTION REVIEW PROCESS

PROTESTING FOR RIGHTS

The action to ask us to vote for a process on whether Liberia should become a Christian nation is a mirage
and an attempt to dampen the future of Liberia. We cant engage in a process that will spell doom for
Liberias future political process. - Mulbah Morlu of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC)

15 political parties slam CRC

process

Another side attraction that

marred the process saw the
withdrawal of 15 of Liberias
political parties from a
voting process seeking the
amendment of whether Liberia
should remain a Christian or
circular nation.
Mulbah Morlu of the opposition
Congress
for
Democratic
Change (CDC) said they could
not participate in a voting
process that is opened to the
public, describing the act as
unconstitutional and a ploy to
endanger the future.
Morlu said: The action to
ask us to vote for a process
on whether Liberia should
become a Christian nation
is a mirage and an attempt
to dampen the future of
Liberia. We cant engage in a
process that will spell doom
for Liberias future political
process.
President
delegates

Sirleaf

urges

President Sirleaf urged state

actors at the conference
to focus on reviewing the
recommendations from the
CRC consultation held in 2013
and 2014 for the betterment of
the country.
According to her the end
product of the conference
should ensure a revised
amending constitution which
will portray the interest of

Liberians.
President
Sirleaf
also
admonished delegates to give
key attention to holistic issues
that would further unite and
advance national development.
She thanked development
partners including Liberians
for supporting the work of the
CRC which is now fostering the
constitutional reform process.
Also speaking the Chairperson
of the Constitutional Review
Commission (CRC) described
the
current
Liberian
Constitution as out-dated and
not reflecting current days
realties.
Cllr. Gloria Musu-Scott told
delegates at the official opening
of the constitutional Review
Conference in Gbarnga that the
constitution must mirror the
social-cultural, economic and
political landscape of Liberia.
This, the CRC Chairperson
noted was missing in the
current Liberian Constitution.
She said the road map to the
review of the 1986 Constitution
rests on the shoulders of the
Legislature adding that the
role of each Lawmaker in the
review process cannot be over
emphasized.
Cllr. Scott said the Constitution
Review Committee is charged
with reviewing the countrys

1986 constitution and the CRC

has been soliciting suggestions
from the public for possible
amendments.
Cllr. Scott said the suggestions
include the terms of office for
the President, Vice President,
legislators and justices, as
well as superintendents of
the countrys 15 political
subdivisions.
Under the current constitution,
the president and vice
president serve six-year terms,
senators serve for nine years,
and members of the House of
Representatives six years.
She furthered that many
Liberians want changes in the

terms of office of their elected

officials.
Cllr. Scott said Liberians also
want their local government
officials, including county
superintendents,
district
commissioners, and mayors to
be elected and accountable to
the people they serve.
Under the current constitution,
much of the power to appoint
resides in the hands of the
president.
She said Liberians also want
traditional leaders, or chiefs,
elected according to the
tradition of their respective
areas.
Cllr. Scott said Liberian

women are also demanding

equal representation in all
elected, selected or appointed
positions in both the public
and private sector.
Cllr. Scott encouraged delegates
attending the conference to
be resilient and participate in
all round table deliberations
during the conference as they
have done during town hall
discussions around Liberia.
At the same time, the Head
of the Traditional Council of
Liberia Chief Zanzar Karwor
has challenged the national
legislature to concur for
possible passage findings from
the four days conference.

Chief Karwor noted that

Liberians had played their part
in during the 2013 nationwide
consultation and it was time
for them to play their part.
Chief Karwor also called on
men attended the conference
to support women in ensuring
a gender sensitive Liberian
constitution that will protect
women and children as well.
The CRC National Conference
in Gbarnga has brought
together over three thousands
participants
including
International
observers,
development
partners,
members of the National
Legislature,
Judiciary
he
Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Alex Tyler,
says
the
multi-sectoral
participation
Liberians
are seeking in the ongoing
constitutional conference in
Gbarnga might be dampened
by the ambiguous suggestions
advanced by some Liberians
during
the
Constitution
Review Committees recently
held town hall constitution.
Speaker Tyler made specific
references to suggestions
some residents of his native
Bomi County recommending
the restoration of Liberia
Christian heritage and a
national Islamic holiday. That
the Liberian Speaker said has
the proclivity of returning the
country back to civil war.
Regarding a suggestion raised
by natives of his county
suggesting
a
university
qualification for presidential
aspirants,
the
Liberian
Speaker said the suggestion
poses a serious to a citizen
fundamental right to vote or to
be voted.
Women groups, Liberians in
the Diaspora including the
United States, Australia and the
United Kingdom the diplomatic
corps amongst others.
The deliberations of the
National conference will be
submitted to the national
legislature for its approval and
then put to a referendum a
year after.

HEAVY BURDEN

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Page 6 | Frontpage

CITIZENS DECRY INCREMENT IN PASSPORT FEE

Al-Varney Rogers alvarney.rogersfrontpageafricaonline.com 0886304498

Monroviahe Ebola outbreak

affected all sectors of
Liberia and with the
country
returning
to normalcy the government
in an attempt to generate
revenue has increased the
prices of several services being
provided to the public.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs joined the
Center for National Documents,
Records and Archives in
increasing fees for public
documents by announcing
increment in passport fee.
The Center for National
Documents,
Records
and
Archives early this year

Monroviahe latest indictment

of
several
key
government officials
by state prosecutors
for an alleged act of corruption
continues to take various legal
dimensions at the criminal
Court C at the Temple of
Justice ahead of a trial expected
to take place probably in May
2015.
The first legal challenge to
the trial took place a week
ago when the court denied
a motion to drop charges
against former board chairman
Clemenceau Urey and Stephen
Dunbar of the National Oil
Company of Liberia (NOCAL).
Former Chairman Urey and
Dunbar including eight other
defendants were indicted
during the February 2015
Term of Court on charges of
economic sabotage, bribery
and criminal conspiracy.
The men allegedly bribed
lawmakers to approve bills
for ratification of oil contracts
by lawmakers, while serving
in various capacities at the
National Oil Company.
Lawyers representing two of
the eight defendants Urey and
Dunbar prayed the court to
dismiss the indictment against
the two because the indictment
was belated.
Cllr. James E. Pierre and Musa
Dean argued that under the
law, when a defendant is
charged for felony, the state
has five years to prosecute as

increased marriage license

from US$ 100 to US$ 150.
Liberians planning to get
marry were shocked by the
new price of $150 which
many believe is too high
for obtaining a marriage
certificate in a country with
high unemployment.
Those about to marry are
required to pay US$75 for the
marriage form at the Archives
and deposit the same amount
in government account at
the Ministry of Finance and
Development Planning.
Abraham Boyle 31 is planning
his wedding and he was
surprise to see that the price
of marriage certificate has
the charges levied against the
two defendants were done
between 2006-2007. The
lawyers argued that the men
could have been prosecuted in
2012 for the crime.
Solicitor General Betty Larmie
Blamo resisted the motion and
called on the court not to honor
the defense lawyers request
because the defendants were
jointly charged and the state
needed time to investigate the
allegation against the accused.
Presiding
Judge
Peter
Gbeneweleh denied requests
of the two defense lawyers and
claimed that the court could
not honor the requests.
He said the defense lawyers
were to first file a motion for
separate trial for the two by
securing separate indictment
for them and not indicting
the two with the rest of the
defendants.
On Tuesday the case took
another legal turn when
presiding Judge Gbeneweleh
ruled to grant co-defendant
Albert Chies severance trial,
when a motion was filed on his
behalf by his lawyer.
In the motion for severance,
Cllrs.
Charles
Abdullai,
Nyenatin Tuan and Samuel
Clark making reference to the
indictment, argued that codefendant Chie was charged
with the alleged commission
of the crime of economic
sabotage, bribery and criminal
conspiracy, when it was alleged
that he was a member of the

jumped from US$100 to

US$150.
Last year when I came here,
they told me that the certificate
was US$100 but it surprises
me to hear that it is US$150,
Boyle said.
Boyle also said, paying money
to the Archives and later going
to the Ministry of Finance
to pay another fee is an
unnecessary burden.
Boyle furthered that the
seventy five dollars being
charged by the Archives for
just the form is too high adding
that the government should
reduce said amount.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs announced

an increment of the ECOWAS

Biometric
passport
from
US$23 to US$ 50.
The government argues that
the decision for increment is
based on the Consolidated Tax
Amendment Act of Liberia, and
section seven of the Revenue
Code.
Upon
hearing
the
announcement,
Varney
Konneh rushed at the foreign
Ministry to obtain his passport
fearing that he could pay the
new fee by set deadline of April
30.
I heard about the increment,
so I just decided to get my
passport before things get
difficult or before the start of

the new fee structure, Konneh

added.
Konneh
argued
that
if
government
decides
to
increase the passport it should
increase the validation date
from the regular five years.
If government decides to
make the passport fifty, the
validation date should go
beyond the normal five years,
Konneh said.
Journalist Jutonu Kollie who
is in the process of acquiring
passport thinks that the
pronouncement made by the
government is welcoming but
added that the amount is too
high.
You cannot increase over

hundred percent, how will

you move fees from US$23 to
US$50, Kollie asked.
He further added Most of
our people dont have money
as the result of this Ebola,
we know every sector has
been devastated but you
cannot bring the burden on
the ordinary people, Kollie
continued.
Kollie
recommends
that
government adds five United
States dollars to current
fees being charged by the
government.
A resident of Bushrod Island
Daniel Sargbe said, the
increment from US$ 23 to US$
50 is not justifiable owing to
the current economic hardship
many Liberians are faced with.
Sargbe argues that the
government
cannot
use
the fees being paid in other
countries as a yardstick or
justification for increasing the
passport fees.
Sargbe said, if the government
wants to generate revenue it
should at least add five dollars
to the current fee instead of
jumping to fifty United States
dollars.
But Siafa Kanneh argues
that the Passport
division

should not be used as revenue
generating arm to support the
national budget.
The passport division should
not be what the government is
relying on to generate income,
we have the NPA, LPRC and
Maritime, Kanneh said.
Kanneh said, by increasing
the passport fees is an
attempt by the government to
deny ordinary Liberians the
opportunity to travel.
He said service institutions like
the passport division are not
for profit making adding that
they are meant to serve the
public for less.

STANDING ALONE

Senator Chie faces Trial on Multiple Charges Without Urey, Dunbar

Kennedy L. Yangian kennedylyangian@frontpageafricaonline.com 0777296781

NOCAL Board at the time the

crimes were committed.
Movants co-defendant Chie
was never member of the
Board of Directors of NOCAL,
as such charging him with the
commission of this offense
along with other Board
members creates a state of
uncertainty, stated the three
lawyers.

Movants went on to argue that

because the co-defendant was
not a member of the Board,
there is no casual connection
between him and the other codefendants, primarily because
their defenses are antagonistic.
In his ruling Presiding Judge
Gbeneleweh stated that codefendant Chie has not denied
knowledge of his participation

in the Board meeting that

reached the decision, which
led to the payment of US
$ 120,400.00 to the 52nd
Legislature as lobbying fees for
the ratification of oil contracts.
Judge
Gbeneleweh
also
indicated that a careful review
before the court shows that
other defendants were invited
by the Liberia Anti-Corruption

Commission (LACC), but codefendant Chie was never cited

by the LACC to make statement
as proxy for the former Lands
& Mines Minister Eugene
Shannon.
Wherefore and in view of
foregoing, it is the ruling of
this court that the motion for
severance is hereby granted
and resistance thereto denied,
he stated. Movant is hereby
severed from the rest of the
other defendants and is hereby
so ordered.
The ruling now leaves
Clemenceau Urey former
Chairman of the Board of
Directors, Cllr. Stephen Dunbar
Jr., Peter Jallah, D. Evelyn
Kandakai, Fodee
Kromah,
Fulton Reeves Comptroller,
Timothy G. Wiaplah Senior
Accountant, Alomiza Enos Bah
member 52nd Legislature and
Nanborlor F. Singbeh Secretary
of the Senate to be jointly tried.
However, FrontPageAfrica has
reliably learned that lawyers
representing former board
chairman Urey and Dunbar
have already filed a motion for
severance tria

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Frontpage

MYSTERIOUS DEATH

Page 7

WOMAN MURDERED WITH MISSING BODY PARTS; BUT BURIED WITHOUT AUTOPSY
The Ebola team came and we said we wanted to see what was under the body, so we stood and when they turned the body over, under her
stomach there was an operation done and they extracted something from in her. The vocal was not there, the breast nipple was removed, she
was lying down flat, her tongue was missing, and her mouth was split on both sides. The head was burst from the back and her brain was
removed, and we ran up and down and started crying for attention. Wilimena Johnson Eyewitness

adam Suah Paye,

age 56 was found
Sunday morning
in her fiancs
room in the Jacob town
community with blood stains
all over the body.
Eyewitnesses said the woman
came to town from Bong
County, to help cater to her
grandchildren but when her
untimely death when she
followed her lover ten years
her junior.
Eyewitness Wilimena Johnson,
who lives next to the house
where the deceased body was
found, said when she returned
from work that day, she heard
some children in the yard
saying that the Oldma had
died in the Liberian Sekou
room.
I came from work that
morning, met the children
running up and down saying
the old-ma died in Liberian
Sekou room, she said. I asked
her big son about his mother,
and he told me he and her were
together and Liberian Sekou
came and called her.
Madam Johnson said the
womans son Stephen Paye told
her that he warned his mother
not to go in the room because it
was late and it was raining, but
she insisted on going.
The eyewitness said the son of
the deceased woman narrated
that he tried calling his mother,
but she was nowhere to be
found, so he waited till the next
morning and began searching
all over for her.
She added that after they
searched all over they met a
group of people and they told
them that the old lady died in
the suspect room.
When we checked around, we
only heard a group saying that
the old-ma died in Liberian
Sekou room, so we went there

Bettie Johnson /betty.johnson@frontpageafricaonline.com

and her son pushed the door

thats how he saw his mother
and her head bent down into
the mattress, said Johnson.
We came and started crying
and so we came home and I
returned with others to know
why she was lying down like
that and we saw that she was
butt naked with the lapper far
from her.
Parts extracted

The eyewitness disclosed that

when they entered the room
of the suspect, the body of the
deceased was folded including
her hand.
The Ebola team promised to
come for the body Monday
and we said we wanted to
see what was under the body
so we stood and when they
turned the body over under
her stomach there was an

operation done because they

extracted something from in
her, she said detailing the
graphic nature of the state the
corpse was in.
The vocal cord was not there,
the breast nipple was removed,
she was lying down flat, her
tongue was missing, and
her mouth was split on both
sides, the head was burst from
the back and her brain was
removed, and we ran up and
down and started crying for
attention.
Who is the suspect?

Madam Johnson said she has

absolutely no information on
the suspect because he was
just a lover to her neighbor.
She added that the victim and
suspect had always been in
confusion in the area and was
a heavy smoker.

According to the people, they

had confusion continuously,
he smoked, drank and took in
drugs, the Police people know
him good, he just use to pass
and buy his fufu and soup, and
go to the entertainment center
and take his shot and walk,
she said.
She said the alleged suspect
named himself Liberian Sekou
because he said his people
used to beat on him, so he is
not the Mandingo Sekou.
He is a traveler and we heard
he is from Mali or Guinea, he
used to pass with snake on
him and the children around
used to be afraid of him; but we
dont know much about him,
said Johnson.
Another eyewitness who the
deceased lived with named
Ma-Mary said: She was here
with us, she was working with
me, her son was living in my

house, Friday we were here

and I went to wedding and
when I returned, she said she
was tired and I heard the man
calling her Suah, Suah, Suah
and at that time it was after 12
going to 1:00am.
So I said at this time this man
calling the woman, I wonder
what happen and I wanted to
put my mouth there, but I was
afraid before she get vex.
She said the deceased did not
answer at the time the man was
calling, leaving her to assume
that the woman was asleep
only to wake up and find out
that she had been murdered.
Ma- Mary disclosed that when
they went to the site of the
incident there were no police
on the scene.
We went to the house to arrest
the man, but they said the man
escaped and the police told us
to go check the house properly

and we demanded the people

around to be arrested and give
account of the deceased, but
the police did not do it, she
said.
The Eyewitness stated that the
protest made by residents of
the district to seek Government
attention, led to several
persons arrested and allegedly
beaten by Police officers.
She added that there were
several persons arrested and
were still in the cell at the
Police Depot 2 Zone 9.
Ma Mary said family members
believe that there was foul
play in the death of the
woman. She said she is seeking
the interventions of the
Government to help in bringing
the perpetrator to justice.
They acted bad to us, the
body was just ordered by our
Lawmaker Sekou Kanneh to be
taken to Alfred Butler funeral
home, without any autopsy
she said. What we want is
the facts and we want people
linked to be arrested. We want
to know why she died, what
caused her death? They did not
check, but they just took the
body for burial.
Meanwhile the oldest son of
the deceased Paye explained
what happened before his
mother died that night.
When the rain fell, I went in
and left her bringing in water
and I closed the door and I
left her in her room, then I
heard the Sekou man calling
my ma, he said. But I did not
know that she went out, but it
is unfortunate that I came and
met her dead in his room and
he is nowhere to be found.
Mr. Paye in his tearful tone
that his mothers body was
tampered with and parts were
extracted.
When the Ebola team came
they asked me if she was sick
and I told them no, he said.
They carried on a test, but I
dont know which test, but they
told me to meet the CID of our
Police Depot.
Police spokesperson Sam
Collins told FrontPageAfrica
that the suspect Liberian Sekou
was arrested on Tuesday but
failed to state which area the
arrest took place.

AID TO INMATES
Local group calls for Prisoners Rehabilitation
By Edwin G. Genoway, Jr (231886458910), genowayedwin@gmail.com

Monroviarison
Fellowship
Liberia
Executive
Director
Rev.
Francis Kollie has
expressed dismay over what
he calls government failure to
prioritize the rehabilitation of
inmates in the country.
Rev. Kollie wants portion of the
county development Fund to
be used for the rehabilitation
of inmates following their
release.
This he believes will help

transform
inmates
into
productive citizens instead of
becoming drug addicts and
armed robbers.
He stressed that inmates could
pose danger to society if they
are not rehabilitated through
effective reform programs.
The Prison Fellowship head
spoke at the weekend during
a one day workshop for
attorneys and magistrates
intended
to
strengthen
partnership
between
his
institution and the Judiciary.

Rev. Kollie called on lawmakers

to consider the rehabilitation
of inmates and prison facilities
in their respective counties to
ensure that people behind bars

when
released can become
useful to society.
In a separate development,
Prison Fellowship Liberia has
called on government through
the Ministry of Justice to
establish Juvenile courts to try
juvenile cases.
Rev. Kollie said lawyers;
magistrates must be trained
to defend juveniles to ensure
total democracy and good
governance.
He added that every county
must have juvenile lawyers
and magistrates effectively

handle juvenile cases.

Chartered
in
1989,
PF
Liberia seeks to provide help
and healing for prisoners
throughout the country.
With the help of volunteers,
education and restorative
justice programs, mentoring,
and legal assistance are
available to inmates.
The Fellowship is working
with the American based
Carter Center, Catholic Justice
and Peace Commission and
other local and international
humanitarian institutions on
several programs including
Access to Justice and PFL
Scholarship Scheme.
In a country with only 300
lawyers for an estimated 3.5

million people, PF Liberias

Legal Aid program offers hope
to those being held on pre-trial
detention illegally.
According to Rev. Kollie
innocent until proven guilty
does not mean much for the
nearly 800 prisoners who
are crowded into the dirty,
dank prison cells of Liberias
Monrovia Central Prison.
Most have yet to be convicted
of a crime some charged
with offences as minor as not
paying a bill, but they have
been languishing in jail for
years without trial.
PF Liberia continues to aid the
release of prisoners held for
more than 180 days without
trial in Monrovia Central

Prison, Kakata Prison Centre

and other parts of the country.
According to the PF Liberia
executive
director,
these
prisoners are being held
beyond the legal limits for pretrial detention and most had
committed minor crimes.
In assisting these prisoners,
the organization is providing
financial assistance through
the payment of bond fees to
the courts.
At the same time, PF Liberia
included restorative justice
processes
by
facilitating
meetings
between
the
prisoners and their victims to
discuss the crime and work out
various issues related to the
prisoners release.

LICENSE TO KILL?
Page 8 | Frontpage

Monrovia
little girl age 3
(name withheld),
was playing near
her house adjacent
the Virginia Community
public Clinic and was lured
into the house by a man in the
afternoon hours of Monday
and raped. According to
Eyewitnesses she bleed until
the clothes of the woman
who held her on the way to
the John F. Kennedy Memorial
Hospital was soaked with the
childs blood. Community
dwellers and eyewitnesses
say the mother of the child
is a market woman, who left
her with a guardian to go to
the market to fend for the
family but came home to the
sad news that her daughter
was raped.
This is just one of the many
rape cases that involve
minors in Liberia since the
end of the bloody civil conflict
during which, armed men
used rape as a weapon of war
against women and children.
Since the end of the war,
the issue of rape has been
a difficult thing haunting
Liberian women and stealing
their dignity.
Women from all walks of Life
on Tuesday gathered at the
Bella Cassa Hotel in Monrovia
to discuss the issue of rape
and challenges women in
Liberia face in combating the
societal ill.
The National stakeholders
conference under the theme:
Rape as a Threat to the
Survival of Women and the
Advancement of a Nation:Bridging the Gaps towards
Justice and Accountability
saw both women and men
share their experiences of
rape.
The conference, funded
by USAID through IREX, is
being held in partnership
with the Liberia Women
Media Action Committee
(LIWOMAC) and the Ministry
of Gender, Children and
Social Protection.
The experiences shared
at the conference were
heartrending and some burst
into loud cries as they told
their stories about horrific
encounters with rape in
Liberia while at the same
time watching as the system
fail in bringing perpetrators
of rape to justice.
Mr. Abdul K. Sesay, a
community
mobilizer
against rape in the VOA area
in Brewerville, shared the
experience of rape in his
family. He shed tears as he
recounted in graphic details
the brutal rape of his wife
with whom he has three
children, by members of an
armed group in 2003. He said
since this incident, his wife
has been traumatized and
the continued alarming rise

PAGE
RONT

GENDER ISSUES

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Men In Liberia Raping Women And Young Girls; Yet Impunity Reigns
Wade C.L. Williams, wade.williams@frontpageafricaonline.com

in the number of rape cases

is a matter for concern.
That is why I say Im one of
the victims of rape, because
if someone do such a thing to
your wife in your presence;
six armed men with guns,
firing up and down, oh my
people, he said.
These horrific stories about
rape and the impact it has on
communities were shared by
many people who attended
the conference. Many of the
testimonies highlighted the
trauma and stigmatization
faced by women and girls
who are victims of rape.
Death for rapist

Georgina Kamara, lives in

Kamara Town along the
Po River, in Bomi County,
a strong advocate against
rape and Violence against
women told FrontPageAfrica
that the reason the number
of rape cases are increasing
in Liberia is because of
several reasons, permanent
among them is very weak
laws and instruments to try
rapist. She said despite the
governments anti-rape law,
rape continues in many rural
and urban areas throughout
the country unabated. Ms.
Kamara feels the law on
rape should be changed to a
harsher one.
I want rapist to die because if
they die at least our children
will rest. Ur children are not
in peace in this country. If you
leave your girl child to go to

school to go to school, you

will worry, she said.
They do this because they
can carry them to jail and
feed them three times a day;
they let them out after two
years, that is what is saving

them. But if they were killing

them, it was going to be
limited.
Kamara said she thinks there
is more to why men rape,
than meet the naked eye.
She said the rape of women

and girls including children

below the age of five, is
distasteful to say the least.
Her view about Liberian men
seems to be tainted by the
huge number of rape cases
that are perpetrated by men

who are old enough to know

right from wrong.
For me I think that this
rape thing is just an evil act
or another war just declared
on women and children, she
said.
Continued Kamara: It is
not only limited to the girl
children but also the boys
can be raped. Men are using
boys in their anus for sex;
something that was never
done here before. It is not
right. For me this rape issue
is just an evil plot set up by
a group of people initiating
other people into it and doing
it within the community.
The rape activist said during
the Ebola outbreak, men
continued to rape women
and children and killing them
in the process. Highlighting
the raping of a three year
old and a fifteen year old in
January in the Brewerville
area, Kamara said it is time
for women to rally against
rapist and save their children.
I told my children not to call
any man uncle because if you
respect them and call them
uncle, they can disgrace
themselves ; thats the name
they can use to damage the
children. All the children that
have been calling these men
uncle it is these same men
that they call uncle that are
raping them. It is very bad,
she said.
Continued Kamara: For me
if the government declares
in this country that rapist
should be killed, I will be

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Frontpage
warring factions according to
media reports.
While the number of women
requiring treatment has
started to decline, the
hospital has been contending
with the new phenomenon
of young girls being raped,
especially babies according
to Mukwege.
"Last year, when we started
treating these babies, we
reached 35 recorded cases
that required heavy surgery,"
he noted.
He said only three people
were arrested for those
acts noting that there have
been incidents in several
Congolese provinces, with a
15-month-old child reported
dead in one case.
Rape a world problem

the happiest woman ever on

this earth. If you rape and
the person dies, they should
kill you, if the person does
not die they should kill you
because every rape case is
a murder case. They should
send parents who are hiding
rape cases to prison to tell
them that rape is not a family
matter because rape cases
are still in hiding.
Women and men at the
conference also highlighted
the odds against women
when it comes to reporting
rape cases. Some alleged that
women and victims of rape
are shunned when they come
forward to report rape cases.
The report on community
consultation forums on rape
highlighted released at the
conference a case in Nimba
County, wherein a woman
(name withheld) was bathing
in the public on a major
highway and she was raped
by a man who was passing by.
The case was reported to
authorities in the town but
instead of taking action
against the perpetrator,
community leaders blamed
the woman who is a victim
of rape for tempting the man.
They claim that she exposed
herself by bathing in the
open and no action was taken
against the perpetrator.
A Muslim male in Ganta,
Nimba County quoted in
the report stated: Rape is
wicked, but raping babies
and little children is not only
wicked, it is murder and the
perpetrators must be killed!
It is not rape! It is murder!!
Those men are murderers.
Bearing the scars

Senator Jewel Howard Taylor

serving as keynote speaker at
the program said Liberia has
high incidence of rape, but
the people can work together
to eliminate it and make the
society violence free. She
said the government must
provide a safe environment
for children by engaging in
employment and wealth

creation. She wants the

government to also put
in place strong laws to
discourage sex trade, provide

thrives because of the

following reasons: A man
must have sex to prove his
masculinity; When a woman

intercourse; at that point she

has no cause to refuse; If a
woman gets drunk or is on
drugs, she by her own action
has invited rape on herself; A
man is the head and owner of
his wife and can do with her
as he pleases
Senator Taylor said rape is
a terror which no woman or
man, boy or girl is immune
from, no matter the age,
physical condition or dress.
Note that rape is not a mere
sexual crime; it is an act of
violence and has its roots
not in lust or uncontrollable
passion, but in hatred. Rape
is intended as a humiliation,
a way of asserting supremacy
over the victim, in order to
ensure control, she said.
Congo vs. Liberia

punishment for both those

who compromise rape cases.
It is demeaning, destructive
and its impact has long term
devastating consequences on
the victim, family and society
at large. For it leaves one with
a sense of worthlessness,
said Senator Taylor.
This sense of worthlessness
is the real threat to the
survival and advancement
of women. For who can
progress when you feel
you have no value? The
mere fact that rape is done
without the permission of
someone, leaves its victims
with physical and emotional
scars that may never heal.
This situation must be erased
from our society.
Senator Taylor said rape
thrives in Liberia because
of the following societal
constraints which borders on
cultural, traditional practices
and perceptions in society.
Said Senator Taylor: Rape

says no, she actually means

yes, so ignore her when she
refuses to say no; If a woman
agrees to kiss you, she has
by that act consented and is
obligated to engage in sexual

Liberia is not the only country

that faces challenges of rape
and other SGBV incidence,
the Republic of Congo is
facing a similar problem
with the rapes of babies said
physician and Nobel Prize
nominee Denis Mukwege
when he appeared before the
European Parliament.
The gynecologist runs a
hospital in the country that
has treated thousands of
victims of rape and sexual
violence
committed
by

Rape continues to be a
universal problem according
to United Nations Secretary
General Ban Ki Moon. The
gang rape of a young woman
on a bus in New Delhi led to
an unusual burst of national
outrage in India according
to the UN. The world body
found that in South Sudan,
women are assaulted by both
sides in the civil war. In Iraq,
jihadists enslave women for
sex. And American colleges
face mounting scrutiny about
campus rape.
A United Nations analysis
presented by UN Secretary
General Ban to the General
Assembly on International
Womens day states that
despite the gains women
have made in education,
health and even political
power in the course of a
generation, violence against
women and girls worldwide
persists at alarmingly high
levels.
The UN maintained that
though the share of women
serving
in
legislatures
around the world has nearly
doubled, women still account
for only one in five legislators
and all but 32 countries
have adopted laws that
guarantee gender equality in
constitutions.
The report maintains that
violence against women,
including
rape,
murder
and sexual harassment
remains stubbornly high in
countries rich and poor, at
war and at peace.
The
World
Health
Organization found that 38

Page 9

percent of women who are

murdered are killed by their
partners.
Statistics on Rape Liberia

In Liberia recent data

and reports are revealing
disturbingly high incidence
of rape throughout Liberia,
especially rape of children
below the age of 18 years.
In 2012 the Gender Ministry
reported a total of 2,493
sexual and gender based
violence crimes in Liberia,
up from 2,029 cases in 2010
according to a report by the
ministry of Gender, Children
and Social Protection.
A majority of these cases
fifty eight per cent were rape
cases of which 92 percent
or 1, 348 involved rape of
children between the ages
of three months to 17 years,
stated the report.
The report maintains that in
the first two months of this
year, media reports have
already catalogued some
violent cases of alleged rape
and maintains that this
prevalence sexual and gender
based violence, especially
rape, presents a clear threat
to gender equality, womens
empowerment
and
to
Liberias development.
Mothers are worried about
their childrens welfare in
Liberia as they have been
endangered by the rise in the
number of rape cases. Every
mother is at the edge of her
seat and many women feel
Liberia is not safe for their
children, especially the girls
to live.
If I had money, I would
leave this country with my
children, because this every
day rape thing is making me
scared. Even when I take
my children to school, I feel
afraid to leave them there
for fear the male teachers
will rape them, said Musu
Kanneh a mother of three in
Brewerville.
These days our children
cannot
play
peacefully
because of this pathetic
behavior by these men; we
dont know who to trust, it has
become a societal problem
and if nothing is done to curb
it, we may lose our girls or
even lose ourselves. Rape is
a matter of Life AND DEATH.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Page 10 | Frontpage

Environmental Social Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA) Related Responsibilities

The Social Development Manager (SDM) will be responsible for ensuring that the
PIOM ESHIA Management Plans are implemented within International and National
Standards and Best Practice and more importantly on budget and on time;

The Social Development Manager will be responsible for the Management of the full
Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) tendering and contracting process and management
of consultants;

The Social Development Manager will be responsible for the management of any
additional Environmental, Social and Health (ESH) specialized studies as required.
This will includes developing TOR, overseeing the tendering, evaluation
and
selection process ;

Equally responsible for the management of any Environmental and Social Projects
either relating to off-set program or social/or community request;

Management of and liaison point person for the ESHIA Contractors and associated
Sub-contractors including developing and managing their task, weekly follow-up of
ESHIA Management Plans implementation process;

The company has two divisions which are as follows: SEVERSTAL RESOURCES & SEVERSTAL
RUSSIAN STEEL

Review of ESHIA report including the EMP and SMP, and Reality check on the
appropriateness of impact mitigation measures proposed by ESHIA consultants;

Putu Iron Ore Mining Inc. is a segment of SEVERSTAL RESOURCES, which is the division which
incorporates all of the raw material assets of SEVERSTAL. In 2010, SEVERSTAL signed a Mineral
Development Agreement (MDA) for a period of twenty five (25) years with the Government of
Liberia. The agreement may be extended beyond this timeframe depending on the lifespan of the
mine. On 23 December 2011, the company purchased the remaining 38.5% shares from Affero
Mining Inc. SEVERSTAL places key importance on how to be a leader in this business. In order to
do so, emphasis is placed on the following three key values in ensuring the achievement of this goal.
EFFICIENCY AND AGILITY, RESPECT FOR EMPLOYEES, & TEAMWORK.

Manage any independent reviews and updating of the ESHIA process, deliverables
and management plans;

Liaison between ESHIA team and PIOM management and planning team on the ESM
and SMP implementation Plans;

Support to the stakeholder engagement strategy for the ESHIA Management Plans
implementation process;

Striving to become an employer of choice, the company views the welfare of its workforce of primary
importance. This is exemplified in the slogan which supports the brand which was introduced in
2009, ACHIEVING MORE TOGETHER. SEVERSTAL is defined in three words
EXCELLENCE, PEOPLE AND UNITY.

Ensure that at all times PIOM ESHIA Management Plans and impact management
strategy is aligned with International Best Practices and Standards.

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
ABOUT PUTU IRON ORE MINING INC.
Putu Iron Ore Mining Inc. came into being in 2008 through the acquisition of 61.5% shares of a 13.5
km iron rich ridge in Grand Gedeh County, Liberia by Severstal. Feasibility studies have revealed an
estimated 3.2 billion tons of iron ore. Of Russian origin, SEVERSTALs modest beginnings are the
Cherepovets Steel Mill, located in the Vologda region of Russia. The Mill came into being in 1955. In
1993, The Cherepovets Steel Mill was registered as an Open Joint Stock Company and this gave
birth to the name, SEVERSTAL. Today, SEVERSTAL is one of the worlds leading vertically
integrated steel and steel related mining companies, with assets in Russia, Latvia, Ukraine, Poland,
Italy and Liberia with approximately 53,000 employees. Severstal is listed on MICEX/RTS,
GDRs are traded on the LSE.

PUTU IRON ORE MINING INC. is seeking for a dynamic, committed and highly
competent individual with a solid background and demonstrated experience in the
field of Environmental Management or Social Science, Economics; or Health
Studies to serve as a Social Development Manager.
Job Title:
Social Development Manager (Ref. number: SDM PIOMV/0033)
Department:
Social Affairs Department (SAD)
Place of Work: PIOM Monrovia Office, Montserrado County & PIOM Site Office,
Putu Grand Gedeh County with extensive travelling required.
Reports to:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Duration:
Indefinite (With an Initial Three (3) Months Probation Period)
PIOM offers a highly competitive salary and benefits.

Essential Function:

The overall purpose of the Social Development Manager post will be to identify and
manage all construction and mining phases related impacts of the PIOM Project. Manage
the implementation of Environmental, Social and Health Management Plans established
during the Feasibility Study - Environmental Social Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA)
process for PIOM.
A key part to the role will be to integrate the sites perspective, impact identification and
management into PIOMs operations. This post will work in close collaboration with the
Government Relations and Corporate Affairs Manager, Health, Security and
Environmental (HSE) Managers and their respective teams.
Under the Direct Supervision of the Chief Executive Officer, the incumbent shall
carry out the following duties:

Construction and Exploitation Impact Management Related Responsibilities

Ensure that construction and Exploitation impacts are appropriately managed during
the project development phase, to avoid the creation of legacies for the project
including:

The Identification of construction and exploitation related is impacts;

Developing a Management plan for construction and exploitation

management;

impacts

Having oversight of the implementation of the impact management plans;

Regular
monitoring,
management.

review

and

reporting

on

exploration

impact

Personal Qualities:

Able to work effectively as part of a team;

The ability to build the capacity of the team;

Ability to work across functions and departments;

Positive attitude, flexibility, willingness and enthusiasm to get the job done using own
initiative and good teamwork skills;

An interest and sound knowledge of the extractive sector.

Languages:
Fluent English, spoken and written;
Knowledge of other local vernaculars would be an advantage.

Duties:

Maintaining and enhancing positive community relations and developing a large

network amongst the communities, which will enable PIOM to execute its
stakeholder engagement plans and achieve it overall business strategy.

Providing technical specialist support and advising on all social issues and
impacts management, including land and resettlement issues, cultural heritage,
community health and safety issues, project rehabilitation, closure and exit.

Developing and executing a complaints management procedure that will ensure

that all construction and mining related grievances and complaints are manage
effectively and timeously.

Evaluating all socio-economic development projects in conjunction with the local

communitys demands, regional, national development plans and programmes and
to develop social strategies and implement accordingly.

Monitoring the effectiveness of PIOM stakeholder engagement strategy to inform

future engagement plans. Also monitor PIOM compliance and alignment with it
social requirements within the Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) and
other Government regulations, national action plans and strategy.

Taking a lead role in the development and implementation of PIOMs social

capacity building strategy and to assess and address capacity gaps within PIOMs
social affairs team according to international standard.

Education and Experience:

Education: Postgraduate University Degree, preferably in areas such
Environmental Management or Social Science, Economics; or Health Studies;

Experience: The incumbent should have at least 5-10 years Specific Experience in
Management Social Issues with the Mining Industry;
Demonstrate prior experience in the management of an ESHIA process and
implementation of ESHIA Management Plans (or at least components thereof) on an
extractive (Greenfield or Brownfield project or major infrastructure project (ideally
mining project) is a requirement.
Experience in similar context, post-conflict environment would be advantageous.
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

International Finance Corporation Performance Standards,

International Council Mining and Metal (ICMM) position statements,
Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR),

Specific Responsibilities

The Social Development Manager will be ultimately responsible to manage all socioeconomic issues on the PIOM project in consultation with PIOMs management and
the CR team.

The Social Development Manager will sets the strategy and oversees its
implementation relating to - ESHIA management plans, stakeholder engagement,
land acquisition and resettlement, social investment, local economic development,
cultural heritage and sacred sites etc.

The Social Development Manager will be responsible for stakeholder engagement

(with UN agencies, development actors, NGOs etc.) at a national, regional and county
level. Liaison with Government officials will be led by the Government Relations and
Corporate Affairs Manager and where issues overlap between the two functions,
engagement should be undertaken collectively and a clear lead established.
Engagement with the local community will principally be led by the Community
Relations Manager, under the directives and supervision of the Social Development
Manager.

Very close working relationships will need to be fostered by the Social Development
Manager with the Government and Corporate Affairs Manager, HSE and Security
Managers respectively and all overlapping areas of work should be jointly scoped and
agreed upon.

The Social Development Manager will lead on PIOMs liaison with external and
internal stakeholders regarding the implementation of the ESHIA Management Plans
and management of construction related impacts.

Oversee human rights related issues in collaboration with security, community

relations, and health and safety teams.

The Social Development Manager will also oversee all community complaints and
grievances, closure and rehabilitation related activities, community aspects of the
ESHIA and Mineral Development Agreements (MDA) social requirements.

Agrees performance metrics for each subordinate, manages performance of each

subordinate, and establishes training and development requirements for each
subordinate and budget development and planning.

Regular (weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually) reporting to the

management team on impact and ESHIA management plans implementation.

Regular reporting to Government (GOL) line Agencies as stipulated in the MDA.

PIOM

Internal Management Systems and Capacity Building

Supporting the development of internal management systems and a reporting

framework on environmental, social and health impact identification, management
and monitoring;

Build the capacity

monitoring;

Awareness rising within PIOM regarding impact management and best practice.

of the CR team on impact identification, management and

Excellent knowledge of international Best Practices and Performance Standards for

impact management, including but not limited to:
World Bank and Equator Principle Performance Standards,

Key strategic targets and outcomes will be the building of the capacity of Liberians.
Build PIOMs capacity to implement the social affairs strategy. Provide strategic
direction, advice and identify the social talent pool and requirements for the project.
Direct targeted training and mentorship programmes and facilitate peer-to-peer support
within the Social Affairs Department.

as

The incumbent must demonstrate experience in managing a project RAP process and
large scale survey,

Ability to take an holistic point of view,

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills including a strong capacity of

synthesis and an ability to communicate technical concepts,

Diplomacy skills and ability to manage teams of external consultants,

Excellent project management skills,

Team builder and motivator with demonstrable ability to work with diverse team and
culture

Ability to listen to, understand and respect the different perspectives of local
communities, PIOM and other stakeholders,

Competent PC user including MS Office e.g. Word, Excel, Access and MS Projects,
Power Point, MS Publisher,

Ability to develop budget for Social Development projects and equally have the
ability to undertake effective budget tracking process.

Ability to make good judgment, meet deadlines and establish good inter-personal
relationships;

Persistence in the face of challenge/diversity;

How to Apply:
Putu Iron Ore Mining Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and considers all
applicants on the basis of merit without regard to county of origin, sex, religion, age,
disability or marital status.
Clearly indicate the job title and reference number as subject line in your letter of
application with your curriculum vitae and relevant credentials attached, and email
us at hr@putuliberia.com
Deadline for submission of applications is April 17, 2015 at 4:00PM. If you fail to
indicate the job title and reference number as subject, your application will not be
accepted.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Frontpage

Invitation for Bids (IFB)

Page 11

Invitation for Bids (IFB)

National Competitive Bidding

Supply of Motor Vehicles
IFB No. LRA/NCB/016/014-015

National Competitive Bidding

Repair & Maintenance of LRA Generators
IFB No. LRA/NCB/010/014-015

1. The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has received funds from the Government of Liberia
through its Core Budgetary allocations and intends to apply part of it to fund eligible
payments under the contract for Supply of Vehicles for its FY 2014/2015 operations.

1. The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has received funds from the Government of Liberia
through budgetary allocations and intends to apply part of it to fund eligible payments
under the contract for Repairs & Maintenance of LRA Generators for its FY 2014/2015
operations.

2. This procurement covers the Supply of Motor Vehicles as indicated below, under two (2)
separated lots as indicated below;

2. This procurement covers Regular Servicing, Maintenance & Repairs of generators as

indicated below, Supply of Spare Parts and Supply of Lubricants under three separated
lots as indicated below;

LOT
1.

Description
LOT 1

QTY

Double Cabin Pickups, 4 door, for rough terrain (4x4

Diesel)

Sedans, Manual Transmission (Gasoline)

LOT 2

LOT 1-Regular Servicing, Maintenance & Repairs

Item Description

All interested bidders must indicate a current business address where the physical location
of their premises can be found.
3.

The Liberia Revenue Authority now invites sealed bids from eligible and qualified bidders for
Supply of Motor Vehicles with a warranty and availability of spare parts.

4.

Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) procedures
specified in the PPCA and approved by the PPCC, and is open to all eligible bidders.

5.

Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from the below address within the
hours of 9:30 am to 3:00 p.m., Monday thru Friday as follows:
Walter J. Dean,
Liberia Revenue Authority
LRA Logistics Management Section
Ministry of Finance & Development Planning,
1stFloor
Broad & Mechlin Street-Monrovia, Liberia
Tel: 231-(0886) -517-891
walter.dean@lra.gov.lr

3.

4.

5.

Qualification requirements include the following:

Signed Bid or Tender Form
A bid security (in the form of Managers Check)
A valid Tax Clearance Certificate

7.

6.

Valid Business Registration

Company profile
Names of current past/clients and their contact details
Proof of similar services provided

All bids must be clearly marked with the address indicated below.
Supply of Motor Vehicles
Ref: IFB No. LRA/NCB/016/014-015
Liberia Revenue Authority ,
NASSCORP House
Paynesville, Liberia
Tel: 231-(0886) -517-891
walter.dean@lra.gov.lr

1
2

300 KVA SDMO Generators

200 KVA SDMO Generator

1
2

LOT 2-Supply of Generators Spare Parts

300 KVA SDMO Generators Spare Parts
200 KVA SDMO Generator Spare Parts

Various
Various

1
2

LOT 3-Supply of Generators Lubricant

300 KVA SDMO Generators
200 KVA SDMO Generator

Various
Various

2
1

All interested bidders and service providers must indicate a current business address where
the physical location of their premises can be found.

6.

Quantity

The Liberia Revenue Authority now invites sealed bids from eligible and qualified bidders for
Regular Servicing, Maintenance & Repair of Generators including the supply of
generator spare parts.
Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) procedures
specified in the PPCA and approved by the PPCC, and is open to all eligible bidders.
Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from the below address within the
hours of 9:30 am to 3:00 p.m. as follows:
Walter J. Dean,
Liberia Revenue Authority
LRA Logistics Management Section
Ministry of Finance & Development Planning,
1stFloor

Broad &Mechlin Street-Monrovia, Liberia

Tel: 231-(0886) -517-891
walter.dean@lra.gov.lr
Qualification requirements include the following:

Signed Bid or Tender Form

A bid security (in the form of Managers Check)
A valid Tax Clearance Certificate
Valid Business Registration
Company profile
Names of current past/clients and their contact details
Proof of similar services provided

7.

All bids must be clearly marked with the address indicated below.
Repair &Maintenance of Generators
Ref: IFB No. LRA/NCB/010/014-015
Liberia Revenue Authority ,
NASSCORP House
Paynesville, Liberia
Tel: 231-(0886) -517-891
walter.dean@lra.gov.lr

8.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before April 27, 2015 at 2:00 p.m.

9.

Bids will be opened on April 27, 2015 2:00 pm, in the presence of bidders representatives
who choose to attend, at the address below:

8.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before April 27, 2015 at 1:00 p.m.

10.

Electronic and late bids will not be accepted.

9.

Bids will be opened on April 27, 2015 1:00 pm, in the presence of bidders representatives
who choose to attend, at the address below:

Liberia Revenue Authority Headquarters

NASSCORP House
ELWA Junction
Paynesville, Liberia

10.

Electronic and late bids will not be accepted

Liberia Revenue Authority Headquarters

NASSCORP House
ELWA Junction
Paynesville, Liberia

Oliver N. Rogers, II
Deputy Commissioner General Adm.
Affairs

Walter J. Dean
Procurement Manager

Oliver N. Rogers, II
Deputy Commissioner General Adm.
Affairs

Walter J. Dean
Procurement Manager

Page 12 | Frontpage

Monroviaours
after
confirmation
that
opposition
politician
Army
General Muhammadu Buhari
officially won the presidential
election in Nigeria, Liberia
main opposition Liberty
party congratulated the new
Nigerian leader.
In a congratulatory message,
the Liberty Party stated
The Liberty Party takes this
opportunity to congratulate
President-elect
Muhamed
Buhari on his election and
ascendency to the Presidency
of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria. Mr. Buharis tenacity
and steadfastness over three
election cycle, his grace in
defeat and his ability to stay
the course says a lot about
his stature as a statesman
and politician.
The Liberty Party declared
that noteworthy is Presidentelect Buharis ability to build
a coalition of opposition
parties,
putting
aside
personal interest and fielding
a tried and tested politician
which the party indicated
explains to a large extent
why the opposition has come
to power for the first time
in Africas most populous
democracy.

BUHARIS TENACITY
Wednesday, April 1, 2015

LIBERTY PARTY CONGRATULATES Nigerian PRESIDENT -ELECT

Stated the Liberty party

Our congratulations also
goes to the people of Nigeria
with their commitment

to democratic principles
and governance who have
shown all of Africa that it
is the people who rule any

democracy and that no

government, no matter how
large or small, can escape
their mandate or wrath.

HUMANITARIAN GESTURE
Free Methodist Church identifies With Orphans And Ebola Survivors
Kennedy L. Yangian kennedylyangian@frontpageafricaonline.com 0777296781

Pastor Khan Squatting In Blue Shirt Posed For Picture With The Orphans

Monroviahe outbreak of
the deadly Ebola
Disease in March
2014
and
its
devastating effect continues
to create hardship in every
sector of Liberia.
Amid protest before the
General Ministry last month
by Ebola survivors and
orphans of the Taffi Dollar
Children Welfare Center,
to draw governments
attention to their plight,
the Free Methodist World
Mission Church has come
in to identify with the two
groups.
The Taffi Dollar Welfare
Center located on Disco Hill
Roberts field Highway in

Margibi County, was a scene

of a humanitarian donation
Monday, when the church
through its national leader
Rev. Barh Rufus Kahn
donated 15 bags of rice and
20 dozen of copy books
as part of the churchs
humanitarian gesture to the
groups during this period
of the Ebola crisis in the
country,
Pastor Kahn stated that
the church was touched
after hearing about the
groups protest before
the Gender Ministry, to
draw the attention of the
government on their plight
and that the little donation
will help alleviate some of
the problems facing the

children of the welfare

center.
We were touched by your
plight in this period of the
Ebola, when we heard about
your protest before the
Gender Ministry, this is why
we have come to identify
with you said Pastor Kahn.
He also stated that the
donation was not the first
of its kind by the church
since the outbreak of
the Ebola crisis begun in
March 2014 and that the
Free Methodist Church has
been very instrumental in
providing Ebola buckets
and synthesizers to several
communities in and out of
Monrovia. He put the total
value the church has spent

so far on such donations in

the fight against the Ebola
disease to over US$10,000.
Rev. Kahn said that the
gesture initiated by the
church came as a response
to the Ebola crisis by the
Bishop of the crisis funds of
the Free Methodist Church
of North America.
The head of the welfare
center Wilmot Yarletai
lauded the church for the
donation at a time Liberians
and their foreign partners
are working assiduously to
kick the deadly virus out of
the country.
Thank you for your
donation, it is very timely,
said
Director
Wilmot
Yarletai.

The opposition party also

commended
outgoing
President Goodluck Jonathan
for it termed his patriotism.

We laud outgoing President

Goodluck Jonathan whose
early concession shows his
patriotism and commitment
to Nigeria, couched in an
unwillingness to drag his
country through a tedious
election contest when he
knows that the people have
spoken. We urge all African
politicians,
especially
presidential
candidates,
to learn the grace and
patriotism of this great
African statesman.
Ahead of the 2017 election,
the Liberty party called on its
partisans to learn from the
Nigerian election.
Liberty Party concluded in
the statement As we look
forward to Liberias own
poll in 2017, Liberty Party
urges all politicians to learn
from the recent examples of
Nigeria and show the world
how democratic futures are
built.

BONG LAWMAKER
PRAISES WORLD BANK
By Philip T. Singbah in Gbarnga, Bong County

Jorquelleh District, Bong Countyong County Jorquelleh District two Representative

Prince Moye is lauding the World Bank for the
construction of a modern high school facility in
district two.
Representative Moye believes the facility demonstrates
government and her development partners commitment
to ensure quality education for Liberians in the countrys
recovery processes.
He said the World Bank investment in education especially
the construction of schools and technical support to Liberias
Educational development will go a long way in the country
history.
Speaking to journalists during the dedication of the facility
in Seanzue recently, Representative Moye said the people
of Jorquelleh were grateful to the Bank and implementing
partners for the timely completion of the school facility.
The Bong County Lawmaker said for too long residents of the
district have migrated their children to other places to acquire
secondary education thus hindering the districts human
resource development.
He described the facility as a breakthrough for the district and
encouraged the district to support the school and send their
children there to acquire the needed education.
Representative Moye pledged his commitment to work with
the citizens to turn the old school facility in the town into a
mini dormitory to enhance enrolment into new school facility.
The Bong County Lawmaker said ahead of the completion of
road construction in the district, discussions will be held with
cell phone companies and the Liberia Marketing Association
to invest in Seanzue to enhance the sustainability of the school.
With funding from the World Bank Ministry of Education and
the Global Partnership for Basic Education recently dedicated
over five hundred thousand U.S School facility Jorquelleh
district.
The school facility is part of the World Bank 40 million U.S
dollars grant to Liberia for the construction of 36 schools
across Liberia.
The Project components include, Procurement of teaching and
learning materials targeting one million text books for grades
5-9, 1.5 million supplemental readers for grades 1-4 and 1.4
million assorted instructional materials for grades 1-9 and
provision of school grants for grades 1-9.
Others include capacity building for the Ministry Education
Central and local office.
The second school facility for Bong County comprises of 3
classrooms and is located in Panta-Kpaii District.
The US $ 40,000,000 World Bank Project is expected to end in
June 2015.

Lot No.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Lot 1
1.

Name of Bidder

Nationality

Read-out
Price (US$)

JV of MBH Power Pvt

India
5,946,999.39
Limited and Shreem Electric
Limited
2. JV of Zhongmei/JTPCC
P.R. China 7,866,644.15
Consortium
P.O.BOX 10-165
3. JV10,ofLIBERIA
China National Technical P.R. China 10,266,297.00
WATERSIDE, 1000 MONROVIA
Import & Export
Corporation/JSPDI Consortium
NOTICE OF AWARD
4. Eltel Networks
Sweden 10,476,000.00
AWARD OF CONTRACT FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS AS PER TABLE BELOW
FOR 5. National Contracting Co. Ltd. Saudi Arabia 11,343,050.00

REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA
LIBERIA ELECTRICITY CORPORATION

Evaluated
Price (US$)

Remarks

Frontpage

Page 13

6,987,676.98 Recommended Bidder

with contract price of

US$6,987,676.98.
7,132,113.35 Less Competitive Bid
10,277,323.41 Less Competitive Bid
10,476,000.87 Less Competitive Bid
Less Competitive Bid

18 months following the

date of effectiveness the
of the Contract

11,693,317.40
Euro256,
THE LIBERIA ACCELERATED ELECTRICITY EXPANSION PROJECT (LACEEP)
026.00
6. Mohan Energy Corporation Pvt
India
7,631,998.22 Rejected Bidder did not have duly
Identification Number: ICB No: LACEEP/LEC/01-03/2014
Ltd.
filled technical data
schedule (TDS) for any of
Project Number: P133445
the equipment being
supplied.
IDA Credit Number: 52520-LR
7. JV of Semoh Group of
Liberia
6,983,995.15 Rejected Bid Security fell short of
CompaniesContract
Inc. / Govind
the minimum required
Summary of Scope of the Awarded
Development. LLC
validity of 148 days after
bid opening. The value on
International Competitive Bidding (ICB) for the Supply & Installation of 66/33kv Substations & Transmission/
the Bid Security was
Distribution Lines Kakata Corridor as per the below Schedule of requirements:
US$50,000 instead of
US$150,000.
Lot 2
Name of Bidder
Nationality Read-out
Evaluated
Remarks
Lot
Package No.
Description
Construction
Price (US$) Price (US$)
No.
period
1. JV of Zhongmei/JTPCC
P.R. China 2,661,427.30 2,646,280.30 Recommended Bidder
LACEEP/LEC/01/2014 Supply and Installation of 66kV Paynesville - Kakata
with a contract price of
Consortium
1.
1
US$2,646,280.30
Transmission Line and 66/33kV Substation in Kakata
LACEEP/LEC/02/2014 Supply and Installation of Distribution Networks and
2. JV of China National Technical P.R. China 5,112,670.00 5,110,663.80 Less Competitive Bid
2.
Customer Connections for Electrification of
Import & Export
Communities in the Economic Corridor PaynesvilleCorporation/JSPDI Consortium
Kakata
LACEEP/LEC/03/2014 Supply and Installation of Distribution Networks and
3. Eltel Networks
Sweden
4,866,810.00 5,211,770.30 Less Competitive Bid
3.
Customer Connections for Electrification of
Communities around Paynesville and selected large
4. JV of Semoh Group of
Liberia
2,563,132.00
Rejected Bid Security from JV of
users
SEMOH & GOVIND fell
Companies Inc. / Govind
short of the minimum
Development. LLC
required validity of 148
days after bid opening.
5. Havage Engineering Services
Nigeria
6,639,972.30
Rejected Bidder did not provide
Lot No.
Name of Bidder
Nationality Read-out
Evaluated
Remarks
technical Data Sheet for
Price (US$) Price (US$)
Limited Construction
any equipment as
Lot 1
specified in Bid
1. JV of MBH Power Pvt
India
5,946,999.39 6,987,676.98 Recommended Bidder
Document
Limited and Shreem Electric
with contract price of
6. JV of BXC Company (Ghana)
Ghana
3,675,756.17 Rejected Bid from JV of BXC &
US$6,987,676.98.
Limited
CB Electric Limited did
Limited/CB Electric Company
2. JV of Zhongmei/JTPCC
P.R. China 7,866,644.15 7,132,113.35 Less Competitive Bid
not include a signed Bid
Consortium
Ltd.
Form.
3. JV of China National Technical P.R. China 10,266,297.00 10,277,323.41 Less Competitive Bid
Lot 3
Name of Bidder
Nationality Read-out
Evaluated
Remarks
Import & Export
Price
(US$)
Price
(US$)
Corporation/JSPDI Consortium
1. JV of Zhongmei/JTPCC
P.R. China 7,293,519.10 7,293,519.10 Recommended Bidder
4. Eltel Networks
Sweden 10,476,000.00 10,476,000.87 Less Competitive Bid
with a contract price of
Consortium
US$7,293,519.10
5. National Contracting Co. Ltd. Saudi Arabia 11,343,050.00
Less Competitive Bid
2. JV of China National Technical P.R. China 11,507,579.00 11,498,958.90 Less Competitive Bid
11,693,317.40
Euro256,
Import & Export
026.00
Corporation/JSPDI Consortium
6. Mohan Energy Corporation Pvt
India
7,631,998.22 Rejected Bidder did not have duly
Ltd.
filled technical data
3. Eltel Networks
Sweden 12,098,385.20 12,111,695.20 Less Competitive Bid
schedule (TDS) for any of
the equipment being
4. JV of Semoh Group of
Liberia
6,740,430.40
Rejected Bid Security from JV of
supplied.
SEMOH & GOVIND fell
Companies/Govind
short of the minimum
7. JV of Semoh Group of
Liberia
6,983,995.15 Rejected Bid Security fell short of
Development LLC
required validity of 148
Companies Inc. / Govind
the minimum required
days after bid opening.
Development. LLC
validity of 148 days after
Rejected Bid from JV of BXC &
5. JV of BXC Company (Ghana)
Ghana
9,733,644.94
bid opening. The value on
Limited/CB
Electric
Company
CB Electric Limited did
the Bid Security was
Ltd.
not include a signed Bid
US$50,000 instead of
Form.
US$150,000.
Lot 2
Name of Bidder
Nationality Read-out
Evaluated
Remarks
Price (US$) Price (US$)

Page 14 | Frontpage

IN BRIEF

UGANDA PROSECUTOR
IN AL-SHABAB BOMB
CASE SHOT DEAD

oan
Kagezi,
the
top Ugandan state
prosecutor in the trial
of 13 men accused of
a deadly al-Shabab bomb
attack, has been shot dead in
Kampala.
Ms Kagezi was targeted on
her way home by motorbike
gunmen, officials say.
The trial of the men, accused
of links to the 2010 Kampala
suicide bombing which
killed 76 people, has been
suspended.
Last week, the US embassy in
Uganda warned of a possible
"terrorist" attack.
Ms Kagezi, the senior
principal state attorney,
headed the directorate of
public prosecution's antiterrorism and war crimes
division.

SOUTH AFRICA READING

PROJECT PRAESA WINS
LINDGREN AWARD

reading project aimed

at children and young
people in South Africa
has
been
named
the winner of the 2015 Astrid
Lindgren Memorial Award.
Praesa, or Project for the Study
of Alternative Education in South
Africa, was rewarded for having
"the joy of reading as its compass
point".
The award is named after
Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren,
the creator of the Pippi
Longstocking book series.
Praesa director Carole Bloch said
winning was "a dream coming
true".
The judges said the organisation,
founded in Cape Town in 1992,
showed the "crucial role of books
and stories in creating rich, full
lives for children and young
people".
The prize, now in its 15th year,
is the world's largest children's
literature award and is worth
five million Swedish kronor
(391,000).
"This will make an incredible
difference to the reading work
we do for huge numbers of
children across Africa," said
Bloch.

KENTUCKY ARGUES GAY

MARRIAGE BAN NOT BIASED

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)

ov. Steve Beshear's
administration
is
arguing in a brief filed
with the U.S. Supreme
Court that Kentucky's ban on gay
marriage isn't discriminatory
because it bars both gay and
straight people from same-sex
unions.
The brief argues that because
Kentucky's law bars everyone
from same-sex marriage, it isn't
discriminatory and should be
upheld.
Attorney Dan Canon, who
represents six gay couples
challenging Kentucky's gay
marriage ban, told The CourierJournal (http://cjky.it/1EZ2tMy)
that the argument in the brief
filed last week is "especially
absurd."

PAGE
RONT

WORLD NEWS

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

JONATHAN RUNS OUT OF GOOD LUCK

N
Reuters) -

igeria's opposition
All
Progressives
Congress
(APC)
declared an election
victory on Tuesday for former
military ruler Muhammadu
Buhari and said Africa's
most populous nation was
witnessing history with its first
democratic transfer of power.
"The people of Nigeria have
taken over," an ecstatic APC
spokesman Lai Mohammed
told Reuters at the house in
the capital where Buhari,
a sandal-wearing Muslim
ascetic watching the results on
television.
"This is the first time in Nigeria
that a sitting government will
be voted out of power using
purely democratic means."
The count showed Buhari
steamrolling to a landslide
against President Goodluck
Jonathan, whose People's
Democratic Party (PDP) has
made no comment since the
scale of the political earthquake
in Nigeria -- Africa's biggest
economy and top oil producer
-- has become apparent.
With just one of 36 states left
to declare, Buhari's APC had
15.1 million votes versus 11.7
for Jonathan and the PDP,
according to a Reuters tally.
Mohammed said there was
no reason to doubt Jonathan
would concede, in line with a
'peace accord' he signed with
Buhari before this weekend's
vote to allay fears of violence.
Around 800 people were killed
in three days of bloodletting in
the mainly Muslim north after
a Buhari defeat to Jonathan in
2011.
"He said several times that he
would relinquish power if he
was voted out in a free and fair
election," Mohammed said.
Buhari ruled from 1983 to
1985 before being ousted in
another military takeover led
by General Ibrahim Babangida.
He has since declared himself
a convert to democracy and
has run and lost in several
previous elections.
Jonathan's five years at the
helm have been plagued
by
corruption
scandals
and a Boko Haram Islamist
insurgency in the northeast in
which thousands have been
killed. The PDP has run Nigeria
since the end of military rule in
1999.
Bar some technical glitches
and the killing of more than a
dozen voters by Boko Haram
militants in the northeast,
the election has been the
smoothest and most orderly
in recent history - a factor that
appears to have played in the
outcome.
"There are probably lots of
reasons why the PDP might
have lost, but I think the key
one is that the elections just
haven't been rigged," said
Antony Goldman, a business
consultant with high-level
contacts in Nigeria.
"NEW DIRECTION"
In the Abuja house where
Buhari was staying, there was
restrained joy tinged with a
sense of the responsibility
ahead, in particular managing
a smooth transition in a

country of 170 million people

split along a complex mix of
ethnic, religious and regional
lines.
"We should all work together
to redirect the country. A lot
of sacrifices will have to be
made," Kwara state senator
and senior APC official Bukola
Saraki said.
In a sign of the simmering PDP
passions, Buhari's march to
victory was briefly interrupted
when Godsday Orubebe, a
former minister from the Niger
Delta, grabbed a microphone
and launched into a 10-minute
rant
against
election
commissioner Attahiru Jega
at the body's headquarters in
Abuja.
"Mr. Chairman, we have lost
confidence in what you are
doing," he shouted. "You are
being very, very selective. You
are partial."
Orubebe was finally persuaded
to end his sit-in and put down
the microphone, allowing the
results ceremony to continue.
VIOLENCE LOWER
At least 15 people were shot
dead on polling day, most of
them in the northeast where
Boko Haram has declared war
on democracy in its fight to
revive a mediaeval caliphate
in the sands of the southern
Sahara.
However, the level of violence
and chaos was significantly
lower than previous elections
in a country that only rid itself
of military rule 16 years ago.
As Buhari's vote tally mounted,
flashpoint northern cities
such as Kaduna and Kano
were quiet, pushing the stock
market up more than 2 percent
towards a three-month high.
The naira, which has been
hammered by the decline in
oil prices over the last eight
months, also held steady at
218 against the dollar on the
black market.
Although Nigeria's economy
has been growing at 7 percent
or more, scandals over billions

of dollars in missing oil dollars

and the rise of Boko Haram
have undermined Jonathan's
popularity.
His perceived slow reaction
to the kidnapping of more
than 200 schoolgirls from the
village of Chibok in last April
caused widespread anger, and
fueled a public appetite for
decisive military action from a
strongman such as Buhari.
The war has turned in
Jonathan's favor in the past
six weeks, with external
intervention by troops by
neighboring Chad, Cameroon
and Niger, but the battlefield
victories appear to have been
too late for Jonathan at the
ballot box.
PROFILE
Nigeria's former military ruler
Muhammadu Buhari, 72, is not
a quitter
Defeated in the last three
elections, he has returned to
contest the highest office.
Mr Buhari faces incumbent
President Goodluck Jonathan,
who is from the southern Niger
Delta region, for a second time
at the polls in March.
It is a close race as on
this occasion the Muslim
northerner has been chosen
as the candidate for the All
Progressives Congress (APC)
party, formed last year after
four
opposition
parties
merged.
The APC has also been
attracting
heavyweight
defectors from the People's
Democratic Party (PDP), which
has dominated the political
scene since the end of military
rule in 1999.
Mr Buhari has always been
popular among the poor of the
north (known as the "talakawa"
in the north's Hausa language).
Now some feel his military
background
and
his
disciplinarian credentials are
just what the whole country
needs to get to grips with the
Islamist insurgency in the
north.

A Muslim from Daura in

Katsina State, who has given his
support to Sharia in the north,
Mr Buhari has previously had
to deny allegations that he has
a radical Islamist agenda.
This proved a problem for him
in the 2003 polls - he failed to
secure much support among
Christians in the south, where
he was viewed with some
suspicion.
But having escaped an attack
on his convoy in Kaduna in July,
which bore all the hallmarks of
a Boko Haram assassination
attempt, he has promised to
end the insurgency within
months if elected.
He has blamed President
Jonathan's weakness for its
escalation and has refused
overtures to participate in
talks with the radical militant
group.
His tough stance as a military
commander in 1983 - when
some Nigerian islands were
annexed in Lake Chad by
Chadian soldiers - is still
remembered in the north-east,
now the militants' stronghold,
after he blockaded the area
and drove off the invaders.
'War Against Indiscipline'
He ruled Nigeria from January
1984 until August 1985, taking
charge after a military coup in
December 1983.
It is a period remembered
for a strict campaign against
indiscipline and corruption,
and for its human rights
abuses.

Age 72

Military ruler of
Nigeria from 1984 to 1985

Deposed in a coup

Poor human rights
record

Seen as incorruptible

Disciplinarian - civil
servants late for work had to
do frog jumps

Muslim
from
northern Nigeria

Survived an apparent
Boko Haram assassination
attempt
The verdict on Mr Buhari's 20
months as Nigeria's leader is
mixed.
About 500 politicians, officials
and businessmen were jailed
as part of a campaign against
waste and corruption.
If
you
choose
correct
leadership, there won't be
any need for the military
regimeMuhammadu Buhari,
Oct 2005
Some saw this as the heavy-

handed repression of military

rule.
But others remember it
as a praiseworthy attempt
to fight the endemic graft
that
prevented
Nigeria's
development.
He retains a rare reputation
for honesty among Nigeria's
politicians, both military and
civilian, largely because of this
campaign.
As part of his "War Against
Indiscipline",
he
ordered
Nigerians to form neat queues
at bus stops, under the sharp
eyes of whip-wielding soldiers.
Civil servants who were late for
work were publicly humiliated
by being forced to do frog
jumps.
He also introduced a notorious
decree to restrict press
freedom, under which two
journalists were jailed.
However, his attempts to rebalance public finances by
curbing imports led to many
job losses and the closure of
businesses.
As part of anti-corruption
measures, he also ordered that
the currency be replaced - the
colour of the naira notes were
changed - forcing all holders of
old notes to exchange them at
banks within a limited period.
Prices rose while living
standards fell, leading to a
palace coup by Gen Ibrahim
Babangida on 27 August 1985.
Mr Buhari was imprisoned for
40 months.
Mr Babangida wanted to speed
up the restoration of civilian
rule, which Mr Buhari did not
see as a priority.
'Up to the people'

Mr Buhari has continued to

defend his military coup of 31
December 1983.
"It is up to the people. If you
choose correct leadership,
there won't be any need for the
military regime.
"The military came in when it
was absolutely necessary and
the elected people had failed
the country," he said in October
2005.
When
former
President
Olusegun Obasanjo was a
military ruler in the 1970s,
Mr Buhari held the key post of
minister of petroleum affairs.
But the relationship between
the former colleagues cooled
as Mr Buhari's coup ousted
a civilian government, led by
Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who
won elections organised by Mr
Obasanjo.
This
led
to
continuing
questions about Mr Buhari's
commitment to democracy.
Relations between the two
former generals may now
thaw following what seems
to be an endorsement for Mr
Buhari from Mr Obasanjo
in his recently released
autobiography.
Mr Buhari "would not be a
good economic manager",
wrote the politician who won
two presidential elections for
the PDP after 1999, but "will be
a strong, almost inflexible, and
a courageous and firm leader".

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Sports
I WON'T RISK INJURED T
MESSI - MARTINO

Frontpage

he Argentina boss
says he will wait until
the last minute before
deciding if his side's
talisman has recovered from a
foot injury to face Ecuador
Argentina
coach
Gerardo
Martino has said he will not risk
playing Lionel Messi against
Ecuador unless he is fully fit.
The Barcelona star missed
his country's 2-0 win over El
Salvador on Friday after sitting
out training the day before
because of a foot injury.
And the coach insists he will
wait until the very last minute
before deciding on whether
his talisman should play in
Tuesday's encounter.
"Were not going to risk Messi,"
the coach told reporters in a press
conference. "If the injury stays
the same, he won't play because
we want to look after him.
"But while we don't have any
expectation that it will get better,
we will wait until the last minute
to decide if he will play.
"In the first training session,
Messi was fine, but in the second
he felt some discomfort. We
waited up until the last minute
but he didnt improve, so we
decided he should not play.
"The doctors showed us the
images of his scans and there
was nothing there. But later on,
his foot began to swell."

LACK OF FUNDING LEADS TO CANCELATION

OF COUNTY SPORTS MEET

he Minister of Youth
and
Sports
has
attributed his ministry
failure to host the
2014/2015 edition of the National
County Sports competition to the
lack of funding.
Minister Eugene Nagbe said
before the resumption of every
county sports meet, each of the
15 counties has to receive cash
from the government through his
ministry to finance their teams
participation in the competition
but said due to the Ebola crisis the
government could not provide
his ministry with the funding
needed for the tournament.
I think we all know very well
that since the outbreak of the

Ebola virus in our country 90%

of the government attention
and spending has been focused
on the virus because it caused
a serious blow to every sector
of our society including health,
economic and sports so we
have to prepare for the next
competition Minster Nagbe
said.
He disclosed that the 2015/2016
county sports meet would take
place in early 2016, which time
he believes the government
would be ready to provide
funding for the tournament.
Minister Nagbe agreed that those
who are complaining about the
setback in the development of
football in the country are right

and that the government through

his ministry has to do more in
order to move sports especially
football forward.
We are very sure that we will
get support from the National
Legislature and the president
herself for us to move forward
with the development of football
in Liberia.
The National County Sports
Meet is one of the most popular
sporting activities that bring
together citizens of the 15
political sub-divisions in the
country and sport enthusiasts
in the country are complaining
about the failure of the Youth
and Sports ministry to host the
county sports meet.

Page 15

SPORTS

REAL MADRID INTEREST

IN POGBA ONLY LOGICAL,
SAYS ZIDANE

he
Madrid
Castilla coach has
acknowledged they
are keeping tabs on
his compatriot but does not
know whether he will be on
the move this summer
Zinedine Zidane claims it
is "only logical" that Real
Madrid are keeping a close
eye on Paul Pogba's situation
at Juventus.
The France international, 22,
signed a new contract with
Juventus until the summer of
2019 back in October but is
still continually linked with a
move away from the Serie A
champions.

PSG: DANI ALVES

A GREAT PLAYER

he
Brazil
international
is
continually
being
linked with a move
to the Parc des Princes and
the French champions have
now further fuelled talk of a
summer deal
Paris Saint-Germain sporting
director Olivier Letang has
lavished praise on Barcelona
defender Dani Alves amidst
reports that the Brazil
international is on his way to
the French capital.
The 31-year-old right-back's
contract with the Liga leaders
will expire at the end of the
season and he is continually
being linked with a move
away from Catalunya.

DUKE FRESHMEN LEAD WAY

TO FINAL FOUR, STRUGGLE
WITH RITE OF PASSAGE

TUNISIA AVOID 2017 NATIONS CUP BAN

Tunisia have avoided a
2017 Africa Cup of Nations
ban after apologising to the
Confederation of African
Football for accusing the
governing body of bias.
The Tunisians had made the
allegations over a controversial
penalty in a Nations Cup
quarter-final
defeat
by
Equatorial Guinea on 31
January.
Caf has, however, rejected
Tunisia's
appeal
against
a $50,000 fine for violent
conduct by its players.
Furious Tunisia players had
tried to attack the referee after
the game.
The north Africans were
incensed when Mauritian
referee
Rajindraparsad
Seechurn
awarded
the

tournament hosts a penalty

in the dying minutes which
allowed them to take the game
to extra-time and ultimately
triumph 2-1.
Tunisian officials accused
Caf of bias against it for the
contentious decision.
Seechurn was banned for
six months by Caf for his
performance in the match.
And Caf threatened Tunisia
with expulsion from the
preliminary tournament of the
next Nations Cup if it did not
receive an apologise by 31
March.
Tunisia initially refused to do
so and lodged a protest with the
Court of Arbitration for Sport,
which they have now agreed to
withdraw.

W
HOUSTON

hen the supreme

moment came
Sunday
night
the stuff of
basketball fantasy Duke's
program experienced a sheepish
pause. Right at the bottom of the
ladder, with scissors in hand,
it became clear that there was
one thing all these acclaimed
freshmen had yet to learn.
Basketball nets. How exactly
did you cut one down? Like,
in technical terms. Was there
etiquette? Who got the last cut?
Who got the first? How much
nylon should you take? And,
really, who goes that high on a
ladder with scissors?
Tyus Jones waves to the crowd
after cutting down a piece of
the net after defeating Gonzaga.

FrontPage Sports
T
A SECOND CHANCE
www.frontpageafricaonline.com

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

VOL 9 NO.60

hey may be regarded as petit

criminals or street boys to
some but the Robert Alvin
Sirleaf Foundation (RASF)
sees them as young people who
deserve a second chance.
And having interacted with them on
few occasions, football was chosen as
a way to breathe some fresh air into
their wayward-lives.
So a street football tournament was
organized in front of the St. Theresas
Convent High School on March 22.
But why was a street soccer
tournament chosen? RASF programs
director is Lance Gba-Gonyon.
The intent is to teach life-skills through
street soccer. Over the past time, we
have worked with street youths. We
have given them scholarship and we
[have] identified that they have skills
in terms of football and music. So we
thought it was to organize this eightteam tournament that took youths
from across Monrovia.
They came from Logan Town, Bushrod
Island, Sinkor, Central Monrovia and
West Point. The intent is also to make
unite, educate them about basic lifeskills and explain opportunities they
can tap into to explain themselves,
said Gba-Gonyon.
It was a daylong event that featured
eight teams with Central Monrovia
beating West Point or Vorzee FC 4-2 in
an entertaining final.
How did it all start was the question I
asked Mustapha Sesay, the leader and
coach of central Monrovia.
It started through the assist
[assistance] and support of Robert
Andy [Alvin] Sirleaf, which has been
extended and associated with us, been
assisting us and show us so many
surprises.
We organized this tournament in
collaboration with my brother Ivorian.
It was [also] organized to bring young
people together, to bring the youths of
the street together in reconciliation
[recognition] of Robert Sirleaf, Sesay
responded.
George Baryou headed the West Point
bloc but is popularly known as Ivorian.
So why does his peers call him Ivorian
when he is a Liberian?
People just gave me that name because
of my attitude. I [am] just a strong man
thats all, who behave like the Ivorians.
They dont take foolishness

PRICE L$40

Robert Sirleaf foundation holds a street tournament for wayward youths

Danesius Marteh, danesius.marteh@frontpageafricaonline.com

from people, he said.

On why the tournament was
organized, Ivorian said: This
tournament was organized by Mr.
Robert Sirleaf, trying to put we
[us], the youths, together from
the streets, that people can always
condemn that we will never be
nothing in life.
The most valuable player, who
wasnt revealed, will get the chance
to train and justify his inclusion in
the feeder squad of Barrack Young
Controllers, aim at rehabilitating
him.
And according to Gba-Gonyon, a
plan is in the making to organize
the guys into a football club.
In the long run, we are planning
to organize Robert Sirleaf that will
have like 16 players, which will be

given the opportunity to partake in

some of the LFA [Liberia Football
Association] competitions.
The details will be worked out
with the secretary-general of the
LFA Alphonso Armah to see how
best, if we formed that team, which
division they can start from, GbaGonyon said.
And in his words, the guys deserve
a second chance as RASF has done
in several communities, including
building a house in West Point
for street boys and erecting the
Executive Car Wash in Old Road.
A Robert Sirleaf Football Club,
made-up of street kids or youths, is
a promise but its reality may have
started on March 22.
Only time will tell.

VISIT UNCLE ZEH'S LAUNDRY & DRY CLEANING SERVICE ON

CROWN HILL, BROAD STREET WHERE THE CUSTOMER COMES FIRST

CALL: 0775 149 376, 0775 149 161