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CENTRAL BANK OF LIBERIA

LIBERTY TO
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CRYING
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MARKET BUYING AND SELLING RATES

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How an unknown factory came to

the aid of N. V. Massaquoi in West
Point with a charitable donation

Kebbah Community Petitions Public

Works for Road construction

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BUYING
L$84.00/US$1

L$85.00/US$1

SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2015

L$84.00/US$1

L$85.00/US$1

MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015

L$84.00/US$1

L$85.00/US$1

MONDAY, APRIL 20, 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.

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REPORT ON PARKER, NPA

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PRICE L$40

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Politics - pg. 7

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Page 2 | Frontpage

from USD1billionto USD1.5 billion without any feasibility study

done at all from the announcement of the initial investment level.
Samuel P. Jackson, a Liberian economist with more than 40 years
of experience in economics and finance, and a frequent critic
of the administrations development policies offers a pointed
assessment:
There has not been any amount close to 17 billion dollars
invested into the Liberian economy over the past ten years. The
amount is a political figure that was used by government officials
to indicate their success in attracting foreign direct investments.
But what they did not or would not explain, according to Jackson
is that 17 billion dollars were planned investments over a period
of at least 40 years. The politicians on the other side such as
the opposition lacked the sophistication to make a case that the
amount was inflated and would not be invested immediately but
over decades.
All Not Lost, Says Jackson

Rodney D. Sieh, rodney.sieh@frontpageafricaonline.com

Monrovia uring a recent visit to Jakarta, Indonesia, Liberias

Vice President Joseph Boakai did not mince words
when he told the Golden Veroleum company to offer
more opportunities to qualified Liberians instead of
continually hiring expatriates, citing the many qualified Liberians
who are ready and willing to serve in managerial, supervisory
and some technical positions.
This weeks FrontPageAfricas exclusive report on ArcellorMittals
financial debacle which is threatening to disrupt mining activities,
possibly put hundreds out of work and delay the key Ganta-Yekepa
Road project is shedding new light on billions of dollars worth of
investment trumpeted by Liberias first post-war democraticallyelected government.
The investments were seen as key to helping the country restore
its economic sanity after more than a decade of war and chaos.
While meeting in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, last week where
he held a meeting with Mr. Franky Widjaja, Chairman of Sinar
Mas Agribusiness and Food, the parent company and owner of
Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL), operating in Sinoe, Rivercess
and Grand Kru Counties, the Liberian vice president said the
Ministry of Labor has been directed to be more scrupulous in
approving work and residence permits for all expats as part of
its responsibility to the Liberian people but expressed concern at
the quality of workers housing and challenged GVL to improve its
social programs and community services.
Hopes and Aspirations turning to Confusion

With the inauguration of Africas first freely-elected female

president in January of 2006, Liberians pinned their hopes on
the ageing grandmother, believing that their country was finally
in the hands of someone with the education, experience, contacts
and political will to improve their lives. Almost ten years later,
and with at least 17 billion dollars of vaunted investment money
supposedly attracted into the economy, Liberia is still one of the
poorest countries on Earth, with its human development index
among the lowest according to the United Nations Development
Program 2014 Report. Some progress has been made, but the
fundamental improvements in livelihoods that should propel
Liberia from a least developed country with a very low income

to minimally a middle income country by 2030 is only a dream

Most Liberians are growing weary and are now looking beyond
the administration of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for any appreciable
improvements in their lives. How was 17 billion dollar invested
and who benefitted from this massive inflow?
FrontPageAfrica asked several economists and financial experts
to explain how this vast amount of money could be invested, and
yet most people have not seemingly benefitted.
Dr. Togba Nah Tipoteh, a veteran economist and politician who
is making his fourth quest for the presidency says the fact that
Mittal has begun laying off some employees is bothersome for the
government and people of Liberia.
Says Dr. Tipoteh: With the money-driven posture of the
government decision-makers, a free hand is given to Concessions,
as no serious examination is made into their background and
operations, especially when millions of dollars are given up front
as signature fees.
Dr. Tipoteh adds that in the case of Arcellor Mittal, if a serious
examination of the Company had been done by government, the
Company's poor performance record in Europe and Africa would
have been discovered. Furthermore, an examination of the
Company's financial records, which are available on the Internet,
would have shown that the Company, like many transnational
corporations, get into concession agreements to build up their
assets, while facing serious cash problems, without any good
intention to perform on the basis of the agreement.
With the fall in the price of iron ore, Dr. Tipoteh notes that it
comes as no surprise that Arcellor Mittal is using it as an excuse
to cease operations in Liberia, to ensure overall high profitability,
as it is a transnational corporation.
Furthermore, Dr. Tipoteh says the government accepts whatever
financial reports given to it by the Company. In fact, the
Concessions Agreement with Arcellor Mittal, with its stabilization
section, gives the Company the power to operate like a State
within a State in Liberia when it provides that whenever the
Concessions Agreement comes into conflict with the Constitution
of Liberia, the Agreement takes precedent.
Dr. Tipoteh said another situation that became alarming was when
the Head of Arcellor Mittal world-wide met with President Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf and after the meeting the government of Liberia
announced that Arcellor Mittal would increase its investment

Mr. Jackson further indicated that if that kind of money had been
invested, there would have been a larger spike in the countrys
GDP, and it would be in reflected in employment, income,
government revenues and improvements in livelihoods.
Mr. Jackson says most of that money is planned investments
in mostly the extractive industry, meaning iron ore and other
mineral assets. For now, with the price of iron ore at a historic
low of under 60 dollars a metric ton, most experts believe the
countrys iron ore industry is at grave risk, making marginal
operations like China Union, Putu, and the Western Cluster at best
delayed and in some cases, it is not inconceivable that some of
these projects could be abandoned if the market declines further.
But Mr. Jackson believes all is not lost, as the President and her
team have at least 30 months to recalibrate their efforts in order
to deal with some fundamental issues such as food security and
training for Liberias vulnerably employed. He is optimistic
that the government can reorder its priorities, especially in the
post Ebola economic recovery process, as much is riding on the
presidents success.
Faux Pas in Granting Iron Ore Concessions

Several experts believe Liberia concentrated too much of its

efforts in the early days of the administration on revitalizing the
iron ore industry, much to the detriment of other sectors, such
as agriculture for food production, tourism and the growing
services industry. Too much time was spent on granting iron
ore concessions with the hope the companies would invest tens
of billions, employ thousands, increase government revenues by
hundreds of millions and the countrys living standards would
automatically improve. In theory, at least that was not even
possible, as iron ore had not produced similar effects in the
periods 1950-1990 that the mineral was responsible for more
than 60 percent of the countrys GDP. It is now clearer that the
countrys planners sough to pick the low hanging fruits instead of
doing the heavy lifting in sustainable economic activities.
ArcellorMittal

ArcelorMittal, was granted a mining development contract for the

western iron ore deposits in Nimba County in April 2007. The
company began the process of rehabilitating the 267-km rail
track that connects the old Yekepa Mine in Nimba County with
the city of Buchanan in Grand Bassa County. The rehabilitation of
the rail track was expected to be completed in 2010. In March of
2008, the company hired the services of a Liberian construction
company to rehabilitate and maintain the 220-km stretch of the
road that connects the town of Gorblee in Grand Bassa County to
the town of Ganta in Nimba County. The rehabilitation of the road
was estimated to cost $2 million. The company also completed
the construction of 188 housing units in Buchanan and Yekepa.
Lately, due to the drop in the price of iron ore to under 60 dollars
a ton, the company is reneging on road projects that it had agreed
to fund. Additionally, the company also suffered more than 5
million dollars in losses last year during rioting at the site by
angry youths. Both events seem to be undermining the companys
efforts to remain in Liberia, although officials say they have no
plans to abandon the country.

THE EXPERTS WEIGH IN

DR.
TOGBA
NAH
TIPOTEH,
ECONOMIST,
PRESIDENTIAL
CONTENDER
With the money-driven
posture of the government
decision-makers, a free hand
is given to concessions, as no
serious examination is made
into their background and
operations, especially when
millions of dollars are given
up front as signature fees.

MR. SAMUEL P. JACKSON,

ECONOMIST

John S. Morlu, John S. Morlu, a former

Auditor General of Liberia who
is now a Managing Partner of his
Virginia/DC Based CPA Firm JS Morlu
LLC CPAs (www.jsmorlu.com);

There has not been any amount

close to US$17 billion dollars
invested into the Liberian
economy over the past ten years.
The amount is a political figure
that was used by government
officials to indicate their success
in attracting foreign direct
investments. But what they did
not or would not explain, Jackson
notes, is that US$17 billion dollars
were planned investments over a
period of at least 40 years.

The Government of Liberia, in

particular the Executive and Legislature
Branches, were more interested in the
NOW (the infamous signing bonus,
social contribution, big promises of
jobs and everything on planet earth)
and the massive PR that came with
signing the these major contracts and
so ignored all the warning signs from
experts and experienced Liberians that
these deals would eventually implode
and not materially as they were being
trumpeted.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Frontpage

Page 3

Delta Mining Corporation

Moreover, the government did not go for quality companies in
their selection of investment partners. Several of their picks were
roundly condemned by several experts, including Dr. Togba Nah
Tipoteh, who said the choosing of Delta Mining in the first Western
Cluster bid round was at best based upon selfish interests by
people involved in the Inter Ministerial Technical Committee and
on the Inter Ministerial Concession Commission. He reviewed
the due diligence documents and blew an alarm that Delta Mining
was the least of the companies that had participated in the
process. With Sino Steel, Tata, Rio Tinto and other international
companies bidding, he wondered how a jewelry maker from
South Africa could have bested these companies?
According to the United States Geological Survey, questions
concerning the governments decision to select a junior South
African exploration and mining company instead of major
players in the industry, such as Tata Steel, which had offered
to invest $2 billion in the project, began to surface early in the
2008, and by September, the Government announced that it was
canceling Delta Minings contract for the WIOC and launching
a new bidding round. Delta Mining and Tata Steel were barred
from participating in the new bidding round, reportedly owing
to violations related to external influence and impropriety during
the selection process.
Elenilto Minerals and Mining Corporation

The second Western Cluster was also riddled with controversies,

with Jackson and others screaming that Elenitlo Minerals and
Mining Company had only been incorporated 21 days after the
bid came out on December 1, 2008.
Further examination carried out by other experts indicated
that upon closer examination of the vetting process, it was
discovered that no due diligence was conducted. In fact, the
Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy (MLME) simply asked
the short listed companies to present review of information
by international auditing companies. Thus the bidders paid
international companies to submit review of documents. The
international auditing firms put disclaimers in their reviews
stating the information provided should not be relied upon to
make a decision on the award. The MLME made no other attempt
to corroborate information in the review process.
The information from the international firms was then submitted
to a local consulting firm by the MLME to be put into context in
a matrix. A review of the information was completed by Devin
Corporation, a Liberian firm. During the review, it was noted that
Elenilto could not and did not provide any financial statements
during the due diligence. Engelinvest, the affiliate of Elenilto
provided unaudited financial statements of less than five years.
According to Deloitte Consulting, Engelinvest itself had been
formed only two years prior to 2009. Five years of financial
history was required for participation in the bid process.
Even more astonishing, the MLME did not conduct any further
due diligence. It simply used information provided by the
prospective concessionaires that were not corroborated by
international auditing companies. Deloitte Consulting reviewed
the documents presented to them by Elenilto and indicated clearly
that they could not corroborate information provided. They also
clearly stated that the information provided was useless since
time limitation had precluded them from conducting standard
auditing procedures
At the signing of the Western Cluster Iron Ore MDA in August
of 2011, Elenilto sold 51 percent of the agreement to Sesa Goa
Verdanta for 80 million dollars and within six months later, it
sold the rest to the same company for another 40 million dollars.
Not one shovel was put into the ground and 120 million dollars
was realized in capital gains. The government received about 20
million dollars for taxes.

in other sectors, the government would have experienced its first

significant budget shortfall. In order for China Union to pay the
40 million dollars, it had to farm in another Chinese company,
Wuhan Iron and Steel, which paid 67 million dollars for a slice
of the company and part of the purchase price defrayed the cost
of the upfront payment. Obviously, China Union did not have the
money to pay the upfront fees. Knowledgeable sources say the
company had supporters with close ties to the administration.
Currently, the company is conducting a bare bones operations
and it has not been able to fulfill any of the grandiose promises
it made during the bid and negotiation process for the Mineral
Development Agreement.
Most unfortunately, when the announcement is made by
the government of Liberia, through the National Investment
Commission (NEC) that concessions have invested USD16plus
billion in Liberia, the people's expectations rise, understandably,
because the government gives the impression that the money is
already in the Country or will soon enter the Country to create
jobs and improve infrastructure in ways that improve the living
standards of the people. The truth of the matter is that the
Companies announce the investment amounts as bargaining
chips for negotiations, while increasing their assets world-wide,
as relatively small portions of the announced amount are actually
brought into the Country. So, it should come as no surprise that
the world giant Arcellor Mittal is now asking the government
to cough up USD10million on the USD40million Gompa City to
Yekepa Highway, while the Company's world-wide profits are
soaring.

China Union Investment Company

The contract for the redevelopment of the Bong Range iron ore
deposits (formerly known as the Bong Mines) was awarded to
China Union Company Ltd. in late 2008. The Inter-ministerial
Mineral Technical Committee (IMTC), which awarded the
contract to China Union, was chaired by the National Investment
Commission and comprised representatives from the Ministries
of Finance; Justice; Labor; Lands, Mines and Energy; and State.
China Unions bid included a total investment of $2.6 billion and
an upfront payment of $40 million compared with $36 million
offered by Vedanta Resources plc of India and $20 million
offered by BSG Resources Ltd. of Israel, which were the two
other companies competing for the contract. Belleh Resource
Co. of Liberia did not meet the requirements established by the
Government and was disqualified from the process. China Unions
development plans for the Bong Range included the construction
of a 130-megawatt hydroelectric power plant on the St. Paul
River, a modern residential area for employees of the company, an
agricultural site to grow rice and other crops, and a park to raise
livestock. About 3,000 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs were
expected to be created within a 5-year period. Not much of these
grandiose plans have been realized.
In the first instance, China Union could not even pay the 40 Million
dollars upfront payment, causing the governments expenditure
in 2009 to be overstated by that amount. It caused serious
problems in governments operations, but if not for the growth

and Legislature Branches, were more interested in the NOW (the

infamous signing bonus, social contribution, big promises of jobs
and everything on planet earth) and the massive PR that came
with signing the these major contracts and so ignored all the
warning signs from experts and experienced Liberians that these
deals would eventually implode and not materially as they were
being trumpeted.
Morlu explains that during his tenure as Auditor General, he
advised both the Executive and the Legislature (in particular) to
insist on knowing how the deals would eventually be financed, as
it is so much how much minerals and natural resources Liberia
has but how would these international companies financed
these deals, such as whether they had the capacity to finance
from internally generated cash flow or would they be financed
externally.
And if it was external financing as many of these deals were, Morlu
averred, then what kind of financing instrument were being used,
as the valuations, profits, social contributions and jobs etc. could
be severely at risk depending on the financing scheme used.
Depending on the financing instrument used, sensitivity on
income and cash flow could lead to defaults, difficulties in getting
additional financing or the investors could pull the plug on the
concessions, as a typical investor wants to cut his losses short and
keep his profit rolling elsewhere.
The former Auditor General says some investors/banks who
will provide the external financing requires certain ratios being
maintained and companies will decrease certain costs such
as labor related costs (cutting jobs) and postponing certain
investments like in roads to maintain the require ratios. In short,
he says, the Liberian Government neglected to fully understand
the financing and the cash flows of the concessions, because
Liberia was open for business, and that anyone who attempted
to bring some sanity to the investment/concessions decisions
being made by our Government was viewed as political, witch
hunting and completely unnationalistic.
As a person who has spent about two decades dealing with
numbers, financial and valuation issues, the details is always
in the FINANCING, not necessary in the underlying asset such
as the minerals. Arguably, it would be a big surprised whether
the Executive or the Legislature have the slightest idea of the
FINANCIANG DETAILS of each of the concessions entered into
by the Government of Liberia, beyond the immediate social
contributions and the SIGNING bonuses. Ye, the Executive and the
Legislature know where the signing bonuses come from because
they demand it up front or immediately after the Signature of the
President of Liberia but how the rest of the deal will be financed
and the resulting impact on social welfare, employment, taxes
and royalty payments and the going concern of the subsidiaries,
they have got no clue.
Government was Bamboozled

The Liberian government has to be blamed for whatever negative

impact that the decisions of Arcelor Mittal have on the people
of Liberia because the government failed to seek the interest
of the people of Liberia by just taking time to do some serious
examination into the financial activities of the Company.
Morlu Says Advices Fell on Deaf Ears

John S. Morlu, John S. Morlu, a former Auditor General of Liberia

who is now a Managing Partner of his Virginia/DC Based CPA
Firm JS Morlu LLC CPAs (www.jsmorlu.com) agrees, with Dr.
Tipoteh and believes that the deals were badly structured. Says
Morlu: The Government of Liberia, in particular the Executive

Morlu further explained that the former Chairman of the

Finance Committee, Senator Sumo Kupee, now Managing
Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company can attest,
he gave lawmakers a whole run down on the shaky financing
of some of these concessions but again they were all passed by
the Legislature and signed into LAW with flying colors. Many
of these companies, Morlu says do not have the financing or
have entered into a financing arrangement that make them too
susceptible to swings in revenue. So it is not just essentially the
decline in international prices of raw materials but the financing
arrangement used for the concessions. Without understanding
the financing aspect of the concessions, the $17 billion was an
empty balloon. The Liberian Government was bamboozled and
was carried away by the signing bonuses and social contribution
and so they purchased a pig in the bag that turned out to be a
cat in the bag.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Page 4 | Frontpage

FrontPage COMMENTARY
EDITORIAL LIBERIA:
THE EDUCATION SYSTEM NEEDS
TRANSFORMATION NOT REFORM
Commentary

REBUFFING SOUTH AFRICA:

XENOPHOBIA
RECALL L

REST OF AFRICA MUST

EMULATE NIGERIA
THE GOVERNMENT of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Must be applauded for recalling its ambassador to
South Africa last Saturday and it is about time that
other countries around the continent join Africas most
populous nation in showing discontent at Pretoria's
handling of attacks on immigrants.
AT LEAST SEVEN immigrants have been killed in attacks
on migrants since March 20, when Zulu King Goodwill
Zwelithini spoke out against foreign workers. "Let us
pop our head lice," he said. "We must remove ticks and
place them outside in the sun. We ask foreign nationals
to pack their belongings and be sent back."
NIGERIA WHICH HAS reportedly seen the worst by
its citizens took the first drastic step in standing up to
Pretorias failure to put its renegade anti-immigrants
attackers to shame by asking Acting High Commissioner
Martin Cobham and Deputy High Commissioner Uche
Ajulu-Okeke to return to Nigeria for consultations. "The
invitation is in connection with the on-going xenophobia
in South Africa targeting foreigners, mainly African
migrants," a Nigerian government statement said.
WHILE the Zulu king has since taking back his statements,
suggesting that they were taken out of context and that
he opposes violence, the damage has already been done.
ZWELITHINIS HATEFUL remarks spurred attacks on
citizens of black Africa, many who have were at the
forefront, standing side by side with blacks during the
struggle to end apartheid.
THE DECISION BY Nigeria follows last weeks protest at
the South African embassy in Lagos.
IT TOOK STRONG criticisms from China and Zimbabwe
over South Africas failure to protect immigrants against
armed mobs before the South African government was
able to deploy troops to try to quell the violence.
SADLY, SOUTH AFRICAS has failed to realized that the
rest of Africa and the world have opened their arms to
them. South African firms such as mobile phone giant
MTN have made waves across the continent in Nigeria,
Liberia, Ghana and other parts of Africa. Supermarket
chain Shoprite have significant interests in Nigeria,
which is Africa's biggest economy and Ghana.
AFRICAN COUNTRIES including Liberia have also
allowed South African companies to invest with and
given them room to grow.
IT IS SAD THAT all of this show of openness toward
South Africa is not being reciprocated.
IT IS ACTIONS and attacks such as these that make it
impossible for anyone to believe the concept pitched
by former Libyan leader Moamar Ghadafi and of late,
Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe, for a United
States of Africa will ever see the light of day.
MUGABE, Speaking recently in Harare after meeting
Benin's president, Thomas Boni Yayi, who is the outgoing
African Union (AU) chairman, argued that a figurehead
is needed to move Africa beyond regional blocs and
into the global superleague. "Get them to get out of the
regional shell and get into one continental shell," he
was quoted by the state-owned Herald newspaper. "The
continent of Africa: this is what we must become. And
there, we must also have an African head. He was talking
of the president of Africa. Yes, we need one. We are not

Francis W. Nyepon, fnyepon@aol.com, Contributing Writer

iberias Education System is severely imbalance in the

provision and delivery of services; facility management; staff
supervision; and bureaucratic control. The system has failed
to generate comprehensive organizational and structural
changes over the past ten years. Neglect, mismanagement and
unprofessional conduct have destroyed the day-to-day function of
the system, by depriving many schoolchildren of a positive learning
environment and critical academic growth after almost two decades
of social dislocation and brutal civil war. Recently, there have been
changes in the administration of the system intended to bring about
changes and reorganization.
It is believed that this restructuring would bring about desperately
needed transformation to a system that has been out of touch with
21stcentury academic values. Liberians are looking forward to this
overhaul with great anticipation and expectations that the Ministry of
Education (MOE) will function much better than it did over the past
ten years.
However, can Liberian schoolchildren be optimistic that this
reorganization will make the leadership of the MOE more accountable
to their learning, achievement and performance?
Can parents be hopeful that this reorganization would indeed deal
with asystem-wide revamp that is indeed devoted to analyzing and
boosting the MOE's management structure, including curriculum,
instruction and organizational areas where the bureaucracy has
been chronically inefficient? Can Liberians look forward to the MOE
promoting creativity, innovation, curiosity and individualism is our
education system?
Over the past 10 years, Liberias Education System has been in a state
of mediocrity, remaining in free fall during this most critical period
in our countrys history. This author believes that the system failed
simply because those who lead and managed the system lacked vision,
direction, guidance and the political will to truly transform the system.
The MOE mercilessly trapped over a million schoolchildren in poverty,
condemning many to the distinction of inequalities across all lines
of class, gender, region and ethnicity. On the one hand, the systems
failure allowed students to pass from one grade to the next without
certified academic confidence in basic skills; while, leaving countless
others disgustingly unprepared to function competently in the society.
On the other hand, the system allowed useless and unethical teachers
and administrators to make a mockery out of a noble and respectable
profession without consequence or accountability.
This colossal failure of our education system has had a horrible
ripple effect on schoolchildren, parents and communities across the
country, radically affecting the general population with devastating
consequences in our collective mindset, social attitude and communal
behavior. The system failed our country immeasurably, and if we
are not careful, it could rip off yet another generation of innocent
Liberians by denying them a productive and promising future. To this
author, this gigantic failure of our education system should be a wakeup call to Liberians everywhere, especially those in leadership. We can
quibble about the collapse and breakdown of our education system
and blame past administrators, or we can stand up with the resolve
and determination to fix the system and face the brutal truth that our
country has been out-educated by every country in the sub-region and
countless others around the world.
The failure of our education system isnt about Liberian schoolchildren
because they are as smart as students anywhere on the planet. The
hard truth is that other countries education systems have surged
far ahead, while ours has not modernized, nor kept up with changes,
which could transform the lives of our children across the country.
The danger of doing nothing is that a substantial portion of our
youth, 45% of whom makeup our national population, will be left in
ever deepening poverty, continually requiring massive assistance to
be lifted-out of a state of melancholy; and possibly leaving an entire
generation abandoned without hope for a better life.
With the problem now laid out, this author shall attempt to present
the basis to begin a constructive dialogue in order to successfully
transform lives and restore hope to Liberian schoolchildren by
suggesting measures, which can restructure our education system,
most especially after the forced closure of schools in July 2014 due to
the horrible effects of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD),which killed over
4,000 Liberians and left over 1,000 children orphaned.
Liberia needs to completely and totally end its dependency and beggar
mind-set towards education that permits us to rely totally on others
for direction, standards, curriculum, and guidance in our education
outlook. Our education system can only be transformed if we redefine opportunities, present innovations and provide orientations,

yet there. This is what we must go and discuss, but we must

also discuss the issues that divide us."
WHILE THE CONCEPT does make an appetizing argument,
Africa still has a long way to go before it can even dream of
making such concept a reality.
IF WE CANNOT allow fellow Africans to live and work
in each others countries without intimidation and an
environment of fear then we have no reason to have

which embraces creativity, individuality, professionalism, and

resourcefulness.
A paradigm shift would give recognition to developing the potential
and capacity of teacher, student and school as the primary means
in meeting 21stcentury socioeconomic demands and expectations.
To accomplish this goal, however, every aspect of our national life
would have to be tapped, not simply by the scale of provision and
access to service, but by the very nature of how educational services
are conceptualized, resourced and delivered. This new narrative
and paradigm shift in Liberias Education System should be about
integrity, standards, assessment, curriculum, discipline, resource
management, performance, responsibility and respectability. It
should be about building marketable skill sets and social benchmarks
amongst schoolchildren as the means of achieving national goals.
Such a narrative would indeed be resolute in maintaining education
as the only ticket needed to reduce poverty, illiteracy, socio-economic
insufficiency and our chronic collective disease burden.
To fundamentally restructure our education system, we will have to
prioritize education as a national requirement, and not continue to
give this most vital socioeconomic building block the usual lip service
treatment to fill speeches, excite constituents and accommodate
international audiences. But to transform our education system in
this manner would require a shift in our attitude and outlook in terms
of policy, and the way both educators and policymakers relate to one
another in comparison to content, curriculum, skills training, and
instruction.
Liberian education can truly become revolutionary if Information and
Communication Technologies(ICT) is presented in schools. Making
ICT an integral part of our national education strategy would indeed
modernize learning and lead to total transformation of our educational
landscape. If ICT is integrated properly in our school system, it could
definitely contribute to building new relationships between schools,
communities and the larger society by bridging the gap between
formal, non-formal and informal education.
There is a strategic need in Liberia to seriously consider developing a
teacher residency program across the country. Such a program would
be intended to give new teachers valuable hands-on training from
seasoned professionals as mentor teacher, while taking courses to earn
a masters degree in education. A program of this kind would indeed
be an excellent way Liberia can begin an aggressive transformation
process in education, offering beginner teachers an opportunity
to work under the guidance of an experienced teacher adviser,
counselor or guru in specific profession to gain practical knowledge
to be transferred. It would also force institution of higher learning
to provide advance course study in education and related areas to
enhance the academic growth of a progressive and knowledgeable
segment of our population.
In Liberia, we need to come to terms with the way educational
resources are distributed, deployed, and utilized. Such as, how and
where staffs are assigned, compensated, accommodated and where
school buildings are constructed, in order to achieve clear-cut social
and economic goals, which impacts population, diversity, development
and modernization.
Lets get real here, it cannot be emphasized enough. Our education
system is badly in need of capacity strengthening through professional
and leadership development; including, curriculum and instructional
resources, reinforced through intervention is accountability schemes,
which this author believes can only be addressed through open
measurements of accomplishment. This requires some common
sense measures, which include: leadership, discipline, curriculum
and basic reading and language skill sets. A determined effort to train,
recruit and retain high quality administrators and teachers will make
the biggest difference in reforming and restructuring our education
system. The teaching profession must be made to appeal to the best
and brightest amongst us. Having schoolchildren exposed to truly
skilled teachers and administrators is an investment that is sure
to pay off in the long-run because it would demand that the system
provides solid curriculum, assessment, expectation, performance,
accountability and output nationwide.
These practical and realistic approaches to transforming our
education system would ensure greater social dividends, quantifiable
and measurable returns in terms of learning, achievement, capacity,
health, nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene and well-being.
Transforming our education system will indeed deal with closing
the gap between rural, urban and peri-urban schools, so that the
entire system is brought into the21th century with better innovation,
curriculum, evaluation, achievement and performance.

an African Union or regional East, West, Southern and

Northern African blocs.
WE MUST FIRST be willing to embrace each other before
we can even dream of discussing Unity. maiming, killing
and burning fellow African immigrants under the guise
of competing employment opportunities has no room in
Africa, not this day and age, not ever.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Frontpage

The Reader's Page

FrontPage

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

ABOUT OUR STORIES ON THE
WORLDWIDE WEB

COMMENTS FROM
FPA ONLINE
LIBERIA VOTE ON 19
PROPOSITIONS FOR
CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT
Albert Dicod Gibson Salesian Pontifical University

Liberia is all we have and we cannot allow few people to hijack

that which is dear to all of us. Few questions that I am not getting
answer to: 1) How were the "CRC experts" chosen (criteria). 2) Do
the current constitutions pose a religious problem to our mutual
coexistence? 3) If Liberia were to be declared a "Christian - State",
are we trying to invite denominational conflicts among said group?
4) If we compare the 1847 and the 1985 Constitutions which of these
have promoted cohesion, national unity and national integration? In
my humble opinion, I think some elements are trying to reintroduce
the "Divide and Rule" strategy. But I can assure them that there are
"many good" Liberians than the "evil ones". Let us not craft a divisive
constitution but rather that which includes all Liberians (home and
abroad). Even though I not in favor of divided loyalty, I believe the
question of "dual - citizenship" could be reviewed with the necessary
modification that could be beneficial to Liberia and Liberians. But the
outright rejection of the dual citizenship question is more a political
manipulation and a tactics to prevent the participation of all in the
development of our beloved Country. Lastly those who believe by
declaring a "religious state" then Liberia will be free from corruption
are just delusional. What Liberia needs is a functional system and
structure where the laws could be applied indiscriminately. A nation
that has let's forget it mentality without applying the rule of law is
doomed. My suggestion to this debate: Let us replace the proposition
that calls for "A christian State" to that of "Making Corruption a nonbailable crime" and the Constitutions should spell out the punishment
of corruption. Long live Mama Liberia...
Jah Carson Indianapolis, Indiana
I will like to commend the delegates of the recently ended
"constitutional review conference" for their hard work in their efforts
to amend the Liberian Constitution. Constitutional Amendment is a
huge commitment that affects not only today's geneartion but, future
generations.
While it remains true that everyone cannot get what he/she desires in
a democracy, it is important to step out of our comfort zone and place
ourselves in the position of the the the minority-in this case, dual
citizenship for LIBERIANS in the Diaspora. Liberians who are being
denied their birthrights to come home and serve their country;a home
they dream of returning to. Liberians who, as rightly said by Varney
Kezele, labor very hard overseas to support families and friends in
Liberia, as well as the Liberian economy.
It is sad to know lot of Liberians, back home, live with the illusion
that Liberians in the Diaspora are the enemies of the country when,
the true enemies of the country are the so called naive politicians and
policy makers. The masses will also be shock to know that the same
group of so called politicians are the ones purchasing, homes, cars,
and sending their children to private colleges and universities here
in the United States. This is apart from money they have in private
banks around the world. What about trips to hospitals overseas for
treatment of they and their family members? Wake up folks!!!
You are being subjected to an impoverished life by these so called
politicians who are leading the best of lives, while you are being
brained washed to fear and hate LIBERAINS in the Diaspora.
The case of Cockrum is too weak a case to convict thousands of saneminded and educated group of your citizens. Liberians who are ready
to move this country to level far beyond other developing countries
in Africa.
It is important that the issue of Dual Citizenship be given serious
consideration in this round of Constituion Amendment to foster the
future growth and empowerment of Liberia.
Emmanuel Cooper
Voting on proposals at the constitutional review conference for
probable constitutional amendments is the initial phase of the steps
to amending the current Constitution of Liberia. The dominant
delegates seem to impose their point of views at the constitutional
review conference. However, the Liberian Legislature will also
have a major role in determining which proposals or propositions
should be presented to the voting populace for their approval at a
referendum. Therefore, Liberians must be proactively involved to
defeat at the polls any proposals or propositions for amendments
to the Constitution that tend to undermine the incessant peace,
economic development and prosperity of the post war torn nation.

DISCLAIMER

The comments expressed here are those of our online readers and
bloggers and do no represent the views of FrontPageAfrica

Page 5

Send your letters and comments to:

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

WEAH IS ACCOUNTABLE TO
THE LIBERIAN PEOPLE

The Editor,

under his mattress! (Re" Weah, CDC Come

Up Short at Election Fraud Hearing, Leave
ince Senator Armah Jallah is the the Evidence Behind, All Africa Global Media,
new President Pro Temp, I'd like November 17, 2005).....
to take this opportunity to him a
question about Senator Weah's Look: If your houseboy (maid), who is a
absence without leave: (by the way, if you known liar, tells you that he went out of town
spell Senator Jallah's name backwards, it to work for you, wouldn't you want to see
reads "spineless jackass!").
some proof before paying him for his "out of
town work"? I would. So why shouldn't we
Back to the question:
the Liberian people require Weah to show
Hey, Mr. President Pro temp how long will you us some proof from trip? For example, I'd
remain mute on Senator Weah being AWOL like know: 1) The name of each city or town
from the senate? (Re "Weah Downplays and country Weah visited. 2) How much
Debate Over Senate Awol")
time did Weah spend in each location (We
need the dates of his arrival and departure)
Senator Weah says that "his work is not 3) Information about the people (names,
limited to the senate (Capitol Building)" He title and other designations) Weah met... 4)
has to travel (abroad) for his county and the And what benefit or expected benefit did the
Liberian people"
Liberian people gained from Weah's visit
Bonus: 5) How much money did Weah spend
Oh yeah... Ok I agree. But do you believe on lap dance in strip clubs (including tips)??
that Weah traveled for the Liberian people? Was it his own money or other people's
Please. I don't . Weah is a black liar!
(Liberian) money?
Bottom line: Weah is accountable to the
This is the same Weah who said that "CDC Liberian people because they hire him to
Have Two Million Voters", when there were work for them. So if Weah can't show the
only 1.8 million eligible voters in Liberia (Re paperwork from his trip, the President pro
"Does CDC Really Have Two Million Voters? temp should dock his pay for one month. Oh
Weah's assertion vs NEC Flaws", FPA)
wait, I forgot: Senator Armah Jallah belongs
to the "Church of Never-Investigate-Weah"!
This the same Weah, who, in November
2005, after Ellen whipped his ass--fair and Martin Scott
square-- threatened elections officials and Former Member of the Never-Die-Church.
cried "fraud"...But when asked to produce Atlanta, Georgia
proof, Weah said he left the proof at home, martyretire@yahoo.com

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077-936-138, editor@FrontPageAfricaonline.com;
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FrontpageAfricaonline.com, 077217428
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Page 6 | Frontpage

Monrovia
here appears to
be a lull in the
implementation of
Liberian President
Ellen
Johnson-Sirleafs
directives regarding possible
action
emanating
from
the recent findings of the
Liberian
Anti-Corruption
Commission(LACC) alleging
grand corruption scheme
at
the
National
Port
Authority(NPA).
Last week, President Sirleaf
suspended the Managing
Director of the National
Port Authority (NPA), Mrs.
Matilda W. Parker, and the
Comptroller, Mrs. Christina K.
Pealay, stating that her actions
were based on the findings of
an investigation by the LACC.
The President also suspended
all members of the NPA Board,
except for statutory members
of the Board of Directors of
the NPA and the Chairperson
who was recently named
and instructed Presidential
Affairs
Minister
Edward
McClain
to
immediately
liaise with all chairpersons
of Boards of all State-owned
Enterprises to collate, and
report to her, all resolutions
which have been passed by
these Boards, especially on
board fees, benefits and other
compensations.
The President went on to
declare that where it is
established that Boards have
assigned
emoluments
to
chairpersons and members
that are inconsistent with
established policies of her
administration, she would
reverse all such resolutions.
A
statement
from
the
executive mansion quoted the
President as saying that she
would not hesitate to direct
additional remedies, should
they be required, to cure
such unacceptable actions,
wherever they are found to be
practiced.
But less than a week after
the Presidents directive,
the Ministry of Justice is yet
to enforce the Presidents
directives.
Justice Minister, SG Back to
Press Case

FrontPageAfrica has learned

that the main reason for the
delay is that the LACC had not
officially submitted the full
report to the Justice Ministry.
Both
Justice
Minister
Benedict Sannoh and Solicitor
General Betty Lamin Blamo
were reportedly out of the
country last week when the
directive by the President was
announced. A Justice Ministry
official confirmed to FPA
late Monday that he report
had finally been submitted
and processing of the case is
underway.
The
LACC
report

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

REPORT ON PARKER, NPA FINALLY LANDS AT JUSTICE

LACC OR MOJ: WHOS STALLING EJS

NPA PROSECUTION DIRECTIVE?
Rodney D. Sieh, rodney.sieh@frontpageafricaonline.com

recommended
Managing
Director
Parker,
her
comptroller, Pealay and a
key who blew the whistle
on the NPA hierarchy, be
charged for violation of Fraud
on the Internal Revenue of
Liberia 15.80(a,b and c) for
knowingly,
intentionally
and
purposely
creating
the opportunity to deprive
government of Liberia of its
just revenue in the amount
of fifty thousand United
States Dollars (US$50,000)
by not withholding the 10%
service tax on the Wreck
Removal Contract Valued
at five hundred thousand
(US$500,000) and also failing
to withhold thirty thousand
(US$30,000) on the IPS
Consultancy contract valued
at US$300,000.
A Justice official speaking
on condition of anonymity
Monday told FrontPageAfrica
that even in the absence of
receiving the report from the
LACC, efforts are in the works
to begin preparing for possible
prosecution proceedings.
LACC boss James Verdier
did not respond to inquiries
seeking clarity over why the
report has not been submitted
to the MoJ but he did tell the
VoAs Daybreak Africa Monday
that his commission began
the investigation after it was
tipped off by a whistleblower.
The case has to do with
the management of NPA,
specifically the comptroller
and the managing director
paying out sums of money
to an expert contractor to
remove wreckage from the
Port of Greenville (Sino
County) and to conduct
security assessment into all
ports of Liberia, he said.
Verdier
said
his
commission
found
out
that
the
memorandum
of understanding for the

contract was bogus.

As a
result, a certain sum of money
was allegedly being paid out
to an unqualified person not
to remove wreckage, but for
other reasons.

University of Liberia.
Recently, the UL President
made a passionate appeal
on public radio to UL alumni
to denote a cup of paint to
paint some of the Universitys
buildings.
Against this background, and
to commence this noble cause,
the President of the University
of Liberia and the entire UL

family, in collaboration with

the UL Alumni Association,
request the honor of the
presence of Alumni, former
students and associates to the
formal launch of the Paint the
UL campaign.
The campaign, which is already
gaining
momentum
with
many from the ULs vibrant
alumni base expressing their

LACC Closing Loopholed

Our finding shows that

this money of more than
$800,000 over a period of
less than six months was
actually converted for private
uses. And so, based on the
findings, we recommended
to the president that a strong
action be taken to remedy the
situation, Verdier said.
The LACC has been criticized
in the past for failing to
prosecute individuals accused
of corruption and who had
been suspended by Sirleaf.
Verdier told the VOA that
the LACC will pursue the
legal process going forward,
stating: The law establishing
the LACC provides that, after
an investigation, the LACC
submits its report to the
Ministry of Justice and the
ministry, along with LACC,
or alone, can decide what do
with that report. And so, at
this point, this report has been
forward to the Ministry of
Justice and were hoping and
waiting to see that our two
institutions can collaborate
in
terms
of
pursuing
prosecution..
The LACC boss also revealed
that his commission has
brought
charges
against
some members of the Board
of Directors of the National
Oil Company of Liberia,
who allegedly bribed some
members of the legislature
last year to pass favorable oil
laws.
We understand that the LACC
was kind of slow before or did
not pursue cases, but this LACC
under our administration is

determined to pursue matters

that it investigates to their
logical and legal conclusion,
he said.
Verdier said the LACC is also
in the process of closing a
loophole whereby government
officials who are being paid
their regular salaries are also
being paid for serving on the
boards of parastatals.
The issue of statutory
members and chairpersons
of different boards for
SOEs, thats the stateowned enterprises, receiving
double payment or double
emoluments is something
we are looking into. We have
already advised government
officials to desist from
receiving double emoluments
for serving on these different
boards, Verdier said.
He said the constitution
prevents public officials from
receiving double emoluments.
Verdier also said a national
code of conduct passed last
year
prohibits
receiving
double
emoluments
by
government officials.

Parker,
who
reportedly
returned to Monrovia last
Saturday on a Kenya Airways
flight from Accra, Ghana, has
not yet addressed the report
or the findings with some
sources suggesting that the
embattled and suspended
NPA boss may be awaiting
an official submission of the
report to the Justice Ministry
by the LACC.
FrontPageAfrica has also
been informed that the
Justice Ministry is in the
process of setting up blocks
at the various travel points to
prevent those named in the
LACC findings from taking
flight in a bid to avoid an Ellen

Corkrum scenario.
Corkrum, a former Managing
Director of the Roberts
International
Airport(RIA)
and her fianc Melvin Johnson
were accused of embezzling
US$ half a million before
taking flight to the U.S. Both
are said to be U.S. citizens.
Ms. Corkrum, a reserved US
Air force officer, who currently
resides in the US, fled to the
US shortly after news of the
scandal allegedly involving
her and Johnson.
In the NPA saga, a key witness,
who according to reports,
agreed to turn state witness to
help the Government of Liberia
prosecute officials of the
NPA told LACC investigators
that he was escorted by the
Comptroller of the NPA to
withdraw several checks
written in his name. The first,
a US$250,000 was encashed at
Eco Bank where Comptroller
Christiana Kpabar Pealay took
delivery of the money.
I along with the comptroller
(Christiana Kpabar Pealay)
went to Ecobank, Vai Town
Branch
and
encashed
the check and the cash
(US$250,000.00
turned
over to her. Afterwards, she
gave me US$3,000.00 which
she constitutes the value of
the stationery I had earlier
supplied the NPA, the whistle
blower narrated.
The witness revealed that
the Comptroller at the NPA,
Pealay contributed to the
establishment of a business to
be used in getting a contract
from the NPA.
The
witness
continued:
Based upon the transaction,
the Comptroller (Christiana
Kpabar Pealay) asked me
to register a business for
supplying stationery. In this
direction, she gave me the
amount of US$500.00 and I
registered Denmar Enterprise

eagerness to come to the aid of

their alma mater, is expected to
bring back on campus alumni
from all classes and as far back
as the 1950s and 60s and
perhaps even before.
While this campaign may seem
a rather modest undertaking
compared to what each
alumnus or alumna continues
to do in their field to change

the nation and the world at

large, the UL Administration
will nonetheless be greatly
appreciative if each alumnus
or alumna give a minimal
cash contribution of US$15.00
(which is the price of a cup
of paint) to enable the UL
Administration purchase a
specific grade of oil paint to
give its campuses a facelift.

Parker Back but Yet to

Comment

with the Liberian Business

Registry. Thereafter, I was
called at different times by
the comptroller to receive
and encashed checks bearing
my name and the cash of
those checks turned over to
her, I made to the NPA. I was
promised by the Comptroller
that I will be given contracts to
supply stationery if I continue
to enchash their checks and
return the monies to her.
During one of the times, I was
invited by the Comptroller to
the NPA, I was asked to sign
huge volume of documents.
I did not read the documents
and did not know what they
were about but I did sign.
GoL Shifting Tone?

Eyebrows are also being

raised over the governments
purported change of tone
regarding President Sirleafs
initial directives.
Presidential
spokesman
Jerolinmek Piah clarified last
week that the suspension of
the NPA boss, her comptroller
and others by President
Sirleaf does not in any way
suggest that they are guilty of
committing any crime.
Piah said the suspension
of Parker was based on
the findings of an LACC
investigation and as such
Liberians must follow the
subsequent probe as has been
instructed by the President.
Piah made the clarification at
the Ministry of Information
regular press conference last
Thursday held at the Ministry
in Monrovia.
Piah stressed that if Parker
and the other suspended
officials were found guilty
of committing any acts of
corruption it would have been
unnecessary for President
Sirleaf to instruct the Ministry
of Justice to collaborate with
the LACC and all accused
persons
associated
with
the investigation, to inform
additional actions, should
they be required.
According to Piah, although
the President recognizes
the fact that the suspended
NPA Managing Director is
a very talented and astute
personality under whose
stewardship great progress
has been made at the NPA, she
has no other option but to act
appropriately in the midst of
reports emanating from the
LACC.

UL LAUNCHES PAINT THE UL CAMPAIGN

Capitol Hill:-he President of the

University of Liberia,
Dr. Emmet A. Dennis,
will on Tuesday,
April 28, 2015, at 12 noon
formally launch the Paint the
UL campaign right in front
of the Nathaniel H. Cassell
Administration Building on
the Capitol Hill Campus of the

The President of the UL and

members of his administration,
as well as the leadership of the
UL Alumni Association will
be on hand to welcome each
alumnus as they respond to the
call of the UL President.
We look forward to seeing you
all on this Tuesday at 12 noon
on April 28, 2015.

LIBERTY TO THE RESCUE

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Frontpage

Page 7

How an unknown factory came to the aid of N. V. Massaquoi in West Point with a charitable donation
By UNMEER Public Information Section

Monrovia ot many Liberians

have heard about
the Liberty and
Justice Factory (LJF)
in Monrovia.
Located in the Johansen
Community, a stones throw
away from the diplomatic
enclave of Mamba Point, the
factory
produces
clothes
of all kinds and sizes but it
specializes in uniforms for
students.
This
LJF
is
voluntarily
producing 1,500 sets of

uniforms for students of the

Nathaniel Varney Massaquoi
Elementary and Junior High
School in the township of West
Pointa facility with an awful
history.
At the peak of the Ebola crisis
last August, the school was
temporarily used as an Ebola
holding center but angry
protesters, believing the virus
was a hoax, ransacked the
facilities and the government
was forced to close it down.
The resulting contamination
made the school unsafe for

students. So it remained
closed even after the Ministry
of Education announced in
January that schools should
reopen on February 16.
The Department of Children,
Family and Human Services, a
Liberian NGO, saw the need to
reopen the school, applied for
funding and began renovations.
Today a coalition of UN and
international aid organizations
are helping to complete the
renovations, make the school
safe and its educational
environment conducive for

learning.
When classes resume, parents
wont have to buy uniforms.
Thats because the LJF is
providing the uniforms free of
charge.
Chid Liberty is the factorys
chief
executive
officer.
Mr. Liberty is proud to be
associated with the schools
rebranding despite a decline in
revenue due to Ebola. But how
did his factory get involved in
the renovation process?
We wanted to see if there
was anything we could do,

CRYING FOR HELP

Kebbah Community Petitions Public Works for Road construction
Bettie Johnson /betty.johnson@frontpageafricaonline.com

O
Monrovia-

ver 50 residents
of
Barnesville
and Kebbah Road
communities
Monday, staged a peaceful
protest at the entrance of the
Ministry of Public Works
demanding the reconstruction
of the road.
In a petition, the residents
commended the ministry for its
steadfastness in the level of job
done during the last four months
but said they want the Ministry
to make further intervention on
the Kebbah road.
Hon. Minister, today, we have
come to say that the work of
the AFL is highly appreciated

but we are calling on your good

office through the Government
of Liberia to please consider
the decision of paving the
Barnesville Kebbah road,
Emmanuel Fahn head of the
group said
He continued Our concern is
that the coming rainy season
may damage the work of the
AFL and our community will
soon find itself back with
deplorable road conditions.
The protesters added that
if the road is paved it will
contribute to a major economic
boost of their community and
economy, where jobs will be
created, businesses empowered
and families will realize the

goodness of paved road and

also enjoy the financial gains.
This road will help ease the
burden of traffic on the Somalia
Drive and create an option for
people travelling to Kakata and
beyond; it may please you to
note that there have been several
stakeholders promising to have
this road paved but today we
dont come with politics; we
come as representatives of
our communities asking that
the planning process of the
road development take the
Barnesville-Kebbah road into
high consideration, Fahn said.
The
Kebbah
residents
spokesperson further added we
are willing to dig the sand, mix

the concrete, serve as securities,

and willing to be part of the
process for the development of
our communities and country.
Receiving the petition, Deputy
Minister for Technical Services,
Mr. Claude Langley accepted
the petition and commended
the youths for their peaceful
protest.
Today, I am glad that you
have come in a peaceful way
to channel your grievances but
with my team we will work
together and make sure that
your road is rehabilitated, he
said.
Deputy Minister Langley added
that the road will be paved as the
ministry is awaiting resources
for the project.
He disclosed that the Ministry
will prevail on the selected
contractor to employ the locals.
The Ministry of Public Works
will prevail on the contractor
to employ people from the
community but the ministry
doesnt just need a petition to
be presented but we need you to
be actively involved in the road
construction, he said.
Minister
Langley
pointed
out that the petitioners raised
salient points and the ministry
will address the petition
within time to ease the traffic
congestion which he said will
gradually improve the lives of
the community dwellers.

especially for all the children

in Liberia that are trying to
go back to school. The first
thing that we thought about
was many of the women in
our factory, after [the] Ebola
[crisis], were struggling to
get their kids back in school,
pay for uniforms and [school]
supplies. So we said well, this
is one thing that we can do
to help Liberia right now, he
explained.
Liberty said the LJF intends
to give away 49,000 sets of
uniforms to needy students
from various schools by the
end of this year.
We have spoken to the
Ministry of Education [about
the possibility of helping
government-run
schools].
So at this moment, we dont
know which schools will get
the uniforms but they will be
ready, Mr. Liberty said.
Established in April 2010
to respond to the needs of
womens groups with small
projects in tailoring, the factory
consists of 300 employees, who
are predominantly women.
Florence Johnson is overseeing
the 20 women set aside to
work on the uniforms for the
school.
The women worked eight
hours a day and six days a
week, with an hour break a day,

to meet the April 28 deadline.

Ms. Johnson is proud to be
heading a competent team that
is contributing to humanity
but admitted that there is a bit
of pressure to complete their
task.
Annie Blamo is one of the
women tasked with producing
150 pieces of shirts and or
blouses a day.
She lives in West Point and her
seven-year-old son, Wilson
Blamo, will be attending the
school when it reopens in
about a week.
I am very proud to be working
on such a project. We are so
happy for what this factory
has done for the children at
the N. V. Massaquoi School
and their name will forever
be remembered, Ms. Blamo
added.
About 200 residents had a
chance to see and hear from
those who have conducted the
renovations at an Open House
on Saturday.
And when the students parade
to their campus, from the
Liberia Electricity Corporation,
for a grand ribbon cutting
ceremony on May 1, they will
be wearing uniforms made
by women of the Liberty and
Justice Factory.

PUL LEADS
JOURNALISTS TO
ZWEDRU FRIDAY
FOR WPFD

Monrovia he Press Union of Liberia will Friday, May 1, lead

journalists to Zwedru City, Grand Gedeh County, for the
official observance of this years World Press Freedom
Day.
The Union is encouraging journalist interested in traveling for
the celebration to register at its headquarters between now and
Wednesday, April 29, to inform planning and logistical decisions.
Journalists departing from Monrovia on May 1, 2015 to Grand
Gedeh will be joined by others from rural Liberia.
May 3rd of each year is observed universally as World Press
Freedom Day (WPFD) with appropriate programs highlighting
the significance of a free press in a democracy. Major activities
include hosting a parade, followed by an indoors program, where
speeches about freedom and democracy are made.
For the last 5 years, the PUL has observed the day by taking
activities to other parts of the country for communities in those
parts of the country to understand the significance of a free press,
as well as the rationale of a press in a democratic setting like
Liberia.
May 2 will be a Field Reporting Day, during which journalists
will report on various issues in the county. On Sunday, May 3
(World Press Freedom Day), an intercessory service will be held,
followed by sporting events between the PUL and local teams
in the evening. The formal events marking WPFD (parade and
indoors program) will be held on Monday, May 4, followed by
departure.
The celebration will climax with an Annual Awards Night &
Dinner in Monrovia on Friday May 29, 2015 during which the
PUL will present various prizes to journalists, for excellent
performances during the last one year.
Meanwhile, the PUL has requested individual journalists to
contribute US$20 and media houses US$100 to help underwrite
costs for transportation, feeding and lodging for the three-day
event.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Page 8 | Frontpage

Monrovia-
he World Health
Organization (WHO)
Regional
Director
for
Africa,
Dr.
Matshidiso Moeti, has pledged
the organizations continued
collaboration in support to
rebuilding a resilient healthcare
system in Liberia.
According to an Executive
Mansion release, the first
woman
WHO
Regional
Director for Africa, made the
commitment when she paid
a courtesy call on President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at her
temporary office at the Foreign
Ministry on Thursday, April
23, 2015.
Dr. Moeti, who is from
Botswana, was on a three-day
visit to Liberia to assess the
impact of WHOs contribution
to the fight against Ebola that
had taken a toll on countries
in the Mano River basin. This
is her first visit here since her
appointment for a five-year
term on February 1, 2015,
succeeding Dr. Luis Gomes
Sambo who has served as
Regional Director for the past
10 years.
On behalf of WHO, Dr. Moeti
used the opportunity to thank
the Liberian President for her
leadership role in the fight
against Ebola which she said
has been exemplary in terms
of her personal engagement.
Im very much aware that
you were directly and in a very
hands-on way supporting and
directing activities, visiting
sites and treatment centers
across the country. This was
exemplary leadership and I
think you played a big role
in encouraging the people to
respond, adjust and change
their habits and behavior in
such a way that it has brought
the country to where you are
now, she indicated.
She joined other partners
in
expressing
WHOs
commitment to supporting
Liberia in its transitional phase
and to see an end to the Ebola
virus disease, noting that the
organization is with Liberia
counting down to the day when
WHO can declare the outbreak
over in Liberia; but indicated
that the response has to be
regional in scope and urged
Liberians to stay alert as long
as there are cases in the other
two countries.
The WHO Regional Director for
Africa promised that as Liberia
counts down to become Ebola
free, the WHO will continue
its engagement with the other
two countries to ensure crossborder information sharing and
other interventions are stronger
than ever so that Liberia is
not pulled back by a new case
from the other countries. I
just like to assure you that the
WHO will focus on that and
on helping Liberia get to zero,
she promised.
As regard the future and
building a resilient healthcare
system in Liberia, Dr. Moeti
said WHO was aware of the
work that had already begun
before Ebola struck in terms
of developing a health policy
and a health strategy; stressing
that it is a good platform on
which to build with the lessons
learnt from the Ebola outbreak.

WHO PLEDGES TO REBUILD RESILIENT

HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN LIBERIA
Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Meets with President Sirleaf

She expressed her delight

at the sub-regional recovery
plan presented at the Spring
Meetings of the World Bank
Group/International Monetary
Fund in Washington, D.C.
recently.
Dr. Moeti admitted that one
of the key roles that WHO
has to play with regards the
sub-regional recovery plan
is capacity building, training
of healthcare workers and
providing support so that
capacity is there to implement
the plan and manage the health
services up to the community
level in the way it is defined
in the plan. We are very
much with you in addressing
the issue of resilient health
systems so if there is another
case of Ebola in the future, the
response, readiness and the
ability to contain it should be
much better, she assured.
She thanked the Liberian
leader and other officials of
government for the warm
welcome since her arrival here
on Tuesday, April 21, 2015.

Ive found the officials I

have met extremely warm and
welcoming. I feel very much at
home here, she said.
Earlier,
President
Sirleaf
thanked Dr. Moeti for the visit
and congratulated her on her
preferment as the first female
WHO Regional Director for
Africa. You are the first; so
you join the group of first
females in Africa, she said.
The Liberian leader stressed
that the WHO Regional Office

has been a good partner to

Liberia over the years, most
especially during the period
of Ebola. She looked forward
to WHO active participation
in the sub-regions post-Ebola
recovery plan which has a lot
to do with being able to create
and strengthen the countrys
healthcare delivery system.
The Liberian leader thanked
WHO for assisting Liberia
in training health sector
personnel, which is now an

essential element of the postEbola recovery plan to ensure

that the country has a resilient
healthcare system.
During her stay, Dr. Moeti
held meetings with the Special
Representative of the Secretary
General and Coordinator of
United Nations Operations
in Liberia, Karin Landgren;
officials of the Incidence
Management Team; Minister
and senior management of the
Ministry of Health, partners

and WHO staff. She also made

onsite visits to the Redemption
Hospital and held community
engagements with residents
of Zuma Town, one of the
communities hardest hit by the
Ebola virus disease.
The WHO is the most
significant partners to Liberia
in the fight against Ebola.
Before the Ebola crisis,
WHO provided technical
assistance for health systems
strengthening,
supported
maternal and child health as
well as disease prevention and
control.
In Liberias Ebola recovery
process, WHO is providing
technical
assistance
in
developing
the
health
investment plan for a resilient
health system and helping the
Ministry of Health to prepare
the National Public Health
Institute and a sub-regional
specimen bio-bank.
WHO is currently supporting
the Ebola virus disease
transition
plan
under
which unspent funds for
Ebola treatment are being
reprogrammed to support
the Ministry of Healths
post-Ebola priorities aimed
at
enhancing
capacities
in
international
health
regulations,
strengthening
integrated disease surveillance
and laboratory capacity at
national and county levels.
Dr. Moeti was accompanied
to
President
Sirleafs
office by the WHO-Liberia
Country
Representative,
Dr. Alex Gassasira; WHOLiberia
Deputy
Country
Representative, Dr. Emmanuel
Musa; National Professional
Officer and Health Economist,
Mr. Eric Johnson; Head of
Communication at the Regional
Office, Mr. Collins BoakyeAgyemang; and WHO-Liberia
Protocol Officer, Mrs. Edvida
Penn.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Frontpage

Page 9

Page 10 | Frontpage

IN BRIEF

PUTIN ACCUSES 'QUASIPARTNERS' OF COUNTING

ON RUSSIA COLLAPSE

ST PETERSBURG, Russia
(Reuters) resident Vladimir
Putin
accused
some of Russia's
"quasi-partners" on
Monday of counting on the
country's collapse by cutting
its banks off from the global
financial system at a time
when oil prices had plunged.
Speaking in Russia's second
city of St Petersburg, Putin
said they had been proved
wrong and the economy
had easily weathered the
crisis, deepened by Western
sanctions imposed to punish
Moscow over its policies in
Ukraine.

UN SOUNDS ALARM
OVER 'FORGOTTEN'
C. AFRICA CRISIS

Geneva (AFP) he United Nations

warned Monday it had
received only a fraction
of the funds needed
to address strife-torn Central
African Republic's towering
humanitarian crisis, forcing it to
cut desperately needed aid.
"We must prevent the Central
African Republic from becoming
a forgotten crisis," said Claire
Bourgeois, the UN humanitarian
coordinator for the country.
CAR is struggling to recover from
the coup that ousted president
Francois Bozize in March 2013
and triggered a wave of deadly
sectarian violence between the
country's Christian and Muslim
populations.
Now, a transitional government
faces the uphill task of rebuilding
a shattered administration. But it
is almost entirely dependent on
foreign funds, and the economy
is in ruins.
About half the population of
4.6 million people live in severe
poverty and need humanitarian
aid, while 1.5 million are
considered
food
insecure,
according to the UN.

KATHMANDU, Nepal (Reuters) epalese

officials
scrambled
on
Monday
to
get
aid from the main
airport to people left homeless
and hungry by a devastating
earthquake two days earlier,
while thousands tired of waiting
fled the capital Kathmandu for
the surrounding plains.
By afternoon, the death toll
from Saturday's 7.9 magnitude
earthquake had climbed to more
than 3,700, and reports trickling
in from remote areas suggested
it would rise significantly.
A senior interior ministry
official said it could reach as
much as 5,000, in the worse
such disaster in Nepal since
1934, when 8,500 people were
killed.
Kathmandu's
Tribhuvan
International
Airport
was
hobbled by many employees
not showing up for work, people
trying to get out, and a series of
aftershocks which forced it to
close several times since the
quake.
Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam
was supervising aid delivery
and arranging for passengers to
leave the country.
Government officials said they
needed more supplies of food,
medicines, specialized rescue
services and body bags.
"The morgues are getting totally
full," said Shankar Koirala, an
official in the Prime Minister's
Office who is dealing with the
disposal of bodies.
Families lit funeral pyres for the
dead in towns and across the
countryside.

FLIGHT FROM KATHMANDU

Many of Kathmandu's one
million residents have slept in
the open since Saturday, either
because their homes were
flattened or they were terrified
that aftershocks would bring
them crashing down.
On
Monday,
thousands
streamed out of the city. Roads
leading from Kathmandu were
jammed with people, some

WORLD NEWS

RONT

Nepal scrambles to organise quake relief, many flee capital

carrying babies, trying to climb

onto buses or hitch rides aboard
cars and trucks to the plains.
Long queues had formed at the
airport.
"We are escaping," said Krishna
Muktari, who runs a small
grocery store in Kathmandu,
standing at a road intersection.
Meanwhile, the extent of Nepal's
disaster was only just emerging
as reports of devastation began
to come in from other parts of
the country.
High in the Himalayas, hundreds
of climbers were staying put
at Mount Everest base camp,
where a huge avalanche after
the earthquake killed 17 people
in the single worst disaster to hit
the world's highest mountain.
Rescue teams, helped by clear
weather, used helicopters to
airlift scores of people stranded
at higher altitudes, two at a
time.
In Sindhupalchowk, about a
three-hour drive northeast of
Kathmandu, the death toll had
reached 875 people and was

expected to rise. In Dhading,

close to the quake's epicentre
west of Kathmandu, 241 people
were killed.
Survivors spoke of trying to
stay flat on the ground while
the tremors shook the forested
mountains. Some were stuck
for hours afterwards, unable to
move because of injuries.
"There is nobody helping people
in the villages. People are dying
where they are," said A. B.
Gurung, a Nepali soldier who
was waiting in Dhading district
for an Indian helicopter that had
gone to his village Darkha.

published Monday in the

journal Nature Climate Change.
Humans have not had as great
an effect on heavy downpours,
though. The Swiss scientists
who did the study calculated
that 18 percent of extreme
rain events are caused by
global warming. But if the
world warms another two
degrees
Fahrenheit
(1.1
degrees Celsius) expected
to happen around midcentury about 39 percent
of the downpours would

be attributed to humanity's
influence, according to the
study. That influence comes
from greenhouse gases, mostly
carbon dioxide from the
burning of coal, oil and gas.
"This new study helps get
the actual probability or
odds of human influence,"
said University of Arizona
climate scientist Jonathan
Overpeck, who wasn't part of
the research. "This is key: If
you don't like hot temperature
extremes that we're getting,

AID TRICKLES IN
In Kathmandu, sick and
wounded people were lying
out in the open, unable to find
beds in the devastated city's
hospitals. Surgeons set up an
operating theatre inside a tent
in the grounds of Kathmandu
Medical College.
Across the capital and beyond,
exhausted
families
laid
mattresses out on streets and

STUDY BLAMES GLOBAL WARMING

FOR 75 PERCENT OF VERY HOT DAYS

ISIS LEADER BAGHDADI

IS REPORTEDLY 'UNABLE
TO MOVE' AFTER A
SPINAL INJURY

(Getty Images)
he head of the Islamic
State is reportedly
injured so badly he can
barely move, Kareem
Shaheen at The Guardian
reports.
"Sources tell us Baghdadi is still
alive, but still unable to move
due to spinal injury sustained in
the March air strike," Shaheen
tweeted.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who last
year declared himself caliph of
the Islamic State (also known
as ISIS, ISIL, and Daesh), was
reportedly wounded in a US-led
airstrike in March.

WASHINGTON (AP)
f you find yourself
sweating out a day that is
monstrously hot, chances
are you can blame
humanity. A new report links
three out of four such days to
man's effects on climate.
And as climate change
worsens around mid-century,
that percentage of extremely
hot days being caused by
man-made greenhouse gases
will push past 95 percent,
according to the new study

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

AFTERSHOCK
F

PAGE

erected tents to shelter from

rain. People queued for water
dispensed from trucks, while
the few stores still open had
next to nothing on their shelves.
Humanitarian agencies said
materials such as plastic sheets,
dry food rations, clean water and
blankets were being dispatched
to affected populations in the
city and outside.
Some relief supplies also began
to trickle into the capital, a
Reuters witness said. Some
portable toilets had been set up
and food was being provided by
local aid agencies. A few United
Nations vehicles were seen with
medical equipment.
But as Nepalis prepared to
spend a third night outside,
anger emerged at the slow pace
of recovery.
Ana Bharat, a student in
Kathmandu, said he and 23
relatives had set up a tent in
the garden behind the Home
Ministry.
"They haven't given us any
trouble," he said, referring to

you now know how you can

reduce the odds of such events
by reducing greenhouse gas
emissions."
Lead author Erich Fischer,
a climate scientist at ETH
Zurich, a Swiss university,
and colleague Reto Knutti
examined just the hottest
of hot days, the hottest onetenth of one percent. Using 25
different computer models.
Fischer and Knutti simulated a
world without human-caused
greenhouse gas emissions and
found those hot days happened
once every three years.
Then they calculated how
many times they happen
with the current level of heattrapping gases and the number
increases to four days. So three
of the four are human caused,
the team said.
And when the scientists dialed
up the greenhouse gases
using current pollution trends
to simulate a world about
mid-century, they got 26 of
those super-hot days, "almost
a whole month," Fischer said.
The figures that Fischer and
Knutti calculated are global
estimates. The margins of
error, plus or minus about 13
percent with current hot days,
grow larger when smaller
regions
are
considered.
However, they found Africa
and South America now have

civil servants and officials in

buildings all around, "but they
haven't done anything for us
either."
The United Nations Children's
Fund said nearly one million
children in Nepal were severely
affected by the quake, and
warned of waterborne and
infectious diseases.
In the ancient temple town of
Bhaktapur, east of Kathmandu,
many residents were living in
tents in a school compound
after centuries old buildings
collapsed or developed huge
cracks.
"We have become refugees,"
said Sarga Dhaoubadel, a
management student whose
ancestors had built her
Bhaktapur family home over
400 years ago.
They were subsisting on instant
noodles and fruit, she said.
"No one from the government
has come to offer us even a glass
of water," she said. "Nobody has
come to even check our health.
We are totally on our own here.
All we can hope is that the
aftershocks stop and we can try
and get back home."
A total of 3,726 people were
confirmed killed in the quake,
the government said on Monday.
More than 6,500 were injured.
Another 66 were killed across
the border in India and at least
another 20 in Tibet, China's
state news agency said.
On Monday evening, tremors
shook northeast India again,
sending residents rushing out
of their homes, fearing for their
safety.
Several countries sent aid and
personnel to Nepal.

the highest percentages of

unusual hot days that could be
blamed on human influence,
89 percent and 88 percent
respectively. Europe, at 63
percent, and North America,
with 67 percent, come in at
the lowest. By mid-century, if
emissions continue at current
pace, all continents will be able
blame at least 93 percent of
super hot days on humans.
Half a dozen outside scientists
praised the study as valid,
elegant and important.
When people ask if a single
weird weather event is due
to human activity or just
natural variation, that's the
wrong question because both
factors are always involved,
said Princeton University
climate
scientist
Michael
Oppenheimer, who wasn't
part of the study but praised
it heavily. This study, he said,
asks the right question: "How
much of the change is due to
human activity and how much
is natural variation?"
And once that percentage of
damages, costs and deaths
can be attributed to human
influence, it's easier for
governments to put a price
on carbon dioxide emissions
in an effort to control global
warming, said Duke University
climate scientist Drew Shindell.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Frontpage

Sports

WAS IT CALABAR
IN REVERSE? T

AFTER A SHABBY PREPARATION AND LATE DEPARTURE

hana took a mighty

step in their quest
to qualify for an
Olympic final since
Greece 2004 by beating an
ill-prepared Liberia 2-0 in
Tamale.
The team, which trained for
two weeks at the Antoinette
Tubman Stadium, departed
Monrovia on Saturday and
had to leave Accra on Sunday
morning for the match venue.
They were joined by Greecebased
Herron
Berrian,
America-based Cooper Gaypia
and Ivory Coast-based Sporo
Somah, who was hosted by
Monrovia Club Breweries
president Samuel Ashley for
more than a week in Accra.
Their preparation and defeat
resemble the Calabar disaster,
where Liberia, having arrived
in the morning hours of the
match, were hammered 6-1 by
Nigeria in a 2013 Africa Cup of
Nations qualifier on October
13, 2012.
But LFA president Musa Bility
disagreed on the comparison
made between the Calabar and
Tamale matches.
Today, we didnt make
mistake. [The Calabar scenario
you are talking about] is a
quite different one. Today the
team is going [to Ghana which
is a] direct flight [for] one and
the half hour. They are going
to Accra; they are resting,
sleeping in Accra with no
problem.
And they have a one hour

he Belgium winger
has inspired the
Blues to what will
surely be their fifth
English top-flight title and
beats off competition from
David De Gea and Harry Kane,
among others
Chelsea winger Eden Hazard
has been named the PFA
Player of the Year, beating stiff
competition from Manchester
United's David De Gea and
Tottenham's Harry Kane.
Hazard has played a pivotal
role in Chelsea's march to
the Premier League title this
season, scoring 13 goals and
laying on eight assists.
While some of his team-mates
have fallen out of form in 2015
- sufficiently so, in the case of
Cesc Fabregas, to fall out of the
PFA Team of the Year - Hazard
has maintained the high level
of form which he showed in the
first half of the campaign.
Last weekend he scored
the decisive goal against
Manchester United at Stamford
Bridge, which finally killed off
Louis van Gaal's faint hopes of
winning the title, which came
a week after laying on a late,
important winner for Fabregas
at Queens Park Rangers.
His eye-catching skills and
important goals have given
him the edge over his Premier
League colleagues, including
De Gea and Kane.

Page 11

As Ghana beat Liberia 2-0 on the road to Brazil 2016 Olympic finals

SPORTS

HERRERA DOUBLE SENDS

VAN GAAL'S MEN EIGHT
POINTS CLEAR OF LIVERPOOL

he
Red
Devils'
Champions League
hopes look more
solid than ever
as they brushed aside the
Villans at Old Trafford, the
Spanish midfielder scoring at
the end of each half
Manchester United put eight
points between themselves
and Liverpool as they saw off
Aston Villa 3-1 on Saturday,
Ander Herrera scoring twice.
Their top-four ambitions
boosted by Arsenal's win
against the Reds earlier
in the day, the Red Devils
consolidated their position
with a largely comfortable
victory at Old Trafford.

SAUL AND GRIEZMANN MOVE

ATLETICO INTO THIRD

flight in the morning to go to

Tamale. And they will arrive
[in] Tamale at seven in the
morning. And they will rest for
another eight hours before the
game. This is very normal [for
a football team], Bility told

FrontPageAfrica on Saturday.
He blamed the teams late
departure, not on the usual
no money syndrome, but on
reduction of flights coming to
Liberia since the Ebola crisis.
You have to understand that

this was the country that had

about 16 flights coming a
week. Today, we only have two
[flights]. To get all 30 persons
on board that flight was the
problem. It has never been
about money, he added.

A September ban imposed by

the Confederation of African
Football (Caf) on countries
worst hit by the Ebola crisis
means Liberia could play the
second leg in Tamale.

CHELSEA'S EDEN HAZARD

NAMED PFA PLAYER OF THE YEAR

iego
Simeone's
side
leapfrogged
Valencia in the
table, though their
rivals will reclaim third place
if they beat Villarreal on
Sunday
Antoine Griezmann and
Saul both scored as Atletico
Madrid moved into third
place with a polished 2-0
victory away to Cordoba.
Griezmann got the visitors
off to a fine start with a
well-taken finish after five
minutes and his tireless
work rate proved a nuisance
throughout.

DUKE FRESHMEN LEAD WAY

TO FINAL FOUR, STRUGGLE
WITH RITE OF PASSAGE

W
HOUSTON

The United goalkeeper has been crucial

to his team's progression this season,
particularly in the early months when he
made a number of spectacular saves to
help bail out a creaky defence as Van Gaal
experimented with the team he inherited
from David Moyes.

Tottenham striker Kane provided the

most impressive competition for Hazard.
The 21-year-old has scored 30 goals 20 in the Premier League - in a stunning
breakthrough season at White Hart Lane.
The Englishman has been a central
member of Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs

project and he earned his first international

call-up earlier this season as a result.
Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho,
Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez and Chelsea
striker Diego Costa, who has been
hampered by injuries and suspensions in
2015, were also nominated for the award.

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.

I DONT KNOW
Page 6a
12 | Frontpage

-Public Works Minister Unaware of Mittals Drawback on Ganta-Yekepa Road

Monroviaublic Works Minister

Judy
Moore
has
dispelled
Media
reports
about
a
possible drawback by Arcelor
Mittal; in a promise to the
Liberian government to fund
the pavement of the crucial
Ganta-Yekepa highway.
According to Minister Moore
there is no official information
about the company drawing
down but admitted that
because of the reduction in the
price of iron ore on the world
market it is difficult for any
company in that business to
meet commitment.
Minister Moore said: we had
a meeting with the contractor,
the monitoring consultant and
Arcelor Mittal on Saturday
at the Ministry and as far as
we are concerned the project
is still going forward so if
such news exist it has not
been communicated to the
Government of Liberia so as far
as we are concerned at public
works is that the project is
going forward.
The Public Works Minister
further added I should say
though we recognize that
globally the price of iron ore
has been dropping so any
company engaged in iron ore
business right now will have a
problem meeting commitment
but if that is the case the
company will inform us.
During his appearance before
the Lofa County Legislative
Caucus Monday at the Capitol,
the Public Works Minister told
FPA in an exclusive interview
that contractors for the project
have being mobilized and
first advance payment for the

Henry Karmo (0886522495) henrykarmo@frontPageafricaonline.com

project will be made within

the next week.
He refused to speak on the
possible drawdown of the
company because according to
him it is in the authority of the
Labour Ministry to do so but
said he was optimistic that no
matter the prevailing situation,
the project will go on.
Conflicting Accounts
Despite the statement by
Minister Moore, Finance and
Economic Planning Minister
Amara Konneh confirmed
to FPA on Sunday that
ArcelorMittal has officially
informed the government of
Liberia the losses they are
incurring on an annual basis,
which at the current price and

costs, amounts to $45 million

dollars in the fourth quarter of
2014 and asked for flexibility.
Minister Konneh said: The
issue at hand is more than
the road which is obviously
important
for
Liberias
development. There are also
the issues of about 300 Liberian
jobs at risk, the jobs the road
project is likely to create, the
school and hospital, and the
delayed commencement of
Phase II of AMLs operations
that would have expanded the
development of the Yekepa
mines.
The Government of Liberia
says ArcelorMittal should do
more to reduce operational
costs and improve efficiency.

Minister Konneh says, though

the government is concluding
its option for intervention, the
government strongly believes
there is room for improvement
in ArcelorMittals Liberian
operations,
which
would
lead to substantial savings.
Says Konneh, For example,
our
cursory
examination
and interview of key sources
suggests that the mining
operation may be experiencing
inefficiencies, especially in the
area of procurement. A deeper
review of the companys
processes, operations and
procurement may, therefore,
assist AML and Government
in
improving
operations
and ensuring that they are

CHINESE NATIONAL ON TRIAL

FOR ALLEGED SMUGGLING

Kennedy L. Yangian kennedylyangian@frontpageafricaonline.com 0777296781

Monrovias part on its

crackdown
on
unscrupulous
business practices
in the country, that has the
propensity to rob government
of the needed revenue the
Liberia Revenue Authority by
and thru the court will today
(Tuesday) proceed with the
prosecution of a Chinese
businessman accused of
smuggling consignment of
goods in the country.
FrontPageAfrica has reliably
learned that the Chinese
National Shun Feng currently
detained at the Monrovia
Central Prison will today go
on trial at the West Point
Magisterial Court.
The trial of the Chinese
businessman, defendant Feng
is expected to take place at the
West Point Magisterial Court
Tuesday at 10: am according
to the assignment from the
court.
Defendant Feng was arrested

upon the orders of agents of

the LRA on Thursday, April
23, 2015 while in the process
of transferring a consignment
of goods brought into the
country from the Peoples
Republic of China to his
warehouse.
Agents of the Anti-Smuggling
Unit of the LRA, a newly
created
financial
entity
responsible for the collection
of government revenues are
reported to have intercepted
a 40-feet container imported
into the country by the
defendant.
According to the agents when
the container was taken to
his warehouse located at the
corners of Water Street and
United Nations Drive it was
discovered that 837 packages
of goods were discovered
undeclared in violation of the
Revenue Code.
The
goods
allegedly
discovered to be undeclared
were cartons of powdered
soap and slippers to artificial

hairs and handbags among

others items.
The LRA agents discovered the
undeclared items following
a search and seizure warrant
that was obtained from the
West Point Magisterial Court
giving the agents the right
to search and have access to
goods in the warehouse of
defendant Feng.
Defendant Feng faces charges
including wrong classification,
undervaluation,
excess
undeclared and smuggling
actions all in violation of the
Liberia Revenue Authority
(L RA) code the charges that
he has two options either to
accept or plead not guilty.
Defendant Fengs arrest a
week ago comes when the
LRA is kicking against tax
evasion and other forms of
financial malpractices that
continue to be a troubling
problem over the years for
government in the collection
of revenues.
Tax evasion and other forms

of financial malpractices
which tend to adversely affect
the collection of government
revenues have been allegedly
attributed to foreign-owned
businesses who control larger
sector of the economy with
the help of some revenue
employees
according
to
reports.
Defendant Feng, neither
his lawyer has made official
statement since his arrest
on Thursday, April 23, 2015
though it is his right to speak
or remain silent during his
arrest as required by law.
A source from the LRA who
begged for strict anonymity
stated that the LRA sees the
arrest of the Chinese national
for alleged smuggling as
matter of keen interest that
they wish to pursue to the
end.
As we speak to you now the
legal team from the entity
is preparing to pursue this
matter to logical conclusion
said the same source.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

unhindered by global market
fluctuations.
Independence celebration in
southeast on course
On the level of preparation to
ensure a successful celebration
of the July 26 independence
day
celebration
in
the
south eastern region as was
announced by President Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf in January this
year during her nationwide
address, Minister Moore said,
all is being done to ensure that
the road is in good look not
only for the independence day
program but after.
Minister Moore disclosed that
damaged bridges on the road
have been a major challenge
but said those challenges have
being dealt with and by the
end of May the bridges will be
completed and the road will be
ready.
In fact there are contractors
currently on the road working
on a daily basis, he said.
He hailed the work of his
predecessor, Antoinette Weeks
as according to him most of
what is going on now is a result
of her work.
I dont see myself as the
only minister of public works
because for years we have
talked about generational
change in this country to see
young people in top position
so, I need to succeed not to
provide infrastructure but
so that young people coming
after me can see me as an
inspiration, he stated
FPA has gathered that Mittal
has already informed the
Liberian government that
it does not have the money
available now to go ahead with
the project as planned and has
asked the Liberian government
to step in and provide an initial
US$10 million to get the project
started with Mittal repaying
the government at a later date.
This was reportedly officially
communicated Saturday to
the contractors, CSE, the
Ministry of Public Works and

representatives from Mittal at

a meeting held at the Public
Works Ministry.
The company in early March
informed the local union in
Nimba of its intention to reduce
its workforce by about 20%,
as a result of unfavourable
market conditions which it
said may have an impact on
270 jobs related to the mine
support infrastructure, as well
as some indirect contractor
jobs associated with the mine.
Antonio Carlos Maria, CEO
ArcelorMittal Liberia said in
a statement in March: We
deeply regret that the current
economic environment is
not allowing us to maintain
employment at current level;
but the reality is that we are
struggling to remain profitable
in light of the lower iron ore
price. Our priority is to ensure
the long term sustainability
of the operation whilst
maintaining as many jobs as
possible. We understand that
this is difficult news for the
people who work at the mine
who may be affected. We are in
close dialogue with the union
to explain the reasons for this
proposal. ArcelorMittal Liberia
remain committed to the
country and we will continue
to mine and ship up to 5
million tons of iron ore a year
in Liberia from our operations
in Yekepa and Buchanan.
The company explained that
the mining industry has been
facing significant challenges
over the past year as a result
of the lower iron ore price,
which is putting pressure on
mining producers to run their
assets as efficiently as possible.
Against this backdrop, Arcelor
Mittal has had to re-examine
the competitiveness of all its
assets, identify the areas
FPA has also gathered that
the Ministry of Finance is
working overtime to intervene
to avoid a major economic
embarrassment.

European Union and

Liberia Hold 3rd Political
Dialogue

Monrovia he Government of Liberia and the European Union

will hold the 3rd Political Dialogue under the theme
" Governance, Security and Justice" on Tuesday,
April 28, 2015, at 11:00AM, at the C. Cecil Dennis, Jr.
Auditorium, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to a Foreign Ministry release, the 3rd Political
Dialogue will focus on getting Ebola to zero, and boosting the
recovery process; governance, security and justice -United
Nations Missions in Liberia (UNMIL) drawdown; and Special
Senatorial elections as well as the Universal Periodic Review.
Other matters to be discussed include standing issues from
previous dialogues - Schengen Visa, and modalities for the
holding of the EU - Liberia Political Dialogue.
The 3rd EU Liberia Political Dialogue will be led on the
Liberian side by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Augustine
Kpehe Ngafuan with the participation of several ministries
and agencies of the Liberian Government to include the
Ministries of Finance and Development Planning, Justice,
National Elections Commission and the Independent National
Commission on Human Rights.
Her Excellency Tiina Intelmann, EU Ambassador to Liberia
will head the EU delegation which includes Ambassadors of
European Union member states accredited to Liberia.
The Dialogue is in line with Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement
which states that the EU and member states of the African,
Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries which include Liberia
shall regularly engage in a comprehensive, balanced and deep
political dialogue leading to commitments on both sides. The
Dialogue aims to enhance development cooperation between
the EU and the Republic of Liberia.

NOT SO POPULAR

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

District Number Three, Grand
Bassa Countyoliticians eyeing the
2017 general elections
in Liberia must finetune every aspect of
their career and work if they
must succeed in what has been
described by political pundits
as a very crucial election
for the country. On the other
hand, constituents are now
scrutinizing
performances
and track records of potential
aspirants and incumbents.
In Grand Bassas Electoral
District Three, Representative
Jeh Byron Browne has come
under the spot light with
some constituents looking
disappointed
about
his
performance over the years.
Lawmaker Browne is popular
amongst his colleagues on the
floor at the Capitol but could
struggle for reelection back
home in 2017.
The powerful Liberty Party
lawmaker has strong ties with
Speaker Alex Tyler, evidence by
his appointment as the Houses
Chairman on Rules, Orders and
Administration
Committee
replacing influential lawmaker
Edwin Melvin Snow.
Lawmaker Browne has adored
popularity at the Capitol and
has been critically outspoken
about the executive. In fact,
he has also blown the trumpet
for the establishment of a war
crimes court in Liberia and
just prior to the Ebola crisis,
he pressured the executive
to give clarity for the delays
in refurbishing the Executive
Mansion.
Good at work, bad at home
Back in Brownes district, some
say he has underperformed,
asserting that his outstanding
performance at the Capitol
Building has had little impact
on their lives.
You were sent by your people,
so your performance should
not just be at the Capitol
Building or in Monrovia, but
it should be felt home, said
Edwin Weljay, Speaker of the
District Youth.
Wejay claims that Browne
is poorly representing the
district and ignoring the need
to consult his people in other
to know their plight. The youth
Speaker describes Browne
as unfriendly and rates his
performance below 75%.
We are not against Hon.
Browne, Weljay continued.
But we are saying that we sent
you there, so you need to listen
to us and at the same time
tell us whats unfolding at the
House.
Some say the lawmaker must
advocate so that the district
can directly benefit from
resources that are extracted
from the district. This, they
say will help ease some of the
problems in the district that
central government is dragging
her feet to solve.
His performance in the
district is very poor, states
Emmanuel Daywoe, President
of the Districts university
students.
If you go to the only public
high school in the district,
Gorblee Central High School,
you will see students sitting on
the floor.
Another resident, Amos Willie
says the lawmaker has outlived
his usefulness judging that
he has served two terms with
very low performance rating.
When you talking about

Frontpage

6b
Page 13

CONSTITUENTS WEIGH on Lawmaker BROWNE AHEAD OF 2017

I mainly applaud him for

the role he played during the
Ebola period, Naleh said while
trying to avoid referencing the
grant issue. He came and put
us together and we formed a
task force and we were able to
stop the Ebola from spreading
in this district.
Also, Hon. Browne enjoys
praises for advocating for the
district and it received a fair
share of scrap iron left back
in the district by defunct steel
company LAMCO.
His supporters insist that the
lawmaker is effective with his

appeared on course before it

suddenly stopped. It has now
picked up again his year.
But even the lawmakers
followers still think he must
step up his performance by
engaging in more projects that
will transform the district.
Hon. Browne is doing well,
Dobson said. Now he has to
lobby with his colleagues to
see how best more farm to
market roads are rehabilitated
in this district.
The Bad
Representative Jeh Byron
Browne failure to come

so he gets personal when we

critique him, which is very bad
as a leader.
Daywoe asserts that Browne
is insensitive to the plight
of the district mentioning
that for almost three years,
the representative has only
contributed LD$25,000 to
WEDUSA scholarship fund
which caters for almost 500
students at various colleges
and universities in Liberia. The
WEDUSA president disclosed
that they had earlier presented
a budget of LD$56,000 and
US$800 for school fees with
the expectation that Hon.
Brown would had settled most
but he had since ignored their
requests.
In 2013, the lawmaker and
the students had a public
outburst over scholarship
fund. The situation prompted
war of words with both parties
using the community radio to
criticize the other.
Unlike the students issue, there
are assertions that Browne
has failed to reconsolidate a
poor performance during his
first term having won a byelection in 2007. His full term
kicked-off in 2011 but hes still
been viewed as unfriendly on
Compound Three, the districts
provincial capital, and does
not consult constituents about
happenings at the Capitol.
In time for campaign, he only
use his influence to manipulate
the people mind and we the
young people in this district
are suffering and dont have
anything to do, said 26 years
old Trokon D. Kollie, a high
school graduate.

three cardinal responsibilities,

suggesting that it is impossible
for any lawmaker to satisfy
every
constituent.
One
supporter, Albert Dobson
claims that the representative
is heavily engaged with the
rehabilitation of roads in the
rural parts of the district and
has provided LD$150,000
to a scholarship scheme for
students in the district.
Additionally, he has since 2009
launched the construction of
a district town hall, raising
expectations that the project
was important to the district.
With the support of LAC and
the communities the project

to terms with the district

university students union is
fueling dissatisfaction amongst
the youth population of the
district and could be a factor
that may hurt his campaign.
The feud between Browne
and the students may even
intensify as politics comes to
the fore.
The relationship between
Hon. Browne and the district
university students union is
not cordial, said Emmanuel
Daywoe, President of the Wee
Statutory District Student
Association (WEDUSA). He
does not want us to be critical
about his work or performance

Kollie and some other jobless

high school graduates in
the district are aware of the
significance of a vocational
training
center
in
the
district which has failed to
materialized but the lawmaker
remains tightlipped about the
issue.
Brownes attempt to legally
push for the reviewing of
the 1959s LAC concession
agreement by filing a writ of
mandamus against both the
company and the executive
has been perceived by many
people in the district as a
political tactic which critics
say was only intended to

ALPHA DAFFAE SENKPENI, daffae82@gmail.com

representing your people,

your people must be informed
about whats going on at the
legislature, Mr. Willie said.
We cannot afford to give Hon.
Browne another six years when
he has not done anything good
for us to see in this district.
The publics view of the Liberty
Party lawmaker in his district
is expected to pressure him
ahead of 2017 creating room
for his oppositions to exploit
his weakness. But the level of
political experience Browne
has attained over the years
makes him a tough incumbent
especially when hes being
publically stared by his partys
political leader, Cllr. Charles
Brumskine as the greatest
politician he Brumskine has
known. However, Browne has
a bit of all the attributes of a
politician: the good, the bad
and the ugly.
The Good
Despite the criticism against
the lawmaker, some of his
supporters are confident he
will put up a good show in 2017
because of his work. Brownes
farsightedness to initiate a
district Ebola task force has
earned him some good points
while
his
outspokenness
about the revision of the
Liberian Agricultural Company
concession agreement by
the government is another
achievement. He also vaunts
about introducing the bill
that was subsequently passed
for the establishment of a
multilateral school in the
district. Although its over
three years since the bill
was passed without any
budgetary allocation for its
implementation.
During
Browns
2014
legislative report, he scored
some good marks when he
opted to grant US$5,000 to a
local business man. His move
was widely applauded by the
district business community
and the grantee himself, Peter
Naleh, holds strong bond with
the lawmaker.

boast his profile and gain

him popularity amongst the
workers of the company. That
move is obsolete and could
only become fruitful again if he
solicits the political support of
his fellow lawmakers of Grand
Bassa County, observers say.
The ramification of the failed
writ of mandamus could see
Hon. Browne struggling to
convince constituents living on
the vote-rich LAC plantation.
Furthermore, Browne has a
poor relationship with the
workers union and other
workers associations in the
area which means, he will
have to move mountains
over the next 30 months to
reestablish his prominence in
the concession area.
The Ugly
The lawmaker is clearly racing
against time to provide clarity
on his decision to reject the
passage of the decent work
bill because views gathered by
FrontPageAfrica in his district
point too many accusing
fingers at him for being one of
the lawmakers who blatantly
turned their back on the much
talk about bill. But Browne has
justified that he opposed the
bill because it doesnt provide
the room for decent work in
aspects like protection, welfare
and logistics for workers.
This maybe his turning point
for Browne with vast majority
of his constituents linked to
workers Of LAC Liberias
second
biggest
rubber
plantation.
Even Brownes critics agree
that hes strong on the floor of
the House of Representatives
coupled with his recognition
by some civil society groups in
the country ranking him as an
assiduous lawmaker. Generally,
most constituents concede
that his performance at the
lawmaking house contradicts
his impact in their district.
Hon. Browne is viewed
in Monrovia as a powerful
lawmaker but his oversight in
the district is very poor, which
means hes unable to impact
the lives of his people here,
asserted Emmanuel Daywoe.
Daywoe and others frowned
at Browne for his role in the
aftermath of January 19th
explosion on the LAC planation
which led to the death of six
people and injury to 11. They
claim the lawmaker didnt
show the zest that was required
to engage the company in
other to get the necessary
compensation and benefits for
the victims and dead.
The odds against the Grand
Bassa electoral district three
lawmaker is increasing, so this
means his chances for election
is slipping off but savaging
a comeback is crucial for a
lawmaker who now sits at the
helm of power at the lower
house.
2017 will have a difficult
momentum in this district
because we have other sons of
the district who are standing
strong to come and pull out
Hon. Browne, 26 years old
Kollie told FPA.

Sports
TAKING THE FALL

FrontPage
www.frontpageafricaonline.com

VOL 9 NO.47

Monrovia he Head of the Liberia

Football Association Mr.
Musa Bility has taken full
responsibility for what he
describes as the inadvertent omission
of two-time Super Cup Winners and
the 2010-2011/2011-2012 Liberian
football champions LISCR FC from the
upcoming LFA-Coca-Cola Tournament.
In a letter to the teams LFA
management Monday, Mr. Bility
apologized for the exclusion of Liscr
FC from the initial Clubs listing for the
tournament, declaring that the error
was regrettable and doesn't in anyway
represent the true and fair picture of
the achievement of Liscr.
Said Bility: For the Record, Liscr is
certainly one of the Pride of the LFA
efforts aimed at shifting the paradigm
in the evolution of football. Your
contribution has gone beyond the
playing pitch to the development and
employment of a sizeable amount of
our your population. As president of
LFA, please accept the deepest regret
of the LFA for this honest mistake
which led to the exclusion of your
team's team in the first announcement.
Please be assured that at this point in
the LFA, Liscr stands among the first
two top names in our league. This
is a fact and the records are there to
prove it. Once again we apologise for
the error and kindly request that you
reconsider your decision to decline
our Invitation to participate in the
Tournament. Certainly, without Liscr
the Tournament will loose the pump
and pageantry required to make it
attractive for the many hungry football
fans who have waited almost a year
to see good football. We hope you
will reconsider your decision and join
us as we break new grounds in the
advancement of our football agenda.
The LFA on Thursday April 23, 2015,
sent out an email communication to
eight selected clubs to participate in
the tournament, listing: BYC F.C; F.C
Fassell; Nimba United; NPA Anchor
Sports Association; Watanga FC;
Mighty Barrolle; IEMSA and Aries F.C.
FrontPageAfrica has learned that after
realizing the gross error on the part
of the LFA, the Bility administration
quickly moved to address the omission
of one of the top teams in the premiere
league.

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

PRICE L$40

BILLITY TAKES BLAME FOR INADVERTENTLY OMITTING LISCR FC FROM LFA-COCA COLA TOURNAMENT

The LFA then moved that former champions Invincible XI be dropped in favor
of LISCR FC citing IEs decision to boycott the media launch component of the
tournament.
B. Alphonso Armah, General Secretary of the LFA in a letter to IE, copied to
LISCR wrote:
Dear Mr. President: You will reminisce that the below email stressed the need
for all concerned clubs to honor all of the activities relating to the tournament.
Regrettably, IEMSA deliberately chose to boycott the Media Launch component
of the tournament. All of IEMSA's contacts were switched off perpetually on
the day of the meeting. Even up the time writing this email, not a single line
email has been received from IEMSA detailing reason(s) that led to the club
absence. This decision of the club violates the standard which the LFA intends
to strengthen in the football industry.
Sir, in addition to the disciplinary punishment that will be imposed on IEMSA,
I write to inform you that the club has been REMOVED from the tournament
and REPLACED with LISCR FC with immediate effect. This decision is in line
with the Rules and Regulations which obliges all members clubs to participate
in the National League and all tournaments organized by the LFA. The LFA has
the right also to remove and replace whenever the need arises.
I have copied LISCR in this email as a means of informing them of the changes
and their inclusion in the tournament. This decision is in no way intended to
favor one club to the other or to bow to speculations, but a means of upholding
the standard which we will effectuate in the coming league and thereafter.
LISCR FC is also asked to take advantage of the tournament information in the
below email.
I thank you once again for your understanding and trust in your cooperation as

we work on the additional punishment against IEMSA.

Despite the LFAs change of tune, Mustapha Raji, President of LISCR FC raised
objection when the error was corrected and a letter of apology sent to the team
for the omission, informing the LFA that LISCR FC could not participate in the
tournament.
Raji wrote: We like to express our appreciation at being invited to such a
prestigious tournament, first of its kind in the history of Liberian Football. We
also believe that the LFA and the organizers possess the right to select any of its
top eight members clubs or the Big Eight to participate in such tournament.
On Thursday April 23, 2015, an email communication from the LFA was sent
out to eight selected clubs to participate in the LFA- COCA-COLA TOURNAMENT
as listed below: 1. BYC F.C- 2. F.C Fassell-3. Nimba United -4. NPA Anchor Sports
Association-5. Watanga FC; 6. Mighty Barrolle - 7. IEMSA - 8. Aries F.C
Raji further noted that an elaborate media launch took place at the headquarters
of the LFA on April 25, 2015 in presence of the LFA president Mr. Musa H. Bility,
members of the LFA Executive committee, Coca cola representatives and some
of the participating clubs mentioned herein. But informed the LFA that LISCR
was not in the position to participate. It is however regrettable to note that the
LISCR F C will not be in the position to participate in the tournament due to the
very short notice. We consider every match played by the club important, which
involves effective planning. It is our hope that we will be communicated to in
advance to discuss our participation in other tournaments or competitions.
The LFA-Coca-Cola Tournament is intended to strengthen relationship with
the Liberia Coca-cola Bottling Company (LCCBC) and to build momentum for
the 2015/2016 National League.

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