BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

CAPITOL HILL, MONROVIA  

NEWS SUMMARY, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020 

The stories dominating  today’s summary of our local dailies include  news of the Green Advocates Breaking New Ground In Nimba County; Pres. Weah breaking ground for the construction of 100 housing units in Nimba County; the Foreign Ministry holds retreat for Liberian diplomatic missions as EU delegation urges embassies to work the local diplomatic room; MOP ending 2-day peace talks with senatorial aspirants and youth wing leaders in Liberia; the NPHIL boss decision to highlight the importance of multi-sectorial approach to tackle any outbreak; news of Ambassador Bill Rogers receiving  “2020 Nelson Mandela Freedom Award”.

DORMINANT STORIES:  

Green Advocates Breaks New Ground…As 7 communities in Nimba sign MoU to secure land deeds 

At a ground-breaking event in the city of Saniquellie, Blei Forest outlying communities in Nimba have self-identified as first step in supporting customary tenure recognition as stipulated under the Land Rights Act 2018. The primary targeted communities are: Bassa Village, Gbapa, Gbobayee, Suakarzue, Yolowee, Zolowee and Zortapa. Green Advocates International- Liberia is implementing the six steps project ranging from self-identify, adoption of bylaws and land use plans, create communal governance structures, and obtain formal documentation of their community lands. The auspicious event of November 27th in the hall of the County Administration marked the closure of the first step. GAI Project Manager in charge of the USAID Tetra Tech supported pilot intervention, John N. Brownell, said that all actions envisaged being concluded in fifteen months, fall under the Integrated Land and Resource Governance scheme, the Daily Observer newspaper asserts.

Related Caption: Green Advocates Breaks New Ground As 7 Communities in Nimba Sign MoU to Secure Land Deeds (Analyst) and Green Advocates Breaks New Ground In Nimba (The News)

OTHER STORIES:  

“Pro - Poor Working,” says Pres. Weah 

President Dr. George Manneh Weah Wednesday, December 2, 2020 broke ground for the pavement of the first phase of the Ganta - Saclepea road project in Nimba County, stating that the Pro - Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development is working. Speaking during the program, the President said “I will talk less and do more work especially for my people.” The Liberian leader urged citizens. The Liberian leader urged citizens of Nimba to work with him in order to collectively develop Liberia “From Today on and going forward, you can call me bad road and village medicine,” Weah added. According to him, the first phase of the project will be exclusively financed by the Government of Liberia. The US$30.3 million road project is expected to be completed in 22 months. Upon completion, the 39-km road will also bring great relief to the people of that region especially farmers who have over the period found it difficult to bring their produce to town due to bad roads networks. Meanwhile, negotiations are in the making to source additional funding for the second phase of the project which will begin in 2021 from Saclepea to Tappita and subsequently to Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, The News newspaper reports.

Related Caption: Pres. Weah Breaks Ground For Nimba - Grand Gedeh Highway (The Inquirer)

Foreign Ministry Holds Retreat for Liberian Diplomatic mission As EU Delegation Urges Embassies To Work The Local Diplomatic Room

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has embarked on a reform agenda to enhance Diplomatic Mission with regional bodies, embassies and foreign counterparts during post Covid 19, in line with the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development. In his Keynote statement Aat the opening of a four day retreat Tuesday, the European Delegation to Liberia, Ambassador Mr. Laurent Delahouse, identified security as a key component of national interest, which he said the Liberian diplomacy has a first-hand and historic experience of as the vital component of the national interest of the country. ‘’Security has more to do with cooperation through the establishment of stronger relations of relationship, trust and cooperation with your neighbors, with your regional organization ECOWAS, with the African Union and , finally, with the United Nations and your friends and partner from Africa, America, Europe and other continents,” Ambassador Delahouse underlined.  He acknowledge that Liberia is suffering from under-representation in the governing bodies of regional organization, in ECOWAS and at the African Union, However, he further said that Liberia has a lot to offer to the region and to the world, with recent history giving Liberia intimacy and authority to understand and stress the importance of investing in preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping and peace building, The Analyst newspaper writes.

Pres. Weah Breaks Ground For 100 Housing Units In Nimba County

Residents of Pawpaw Village in Nimba County were Wednesday, December 2, 2020, seen in a jubilant mood when President Dr. George Manneh Weah broke ground for the construction of 100 housing units under his Presidential Pro Poor Housing Project. The signature and historic project of the Liberian leader is taking the common people from makeshift huts to modern houses. According to President Weah, the gesture is in fulfillment of a promise he made to the people of Liberia to construct modern housing units in all of the 15 counties. He said unlike before, it is time to give the Liberian people dignity for their labor and to as well improve their living conditions. The Liberian leader urged the beneficiaries to take the project as their own and collaborate with the local contractors in order to meet the goals and objectives of the project. He said with the resources already available and the manpower here in Nimba, the project will be completed as scheduled, The News newspaper reports.

Related Caption: IN Pawpaw Village, Nimaba County President Weah Breaks Ground for 100 Pro-Poor Housing Units (Heritage)  

Business Survival Depends on Corruption Free Society 

The New Dawn newspaper is reporting that the Executive Chairperson of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission or LACC, Cllr. Ndubuisi Nwabudike says the growth and survival of any business in Liberia depend on a society freed of corruption and other harmful practices. “For us to witness massive progress in the growth, and survival of our businesses here, there is a need for us to have a clean society free from corruption”, he notes. Cllr. Nwabudike made the observation Wednesday, December, 2, 2020, at the Corina Hotel in Sinkor, Monrovia during program marking the observance of International Anti-Corruption Day. The event, conducted under the auspices of the LACC, in partnership with the Center for Transparency and Accountability or CENTAL with support from the Swedish government was held under the theme: Reducing Corruption in the private sector as a Drive to enhancing Economic Development and Good Governance.” In opening remarks, the LACC Boss said International Anti-Corruption Day is usually an occasion to highlight the danger that corruption poses to humanity and to encourage every citizen especially, officials of government to intensify efforts to minimize the act. This year our focus is the private sector, and the reason we selected the private sector is because corruption is fight [that] requires collaboration, he says.  

MOP Ends 2-day Peace Talks with Senatorial Aspirants, Youth Wing Leaders 

According to the Daily Observer newspaper, ahead of the senatorial election scheduled for December 8, 2020, Messengers of Peace Liberia (MOP) in partnership with the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC), have successfully concluded a two-day ‘Peace Talks’ with senatorial aspirants, youth-wing leaders from political parties, civil society organizations educational and youth-based organizations. Held under the theme, “Shaping Peace Together by Igniting Dialogue for Peaceful Elections” 500 youths gathered at the Monrovia City Hall on December 1 & 2, 2020 to affix their signatures to remain calm and peaceful before and after the senatorial elections. In her Peace Talk message, MOP Executive Director Gwendolyn Myers recalled that before Liberia’s 14 years of civil crisis, the country was one of the most peaceful nations. “Liberia was one of the most peaceful nations on earth.  If we forget about our past, tradition, respect for human dignity and tolerance, and then we’ll lose the peace we already have. We need to vote for senators that will guarantee peace,” she advised. She named “hate, fear and greed” as the root causes of conflict in our society. “Young people must learn to overcome these unhealthy human behavior and attributes,” Myers said.

NPHIL Boss Highlights Importance of Multi-Sectoral Approach to Tackle Any Outbreak

Patrick Kpanyen, Deputy Director General at the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), says responding to any disease outbreak effectively requires multi-sectoral approach and collaboration in ensuring One Health Platform. Dr. Kpanyen made the assertions on Friday, November 27, 2020, when the Ministry of Health (MOH) and NPHIL joined partners to celebrated “One Health Day” in Monrovia. One Health Day is an international campaign co-coordinated by the One Health Commission. The goal of One Health Day is to bring to attention the need for One Health interactions and for the world to ‘see them in action’. It is a campaign that is designed to engage as many individuals as possible in One Health education and awareness events, and to generate an inspiring array of projects worldwide. The event, which brought together government officials national and international partners as well as stakeholders under the One Health Platform, was celebrated under the theme: “Strengthening Global Resilience, a 2020 Vision for Sustainable Future.” Dr. Kpanyen noted that few years ago Liberia joined the One Health Platform taking it from ideas to action. The One Health Platform is used to reduce the risk of new emerging pandemics through strengthening capacities to prevent, prepare for, detect, and respond to known and emerging public health threats due to the interface of humans, animals and the environment, the Daily Observer newspaper reports.

ECOBANK  Intensifies The Fight Against Diabetes Across West Africa

ECOBANK, last Friday organized a regional webinar to strengthen its stand against Non-Communicable Diseases, focusing on diabetes, across 5 countries within West Africa, covering; Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. The regional webinar is part of the bank’s program of activities to commemorate the 2020 Ecobank Day, brought together over 2,000 participants across the sub-region. The webinar target customers, stakeholders and staff of affiliate and subsidiary companies; operate banks in the region as well as Pan African Savings and Loans, Ecobank Development Corporation and eProcess International. The webinar constitute of 2 speakers and 4 panelists who comprehensively discussed Diabetes from multiple perspectives, around a common them; “Experiences of people living with NCDs with emphasis on diabetes, during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as recommendation for a multisectoral reform. The 2020 Ecobank Day is a continuation of a three-year campaign, which was initiated last year under the umbrella them of “Together for Better Health”, aimed at raising mess awareness for No-Communicable Diseases and helping to prevent their spread in Africa. Ecobank Group, which enables employees of its affiliate countries and subsidiary companies join hands to discharge the group’s Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) around local communities in countries across Africa, says the Heritage newspaper.

Ambassador Bill Rogers to Receive “2020 Nelson Mandela Freedom Award” Today

The official program marking the celebration and presentation of the “2020 Nelson Mandela Freedom Award” to one of Liberia’s sons, Ambassador Bill Regers, takes place today, Thursday, December 3, 2020 t the historical Providence Island in Monrovia from 10:00am to 2:00PM The Nelson Mandela Award honors are presented to exemplary leaders that serve as a vital force for positive change in their communities. Interestingly, the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT), in collaboration with the “We Dream In Color Foundation Incorporated”, USA (WDCF) is inviting the presence of all to grace this historical and colorful program. I can be recalled that on September 26, 2020, the Liberian international athlete won the Nelson Mandela Freedom Award for  2020 for disadvantaged youths in Liberia. He is the Founder of and Chief Executive Officer of the Bill Rogers Youth Foundation, an organization that empowers and inspires youth through sports, arts, and recreational activities to achieve their educational goals and reduce violence, says the Heritage newspaper.

26,000 Women Living With HIV in Liberia–AIDS Commission Calls For Concerted Efforts

The National AIDS Commission has disclosed that out of the estimated 47,000 persons living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) a health condition that leads to the acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), if not properly managed. The disclosure was made Tuesday by the National AIDS Commission of Liberia in Paynesville during programs marking the commemoration of this year’s World AIDS Day. Madam Theodosia S. Kolee, Chairperson of the National AIDS Commission, also disclosed that men account for 17,000 while children from zero to 14 years account for 4,000 of individuals living with HIV virus in the country. In her opening remarks at the program, Madam Kolee told the gathering that these numbers send a strong signal to all citizens to that leaving people behind is not an option if we are to succeed in responding to the BIV and AIDS epidemic, the Heritage newspaper discloses.