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VOL. 16. NO. 116

INSIDE THIS
EDITION
EDITORIAL
Is It True that Even
Some Government
Workers Dont Want
Development?
See Pg. 4

COMMENTARY
The State of Press
Freedom
See Pg. 4

LOCAL NEWS
3 Liberians Get
Impact Award
See Pg. 3

BUSINESS
World Council of
Credit Unions to
Train Ganta Credit
Union Bank Staff
See Pg. 9

SPORTS
Boakai Challenges
Team Bility to
Restore Countrys
Football Pride
See Pg. 11

April 14, 2014-edition.indd 3

MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2014

today!

PRICE: LD 40

www.liberianobserver.com

Archbishop Condemns

Homosexuality

-Calls on Liberians to Repent

their immorality, disaster upon

disaster tore them apart.
Serving as the guest preacher
at the official service in observance of the climax of the National Fast and Prayer Day on
Friday, April 11, Archbishop
Lewis Ziegler said the many
calamities, such as the civil
crisis and the recent outbreak
of Ebola and many more, are

By William Q. Harmon
Many unfortunate situations have befallen Liberia as
a result of Liberians ignoring
their creator and involving
themselves in unwholesome
activities that continue to annoy God, Catholic Church
in Liberia Archbishop Lewis
Ziegler stressed.
Liberia, often considered a
Christian nation--- though not
legally--- is being denigrated
with calamities befalling the
nation as was the case of Biblical Israel where God Almighty
turned His back on His people
as a result of their sins. Due to

Archbishop Ziegler (pictured) said God is punishing

Liberia because of sins

Ellen Decries Diminishing

Donor Support

all the results of Liberians doing things, which according to

him, are forbidden to God.
One of the major transgressions against God for which
He may be punishing Liberia,
according to Archbishop Lewis Ziegler is the act of homosexuality.
The Archbishop said Liberians are whole-heartedly engaging themselves in this act
and that is being promoted in

Contd on pg. 10

Brain Surgeons
Perform Wonders
at Tappita Hospital

-Stresses the
Establishment of Liberian
Health Equity Funds
See Pg. 10

President Sirleaf

Doctors perform back surgery (Photo by Sando Moore)

Obasanjo to Empower
Liberian Girls
-Signs MOU with Govt to Support
Technical Education for Girls

Former President Obasanjo and Education Minister

shake hands as President Sirleaf (c) and others applaud
after exchanging the MOU (See Pg. 8)

4/14/14 1:57 AM

Daily Observer Monday, April

14, April
2014
Monday,
14, 2014

World News

Ukraine to
Fight ProRussia Forces

(BBC) - Ukraines president

says a full-scale operation
involving the army will be
launched in the east after
pro-Russian militants seized
government buildings.
Acting President Oleksandr
Turchynov said he would not
allow a repetition of what
happened in Crimea which
was annexed by Russia last
month.
His live televised address
from parliament came after
pro-Russian forces targeted
half a dozen cities.
The warning by Nato
Secretary General Anders
Fogh Rasmussen is clear and
to the point.
Many of the units (I use the
word advisedly) involved
in the initial take-over of
buildings in several cities
in eastern Ukraine look
like organised, professional
military forces.
This is exactly what was
seen at the outset of Russias
Crimea operation - armed men
with no clear insignia, but
with all the hall-marks of the
Russian military.
The Ukraine crisis looks to
have moved into a higher gear
this weekend. Experts say
that the events look neither
spontaneous nor unplanned.
The fear is that, just as
in Crimea, the Russian
government is seeking to use
the lack of clarity as to who
exactly is involved to gain
time to create facts on the
ground.
At the same time it is
threatening that any response
by Ukrainian security forces
will only make matters worse.
Earlier, Natos secretary
general voiced concern at
events in the region.
And the US ambassador
to the UN said the attacks
this weekend bore the telltale signs of Moscows
involvement. But the Kremlin
denies involvement in events
in eastern Ukraine.
Eastern Ukraine has a large
Russian-speaking population
and has seen a series of protests
since the ousting of Ukraines
pro-Russian President Viktor
Yanukovych in February.
We will not allow Russia to
repeat the Crimean scenario
in the eastern regions of
Ukraine, said President
Turchynov.
The
aggressor...
is
continuing to sow disorder in
the east of the country.
But Mr Turchynov offered
not to prosecute militants who
gave up their weapons by early
Monday.
According to a Ukrainian
presidential
decree,
proRussian separatists should
give up their weapons and
leave buildings they have
occupied
by
0600GMT,
Reuters reported.
Responding
to
Mr
Turchynovs
address,
a
Russian foreign ministry
spokesman said the plan
to use the armed forces
was criminal and caused
particular indignation.

Nigerian Senator: 135

Civilians Killed in Attacks

(BBC) - Gunmen have killed

135 civilians in north east
Nigeria since Wednesday, a
senior official from the region
has told the BBC.
Borno state senator Ahmed
Zannah said the killings took
place in at least three separate
attacks in the state.
The attackers are suspected
to be from the Islamist Boko
Haram movement.
At least 1,500 people, half of
them civilian, have been killed
in the restive north-eastern
region this year, according to
Amnesty International.
The organisation blamed
both an increase in attacks by
Boko Haram and uncontrolled
reprisals by Nigerias security
forces for the high death toll.
Women abducted
Senator Zannah said the
attackers first target was a
teacher training college in the
town of Dikwa.
They killed five people there
and abducted several women,
he said.
The attackers burned down

The attackers are suspected to be from the Islamist Boko Haram movement.
the college library before
escaping, Mr Zannah said.
The militants then attacked
two villages near the border
with Cameroon killing a
further 130 people, the senator
said.
The attacks took place on
Wednesday and Thursday,
with initial reports claiming
around 70 people had been
killed.

The Nigerian military has not

yet commented on the attacks.
A state of emergency has
been in place since last year
in the states of Borno, Yobe
and Adamawa in north-east
Nigeria.
Human rights groups have
criticised both Boko Haram
and Nigerias military for
failing to protect civilians.
Amnesty International said

last month that Nigerias army

killed around 600 people after
a Boko Haram attack.
Some 250,000 people have
been forced to leave their
homes because of the fighting,
the Nigerian governments
relief agency said.
Boko Haram has waged
an insurgency since 2009 to
create a strict Islamic state in
northern Nigeria.

that many governments will

welcome as pragmatic: that
gas could replace coal as a
bridging technology to
reduce emissions over the next
few decades. Despite these
obstacles, the spin around
the report is determinedly
optimistic, asserting that if
the surge in global emissions
is reversed then we can avoid
the worst of global warming
- provided that happens in as
little as 16 years time. But it
will take a lot more talking and lights blazing - to achieve
that.
He added that policy makers
were the navigators, they
have to make decisions,
scientists are the map makers.
The UKs Energy and
Climate Change Secretary Ed
Davey said global warming
needed to be tackled using
all technologies. He told
BBC News: We can do this,
we have to because its so
challenging and threatening to
our economies and societies,
our health, our food security.
The report today shows we can
do it if we have the political
will.

He added that the UK

government was a leader on
the use of renewable energy
sources, saying: Weve, for
example, doubled the amount
of renewable electricity in the
last few years. Were likely
to do better than our targets
in
increasing
renewable
electricity. But weve got to do
more.
About half of all the carbon
that humans have pumped into
the atmosphere since 1750
has been emitted in the last 40
years.
Rates have been rising fast
since 2000, despite the global
economic crash.
The
Energy
Secretary
Ed Davey reckons the
government doesnt get the
credit it deserves for delivering
an ambitious green agenda:
Investing in renewables, cooperating internationally to
cut carbon and building lots of
wind farms.
The problem is that there are
a few things that a sizeable
chunk of Tory backbenchers
simply
cannot
stomach,
namely: Subsidies, Europe
and - err - building lots of
wind farms.
Maybe thats why the
Chancellor has come up with
a formula which he hopes will
satisfy both sides - that Britain
can go green but it has to be
done as cheaply as possible.
And what about David
Cameron? The PM is famously
alleged to have said he wanted
to cut the green crap but that
has always been strenuously
denied by Downing Street, and
he made a passionate plea to
tackle climate change during
a session of Prime Ministers
Questions earlier this year.

World Must End Dirty Fuel Use - UN

(BBC) - A long-awaited UN
report on how to curb climate
change says the world must
rapidly move away from
carbon-intensive fuels.
There must be a massive
shift to renewable energy,
says the 33-page study
released in Berlin.
It has been finalised after a
week of negotiations between
scientists and government
officials.
Natural gas is seen as a
key bridge to move energy
production away from oil and
coal.
But there have been battles
between participants over
who will pay for this energy
transition.
The report is the work of the
UNs Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC),
which was set up to provide a
clear scientific view on climate
change and its impacts.
The
Summary
for
Policymakers on mitigation
paints a picture of a world
with carbon emissions rising
rapidly.
The high speed mitigation
train needs to leave the

station very soon, and all of

global society will have to
get on board, the IPCCs
chair Rajendra Pachauri told
journalists in Berlin at the
launch of the report.
Dr Youba Sokono, a co-chair
of the IPCCs working group
3, which drew up the report,
said science has spoken.
It took a long night of
negotiations here in Berlin
to finish this IPCC report
and that meant keeping a lot
of lights blazing - a painful
irony given that nearly half of
Germanys electricity comes
from burning the very fossil
fuels that the report wants to
see phased out.
The authors do acknowledge
the challenge of switching
away from carbon-intense
energy - in other words,
theres no free lunch. They
also admit that theres no
silver bullet either, pointing
out that renewable sources still
need subsidies and capturing
carbon dioxide from power
stations is unproven on an
industrial scale.
And
environmentalists
will not like one suggestion

Page 2
Foreign Briefs

Guinea-Bissau

(BBC) - Guinea-Bissau is
voting in presidential and
parliamentary elections, amid
hope that stability can be
restored.
Already poor, the west
African country is plagued by
corruption, fuelled by cocaine
trafficking.
It is the first election since a
coup in 2012, after which the
EU and others suspended aid
donations.
With a history of coups, no
elected leader has served a full
term since independence from
Portugal in 1974.
There are 13 candidates
for president and 15 parties
fielding
candidates
for
parliament.
Among the presidential
hopefuls
are
political
heavyweights such as former
Finance Minister Jose Mario
Vaz, and Abel Incada, a
member of the Party for Social
Renewal (PRS) of former
President Kumba Yala, who
died last week.

Afghanistan

(BBC)- Partial results from

the Afghan presidential vote
show former Foreign Minister
Abdullah Abdullah slightly
ahead of Ashraf Ghani.
With about 500,000 votes
in 26 provinces counted, Dr
Abdullah has 41.9% with Mr
Ghani on 37.6%.
Some seven million votes
were cast in total across
Afghanistans 34 provinces in
the 5 April poll.
Full preliminary results are
due by 24 April. A runoff
will take place in May if no
candidate gets a majority.
The Independent Election
Commission has warned that
the front-runner could easily
change as counting continues
in the coming days.
Maybe today one candidate
looks strong. Tomorrow,
maybe another will pull
ahead, commission chairman
Ahmad Yousuf
Nouristani
said.

Chile

(BBC) - More than 10,000

people have been evacuated
to escape a fire in Chiles port
city Valparaiso, which has
killed 11 people.
Earlier, the authorities said
16 residents had died, but it
turned out that one family had
been counted twice.
President Michelle Bachelet
put the army in charge of the
evacuation after declaring the
city, 110km (70 miles) west of
Santiago, a disaster zone.
The forest fire has also
destroyed hundreds of homes
since Saturday.
A regional official said it was
the worst catastrophe he had
ever seen.
We fear that the fire will
spread to the centre of the
city, which would increase the
severity of the emergency,
regional governor Ricardo
Bravo, a life-long resident of
Valparaiso, said.
The old centre is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site, packed
with old buildings that are
vulnerable to fire.

3 Liberians Get Impact Award

T
Daily Observer
Monday, April 14, 2014

By JudoemueMohmohKollie

hree Liberians have

received an award
for making a difference in the lives of
underprivileged people in the
country.
Those awarded were Barkue
Tubman Zawolo, Steven B.
Lavalah and Stephenie Duncan.
These Liberians received the
award at the second annual
charity program of the Checago Bright Foundation (CBF).
The program was held Saturday, April 12, at the Paynesville City Hall, outside Monrovia and was attended by scores
of government officials and
well-wishers.
CBF is a non-governmental
organization that is engaged
in community initiative in the
country. The organization met
on Saturday to highlight its accomplishments and to honor
community leaders for their
roles in helping less fortunate
Liberian citizens in realizing
their potentials.
Speaking at the program,
the Founder and Chief Execu-

tive Officer of CBF, Checago

Bright- Sawo said that his organization was not only into
community development but
was involved in recognizing
the efforts of other Liberians
citizens, who are lifting the
life of others.
We recognized the contributions of others who are
doing something welcoming
in the communities as a way
of bringing their works to the
public. This is all about transforming our nation to a better
one, he said.
He said that in 2013, they
were able to undertake projects, such as the construction
of a modern latrine, provide
safe drinking water, among
other things.
The CBF intends to also
generate resources for the upcoming 2014 projects in Liberia. The project has already
started in Bong and Margibi
Counties, he disclosed.
Responding to the honor at
the program, the head of the
African and American Women for Peace (AAW Peace),
Barkue Tubman-Zawolo said
she and her fellow awards recipients were committed in

One of the three receiving the award at the program.

making the difference in the
lives of youths in the community.
Our goal is to experiment
with young women to empower them economically. We
believe that young girls when
empower can develop their
own plan to reduce poverty
and stop depending on others,
she said.
AAW Peace is a youth promotion program that endeavors to empower the youths to
achieve their goals. According
to her, young girls in Liberia
need the opportunity to develop their potentials for better

exposure.
As many of our young Liberian females are lacking of
outside exposure, we recently
send two of our young ladies
abroad to attend leadership
conference that will educate
them, she added.
She disclosed that they have
opened a library in Totota,
Bong County that will carter
to will help solve the research
needs of students, adding that
these initiatives are supported
by President Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf and other philanthropists.
Also speaking, the executive

Page 3

director of the Youth Exploring Solutions (YES), Steven

B. Lavallah, said that he was
highly proud of the award.
Growing up, I have always
dreamed of making impact in
the lives of people. I started
volunteering at the age of 7 in
my community. We wanted to
take action that every Saturday
we went into the community to
engage in cleaning up.
In 2007, I really wanted to
make impact of the lives of
others so we established an organization to reach the lives of
others. This was a very difficult task at the beginning when
I stated mobilizing young people of like mind. Our organization makes sure that young
peoples problem-solvers as
well as critical thinkers.
For her part, Ms. Stephanie
Duncan, founder and CEO
of the Association of the Advancement of Liberians Girls
said that she humbled of the
honor.
The association comprises
of a small group of Liberian
females working to make a
difference. We do not have big
donors but we usually find our
own money to support.

NRC, Others, Hail SEGAL for Diligent Services

As SEGAL Honors
Scores of Officers

By Ishmael F. Menkor

he
Norwegian
Refugee Council
(NRC), an international
NGO,
partnering with the government of Liberia in many sectors, has extolled the Security Guard Agency of Liberia
(SEGAL) for what it calls:
professional services, provided to them since 2008.
In a certificate of appreciation awarded SEGAL and
presented by Mrs. Masietta
Estella Taylor, who served as

keynote speaker at the appreciation program of SEGAL

Guard Force on April 12, the
NRC described SEGALs
services as highly professional.
This certificate is awarded
to SEGAL for highly professional security services
provided to NRC offices and
guest houses in Montserrado,
Margibi, Bomi, Bong, Lofa,
Nimba, Cape Mount, and
Grand Gedeh counties, the
certificate reads.
The NRCs statement was
also buttressed by other SE-

SEGAL officers at the program

GAL clients including Oxfam, Access Bank, Ecobank,
and Save the Children and
among others.
SEGAL has performed

excellently in its call-to-duty,

and had gone beyond their
response regimen, said a
representative from Action
on Armed Violence.

Health Promoters Network

Commends Prexy Sirleaf

he Health Promoters Network of Liberia (HPNL) has

commended President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
for her visit early morning on
Wednesday, 9, at the Ministry
of Health and Social Welfare
in Congo Town.
HPNL, through its Coordinator, Mr. Victor Seah, said the
Presidents visit signified the
Governments willingness,
preparedness and readiness to
put all hands on deck to combat the outbreak of the deadly
Ebola virus.
Mr. Seah also stated that
President Sirleafs presence
early morning visit with health
authorities, also shows that

the GOL is prepared to provide preventive measures that

would help curtail the spread
of the virus, which has so far
claimed at least 12 lives, since
its outbreak in Liberia in late
March, 2014.
The Health Promoters Network, which advocates for a
healthy people and nation, said
the Presidents visit has given
health workers and partners
added impetus to vigorously
work for the Liberian people.
The group said they welcomed intervention measures
taken by the Health Ministry
under the leadership of Dr.
Walter T. Gwenigale, and partners, including World Health
Organization (WHO), US De-

fense Department and Center

for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for their consented efforts aimed at containing the spread of deadly
Ebola virus in Liberia.
The group has also commended all the local partners
that are working along with
the Ministry of Health to also
spread messages that will help
prevent the spread of the virus.
HPNL has also commended
health workers for the tireless
services in rendering medical
attention to Liberians, who
have contracted the virus.
Additionally, the group has
vowed to closely work with
the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to combat the vi-

rus until it is completely wipe

out of Liberia.
HPNL thanked the media for
providing right pieces of information to the public, in all
of the local vernaculars (dialects).
Meanwhile, HPNL Coordinator Seah has extended his
condolences to all those families, who have lost loved ones
to the virus; adding: Your
loss is our loss as fellow Liberians and we at HPNL will do
all we can to work along with
along the relevant stakeholders, including MoSHW, so that
another Liberian wont die.

The administration of SEGAL has honored scores of

their guard-force for their
hard work since 2013.
The honorees certificates
were inscribed: in acknowledgment of your good services and hard work throughout
the year, 2013/14, rendered
the above named entity, the
management and staff of SEGAL are pleased to present
to you this certificate of appreciation.
Mrs. Marietta Estella Taylor, who served as guest
speaker, described a good
employee as: one that displays such qualities as punctuality; one who has a positive attitude toward others;
one who possesses flexibility, motivation, and the ability
to perform assigned tasks.
She added that the appreciation energizes and motivate
others doing similar work
while providing them with
a role model that positively
impresses upon his or her coworkers the importance of
work in our community, the

Ms. Duncan said that her

organization was involved in
guiding girls against sexual
exploitation and providing
reading opportunities.
What is most important to
us is to create reading program
and guild girls against sexual
exploitation through awareness. We are intending to create more recreational education for our children.
Meanwhile, in her key note
address, the Chairperson of the
Liberia Telecommunications
Authority (LTA), Angelique
Weeks stressed the need for
Liberians to get involved in
community services.
Happiness is what many of
your citizens need and so it is
incumbent upon all of us in
this country to contribute to
the wellbeing of others, she
cautioned.
She mentioned that Liberians will not move forward if
they are not willing to serve
one another.
Madam Weeks used the occasion to thank all those Liberians who are involved in
in making the lives of other
citizens better.

nation, or anywhere in the

world.
SEGAL is a Liberian private security firm providing security for many entities, including Mittal, NRC,
Oxfam, Save the Children,
FED, and Ecobank among
others.
SEGAL is said to be one
of the largest employers in
Liberia presently, employing
over 1,600 men and women.
In Yekapa alone, SEGAL
has over 600 employees
serving as guards to Arcelor
Mittal facilities, which lay
within the proximity of two
borders; Guinea and Ivory
Coast.
As a part of the motivation
strategy, the General Manager Mr. Momo Cyrus, had
announced a 10% increase in
the salary of the employees
of SEGAL.
He assured the honorees of
more support to make them
become the best security officers in the country.
He praised SEGALs clients for their trust which has
the program possible.
It is the money you give
for our service that help us
earn this occasion that honors a hard-working force
and we assure you of better
services in time to come, he
said.
At a graduation ceremony
of SEGAL Security Training Class Six in January
this year, in Yekapa, Former
Nimba County, Supt Christiana Dagadu hailed SEGAL
for being so committed to its
call-to-duty.
She said, SEGAL services
have created jobs for many
Liberians, including citizens
of Nimba County.

Daily Observer Monday, April

14, April
2014
Monday,
14, 2014
DOC, DO YOU REALLY
THINK THERES A LINK
BETWEEN THE TWO?

Page 4

THEY BOTH HAVE TERRORISTIC

TENDENCIES, BUT ALSO SOUND
ALIKE. YOU NEVER KNOW...

Published by Liberian Observer Corporation

P.O. Box 1858, Monrovia

Liberias First Independent Daily

0886812888, 0886472772
www.liberianobserver.com

Is It True that Even Some

Government Workers Dont
Want Development?

Given the experiences of many in our country, the answer

to that question is strongly in the affirmation, meaning,
yes.
Remember how the President had to fire the top
management at the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation
little over two years ago? Why? The main water supply
in White Plains, Montserrado County, was left without
electricity and the city was without water for weeks. Yet,
some LWSC staff members were selling their own water
from trucks roaming the streets of Monrovia! How corrupt
and unpatriotic can one be!
Depriving their own people of water that these officials
were paid to supply, not with their own equipment and
resources, but those bought by government with hard
earned taxpayers money.
The President was thankfully DECISIVE in moving
against these heartless and unscrupulous recreants and
replacing them with honest, committed and well-meaning
people.
But what caused us to make this woeful recollection? A
not-too-different situation is pertaining at another critical
parastatal--the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC).
Lands, Mines and Energy Minister Patrick Sendolo
recently issued a stern warning to LEC workers, who cause
unnecessary delays in connecting customers. The Minister
said he was tired of hearing complaint after complaint
from customers yearning for electrical connections but
experiencing delay after delay that they cannot understand.
Well, here is the problem. We have first-hand experience
with LEC people who demanded money under the table
before they could proceed with connections. Without that,
there would be delay after delay, backed by one excuse
after another and totally NO action until . . .We have
heard similar stories from many Ministries, including the
Ministry of Finance, where staff members would look
endlessly for documents they cannot find until . . .
Such people are patently anti-development. There are
people who have complained that they are unable to pay
their taxes without scratching some staff members back,
or responding to their hungry cry because they complain
Empty bag cant stand.
Are such GOL employees committed to their jobs, to
their Ministries or Agencies and to the development of
their country. The answer, obviously, is a resounding NO!
Then how do we build a country?
Minister Sendolo has a lot more to do to get the LEC
employees to be faithful to their jobs. Like all other
Ministers and Agency Heads, at least those who are
wholly committed to public service, he has to take
decisive action and set examples. But more than that, he,
and all other Ministers like him, need to develop a system
of whistle blowers and seriously encourage them to be
uncompromising in their vigilance.
Minister Sendolo must also know that there are many
private businesspeople, including Lebanese and Indians,
who are peddling electric power around. Unconfirmed
sources have long suspected that the delay in connections
which the Minister is lamenting, may be due to kickbacks
which certain government functionaries receive from
these electricity peddlers.
This situation makes one weep for Liberia--a country full
of people who do not love their country but want to find
every means possible to milk her for personal gain and
deny, retard and frustrate and undermine any development
effort their own government is trying to undertake.
The time has come for government to start spying on her
own employees if ever Liberia is to move forward.
But can government find honest brokers-- honest spies-or will she end up in a vicious circle of corruption?
We think, however, that it is worth the try--empowering
people to check on their mates.

OBSERVER CARTOON WITH A. Leslie Lumeh E-mail: leslie@leslielumeh.com www.leslielumeh.com

The State of Press Freedom

Report by Alison Bethel McKenzie,
executive director, International
Press Institute at the IPI 2014
WORLD CONGRESS in CAPE
TOWN, Sunday, April 13, 2014

IPI members, distinguished guests,

colleagues
What a privilege it is to welcome you
here today. Many of you either were not
here or ... unlike me ... arent old enough
to remember when IPI held its last World
Congress in Cape Town ... exactly 20 years
ago.
How times have changed.
Twenty years ago, the vast majority
of South Africans had few rights, were
excluded from the countrys immense
prosperity, and the media were under
horrific pressure not to rock the boat. In
many other African nations ... like Ghana,
Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania ... journalists
struggled under the grip of strongmen.
Today, these countries boast some of
the most dynamic media markets on the
continent.
Twenty years ago, we were welcoming
new IPI members from a wave of young
democracies in Europe and celebrating
the medias role as guardian of the
transition to democracy in many parts of
Latin America.
Twenty years ago, many of the worlds
strongest media were found in the leading
economic powers. Today, as they struggle
to find their place in the digital world,
traditional and new media are thriving in
many parts of South Asia, Africa and the
Middle East... and might grow even more
if freed of the clutches of government
control.
And speaking of the digital world, we pay
homage this year to the 20th anniversary of
the invention of the worldwide web.
For all the changes these past two decades,
the challenges have not gone away... nor
has the need for great organizations like
the International Press Institute.
When IPI was last in Cape Town, it was
relatively easy to halt a newspaper... you
break the presses, confiscate the press
run or put a lock on the newspaper office.
That still happens. Just recently in Sudan,
security agents confiscated the pressruns
of nearly a dozen newspapers. In Egypt,
they outlawed the Freedom and Justice
newspaper and several broadcasters. In

Venezuela, the government restricted

foreign currency exchanges that affected
imports of newsprint, effectively forcing
newspapers to limit pressruns or suspend
publishing altogether.
Today, digital media is playing the role of
the old samizdat. Social media fuelled the
Arab Spring, last years Turkish protests,
and Ukraines most recent revolution ...
but also helped journalists stay ahead of
the story.
Yet those who fear journalism have kept
up the pressure. In Jordan, where we met a
year ago, the government blocked scores of
websites within weeks after our Congress
ended and some of those remain blocked
today for not having government licenses.
In February, Turkish leaders approved
measures that, unless amended, give the
government power to block websites
without judicial oversight and to engage
in mass surveillance of Internet users. The
Syrian Electronic Army... an ad hoc hacker
group that backs the Assad government...
has played havoc with opposition as well
as foreign media, including the Financial
Times and The New York Times.
When IPI was in Ethiopia last year on
a press freedom mission, websites of
opposition media and human rights groups
were blocked. Ethiopian journalists told
us that the security forces shut down the
government-run mobile phone network
whenever they want to pre-empt antigovernment demonstrations organized
through text messages.
Meanwhile, our business remains a
profoundly dangerous one. Just look

at Syria, the deadliest country for our

profession for two years running ... 16
journalists killed in 2013 and 39 the year
earlier. Dozens more have been wounded
or held captive.
Even in countries not in the throes of a
terrible civil war, like Syria, journalists
walk with targets on their backs. In the
Philippines, at least 13 journalists died
on the job last year, 11 in India and six
in Brazil. All in all, IPI tracked 119
journalists killed in the line of duty... a
slight decline from the 133 who died in
2012 but nonetheless an appalling toll.
So far this year, more than 20 have either
been killed while on the job or died while
on duty.
IPI is not standing idle when it comes
to safety. Weve pushed the Mexican
authorities to improve security for
media workers covering drug lords and
organized crime. Weve also pressed the
government to end impunity by launching
swift investigations into attacks or threats
against media and journalists.
In January, an emergency IPI delegation
went to Cairo to urge the government...
including the foreign minister and state
information chief... to halt indiscriminate
attacks on journalists by the police and
vigilantes.
Yet journalists face other challenges,
perhaps less violent, but no less alarming.
Governments have an arsenal of laws that
are being turned against our colleagues
... laws on sedition and terrorism, for
instance. Criminal defamation and insult
laws are another example. But more about
this later.
Twenty years ago, South Africans knew
all too well the tricks that oppressors use
to silence a free press. Back then, the
transformation to a multiracial democracy
had not yet taken place. South Africa had a
brand new constitution when this Congress
last met here, but it was untested and one
too many laws restricting press freedom
remained on the books ... and do so to this
day. Criminal defamation is one of them.
David Laventhol, the IPI chairman at
the time, wrote a beautiful speech for the
1994 Congress. He said: There are many
different cultures represented here, but
our mission is a common one: to protect
the rights of journalists and the free flow

Contd on page 5

Daily Observer Monday, April

14, April
2014
Monday,
14, 2014

The State of Press

of information everywhere.
The subject matter for our
deliberation is Africa, a
continent that is a mighty mix
of cultures, religions, politics
and changing ways of life. And
of course, one special focus is
the Republic of South Africa.
Of all the places we could
be on the globe this year, he
continued, this is perhaps the
most appropriate. A changing
society which is headed towards
multi-racial democracy after
generations without it; a
country where, throughout all
its troubles, courageous people
reported and edited and spoke
the truth, as best they could
under immense pressure and
sometimes threats to their
personal safety.
I would like to take a moment
to honour those South African
journalists ... those brave
enough to fight the injustice
of apartheid ... including one
who is here today ... Mathatha
Tsedu. [Round of applause]
Mathatha is not alone, by
any means. Many African
journalists carry on that
tradition of determination.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas of
Ghana and Joseph Mwenda
of Zambia as well as our own
Ferial Haffajee, who helped
make this Congress possible,
are some of them. [Round of
applause]
We are also honoured to
have representatives from AlMonitor, the recipient of our
Free Media Pioneer Award,
and Mashallah Shamsolvaezin,
the
courageous
Iranian
journalist who is our World
Press Freedom Hero this year.
Welcome to both.
Back to David Laventhol.
As he noted in his Cape Town
speech, South Africa was
preparing for elections. Again
today, we are on the eve of
elections and their impact
on South Africa is no less
important. We have just heard
Minister Chabane speak on
behalf of President Jacob Zuma
... we thank him for his warm
welcome to South Africa and
we are honored to be here in
this great land of hope.
But we say to President
Zuma, please do not cheat us
of that hope. Parliament last
November approved and sent
to the president the Protection
of State Information Bill, also
known as the secrecy bill,
which in our view gives too
much authority to politicians to
determine what is confidential
information.
It also lacks
a public interest defence,
which would directly impact
whistleblowers and journalists
who
obtain
information
through their confidential
sources.
We strongly urge the
President to veto the secrecy
bill and send it back to the
Parliament for reconsideration
- before the election. Doing so
would send the message that
South Africa is determined to
protect freedom of the press
and defend the right of the
public to access information
that affects their lives.
There has also been no
progress under the African
National
Congress-led
government
in
banning
defamation and insult laws... a
horrible legacy of the apartheid

era. The Table Mountain

Declaration... signed right
here in Cape Town in 2007
with IPIs backing... calls for
abolishing criminal defamation
and insult laws in Africa. Only
two African leaders have
signed it... President Issoufou
of Niger and President Johnson
Sirleaf of Liberia.
Its not too late for President
Zuma to add his name and
personal
commitment
to
abolish these heinous laws.
Doing so is not just important
to South Africa. It is important
to all of Africa and beyond
because it sends the message
that Africans can be global
leaders on this issue... as Ghana
did when it abolished criminal
defamation more than a decade
ago.
Yet for all the progress in
Africa ... and much progress
has been made... terrific
challenges still remain.
Just look at Ethiopia. Our
board members, Ferial Haffaje
and Kiburu Yusuf, were there
with me when we tried to visit
five journalists imprisoned on
terrorism charges. When we
were there last November, these
journalists were being denied
access to their lawyers, their
friends and their colleagues.
One of them, a courageous
young woman named Reeyot
Alemu, is battling breast
cancer from her prison cell.
Her struggle and that of her
colleagues ... Solomon Kebede,
Wubset Taye, Eskinder Nega
and Yusuf Getachew brought
tears to the eyes of members of
our delegation who spoke with
those closest to them.
Ethiopias
neighbor,
Somalia, remains Africas
most
dangerous
country
for journalists... at least
24 journalists have been
killed there since the start of
2012. Meanwhile, Eritreas
dictator has literally locked
away journalists and thrown
away the key... some of our
colleagues have languished in
prisons for years. Some have
died in confinement.
This week the world is
marking the 20th anniversary
of the start of the Rwanda
genocide. As a series of
commentaries we published
this past week showed, some
local media played a terrible
role in fanning ethnic hatred in
1994. While there is no defence
for such hate speech, we are
concerned that the Rwandan
authorities use that experience
to maintain tight control over
todays news media and call
on the government to allow
independent media to flourish.
A few moments ago I
mentioned the scourge of
criminal defamation and insult
laws. In Angola, journalists
who step out of line regularly
face the cudgel of criminal
defamation. Rafael Marques,
who will be speaking here at
the Congress, wrote a report
alleging involvement of highlevel government officials in
abuses of mining workers.
Angolan prosecutors have
harassed him for a year,
accusing him of criminal
defamation. IPI and a coalition
of our partners have rallied
in his defence... for example,
by pressuring the European
Union, a main trading partner

and aid donor, to demand

accountability from Angolas
autocrats
for
harassing
Marques and other journalists.
Even in countries with
relatively strong constitutional
foundations for press freedom,
there is a tendency to flaunt
laws. Governments in Tanzania
and Uganda have dredged
up old press laws to suspend
newspapers... damaging these
publications reputations and
financial stability.
Kenya is another concern.
President Kenyatta has signed
legislation... the Information
and Communication Act... that
we believe would lead to state
control of news and information
during emergencies, plus give
the government the power to
perform functions currently
executed by the countrys Media
Council. Weve protested
these measures and Kenyan
journalists are not about to
have their rights trampled on.
Theyve filed legal challenges
against
the
Information
and
Communication
Act
on the grounds that it is
unconstitutional.
Elsewhere in Africa, weve
led the campaign against the
use of sedition laws to arrest
and intimidate journalists in
The Gambia and Sierra Leone.
And in Egypt these past few
months, dozens of journalists
have been detained, sometimes
for days or months without
being indicted. Recently 20
were put on trial for charges
such as reporting false news
or aiding terrorists. And IPI
member Al Jazeera has borne
the brunt of the governments
wrath, with no less than four
journalists still in jail on
trumped-up charges.
Elsewhere, Morocco has to
stand out as one of the more
bizarre cases weve handled
in recent months. Ali Anouzla,
whom many of you might know
as editor of Lakome.com, was
arrested last September and
is now on trial for glorifying
terrorism. What did he do?
Anouzla published a news
article that included a link to a
YouTube video posted on the
website of El Pas in Spain.
The video was removed by
YouTube, but it allegedly
accused King Mohammed
of corruption and despotism,
and urged young Moroccans
to engage in jihad. IPI has
joined with more than 40 other
organizations in calling for the
charges to be dropped.
In the Middle East, weve
seen the great promise of
the Arab Spring wither in
many countries. Ive already
mentioned the terrible death
toll for our colleagues in Syria.
But the Arab Spring has also
delivered some advances for
press freedom. Tunisian and
Egyptian voters have adopted
promising constitutions with
strong guarantees of press
freedom. We challenge leaders
in both countries to live by the
spirit of these constitutions
and to adjust national laws to
the new guarantees ... and then
abide by those laws.
Press freedom is under siege
in other areas as well.
In the last few months,
we have seen upheavals in
Venezuela where government
forces have assaulted at least 78
journalists. Fourteen national
and international journalists
were arrested. In some cases,

journalists were taken into

custody despite showing their
press credentials and media
equipment. A few were held
for hours incommunicado and
then released. Some journalists
were threatened even as they
were freed from detention.
At least 13 cases of theft took
place... with the police seizing
photos and film showing
violence between government
forces and protesters. By our
count, there were at least 10
separate cases of censorship
against national news outlets
carried out by the government
agency in charge of regulating
broadcast media in Venezuela.
Colombian news channel
NTN24, which has a station in
Caracas, was ordered off the air
on February 12 after reporting
on protests taking place across
the country. At the same time,
Venezuelan President Maduro
threatened CNN en Espaol
and ordered press credentials
be taken away from three of its
reporters.
Turning to Brazil. Since last
year, eight journalists have
been killed in incidents directly
linked to their work as members
of the press. Impunity reigns in
Brazil when it comes to crimes
committed against journalists.
Press freedom advocates report
that a law already in place
could federalize investigations
on crimes against journalists
yet this law is not strictly
enforced today. Although there
are efforts by Brazils Human
Rights Secretariat to get input
from local press groups, it
is our responsibility to bring
light to these inconsistencies
that undermine freedom of the
press.
Last year, after years
of advocacy by IPI and
other groups, the Mexican
government
finally
put
into practice two critical
institutional
measures
designed
to
protect
journalist safety and combat
impunity. Unfortunately, the
governments
performance
leaves much to be desired. Just
ask renowned investigative
journalist Anabel Hernndez,
whose home was stormed
by 11 armed assailants in
December. Or the family of
Gregorio Jimenez de la Cruz,
a Veracruz reporter kidnapped
and murdered in February. We
remind Mexico that new laws
and programmes mean nothing
unless they are backed up by
action.
With respect to the Caribbean,
media independence in Cuba
continues to be hampered
by government officials. At
least 19 journalists have been
forced into exile since 2008.
As IPIs World Press Freedom
Hero, Yoani Snchez, has said:
the journalism community in
Cuba must shed its political
commitments and take on the
truth as its only obligation.
I am thrilled to report that
IPIs campaign to repeal
criminal defamation laws has
already met with great success.
Last
November,
Jamaica
became the first Caribbean
country to completely abolish
criminal defamation. Grenada,
along with Trinidad and
Tobago, have also taken steps
to partially decriminalize
defamation. We are hopeful
that governments in Antigua
and Barbuda and the
Dominican Republic will

honor public commitments and

follow suit.
Despite
these
fantastic
accomplishments,
the
Caribbean
faces
several
troubling trends on the press
freedom front including
a new wave of electronic
defamation laws that threaten
citizens rights to selfexpression online. Secrecy
laws are another area of
concern: under a bill pending
in the British Virgin Islands,
journalists could face up to 15
years in prison for publishing
sensitive computer data.
In Asia, too, press freedom
has witnessed many successes
and too many defeats. The
most astonishing success of
the last few years remains
Myanmar, where only four
years ago we had little hope
that press freedom may ever
become a reality. Today, after
the state censorship office was
abolished and most journalists
and political prisoners were
released from prison, the
government is in the process
of developing a new legal
framework for the media that
promises to guarantee a good
degree of press freedom.
Challenges
nevertheless
remain and, as I speak, four
journalists and one publisher
are facing trial for revealing
state secrets in connection
with an article on an alleged
chemical weapon factory.
In numerous East and
South-East Asian countries
older democracies such as
Japan, South Korea, Taiwan,
India, the Philippines and
newer democracies such
as Indonesia and Mongolia appear to remain stable and
journalism remains strong in
its watchdog function.
Nevertheless, threats to
press freedom linger in the
established democracies. For
instance, Japan approved a
special state secret law in
December 2013. The new law
was hailed by Washington,
which had long pushed Japan
to exert tighter control on
classified information. But
journalists in Japan say the law
is too vague and open to abuse
and represents a serious
obstacle to the dissemination of
information of public interest.
China remains a repressive
country. More than 30
journalists
and
bloggers
remain in prison in China and
foreign journalists have been
facing increasing difficulties
in getting a visa to work in
the country. Despite these
challenges,
journalists
in
China have continued to push
the limits.
Nine journalists were killed
last year in Pakistan, 13 in the
Philippines, 11 in India and
three in Afghanistan. In many
Asian countries, the authorities
fail to address threats and
crimes against journalists.
Violence has become a
powerful deterrent to the
coverage of certain sensitive
issues.
The
continued
forced
exile of so many Sri Lankan
journalists and the Sri
Lankan
governments
repression of critical voices
in the country even after the
civil war that ended in 2009
raises concerns that democracy
may not be restored any time
soon. Tragically, 30 years of
civil war has left little space

Page 5

for independent news.

In Thailand, the editor of
the banned Voice of Taksin is
serving an 11-year sentence
because of two articles he
wrote that were perceived
as offensive towards the
countrys royal family. This
case is a reminder of the threat
that criminal defamation and
insult laws represent for press
freedom. Thailand has turned
a deaf ear to repeated appeals
by international organizations,
including the UN, to amend
its laws against insulting the
monarchy.
There is little progress to
report in Central Asia where
governments use an arsenal
of tactics to intimidate and
silence journalists, including
imprisonment,
criminal
charges, forced closure of
newspapers, the blocking of
websites and impunity in
crimes against journalists.
In Europe, former Soviet
republics remain some of
the most difficult in which to
practice journalism.
Impunity
flourishes
in
Russia, where the vast majority
of the 64 journalists deaths IPI
that has recorded there since
1997 remain unsolved. Four
journalists died in connection
with their work in 2013... two
gunned down, two succumbing
to the effects of savage beatings
they suffered years ago.
Since
Vladimir
Putins
return to the presidency
in 2012, Russia has recriminalized
defamation,
created an Internet blacklist,
expanded the definition of
treason, prohibited discussion
of homosexuality that isnt
negative, converted one of the
largest news agencies into a
pro-Russian public relations
firm, and annexed Crimea,
where journalists have been
menaced by masked gunmen in
uniforms without insignia and
pro-Russian militia.
Meanwhile, Ukraine still
reels from the effects of a
revolution in which observers
recorded more than 120 attacks
on domestic and foreign
journalists this year.
Belarus remains a totalitarian
state
where
journalists
are routinely detained or
summoned to appear before
authorities, and self-censorship
is the norm in the Caucasus,
particularly in Azerbaijan,
where independent media
continue to face pressure.
Throughout the Balkans,
journalists
confronted
issues
of
corruption,
media
concentration
and
monopolization, as well as
physical attacks. In Greece,
SEEMO [South East Europe
Media Organization] measured
a sharp increase in attacks,
many of which were attributed
to alleged supporters of
the xenophobic, right-wing
Golden Dawn party.
Journalists
in
Hungary
struggle with the effects
of both an ailing economy
and legislation centralizing
regulatory authority in the
hands of parliament, while
Turkey remains the worlds
leading jailer of journalists.
Some 44 are still behind bars,
most on what appear to be
politically-motivated claims
of connections to terrorists or
armed groups.

Contd on page 8

Daily Observer
Advertisers Supplement

Monday, April 14, 2014

Appreciation Ceremony for

Page 6

SEGAL Guard Force

Held April 12, 2014 at the SEGAL head office in Monrovia

NRC certificate of appreciation given to SEGAL for deligent services since 2008

One of the honorees receiving her certificate

Ecobank representative ED David

Thompson making remarks at the
occasion.

A female SEGAL oficer introducing the

guest speaker

Mr. Momo Cyrus, General Manager of

SEGAL making remarks

Orator at the ceremony, Mrs. Masietta

Estella Taylor

SEGAL Administrator, Ms. N. S. Sithole

giving welcoming statement

Some of SEGALs assets (cars)

SEGAL GM, Momo Cyrus (second from left) appreciating his senior staff (on both
flanks) during the ceremony

SEGAL officers at the program

Some of the SEGAL officers listening attentively during the ceremony

Scores of other SEGAL officers at the program

Mr. Tamba speaking on behalf of Private

Security Association of Liberia

Daily Observer

Page 7

Monday, April 14, 2014

USAID/ Liberia Municipal Water Project

he US Agency for International Development

(USAID)/Liberia is seeking qualified construction companies to construct two (2) mini water
systems in the city of Voinjama and Sanniquelle.
USAID/Liberia will award two separate contracts for work
in each city.
USAID/Liberia is soliciting companies to compete for these
contracts in accordance with United States Government
acquisition regulations. Companies will be selected based
on demonstrated competence and qualifications for the required work. A company can submit a bid for both contracts,
but can only be awarded one of the contracts. The period of
performance will be 18 months (6 months construction period and 12 months defects liability period) from the notice
to proceed. USAID/Liberia estimates giving the notice to
proceed in early May 2014.

A firm that wishes to respond to this request must, at a minimum:

Be a local Liberian entity
Have all licenses and permits required by the law of
Republic Of Liberia to legally transact business and
perform the work;
Have an established business with a permanent address and telephone listing; and
Have no political or business affiliations which could
be considered contrary to the interest of the United
States.
An interested construction company can obtain a copy of the
solicitations and drawings for free electronically via www.
fbo.gov, or in hard copy for a fee of $50 USD at LMWP
Office 19th Street and Payne Avenue Sinkor, Monrovia,
Liberia LMWP contact information is provided in the
solicitation on www.fbo.gov. Please direct questions about
this process to USAID/Liberias Office of Acquisition and
Assistance (OAA) via email at oaaliberia@usaid.gov or
telephone number 077-677-7000 ext: 7042 or 7076.
USAID/Liberia will have a pre-bid meeting at the Liberia
Municipal Water Project office on 19th Street and Payne
Avenue in Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia on 14, April, 2014
from 10:00 am 12:00 pm local Liberia time. Interested
companies must submit the names of no more than two (2)
employees who will attend the pre-bid meeting via email
oaaliberia@usaid.gov by 10:00 am local time, 11 April,
2014.
In addition to the pre-bid meeting, USAID will organize an
optional site visit for each site as follows:
Voinjama on 18, April, 2014 starting at 9:00am local
Liberia time. Participants will meet at: the Social
Security Guest House in Voinjama at 9:00am local time.
Sanniquelle on 16, April starting at 9:00am local Liberian
time meet at: Jackies Guest House in Sanniquelle at
9:00am local time.
Bidder will be responsible for covering all his/her costs and
transportation required to and from the site visits.

LIBERIA PETROLUEM REFINING COMPANY

PRODUCT STORAGE TERMINAL
BUSHROD ISLAND
MONROVIA, LIBERIA

INVITATION FOR BIDS

FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF GOODS

(Computers, Printers & Accessories) (IFB. No. LPRC/NCB/003/2014)
1. The Liberia Petroleum Refining Company has allotted funds in its 2014 Fiscal Budget and intends to
apply same towards the procurement of Computers, Printers & Accessories.
2. Liberia Petroleum Refining Company now invites sealed bids from eligible registered bidders for the
supply of Computers, Printers & Accessories for Fiscal Year 2014.
3.
Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding process as enshrined in the
PPCA.
4. Specification & Quantity:

Lot
1

Item
Desktop

Qty
17

Laptop

3
4

Printers
Hard Drive

13
18

Specification
Window 7 pro, sp1,6GB ram,3.3 processor,
500GB Harddrive,DVD/R
Window 7 pro, sp1,6GB ram,3.3 processor,
500GB Harddrive,DVD/R
Network, stand alone, DeskJet, office jet, LaserJet
External,2Tb, 500GB Back-up Book

5. Qualification requirements include:

I. Article of Incorporation
II. Valid Recent Tax Clearance
III. Valid Business Registration Certificate
IV. Past performance records- including the names and contact numbers of atleast two clients.
6. All interested eligible bidders may obtain copy of the bidding document form the Procurement Unit
of LPRC for a non-refundable fee of US$100.00 beginning Monday 31th March 2014 from 10:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. daily.
7. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security of US$2000.00 from a reputable bank.
8. Sealed bids must be delivered to the Procurement Unit not later than 1:00 p.m. 1st May 2014. Late bids
will be rejected and returned to bidders unopened. Bids will be opened in presence of bidders who choose
to attend or their representatives on 1st May 2014 at 1:00 p.m. in the LPRC Training Hall.
9. All bids must be submitted in Six (6) sets. One (1) Original and five (5) copies.
10. The address referred to is:

Procurement Unit

Liberia Petroleum Refining Company

Product Storage Terminal

Bushrod Island

Monrovia, Liberia

Cell#: 0886523397

Email : pkieh@lprclib.com

Request for Quotations

RFQ Number: RFQ-LFP 201/GOAT/03
RFQ Title:
Supply and Transport of 297 West African Dwarf Breeding Goats
to Bong County Liberia
Issuance Date: April 10, 2014
Closing Date: April 25, 2014 (15 days after issuance)
Closing Time: 15:00 hrs (GMT)
The Liberia Food for Progress Project (LFP) funded by the U.S. Department of
mAgriculture and implemented by Land OLakes, inc., intends to import 297
breeding West African Dwarf Goats comprised of 210 breeding (open) does and
87 breeding (working) bucks. The subject of the assignment is to source, vaccinate,
quarantine, pre-shipment treatment and transport of the goats from the countries of
Guinea and/or Ivory Coast to Suakoko, Bong County, Liberia.

The activity is time sensitive, therefore the successful bidder will demonstrate their
ability to source, pre-treat and quarantine the animals by May 30, 2014 while meeting all safety, quality and regulatory requirements described in the FULL REQUEST
FOR QUOTATIONS document.
Please indicate your intention to submit a quote in response to this RFQ by sending your name, title, name and location of your organization, telephone number
and working email address to bids.liberia@idd.landolakes.com . The subject line
must read: Expression of Interest: RFQ-LFP/2014/GOAT/03. An electronic copy
of the full RFQ will be sent to you on the same day.
Interested vendors may also pick up a physical copy of the full RFQ at our office in
Mamba Point at the following address:


Liberia Food for Progress Project

Land OLakes, Inc.


South Beach, Coconut Plantation

U.N. Drive, Monrovia, Liberia
Please bring a valid form of identification and business card if available. Requests to
ship/mail/send the full RFQ to interested vendors will not accepted. Land OLakes
does not accept responsibility for incorrect email address, inqueries after business
hours or any other errors of omission or communication quality.

Daily Observer Monday, April

14, April
2014
Monday,
14, 2014

Obasanjo to Empower
Liberian Girls

-Signs MOU with Govt to Support Technical Education for Girls

Former President Obasanjo and Education Minister shake hands as President Sirleaf
(c) and others applaud after exchanging the MOU
By William Q. Harmon

oundation
of
Olusegun Obasanjo
(OOF),
former
president of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria,
has signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU)
with the government of
Liberia through the Ministry
of Education (MOE). The
purpose is to come up with and
put into operation in Liberia,
projects that will target and
improve individuals in the
areas of Health, Education,
Finance
and
Economic
Planning, Labor, and Youth
and Sports.
The MOU is to serve as a
means by which Liberia and
the OOF might think and work
together in areas of common
interest.
One of the first things to
be done would be to lay the
groundwork
for
targeted
activities and then map out
approaches on how the two
entities might proceed to
operate together.
According to the MOU,
the GOL and OOF would
work in partnership in
developing education program
focusing on the Gender
Responsive
Accelerated
Vocational Technical Program
(GRAVTP); support will go
to the GRAVTP program,
the School Development
Program, the support STEM
Skills Acquisition Program as
well as the Teacher Training
Scheme and Community
Awareness Program.
They
would
promote
projects of an acceptable
commercial nature in the
areas of infrastructure and
agriculture with the goal of
increasing employment for
the youth of Liberia. They
would support programs that
promote health awareness
particularly concerning noncommunicable
diseases;
and any other activities and
program in areas of mutual
interests which the Parties may
jointly devise.
In regards to the scope of
collaboration, the GOL shall
develop and assist OOF to
mobilize resources and develop
strategic plans to generate
funding
from
regional,
bilateral, and multilateral

agencies. It will develop,

implement, and monitor a
coherent mobilization effort
through maintaining dialogue
and strengthening relations
with major donor agreements,
expectations and expanding
the donor base. It is hoped that
the Ministries of Education,
Gender and Development
and other GOL agencies
will be encouraged to advice
on innovative fund raising
strategies and identifying
strategic
development
opportunities, among other
things.
The duration of this MOU
is for ten (10) years, from
the date of the last signature;
however, either Party may
terminate the MOU by giving
three months prior notice to
the other.
The foundation is a charity
organization dedicated
to
bringing human security to all
people by partnering with and
funding organizations across
Africa that are working on
the Foundations initiatives
crucial to human security.
Though the beneficiaries of
the MOU were not quantified,
officials said that a substantial
amount of girls and young
women are targeted to benefit
from the agreement and its
planned activities.
Former president Obasanjo
signed on behalf of his
foundation, while Education
Minister, Etmonia D. Tarpeh
did the same on behalf of the
government and her Ministry.
The ceremony was witnessed
by President Sirleaf and
officials of OFF.
Speaking at the MOU
signing ceremony on Sunday,
April 13, at the Executive
Mansion, former President
Obasanjo said the issue of
girls empowerment is a
critical challenge in Africa.
He said this problem has no
boundaries as it is prevalent
on the African continent, not
to speak of Liberia that is just
emerging from 14 years of
civil-crisis.
He said his foundation has
the vision to partner with
organizations and governments
and to serve as change agents
across the Continent.
The concept of human
security has been a longstanding commitment of

President
Obasanjos---to
promote the initiatives that
can
dramatically
change
the lives of individuals and
communities on the continent;
and the Liberian project has
been specifically designed to
cater to the needs of girls, who
according to former President
Obasanjo, have been culturally
deprived for rock of ages.
He apologized to President
Sirleaf, for what he termed
interrupting her service time
on this Palm Sunday; but
serving humanity, the cause
for which the MOU was being
signed, is the same as serving
God, he suggested.
President
Sirleaf,
in
welcoming former president
Obasanjo to Liberia, said
the signing of the MOU,
in part, is to support the
education sector---especially
the training of young women,
particularly in technical fields,
to enable them enhance their
employment potential. This is
a big contribution to Liberias
development effort, she said.
President
Sirleaf
said,
We want to be grateful to
President
Obasanjo
who
continues to support Liberia
education. I want to thankful
to him for this new initiative to
train young women especially
in the technical areas. This is
significant for us.
We have done a lot in
capacitating our girls by
providing them opportunities;
but this MOU, when fully
implemented, will help a lot of
them with technical capacities
to support themselves, she
added.
Education Minister Tarpeh
called the signing of the MOU
a dream come true, because
recently there was a discussion
on what needs to be done
with the youth of Liberia; that
discussion led to a three-year
Action Plan for the education
sector. What we have signed
today is part of that activity
and addresses the need of
young
people---especially
girls, she said.
Prior
to
the
signing
ceremony, Minister Tarpeh
said that the MOU will be a
great help for young women
who will take advantage of the
program. She lauded President
Obasanjo for the initiative.

The State of Press

Media owners economic

dependence on government
connections continues to stifle
reporting in Turkey, as did the
reported attacks by police on
dozens of journalists as they
covered protests that erupted
last year following the brutal
treatment of demonstrators
opposing the demolition of
Gezi Park in Istanbul. In recent
months, a growing corruption
scandal has led to the
release online of wiretapped
conversations
allegedly
revealing
government
willingness to apply direct
pressure on both the media
and the judiciary to achieve
political goals. Authorities
went so far as to shut down
Twitter and YouTube in an
apparent bid to staunch that
flow of information ahead of
local elections.
Media in Western Europe
generally fared better. But
journalists in Italy still faced
attacks and intimidation, as
well as the very real threat of
imprisonment under criminal
defamation
provisions

provisions with analogues

in criminal codes across the
continent.
As the United Kingdom
continued to deal with fallout
from the News of the World
phone-hacking
scandal
and disclosures by Edward
Snowden, IPI and other
leading international press
freedom groups warned of
the dangers of previously
unthinkable
regulatory
proposals and of criminal
investigations targeting The
Guardian, reminding Prime
Minister David Cameron
that his governments actions
could be used to justify media
restrictions elsewhere in the

world.
The United States was the
scene of similarly unthinkable
developments. In addition
to Snowdens disclosures,
the
Justice
Department
acknowledged that it secretly
subpoenaed
Associated
Press journalists records
and obtained a warrant for a
Fox News reporters private
communications
on
the
grounds that talking a State
Department
official
into
sharing information on North
Korea made the journalist a coconspirator to espionage.
U.S. Attorney General Eric
Holder issued new guidelines
on handling investigations
involving
reporters,
but
federal prosecutors continued
to argue in court that the
First Amendment creates no
privilege, at least in criminal
cases, allowing journalists to
protect a confidential sources
identity. Senators considered
enacting a federal law on
source confidentiality, but a
bill to do so remains stalled
the victim of a political process
paralyzed by partisan strife.
Meanwhile,
the
White
Houses efforts to control
news coverage led 38 U.S.
media organizations to sign
a letter protesting limits on
photojournalists access to the
president.
Twenty years ago, IPI held
its World Congress in South
Africa ... in part to celebrate
freedom, but also to show that
we stood on guard to defend
those freedoms everywhere in
the world.
The transitions that were
beginning in Africa, in Europe,
in Latin America and in Asia
would not be easy ... and we
continue to see far too many

Page 8

obstacles to press freedom

today. For every Tunisia, with
its promising new constitution,
there is a Russia, where those
in power tighten their grip on
the media. For all the successes
of our Campaign to Abolish
Criminal Defamation in the
Caribbean, there are countries
around the world that continue
to use it in a sinister effort to
hush journalists.
Just weeks before he became
president, Nelson Mandela
was here... at the IPI World
Congress. He gave a touching
endorsement of why IPI and
press freedom matter. As
tempting as it is to read Nelson
Mandelas gently eloquent
speech in full, let me highlight
one excerpt that embodies why
we are here today.
He
said:
A critical,
independent and investigative
press is the lifeblood of any
democracy. The press must be
free from state interference.
It must have the economic
strength to stand up to the
blandishments of government
officials.
It
must
have
sufficient independence from
vested interests to be bold
and inquiring, without fear
or favour. It must enjoy the
protection of the Constitution,
so that it can protect our rights
as citizens.
Twenty years on, we still have
our work cut out for us. This
Congress will demonstrate
the challenges, as well as the
potential to fight back. Thank
you all for your support this
past year, your participation in
this important congress... and
your determination to carry on
in the years ahead in defence of
journalists around the world.

Prez. Sirleaf Urges Task

Force of Ebola to Be Vigilant

By Alvin Worzi

n the wake of the outbreak

of the deadly Ebola virus
in the country, President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has
urged the Ministry of Health &
Social Welfares task force to
be vigilant in the fight of the
virus.
Speaking at the a special
program on Wednesday, April
9, Madam Sirleaf explained
that the Health Ministry
and its partners have kept
her fully abreast with their
intervention since it was
officially announced that it has
crossed over from neighboring
Guinea.
The President said her
understanding is that the
disease is not spreading since
its outbreak late March of this
year and there were effective
actions in place by the MOH
and other partners including
the World Health Organization
(WHO) in ending the plague in
Liberia.
The President also expressed
her sympathy to those families,
who have lost loved ones after
contracting the virus.
I am told that about 10
persons have died. l want to

President Ellen Johnson

Sirleaf
use this time to say sorry to
those who have been affected
of the Ebola virus since the
outbreak, I have been briefed
by Dr. Walter Gwenigale of
what is happening.
Speaking
earlier,
the
United States Ambassador to
Liberia, Deborah Malac, reemphasized that a delegation
of the US Defense Dept.,
which has medical testing
facilities over the border in
Kenema, Sierra Leone, will
arrive in the country to help
support the fight of the virus
in Liberia.

She further explained that

the two testing centers/labs to
be setup by the US Defense
Department, would reduce
the cost and time of sending
blood samples to neighboring
Guinea for confirmation as
well as be on time of the
information from the testing
medical centers.
Madam Malac also used the
occasion to express thanks to
the Health Ministry for the
fight against deadly Ebola
virus, which has so far claimed
at least 12, lives in Lofa and
other parts of the country.

The
World
Health
Organization
Country
Representative, Dr. Nestor
Ndayimirije, said they were
working with several technical
people to ensure that the virus
does not spread and end in a
short period of time.
He further explained at the
program that no country has
closed their borders in the
wake of the outbreak of the
Ebola virus and expressed
that all of its partners were
committed to the fight of the
virus in the country.

Daily Observer Monday, April

14, April
2014
Monday,
14, 2014

Page 9

World Council of Credit Unions to

Train Ganta Credit Union Bank Staff

L-WOCCU COP, Muriuki addressing members of the union and view of the Credit Union Bank in Ganta, Nimba County
By David A. Yates

he World Council
of Credit Unions
Incorporated
(WOCCU)
in
collaboration with the Liberia
Credit
Union
National

Association (LCUNA) has

disclosed plan to train staff of
the newly established credit
union bank in Ganta, the
commercial hub of Nimba
County.
The training, according
to WOCCU Chief of Party

(COP), Patrick Muriuki, will

enhance the productivity of
staff as well as provide better
services to their customers.
Mr. Muriukis comment
was contained in a speech
he delivered recently at a
dedicatory ceremony of the

BHP Cant Do For Coking Coal

Prices What It Did For Iron Ore
(Mining.com)

orlds number
one
miner
BHP Billiton
under ex-CEO
Marius Kloppers deserve (and
take) much of the credit for
dragging the iron ore market
out of the financial stone age.
By pushing hard against
bigger rivals Vale and Rio
Tinto which favoured the old
annual negotiated contract
system, in 2009 BHP helped
double the price of iron ore
overnight.
Just for good measure,
free-on-board pricing were
also dropped in favour of
CFR which gave Australian
producers a huge advantage
over South African and
particularly Vales Brazilian
ore, reaping billions for the
industry.
BHP has been working hard
to repeat the 2010 move in the
coking coal market, but has so
far met with little success.
The main pushback from
steel mills against spot pricing
has to with the variability of
the coal produced from one
mine to the other, which is
especially true in number two
importer of metallurgical coal
Japan.
The
negotiations
are
happening during a difficult
time for the coking coal trade
which this year should amount
to some 320 million tonnes.
Quarterly
benchmark

Loading up on the spot

coking coal traded as high
as $330 a tonne in mid2011 after bad weather took
much of Australias supply
off the market. The price
of the commodity stayed
above $200 for two years
between September 2010 and
September 2012, but has been
on a steady downtrend since
then.
Second
quarter
2014
contracts have been inked at
$120 a tonne, down 14% from
first quarter benchmarks and
the lowest since 2008.
BHP, the globes top exporter
of coking coal, has put its
money where its mouth is and
is selling an ever increasing
portion on the spot market.
Trouble is, BHP is losing big
money on its push.
According to data supplied
by The SteelIndex spot

Australian hard coking coal

(FOB Australian east coast
exports) this week sold at $98
a tonne.
Thats up just a fraction
from the lowest since the price
provider started publishing the
numbers in January 2013 and
down 17.5% so far this year.
Premium coking coal was last
changing hands for around
$113 a tonne after falling to a
record low of $108.20 a tonne
two weeks ago.
The Financial Times times
quotes one industry veteran as
saying BHP has this almost
religious belief that unless
commodities trade on index
or there are derivatives then
its not a mature market. But
if shareholders wake up to
whats happening they may
have to stop trying.

Trust Savings Credit Union

Bank in Ganta, Nimba County.
As per our commitment to
the revitalization process, for
the next three years, WOCCU
and LCUNA will continue to
train staff of the bank to better
serve the members as well as
the customers.
According to him, executives
of the bank will eventually
organize members of the
credit union as well as other
members of the association
to inform them about their
products and services where
they would in return provide
feedback from them.
We will organize members
education days to inform our
people about the credit union
products and services; and
to get feedback from Nimba,
Bong and Lofa counties,
because these are areas we
need to improve our services
better, he said.
Mr. Muriuki noted that the
credit union is a not-for-profit
making cooperative, but able
to offer lower loan rates to
their members, who want to
venture into business.

The credit unions, Mr.

Muriuki said, are democratic,
member-owned cooperatives,
which ensure that members
have power to direct credit
union policy, but not-forprofits.
Our organization is there
to help raise Liberians out
of poverty, by empowering
them
through
business
establishments, said Muriuki.
He said that surveys have
shown that members are more
satisfied with the services they
received from their respective
credit union organizations
than customers of banks.
However, the WOCCU COP
added that the union is poised
for positive, economic and
social change that is currently
providing significant value to
both developed and emerging
nations.
At the same time, the
WOCCU boss used the
occasion to inform members
of the union that, if majority of
the members are dissatisfied
with the directors because of
bad policies, they have the
right to replace them.

Credit union elections are

based on a one-member, onevote structure, this structure is
in contrast to for-profit, public
companies where stockholders
vote according to the number
of shares they own, he added.
He concluded by presenting
the Ganta Trust Savings Credit
Union Bank to members of the
entire region three, comprising
Nimba, Bong and Lofa
Counties. The bank is to be
used as headquarters to benefit
and serve all members equally
in the region.
Meanwhile,
The
Trust
Savings Credit Union is one
of the four credit unions bank
formed under the microlead program funded by
the United Nations Capital
Development Fund (UNCDF)
and implemented by the World
Council of Credit Unions, Inc.
(WOCCU).
The program started in
April 2013 for the purpose of
revitalization of Credit Unions
in Liberia.

Daily Observer
Monday, April 14, 2014

Archbishop

the country.
The Catholic Archbishop
also stated: Where are we
going as Liberians if we are
advocating for homosexuality? Are we not calling for
curses upon ourselves? How
will a man marry his fellow
man, this is an abomination.
These are the same things that
brought down Sodom and Go-

morrah.
The event was held at the
Providence Baptist Church,
under the auspices of the Liberia Council of Churches
(LCC). The event was attended by an array of top
government officials from the
three branches of the Liberian
government. At the top of the
attendees list were President

Ellen Decries

By William Q. Harmon

resident Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf
has expressed
grave concerns
over diminishing
support
from donor partners towards
the health sector.
The President said this
signals that if Liberia is to
achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), it is now time
for Liberians to work harder to
achieve health related objectives.
She made the comments at
the official opening ceremony
of the 15th Ordinary Meeting
of the Assembly of the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS)
Health Ministers held at the
Monrovia City Hall this past
Friday April 11, 2014.
Speaking further, President
Sirleaf said the country could
only achieve UCH if Liberians
worked collectively to build
a sustainable health financing
system through domestic financing for the health sector.

She indicated that this will be

a daunting task no doubt, particularly in our country where
there are multiple needs of a
reconstructing country; however we must get to the task.
President Sirleaf disclosed to
the audience, which comprised
of Health Ministers of the 15
ECOWAS member countries
and other health stakeholders, that consideration is now
being given for the establishment of a Liberia Health Equity Fund. This, according to
the President, is a new funding
mechanism that would help to
pay for health care for all Liberians on an equitable basis,
with everyone having access
to the same services regardless
of where you are, who you are
or your financial standing.
The 15th Ordinary Health
Ministers meeting was organized by the Ministry of
Health and Social Welfare in
collaboration with West Africa
Health Organization (WAHO),
which was represented by its
Director General, Dr. Xavier
Crespin.
It was held under the theme:
Universal Health Coverage:

Brain Surgeons

By Observer Staff
Writer

16-member team of
medical specialists from
the Canadian
based KorleBu Neuroscience Foundation
(KBNF), has successfully
conducted brain, back and
other critical surgeries on 18
patients at the Jackson Fiah
Doe Memorial Hospital in
Tappita, Nimba County.
The patients, who benefited
from the neurological operations, include women, men
and children who, for a protracted period, have been suffering from brain, back and
other illnesses and injuries.
The team includes neurologists (brain and spinal
surgeons), anesthesiologists,
pathologists, respiratory specialists and registered nurses
from world-class universities.
Since the medical specialists arrival in the country on
March 14, 2014, scores of
Liberians and non-Liberians
have been visiting the JFD
Hospital on a daily basis,
seeking brain and other related surgical treatments.
A joyful family member of
one of the benefiting patients
characterized the neurological
work being carried out by the
KBNF team at the JFD Hospi-

tal as wonderful.
KBNF, headed by a registered nurse, Marjorie Ratel,
is also conducting a nearly
month-long training program
for Liberian healthcare practitioners at the JFD Referral
Hospital.
Founded a few years ago,
the registered charity is focused on providing medical
support to Ghana and other
countries in the West African
region--- including Liberia--in addressing brain and other
injuries and diseases.
Speaking to journalists over
the weekend in Tappita, Marjorie Ratel, pointed out that
KBNF places a premium on
the development of worldclass hospitals, conduct of
neurological research and
implementation of specialist
training for doctors, nurses
and bio-medical engineers in
the West African region.
Asked by a reporter why
such neurological operations
were being done only at the
JFD Hospital in Liberia, Madam Rateh said, this is because
it is the only medical center
in the country that has a CT
scan and a contemporary XRay machine that is medically
required for such delicate operations.
With no neurosurgeons
working in Liberia up until
this year, and no anesthetic
physicians in public service

Page 10

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and

Vice President Joseph Nyuma
Boakai.
Archbishop Ziegler, who
spoke on the theme Love,
also touched on the issues of
rampant corruption in the Liberian society as well as the
lack of love on the part of Liberians for each other.
He said these negative acts
are throwing the country further backward. He called on

Liberians to see the need to

love each other and collaborate for the development of
their beloved country.
He called on the government
to take a pro-active approach
in addressing poverty and hunger; indicating that many Liberians still go to bed hungry.
He said, It is true that we
are observing national fast and
prayer today, but let us think
of the many Liberians who are

compelled to fast every day.

They too deserve a right to a
good life like all other Liberians.
He spoke against greed and
nepotism, which he said have
the propensity to create more
tension in the country. If we
have love for each other, we
will share the little we have
with our neighbors. But Liberians, we have too much entrenched grudges for one an-

other. Until we can desist from

this, we are headed nowhere,
said the Catholic Archbishop.
The occasion was spicedup with music by the Providence Baptist Church Choir,
the Georgia Pattern United
Methodist Church Kru Choir,
the Susan Brooks AME Bassa
Choir and the Free Pentecostal
Global Kissi Choir.

Issues, Challenges and Opportunities.

The Liberian leader, who
formally declared the West
African Health Ministers
Meeting opened, said: One
of the many challenges that
we recognize here today is the
declining contribution from
our donor partners. This is a
reality and it is clear that if
our country is to achieve the
Universal Health Coverage,
we must go to work to build
a sustainable health financing
system through domestic financing for our health sector.
The lack of quick response or
the delay on the part of donor
partners in regards to request
from the government through
the Ministry of Health and
Social Welfare (MoH&SW)
for US$1.2 million to combat
the deadly Ebola virus in the
country, might have led to the
President thinking that donors
are becoming unresponsive in
the health sector.
She, however, said that
achieving the UHC takes
time and perseverance for it
involves accessibility, affordability, and quality of service.
She said her government is
endeavoring to this through a
strong political commitment

through all level including the

highest level in our society.
She retrospected that at the
63rd World Health Assembly
held in Geneva, Switzerland,
she stated that people should
not die because they are poor
and we pledge to find mechanisms for the poor to continue
to access the health care that
they need and not to pay upfront fees.
This is why today we want
to command our health team
for the services they render
free in all parts of the country,
though not at the quality we
want.
She reminded the audience
that while the Ebola outbreak
probably strikes the uppermost in everyones minds in
the nation and sub-region, she
and others would remain convince that their relentless efforts are underway to address
this critical situation.
She indicated that government continues to lay emphasis on achieving its goals on
UHC as carried in Liberias
National Health Policy Plan
for the next ten years. This
is why I applaud all of you for
having taken the decision to
come to this meeting that will
give us encouragement as we

all strive and work together to

achieve quality delivery health
care to our people, she said.
In our country, we are
working to improve the health
and social welfare status of
our population on an equitable
basis in the face of major challenges, many of which have
been out line in some note Dr.
Walter Gwenigale gave me.
Making remarks earlier,
WAHO Director General, Dr.
Xavier Crespin, said that the
issue of healthcare delivery in
the sub-region was very critical and there is an urgent need
for authorities of the region
to formulate means through
which basic quality and affordable health services can
be provided citizens of the
ECOWAS Community.
He said the outbreak of the
Ebola Virus in some part of
the region is an unfortunate
situation that needs immediate attention in order to bring
it under control. He outlined
numerous challenges that
WAHO is facing in carrying
out its mandate.
In a message read on his behalf of Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo, World Health Organization
Regional Director for Africa,
by WHO Country Represen-

tative in Liberia, Dr. Nestor

Ndayimirije, Dr. Sambo said
despite the progress made in
the last 15 to 20 years, populations in the African region
still suffer from the devastating burden of several diseases
such as malaria, AIDS, tuberculosis, meningitis, cholera
and other diarrheal diseases,
viral hemorrhagic fevers,
among others which are obstacles to achieving Universal
Coverage and the Millennium
Development Goals.
He said the meeting of
WAHO came at a time when
the sub-region is experiencing a serious epidemic disease,
Ebola and commended the
Governments of Liberia and
Guinea for the strong leadership demonstrated by officially declaring and mounting an effective response to
the cross-border Ebola virus
disease epidemic. With this
strong leadership and commitment, I am very confident that
together, we shall be able to
stop this epidemic and therefore avoid the loss of human
lives and minimize its impact
on the economy, trade and
travel in accordance with the
International Health Regulation, he said.

Doe Hospital.
Other members of the
KBNF delegation include
neurosurgeon, Dr. Christopher Honey; Dr. David Udoh;
Dr. Paul King; Anesthesiologist, Dr. Sampson Tudjebe;
Pathologist, Dr. Mojisola
Udoh. Some of the Nurses are
from the University of Benin
Teaching Hospital (Nigeria)
and the Vancouver General
Hospital in Canada.
The head of the KBNF medical mission to Liberia is John
Burthorne Sampson, (MD), a
faculty neuro-anesthesiologist
at Johns Hopkins University
in the United States of America.
Dr. Sampson not only has
expertise in the improvement
of healthcare for people in
Africa but also taught and
practiced medicine in eight
countries outside of the United States of America (USA)
including Jamaica, Nigeria,
Liberia, Ghana, Burkina Faso,
Mozambique, Kenya and Eritrea.

For his part, Dr. Francis

Nah Kateh, (MD, MHA, MPS/
HSL) Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) and Medical Director
of the JFD Hospital lauded the
work of KBNF team which he
said has brought much health
relief to Liberians, who have
been faced with brain and
back related illnesses and injuries.
He expressed the hope that
the cordial and rewarding relations that subsist between
KBNF and JFD Hospital, and
Liberia as a whole, will continue to flourish in the years
ahead and for the mutual benefit of the two medical institutions.
Dr. Kateh expressed support
for the KBNF programs and
activities and hoped that the
desire of the KBNF to work
with global partners including
the Liberian healthcare delivery system in the development
of sustainable medical services in the West African region
would become a reality in the
not distant future.

A patient recuperates after surgery (Photo by Sando

Moore)

in Liberia, NBNFs help is of

paramount importance to the
Jackson Doe Hospital, said
Ratel.
She recalled that in 2012,
the KBNF team taught neuroscience education at the John
F. Kennedy Hospital in Sinkor, Monrovia.
The ongoing training program is a follow up project for
interested Liberian healthcare
providers.
Highlights of the training
program include Intra-operative management of neurological patients; discussion with
stakeholders about referral/
patient transfer options to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital or

University of Benin Teaching

Hospital in Nigeria as well as
assessment and recommendations relating to the potential
to develop future neurosurgical capabilities in Liberia and
specifically at the Jackson F.

Announcement - Change of Name

his is to notify the general public that WATTA M.

KARNEH name has been changed to MAMAWA J.
KARNEH. Additionally, all documents bearing his
previous name, WATTA M. KARNEH should remain
valid. This announcement should claim the attention of the general
public.
Signed: MAMAWA J. KARNEH

Page 11

Fo
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in sine
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is re
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,

Fo
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Daily Observer Monday, April

14, April
2014
Monday,
14, 2014

Read more sports articles on the Daily Observer website @ www.liberianobserver.com/sports

Boakai Challenges Team Bility to

Restore Countrys Football Pride

By Leroy M. Sonpon, III

he continuous poor
ranking of Liberia
in FIFA and CAFs
rankings might have
compelled Vice President
Joseph Boakai to challenge
Team Bility to build a
strong, proud and disciplined
football team.
For a little over a decade,
Liberians
have
been
embarrassed to call the
national team of the countrythe Lone Star, the Nations
Pride and Joy, due to the teams
appalling performances.
Last
Thursday,
Liberia
miserably dropped 22 places
in the FIFA Coca Cola ranking
for the month of April -2014
which is one of the worst
movers as the country is 119
in the World and 34 in Africa.
Speaking
during
the
induction ceremony of reelected Executive Committee
members of the Liberia
Football
Association,
including its president and vice

President Musa Bility being sworn in on the Holy Quran and Vice President Boakai
during his speech
president for administration,
over the weekend, Vice
President Joseph Boakai
urged Team Bility to remain
focused, filled with love for
country and humanity and
transform this great challenge
into one big achievement.
Do you realize how many
people go to bed pleased
because of a single goal? Let
me challenge this corps of
officers to help re-vitalize
football in our country,
Liberia, he said.
He added: I want to

challenge you to leave a

legacy of a strong, proud
and disciplined football team
that can represent Liberia
worldwide,
Ambassador
Boakai said, The also goes
to our division teams and
the need to proudly raise our
colors in their league and
tournament matches.
Delving on inarguably the
most important part of the
game, the youthful players,
Vice President Boakai said that
the country owes the young
people much more than just

an interesting and fascinating

game of football on television.
The country owes them
an opportunity to take their
game from the Freetown-ball
pitch behind their houses, to
an environment of systematic
tutelage under experienced
minds, he said.
The dribbling wizardry
of Ronaldihno, Christiano
Ronaldo and the breath-taking
foot-work of Messi should not
be a perpetual dream of our
footballers. These things can
be taught and Liberian youths

Team Liberia Returns to Heroes Welcome

are capable, Amb. Boakai

noted.
He said, We need to redirect
the attention of young people
to home grown talents. So you
have the challenge. You did
successfully take the elections
and run with it. You now have
to grab the challenge and bolt
away with it.
Liberia as a country,
emerging from civil conflict
needs football to reconcile
and foster peace-building
initiatives, he said.
Vice
President
Boakai
meanwhile extolled the LFA
ad the Ministry of Youth and
Sports for the 5-year-multimillion
dollars
National
Football
Development
Plan which offers a somber
appraisal of the current state
of affairs of football in the
country and assured Team
Bility
of
governments
support.
For us in government, we
are in this boat together with
you. The role of the Ministry
of Youth and Sports in your
activities should serve as
testimony to that reality, he
said, We stand firmly with
you in the task of designing
those innovative ways by
which the required funding
can be sourced for the Plans
implementation.

Speaking on behalf of the

53rd National Legislature,
the Chairman on Houses
Committee on Rules, Order
and Administration, Rep.
Edwin M. Snowe assured
the LFA of a huge budgetary
allotment in the 2015/2016
Fiscal Budget, but said they
would try in the 2014/2015
budget.
Commercial Court Judge
Eva Mappy Morgan installed
Presidental Musa Bility with
a Holy Quran and the rest of
the Executive members were
installed with a Holy Bible for
a four-year term.
Those inducted included
Musa Shannon, 1st vice
president; Cassell A. Kuoh,
Sr., 2nd vice president and
Madam Ciata Bishop, female
football
representative,
D. Sheba Brown, Rochell
Woodson, Wallace Weiah,
Ansu Dulleh, Samuel Karn,
John Allan Klayee, Matthew
Smith and Uriah Glaybo.
Unfortunately, Dee-Maxwell
Kemayan, Sr and Cllr. T. C
Gould were not in attendance.
Also, outgoing 2nd Vice
President Adolph Lawrence,
Mustapha
Raji,
Sekou
Konneh, Beatrice Mamie
Kpoto, Cyrus Wright were not
at the ceremony.

Gambia Defends
Decision to use Players
The Gambia has defended its decision to use five
players for their African Youth Championship
preliminary round qualifier against Liberia at the
weekend.

Team Liberia upon arrival and some family members rejoicing at the James Spriggs Payne Airfield in Sinkor on
Thursday
By Omari Jackson

he
gathering
afternoon
heat
reduced as the Asky
Aircraft
torched
down at the James Spriggs
Payne Airfield, among others,
with the 9-man Team Liberia
last Thursday afternoon.
The delegation, included
Daniel, Elijah, Fallah, Foday,
Joseph, Leon, Saah, Soko,
Zwannah and coach Samuel
Burnette, lll and program
manager Michael John Bull.
The tournament was from
Friday, March 28-April 10,
2014.
There were 19 countries,
including both boys and girls
teams from Brazil, that won the
champion, Zimbabwe, India,

Mozambique,
Nicaragua,
England, El Salvador and
South Africa. Liberia, Egypt,
Burundi, Pakistan, Mauritius
and several others were invited
to participate in the male
version.
The
Liberians
reached
the
quarter-finals,
losing
to Burundi and meanwhile
played another friendly match
against Team United States,
beating the Americans 3-1.
At last Thursdays arrival,
their parents were on hand to
shower their gratitude and to
welcome their heroes back
home.
The children are part of a
larger group picked from the
streets by Street Child Liberia,
a non for profit organization,
with support from Street Child
UK.

It has volunteer workers

who spend time identifying
children who spend most of
their time, and also live in the
street.
These are children who live
and survive as well as sleep
on the street, said Public
Relations Officer, Tarsha
Mathies Jackson.
And Street Child of Liberia
eventually
reunites
the
children in its program with
their parents, pay their twoyear school fees and afterward
ensure the parent has a
sustainable income to keep the
child at home.
The trip has provided the
children a new perspective,
said Coach Samuel N.
Burnette, lll, they are now
back home as ambassadors
to carry out the message.

Program Manager Michael

John Bull told journalists,
The tournament provided
them the platform to address
their issues and to encourage
the government to attend to
their needs.
Parents expressed their
gratitude to Street Child
Liberia, and promised to
ensure that their children stay
off the street.
Street Child Liberia teammember Fallah said, The
experience in Brazil is great
and I was glad to be there and
to come back home to carry
the message.
At West Point, near Monrovia
where majority of the team
members reside, there was
jubilation among friends and
family members.

The Young Scorpions of The Gambia

he Liberian Football
Association
has
appealed
against
Gambias
usage
of Buba Sanneh, Bubacarr
Trawally,
Saloum
Faal,
Ali Sowe and unused
substitute Sampierre Mendy
in Sundays 1-0 win for the
young Scorpions with the
allegation that the quintet
were ineligible to feature
in the game. The Gambian
officials have confirmed using
those players even though
they were born in 1994 but
their own interpretation of the
regulations is that a player is
eligible to participate in the
qualifiers as long as they
were less than 20 years at the
time they participated in a

particular match.
The GFF acknowledged
that Sowe is the eldest of the
recent batch of Gambian U-20
who will celebrate his 20th
birthday in June, making him
ineligible to participate further
in the qualifiers, at which point
he will be replaced.
We
are
very
much
aware of the rules of this
competition. We know that
in the competition proper, all
the players have to be born in
1995 but during the qualifiers,
a player is eligible to play
as long as he is less than 20.
This is U-20 tournament and
not U-19 so our players are
eligible to play in the game,
Mr. Kebbe Touray of the GFF
said.

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What Did Dr. Owl Say?

A thousand needles
cannot patch together a
rag that is destined for
the garbage dump.
Dr. Owls African Guest

VOL. 16. NO. 116

MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2014

PRICE: LD 40

S/Court Halts Belgians Murder Case

By Abednego Davis

he
Supreme
Court on Thursday, April 10,
abruptly halted
further proceedings in the murder trial of 12 persons accused
of shooting and killing the
Plantation Manager of Liberia
Agriculture Company (LAC);
this move puts the case on hold
until a Justice (or the full bench
in the long run) properly reviews the defense teams petition (appeal).
The High Court also ordered

Judge Yussif D. Kaba of Criminal Court A at the Temple of

Justice, who was hearing the
case, to appear on April 13,
before the Justice-in-Chamber,
Associate Justice Philip A.Z.
Banks.
This move grew out of a petition filed at the Supreme Court
by lawyers for the Defense, for
a Writ of Certiorari; that Writ
was granted on Thursday.
Accordingly, Judge Kaba
has been ordered to send to
the Chambers of the Supreme
Court, a true and correct copy
of the proceedings at the center
of the writ.

Flashback: Justice-in-Chamber Philip A. Z. Banks being commissioned by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Certiorari is a writ (order) of a
higher court to a lower court to

send all the documents in a case

to it, so that the higher court

might review the lower courts

decision.
At Thursdays hearing, Judge
Kaba surprisingly announced in
open court that this court hereby terminates the trial, due to a
necessity growing out of the issuance of the Writ of Certiorari,
prayed for by the defendants;
and as such, the trial jury is
hereby ordered disbanded and
discharged.
According to Judge Kaba, he
had received the ordered about
the writ at about 9:40a.m., from
his Court Clerk.
This morning at about 9:40
AM, the clerk of court received

a Writ of Certiorari growing out

of this case, from the Chambers of His Honor Philip A.Z.
Banks, Justice Presiding in the
chambers of the Honorable
Supreme Court, Judge Kaba
disclosed.
He pointed out the writ prayed
for was issued by the Chambers
Justice and therefore the matter was subject to a review by
the said Chambers Justice.
The matter would therefore
be subjected to a continuance,
(resumed at a later date) pending the hearing and disposition
of the petition prayed for and
granted.

tered to students across the 44

testing centers in the Science
subjects.
The WASSCE began on
Thursday April 3, and is being administered to 47 schools
by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) office
in Montserrado, Margibi and
Grand Bassa Counties.
The students complained
that though the laboratory was
constructed, it was done without proper materials or teaching
staff to conduct the lab preparation.
PCS Principal Alphonso Kanboh, agreed with the students
complaints when he told the
Daily Observer: Our challenges are enormous in the school.
Our lack of an equipped laboratory combined with irregularly
attended classes by the students
themselves all add to the problems.
According to him, the school

is in need of laboratory materials for the students to do their

practical exercises, or else they
would be unprepared for the
WASSCE.
Like MCSS Supt. Jacobs,
Principal Kanboh did not give
up his hopes of the students
passing the test. He predicted
that the result may fall between
50-60 percent in favor of the
student populace.
The Head of the National
Office (HNO) of the WAEC in
Monrovia, John Y. Gayvolor,
Sr., who toured the various
testing centers, has reportedly
spoken about similar problems
regarding students unpreparedness for WASSCE due to lack
of laboratory specimen.
He, however, urged the students to remain focused and
persevere until the end of the
tests.
Subjects the students are writing throughout the course of the
tests include English Language,
which will be written in three
different parts that include objective and essay questions.

Students Blame Govt for Poor

Performance at WASSCE

By C.Y. Kwanue

cores of students, who were

in their sixth day
of writing the
West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE), Wednesday, April 9,
have blamed government for
their poor performance. They
claimed this was due to governments failure to construct and
or equip laboratories around the
country for use by senior high
students.
The saddened students at
the William V.S. Tubman High
in Monrovia, Sinkor 12th Street
District were headed by their
president, Samuel Zah of 12-3
class.
Surrounded by several of his
colleagues---who were seen
looking gloomy in expectance
of poor results for the Physics
portion of WASSCE--- Samuel
attributed the students lackluster performance to several factors he claimed hampered their
ability to prepare for the exams.
Some of the factors, he said,
were students inability to com-

prehend (grasp) the test questions relative to practical laboratory experimentation.

Unlike other high school students, those (students) at Tubman High had no idea on several
of the exams questions. This is
because some of the books being used here are outdated. As
a result, the students were left
with no other alternative but to
write what they could and finish
the test, Mr. Zah complained.
Despite all the difficulties
we experienced from our lack
of laboratory facilities coupled
with the no teacher syndrome,
we Tubman High students are
somewhat hopeful since we believe in the works of God, the
Almighty, he declared.
The students were not alone
in their quest for an equipped

laboratory and trained instructors. Monrovia Consolidated

School System (MCSS) Superintendent, A. Benjamin Jacobs,
agreed with them. He added
that it is the responsibility of the
MOEs authorities to provide
schools the requisite environment that included building and
or equipping laboratories.
We are not prepared to write
the WASSCE head-on, this is
taking place while we are piloting the WASSCE with the
countries that have previously
been writing the exams, he explained.
He, too, was hopeful that
some of the students would
make a successful pass upon
completion of the exams.
On April 3, almost immediately after the 5,034 students

began writing the WASSCE,

they started complaining about
the process of writing the test,
which they claimed was characterized by difficulties.
The students qualms were
owing to what they claimed
were inadequate preparations
at the various laboratories and
libraries at their respective
schools.
For example, at the Paynesville Community High School
(PCS), in the Voker Mission
vicinity, the 342 students who
sat the test were embittered after they observed that practical
questions in Physics were incomprehensible to them due to
poor laboratory preparation.
The Physics, which is being
written on the code number
512, was the only test adminis-

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Published by the Liberian Observer Corporation (LOC), 23 McDonald Street, P.O. Box 1858, Monrovia, Liberia; Tel: 06 812-888; 06 578476; and 06 472772;
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April 14, 2014-edition.indd 2

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