ELLEN IN CHINA AHEAD OF CHINA-AFRICA SUMMIT
Visits Guangdong Province

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on Sunday Oct 29, visited Shenzhen, a special economic zone in south China's Guangdong Province, Xinhua says.

Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf arrived in Bejing, Saturday evening, the first among African leaders to attend the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.The summit will run from Nov. 4 to 5.

The Chinese News Agency quoting the Chinese Foreign Ministry says, 48 African countries have decided to send delegations to the summit, of which more than 40 heads of state or governments are expected to be in attendance.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (L) shakes hands with Xu Zongheng, the mayor of Shenzhen in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province(Photo:Xinhua)

Members of the President's delegation include Foreign Minister, George Wallace; Finance Minister, Antoinette Sayeh; Planning and Economic Affairs Minister, Toga McIntosh; and Agriculture Minister, Chris Toe.

Other members of the President's delegation are Public Works Minister, Loseni Dunzo; Economic Advisor, Lawrence Clarke; Grand Bassa Superintendent, Julia Duncan-Cassell; the Director-General of the Liberia Broadcasting System, Charles Snetter, representatives of the Liberia Marketing Association, and the Independent media among others.

During the visit, the governments of China and Liberia are expected to reach an understanding in furthering bilateral relations between the two countries.

China which currently contributes more than five-hundred troops to the United Nations Peace Keeping Mission in Liberia, is engaged in several economic and development initiatives in the country.

The Chinese are currently rehabilitating a number of government infrastructures in the country, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Sports Complex, and other public buildings. China has also indicated its willingness to cancel over ten-million US dollars debt Liberia owes that country and to get involved in road reconstruction and the rehabilitation of the St. Paul River Hydro dam.

During the President absence from the country, the affairs of government will be conducted by the Cabinet under the Chairmanship of the Education Minister, Dr. Joseph Korto, in close consultation with the Vice President and the Heads of the Legislature and Judicial Branches.

The President is expected to return to the country on November 7, 2006.

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NMCP, UNICEF INTENSIFY ANTI-MALARIA PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTION

Malaria continues to be the cause of most death in sub-saharan Africa. Years of research has not been able to eradicate the deadly disease.

However, campaigners and the World Health Organization (WHO) have been working to help people prevent the disease. One method in such prevention, is the use of Insecticide Treated bed Nets.

In Liberia, some inhabitants of Zorzor and Salayea Districts, Lofa County have recently received training in the use of Insecticide Treated bed Nets (ITNs) and Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) for malaria control and prevention.

(Dr. Joel Jones, NMCP Manager(left) shakes hands with beneficiaries

This initiative was sponsored by the United Nations children agency UNICEF, and implemented by the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare through a Japanese grant.

The project also sought to increase the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of community members about the treatment and prevention of malaria.

A statement issued by the NMCP in Monrovia over the weekend indicated that more than 1,330 pregnant women and 19,591 children under five years old in Zorzor and Salayea districts received mosquito nets and Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT).

The 19,591 children of the two districts also benefited from the treatment of Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI), while a total of 66,066 packages of Oral Re-hydration Salt (ORS) were distributed among parents for diarrhea intervention.

The Japan sponsored project is targeting over 100 communities in Maryland, Grand Gedeh and Lofa counties. It is intended to give full protection to the two vulnerable groups (pregnant women and children under five years old) in the three counties.

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UNMIL launches military operation
By Sam Zota, Jr.

The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has begun a two (2) week security operation in Monrovia and its environs under the codename, “EXERCISE TIGHT GRIP”.

UNMIL Force Commander Lt. Gen. Isaac Chikadibia Obiakor said the exercise would only involve UNMIL military personnel and be conducted for at least eight (8) hours each night would run from Thursday, 26 October to Saturday, 4 November 2006.

UNMIL Boss Alan Doss

Making the disclosure recently at the mission’s headquarters in Monrovia during its regular press briefing, Gen. Obiakor indicated that the significance of the exercise is based on the need to improve the security situation in the country, especially the densely populated capital Monrovia, and to deploy all available capabilities and ensure a secured and safe environment.

“My objective is, how we’ll evaluate the military forces to the security situation in Monrovia to secure the city and evaluate their capability to robustly respond and react to any serious security situation that would break out in the city,” he stressed.

The UNMIL FC disclosed that during the period of the exercise UNMIL would increase its security presence in Monrovia, deploy security at every entry point, set up roadblocks, checkpoints and conduct foot, mobile, air and other patrols throughout the city and its environs.

General Obiakor further said, in order not to impede normal activities in the city, UNMIL decided that the exercise would be conducted at night. He called on citizens not to panic should they see UNMIL security in their communities and various street corners.

“Let me state this very quickly; we’re not reacting to any thing, but we’re exercising to evaluate our contingency plan because you can not, of cause, talk of your capability unless you’ve evaluated your contingency plans, and that is what we are doing”, he noted.

For his part, Liberia’s Solicitor General and Acting Justice Minister Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe admitted that indeed there exist corruption and weaknesses in the country’s judicial system.

The Solicitor General who was invited to speak on the training of 16 Ministry of Justice/ UNMIL prosecutors for Montserrado and other parts of the country indicated that the judicial system itself has acknowledged that imperfection, corruption and weaknesses exist in the system, and these are being looked at critically to find out their causes and how they can be improved.

“Sometimes when people talk about corruption, judicial weaknesses, lack of independence and fairness in the judicial system, the attention is drawn to the judges; but we have the judges, clerks of the court, the administrative staff and others who impact the strength of the judiciary system to impartial, fair and independent in its judgment and therefore in reforming our judicial system. These are some of the challenges we have to face”, the Acting Justice Minister pointed out.

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‘Media must maintain its advocacy role’
-Alphonsus Zeon


As campaigning for the elections of officers of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) enters its final week today, one of the aspirants for the position of president, P. Alphonsus Zeon says under his leadership the independence of the media landscape struggling to recover from the effects of the protracted civil war would remain uncompromising.

Zeon said the Liberian media, like other institutions in the country greatly suffered the effects of the war so much so that some journalists were forced to tote partisan lines. He said it was therefore time to re-unite media practitioners in the country and ensure that the media is free of interference.

Zeon, the incumbent PUL secretary-general, was addressing a news conference Thursday, 26 October in Monrovia to announce why he decided to contest the presidency of the union. He said, having served as Assistant Secretary and Secretary General respectively for the last four years, he was ready to provide a responsible leadership that would bring pride and dignity to the PUL and its members across the country.

Dispelling rumors by some of his rivals that he intend to single-handedly run the affairs of the Press Union, the radio celebrity informed his fellow journalists that decisions by the union are reached through consensus among all the executives, thus there was no way that the president would be overly powerful as perceived in some quarters.

Zeon said while his leadership does not intend to be unnecessarily confrontational, the PUL as an advocacy institution will remain a beacon of hope for the larger Liberian society by ensuring that freedom of speech and freedom of association as enshrined in the Liberian constitution are upheld at all times.

Mr. Alphonsus Zeon

Zeon noted that the government and the media must remain engaged in an emerging democratic society such as ours; he however pointed out that no one seeking the leadership of the union should make believe that relations between the two institutions would remain rosy at all times.

“There would come a time when the government would strongly differ with the union as an advocacy group, while at the same time the union too would disagree with the government; but these are all necessary ingredients that are intended to sustain and enhance democracy,” the PUL presidential candidate stated.

Zeon promised that, if elected president of the PUL, the union would continue to engage its partners both locally and internationally to help build the capacity of Liberian journalists through the holding of workshops and seminars, adding, “We will insist that journalists in the leeward counties equally benefit from such training opportunities.”

At the same time, another presidential aspirant in the PUL election, former deputy information minister for administration Barnard Waritay has dismissed as untrue reports circulating in certain quarters that his campaign is being sponsored by the Unity Party-led government.”

The Chairman of the Campaign Committee in support of Waritay for PUL presidency, Borbor Mcgill, said the information did not only impute an obvious misinterpretation of the fact but was a total misdirection of circumstances surrounding Waritay’s candidacy.

Delivering the committee’s position statement at a news conference also on Thursday in Monrovia, Mcgill said the decision by Waritay to contest the election was not accidental, as being claimed in some quarters, but based purely on his personal integrity and performances over the years.

He said under a Waritay leadership, the PUL would seek the welfare of the entire membership of the union as opposed to a selected few and the rights and freedom of journalists and media houses would be jealously protected.

In related news, the union’s current president who is seeking re-election, George K. Barpeen, Sr. has assured that the PUL will remain engaged with all of its partners to ensure that the institution is fully decentralized.

He commended the UNDP, UNMIL and other international partners of the union for ensuring thus far the establishment of several community radio stations in the leeward counties.

Barpeen reminded partners of the union that those radio projects which are currently providing essential services to the leeward dwellers would not survive unless the staff are adequately trained to operate those facilities.

The PUL president made the remarks when he spoke at the end of a weeklong intensive workshop organized by the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Liberia sponsored by UNDP for frontlines editors of both print and broadcast media institutions.

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“You are agents of change”
-UNDP officer tells journalists

The Policy Advisor of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Cleophas Torori has admonished Liberian journalists to serve as agents of change in discharging their duties.

Mr. Torori told participants of a UNDP/PUL training workshop for media managers and editors that they represent a very important cream of the journalism profession and the training they received should further reinforce and sharpen their skills.

He said continuous learning is very important for the media managers and editors, otherwise they risk being left behind and wanting in meeting the professional expectation of the public they serve.

Totori reminded journalists they have a very important role to play in the development of the country.

He said the public depends on the media for credible and accurate, therefore journalists must uphold the public trust especially where the challenges for reconstruction of the mental capacity and physical infrastructure of the nation are so high.

He reminded the participants that they could serve as agents of change with the knowledge they have acquired provided they manifest the new ideas and knowledge acquired into their professional duties thereby increasing the credibility of journalism in Liberia.

Torori said UNDP would continue to support the efforts of all stakeholders in the individual and institutional capacity development of Liberia, because when the individual and institutional capacities are adequately developed Liberians have better chance and preparedness to confront the task of nation building.

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LACE dedicates three sub-projects

The Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) last weekend dedicated three separate sub-projects in Margibi and Bong counties.

On Friday, October 20, LACE dedicated a six-classroom school building in Zweehorr, Margibi County. The cost of the project is over US$ 38,985.40.

Speaking at the dedication ceremony, Margibi County Superintendent Levi Piah said the people of Zeewhorr are no longer the forgotten people of the county because they now have a school in the area.

Superintendent Piah praised LACE for reaching to one of the remotest parts of Margibi County. He urged residents of Zeewhorr to make use of the facilities by sending their children to school.
The school building consists of a kitchen, latrine and hand pump. Instructional materials worth US$1000.00 were presented during the program by LACE for use by the school.

On Saturday, 21 October, Vice President Joseph N. Boakai graced the dedication of the Baila community market building project in Baila, Kpaii District, Bong County.

Vice President Boakia said it was the wish of the Unity Party led government to see the lives of Liberians improve through the provision of safe drinking water, schools and other basic social services.

“This time around anything we want to do we will bring it to you, so we can discuss it and have your input”, the LACE first Board Chairman told community people of Baila.

Speaking earlier, LACE Executive Director Ramses T. Kumbuyah praised the people of Baila for the courage and cooperation during the construction of the market. The cost of the market is US$45,800.63.

He recounted how the people of the community braved the odds during the rains to dive into rivers to dig sand for the construction of the market building. Attached to the market facility is a WATSAN component.

The chairperson of the Baila Project Management Committee Elizabeth S. Dologbein praised the organization for the support and training imparted to them throughout the construction of the market building.

On the same day, a water and sanitation (WATSAN) project in Gwainyea, Jorquelleh District Bong County was also dedicated. The cost is over US$19,136.62.

The cost of the three projects in Margibi and Bong Counties is over US$90,000.

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Editorial:
UNMIL must be vigilant

Last week, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) announced that it was increasing security presence across the country especially within the Monrovia area.

UNMIL Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Isaac Chikadibia Obiakor explained that the exercise will only involve UNMIL military personnel and to be carried out during the night for eight hours.

Besides, the General revealed that the local security networks are excluded form the exercise.

Despite this intense and rigid security measure, Lt. Gen. Obiakor said the force was not reacting to any imminent danger or attempts to abort Liberia’s emerging democracy.

The General must avoid being political as it relates Liberia’s security.

We need not emphasize to the General that security matter is serious business. With reports of insecurity and the wave of crimes being reported by the media, the Mission must take concrete actions without any fear or apprehension to ensure that the Government of Liberia and its people are safe from evildoers.

We urge the peacekeepers to avoid complacency because there are still troublemakers who have not repented but are eagerly waiting for any means to terrorize their compatriots.

Liberians are very cognizant that the job of the Mission is to maintain (ensure) peace and stability across the country by every internationally acceptable means.

The Monitor urges the Mission to take seriously the reported pending assassination by launching a comprehensive investigation into the matter. Liberians are war-wearied.

UNMIL must be vigilant even in the times of peace. As a Roman general once said: “prepare for war in the times of peace”.

Senators ‘loot’ offices
By Festus Poquie

Many employees as well as visitors to the Capitol Building were Thursday afternoon amazed when some members of the Liberia Senate were seen taking away furniture from their offices as they adjoined for the first agricultural break.

The items included chairs, desks, rugs and etc were loaded into personal vehicles as they waved goodbye to each other and employees of the Capitol.

The clearing of offices by some of the senators followed a request from U.S. Government for the lawmakers to turn over the seat of the first branch of government for a period of six months for renovation to enable that branch of government accommodates its entire membership.

Some employees of the Capitol Building who expressed shock and dismay over the latest move by the some members of the Senate had earlier thought that lawmakers would only take away their personal belongings.

Senate Pro-tempore Isaac Nyenabo

The Chairman of the Senate Rules, Order and Administration Committee, Margibi Senator Clarice Jah who justified her colleagues’ action said the decision was based on past experience, adding, “during the tenure of the National Transitional Legislative Assembly (NTLA) who left their materials were looted and we don’t want for this situation to report itself.”
“There is no need to worry about the status of the office furniture. The senators themselves will need them when they return from their break”, she said.

She added that since the inception of the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf led government, the General Service Agency did not provide any office materials, except chairs that were placed in the Chambers for the purpose of holding regular session. Some of the items that were taken away carried the official Government of Liberia procurement seal.

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Deputy speaker emphasizes resources management
By Festus Poquie

The Deputy Speaker of the House Representatives Tokpah Mulbah says most civil conflicts on the African continent are prompted by unfair distribution of natural resources by African leaders.
“African leaders must now begin to fairly distribute natural resources in a way that the people will feel a part of the government,” Deputy Speaker Mulbah noted.

He said African leaders must desist from the poor management of their countries’ natural resources and bad governance if there should be lasting peace on the continent.

The Deputy Speaker made the statement recently following his arrival from the South Korean Capital Seoul where he had gone to attend a peace conference.

The 4-day conference was held under the theme, “Peace Beyond the United Nations,’ with emphasis on Africa and the Middle East.

Mulbah further stressed that community leaders need to involve themselves in preaching peace messages and organizing religious and political conferences.

The lawmaker told reporters that delegates from the West African sub-region resolved to conduct regional workshops with community’s leaders from countries of the sub-region to explain the need for peaceful co-existence.
“This will be done frequently in the Mano River Basin which has been an epicenter of conflict,” he stated.

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Vocational, technical training faces setback
…Institutions lack equipment, logistics

Representatives of the Government of Liberia (GOL) vocational and technical institutions under the supervision of the Bureau of Professional and Technical Education (BPTE) has underscored the urgent need for educational stakeholders to increase their assistance to the bureau to enable it effectively provide the required skills and professional training to needy Liberians.

The bureau is engulfed with many problems, which include the lack of vehicles, communication equipments, generators, drafting equipment, electrical machines, architectural equipment, stationery and tools, amongst others.

During a recent consultative meeting, representative of government vocational and technical institutions said the lacks of basic working implement have compelled their institutions not to accept the growing number of students wanting vocational and technical education.

Several government vocational and technical institutions are partly conducting training but under severe difficulties. They said the lack of logistics and needy materials is hampering the smooth operation of vocational and technical institutions in the country.

According to them, there are huge numbers of students in their institutions but they cannot be trained because the institutions lack the required material and logistics, which is creating hard feelings in some counties.

They observed that unless stakeholders of the country’s educational system be encouraged to quickly intensify their support to the bureau, it would not be fully prepared to meet the needs of destitute Liberian students.

They also said delay in salary disbursement to instructors and other staff is causing serious problems that have cause some of them to threaten to seek employment elsewhere.

They furthered recommended that stakeholders be encouraged to participate in the preparation of the national curriculum for vocational and technical institutions, as well as various industries in the teaching process by using their facilities when necessary.

The meeting also discussed the possibility of additional provision of computers to the institutions, method of lesson planning, duration of vocational and technical training, proposed curriculum, method of technical training in today’s technology, and problems and constraints faced by their institutions.

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Lack of technology hampers farmers
-Minister Williams
By: P. Numennie Williams

The Acting Deputy Agriculture Minister for Technical Services Solomon Hedd Williams says fifty percent of our crop losses in the agriculture sector are attributed to major pest problems especially pest and the lack of harvesting technology.

He said the non-availability of storage and cooling facilities imposes a threat to national food security.

Minister Williams said the government through the Ministry of Agriculture is determine to put in place mechanism and polices that will address problems of crop losses experienced during harvest.

He said as a matter of urgency, there is need to address great losses to agriculture production. A new department called the Division of Agriculture Engineering has been established at the Ministry, he informed journalists.

This department, according to him, is charged to apprehend issues of agricultural mechanization; land cleaning, tilling and cultivation using modern equipment and other farm implements and in puts.

This division will also engage in activities of dams, drainage, irrigation, canals, building construction and preparation for nursery beds.

He said the division would also focus on land, water, and environmental issues that will create an avenue for post harvest technology that is now imminent in Liberia.

Accordingly, this department will also concentrate on food processing or the development of small scale for rural ago-industry.

He said this would create employment opportunities, increase commercial farming in the country.

He said there is need to gradually shift farmers from traditional harvesting practices of rice, coffee pounding to that of a milling technology.

He said supermarkets operating in Liberia should not be canned locally from abroad incentives should be created where our local farmers can be engaged to get involved in massive vegetable production to an extend where supermarkets will be compelled to purchase vegetable from our local farmers.

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Article:
Liberia - the one we have!
By Sam Zota, Jr.

The fourteen (14) years senseless bloody civil conflict in Liberia - the oldest (but poorest) republic on the continent of Africa - did not only destroy the fabrics of the nation but also left ten of thousands of people dead and caused thousands of its citizens to flee for safety into neighboring countries and other parts of the world.

Power-greedy and selfish politicians who are now “angels” holding public positions (as a reward for their evil deeds against the Liberian people) rode on the illiteracy of the people, mainly the youth, and poisoned their minds against one another to kill their own fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends and other relatives for their (politicians’) evil gains. While the carnage was been perpetrated in Liberia, the children and family members of the war sponsors were abroad attending the best of schools with state resources.

What surprises me is that those very heartless and shameless politicians who trained the children (9-20 years), who gave them arms and ammunition (instead of pen and paper), are now referring to those very people as criminals, useless people, country people illiterate people, etc. Isn’t that regrettable?

During the October 2005 legislative and presidential elections, we saw those same so-called politicians who masterminded the killing of their kinsmen to satisfy their own selfish desires, and even those self-acclaimed ‘freedom fighters’ who initially said they did not want state power but only intended to bring down dictatorship, contesting for the nation’s highest seat and legislative posts.

With this, several questions remain unanswered: Didn’t they know that this nation, Liberia, is the only one we have? Were they not aware that elections were going to be held one day in this country? Didn’t they know that there were eligible voters here when they were throwing mortar shells from one place to another? Were they ignorant of the fact that precious lives were been taken away on a daily basis as a result of their evil deeds? What a shame!
Mind you, most of these “wolves in sheep’s clothing” are still masquerading around here like true patriots, while using the very money and resources they stole from the Liberian people for their private businesses, riding luxurious cars and living in million dollars houses (with all facilities) at the detriment of the poor Liberian people who live on less then US$1 per day.
Can you imagine Liberians are living in their own country begging for daily bread, even worse than being in a foreign land?

Some Liberians, who fled the country to seek refuge in other countries as a consequence of the war, have even opted to remain in those countries for the rest of their lives because of the “backwardness” of this country in nearly all sectors.

They must remember, however, that there’s nowhere like home. Despite the condition you find yourselves and your country (among the world’s poorest countries), you are still Liberians. You have a duty to return and contribute your quota to the rebuilding of our war-ravaged nation; Liberia is the only one we have. Only you and I can make it what it ought to be.

Present day’s reality shows that the fangs of corruption are still biting into this country’s skin.

In her inaugural address, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf declared war against corruption and described it as “an enemy to the state”, but it is often said in Liberia that, “Where you tie goat, that is where it finds something to eat”, meaning, wherever one finds him/herself, that is where he/she gets daily bread. This has been an age-old problem that Liberia has got to tackle.

Let’s face the fact. Can this age-old problem of corruption be solved in this new political dispensation with the current allocations in the National Budget heavily favoring government officials while servants who do the hardest (physical) portion of the day-to-day upkeep of the government given peanuts?

Can this monthly take home salary of US$30.00 allotted to a civil servant cater to the needs/wants of these laborers who are mostly heads of family (ies) without them being corrupt, while government officials proudly walk home monthly with US$1,500.00 plus other fabulous allowances and benefits?

I believe that if nothing is done to solve this and many other problems, the president’s pronouncement will only remain in words, not actions, because it is often said, “action speaks louder then words”.

Madam President, Liberia is all that we have; therefore, let allocation of the people’s (taxpayers) money be done appropriately in their interests and not at their detriment.

Security: “The security situation in Liberia has remained generally stable, but there are continuing serious threats to stability that require careful and robust management,” UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said in his 12th progress report to the Security Council on UNMIL operations in the country. . This statement is in concurrence with previous pronouncement by the U.S Government.

Now you don’t need to ask me again whether Liberia is safe, because it has been confirmed that this country is not actually safe despite the presence of over 14,000 UN troops in the country.
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Editorial:
Open up to criticisms

Strong reaction emanating from the Executive Mansion describing views expressed by some opposition Liberian politicians and the Foundation for Human Rights and Democracy (FORHD) as “unnecessary criticisms” is not only regrettable but also an attempt by the Unity Party-led government not to tolerate the views of others.

For us, it is too early for such outburst of anger from government especially towards criticisms made in good fate.

President Johnson-Sirleaf and officials of her government must realize that no human being is infallible and that perfection belongs to God only and as such the Executive Mansion must be prepare to accept criticisms as suggestions to help better the lives of Liberians.

Mrs. Johnson-Sirleaf deserves all respect, rights and privileges appertaining to the Office of the President and it would be imprudent for anyone or group of individuals to think that she does not deserve the highest honor of the nation.

It is inconceivable for anyone to believe that rights organizations in the country including the Press Union of Liberia as well opposition politicians should remain mute on critical issues of national concern such as threats against free speech, the downsizing of public servants, the failure by government to prosecute former NTGL officials indicted by the ECOWAS audit report and the “super monopoly” imposed on the importation of the country’s staple food, rice in favor of OLAM/ the Sinkor Trading Company.

The Monitor expresses shock over the Executive Mansion’s overreaction, intolerance to the media reports and public criticisms about the government’s recovery program. The people of Liberia deserve the right to know - every step is precious in the crusade to rebuild this wrecked nation ravaged by a 15-year bloody civil war.

It is only prudent that government accepts public criticisms no matter where it comes from or who made them.

Criticisms are not only met to seek the downfall of a particular government, but they are intended to pin point the pitfalls of institutions and individuals thereby providing options for decision makers.

The President and those in public office must awaken to the fact that they have chosen to enter the limelight and therefore open not only to praises but criticisms as well.

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