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Dillon Wins Liberty Party’s Primary;Set for Senatorial by-Election

2009-10-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

Liberty Part’s Darius Dillon says he is poised to render useless the traditional belief that only older folks have leadership capability.

Dillon who is vying for the vacant senatorial seat for Montserrado County Friday night told delegates at a Liberty Party primary, “In my opinion as a politician, we need people with strong courage and principle to represent the interest of the people, whom we serve. Liberty Party members, we have come to make a decision that would send a signal that Liberty Party is ready and is also standing on a solid ground.”

The Liberty Party senatorial candidate observed that Liberia is rich in natural resources, and wondered why its citizens continue to live in abject poverty.

The simple reason for the applauding conditions of the people, Dillon told his supporters, is because of some dishonest leaders, whom he said, do not have principle and the political will to represent the interest of the people.

He spoke at the LP primary for the by-election intended to fill the Senatorial vacancy occasioned by the death of Montserrado County Senator Hannah G. Brent.

Dillon, already a senate staffer in the office of Bong County Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor, was elected as the Liberty Party’s candidate leading the party to the November 10 polls. He will be facing the Unity Party’s Clemenceau Urey, Wilson Tarpeh Alliance for Peace & Democracy (APD) amongst the total of 11 the National Election Commission (NEC says it submitted full documentation that could qualify them for the contest.

Liberty Party partisans await results of the Primary results of the process to elect the party's nominee for the vacant Montserrado County senatorial seat left vacant by the death of Hannah Brent.

Prior to the primary, some of Dillon’s supporters, who spoke to journalists said, James Ngenda, who Dillon beat at the primary, is not a popular figure when it comes to party politics, but noted that that there were some politics interplayed with some ‘big hands’ behind the curtains to kick Dillon out.

They described Dillon as a grass rooter, who will deliver the political variables for the people. The Liberty Party primary election commission was headed by Cllr. Hilton Poehoe, a senior executive of the party.

Following the election of Dillon, the Liberty now faces the task of campaign to fill the vacant post along with the Clemenceau Urey of the ruling Unity party, a candidate from the popular Congress for Democratic Change and other candidates who are yet to be fully identified.

Dillon in particular and his Liberty party in general have been very vocal on issues affecting the Liberian society and also commending the government when it performs well like the past when it heap praises for road rehabilitation across the country.

Canadian Red Cross Delegation Visits Liberia

2009-10-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

A high power Canadian Red Cross delegation arrives in the country Monday as guest of the Liberian National Red Cross Society (LNRCS.

The Canadian delegation which is led by Mrs. Michèle Dionne, wife of the Prime Minister of Quebec will be in the country for one week to meet with authorities of the Liberian Red Cross and appraise the partnership between both organizations.
A Red Cross release says during the visit, the delegation will travel to Tubmanburg, Bomi County to tour the Liberian Red Cross Community Based Health/Malaria Project in the county.

The delegation will Wednesday attend the Open House Exhibition of the LNRCS’ Child Advocacy and Rehabilitation program and visit beneficiaries of the community in Brewerville. At the exhibition items produced by CAR beneficiaries will be displayed, while the Canadian delegation will interact with beneficiaries and staff of the CAR Center and visit one of the beneficiary community.

The delegation will Tuesday pay a courtesy call on President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to discuss the LNRCS and CRC Partnership vis-à-vis Liberia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy would be highlighted.
The Canadian delegation will also meet with the Minister of Health and Social Welfare,

Dr. Walter Gwenigalee to discuss issues surrounding community health challenges in Liberia and Canadian Red Cross support for the fight against malaria.
The Canadian Red Cross delegation will Tuesday also meet Internal Affairs Minister Ambullai Johnson and Gender and Development Minister Varbah Gayflor. The discussion with Minister Gayflor will center on development opportunity and challenges of women and children affected by war: the case of Liberia.

The Canadian Red Cross is working in partnership with the LNRCS in the areas of gender and child protection, organizational development, child advocacy and rehabilitation, the release signed by the Red Cross’ Media & Public Relation Officer James Kpargoi concluded.

Divided CDC Foams Over Flooded Bi-election

2009-10-01T08:16:00.001-07:00

...But NEC Warns Against Pre-Election Campaign Warning

By: Bill K. Jarkloh/Call: 231-6-468-244
www.panwhanpen.com.billkjarkloh.wwordpress.com
Email: jloplehdee@gmail.com/bill_ksolborjarkloh.com

In the face of a flooded race to fill in the Montserrado County Senatorial vacancy left behind by the demise of Senator Hannah Brent, the main opposition party of football legend George Weah, the Congress for Democratic Change (DCD) is falling apart over who should represent the party in the race.

With the death of Senator Brent reducing the number female representation in the Senate to four, political commentators imbued with this gender advocacy think a female candidate would be ideal to occupy the slot. At present, Senior Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor of National Patriotic Party representing Bong County, Maryland County’s Gloria Musu Scott of the ruling Unity Party, Margibi County’s Senior Senator Clarice Jah of the Liberty Party and Montserrado County’s Joyce Musu Freeman-Sumo of the Congress for Democratic Change are the remaining female Senators in the Legislature.

George Manneh Weah: the Pivot of the opposition CDC

However, names of several potential men have spouted. Some of the names that have spouted on the crowded field include Professor. Alhaji Kromah, two times presidential candidate of the All Liberian Coalition Party (ALCOP); Clemencea Urey who won Saturday’s UP’s primaries as the party’s candidate and Darius Dillion of the Liberty Party;

Others are Acarius Gray; Geraldine Doe-Sheriff and Eugene Nagbe all from the CDC , Professor and former Finance Minister Wilson Tarpeh, Daniel Johnson who heads the Monrovia City Council and Edwin Snowe, former speaker of the current House of Representatives and a Montserrado County representative whose intention remains unconfirmed and an array of female candidates.

When it was announced that vacancy occurred at the Upper Chamber of the National Legislature, moves that were made in political domains reflected what was reminiscent a split in the one time mutual cooperation that have bind the CDC’s political activism and positions amongst members.

Instead of standing together, the Chairman of the Party, Geraldine Doe-Sheriff hastily announced her interest to the opposition to the dislike of party godfather and standard-bearer Weah who did not bite4 his tongue in registering support to Lenn Eugene Nagbe, the Secretary General of the party who too was eyeing the vacancy to contest it.

Apparently, the CDC executives wanted to out-smart each other since constitutionally, the National Elections Commission is required to conduction a bi-election to fill whatever vacancy that is created in the National Legislature within 90 days, as such may be occasioned by death or resignation of a member(s).

In words of Weah who spoke in the media from the United States, Nagbe was the choice of the party and not Party Chairman Geraldine Doe-Sheriff, but Madam Sheriff, with some party stalwarts standing behind her decisively implied the fact that CDC is no personal property of Mr. Weah but a political institution that should be patterned in a democratic manner. She said Weah was not saying the truth and that a party convention would decide who should be supported by the party.

On the other hand, loquacious Acarius Gray stepped in, registering his interest to contest for the vacancy on CDC’s ticket.

In the meridiem of time, however, CDC has held party congress in New Krutown where partisans preferred Madam Geraldine Doe-Sheriff for the Seat for Montserrado in the Senate, but Acarius Gray considered the congress’ result faulty and unacceptable.

Notwithstanding the fact that Weah who supported Nagbe as the Secretary General for the Senatorial vacancy hasn’t reacted to the DCD’s congress that has elected Madam Doe-Sheriff for the position, Mr. Eugene Nagbe himself pledged support to the congress’ choice of party Chairman sheriff to contest the by-election.

Mr. Nagbe said the CDC has spoken and that he stands by the decision of the CDC, while the CDC’s Assistant Secretary Acarious Gray resented the congress and its choice of party chairman Doe-Sheriff.

Eugene Nagbe, Acarius Gray, and Geraldine Doe-Sheriff are all top executive members of George Weah’s CDC, serving currently as secretary-general, assistant secretary-general and chairman respectively.

The disagreement amongst at the party’s hierarchy potentially could squander the CDC’s chances of victory since others who may not be interest in the controversial choice of the party may commit their loyalty at the polls to some others who may in fact be outside the party as the race is indeed flooded.

Others whose names have surfaced include University of Liberia Economics and Banking Professor Wilson Tarpeh of who has entered the race for the second time after his defeat by the CDC’s iron-lady Senator Joyce Musu Freeman-Sumo during the 2005 senatorial election.

Like Tarpeh who was defeat when to Senator Freeman-Sumo, the Unity, the Unity Party’s Clemenceau Urey, also fell to the gallant CDC female in the senatorial Montserrado County race also was elected to contest the ensuing senatorial by-election

It is also speculated that dethroned Speaker Edwin Melvin Snowe, a Representative for Montserrado County may likely take advantage of the vacancy to bid for the Upper House, although this intention by Snowe has not been made official. Snowe, a one time stalwart of the former ruling National Patriotic Party (NPP) of Charles Taylor contested the Montserrado slot he occupies at the Lower House in Parliament as independent candidate after the NPP apparently denied him to use party ticket.

Similarly, women seem to be overcrowding the race for the Montserrado County seat at the Senate, according to an online report. Already, the National Elections Commission (NEC) has reported the official registration of nine independent candidates, pending the holdings of primaries of various political parties, who are expected to field their candidates before the Commission’s set deadline of September 26, 2009.

Evidently declaration of interests ahead of party primaries or the submission of self arranged or genuine petitions to personalities which has usually characterized Liberian politics has been the order of the day. So far, the females have all decided to go independent despite whatever current political affiliations they might be having at the moment.

One of such women who contemplate contesting the vacancy is Jacqueline Capehart, a long-time business executive, saying that her desire to contest the bi-election borders on the lapses that have occasioned present legislative works on Capitol Hill. “I’m really disappointed by the level of work being done by our lawmakers. Our representatives are not liaising with us, who they claim to represent. There must be palaver-hut kinds of discussion”, Jacqueline told a reporter.

Previously a member of the opposition CDC, Capehart said her ambition for the senatorial position is also based on her desire to contribute to the task of re-building the war ravaged nation, irrespective of which profession one finds him or herself into.

Says Capehart: “It has reached the point in this country now where we ought to contribute our quota to nation building, regardless of where you find yourself”. Looking from the political horizon, it is evident that she might go as an independent candidate since the Unity Party she is member of has already voted Mr. Clemenceau Urey.

It was Urey, George Kailondo and Ms. Capehart despite who desired the contest on party ticket but were defeated at party primaries; she still desires to run while Kilando, a businessman, bowed graciously to Mr. Urey and accepted his defeat. UP’s Urey got an easy ride over George Kailondo during Saturday’s primary after the latter conceded defeat, prior to the primary election.

Further, it is also speculated Mr. Darius Dillion of the Liberty Party, who now serves as senior senatorial aid in Bong County Senator Jewel Taylor’s office, has expressed interest. Dillon is noted for his critical advocacy and stance against basic decisions that he considered inappropriate

Another female candidate, Grace McGill Kpan, President of the Dock Workers Union of Liberia desire the race as well. Kpan says she believes in the quest for workers to be represented at the highest level. McGill Kpan, who is also known for her unwavering advocacy as a labor leader sounded confident in a race that promises to produce other political giants, already testing the waters for the ensuing 2011 Elections.

“I’m a servant-leader who has worked as a labor leader”, she added. McGill Kpan then added the obvious voice as would be expected from any female candidate. “It’s good for another female to take that seat, because the number of females in the House is already minute”.

Meanwhile, the National Elections Commission (NEC) which spoke of the formal registration of some nine nominees warned against pre-election campaign, saying that anyone engaging in pre-election campaign would be disqualified.

With the list of contestants expected to grow, the NEC put nomination period between September 12 - 26, to be followed by a period for objection and claim, if there will be any. The Commission further said political campaign will take place from October 14 to November 8 followed by the replacement of voters’ identification cards from October 20-31 and the arrival of paper ballots on November 1, 2009.
The official announcement of polling results is would be on November 14, four days after voting. In case of any runoff, it will be conducted on November 24 with final results announced on November 27.

Statistics at the National Election Commission have it that Montserrado has 14 electoral districts with 496,508 registered voters of the 1.3 million people in Montserrado County, while 280 voting precincts and 989 polling places used in the 2005 elections remain unchanged for the ensuing bi-election.

International Funds Going Dry for Irregular Conflicts

2009-10-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

…UNHCR Chief Tells Annual Meeting

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, on Monday, warned that as global conflicts become more complex and involving state armies, militias and insurgents, humanitarian efforts are increasingly put at risk.

Recounting the deadly toll inflicted on UNHCR in Pakistan earlier this year, where three staff members were shot and killed and one kidnapped and subsequently released, Guterres said the targeting of humanitarian workers “undermines not only the operations in question, but the very foundations of humanitarian action”.

Opening the 60th annual session of UNHCR’s governing Executive Committee (ExCom), Guterres said that providing humanitarian relief in an environment where the line separating the civilian from the military has become blurred is both “difficult and dangerous”.

While the shrinking humanitarian space represents one of the greatest challenges the UN refugee agency faces in the developing world, said Guterres, actions taken by some countries to limit access to their territories by asylum-seekers was effectively shrinking the “asylum space” in the developed world.

Guterres said practices by some countries to deny access to asylum procedures were not in keeping with international law, while other states had such low recognition rates for asylum seekers as to render that access “meaningless”.

These practices add to the problem of secondary movements as asylum-seekers “search out states where they have some hope of having their protection needs recognized,” said Guterres. “A truly European asylum space in this context is a must,” he said.

Guterres also updated delegates on the on-going reform process within UNHCR which, he said, is aimed at “finding the resources to protect more people, rescue more lives and bring home more refugees in safety and dignity”.

Staffing at the agency’s Geneva headquarters has been reduced by 30 percent, while global activities have increased by more than 50 percent, he said. Work carried out by UNHCR’s Global Service Centre in Budapest would result in savings of US$ 13 million in rent and salaries in 2010 as compared to what it would have cost in Geneva.

Guterres also highlighted five global trends, which in combination with the world economic downturn, are causing crises to multiply and deepen. Population growth, urbanization, global warming, food, water and energy insecurity and migration are all more and more interconnected, he said.

Describing “an arc of crisis” stretching from southwest Asia to the Great Lakes of Africa, Guterres said two thirds of the world’s refugees and three quarters of the 14.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) assisted by UNHCR in 2008 resided in the area. In addition, nearly all significant internal displacement in 2009 had occurred there, notably in Pakistan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

While some 600,000 refugees voluntarily repatriated in 2008, this represented a 17 per cent decrease over the previous year and was the second lowest return figure in the past 15 years. “Massive repatriation movements are decelerating as the situations in Afghanistan, southern Sudan, DRC and elsewhere are less and less conducive to return and reintegration,” Guterres told delegates.

With opportunities for repatriation and local integration declining, the demand for resettlement places is on the increase. Last year, UNHCR submitted more than 121,000 refugees for resettlement, twice as many as were put forward in 2006.

“While this represents just over one percent of the total number of refugees in the world,” said Guterres, “it is already a larger number of refugees than there are places available.” The importance of resettlement as a durable solution will only increase, he said.

Joining Guterres at the opening of ExCom was UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay. The opening session also welcomed Djibouti and Moldova as new ExCom members. The 60th Executive Committee session will conclude on Friday October 2nd.

Furious Education Minister Explores

2009-10-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

By: Bill K. Jarkloh
Read blog: billkjarkloh.wordpress.com
Email: jloplehdee@gmail.com/bill_ksolborjarkloh@yahoo.com

Bittered with journalists after his suspension, Furious Minister of Education Minister Joseph Korto has lambasted journalists, saying they are ‘paid agents of his political opponents’ who go after him. Dr. Korto, after he resumed works from a one-week suspension without pay, was irritated when the Truth FM’s Patrick Honnan quizzed him on the TRUTH Breakfast Show via phone, seeking to know whether he considered his suspension demeaning, a sign of weakness or strength.

The journalist engaged Dr. Korto on the Truth FM via telephone and further quizzed him on reports from the hinterlands indicative of poor school facilities, a situation reminiscent of that of the E. Jonathan Goodridge’s condition for which Minister Korto and his deputies were suspended.

Dr. Joseph Korto -Minister of Education/Liberia

“I know where you guys are coming from. You are referring to a picture of a school in the interior of Nimba where you have gone and taken pictures that you have published in the papers. But that school is not the only school, there are a couple of good school facilities that have been ignored,” Minister Korto furiously responded the TRUTH FM Breakfast Show question. The Furious Education Minister contended, “One like you do not know what is happening around, you guys are paid by political opponents to go after people. You may take it and say what you want to say,” he said, noting that the school that was being used as the radio station’s reference was a self-help project – a makeshift school built by the people themselves.

Although presenters of the show countered that the situation was a perfect example to develop an idea of what the public school system is like in the countryside (meaning remote or rural Liberia), Dr. Korto refuted this assertion, saying that his administration has been doing well. But the presenters insisted that there are others rural public schools journalists have no access to, using places such Karnplay in Nimba and also rural Grand Gedeh for Example.

“The President holds me responsible for what are happening in the public education sector because she knows that those should not be happening considering my intellect. You know it is not possible for me to be everywhere; but the President think as head of the Education Ministry, I should be responsible so she suspended me,” he explained.

He added: “I had a lot of respect for you guys. But I know now that you are paid agents hired by my political opponent to tarnish my good hard earned reputation,” saying “you guys are playing politrick with me.”

Recently, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, describing the Education Minister irresponsible, suspended Minister Joseph Korto and his deputies after an unannounced visit at the Campus E. Jonathan Goodridge Public School in Barnersville where she discovered the surrounding of the campus insalubrious and unhygienic. Accordingly, the President on that day, September 7, 2009, described the learning atmosphere at the institution to be horrendous something which she ordered the institution closed for one week.

The visit of President Sirleaf at the E. Jonathan High School was predicated upon threat of strike action by students of the school due to filthy learning condition and bad Administrative practices.

In a rather tough frame of mind, President Sirleaf termed the leadership at the Ministry of Education as irresponsible and inattentive considering its failure to institute requisite administrative and instructional measures at the institution.

Information Minister Dr. Lawrence Bropleh revealed that funds for the cleanliness of the campus will be made accessible from the Presidential Project Budget due to the exigency of the case at the institution. Public Schools in Liberia are disappointingly managed with students in rural areas sitting on cement blocks to learn something which have been reported consistently in the media.

Observers classified the President impromptu visit at the institution as a welcoming venture and challenged her to continue to make such visit a habitual exercise to other Public Schools around the country. The Ministry of Education shares the giant size of the country’s budget with absolutely ineffective policy and poor implementation something which parents and guardians of students attending these institutions have complained for prompt remedy and solution but to no avail.

Deputy Ministers suspended along with Minister Korto are Hester Williams Katakpa, John Emmanuel Roberts and Mathew Zazay. The recent action of Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at the E. Jonathan Goodridge Public High School branding the Minister of Education and former Presidential Candidate Dr. Joseph Korto as irresponsible and reckless in the discharge of his duty entails a matter of attention as we gradually enter the 2011 Presidential election.

Being irresponsible in leadership as affirmed by the Liberian President further illustrates a better picture over the ability of Dr. Korto to administratively control the affairs of any entity least to mention the Country as a whole.

In a bid to substantiate the views of the President concerning the griminess of the giant size institution, I personally visited the E. Jonathan Goodridge High School in Barnersville and realized that the President’s action to suspend authorities at the Ministry to be lightered. Besides the poor running of the institution, other investments like the structures and buildings which are considered assets of government are seen unattended to as far as its renovation is concern.

Coming back to the capriciousness of Dr. Korto as Minister of Education, one could doubt how effective an individual given the task as Minister of Education and by extension, heavily supported by national and international organizations and also supported by the government as indicated in the budget of Liberia would ignored and downplayed his responsibility in making learning condition in Public Schools an acceptable areas for education. What if Dr. Korto had won the 2005 election in Liberia?

As a former Presidential Candidate, there is a need to clear the air over the irresponsibility quality attributed to you Dr. Korto so as to safeguard your ability to govern or share and inspect responsibilities given you. While it remains factual that President Sirleaf is the Boss of Dr. Korto, classifying Dr. Korto and his entire deputies as irresponsible clearly taint the credibility and characters of these educated individuals.
On the other hand, there is also the need for Dr. Korto as a Politician to clear the air over the irresponsibility character attributed to him. Remember, statement alluded to individual’s credibility without prompt response may likely follow them in the future.

The Ministry of Education is just a section of the entire administration of the country and branding Dr. Korto as irresponsible person only indicate his inability to run the affairs of the whole country. The actions against the heads at the Ministry of Education should also be extended to other institutions in government.

Significant percentage of people employed in government institutions usually go free from the inability or refusal of their Bosses to monitor them thereby impeding the needed results expected from such output. “I believed the action against the heads at the Ministry of Education will signal warning to other heads of government institution to dedicate responsibility and further monitor such responsibility.”

What Kills General Charles Julu?

2009-10-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

…Mournful Grand Gedeans Blames Government

Gen. Julue(right) shakes hands with President Sirleaf after his release

As the cold hands of death snatched away Lieutenant-General Charles “the ROCK” Julu sinking the dreaded general beneath, Grand Gedeans have begun blaming the death of Julu on treatments meted to him when he was detained by security forces of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf-led Government on suspicion of coup plot. Julu, whose name was often associated with nearly every political evil especially plots to overthrow, died in a local Ivorian hospital following a “protracted illness.” However, with the controversy introduced by this latest blame trading on the part of Grand Gedeans, Journalist Bill K. Jarkloh pieced together family and tribal reaction as reported and brevity of the historicity `of Lieutenant-General Julu’s military involvement with conflicts in Liberia.

Grand Gedeans called him “bior” - a southeastern word meaning “warrior.”Some said he is a legend, while others yet referred to him as a demagogue or a devil manifest in Liberian history. No matter what the “ROCK” was, his life was marred by military adventurism that was punctuated with reports of coup plots and unsuccessful attempts led by him to overthrow, attempts for which General Julu was always a wanted man and was jailed and freed as situations of law and reconciliation occasioned.

The General Julu died recently in the Ivorian Capital of Abidjan. Family sources revealed that the “Rock” crossed to the Great Beyond on September 25, 2009 at 7:00 Ivorian time at a local hospital in Abidjan.
According reports, mourning family members in the United States who are currently meeting at the home of Mrs. Annie Payonnoh Dennis, sister of the deceased, in Worcester, Massachusetts have confirmed that Julu suffered Pneumonia for several years before he came down with hypertension or high blood pressure.

But multiple sources closed to the Julu family claimed the former General contracted illness while in incarceration at the National Security Agency (NSA) and at the Monrovia Central Prison at Center Street, South Beach, although Julu, it was said, nearly got paralyzed when he reportedly suffered a mild stroke in 2005.

The former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia who died of protracted illness was 67 and survived by more than 20 children.

A statement reportedly issued by the GDAA, the Gbarzon District Association in the Americas, says the “The death of this fine General is a gust to the Arm Forces of Liberia and the entire nation as a whole,” while family sources blamed Julu’s death on the Unity Party regime of the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Government.

However, the illness of the ROCK was reportedly exacerbated for what family sources somehow blamed on his prolonged detention by the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf regime on allegations of attempting to overthrow the Unity Party government.

Although Janet, Julu’s widow is yet to be contacted, some family members disclosed in the media that Julu nearly got paralyzed when he reportedly suffered a mild stroke in 2005.

Our sources said when the retired general fell sick, he was treated by doctors in Monrovia before he was transferred to neighboring Ivory Coast, where he received further treatment.

Information gathered in Monrovia indicated that General Julu was taken to a European country unnamed, where he was said to have briefly received medical treatment, which was of no betterment to his recovery.

Doctors reportedly told a relative who was said to have accompanied him on the health trip to Europe that the hospital could do nothing about Julu’s worsening condition.

The “ROCK” was then returned to the Ivory Coast where traditional herbs were the only option left, but it was disclosed that Julu could not further survive the appalling health condition. He then died from his illness bringing to complete futility efforts by herbalists to safe the ailing retired general.

As efforts are however being made to independently confirm the reports, the Executive Committee of GDAA issued a statement in the United States extending condolences to the widow and children of former General Julu. “Our prayers and thoughts go out to the bereaved families during this redoubtable time that is unbearable,” the GDAA statement indicated.

The statement quoted Mr. Alphonso Zean-Soe, National President of the GDAA as saying, “We urged or Gbarzonians and friends of the district to call Mrs. Annie Panyonnoh Dennis for a word of encouragement and support.”

According to reports, family members in the United States are currently meeting at the home of Mrs. Annie Payonnoh Dennis, sister of the deceased, in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Our sources said when the retired general got sick he was treated by doctors in Monrovia, the Liberian capital, before he was transferred to neighboring Ivory Coast, where he received further treatment.

General Charles Julu, known in and out of Liberia, is however negatively portrayed to many Liberians as an associated with coup d’etats, plots, assassinations, willful killings, some of which allegations remained unproven up to the demised of the general.

They young military Sergeant at the time was reportedly disrobed in 1972 by the William R. Tolbert regime on allegation of coup plot intended to overthrow the government of President Tolbert government. Although sources said Julu was detained for short while, disrobed from the Armed Forces of Liberia.

He then settled in Nimba County and joined the Plant Protection Force (PPF), a private security of the LAMCO concessionaire in Yekepa. Julu rose through the ranks and became its commander.

In 1983, Julu’s name surfaced again when some rebellious officers of the Armed Forces of Liberia, led by the late Brigadier General Thomas G. Quiwonkpa staged what is today called “Nimba Raid”.

During the raid, supporters of Quiwonkpa reportedly attacked Julu’s home and chopped off the fingers of his daughter, himself barely surviving the onslaught on his family.

Following the attack on his home, Julu reportedly committed atrocities allegedly killing tens, perhaps hundreds of Nimbaians accused of conspiring with his attackers. A female witness recently testified that Julu was responsible for the death of several PPF officers who were accused of attacking his home and victimizing his family. Julu had refuted the allegations.

After the Nimba raid, the slain Liberian President Samuel Kanyon Doe appointed Julu Commander of the Executive Mansion Guard Battalion with the rank of Brigadier General. He served that position until the outbreak of the NPFL bush war in 1990.

When army generals, Smith and Craig failed to contain the NPFL forces, Doe again assigned Julu to oversee the general frontlines in Nimba and Grand Bassa County, the position he held until he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia in the latter part of 1990.

But Julu absconded the country and did not return until in 1994 when he mysteriously appeared at the Executive and staged unsuccessful coup that defied reasoning in an attempt to dethroned Transitional Head of State David Kpomakpor.

Julu and his supporters led by the late MODEL commander Arthur Baygbo faced a barrage of bombings and hails of fire from the West African Peace Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) and ejected from the Executive Mansion.

In an attempt to escape, A group of civilians who arrested the former general stripped naked at Mamba Point and turned him over to ECOMOG, which took him into custody at their based on the Bushrod Island.

Julu and 12 of his kinsmen were charged with sedition and tried on the Fendell Campus of the University of Liberia by a military tribunal headed by General Kpenkpa Y. Kona. The AFL Court Martial Board found Julu and others guilty and detained them at the notorious Post Stockade military prison at the Barclay Training Center (BTC).

But the convicts were released by forces of the defunct ULIMO-J during the April 6, 1996 street battle in Monrovia. He then fled to Guinea where he reportedly participated in the forming of the LURD rebel group that helped to run Taylor out of Liberia.

Just before the general and presidential elections that brought President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to power, Julu was reportedly involved with pseudo church activities. However, President Sirleaf's son, Fomba Sirleaf who is Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), ordered the arrest and detention Julu and fellow Krahn man Andrew Dorbor on allegation of attempting to overthrow the Unity Party led government. The two were taken to court and were acquitted.

Four Forest Management Contracts Ratified

2009-09-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

As Legislature Presses for Constitutional Amendments

The National Legislature yesterday ratified four forest management contracts forwarded to parliament by the President of the Republic of Liberia. The contracts, including Atlantic Resource Ltd., Geblo Logging Ltd., Euro Liberia Logging Company and International Consultant Capitol (ICC) were on the 21st day of September 2009 sent to the Legislature from the executive branch of government through the office of the president for consideration.

A report submitted to the office of Speaker J. Alex Tyler by the Committee on Investment and Concession, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Contracts and Monopolies and Judiciary on the four forest management contracts said “In line with legislative traditions and practice, the contracts were referred to the committee on investment and concession, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, contracts and monopolies and judiciary to scrutinize the four draft contracts and appropriately advise plenary for action.”

In the report, the committees further said in furtherance of this mandate, the joint committee convened on the 22nd of September 2009 to begin its scrutiny of the four contracts. At the conclusion of the first session of the joint committee, it was resolved that the joint committee seeks the input of public by inviting stakeholders both from the government and civil society.

Hence, the report said the joint committee conducted a public hearing on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 with eh following persons and institutions appearing and making presentation; Ministry of Finance represented by Assistant Minister Andrew Paygai and the Ministry Justice represented Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs, Sam Russ by; Sustainable Development Initiative represented by Silas K. A. Siakor, Forestry Development Authority represented by its Technical Managing Director one Moses Woabeh , Boakai Sirleaf who is the Deputy Minister of Agriculture representing his Ministry While Loggers Association of Liberia represented by Mulbah Willie , National Investment Commission and the civil society,” the report contained.

It said during the almost three hour public hearing, which was broadcast live, the Executive Branch, represented by National Investment Commission, Forestry Development Authority, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Finance as well as the Civil Society represented made presentations, requesting the Legislature to ratify the four contracts.

“They justified that the contract were in line with the Poverty Reduction Strategy of government and will purposely jump start the logging section in the forest region the country by providing jobs and contributing revenues to the national budget,” the report said, adding that representations made during the hearing maintained.

Representatives of these institutions furthered that the agreements were negotiated in good faith, and to ensure the welfare of the country particularly taking into consideration the interests and social benefits of the communities hosting the forests.

“On the other hand, the Civil Society organization represented by Sustainable Development Initiative (SDI) made the presentation on diverging fronts. The SDI maintained that the contracts were not accompanied by bidding documents to show various offers and how the winners were selected and that the contracts were not also accompanied by due diligence report to show whether the companies selected during the bidding process have the capacity to manage the portion of the Liberian forest given them under the 25 years contract.

The SDI representative at the hearing, Mr. Siakor, then called on the House of Representative not to ratify the contracts until the four documents are presented to the legislature.

As for some of the loggers associations, they maintained that the bidding process was conducted in free, fair and transparent manner and that document are available and indicated that the companies selected have overwhelming capacity to manage the various forests sector was long overdue and as such was requesting the House of Representative to swiftly ratify the contract so as to revive economic life in the forest region of Liberia.

After a careful and thorough scrutiny of the four forest management contracts and taking into consideration all of the issues raised by the actors, the joint legislative committee established that the revamping the forest sector through logging is belated considering the time interval between the enactment of the Forest Reform Law of 2006 and submission of the second forest contract in September 2009.

According to the findings of the joint committee on the issue of due diligence and bid submission document, Committee held that the bid submission documents clearly established that the amount bided for are exactly the amount stipulated in the contracts, saying that as for due diligence, two key issues were considered in selecting the winners.

The Committee named the two issues as the offer and the financial capacity to execute the offer. “From the documents presented to the committee followed by the joint committee’s evaluation of the all documents, it was established that the four companies selected and awarded the contract met all requirements under the law and have the financial capacity,” the committee said.

The joint legislative committee the submitted its recommendation, taking into consideration that the four forest contracts which also seek to address issues of unemployment, contribute to government revenue generation and build the capacity of local community through the provision of social benefit.

The joint committee having being satisfied with the content of the agreement coupled with the all necessary clarification made, recommended that ratification of the four forest management contracts by the Honorable House of Representative which Plenary endorse.

Meanwhile With the House of Representatives of the Liberian Legislature amending several constitutional articles, the House Committee Chairman on Elections, Representative Gabriel Smith says the amendments made in the Liberian Constitution by the House of Representatives are subject to referendums.

Principal among those provisions amended is Article 83 (b) which by the amendment, states that “all elections of public officers shall be determined by a simple majority of the votes cast except for the president and Vice President” Others constitutional articles amended Tuesday by members of the Lower House of Parliament pending national referendum are Articles 78, 50, 83 (a) and 83 (b) following several weeks of consideration.

The amendments in Article 83 further provided that in the case of the Senate, where applicable, the senatorial candidate who obtains the second highest number of valid votes shall be declared the second winner.

Concerning presidential election in Liberia, the House’s amendment states that if no candidate obtains absolute majority on the first ballot, the two candidates with the highest number of votes on the first ballot shall be designated to participate in a run off.

The House made the amendment on the September 21, 2009. Accordingly, the House’s Committee on Election and Judiciary met in conference with the Senate’s committee on Autonomous agencies with the sole purpose of harmonizing the house’s version of the amendment.

According to the Committee Chairman on Election and Inauguration Representative Gabriel B. Smith, after a length consideration of the following constitution provisions, namely: Article 78, 50, 83 (b). He said the conference is pleased to recommend the following for timely consideration and endorsement by this plenary the attached amended version of the proposals.

Representative Smith noted at the House’s Plenary Tuesday that in keeping with the original version of Article 78, a political party shall be an association of hundred qualified voters in each of at least six counties within the Republic of Liberia, further saying that the article provides that a political party shall be an association with a membership of not less than 10,000 registered voters in a county.

Mr. Smith said Article 83 (a) says voting for the President, Vice President, members of the Senate and Members of the House of Representatives shall be conducted throughout the Republic on the second Tuesday in October of each election year. He said Article 83 (b) all election of public officers shall be determined by an absolute majority of the votes cast.

The Chairman Election and Inauguration Committee noted that if no candidates obtains an absolute majority in the first ballot, a second Tuesday following, the two candidates who received the greatest number of votes on the first ballot shall be designated to participate in the run-off Election. He said the amended version of Article 52 (c) original version say resident in the Republic ten years prior to his election, provided that the President and Vice President shall not come from the same county.

Representative Smith said the Amended version of Article 52 (c) no person shall be eligible to hold the office of the President or Vice President, unless that person is: domiciled in the Republic for ten years immediately prior to his election, provided that the President and Vice President don’t come from the same county.

Mr. Smith noted that the original version which Article (b) which say there shall be election of paramount, clan and town chiefs and mayors by the registered voters in their respective localities, to serve for a term of six years, and they may be re-elected and may be removed only by the President for proved misconduct, and the Legislature shall enact laws to provide for their qualification as may be require.

According to Representative Smith, the amended version states Article 56 (b) there shall be election of paramount, clan and town chiefs and mayors by the registered voters in their respective localities, to serve for a term of six years, and they may be re-elected and may be removed from officer for cause by resolution of two-third majority of members of the council of chiefs and elders at their respective level of office; in keeping with due process of law.

Similarly, Article 56(b), by the amendment, provides that “there shall be elections of paramount, Clan and town Chiefs and mayors by registered voters in their respective localities, to serve for a term of six years. They may be re-elected and may be removed only by the President for proved misconduct. The Legislature shall enact laws to provide for their qualification as may be required.”

Divided CDC Foams Over Flooded Bi-election

2009-09-24T05:42:00.000-07:00

The CDC's flagbearer and first partisan George George Weah

NEC Warns Against Pre-Election Campaign

By: Bill K. Jarkloh

In the face of a flooded race to fill in the Montserrado County Senatorial vacancy left behind by the demise of Senator Hannah Brent, the main opposition party of football legend George Weah, the Congress for Democratic Change (DCD) is falling apart over who should represent the party in the race.

With the death of Senator Brent reducing the number female representation in the Senate to four, political commentators imbued with this gender advocacy think a female candidate would be ideal to occupy the slot. At present, Senior Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor of National Patriotic Party representing Bong County, Maryland County’s Gloria Musu Scott of the ruling Unity Party, Margibi County’s Senior Senator Clarice Jah of the Liberty Party and Montserrado County’s Joyce Musu Freeman-Sumo of the Congress for Democratic Change are the remaining female Senators in the Legislature.

However, names of several potential men have spouted. Some of the names that have spouted on the crowded field include Professor. Alhaji Kromah, two times presidential candidate of the All Liberian Coalition Party (ALCOP); Clemencea Urey who won Saturday’s UP’s primaries as the party’s candidate and Darius Dillion of the Liberty Party;

Others are Acarius Gray; Geraldine Doe-Sheriff and Eugene Nagbe all from the CDC , Professor and former Finance Minister Wilson Tarpeh, Daniel Johnson who heads the Monrovia City Council and Edwin Snowe, former speaker of the current House of Representatives and a Montserrado County representative whose intention remains unconfirmed and an array of female candidates.

When it was announced that vacancy occurred at the Upper Chamber of the National Legislature, moves that were made in political domains reflected what was reminiscent a split in the one time mutual cooperation that have bind the CDC’s political activism and positions amongst members.

Instead of standing together, the Chairman of the Party, Geraldine Doe-Sheriff hastily announced her interest to the opposition to the dislike of party godfather and standard-bearer Weah who did not bite4 his tongue in registering support to Lenn Eugene Nagbe, the Secretary General of the party who too was eyeing the vacancy to contest it.

Apparently, the CDC executives wanted to out-smart each other since constitutionally, the National Elections Commission is required to conduction a bi-election to fill whatever vacancy that is created in the National Legislature within 90 days, as such may be occasioned by death or resignation of a member(s).

In words of Weah who spoke in the media from the United States, Nagbe was the choice of the party and not Party Chairman Geraldine Doe-Sheriff, but Madam Sheriff, with some party stalwarts standing behind her decisively implied the fact that CDC is no personal property of Mr. Weah but a political institution that should be patterned in a democratic manner. She said Weah was not saying the truth and that a party convention would decide who should be supported by the party.

On the other hand, loquacious Acarius Gray stepped in, registering his interest to contest for the vacancy on CDC’s ticket.

In the meridiem of time, however, CDC has held party congress in New Krutown where partisans preferred Madam Geraldine Doe-Sheriff for the Seat for Montserrado in the Senate, but Acarius Gray considered the congress’ result faulty and unacceptable.

Notwithstanding the fact that Weah who supported Nagbe as the Secretary General for the Senatorial vacancy hasn’t reacted to the DCD’s congress that has elected Madam Doe-Sheriff for the position, Mr. Eugene Nagbe himself pledged support to the congress’ choice of party Chairman sheriff to contest the by-election.

Mr. Nagbe said the CDC has spoken and that he stands by the decision of the CDC, while the CDC’s Assistant Secretary Acarious Gray resented the congress and its choice of party chairman Doe-Sheriff.

Eugene Nagbe, Acarius Gray, and Geraldine Doe-Sheriff are all top executive members of George Weah’s CDC, serving currently as secretary-general, assistant secretary-general and chairman respectively.

The disagreement amongst at the party’s hierarchy potentially could squander the CDC’s chances of victory since others who may not be interest in the controversial choice of the party may commit their loyalty at the polls to some others who may in fact be outside the party as the race is indeed flooded.

Others whose names have surfaced include University of Liberia Economics and Banking Professor Wilson Tarpeh of who has entered the race for the second time after his defeat by the CDC’s iron-lady Senator Joyce Musu Freeman-Sumo during the 2005 senatorial election.

Like Tarpeh who was defeat when to Senator Freeman-Sumo, the Unity, the Unity Party’s Clemenceau Urey, also fell to the gallant CDC female in the senatorial Montserrado County race also was elected to contest the ensuing senatorial by-election

It is also speculated that dethroned Speaker Edwin Melvin Snowe, a Representative for Montserrado County may likely take advantage of the vacancy to bid for the Upper House, although this intention by Snowe has not been made official. Snowe, a one time stalwart of the former ruling National Patriotic Party (NPP) of Charles Taylor contested the Montserrado slot he occupies at the Lower House in Parliament as independent candidate after the NPP apparently denied him to use party ticket.

Similarly, women seem to be overcrowding the race for the Montserrado County seat at the Senate, according to an online report. Already, the National Elections Commission (NEC) has reported the official registration of nine independent candidates, pending the holdings of primaries of various political parties, who are expected to field their candidates before the Commission’s set deadline of September 26, 2009.

Evidently declaration of interests ahead of party primaries or the submission of self arranged or genuine petitions to personalities which has usually characterized Liberian politics has been the order of the day. So far, the females have all decided to go independent despite whatever current political affiliations they might be having at the moment.

One of such women who contemplate contesting the vacancy is Jacqueline Capehart, a long-time business executive, saying that her desire to contest the bi-election borders on the lapses that have occasioned present legislative works on Capitol Hill. “I’m really disappointed by the level of work being done by our lawmakers. Our representatives are not liaising with us, who they claim to represent. There must be palaver-hut kinds of discussion”, Jacqueline told a reporter.

Previously a member of the opposition CDC, Capehart said her ambition for the senatorial position is also based on her desire to contribute to the task of re-building the war ravaged nation, irrespective of which profession one finds him or herself into.

Says Capehart: “It has reached the point in this country now where we ought to contribute our quota to nation building, regardless of where you find yourself”. Looking from the political horizon, it is evident that she might go as an independent candidate since the Unity Party she is member of has already voted Mr. Clemenceau Urey.

It was Urey, George Kailondo and Ms. Capehart despite who desired the contest on party ticket but were defeated at party primaries; she still desires to run while Kilando, a businessman, bowed graciously to Mr. Urey and accepted his defeat. UP’s Urey got an easy ride over George Kailondo during Saturday’s primary after the latter conceded defeat, prior to the primary election.

Further, it is also speculated Mr. Darius Dillion of the Liberty Party, who now serves as senior senatorial aid in Bong County Senator Jewel Taylor’s office, has expressed interest. Dillon is noted for his critical advocacy and stance against basic decisions that he considered inappropriate

Another female candidate, Grace McGill Kpan, President of the Dock Workers Union of Liberia desire the race as well. Kpan says she believes in the quest for workers to be represented at the highest level. McGill Kpan, who is also known for her unwavering advocacy as a labor leader sounded confident in a race that promises to produce other political giants, already testing the waters for the ensuing 2011 Elections.

“I’m a servant-leader who has worked as a labor leader”, she added. McGill Kpan then added the obvious voice as would be expected from any female candidate. “It’s good for another female to take that seat, because the number of females in the House is already minute”.

Meanwhile, the National Elections Commission (NEC) which spoke of the formal registration of some nine nominees warned against pre-election campaign, saying that anyone engaging in pre-election campaign would be disqualified.

With the list of contestants expected to grow, the NEC put nomination period between September 12 - 26, to be followed by a period for objection and claim, if there will be any. The Commission further said political campaign will take place from October 14 to November 8 followed by the replacement of voters’ identification cards from October 20-31 and the arrival of paper ballots on November 1, 2009.

The official announcement of polling results is would be on November 14, four days after voting. In case of any runoff, it will be conducted on November 24 with final results announced on November 27.

Statistics at the National Election Commission have it that Montserrado has 14 electoral districts with 496,508 registered voters of the 1.3 million people in Montserrado County, while 280 voting precincts and 989 polling places used in the 2005 elections remain unchanged for the ensuing bi-election.

Furious Education Minister Explores

2009-09-24T05:35:00.000-07:00

Minister Korto Blames Journalists As “Paid” Agents to Go After Him

By: Bill K. Jarkloh
www.panwhanpen.com/billkjarkloh.wordpress.com
Email: jloplehdee@gmail.com/bill_ksolborjarkloh@yahoo.com

Bittered with journalists after his suspension, Furious Minister of Education Minister Joseph Korto has lambasted journalists, saying they are ‘paid agents of his political opponents’ who go after him. Dr. Korto, after he resumed works from a one week suspension without pay, was irritated when the Truth FM’s Patrick Honnan quizzed him on the TRUTH Breakfast Show via phone, seeking to know whether he considered his suspension demeaning, a sign of weakness or strength.

The journalist engaged Dr. Korto on the Truth FM via telephone and further quizzed him on reports from the hinterlands indicative of poor school facilities, a situation reminiscent of that of the E. Jonathan Goodridge’s condition for which Minister Korto and his deputies were suspended.

“I know where you guys are coming from. You are referring to a picture of a school in the interior of Nimba where you have gone and taken pictures that you have published in the papers. But that school is not the only school, there are a couple of good school facilities that have been ignored,” Minister Korto furiously responded the TRUTH FM Breakfast Show question.

The Furious Education Minister contended, “One like you do not know what is happening around, you guys are paid by political opponents to go after people. You may take it and say what you want to say,” he said, noting that the school that was being used as the radio station’s reference was a self-help project – a makeshift school built by the people themselves.

Although presenters of the show countered that the situation was a perfect example to develop an idea of what the public school system is like in the countryside (meaning remote or rural Liberia), Dr. Korto refuted this assertion, saying that his administration has been doing well. But the presenters insisted that there are others rural public schools journalists have no access to, using places such Karnplay in Nimba and also rural Grand Gedeh for Example.

“The President holds me responsible for what are happening in the public education sector because she knows that those should not be happening considering my intellect. You know it is not possible for me to be everywhere; but the President think as head of the Education Ministry, I should be responsible so she suspended me,” he explained.
He added: “I had a lot of respect for you guys. But I know now that you are paid agents hired by my political opponent to tarnish my good hard earned reputation,” saying “you guys are playing politrick with me.”

Recently, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, describing the Education Minister irresponsible, suspended Minister Joseph Korto and his deputies after an unannounced visit at the Campus E. Jonathan Goodridge Public School in Barnersville where she discovered the surrounding of the campus insalubrious and unhygienic. Accordingly, the President on that day, September 7, 2009, described the learning atmosphere at the institution to be horrendous something which she ordered the institution closed for one week.

The visit of President Sirleaf at the E. Jonathan High School was predicated upon threat of strike action by students of the school due to filthy learning condition and bad Administrative practice.

In a rather tough frame of mind, President Sirleaf termed the leadership at the Ministry of Education as irresponsible and inattentive considering its failure to institute requisite administrative and instructional measures at the institution.

Information Minister Dr. Lawrence Bropleh revealed that funds for the cleanliness of the campus will be made accessible from the Presidential Project Budget due to the exigency of the case at the institution. Public Schools in Liberia are disappointingly managed with students in rural areas sitting on cement blocks to learn something which have been reported consistently in the media.

Observers classified the President impromptu visit at the institution as a welcoming venture and challenged her to continue to make such visit a habitual exercise to other Public Schools around the country. The Ministry of Education shares the giant size of the country’s budget with absolutely ineffective policy and poor implementation something which parents and guardians of students attending these institutions have complained for prompt remedy and solution but to no avail.

Deputy Ministers suspended along with Minister Korto are Hester Williams Katakpa, John Emmanuel Roberts and Mathew Zazay. The recent action of Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at the E. Jonathan Goodridge Public High School branding the Minister of Education and former Presidential Candidate Dr. Joseph Korto as irresponsible and reckless in the discharge of his duty entails a matter of attention as we gradually enter the 2011 Presidential election.

Being irresponsible in leadership as affirmed by the Liberian President further illustrates a better picture over the ability of Dr. Korto to administratively control the affairs of any entity least to mention the Country as a whole.

In a bid to substantiate the views of the President concerning the griminess of the giant size institution, I personally visited the E. Jonathan Goodridge High School in Barnersville and realized that the President’s action to suspend authorities at the Ministry to be lightered. Besides the poor running of the institution, other investments like the structures and buildings which are considered assets of government are seen unattended to as far as its renovation is concern.

Coming back to the capriciousness of Dr. Korto as Minister of Education, one could doubt how effective an individual given the task as Minister of Education and by extension, heavily supported by national and international organizations and also supported by the government as indicated in the budget of Liberia would ignored and downplayed his responsibility in making learning condition in Public Schools an acceptable areas for education. What if Dr. Korto had won the 2005 election in Liberia?

As a former Presidential Candidate, there is a need to clear the air over the irresponsibility quality attributed to you Dr. Korto so as to safeguard your ability to govern or share and inspect responsibilities given you. While it remains factual that President Sirleaf is the Boss of Dr. Korto, classifying Dr. Korto and his entire deputies as irresponsible clearly taint the credibility and characters of these educated individuals.

On the other hand, there is also the need for Dr. Korto as a Politician to clear the air over the irresponsibility character attributed to him. Remember, statement alluded to individual’s credibility without prompt response may likely follow them in the future.

The Ministry of Education is just a section of the entire administration of the country and branding Dr. Korto as irresponsible person only indicate his inability to run the affairs of the whole country. The actions against the heads at the Ministry of Education should also be extended to other institutions in government.

Significant percentage of people employed in government institutions usually go free from the inability or refusal of their Bosses to monitor them thereby impeding the needed results expected from such output. “I believed the action against the heads at the Ministry of Education will signal warning to other heads of government institution to dedicate responsibility and further monitor such responsibility.”

President’s Apology Receives Mixed Reactions

2009-09-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

… Imam Wants Broh Apologize But Mayor Assures More Cooperation

The apology by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to Islamic leaders and Muslims of Liberia on Tuesday has controversially been greeted by members of the public.

A radio talkshow on the SKY 107 FM in Monrovia Wednesday showed that members of the public are divided on the President’s stance taken in the wake of the Mary Broh-led Presidential Taskforce’s clearing of some Muslims from the sidewalks around the Benson Street Central Mosque during a Ramadan worship service in Monrovia. The Special Presidential Taskforce was set up to give Monrovia a facelift.

Most of the callers on the phone-in talkshow said the President’s dissolution of the Mary Broh-led Special Taskforce and the apology on Tuesday by Madam Sirleaf when she visited Ramadan Fast worshipers at the Mosque was bias on ground that the Presidential taskforce was performing the function for which it was established and did not enter the Mosque to disorganize or disturb the Muslims.

“If Madam Sirleaf should apologize to Muslim worshipers, why didn’t she also apologized to the churches affected first by Madam Broh’s cleaning up exercises or the Seven Day Adventist Church whose Saturday worship services were disturbed by the cleaning and clearing campaign of the Presidential taskforce?” a caller asked.

The caller told the presenter of the show that Madam Broh’s Special Taskforce had acted against Adventist worshipers and broke down some Christian structures without any apology to the Seven Day Adventist or the Churches all in the name of cleaning the city, saying that apologizing to Muslims who sat on sidewalks to create filths and were cleared by the Taskforce is an indication of a bias.

Other callers on the show who share the same views said the Broh Presidential Taskforce should not have been dissolved; instead it was Madam Broh who should have been dismissed for overacting on presidential mandate.

Some others, however, noted that the President did well to dissolve the Broh-led Presidential. The callers said the Broh-led Taskforce was not necessary and constitute a waste of public resources, considering the constitution of the complete structure of the Monrovia City Corporation of which Madam Broh is acting Mayor.

“The Monrovia City Corporation is responsible for enforcement of city ordinances; what is the need then for a Presidential taskforce?” the caller wondered.

However, callers apparently of Muslim background differ, saying that it was necessary that the President apologize. Those who held that view state that the presidential gesture was reuniting and reconciliatory, and noted that Madam Broh did not do well to disturb the Ramadan session of the Muslims at the Benson Street Central Mosque.

The 50-50 talk show featured callers with the divided opinions on the dissolution of the Broh-led Presidential Taskforce and the subsequent apology by President Sirleaf.

The Executive Mansion in a release on September 1, 2009 however said President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has paid a visit to the Benson street mosque in Monrovia, the scene of a standoff Saturday between residents of the area including Muslim worshippers and a Special Presidential Task Force set up to help clean the city. Several residents and worshippers are reported to have suffered inconveniences during the Saturday clean up exercise.

The President, accompanied by the Acting Mayor of Monrovia, Madam Mary Broh, again expressed regrets for the inconveniences worshippers may have experienced during the clean up exercise by the Force. An Executive Manson release says the President reminded the Muslim community that Liberia belongs to everyone. “There is no one person, group, religion or party that is better than the other,” She assured Liberian Muslims.

The President observed that there may be incidence sometimes, that may be unfortunate and lead to tension, “but as leaders, we must find a way to subdue it and go beyond the event in the interest of unity and peace in Liberia.”

President Johnson Sirleaf said her visit to the Mosque was intended to reinforce the message and reconfirm her Government’s commitment to the promotion of peace and unity in the country.

Monrovia Acting Mayor, Mary Broh, assured the Muslim leaders of more consultation between her office and heads of various groups before enforcing city ordinance in any community.

Sheik Kafumba Konneh, in response, welcomed the visit by the President, describing it as a true manifestation of a true leader. The visit, Sheik Konneh said, is a testimony of the Liberian leader’s commitment to the promotion of peace, security, happiness and unity among Liberians.

He accepted the President’s apology on behalf of the Muslim Community, promising that the Community and Muslim leaders will cooperate with authorities of the Monrovia City Corporation to ensure that the city remains cleaned.

The visit by the President to the Mosque followed a meeting Sunday between the leadership of the Muslim Community and the Liberian leader, following concerns over the reported stand-off Saturday between residents of the Benson Street community and the Special President Task Force during a routine clean up exercise.

The Force has since been dissolved by the President, on grounds that it is no longer necessary, now that the City Corporation has put in place a structure to carry out the functions for which the Task Force was set up.

Meanwhile, an online Liberian media outlet, the FrontPageAfrica reported that despite the President's apology, Muslims at the Mosque where the weekend incident occurred are demanding that Broh herself apologize for the incident which took place during the observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan.

“She ordered her men to step the whole food. Just as the first person’s food was placed in his palm, her guards began stepping the food,” Imam Mohammed Sheriff, the head of the mosque said.

Iman Mohammed Sheriff, representing the chief iman and residing for the five-daily prayer described the Acting City Major’s action as an ‘attack on Islam’. He quoted Broh as saying, “These people are dirty. Your take down the whole shit down” as food donated by President Ellen Johson-Sirleaf to the Muslim community that same day was being distributed.

The Imam continued: “She ordered her men to step the whole food. Just as the first person’s food was placed in his palm, her guards began stepping the food”, the head of the mosque said which, according to him, led to hundreds of Muslims being unable to end their fasts that Saturday.

Iman Sheriff said the incident took place on Saturday, August 29 at exactly 6:30PM as muslims gathered to break their daily fast during this period of Ramadan.

He said Broh ignored a stockpile of dirt that gathered directly across from the mosque but rather chose to abuse them at their worship place which was very clean as food was being served.

Meanwhile, Iman Sheriff confirmed that the Liberian leader apologized on behalf of Broh to the entire Muslim community during their Sunday’s meeting with her. However, the Imam said, they told the President to make the apology an open one to the entire public on radio stations,” according to the FrontPageAfrica online magazine.

The “President’s apology” is not enough for the Muslim community which is demanding that the controversial Acting Major makes an open apology. The imam insisted, saying, “Let Madame Broh herself apologize to us for her personal grudge against us, Muslims. We are expecting her to come here either today or tomorrow to do that according to information we received.”

The iman revealed that the Acting Major’s attack is an anticipated and planned one as she had earlier promised to ‘rage clean-up’ against the Benson and Newport Streets mosques. According to him, she made the threatening remarks when she and her team had earlier visited two nearby meat shops owned by Malians on August 24th (Flag Day).

Haja Aisha who was brutalized during Saturday's melee says she was refused treatment at a local clinic Malag Clinic on Mechlin Street. But she was instead referred to the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Sinkor by the clinic’s medical staffs.

Haja Aisha, after three days of being “brutalized” during the incident, still appeared very critical and was refused treatment at a local clinic Malag Clinic on Mechlin Street. She was rather referred to the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Sinkor by the clinic’s medical staffs.

Addressing his weekly news briefing Monday, Presidential Press Secretary Cyrus Wleh Badio said the incident overshadowed the good intentions of the President who has been identifying with Muslims during the Holy Month of Ramadan. “The incident, it is our understanding, affected some members of the Muslim community who were preparing to break their fast.”

In the aftermath of Saturday’s incident, Muslims reportedly went on the rampage and physically assaulted Broh, recently appointed as Acting Mayor of Monrovia. Eyewitnesses said police sealed off the sections of Benson and Mechlin Streets and Benson/Randall Streets to bring the situation under control.

The President, has meanwhile, dissolved the Special Presidential Task Force with immediate effect. The Force, the President says is no longer necessary, now that the Structure of the Monrovia city Corporation is in place.

Young Professional Program Demands High Standards

2009-08-22T07:12:00.001-07:00

… Pres. Sirleaf Points At Good GPA & Community Participation
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says the President Young Professional Program (PYPP) will demand of qualified participants, high standards of performance in academic works and community; reports Bill K. Jarkloh.
The President also said although reward in terms of salaries of participants may not be that too big, participants stand top immensely benefit in its long term agenda. The President spoke at the Monrovia City Hall Thursday when she officially launched the PYPP
The PYPP which aligns with national Capacity Development Strategy is closely coordinated with Liberia’s civil service Agency, and the Ministry of Planning’s Capacity Development Unit. It is being implemented by these relevant government institutions in collaboration with Johns Snow Incorporated (JSI) Liberia.
In her remarks when she launched the program, the President said those that will be qualified will have to have talents that requires of them grade average and community service participation that would pull them out amongst the other from their your communities or in the schools or institutions, so as to be identified as the top ones who have the potential to become professionals.
“It will require talents because on the job their will be learning and knowledge sharing including building skills on computer training programs to enable you to build on the knowledge that is attained from the University,” President Sirleaf noted, indicating that the reward will not be so large in terms of the monthly pay they m ay put themselves as ones favored to go high in service when they shall have applied all the skills to be achieves while on the program.
“Just thing of it in a longer time when you enhance your talents when you work with people that will enable you to grow professionally, you would have put yourself becoming one of favored ones to go high in service when you shall have applied all the skills to be achieves while on the program,” she encourage the prospective participants.
She said the PYPP is one of the initiatives of her administration intended to for capacity building and directed towards using Liberians at home and in the diaspora to foster the country’s development objectives.
She name many other projects sponsored by American billionaire George Soro and others, who committed resources that will enable to incorporate high level Liberian professionals in the diaspora to return home and take up responsible position in government.
“The resources provided,” she said, “enable us to at least extend the opportunity cause to offer government salary as an incentive to come home.”
She also made reference to a program of the UNDP to repatriate Liberians home for a limited period of time which she noted has also providing them a salary scale that is more than the government can provide, and made mention of the Senior Executive Service (SES) Program, one intended to attract Liberians professionals at home and abroad to come and undergo program supported by wide range of donors - bilateral and some foundations - to provide money for the attraction of talents that are needed to carry on the task of managing the development program of Liberia.
The PYPP, a proxy of the Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs – Amara Konneh said, is a full time program and is not a part-time one and required for admission into the two years PYPP program include a current CV or résumé, a most recent college transcript and three letters of recommendations.
Speakers at the occasion, including Deputy Justice Minister for Administration Eva-Mae Mappy Morgan, a Liberian Fellow assigned at the Ministry of Education- Lincoln Ajoku, JSI’s PYPP Program Manager and fellow – Saah Charles N’Tow and Theresa Jordon who is the National Capacity Development Program at the Civil Service Agency have all spoken well of the President’s Young Professional Program.
Mr. Charles N’Tow disclosed how the PYPP will pay the young professionals some US$350 with transportation attached, saying that the first phase of the program is running for the next two years and may be expanded or extended after its first phase.

Lofans Want “Bygone Be Bygone”

2009-08-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

…Say Nothing Less Than Forgivingness Will Bring Genuine Peace

Residents of Lofa County have frowned on recommendations by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) suggestion prosecution for of actors of the Liberian war and sanctions against those considered supporters of the wars.

The position of the Lofans followed recent report quoting some Civil Society Organizations that that would revert to the people to generate national consensus regarding the recent recommendations by the TRC providing prosecution and sanctions of people placed in varying categories.

The Lofans from five towns said nothing will bring genuine peace and reconciliation amongst the people than forgivingness, calling on the National Legislature to prudently act on the recommendations of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission in a manner that will not reverse the gains made towards peace and development made.

The Lofans, representing some towns including at a Galamai, Vomemai, Duowoiljallamai, Kaba’s Town, Beteijamai, Korwormai, Bakuma and Voinjama town, said in told a workshop in Voinjama City that it is now time for Liberians to adopt the spirit and attitude of forgivingness which, in their view, would sustain the gains made thus far. The Lofan residents further said that Liberians were tired of war, and noted that there was no need for reintroduction of acrimonies feelings amongst the people under the canopy of reconciling them. Other towns and villages represented at the workshop were Lawalazu, Zanalormai, Kolahun, Zaawadamai, Tennebu, Barkadu and Se-Mata

The spoke while making their input on the topic: Peace & Reconciliation in Post Conflict Liberia within the context of the TRC Recommendations. Most of the 26 participants of the workshop underscored the need for healing and coexistence amongst the people of Liberia instead of the tendency of fear and mixed feelings that have characterized suggestions imbedded in the findings of the TRC.

The TRC recently submitted its findings to the President and the National Legislature providing for the prosecution of warlords and their factional commanders and others labeled plunderers of the national resources during the civil conflict as well as spelling out a 30-year sanction against some public figures said to be sponsors of the civil wars, including President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

“If there is another conflict because people want to punish those who brought war on us, our children’s schools will further be delay, the present spirit of development in the country will die and the women who are always the foremost victims will once again be driven out of their homes into refugee camps while their husbands, children and brothers will be forced into fighting war again,” said Rebecca Samufa of Se-mata.

Farkollie Gayflor of Zanalormai interjected, saying that most of the warlords still have their fighters on the ground, who are suffering unemployment and could be induced into fighting for little or nothing, since most warlords are strategically placed and have bigger earning power that they can use to cause mishap.

“Let us not take for joke threats by the warlord that they will resist prosecution and could fight if they were to be prosecuted; I heard many others arguing that the men they say they are dependinmg on are just figure but in reality not on ground. But why should be believe in this argument in the face of the overwhelming joblessness and the increasing reports of armed robbery – why shouldn’t us think that the criminals could be hired to start a disturbance that could destroy the peace attained now,” Olive Johnson of Voinjama City argued.

Of the 26 participants, only two said the idea of prosecution and sanction for warlords, their followers and their supporters was good and could curb impunity, while the rest disagree, saying “let bygone be bygone.”

In what is considered her first public statement on the findings and Recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says while she has always admitted her supported to former NPFL leader Charles Ghankay Taylor, she has equally expressed remorse to the Liberian people for her “misjudgment” and has enjoyed the people’s confidence by virtue of her election as President.

The President said her early support to Taylor was because of the consideration that she felt the brutality of the “dictatorship” by former President Samuel Kanyon Doe should be challenged, saying nevertheless, “…it was equally clear that when the true nature of Mr. Taylor’s intentions became known, there was no more impassioned critic or strong opponent to him in a democratic process.”

“I have talked about this openly over the past twelve years and expressed remorse to the Liberian people for my misjudgment. In turn, the Liberian people rendered their judgment,” she maintained, saying in 2005, “I was elected President of the Republic of Liberia,” the first female President of Liberia indicated saying that her mandate has become to return hope to the country and to make the children smile again.”

President Sirleaf’s National Independence Day statement in which she made the assertions constitutes her first public statement on the final findings and recommendations of the Truth and Recommendation which linked her to public sanction barring her from public office for 30 years.

President Sirleaf accentuated, “This is as much as I can say to you as I am named in the report for sanction and I have been advised that it would be legally imprudent for me to give a more extensive comment on the report,” noting also,”... my comments could be misinterpreted as an attempt to influence what ever action the National Legislature might take on the report, and I do not intend to do so.

The President, who added that she believes in the wisdom of the Liberian people and is convinced that they will make a proper judgment on the TRC’s Final Report, told the Liberian people that she has dedicated her to navigating a future for Liberia free from war and fear and grounded in individual freedom and opportunity.

“Sometimes, the circumstances were opaque, the distinctions between evil and good were not so clear—this is the nature of conflict and war,” she indicated, noting that when on January 16, 2006 she spoke to the nation, she recognized that the vote for her was a vote for change.

Didn’t I Deserve My Government’s Protection?’

2009-08-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

--Liberian Journalists Feels Discriminated

A Liberian journalist says he feels discriminated by the Liberian authorities considering the failure by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to investigate his “illegal dismissal” complaint filed against Mr. Peter Owusu Manu of the Embassy of Ghana.

The Editor of the NEW VISION Newspaper and former Executive Officer for Information at the Embassy of Ghana, Bill K. Jarkloh, is therefore calling on the Minister of Foreign affairs of Liberia to probe his complaint so as to accord him his labor rights under the Liberian and international laws.

Mr. Jarkloh, who accused the Ghanaian diplomat, Mr. Manu, and his collaborators at the Embassy of witch-hunting him, said he was ashamed that a Ghanaian diplomat would abuse the rights of d in eNMBASST, before the Liberian Government through the Foreign Ministry to ensure that the journalist’s labor rights are protected.

Photo: Mr. Manu of the Ghana Embassy

Mr. Bill K. Jarkloh said, “Manu should hide behind so-called diplomatic status to abuse the rights of a Liberian and to also insult and insubordinate authorities at Ministry of Foreign Affairs for seeking redress in favor of a Liberian who has worked and was illegally dismissed without his benefits.

The Journalist said he is disturbed by the apparent lack of interest being exhibited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, especially the office of the Deputy Minister for Legal Affairs, Cllr. Krubo Kollie, who has been silent and have him running up and down the stairs of the Foreign Ministry for redress. He said the continuous silence and delay to give him redress is dangerously an indication that Liberians working with foreign missions are not protected.

“But I as for me, I insist on protection by my government. The same way government would have had me liable if I offended the Embassy is the same way the Government must protect me if the Embassy a diplomat of the Embassy or the Embassy offends me,” the Liberian journalists lamented. Mr. Jarkloh displayed documents that indicates he was terminated from work at the Embassy of Ghana for was referred to as “Financial Difficulties” and noted that this dismissal was an act of witch-hunt by Mr. Manu and his collaborators at the Embassy which could not have been if an Ambassador was on ground.

Journalist Bill Jarkloh said the lack of interest in his “illegal dismissal” complaint against the Charges d’ Affaires of the Embassy of Ghana is indicative of the lack of the political will on the part of authorities concern to accord protection to Liberians working with diplomatic entities who have been deprived by diplomats or whose rights may be violated and abused.

The journalist said he is utterly ashamed of the weakness of the Offices of Legal Affairs Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by Deputy Minister Krubo Kollie, for allowing the Charges Affairs of the Embassy of Ghana, Peter Owusu Manu, to insubordinate and practically insult the authorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia on the alter of seeking protection for a Liberian violated by a diplomat.

Jarkloh recalled that Mr. Manu of the Embassy of Ghana has always bragged that no Liberian authority can act against him in the event of any action he might take and may be considered wrong under the Liberian laws, saying, “Manu threatened that he would terminate my services without my full benefit after the end of the tenure of the Ambassador of Ghana, H. E. F. Adu-Amanfoh, whom Manu thought was protecting the Liberian from terminated from the embassy employ.

According to the journalists Manu acted upon his desire to violate his (Jarkloh’s) labor right, terminating his services under the canopy of “restructuring staff position due to financial difficulties” facing the embassy. The worst of the matter is that Manu did so without paying his four months benefits for the four years of service and the one month in lieu of notice of termination as required by the Liberian Labor laws and the laws of Ghana.
Jarkloh intimated that when Manu was reminded of the five months benefit payment, he said the laws of Liberia could not hold on any action he takes against Liberians working at the Embassy, which Jarkloh said was erroneous and therefore prompted him to have complained to the Ministry of Labor for protection of his right.

However, Mr. Reginald Doe, the Hearing Officer who was assigned Journalist Jarkloh’s case referred the matter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on ground that a Foreign Diplomat was involved, and that the Labor Ministry could not assume jurisdiction as such.
Mr. Doe who documented the case file and forwarded to the Foreign Ministry for attention of Minister Olu Banke King-Akerele who was already out of the country, even though during a follow-up, he was referred to the Office of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Legal Affairs, Cllr. Kruboe Kollie who acknowledge receipt of the case file.

Accordingly, the deputy foreign minister for legal affairs wrote inviting the Ghanaian Embassy Charges d’ Affairs, whose response in a note verbale (diplomatic note) as insulting and insubordinating the authorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The journalist’s concern for protection comes in the wake of a challenged put up by the Ghanaian diplomat, Peter Owusu Manu, against the intervention of Liberian Foreign Ministry authorities into an ‘illegal labor practices’ complaint filed against him by the Mr. Jarkloh, who served the Ghanaian Embassy for four as Executive Officer for Information.

Journalists Jarkloh quoted some staff at Deputy Ministry Kollie’s office as saying that Manu’s performance when he (himself) delivered his Note Verbale defied contemporary diplomacy. Journalists Jarkloh said when Manu took note verbal to Deputy Minister Krubo Kollie’s office, he flung it on the desk of an office staff without a word and walked out ignoring the “who are you” chorus from the staff present at the office, Mr. Jarkloh said he was told.
Cllr. Kollie’s staff intimated to the journalist that it was later discovered that it was one Peter Owusu Manu, a Ghanaian diplomat, responding to a letter from the office of the Deputy Minister for Legal Affairs after the envelope was opened and the contents of the diplomatic note was read. Cllr. Kollie and her staff, according to Mr. Jarkloh, were astonished by such undiplomatic behavior, which they said was insulting to the Foreign Ministry of Liberia.

In his diplomatic note, Manu, instead of honoring the invitation by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the Minister should send her representative at the Embassy of Ghana for any hearing desired of the “illegal dismissal complaint” by Mr. Jarkloh. In his Note Verbal of 4th April 2009 and addressed to the Foreign Minister proper, Manu wrote, “Mission will however welcome any representative from the Foreign Ministry to be briefed on Mr. Jacklor’s past threats of blackmailing of the Mission’s staff in the event of any attempt to terminate his appointment.”

Lorma-Mandingo Conflict Spotlighted

2009-04-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

…ZODWOCA Director Stresses the Need for Coexistence

A local NGO, the Zorzor District Women Care (ZODWOCA), has been finding working to resolve a long standing conflict between the Mandingoes and the Lormas in Lofa County The Executive Director of ZODWOCA, madam Agnes Kortimai, told this reporter that it is now time for all Liberians coexist and move forward with the national development agenda of the present administration

She said it was because of this she included the Lorma –Mandingo conflict on the in a recent NED-sponsored workshop which discussed amongst other things, the fundamental rights in the Liberian Constitution, new legal protections against gender-based violence, defending rape victims in local courts, protecting against domestic violence and women’s leadership promotion.

According to her billkjarkloh.wordpress.com, the new world does not call for discrimination, which she said has impeded on the rights of individual to so many things including intermarriage amongst others.

Calling on Lormas and Mandingoes to bury their hatches by accepting each other, Madam Kortimai said for this reason, at the workshop discussions were also centered on “resolving conflicts among the belligerent tribes over hot-blooded issues such as conflict between the Lormas and Mandingoes ethnic groups, property rights, religion, and intermarriage”.

During the workshop, the group exercises, formal and informal presentations, discussions, and exchange of personal experiences formed major parts of the workshop. Workshop facilitators included religious leaders, community women’s leaders, youth’s leaders and ZODWOCA staff.

Addressing the Lorma-Mandingo feud, the workshop reviewed the ethnic problem between the Lormas and the Mandingoes. Some of the speakers, especially a religious leader, who spoke briefly as a facilitator, asked the participants to do with him a research aiming at finding the root causes of said conflict, of which nearly every participant agreed, was the issue of land, .intermarriage and petty jealousy.

Ms. Krubo Deddeh, a Lorma women leader in the clan, told her fellow women that they should be the one to bring peace between the Lormas and the Mandingoes.

Madam Deddeh also alluded to an incident between Lawalazu and Samie Town, in which a youth leader of Samie Town was missing and Samie town was accusing Lawalazu for the youth leader, a situation which she noted has almost resulted to war between the two towns.

Madam Deddeh also said she said that they were prepared to put the past behind them and move forward with live. She also cited the recent program held in Quondi Bondi, a Mandingoes dominated Clan, where the two conflicting tribes made greater gains in enhancing their relation.

Deddeh further cautioned participants of both tribes at the workshop to encourage their respective kinsmen to avoid conflict between their tribes as conflict was not the best solution in solving any problem. “This county/country belongs to every one of us and we should try to live in peace with one another, and that is the only way that we can develop this county, Lofa.” She said.

The Lormas and the Mandingoes in Lofa have not been coexisting since the Lormas accused members of their rival tribe of killing their members of their tribe during the Liberian Civil war. The conflict started far before the Liberian war when the Lormas were claiming ownership of Lofa which the Mandingoes opposed.

During the war, the bitterness that attended the Lormas claim has caused the Mandingoes who were dominant in ULIMO-K and the LURD rebel groups reportedly haunted and killed the Lormas, leading to the formation of the Lofa Defense Force predominantly of the Lormas to prevent themselves from further attacks of the Mandingoes.

LETCOM Wants 25% of National Budget

2009-04-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

…To Improve Liberian Education

By: Papie Sheriff Kollie Jr.

National Coordinator of the Education-for-all Technical Committee (LETCOM), J. Jaye Lablah, has reminded the Liberian Government to keep to its promise of allotting 25% of the total national budget to education.

Mr. Lablah is further calling on the government to commit least 18% of the national budget to education if it cannot meet up with the promised percentage.

The LETCOM Coordinator spoke at the St. Simon Baptist School on the Capitol Bypass in Monrovia last Saturday when his organization joined 163 countries around the world in the celebration of the Global Action Week on Education

The week is annually celebrated each April globally to underscore of the importance of the right of every person to education.

Lablah said the Liberia government joined the 163 countries in the year 2000 to set forth six goals, which he indicated the countries committed themselves to achieving by 2015.

Paramount among the six goals is signing of the Dakar Protocol by all countries concerned to make sure that by 2015 everyone of understanding age acquires a minimum education of primary/elementary level.

During the annual celebration of the Global Action Week on Education, programs are executed to depict various education-related activities geared toward highlighting the importance of the education and the right of every person to education.

Liberia’s celebration of the week is to exemplify the importance of the right of every Liberian to education.

LETCOM’s officially celebration of the Global Action Week on Education around Liberia started here, in Monrovia, with a parade from the Sports Commission on Broad Street to the St Simon Baptist School on the Capital Bye-pass.

Addressing his audience, Mr. Lablah said: We at LETCOM love to appeal to the government to please implement more free compulsory primary education policy by providing adequate, affordable, easily assessable, well staffed and good quality educational facilities.

The LETCOM boss further calls on the Liberian Government to rescue Education from prostitution. The inspectorial division of the ministry of Education has the duty in addition to its official mandate to ensure that institution are not established in Liberia by individuals and other organization whose sole objective is to get money.

LETCOM National Coordinator also said they are going to offer their services to assist the ministry in inspecting and monitoring learning institution in post war country Liberia.

In Economic Sabotage Case: Admission of Guilt or Protection of Nat’l Interest

2009-04-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

…Bryant Admits Authorization of Funds; Defends LPRC

On his second day in the dock at the Criminal Court “C” hearing the “Economic Sabotage” charges the State brought against him, defunct National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) Chairman Charles Gyude Bryant, has put up defense for the Edwin Melvin Snowe regime of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), saying that the close to US$1m expended by the LPRC during the transitional regime was spent based upon his directive.

Mr. Bryant, the fourth witness in the marathon case, rather toke responsibility for the use of the funds for which he and the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) managers are being prosecuted for the reported commission of “Economic Sabotage”. The transitional chairman told court that the money was used on security matters to safe guard the fragile peace of Liberia in 2003.

The NTGL Chairman is being prosecuted along with four of his LPRC officials including Montserrado County Representative Edwin Snowe and his deputies while served as LPRC managing Director under the transitional regime of Chairman Bryant.

Mr. Bryant and four other former officials of the Liberian Petroleum Refining Company including Edwin M. Snowe, Jr., Richard Devine, Siaka A. Sheriff and G. Andy Quamie are on trial for allegedly conspiring to take away close US$1 million from the coffers of the LPRC during the interim administration. However the accused have pleaded “NOT GUILTY” to charges brought against them.

Mr. Bryant told the court that the monies were spent at different times upon his instruction to quell trouble by ex-fighters in various parts of the country so as to prevent the country from slipping back to chaos after the signing of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA).

The CPA brought Bryant, a businessman, to state power at the Executive mansion. The document which was crafted by stakeholders and signed in Accra, the Republic of Ghana introduced calm to Liberia and paved the way for the elections of 2005, which brought to power the first female president of Africa, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The national Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) which was installed to steer the affairs of state for two years was headed by Chairman Bryant.

Bryant was however audit by ECOWAS investigators and other international institutions such as the EU, and findings of the investigative bodies making Bryant and his team of economic managers culpable were perused by the Johnson-Sirleaf administration leading to “Economic Sabotage” Charges against them

During his testimonies in court, the defunct NTGL Chairman Charles Gyude Byant said the monies were mainly given to ex-rebel leaders to help talk with their men who were at some point disgruntled over disbarment benefits and in some places refused to disarm, explaining that none of the payments were made to him or people from the Executive Mansion, his office.

He explained, “Instructions and directives from me to LPRC were to pay monies out to people. None of them work in my office,” and added that how LPRC Management or Board wrote the internal instructions to the Account Staff to make payments was totally out of his control and knowledge.

“All I knew was for example there was a particular threat because a senior official or cabinet minister or example has been taken hostage by their supporters who they were unable to give jobs to, they wanted jobs. Other times there were incidents in the Guthrie Rubber Plantation for example where combatants had been disarmed but have not gone through the PR portion of the NCDDRR because the UN that were funding this program has run out of funds”, Bryant told the court.

He said many of the payments were made to individuals who could help to talk with ex-combatants that were harassing civilians mainly in the South eastern region of the country where the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) did not deploy immediately after their coming to Liberia on peace keeping mission.

Mr. Bryant revealed that at one point while preparing to tour the country, UNMIL informed him that the south east was not safe for him to travel as there were reports of gun fires and harassments.

“When the disarmament ended, I told UNMIL I am ready to the South east and that was in October 2004. They say sorry Chairman we can’t go there and I said but you have disarmed,” he claimed, noting: They said that is true but in the interior of the counties we are still getting reports of gun fires and harassments of innocent civilians.”

So he indicated that he called the commanders and their leaders because “sometimes when you deal with the leaders the commanders will come and say we didn’t get anything so how can we deal with the men.”

According to him, these commanders went to LPRC for a hundred thousand dollars to use to quiet tension, for instance, since “I am about to go to the southeast and before I go there I want to hear that all the troubles and harassments have ended. They went, they dealt with their people, UNMIL was then able to deploy into those areas and then I was able to go there and that was not money I had in my pocket”.

The former NTGL Chairman said he gave LPRC the instruction to pay the monies out and charge it to what the company saw was partial dividend or donations and contributions to government, while at his end, he only wanted the money to keep Liberia peaceful.

Responding to question from prosecution lawyers on whether receipts were issued during the payments to these individuals by the LPRC to whom the numerous payments including an amount of US$100,000 and US$300,000 were made, the former NTGL chairman told the court he was not concerned with the issuing of receipts but the availability of the money to serve the purpose at the time.

“I do not know because I did not work ever for LPRC. What I know is that those to whom I directed that funds be given to, received the funds; they carried out the missions and the intended objectives were satisfied”, Bryant declared.

On a bank account that was opened by the Management of LPRC at the time with US$25,000 at Eco Bank, a sub-regional bank and the money used to sponsor a trip by some officials of the LPRC to attend a seminar in Ghana, Mr. Bryant denied having knowledge on the opening of such account.

He however admitted that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) organized a program for financial institutions from Liberia and it was held in Ghana due to the prevailing security situation in Liberia at the time.

“I knew nothing about this account. I did not authorize it and defendant Snowe has told this court and jury that his Board had authorized this transaction. However, I can confirm to you that it is true that the IMF did require that bi-lateral discussions be held in Accra, Ghana for security reasons. That decision did not only affect LPRC, it also affected Finance Ministry staffers. Budget Bureau staffers, Planning Ministry staffers, Central Bank staffers and members of my Council of economic advisors”, Bryant continued.

The former transitional head of state’s admittance that he sanctioned the numerous payments made by the LPRC to several individuals summing up to about US$ 1million without caring for receipts or vouchers has created what legal pundits described as a shift in the ongoing trial involving him and four other former officials of the Liberian Petroleum Refining Company including Edwin M. Snowe, Jr., Richard Devine, Siaka A. Sheriff and G. Andy Quamie.

With the admittance, the trial will now be focusing on finding out how the monies were expended and to whom all the payments were made as the former Liberian leader has taken full responsibility of the overall spending of the close to US$1 million.

But with Mr. Bryant’s testimony that he only ordered the payments and was not responsible to instruct LPRC to issue receipts, opinions solicited from lawyers observing the trial indicates that the former officials of the LPRC will now be made to state whether they issued receipts and if not why such huge monies ere spent without records.

Meanwhile Bryant continues in the witness stand today on the cross. He started his testimonies on Monday during which time he admitted instructing LPRC to disburse funds for security reasons.

Travel-ban Victims Cry for Justice

2009-04-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

…Says “We Can’t Destabilize This Country”

Compiled by Bill K. Jarkloh
www.panwhanpen.com/billkjarkloh.wordpress.com

Victims of the UN Travel ban against officials and associates of detained former President Charles Ghankay Taylor have been crying foul for what they considered miscarriage of international justice against them, calling for intervention of the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf administration.

Those on the travel ban include Randolph Cooper, Cyril Allen, John Richardson, Representatives Edwin Snowe, Kai Farley and Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor amongst others. The affected Liberians want their government to ask the French Ambassador about the truthfulness of his statement. They observed the UN keeps giving different reasons for the travel ban imposed on them and the allegation from the French Ambassador is no exception.

It is totally unfair for one to be denied the right travel which is curtailing one’s right to free movement, even if he was to go to seek health attention abroad, especially when such person has not been tried and convicted of any crime to warrant the punitive action, says Lewis Brown, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Charles Taylor-led administration.

Mr. Brown spoke on the Truth Breakfast Show of FM 96.1 where he accused this administration of protecting a few and leaving others vulnerable. The former Foreign Minister and one time Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC) said amongst other things that the United Nations’ travel ban on them has not been justified. He noted that they, under the sanction, have been punished or convicted without trial for their perceived offence.

“You should know that people on the travel ban enjoy the confident of their people. Some of these people were elected to the Legislature because their people think they are capable of defending their interest,” Mr. Brown, also a one time Security Advisor to former President Taylor, noted.

He maintained that the treatment being meted against them could not have been one meted against United States officials, especially congressmen elected by their respective constituents, who have not been convicted but merely accused of crimes.

Another Liberians who has got to be bitter against the ban include another former Foreign Minister Dorothy Musuleng Cooper, who said, in reaction to French Ambassador Jacques Gerard’s statement, that victims of the travel ban have been responsible people who “..,will not destabilize the country” even if they were purged of the sanction.

Also John Richardson, another victim of the travel ban, who spoke recently at a news conference in reaction to the French ambassador’s statement against travel ban victims, said Ambassador Gerard’s recent statement to the effect of the UN travel ban should not be taken lightly; he said instead it should be engaged. Mr. Richardson wondered whether the French Ambassador’s statement is a personal view or the position of the French Government.

The Liberians placed on travel ban by the UN have appealed to the Liberian government to intervene in a statement made against them by the French Ambassador.

Ambassador Gerard reportedly told Senate Pro-Temp Cletus Wotorson that the affected Liberians would use their alleged hidden wealth to destabilize the country. Ambassador Gerard made the remarks when Pro-Temp Wotorson requested the intervention of France in the removal of the travel ban on the Liberians.

The sanctioned Liberians recalled the first reason the UN gave was to facilitate the peace process in Sierra Leone, which later changed to on-going ties with former President Charles Taylor. According to the affected Liberians, with peace now restored to Sierra Leone and Mr. Taylor in prison, a new reason is being crafted to justify the travel ban on them.

The Liberians, some of whom supported the Unity Party in the 2005 elections, said they have remained law-abiding and promised to be law-abiding in spite the situation. They want the Liberian government to intervene in what they termed advanced punishment without due process or the benefit to be tried for any wrong-doing.

UL Baccalaureate Was A Flop

2009-04-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

…Rev. Simpson Wants Graduates Use Education for Nation

The 87th commencement baccalaureate of the University of Liberia was somehow a flop as a result of poor organization, which reduced the occasion to photo-taking affairs.

Panwhanpen who stopped by on the Main Campus of the University of Liberia to listen to the Baccalaureate sermon noticed that the service, which should have started11:AM, was delayed for almost an hour plus. It was scheduled to have begun with a procession of faculty and successful candidates for this commencement convocation, but the process was poorly arranged.

Seated later, some of the members of the graduating classes did not have a chance to view the podium or to listen to the baccalaureate sermon due to uncontrolled over-crowdedness of the UL Pavilion that hosted the service.

Journalists who went to cover the occasion were caught up in struggles for shots between the stage and the podium which Rev. Simpson and others spoke from without a public address system to transmit sound louder to the thousands of prospective graduates who swam the area along with their jubilant relatives, friends, spouses and/or well-wishers.

Panwhanpen observed lost of total orderliness and lack of quietude that should have characterized such occasion, as there ensued a struggle amongst the prospective graduates to hear speakers and the master of ceremony.

The ultimate thing that therefore resulted was the cornering of members of the graduating classes by photographers for shots, thereby reducing the entire campus to a photo taking gallery.
Speaking to the graduates, however, a Liberian cleric and educator, the Rev. Leo M. Simpson, on that Sunday, admonished the 2, 155 successful candidates of the classes of 2009 of the 87th Commencement Convocation of the University of Liberia to use their education to contribute to the process of nation-building.

He told members of the graduating classes to use self-control and sound reasoning as academicians to fast-track national development.

Bishop Simpson of the Pentecostal Assembly of the World (PAW), who delivered the baccalaureate sermon, further called on members of the classes to be careful and disciplined as they obtain their respective academic degrees. He was addressing more than 2, 155 prospective graduates from under-graduate and graduate schools of the University of Liberia.

“Education without discipline leads to anarchy. Education without discipline leads to disaster and crisis”, he said as he struggled to be audible in amidst of a poor sound system and an overcrowded baccalaureate service.

The PAW cleric and educator told the graduates that education is not a right in Liberia but rather a privilege. “There are thousands of your colleagues out there who do not have the opportunity to achieve education. Education in Liberia is not a right but a privilege,” Rev. Simpson said; writes Bill K. Jarkloh (www.panwhanpen.com) also billkjarkloh.wordpress.com

Debt Relief Progress Hangs on Legislature

2009-04-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

…Finance Ministry Wants PFM Law Passed

By: Bill K. Jarkloh Reports
http://www.newvisionliberia.com/
http://www.panwhanpen.com/
billkjarkloh.wordpress.com

“One critical step to assure further progress” in the debt relief campaign of gthe Ellenj Johnson Sirleaf Government,” Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan says, “is the passage and implementation of the comprehensive Public Financial Management (PFM) law, which is now at the Legislature for passage.

The Minister of Finance who therefore calls on members of the National Legislature to put the passage of the PFM law high on its agenda as they return form the Easter Break, told a news conference Thursday that the passage and implementation of PFM law is critical in the total alleviation of Liberia from its staggering debt burden which, according to him, has undermined the credibility of the country in international circles.

Saying that this government has inherited more than US$4 billion debt to financial institutions and donor countries, Mr. Ngafuan said, “In 2006 when the Government of HE Ellen Johnson Sirleaf took over, we inherited an enormous burden, mostly a huge external debt overhand of about US$4.9 billions, equivalent to 700 percent of our Gross Domestic Product, by far the highest ratio of any country in the world.”

The Finance Minister noted that in order to restore economic sanity to Liberia, “the government decided to confront head-on this nightmarish challenge by working with its international partners through the Heavily Indebted Poor Counties (HIPC) Initiative. Accordingly, we as a government committed ourselves to instituting a host of sound reform measures as a way of restoring confidence in our partners and or people, thereby making it easy for us to get back our lost credibility.”

Flanked by his deputy Tanue Marwolo and Deputy Information Gabriel Williams and other officials of Government’s economic management team, Ngafuan indicated, “Today we are in good standing with the international financial institutions, the IMF, the World Bank, and the ADB for the first time in decades.”

He also pointed out that Liberia is also rewarded for our reform efforts with a generous restructuring agreement with the Paris Club, a group of bilateral creditors who have already eliminated 900 million in debt with more to come once we reach Completion Point.

“Continuing on the path of bilateral debt reduction,” he accentuated, “I hereby announced that I today signed on behalf of the Liberian government an agreement with the British government immediately waiving an equivalent of US$45.5 million of our US$50.6 million debt. The remaining US$5.1 million debt is expected to be waived by the British Government when we reach the HPIC Completion Point’ he explained.

Liberia bought back US$1.2m debt

Mr. Ngafuan averred that while the government has been making tremendous strides in dealing with our debt situation with our bilateral and multilateral partners, “we still had to tackle the huge debt burden with our commercial creditors. In this respect, it is an exhilarating privilege that I inform you that we have taken a giant step forward tin our debt reduction effort.”

He then announces that I am pleased to announce that Liberia has bought back 1.2 million dollars of debt from its foreign financial creditors. “On Tuesday April 14, 2009, we concluded the exercise of purchasing back our commercial debt at a discount of nearly 97 percent off the face value, the deepest discount ever negotiated on a developing country’s commercial debt,” he explained.

Moreover, he said creditors holding 97.5 percent of the claims participated, one of the highest rates of participation in a sovereign debt buyback in the last few decades and explained that the buyback means that Liberia will now be able to take off 1.2 billion dollars of debt of the government’s balance sheet which means in a simple term that Liberia’s debt stock has reduced by 1.2 billion dollars.”

“The retiring of 1.2 billion dollars of debt is the single largest action in addressing our debt burden that we have completed to date. We can now safely and proudly proclaim that with the significant reduction, our overall debt burden is now a full 3 BILLION DOLLARS less that it was three years ago,” he bragged, saying “The buyback occurred with a strong support of our international partners, who provided the 38 million needed to complete the operation. The World Bank provided half of the financing for the buyback, and the World Bank’s Debt Reduction Facility provided the mechanism for other partners to contribute and to conclude the operation.”
Already, reports from the World Bank Headquarters http://www.worldbank.org/liberia have authenticated the information from the Ministry of Finance at home. According to the report, Liberia has slashed debt with $1.2 billion buyback at steep discount and added that buyback was completed at no cost to the citizens of Liberia.

According to the dispatch on the World Bank web, Liberia today on April 16, 2009, announced that it had significantly reduced its foreign debt by buying back $1.2 billion in outstanding government debt at a discount of nearly 97 percent of face value, the steepest ever negotiated on developing country commercial debt.

Buying back cost US$38m

The deal, the report said, was concluded with the payment of $38 million to retire 25 outstanding commercial claims. The World Bank contributed half of this money through the International Development Association (IDA) Debt Reduction Facility, and Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States contributed the other half.

“The successful resolution of this inherited debt, which had ballooned through interest and penalty charges during a period when my country was wracked by civil war, is an important step on our road to recovery,” the report quoted Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who furthered that this puts us on a firmer footing to attract investment and accelerate economic growth.

“This buy-back significantly eases Liberia’s heavy external debt burden and normalizes the country’s financial relationships with the investment community,” said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick. “The support to the buy-back by the Bank’s Debt Reduction Facility is part of our commitment to help heavily indebted poor countries reduce their debt burden”.

This deal cuts Liberia’s foreign debt to $1.7 billion, representing a reduction of more than $3 billion in the last two years. Most of the remaining debt will be cancelled when Liberia reaches its Completion Point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative, probably in 2010.
he bought back debt had been in default since the mid-1980s when Liberia was beginning to descend into civil war. During the intervening years, most of the debt was sold and often resold on the secondary market.

The Liberia deal, which had been in negotiation for two years, is the first successful debt buyback in which the vast majority of the debt was held by hedge funds and other distressed debt investors rather than by the original creditors. Creditors holding 97.5 percent of Liberia’s foreign commercial debt participated in the deal, one of the largest rates of participation in a sovereign debt buyback in the last several decades.

In December 2007, the World Bank financed Liberia’s clearance of its overdue debt service payments to the World Bank, resulting in a reduction in its debt of close to $400 million, and a similar operation with the African Development Bank led to a reduction of an additional $250 million. Negotiations with its bilateral creditors have led to cancellations of approximately $800 million.

Liberians are among some of the poorest people in the world, with an average annual per capita income of $150. More than half of the population of 3.5 million is under 25 years old, meaning that most Liberians had not even been born when the original debt was incurred. Liberia has recovered quickly since the end of the war in 2003. Economic growth has accelerated to nine percent a year, school enrolments have grown rapidly, and health facilities have re-opened across the country.

Liberian Diplomat, Kosovo Envoy Discuss Global Financial Crisis

2009-03-06T08:38:00.000-08:00

….Lauds Liberia for Recognition of Kosovo Independence

(MONROVIA, Thursday, March 05, 2009): The Liberian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Kingdom and Ireland , His Excellency, Wesley M. Johnson, on March 4, 2009, received in audience at the Liberian Embassy, the Charge d' Affaires, from the Republic of Kosovo , Dr. Muhamet Hamiti.

Receiving Dr. Hamiti, Ambassador Johnson thanked him for the visit and expressed the support the Liberian Government had given the Government of Kosovo by the recognition of Kosovo’s Independence , and trust that the cordial relations that now exists between the two countries will continue to improve, which may perhaps lead to the opening of diplomatic missions in both Capitals.

According to a Foreign Ministry Release, Dr. Hamiti also thanked Ambassador Johnson for receiving him and asked that the Liberian envoy convey to the President, Government and people of Liberia the warm sentiments for support given Kosovo by the Government of Liberia.

He welcomed the hope of exchanging diplomatic mission in both capitals in the not too distant future. The two envoys then discussed issues of importance confronting the comity of nations, especially the global financial crisis and the political fallout it might cause relative to world recession.

They also expressed confidence that both nations will continue to adhere to the principles and Charter of the United Nations with the conviction that all peace-loving nations of the world must live together in harmony.

Ambassador Johnson said Liberia being a peace-loving nation, extends her hands of friendship to all peaceful nations of the world and that the Johnson-Sirleaf Administration is ready for business, adding that all peaceful nations are invited to come and invest in the Liberian economy.

Meanwhile, the President of the Republic of Liberia, Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, has sent a Message of Congratulations to the President, Government and People of the Republic of Ghana, on the auspicious occasion marking the 52nd Independence Anniversary of that country.

According to a Foreign Ministry Release, in the message to Her Ghanaian Counterpart, His Excellency President John Atta-Mills, Madam Johnson Sirleaf conveyed warmest congratulations and best wishes to the Ghanaian leader, and through him, to the Government and People of Ghana on behalf of the Government and People of Liberia, and in Her own name, noting that the bond of friendship subsisting between the two countries will continue to grow stronger in the years ahead.

President Johnson-Sirleaf then prayed that as Liberia joins Ghana in celebrating this prestigious occasion, the people of Ghana will enjoy the shower of blessing under the dynamic leadership of President John Atta-Mills. www.mofa.gov.lr

3 Presidents: Halonen, Wade, Kigame Arrive Today

2009-03-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

To Participate In An Int'l Women Colloquium

(MONROVIA, THURSDAY MARCH 5, 2009): The President of Finland, Her Excellency, Mrs. Tarja Halonen, at the head of a 37-member delegation, arrives in the country tomorrow, Friday, March 6, 2009, on a State Visit.

Two African Presidents, His Excellency, Mr. Abduaoleya Wade of the Republic of Senegal, coming with a 28-member delegation and His Excellency, Mr. Paul Kigame of the Republic of Rwanda, heading of a 19-member delegation, will also arrive in the country this week to participate in the International Women Colloquium, co-convened by President Johnson-Sirleaf and her Finland counterpart, President Halonen.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, the President of Finland and delegation will arrive at the Roberts International Airport, onboard a Special Presidential Aircraft, and will be received by the Liberian leader, President Johnson Sirleaf.

Upon arrival, President Tarja Halonen will be accorded an appropriate traditional welcome befitting a world leader and presented white rice and kola nuts by the Chairman of the National Council of Chiefs, Chief Zanzan Karwor.

On the same day, President Tarja will address the Joint Session of the House of Representatives and the House of Senate after which she will proceed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where the Finland leader will be gowned by the Traditional Council of Chiefs, and admitted into the Most Venerable Order of the Pioneers of the Republic of Liberia by Grand Master of the Orders of the Republic of Liberia, President Johnson-Sirleaf.

Also during the ceremony, President Halonen will bestow on Her Excellency, President Johnson Sirleaf, the Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland with Chain and Star.

Meanwhile, the International Colloquium for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security will be graced by high profile women leaders and dignitaries from around the world.

Prominent among International dignitaries expected in the country include: Mrs. Tarja Halonen, President of Finland, at the head of a 37-member delegation; President Paul Kigame of Rwanda, at the head a 19-member delegation; H.E Abdoulaye Wade, President of Senegal, at the head of a 28-member delegation, and Sharif Husayn Ibn’Ali, Queen of Jordan.

Others are: the Governor General of Canada, at the head a 22-member delegation, the Vice President of Spain, at the head of a 65-member delegation; the Vice President of The Gambia, at the head of a 9-member delegation; Margot Wallstron, Senior Vice President of the European Commission (EC), at the head of a12 -member delegation; the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union, at the head of a 3-member delegation and Her Excellency Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, and the United Nations High commissioner for Human Rights respectively.

The international dignitaries also include H.E. Luisa Dias Diogo, Prime Minister of Mozambique, at the head of a 10-member delegation; H.E. Kazimira Danute Prunskiere, Former Prime Minister of Lithuania; H.E. Rugh Dreifuss, former President of Switzerland; H.E. Maria Liberia-Peters, former Prime Minister of Netherlands and the First Lady of Sierra Leone, among hundreds of others prominent women leaders.

Political Thuggery & Espionage Re-surfacing?

2009-01-30T06:41:00.000-08:00

Introduction

The Liberian parlance, “Monkey does not leave behind its black hands” is difficult to disprove when it is analogized with the Liberian politician’s ingrained tendency of bullying critical voice into absolute submission, this was how the Public Agenda newspaper started its analysis of the resurgence of political thuggery. The topic sentence or thesis statement of this article by the paper was not mistaken. In the past, political actors that have found themselves in leadership position have used the scare-tactics of bullying opponents or those critical of them was the modus operandi from the days of the foundation of Liberian politics – heightened during the tubmanic era and then peaked at during Taylor’s civil-military regime that phased out 2003 August. This kind of tactics was a way of obliterating critics and, at most, driving them into exile so that they perpetuate themselves into power without criticism against the odds of their regimes. At this tactics, dissenting voice often comes overtly and brutally; but it also comes subtly and covertly, or by means of the combination of both. The manner and form notwithstanding diverse, there is one thing that almost always stands in every case: no Liberian leader lets challengers of the Presidency survive without deep bruises either inflicted by him/herself or his/her commissioned thugs and spies as the situation seems to be resurfacing at the General Auditing Commission (GAC), the Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC and other domains of the government.

The Brevity of This Vicious Political Trait’s Evolution

The country’s 18th President, Tubman, constructed the architecture for political intimidation, coercion and annihilation in the country. He spread his despotic tentacles across the country via “Public Relations Officers (PRO)” who were actually secret agents that gathered true or false intelligences for his ear and action.

Once Tubman lent ears and eyes on hints from his intra-governmental or intra-national espionage network, he got into action and effectively subdued the target. The 27-tenured President left the traits so entrenched that his successors imbibed them. Tolbert, however his noted liberal deportments, hardly uprooted Tubman and True Whig Party’s secret cells and fanatics whose information to the President was sufficient ground for governmental action.

President Samuel Doe maximized the trait via his Krahn-dominated Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (SATU) and other military and paramilitary forces who worked both covertly and overly to feed the Presidency with the real or perceived maneuvers of opponents and critics. And Doe hardly ignored their reports on his and government’s perceived and real opponents within and without.

Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor, probably the luckiest of all--lucky because he’s having his day in court to answer to entrenched culture of political thuggery and espionage--is also on record fielding partisans, well-wishers and other extremists to contain, if not liquidate, dissenting voices.

The Hereditary Traits Hit Ellen

Beyond all the pretenses camouflaged by rhetoric, there seethes a fury of political and bureaucratic intolerance and hate within Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and/or her administration--the same intolerance and hate that historically and characteristically provide the composts that give growth to the culture of political espionage and thuggery in the country. Probably mortified by past appellation of human rights and pro-democratic advocate and by the fact that the administration does not command an active military force of its own, coupled with the overwhelming presence of the rights-obsessed international community, Sirleaf and most of her officials are constrained to keep the hereditary traits of political intolerance and hate highly discreet and disguised.

Nonetheless, monkey can hardly leave behind its black hands, the ripples of political espionage and thuggery are growing visibly with time under the Sirleaf leadership. And the new tactic is to disfigure and render inconsequential any individual or group within or without government who, even those standing on the pedestal of its own transformation policy for proving to be tough and dissenting on the modus operandi of Government in general and the presidency in particular.

The most recent targets are the government’s own progenies--the General Auditing Commission (GAC) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)--which have variously come under and been enduring devastating presidential maneuvers. One longtime political pundit states, “As it had been under past authoritarian regimes, so it is under the Sirleaf administration: firstly, commission aficionados, often within the same organization, to keep surveillance on the principal targets and leak every trace of non-conformity; and secondly, if the result is difficult to come by, use thugs to unleash provocative venoms.”

The GAC Malaise

The GAC is currently wobbling in the furnace of the onslaught and is endeavoring to salvage itself from political espionage and thuggery. In less than a week recently, the physical attack increased on the Commission: office vehicle damaged, senior official’s home burglarized and another senior official brutalized.

Since the transfer of Elizabeth Tubman from the Ministry of Finance, where she headed the BGA Section, the Commission continues to witness intermittent disquiet owing to what some staff there call her “espionage” tactics a the GAC. According to a source who does not want to appear in print, the planting of Elizabeth at the Commission, believed to be a daughter of President William Tubman, was perhaps an ideal placement not only because the transferee must have been carrying the espionage-thuggery trait of her father, but also because the GAC and its head were about to produce audit reports that might leave far-reaching political implication for the transferor, President Sirleaf.

It is not clear how the presidential maneuvering have been paying off, though there were reports recently that a trumped-up and obscure pressure group, Movement for the Downtrodden Masses, got access to deliberately abridged GAC financial reports sent to the Ministry of Finance and subsequently exploited the leaked documents to rain disparaging comments on the Commission.
Probably just mere social hoodlum and professional misfit, the source said, Madam Tubman has so far limited her job at the GAC to fomenting hullabaloos and trading chitchats between the Commission and her assignors for which sources say she snatches US$2,000 monthly.

The issue of professional misfit of Madam Tubman was since raised at the Ministry of Finance by ex-Assistant Minister for Expenditure, Aletha K. Brown, who wrote a memorandum of December 5, 2007 questioning the professional capacity of the subject. The quality of quarterly reports supervised and submitted by the then Director-General of the Bureau of General Accounting (BGA) for review, according to the Browne memo, required weeks of additional work to get her handiwork tidy up.

“We are particularly concerned about the disruption this level of our involvement in the work of the BGA is causing our office,” Browne’s memo further states. “Clearly, there are issues of capacity that need to be addressed.” The GAC Deputy Auditor General for Administration, Madam Elizabeth, confessed to her incapacity problem in a memo to Auditor General John Morlu, a copy obtained by Public Agenda.

“This is in reference to your memo dated 15 May 2008, giving me the responsibility to prepare four proposals for your review and onward submission to the World Bank and EU,” she wrote in the memo dated May 28, 2008. “I do not have the technical skill in writing project proposals, therefore, it will be prudent to hire a expert [sic] or select someone in our organization who has the technical skill, and I will be more than happy to work on the team.”

GAC sources begging for anonymity for fear of reprisal say the assignment of Madam Tubman by Madam Sirleaf at the GAC is epitome of pension scheme for the former first family member. “The lady does nothing, except to collect her check and other emoluments at the month’s end for which she gather hints pleasant to the ears of her masters,” a GAC source hinted. “If we have little quiet today, tomorrow is commotion often authored by this lady.”

In her latest show of brouhaha, according to our sources, Madam Tubman and her “NGO” [Women Never Got Old] pals verbally and emotionally attacked Auditor General John Morlu at ceremonies marking President Sirleaf’s presentation of the State of the Nation Address before the 52nd Legislature on Monday. The source further said when the Elizabeth-led cabal’s whispers of “GAC-Corrupt” invectives could not attract much attention in the hall where the President was delivering her speech, they reinvigorated themselves outside the hall scoring the goal they had sought: many passersby and bystanders gave them audience as they shouted on the top of their voices, “GAC Corrupt; Morlu Corrupt”.

The GAC Deputy Auditor-General took her new assignment at the Commission with a backlog of fiscally indiscipline credentials. The fraudulent case was about some “eat-so-eat-so” scheme that Madam Tubman engaged in as she took office at the GAC. In taking office, a source divulged, she had a gracious offer from Government via the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to pay her “transitional” emolument. But Tubman did not inform the GAC. She rather chose to put pressure on the GAC which bowed with some US$1,500 monthly.

Caught pants down, sources say Madam Tubman was asked to refund monies taken from GAC while at the same time receiving another “eating” from the UNDP. Apparently her “eat-so-eat-so” has passed on with impunity. As if Madam Tubman and colleagues’ onslaught on Morlu at the Annual Message ceremony was not sufficient, they drove to the premises of the GAC a day or two later and used car-parking claims to unleash another round of invectives.

The Deputy AG insisted parking on a spot reserved for the Auditor-General despite being persuaded by guards to use an alternative spot traditionally reserved for D/AG/Adm. The guards’ counsel, eyewitnesses said, enraged Madam Tubman and her peers who were seen panting in anger and stampeded with insults and other acts of discourtesy that attracted swarms of onlookers.
The stampede-breakers called in their contacts who sent a band of police officers. Without much ceremony, the officers commandeered the park-signs before the GAC and made away with them.

Except God intervene, one source said, the TRC would soon break into two factions, engulfed in commotion which detractors of the Commission might use to further discredit and annihilate it. “As long this lady is around she shall work to ensure her espionage mandate is achieved,” the source said. “And there is little or nothing authority at GAC cannot do because it is President Sirleaf who commissioned her and it is at her way and will and pleasure Madam Tubman is serving.”
If the GAC cracks, the source said, it would be joining the fate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which is nursing the wounds of the policy of political espionage and thuggery.

In the wake of the rancor at the GAC, reports have it that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has called for the reprimand of the women that had assaulted the Auditor General of Liberia after a probe has proven then liable. But the General Auditing Commission of Liberia has rejected calls by Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf for a probe into the incident which followed the President’s State of the Nation address on Monday, leading to an assault on the Auditor General, John S. Morlu by Morlu’s deputy, Matu Tubman and two other women.

Reports have indicated that Sirleaf has asked the various ministries to punish the women who allegedly assaulted the Auditor General on Monday. The President has called for an investigation between Ms. Elizabeth Martu Tubman, and the GAC security.

The decision by Sirleaf is hardly acceptable to the Auditor General and auditors at the GAC who call on the President to take action as her call for probe is “unacceptable” to them. The accused Mrs. Tubman of leading a gang of women to attack the AG who eyewitnesses say did not retaliate during the incident. The assault on Morlu was curbed through the swift intervention of Moses Kollie and former Minister of State, Morris Dukuly.

President was notified

Already, it has been reported that the GAC has notified the President and the Executive Mansion; that the incident was witnessed by several people and seen in broad day light and a probe now would only lead to a waste of time for the “apparently a clear cut incident”. Ms. Tubman, and the women, following the Monday incident, again assault the Auditor General and other staff of the GAC on Tuesday, when Ms. Tubman and band of women reportedly stormed the GAC’s offices and launched the new round of assault.

The GAC has described Ms. Tubman’s actions as a “calculated plan” to obstruct and undermine the work of the GAC and to humiliate the Auditor General. During the President’s State of the Nation address Monday, Tubman reportedly insisted on parking her vehicle in the space reserved for the Auditor General. The incident according to Morlu, made him thirty minutes late for an important EGRIP meeting at the Ministry of Finance.

For Morlu, the incident raises serious questions about the support he is receiving from the administration. The AG a media outlet recently that he wondered why Tubman and her peers showed up at his place of work; after attacking him at the State of the Nation's Address? “It is calculated. It was planned. It could have been directed, because of their boldness to attack an AG and the entire GAC staff. Who is providing them backing? You are the appointing power, and tangible action is needed. Again, Morris Dukuly and Hon. Kollie witnessed the entire incident at the Capitol.”

'Will Not be Swept Under the Carpet'

According to Morlu, the staff of the GAC has been attacked in the past and nothing has been done by the government to protect him, and his staff of the GAC. “This attack on me at the State of the Nation Address by a gang of women put together by Deputy AG Martu Tubman will not be swept under the carpet by an expanded and unnecessary investigation, because the facts are so glaring with even the Government admitting that I was unduly harassed. The Minister of State McClain, and DG of the CSA know the facts, because the DG has spoken to Mr. Dukuly.”

Morlu says he has informed the President, that he has already informed the Minister of Justice, that he reserves the right to self defense against these types of attacks. However, he continues to exercise the maximum patience, as he and his staff of the GAC has come under attack. “I cannot take anymore!,” Morlu declared.

In the wake of the incident Morlu says, he does not see how he and Ms. Tubman can ever work in the same building. “This issue will not be watered down by an expanded investigation. Demonstrable inaction on the part of the Government to take swift and reputable actions against these kinds of attacks against me, and the GAC is increasing the risk of more unprovoked attacks, which is affecting the morale of the staff of the GAC. They are all concluding that it is likely supported by the Mansion, which you have been assured that it is not the case. I like to continue to believe that is the case,” Morlu declared Thursday.

Wife, family fears for safety

Morlu said his wife and family are concerned for his safety in Liberia, and the incident has dampen his resolve to even consider renewing his contract to stay in Liberia beyond the three-year mandate. “Truly, I have reached the end of this whole attack. I cannot tolerate it any longer. I just came to Liberia to do a piece of job. If they want to take GAC back to the days of compromised audits and continue the looting of state coffers, I will not be a part of it. This Nation needs to move forward responsibly to respond to the needs of its people, rather than the perceived continued support to disorderly behavior by highly placed Government officials who will leave their places of work, to join another person to attack and undermine the work of others."

The AG asserted that he has never been an enemy of the Sirleaf Government, and only came at the President's request to help improve accountability and transparency. "However, the uncontrolled, planned and escalated attacks and threats against me, and the staff of the GAC was not a part of the deal. But I am the real target of so many of these people,” the AG said.

Morlu said it is highly likely that if it was him who had attacked and threatened the women, he would have been immediately ordered arrested and imprisoned. “For instance, I was accused of breaking a US$50 glass door and was prevented from leaving this country to see my wife and children for Christmas. I would have been probably sent to the "Gulag" for attacking and threatening other government officials at the President’s State of the Nation Address. But since it is against me, they are walking free.”

Morlu said in any event, if swift action is not taken against Ms. Tubman and her gang of unruly women who attacked him at the State of the Nation Address, and followed it up with another attack at my office of work, then he would have to seek legal redress in the Courts. “There are many ways to scheme to get me out of this position and this country, so that they can carry on the “business as usual” you're trying to end. Attacks and threats on my personhood is not a viable option. GAC must not be turned into another GRC, TRC, and Transport Ministry etc confusion was or is the order of the day.

As long as I am AG, Mr. insisted, I will resist any attempt by people like Ms. Tubman and her gang of women to undermine the work and integrity of the GAC. No expanded investigation is needed, when the facts are so glaring. It is not proper to shift blame on the GAC security. How will any Cabinet Minister feel, if his or her undermen decided one day to insist that he or she park their vehicle in the space reserved for them, a day after the same minister was attacked by the same women?”

The incident comes as Morlu, in recent weeks has been winning praise from the U.S. government. Both the United States Ambassador to Liberia Linda Greenfield, and Mr. Gene L. Dodaro Comptroller General of the General Accountability Office(GAO), the Supreme Audit Institution in the United States have heralded the GAC for fighting fraud and waste in Liberia.

Pres. Sirleaf must decisively act

Greenfield, in a meeting with Morlu this week said she was greatly impressed and deeply overwhelmed with the high level of performance of the Auditor General in the fight against fraud, waste, abuse of resources, graft and fiscal improprieties. The incident also comes as the Department of International Development (DIFID),based in Great Britain announced that it has paid the arrears of the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to the African Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions of English Speaking Countries(INTOSAI), thereby making the GAC a full-fledged and active member of AFROSAI-E.

The payment of the arrears, over US$45,000.00 accumulated over the years is a notable gesture on the part of DIFID, something which smoothens GAC ‘s relations and demonstrates its active and increasing participation on promoting independence and collaboration amongst international auditing institutions.

For Morlu, in the wake of this week’s incident, it is crucial for President Sirleaf to put her foot down and put her friends in check. “Their attacks were surreal because it was unprovoked. I believe I have never met or crossed paths with these women, except for their ring leader Ms. Tubman. They must not exploit their relationship with the President, - or anyone else in the Mansion to attack and threaten other people,” the AG concluded.

The TRC melancholy

Another pivotal state institution that has been radiating with symptoms of political espionage and thuggery is the Truth & Reconciliation Commission probing Liberia’s social, economic and political aberrations between 1979 or even beyond and 2003. The advent of the TRC, coupled with its operations, has been encumbered by external, though national, influences that are nearly wrecking the essence and gains of the Commission.

In-fighting between and amongst commissioners and feuds between the Commission and other state structures, particularly the office of the President, has been the order of things characterizing the modus operandi of the TRC. Some analysts believe that the malaise facing the TRC is a grand scheme by high national powers to de-venerate this all-important commission and render it unpopular and useless in the hope that their deeds during the period being probed are left unexcavated for the sake of impunity.

However regarded with contempt by some pundits who believe the Commission’s autonomy from other powerful structures and officials of government is questionable and compromised, the TRC has shown some juice and muscles that nearly contradict pundits’ opinion. Mid last year, the TRC mustered the courage and accused elements in the office of President Sirleaf of interfering with the work of the Commission in trying to establish the authenticity of allegations of war crimes committed by folksinger Michael Davies, alias Sundaygar Dearboy.

Michael is a praise-singer of President Sirleaf. Investigation conducted by journalists and the TRC in a couple of villages in Grand Bassa County uncovered gross violation of human rights and war crimes allegedly committed by the pro-Sirleaf singer during the civil conflict. When the TRC was about to appraise the reports, the Executive Mansion attempted to counterbalance the investigation with pro-Dearboy maneuverings which the Commission found offensive and strongly reacted to at the time.

The TRC also proved it had teeth to bite when it angrily reacted to Justice Minister Philip Banks’ “legal advice” urging President not to stand before the TRC. Banks had cited fear of mob action against President Sirleaf and Article of 61 of the Liberian Constitution as grounds for dissuading the President to appear.
But the TRC, amongst other things, asserted that Banks’ opinion, “stretching the limits of Article 61 of the Constitution of Liberia to include the LTRC, a non judicial, truth-seeking, reconciliation and peace building institution, advising the exclusion of the President of Liberia’s testimony from the LTRC process on matters unrelated to the Presidency from 1979 to 2003, is, in the least, disappointing and appears analogous to and indistinguishable from dishonesty.”

President Sirleaf herself has been evasive in meeting the TRC’s request to appear and testify openly. The TRC members, or some of them, have been in fist fight and quarrels that draw the dichotomy of so-called Execution Mansion-controlled commissioners and anti-establishment commissioners. The dichotomy is becoming clearer by the day as acrimonies linger between two camps of commissioner over the release of TRC’s preliminary reports.

One camp headed by Chairman Jerome Verdier submitted the first volume of report with recommendations for criminal prosecution of perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity, but another camp of four has objected on grounds that the recommendations were not product of consensus amongst all commissioners.

A similar brew surfaced again when the President’s appearance before the TRC in camera became an issue. TRC source hinted Public Agenda that there are commissioners who usually swallow every gesture of the president and seek to impose same on other members of the TRC. “We must be thankful that there are some good Liberians on the TRC who are independent-minded; otherwise, the TRC would have since been a President’s surrogate commission,” said a TRC source who does not want to be named. “Here, we have the President’s eyes and ears. I am sure they are here. What I don’t know is whether they are acting on the order or commission of the President.”

Malaise of Other Critical Voices

The GAC and the TRC, however principal targets of the resurgence of political espionage and thuggery, are not the only groups in the furnace. A number of private individuals and organizations are also being sweltered by the planted confidantes and thugs to monitor and demean.
The head of a civil society organization, who begged not to be named in print because he would alarm at the appropriate moment in the near future, said he suspects powerful political forces are acting against his advocacy campaign.

“What I notice is that deliberate efforts are being made to frighten some of our donors and partners as a form of strangulation,” the said. “I notice that some of my funders are backing away without any tangible excuse, even though they told me in confidence that I should tune down my aggressive advocacy. At times I get anonymous calls from people who disclose my next moves as if there were insiders here that feed the big powers with information.”
Courtesy of Public ADENDA

ANNUAL MESSAGE TO NATIONAL LEGISLATURE 2009

2009-01-27T07:11:00.000-08:00

FULL TEXT OF PRESIDENT JOHNSON-SIRLEAF'S NATION ADDRESS

Mr. Vice President;
Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro Tempore;
Honorable Members of the Legislature;
Mr. Chief Justice, Associate Justices of the Supreme Court and Members of the Judiciary;
Members of the Cabinet and other Government Officials;
Mr. Doyen, Excellencies and Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Her Excellency the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Liberia;
Officers and Staff of the United Nations Mission in Liberia;
The Command-Officer-In-Charge, Men and Women of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL);
Former Vice President and Mrs. Moses Blah;
Former Chairman of the National Transitional Government Mr. Gyude Bryant;
Former Government Officials;
Traditional Leaders, Chiefs and Elders;
Political and Business Leaders;
Officers and Members of the National Bar Association;
Labour and Trade Unions;
Youth and Student Organizations;
Civil Society Organizations; Members of the Press;
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen;
Fellow Liberians:

INTRODUCTION
Honorable Legislators, in obedience to the Constitution of our Republic, I have the honour for the fourth time to report to you on the affairs of our nation. First, in homage to the Almighty God by whose Supreme Will we are guided, and to the memory of the cherished Liberian leaders and other citizens who have passed to the great beyond, I ask that you join me in observing a moment of silence.

LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
During the year, you enacted into law several pieces of Legislation, including the ratification of instruments significant to achieving our development goals under the PRS. We commend you particularly for the thirty seven (37) legislative instruments submitted by my Office to this Honorable Body during its third session. Twenty seven (27) were enacted into law; Seven are still being deliberated upon in Committee Rooms; and three were returned to the Executive. We are pleased to recall that legislations submitted to this Honorable Body in 2007 were also enacted into law during the period under review.

Of the twenty seven (27) legislations enacted, seven Acts were supportive of the Peace & Security Pillar. They include the revised National Defense Act; the National Bureau of Veterans Act; and the Chemical Weapons Act. Eight legislations affected the Economic Revitalization Pillar: including the Act ratifying the Amended and Restated Concession Agreement between the Republic of Liberia and Firestone Liberia, Incorporated; the Act ratifying the Renegotiated Concession Agreement between the Government of Liberia (GOL) and LIBINC Oil Palm Company (LIBINCO); the Act ratifying the Renegotiated Concession Agreement between the Government of Liberia and the Liberia Forest Product, Incorporated (LFP); the Act ratifying the Concession Agreement between the Republic of Liberia and ADA Commercials, Incorporated; the Act ratifying the Investment Agreement between the Republic of Liberia and Novel Liberia, Incorporated; and the ratification of various Oil Production Sharing Contracts. Twenty (20) legislations supported our work under Pillar III, Governance & Rule of Law: the Anti-Corruption Commission Act; the Act Amending Title 17 of the Revised Code of Laws of Liberia of 1972 to establish Criminal Court “E” of the First Judicial Circuit, Montserrado County; and the Act to Amend Section 2212 of the Revenue Code of Liberia Act of 2000 to Restrict Budgetary Transfers.

During the year under review, our Administration issued six Executive Orders in the interest of the public to meet emergencies or to correct particular situations which could not await the lengthy legislative process to run its course: Executive Order #11, to suspend tariff on our main staple rice; Executive Order #12, to extend the mandate of the National Commission on Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (NCDDRR) to complete the Rehabilitation and Reintegration Component of the NCDDRR Program within the Context of National Ownership; Executive Order #13, suspending Tariff on Road Construction Equipment, Forestry Equipment, Agricultural Equipment and Agricultural Seeds; Executive Order 14, to Waive Withholding Taxes on Salary Income for and under US$70.; Executive Order #15, to establish an Ad-hoc Independent Commission to Investigate Alleged Improprieties by Certain Officials of Government in reference to Email Exchanges on the Front Page Africa Website; Executive Order #16, placing a moratorium on the exportation of unprocessed natural rubber; and Executive Order #17, an extension of Executive Order #13.

Honorable Legislators, I solicit your usual corporation for the enactment of the seven draft legislations (2008) still pending before you, which have significant implications for the achievement of our goal of national renewal: provision of infrastructure and basic services; and for the protection of our people. These include An Act to Amend Certain Provision of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights Act of 2005, the three Boundary Harmonization Acts, An Act to establish the National Airport Authority of Liberia, the Public Financial Management Act of 2008, and An Act to establish the Land Commission. Also pending before your Honorable Body since 2007 are the Act to Authorize the establishment of the National Transit Authority; ratification of Universal Instrument Against Terrorism; An Act to Amend Title 2, Criminal Procedure Law, as enshrined in Volume 1 of the Liberian Code of Law Revised; and, of much importance, the Code of Conduct for Public Servants Act.

We also want to call this Honorable Body attention to those Acts that were returned to the Executive, and to assure you that when the Executive addresses your inquiries these Acts will be resubmitted for your consideration to enact them into laws. They include the Act Amending the Investment Incentive Act of 1973, the Act Amending Section 204(E) of the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000 and the Act to Amend Chapter 15 of the Penal Law by adding thereto a new Sub-Section 15.54(7) known as the Asset Freeze Act.

Honorable Legislators, as we move into the Fourth Session of the Fifty-Second Legislature and the fourth year of this Administration, we should all endeavor to keep the path to our development agenda steady but enhancing. In this vein, we will be submitting for enactment by your Honorable body, several proposed Acts intended to consolidate the progress and tackle the challenges under the PRS. They include, Liberian National Security and Intelligence Act of 2008; An Act Amending the Public Procurement and Concessions Act of 2005 inter alia and to harmonize the New Mining and Mineral Law and Petroleum Law with the PPCA; An Act to amend the Act providing for Retirement Pension for the President & Vice President, the Speaker & Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate & Members of the National Legislature, the Chief Justice & Associate Justices of the Supreme Court and judges of subordinate courts of record, Cabinet Ministers, Deputy & Assistant Ministers, Members of Autonomous Commissions, Ambassadors and other Senior Officials of Government, including Superintendents of Counties; and, several Acts to repeal moribund State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).

Also to be submitted soon for your ratification are:

The Concession Agreement Signed between the Government of Liberia and Buchanan Renewable (Monrovia) Power Incorporated.
This is one of the major deliverables of the Energy Sector, under Pillar IV of Liberia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS). The agreement is also in line with our National Energy Sector White Paper and the draft National Energy Policy, whereby the private sector will be encouraged to participate in power generation as Independent Power Producers (IPPs); and the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) or a successor company, by itself, or in joint venture with private entities, will handle transmission and distribution.

Key highlights of the Agreement are as follow:
Two power plants, 17.5 MW each (total 35 MW), fired from wood of old rubber trees, will be built in the vicinity of Kakata, Margibi County.
About 30 MW (net) of power and 223 million kWh/yr of electrical energy will be delivered from these plants in Kakata to the LEC Substation in Paynesville for distribution to all parts of Monrovia and its environs. Power from these plants will also be distributed to Kakata and its surroundings and to other parts of Montserrado County.
The first power from these plants will be available by the end of 2010.
The estimated capital cost of the project is US$149 million.
The Project offers the following benefits and has several advantages:
The fuel source, rubber wood, is a renewable resource and relatively clean, unlike fossil fuel which is non-renewable and has adverse environmental consequences.
Spent rubber wood is plentiful in Liberia unlike fossil fuel which has to be imported, thus causing strain on Liberia’s Foreign Currency Base. Liberian rubber farmers will earn an income from the sale of spent rubber wood to Buchanan Renewable.
Hundreds of construction jobs and more than 100 full-time, long term jobs associated with the power production and distribution will be created.
There will be construction of new roads to gain access to some of the rubber wood farms.
Liberia will be an example in Africa where rubber wood is being used to produce industrial power.

The Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) between China Union Mining Co. (Hong Kong), Ltd. and China Union Investment (Liberia) Bong Mines Co., Ltd and the Government of Liberia.
This Agreement, the largest single investment package in the history of Liberia, is intended to resume iron ore mining and processing operations at Bong Mines. It will facilitate the investment of US$2.68 billion to rehabilitate infrastructures and operational facilities at Bong Mines, the Port, the railroad, and the Kakata-Heindi highway etc.; and to start up iron ore production and processing operations at Bong Mines.

Key benefits to Liberia include the following:
An estimated 3,000 new jobs will be created.
Transmission and Distribution infrastructure will be constructed to provide surplus electricity to major communities.
The Railroad from Monrovia to Bong will be rehabilitated/ reconstructed to carry not only iron ore but also regular public passengers and cargos.
An annual contribution of US$3.5 million will be provided for Community Development to Bong, Margibi and Montserrado Counties; and many other community development investments will be made directly by the Concessionaire, including;
The establishment of an Agricultural Demonstration Project that will train (by demonstration) local farmers in the establishment and management of productive farming;
The rehabilitation and/or construction of a hospital, clinics and health posts, in the concession area as well as in surrounding communities;
The rehabilitation and/or construction of a high school, a technical school as well as elementary schools in the concession area as well as in surrounding communities;
Scholarships and research funds will also be available;
The rehabilitation and/or establishment of several entertainment and service facilities, etc.

Three (3) Forest Management Contracts between government on the one hand and the Liberia Tree and Trading Company, EJ&J Investment Corporation and Alpha Logging & Wood Processing Incorporated on the other.

Commercial forestry operations are indicated in the Poverty Reduction Strategy as the spearhead of economic revitalization of Liberia outside the capital city. It is slated to deliver jobs, regenerate local communities, improve infrastructure and provide much needed revenue for development to government – the major part of which will be earmarked for spending on activities identified in county development agendas and in communities directly affected by logging.

Given the urgent and desperate needs of our people, FDA has devoted much of its initial energies to address this challenge. It has been guided by these important principles to:
Expedite logging to provide jobs for young men and women outside the cities;
Ensure that communities receive their just and equitable benefits from logging through the provisions of the 2006 Forest Reform Law and maximize the value of those benefits through transparent competitive bidding;
Protect the forest resources from over-logging and destruction from unbridled private greed; and
Provide a regulatory framework based on principles and criteria of sustainable forest management.

After two years of careful planning and assistance from the United States Government, and other development partners to lay the foundations for sustainable development, these contracts have been awarded through competitive international bidding to Liberian and overseas investors for 580,000 acres in the Middle and Northwest of Liberia.

In order to ensure an equitable regional balance national development, FDA is moving quickly ahead to attract further investment of 1.9 million acres on the forested Southeast of Liberia, which will be the mainstay of economic development in those counties for many years to come. Without forestry these rural areas of our Country would wait many years for any tangible benefits from large-scale developments in either agriculture or mining.

VISION
Mr. President of the Senate, Mr. Speaker, Honourable Legislators, our vision is clear and detailed in our Poverty Reduction Strategy. Liberians want to build a new nation that is peaceful, secure and prosperous, with democratic and accountable governance based on the rule of law and with abundant employment and other economic opportunities. Our critical objective over the next three years is to be on an irreversible path toward this goal – to achieve rapid, exclusive and sustainable growth and development, to build the capabilities of and provide new opportunities for Liberia’s greatest asset, its people; to establish responsible institutions of justice, human rights and governance. This is our vision and our commitment which can only be achieved when the majority of our people share in the vision and are willing to participate positively and constructively in the processes of reform and change.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
Honorable Legislators, let me now report on the state of the nation, the progress which we have made and the challenges we face under the four pillars of our development agenda. In doing so, and in the interest of not keeping you sitting as long as last year, I will provide main highlights leaving details for you to read in the text that will be distributed to you and posted on the Executive Mansion Website.

Peace and Security
Let us all be thankful to God and to the Liberian people as we enter our sixth year of peace. This has been made possible by the continued support which we receive from the United Nations Security Council in providing the United Nations Mission which includes a Peace Keeping Force with a current strength of 12,065. An agreed gradual drawdown plan is expected to see a meaningful size force in the country through the 2011 elections.

Under the security sector reform, our target for the new Armed Forces of Liberia has been met with the current strength of 2057 personnel. This includes 773 formed into military police units, an engineering company, garrison departments and a brigade training unit. Expanded and improved facilities at the Edward Binyah Kesselly Barrack in Schefflin, the Sandee Ware Barracks in Careysburg and the newly renovated Tubman barracks in Gbarnga will accommodate our troops. Under the Defense Act, we have commenced the reestablishment of our Coast Guard with forty persons in initial sailor training to commence initial operations when facilities at the port are rehabilitated and vessels and other equipment are ready by the end of the year.

The Liberia National Police (LNP) had attained and surpassed its initial goal set by the United Nations of training a new core of 3,500 personnel. Using that figure in comparison with the population of over 3.5 million, it means that on the average one police officer services 1,000 citizens. There is therefore a need for infusion of more officers in the New Year, a process that has already begun.

The LNP, in its continued drive to upgrade its effectiveness and responsiveness to crimes in the community, graduated the first 139 approved 500 contingent Emergency Response Unit (ERU) of the LNP. The Unit is now fully operational, assisting the Police Support Unit (PSU) and the regular police units combat crimes in the nation. It is anticipated that the full strength of the ERU will be attained during the course of 2009.

The Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) reports that during the year a total of 235,495 legal aliens were admitted into the country, 101 aliens were refused admission, and 191,098 departed the country. It also records that a total of 44 Liberians were deported from the United States of America and several hundred Liberians repatriated from Ghana.

The incidence of drug trafficking in our sub-region is of increasing concern. During the year our Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) arrested 267 persons including 244 Liberians for drug offences and the Agency continues to be active in the destruction of marijuana plants some of which are grown in certain parts of the country. A continuing problem still to be effectively addressed, the Liberia National Fire Service recorded 147 fires during the year which resulted in 11 casualties, 32 injuries and damages totaling about US$1.2 million.

With a few exceptional lapses, the Special Security Service (SSS) improved its performance with training and instructional support from the US Advisory Team.

We continue to face challenges in all of our security units in terms of integrity and attitude reminiscent of the past. However, government must take responsibility in encouraging better performance by doing more to improve their living and work conditions. This is particularly true for those who are to serve in rural areas. We must also find more effective means to deal with the menace of armed robbery. I ask your support in providing the budgetary resources that will enable us to do so and I will engage the Judiciary Branch in an effort to obtain quick and effective action against those criminals who continue to harm and steal from hard working innocent citizens.

The National Commission on Disarmament, Demobilization, Resettlement and Reintegration (NCDDRR) is nearing completion of training of the residual caseload of 7, 388 disarmed and demobilized ex-combatants and will wind down its activities by mid year. There is need for assistance to the Commission to retire honorably the 53 ex-generals of the AFL and warring factions that have assisted in bringing this program to successful conclusion.

The Liberia Refugee, Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), as the refugee agency of Government, completed the process that resulted in 326,990 of the 400,000 displaced persons returned to their communities. Those commissions also worked with the concerned Ministries of Government to address the problems of refugees in the Budumburan camp in Ghana. As a result, some 10,000 of a total refugee population of approximately 26,000 have returned home, several of whom are benefiting from programs of capacity building and skills training, employment and a moderate micro credit loan scheme.

ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION:
Mr. Speaker and Honorable Members of the National Legislature:
The Government’s strategy for accelerating economic growth has three prongs – rebuilding basic infrastructure, restoring production in the natural resource sectors while ensuring that the benefits are widely shared, reducing production cost to lay the foundation for diversification of the economy.

During the past three years we took major strides towards rebuilding and reintegrating our economy into the world economy. But to fully appreciate the extent of progress, it is better to put things in perspective and remind ourselves where things were at the end of 2005. Owing to poor governance, the UN ban on exports of diamonds and timber products was still in place. Exports valued US$131 million. The government budget was a paltry US$80 million. Civil servants salaries were as low as US$15 per month. Our roads, not built or maintained for many years, had countless pot-holes, some virtually impassable, resulting into extremely high repair and maintenance costs on vehicles. Large foreign and domestic arrears were accumulating while large revenue leakages persisted. The Central Bank’s international reserves stood at just a little over US$5 million. Reflecting the underlying concerns about the management of the economy, net outflows of remittances were US$133 million, foreign direct investments was virtually non-existent, and Liberia’s massive external debt had accumulated to over US$4 billion, equivalent to US$1,500 for each Liberian citizen. Things could not have been more dire.

Three years on, things have changed. Economic growth increased from 5.3 percent in 2005, to 9.5 percent in 2007 with an expected decline to 7.1 percent in 2008 on account of lags in investment starts. The ban on diamond and timber exports has been removed, the Kimberly Certification Process has been adopted, new forestry law and regulations established, and timber exports are expected to restart in the next few weeks. The level of exports rose to US$260 million in 2008. The government’s budget has increased to nearly US$300 million. The lowest monthly civil servants salaries is now US$70 and civil servants salaries are paid sometimes two weeks before the end of the month. The government’s external and domestic debts are being addressed, and the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) international reserves now stands at approximately US$50 million. Additionally, the capital and liquidity positions of banks operating in Liberia have significantly improved, and the exchange rate has been broadly stable, thereby containing inflation.

Reflecting confidence in the management of the economy in 2008, net inflows of remittances were US$42 million and new foreign direct investments were estimated at US$200 million.

Mr. Speaker, Honorable Legislators, immediately upon our ascendancy, we took swift and decisive action to launch an initial 150-Day Action Plan to address the immediate development challenges, and during the period under review, we completed our first comprehensive PRS after unprecedented national consultations across the fifteen political subdivisions.

From the outset, the administration embraced the international community in an open partnership in Liberia’s reconstruction and development and in the improvement of economic management under the Governance and Economic Management Assistance Program (GEMAP). With strong leadership and commitment by the government, rapid progress was made under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Staff Monitored Program (SMP) in improving the revenue base, strengthening cash management and commitment controls, strengthening the management of the Central Bank’s finances and the fragile banking system, and putting in place a strategy to address corruption and Liberia’s large external and domestic debts.

Our commitment to sound economic management have been well-received by the international community. In April last year the IMF Board approved a three-year program supported by a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) to help maintain macroeconomic stability and achieve the growth objectives under the PRS.

In December 2008, the Executive Branch of the IMF completed the first review of Liberia’s economic performance under the three year PRGF arrangement. Following the Board’s discussion, the Acting Chair summarized their discussion thus, “"The Liberian authorities have implemented prudent fiscal and monetary policies and structural reforms under their IMF-assisted program to support postwar reconstruction and economic recovery. Important measures have been taken to strengthen public financial management and fight corruption.

"Sound policies have contributed to strong economic growth, rising foreign direct investment, a build-up of net international reserves, and broad exchange rate stability. Economic prospects remain favorable. Nevertheless, the current global slowdown could negatively affect foreign direct investment, exports, and remittance flows. The authorities responded appropriately to the challenges posed by higher fuel and food prices in 2008. Their comprehensive food security strategy focuses on raising domestic food production and securing donor resources to finance social safety net programs. Continued donor support will be essential to ensure the success of the strategy, in view of the limited availability of public resources.” With their completion of the review, SDR 7 million or US$10 million was made available to strengthen our Central Bank reserves.

Mr. Speaker, when we assumed office we inherited massive external debt amounting to $4.7 billion US dollars including US$1.6 billion in multilateral debt, US$1.5 billion in bilateral debt and US$1.6 billion in commercial loans and suppliers credit. This represented a burden far too large for the Liberian people to pay. As I reported last year, we began to rationalize our debt when in December 2007 long overdue amounts to the World Bank and African Development Bank were cleared through grant operations, effectively reducing our debt by US$670 million. In March 2008, Liberia’s arrears of some US$900 million to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were cleared through new financing arrangements with IMF members. I am thus pleased to report that for the first time in more than two decades, Liberia’s membership rights have been fully restored and returned to good standing with the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.

Honorable Legislators, we then moved to tackle the bilateral debt. In March 2008, we reached the so-called “Decision Point” of the (HIPC) Initiative, an important milestone in the formal debt relief process. At the “Decision Point”, the international community committed itself to writing-off Liberia’s external debt in line with the HIPC terms. In April 2008, Liberia met with the Paris Club, the group of official bilateral creditors, for the first time in over 25 years. We successfully negotiated the most generous terms ever afforded by the Paris Club to a HIPC country at the Decision Point. The agreement provided immediate forgiveness of over US$250 million in debt. The remainder was rescheduled in such as way that Liberia effectively will not be required to make debt service payments for the foreseeable future, and paves the way for ultimate 100 percent forgiveness of our bilateral debts. Several Paris Club creditors have agreed to provide immediate 100 percent debt forgiveness, with full cancellation agreements already signed with the United States (US$425 million), Germany (US$410 million) and Denmark (US$29 million).

In 2008, we signed an agreement with the French Government involving the immediate cancellation of approximately US$1.8 million and the rescheduling of approximately US$152 million. This morning, the Minister of Finance and the Norwegian Ambassador signed an agreement involving cancellation of approximately US$32.8 million of our debt obligation to Norway and the rescheduling of the balance US$3.5 million along HIPC terms. We are in the process of concluding agreements with other Paris Club members for the cancellation and/or rescheduling the remainder of our bilateral debt.

With respect to commercial debt, the Government has met with its commercial creditors three times, and negotiations are proceeding favorably. We are cautiously optimistic that during the course of this year we will reach final agreement with these private sector creditors that will results in a substantial write-down in this segment of our debt.

All told, to date the Government’s negotiations so far have resulted in immediate debt reductions of nearly US$1.5 billion US dollars. The remaining debt is expected to be forgiven when we reach the final stage of the HIPC Process – the “Completion Point” – hopefully by the end of 2009 or early 2010. However, I should point out that reaching the HIPC Completion Point is dependent on when we achieve all of the Completion Point triggers. These include completion of important reforms that provide assurances of our commitment to sound economic policies that can help the poor and improved governance and that lay the platform for strong growth. More importantly, we must have enacted and implemented a Public Financial Management Law and its accompanying regulations for at least a year. We must have completed successive audits of key government ministries and agencies, begun the implementation of a revised Investment Incentive Code, enhanced our debt management capacity and ensured the smooth operation of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission. So Mr. Speaker and Honorable Members of the Legislature, the challenge is indeed enormous but I am confident that with your support we can reach the HIPC Completion Point no later than early 2010. This is very important for it is only at that time we can get the fiscal space to access normal sources of financing that would begin to address our development challenges more meaningfully.

Honorable Members of the Legislature, there has been significant improvement in fiscal management in the past year. As a result domestic revenues grew from US$176.18 million in 2007 to US$211.12 million in 2008, a growth of 19.8 percent. Adding the revenue collected in 2008 to the beginning cash balance of approximately US$38.28 million, the total amount available to spend in 2008 was US$249.38 million. The main drivers of revenue growth in 2008 were increased collections of customs revenues on account of the rise in imports as well as increased collections from the mining sector.

On the expenditure side, we have continued the policy of a cash-based budget while ensuring the payment of civil servant salaries on time and tackling the large stock of domestic arrears which we inherited. Expenditure for the period under review totaled US$230 million compared with expenditure of US$166.92 million in the previous year, a jump of over 38 percent. This significant increase in expenditure in 2008 is explained not only by the increase in the amount available to spend in the budget but also by small measures of strengthening capacity in procurement and efficiency enhancement in budget execution across government institutions. These gains notwithstanding, we must concede that we are still dogged with serious capacity constraints in government institutions as regards understanding of the new public procurement process and bureaucratic hiccups in budget execution.

Honorable legislators, in December 2008, we began the payment of salaries of employees of thirteen government ministries and agencies through direct deposits at commercial banks and will add eleven more ministries to the direct deposit program in February 2009. The goal is to ensure that before the end of April 2009, not less than 90 percent of civil servants are paid through direct deposits. Another significant step in the direct deposit program will begin in February 2009 when the Ministry of Finance will stop paying vendors through checks but rather through direct deposits to their accounts at commercial banks. These measures are intended to deal with inefficiencies and integrity of our entire payment system. On the revenue side, processes are now underway to improve the custom clearing process, the management of duty free privileges and plug leakages at revenue collectorates across the country.

Honorable Legislators, in 2008, maritime revenue to government totaled US$14.6 million compared with US$13.5 in 2007. This performance reflects an increase of 10 percent in vessel registration, including 513 new vessels, from 2,665 at 82 million gross tons to 2,926 at 86 million gross tons. Let me say a few additional words regarding our Maritime Program. We have appointed as new managers a group of capable and highly motivated individuals who have already moved the program a long way to more national partnership and control around a broader range of maritime services consistent with the path other registries have followed. They have been given the authority to explore all options for the future management of the program, being only concerned with that which avoids any possible conflict of interest and maximizes national interest and benefits.

There are still challenges to be met in our fiscal system. Systems development through automation is nearing completion, thereby enhancing accountability and transparency in the budget process. The restructuring and reorganizing of the Ministry of Finance now under way will result in better staffing and stronger capacity. In the longer term, decentralization of some of the operational functions of the Ministry will provide a wider policy and regulatory role for the Ministry of Finance.

Honorable Legislators, we remain ever grateful to former Finance Minister, Dr. Antoinette Sayeh, for the competence and quality of leadership she brought to our debt relief effort. With our concurrence, the IMF has recognized her capacity and performance by elevating her to the position of Director of the African Department of the IMF where she will continue to serve Liberia within the scope of her African directorship.

Under guidance of a strongly motivated and reorganized Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs, Liberia qualified in December for threshold status under the program of the United States Millennium Challenge Corporation. This gave further testimony to the country’s strong governance gains as recognized by the World Bank Institute which ranked Liberia as having made the best progress in fighting corruption. This was echoed by the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance which rated Liberia last year as the most improved country on the continent in terms of governance. Our challenge is to sustain this progress.

Honorable Legislators, the net foreign reserves position of the CBL increased by US$14.3 million in 2008, bringing the total level of reserves to US$49.4 million. This is significant considering that about three years ago, the reserves were about US$5 million. The continued increase in the Bank’s foreign reserves position enhances its ability to intervene in the foreign exchange market to support stability of the exchange rate and boost the nation’s macroeconomic environment.

In 2008, the CBL increased the minimum capital requirement of all commercial banks operating in Liberia from US$2 million to US$6 million. It is expected to be further increased to US$8 million at end-December, 2009 and to US$10 million by end-December 2010. This is intended to make the Liberian banking sector internationally competitive; create the incentive for banks to properly and adequately manage their risks; and put the banking sector in a stronger position to help meet the financing needs of the economy.

The total capital of commercial banks increased from US$21 million in 2006 to US$40.5 million by end-December, 2008, largely on account of the injection of new capital. Additionally, the CBL has made significant progress at promoting a banking culture and access to financial services throughout the nation. Currently, there are 28 bank branches in many major population centers throughout a number of counties including Montserrado, Nimba, Margibi, Bong, Grand Cape Mount and Grand Bass. Permission has been granted for bank branches in Maryland. Also, the banking sector has benefited from a number of innovations geared towards improving the payments system. These include the introduction of Automatic Teller Machine (ATM), Short Message Service (SMS), and internet banking.

During the year, the number of operational banks increased to six (6) with the opening of United Bank for Africa Liberia (UBAL). The CBL granted provisional licenses to three international banks: Guaranty Trust which will be capitalized at US$10 million, Access Bank Liberia Limited – The Microfinance Bank, which will have an initial capital of US$6 million, and Oceanic Bank which will be capitalized at US$8 million. This will bring to nine the number of banks operating in Liberia during the course of 2009.

Through prudent monetary policy management and the conduct of the CBL weekly foreign exchange auction, the readily available monetary policy instrument to the Bank, the L$/US$ exchange rate remained broadly stable during the course of the year. In our society where most of the people live below the poverty line, this is very important as it provides some protection to the purchasing power of the domestic currency.

Inflation declined from a peak of 26.5 percent in August to 9.4 percent at end-December, 2008, much lower than inflation rates in many countries in the region. This is an indication of a progressive downward movement in the general price level in the economy.

The high volume of non-performing loans in the sector remains a concern largely due to the poor credit culture of individuals and inability of the court system to enforce commercial contracts. A fast-track court to deal with financial and commercial contracts will help improve the climate for lending.

Notwithstanding the numerous strides made by the Central Bank, the year was not without its fair share of challenges. Thanks to the vigilance of an employee and internal controls at the Bank, a scam involving the recycling of some government checks was uncovered. This was a matter of collusion, which in most cases will defeat internal control measures put in place. This unscrupulous conduct provides ample evidence that ‘the lack of integrity’ is a cancer that pervades all segments of our society. Although this scandal is suspected to involve a collusion of participants across multiple governmental ministries/agencies, every CBL employee suspected of involvement were immediately suspended and turned over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and prosecution where necessary. Additionally, the CBL is restructuring its Banking Department and has hired a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) as its internal auditor.

Mr. Speaker, Honorable Legislators, there is no doubt that growth in agriculture is more effective in reducing poverty than effort in any other sector. In the agriculture sector, we sought to expand domestic food production with emphasis on rice so as to reduce the substantial import bill for this strategic commodity. Although this was not Government funding, it is important to note that rice import cost our economy over US$200 million last year. In response we have signed and you have ratified two concession agreements for aggregate investment of US$32.5 million for rice production in Lofa and Grand Cape Mount Counties. A continuation of support to small farmers by providing seeds, tools and processing machines will add impetus to this effort and the reactivation of agriculture research at the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) has proven instrumental in this regard.

Revitalization of our traditional rubber industry is critical to the long term growth potential of our agriculture export sector. During the year we experienced a sharp fall in production due to low yields from old and damaged trees and a decline in demand on account of the global financial crisis. An aggressive ongoing replanting program by Liberian farmers and by the large existing plantations – Firestone, Liberia Agriculture Company (LAC), Morris American Rubber (MARCO) – is expected to boost production in the medium term. When negotiations are concluded with Sime Darby of Malaysia for reactivation and expansion of the Guthrie Plantation; with Salala Rubber Investment Ltd. from the United Kingdom and Internationale De Plantation D’Heveast (SIPH) of France for the Cavalla Plantation in Maryland County, and with Sithe Global of the United States, overall concession production of rubber and oil palm should experience significant expansion. Ongoing effort to attract investment for reactivation of the Decoris Oil Palm plantation in Maryland County and the Cocopa rubber plantation in Nimba County should bring similar results.

Honorable Legislators, the Forestry Sector represents one of Liberia’s greatest assets. Our total forestry land area of 9.58 million hectares represents one of the 36 hot spots in the world with diverse plant and animal species and 240 timber species. The sector has been slow in meeting its performance and revenue targets due to the difficulties experienced in meeting the requirements of the New Forestry Law. Six timber sales contracts for Liberian timber operators have commenced in Grand Bassa, Gbarpolu and Grand Cape Mount County. Two large-sized revised Forestry Management contracts for operations in Rivercess have been signed and submitted to you for ratification while a third in Lofa and Gbarpolu is being processed for submission to you. All forest operations may suffer additional delays as we seek a solution to the conflict which exists between the Forestry Law and the Forest Community Rights Law. This may please local and external conservationists but will harm the employment and social benefits that would accrue to our communities. Thus, effort is required to strike a right balance in our goals of commercialization, conversation and community benefits.

Honorable Legislators, we are pleased to report good progress in the reactivation of our mining sector. Although affected by the current global crisis, the Yekepa Mines reactivation is on course with Arcelor Mittal which has reaffirmed its commitment to the activities detailed in its concession agreement but with a possible slow down that would result in the first export in 2010 rather than 2009. On the other hand, we expect full speed ahead with China Union under the recently signed concession agreement for US$2.6 billion, the largest size investment in our country’s history, once you have ratified the concession agreement. Moreover, when ongoing processes and negotiations are concluded, we look forward to operations by the America Liberia Company in the gold fields of Cocoya in Bong County, Karweakan in Grand Gedeh County, Klekle in Montserrado County, and Cestos gold fields in Rivercess County. We look forward to operations by BHP Billiton in the Kitoma iron ore mines in Grand Bassa and Nimba Counties and similar operations by Mano River Resources in the Putu iron ore range in Grand Gedeh County. When one of the six companies that are involved in the rebidding process is chosen before the middle of this year, we expect the start up of operations in the Western Cluster iron ore mines of Bomi and Gbarpolu counties.

We are pleased to report significant progress in our oil exploration program. Three dimensional seismic surveys, which are more detailed have started by the five companies which obtained ratified Production Sharing Contracts. A second bid round for three blocks were concluded during the year under review. Anadarko of the United States and Hong Kong Tong-Tai Petroleum Corporation of Hong Kong were successful in this bid. Production Sharing Contracts for this next phase of exploration will be forwarded for your review and ratification when negotiations are concluded.

Several other investment are underway or under consideration in the service sector – construction, housing, and hotels. Notably among these is the Robert L. Johnson / OPIC US$30 million to support Liberian businesses and the soon to be launched construction of two new housing estates; a 1,200 unit on the Robertsfield highway by Broad Cove/OPIC of the United States and a 10,000 unit by Haiman Century Investment of China. We are aware that there is need to rehabilitate or complete several public buildings in Monrovia and in other counties. There is also urgency in restoring the nation’s seat of Government – the Executive Mansion. Effort is underway to mobilize the significant resources required to achieve this objective.

The National Investment Commission (NIC) also reports that during last year, a total of eighteen investment contracts were signed for an aggregate value of US$132.5 million and creation of 2,287 jobs. In the area of commerce, total trade continue to expand with exports at a value of US$181.05 million and imports US$856.81 million. This trend is matched by the increase in the number of businesses registered, 7,569 in 2008 compared with 6,764 in 2007. Yet we have not seen the expected growth in Liberian businesses, nor have we been able to take advantage of our eligibility for the African Growth and opportunity Act. Moreover, we continue to be concerned about the continued high prices of commodities on the market, relating not only to world market prices but to high taxes, profiteering, theft and inefficiency at the port of Monrovia. The Ministry of Commerce which has taken bold steps recently to address these issues give assurance that we can expect progress in responding to these concerns in this year.

Honorable Members of the Legislature, as a part of our economic reform agenda, appropriate steps are being taken to develop a comprehensive corporate governance framework with the goal of improving the efficiency and increasing the productivity of state owned enterprises and public parastatals.

We want to recognize improvements made by some Public Corporations/State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) attributable in part to technical assistance under the GEMAP Program. Notwithstanding, current experiences show that some SOEs are not efficiently utilizing their assets to maximize their productivity; that poor financial and economic performance as well as inadequate board oversight has rendered these SOEs liabilities to government. We therefore acted with immediacy to remove all non-statutory members from the boards of public corporations for lack of proper supervision. And we instructed all boards to constitute audit committees that will work closely with internal auditors to ensure the protection of corporate assets. A reconstitution of the Boards will be undertaken within the next two weeks.

We are presently assessing the current practice in relation to good corporate governance and developing strategic actions to reverse this trend. As part of an overarching corporate governance reform strategic action, we will institute a wide range of actions in the current year which includes:

We will ensure the active existence of an entity that will exercise the public ownership rights of SOEs. It will be strengthened and adequately resourced with a clear mandate to monitor the functioning of boards, ensure adherence to a comprehensive corporate governance policy, and report to the full cabinet. This will enable the government to act as an informed, accountable and active owner of SOEs;

Conclude empirical studies, using objective criteria to determine which SOEs to be fully divested; establish Public-Private-Partnership, Build Operate and Transfer, or adopt other forms of organizational reconfiguration;

Develop a firm government policy on board nomination processes; ensure that boards carry out their fiduciary responsibilities subject to established guidelines within the corporate legal framework;

Require that all senior staff of SOEs are recruited through a competitive process and work based on term contracts, reviewable periodically; and,

Given the significant and unregulated differentials in compensation of board and senior management at state owned enterprises, a compensation package will be developed to standardize all public corporations, with the objective to attract, retain, and motivate excellent people, reward performance in both the short and long-term with a decided emphasis on long-term returns, and will be fair to the public shareholders, senior management, employees, and other stakeholders.

In these undertakings, we shall proceed with caution, knowing that improper actions may result in creating more problems than we wish to solve. There will be a clear, transparent, and comprehensive strategy to achieve targeted milestones. Appropriate legislations will be forwarded for your consideration.

Governance and the Rule of Law

Honorable Legislators:
Under the third pillar of the PRS, Governance and the Rule of Law, we seek to reform the civil service, decentralize governance, strengthen the rule of law and respect for human rights, promote a strong and responsible civil society including the media, encourage broad participation in governance and reduce corruption.

We are pleased to report that consistent with our goals, we have county development agendas, linked to the Poverty Reduction Strategy, for all fifteen counties. This represents the first such local development plans which were prepared under the guidance of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the participation of local authorities and representatives of the society at large.

Currently under review by the Cabinet are several documents completed by the Governance Commission – the National Public Sector Policy statement, a Report on the Rationalization and Restructuring of Ministries and Agencies of Government, a National Policy on Decentralization. Draft legislation where applicable including that which establishes a Law Reform Commission will be submitted to you within the next few months.

As stated earlier, during the year in review, we increased the minimum salary for civil servants to US$70 representing a composite 400 percent increase during this administration. We still have inherited arrears totaling nearly US$17 million representing over 18 months salaries to civil servants which will be fully retired during the course of this year while we finalize plans to address long standing and substantial Foreign Service arrears. A comprehensive Civil Service Reform Strategy is now concluded covering compensation and pension to improve service delivery and to use performance as the main criterion for recruitment, selection and promotion. Additionally, we have in place three incentive programs under which some 150 nationals at home and abroad bring added capacity and professionalism to public service. Several now serve in our local governance system in the rural areas bringing significant added value to the rural civil service outreach program that was launched during the year.

The final draft of Liberia’s first National Employment Policy including proposal for the establishment of a National Bureau of Employment is in the final review process. In the interim, short term job initiatives by the Ministry of Labour have created close to 35,000 short term job opportunities in various sectors especially waste management, sanitation and public works. The final draft of a revised Labor Code is also under review and we expect to propose a new minimum wage for the private sector before the end of this year.

I should also note that the merger of the two labor centers – the Liberia Federation of Labour Unions (LFLU) and the Congress of National Trade Unions of Liberia (CONATUL) into the Liberia Labor Congress (LLC) will facilitate consultation and enable the labor union to play a more effective role in enhancing labor rights, in improving the terms and conditions of work for employees and in the settlement of disputes.

We commend, and we believe you share this sentiment, the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union (FAWUL) for the prestigious George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award which they received last year from the American Federation of Labor Union (AFL-CIO).

Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members of the Legislature:
Under guidance of the Supreme Court and with the participation of the Ministry of Justice as appropriate, our judicial system is undergoing long needed reform. Judges, Magistrates, County Attorneys and other judicial officials now enjoy higher levels of compensation and better working conditions.

Several challenges remain. The Court system seems excessively slow in its processes and dispensation of justice – ultimately judgment. For example, we continue to receive complaints that prisoners are incarcerated without trial for periods as long as and over a year. The Jury system also gives concerns as persons considered professional jurors with compensation as prime motivation move from one court to the other.

To enhance the Justice system, the Ministry of Justice collaborating with the Judicial Branch, has organized a judicial setting at the Monrovia Central Prison where Magistrates will dispose of cases thereby reducing the high level or number of unindicted prisoners. There has also been established a Criminal Court E which will commence work in February to deal exclusively with gender based violence and the unacceptable high level of rape cases stemming from the violation of young girls, sometimes babies, by cowardly and mentally deranged sex fiends.

The Ministry of Justice has also established a Special Legal Task Force to speed up the prosecution of those charged with corruption and is working through the Anti Corruption Commission to obtain order from the court to freeze the assets of persons being investigated or tried for corruption. To its credit, the Ministry has compiled most of the laws passed by this Legislature and opinions handed down by this Supreme Court with the intent to edit and publish these works during this year.

Honorable Legislators, I am aware that despite strong political will and commitment of this Government, the Executive will face a serious challenge in sustaining the gains made in combating corruption given recent public outcry and media reports on perceived corruption in the public sector. Overcoming this challenge will require the collective effort and political will not only on the part of the Executive but by all three branches of Government.

Our effort to promote gender equity and enhance the role and participation of women made significant progress during the past year. For the first time, Liberia’s report on national progress in compliance with UN Resolution on the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women was completed. A National Rural Women Program was launched and a project commenced to build safe homes and establish micro credit operations for women in five counties.

Two innovative interventions will enhance our gender initiative – a US$22 million equivalent grant proposal by the Danish Government to support a program that would make Liberia a model country for the achievement of Millennium Development Goal #5 and a Nike Foundation/World Bank Economic Empowerment of Adolescent Girl project that seeks to train 1,500 young women for direct employment placement in our country’s private sector.

Honorable Legislators, we are also pleased to note that The Liberia Education Trust (LET) and the Sirleaf Market Women Fund (SMWF) continue to expand operations in providing scholarships for girls, promoting literacy programs for market women and building schools and markets throughout the country. Resources mobilized for these projects total over US$6 million, contributed solely by private institutions, foundations and individuals in response to my personal appeal and my participation in fund raising events. The Minister of Gender and Development and the Chair person of the African Women Development Fund, Dr. Thelma Awori have been very instrumental in our success under these two interventions.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro Tempore, we must continue to identify measures that respond to our youths who comprise over 45 percent of our population. We are pleased to note that during the year some 1,306 youths benefited from internships and apprenticeship programs primarily in Montserrado and Grand Bassa Counties. A vacation program, the National Youth Volunteer Service which was launched in 2006 completed a first phase this year with 67 youths serving for six months in rural areas in the health and education sectors.

Emphasis on the training and employment of youth remain a Government priority. I would therefore like to assure our young citizens that the Youth Policy document which was completed during the year can be launched immediately. Our delay and concern regard the generality of the provisions of that document. Realistically, only specific elements of that policy can be carried forward into law that is enforceable. I therefore appeal to the youth representatives, particularly the Federation of Liberian Youth to appoint representatives who will work with us to achieve the objectives of finalizing a direct Act whose provisions can be respected and enforced.

We are equally pleased to report that Liberia won the championship for the second Amputee African Nations Cup and the second place in the Guinea ECOWAS cycling tour for peace. We also witnessed and participated in a successful county Meet which saw Sinoe and Rivercess win the basketball and kickball competition. Bomi County successfully competed with River Gee County, to win the football competition. I am also pleased to note Liberia’s participation the Beijing Olympics.

Government continues to strengthen its information dissemination and public awareness apparatus. Although the challenges are many, we have made a number of strides in this regard. We held a country-wide competition to solicit names for our Poverty Reduction Strategy, and at the end of a two-week naming search, my Cabinet and I settled on the name ‘Lift Liberia,’ suggested by Dr. Shadrack Bryant, a Liberian residing in Gardnesville. This was just the beginning of branding our national development agenda. The Ministry of Information, in collaboration with the Executive Mansion, has developed a comprehensive Communications Strategy for the PRS that includes a number of non-conventional tools for engagement. This is now in the implementation phase and will require a mass effort by all of us to fund the Strategy. The Ministry of Information has also collaborated with media development agencies and the Press Union of Liberia to draft and submit three acts to the Legislature establishing an independent commission to regulate broadcast media, making freedom of information a law, and establishing a public broadcasting entity. We ask your early action in passing these Acts into Law.

MICAT has also established a “war room” to gather, analyze and respond to reports in the media that require clarification or follow up; revitalized the Liberia News Agency (LINA); re-stocked artifacts at the National Museum; and established the Bai T. Moore research room as a center for learning and appreciation of Liberia’s rich cultural heritage; and revamped the New Liberia Newspaper and its website, (www.newliberia.com.lr ). In continuance of MICAT’s mandate to harness public information dissemination, ministries and autonomous agencies continue to strengthen relations with the independent media through weekly press briefings and regular interactions.

New news is provided on a daily basis on our Executive Mansion website (http://www.emansion.gov.lr/), whose hits increased from 5 million in 2007 to 8 million in 2008, the Executive Mansion. Because we understand the fundamental importance of information dissemination as a tool of empowerment, fourteen Government ministry websites are now accessible and fully stocked with customized information related to the PRS. A number of autonomous agencies are also online, and we will continue to work to bring ‘Government to the people’ via the World Wide Web.

Infrastructure and Basic Services

My. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Honorable Legislators, the key objectives of our fourth pillar, Infrastructure and Basic Services, are to rebuild the physical and social infrastructure that were totally destroyed over the past several years. Those include roads, ports, telecommunications, electricity generation, water and sanitation, schools and health care facilities. We also seek improved service delivery to an increasing number or citizens.

In clear priorities set by the majority of our citizens during the PRS consultations, the reconstruction of roads and bridges remain our focus. We are therefore always questioned by you and the public at large as to why it is taking so long to respond to this critical need. The truth is we have not waited but have worked hard to mobilize the resources for this high capital cost activity. We have also had to respect the procedures and competitive processes required by our own laws and that of our partners.

As you can now see, the process is on. Rehabilitation of Tubman Boulevard and the ELWA to RIA road are nearing completion and the contractor is expected to commence work on the next segment of the Cotton Tree to Buchanan road. Design for other primary roads is underway in preparation for the start of rehabilitation as soon as the funds are mobilized. Work on our Monrovia city streets, which have gone for many years without maintenance, will start in two weeks when the contractor is fully mobilized and in two years all of the city streets will be fully rehabilitated. Demolition of the old and construction of the new Vai Town Bridge will start within two weeks to be fully completed next year. There is no shorter cut to getting the job done well.

During the year, we concluded the rehabilitation of 380 miles of roads in 12 counties and are continuing to work on community roads in the Monrovia area as well as critical primary and secondary roads in the counties. Our learning experience on the Jallah Town road proved to be an important reality check leading us to conclude a contractual arrangement for an upgrading of that important roadway.

Roads to the Southeast of the country that will stand all weather conditions remain a challenge which we have begun to tackle and hope to have fully resolved before the end of next year. The Engineering Contingent of UNMIL continues to be helpful to us in this regard.

The conditions of our five national ports are dismal, despite the progress in improving service efficiency. The need to remove sunken vessels, to repair badly damaged piers and to undertake dredging is critical to meeting international standard with implications for freight costs which are reflected in commodity prices on the local market. Given the Government’s resource constraints, we have started the process that will lead to the development and management of several of our ports through the Build, Operate, Transfer (BOT) scheme. For some, such as the Buchanan and Maryland ports it may be the case of similar arrangements with major users. Until such arrangements are fully in place, we will need to meet the challenges of control of theft, particularly at the port of Monrovia, by rigorous action in staff changes, transfer and dismissals.

Honorable Legislators, the Cabinet now has under review a National Energy Policy which will guide our choice of the several options that exist in the energy sector. During the past year, we increased the generation of electricity to 7.8 mega watts enabling us to service street lights and customers in Bushrod Island, Central Monrovia, Sinkor and Congo Town. We should be able to reach many more individual and institutional users when ongoing efforts to expand the transmission and distribution systems are realized. “With the support of our development partners and in collaboration with the West Africa Power Pool WAPP, we continue to make progress in our commitment to bring modern energy services to our rural citizens. The Cross-Border Power Supply Project, coordinated by the West African Power Pool (WAPP) and funded by the European Union, the Government of Cote d’Ivoire and the Government of Liberia will facilitate the supply of electricity from our neighbor Cote d’Ivories to 18 Liberian rural border towns, cities. These 18 communities are as follows:

Nimba County: Logatou, Duoplay, Karnplay, Sanniquellie, Ganta, Tappitta, Diala and Yekepa;
Grand Gedeh County: Toe Town, Zleh Town and Zwedru;
River Gee County: Fish Town;
Maryland County: Cavalla, Harper, Whole Graway, Rock Town, Fiah Town and Pleebo

The LEC has completed mapping of these towns and bids tendering for implementation is expected in March. The Liberian Government has thus far contributed US$201,000.00 to support the LEC full participation in this project and contributed over US$500,000.00 to WAPP Secretariat towards this project implementation. We thank you for approval of these funds in the budget and we are hopeful of the impact completion of this project will have on these rural communities.

The pilot solar power projects funded USAID and implemented through the Liberia Electricity Assistance Program (LEAP) has already covered Bong, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Lofa, Nimba, Sinoe and Rivercess counties with various solar technologies at clinics, schools, community centers, small businesses and for street lights. With the recorded satisfactory success of the pilot projects, we will now move along quickly to complete the remaining pilots in other counties and launch full scale implementation around the country.

Our government’s commitment to expanding access to quality education remains undaunted. National enrollment now stands at close to 1.3 million. As a result of implementation of the Free and Compulsory Primary Education Policy, Primary enrollment increased from 375,277 during Academic 2004/2005 to 1,107,271 over the period of this Administration, representing an impressive 195% increment. Similarly, secondary enrollment increased from 89,746 to 158,242 over the same period under review, representing about 76 percent.

At the tertiary level, total enrollment for the recognized seven baccalaureate degree granting institutions currently stand at 29,545 with the University of Liberia accounting for 18,615, representing about 63 percent.

In recognition of the important role of education we have provide a significantly higher level of support to the University of Liberia. The subsidy to the University in 2008/2009 of over US$4 million approved by you represents 54 percent of the University’s budget of US$7.4 million. The subsidy enables the institution to serve the needs of 17,467 undergraduates students in six colleges and 1,200 students in four graduate and tree professional schools. About 26 percent of the university total enrollment is female. A standing faculty of 318, represents a faculty student ratio of 1 to 56. Perhaps of more consequence to the quality of instruction is the restoration of facilities at the Fendall campus. Works on dormitories and teachers housing are now underway with dedication and occupancy expected by the end of 2010.

The challenges at our Nation’s only institution of higher learning remain daunting. A slack admission policy has led to an excessive student population on facilities meant to serve much fewer numbers. The lack of sufficient qualified and tenured professors and instructional materials such as books and good laboratory equipment undermines our goal of quality education.

We expect some of these problems to be tackled by the new President of the University, Dr. Emmet Dennis who was selected during the course of last year and is to take office the 1st of February. At the same time, we commend Dr. Al-Hassan Conteh for his significant contribution and service to the University and are pleased that he will continue to serve his country in the important post of Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In terms of educational facilities, we completed throughout the country the renovation of 54 primary schools, constructed an additional 115 new ones with designing and construction of another 40 underway. The renovation and construction of 11 high schools are also underway as is the $20 million Fendall facility for the University of Liberia. Our success in advocating support from the Government and religious institutions of Italy is now realized as the Dogliotti Medical College will be rehabilitated. Through our own budget support, renovation work has started on the WVS Tubman Technical College in Harper for an opening in September 2009 and full operations in 2010. We are pleased to commend the return of our own daughter, Dr. Elizabeth Davis-Russell who left a Deanship at a U.S. University to make sacrificial service by assuming the Presidency of the College.

We also note with satisfaction that the rehabilitated rural teacher training institutions at Kakata and Zorzor are now in full operations as we conclude arrangements for similar work at the institution in Webbo.

Honorable Legislators, the pledge made by former U.S. President George Bush when he visited Liberia in February 2008 has been met. Some 10,000 pieces of furniture and 600,000 books were distributed to schools. We are pleased that USAID has changed procedures so that the remaining 400,000 supply of text books will be produced along with Government’s order of books that conform to our curriculum. Through Governments own budgetary resources, 200,000 sets of primary school textbooks and 5000 sets of teachers’ guides will be available for distribution to schools throughout the country this year. Several improvements to our educational system will be enhanced by the establishment of the Liberian Education Pool Fund intended to better harmonize partnership support to the sector.

The issue of qualified teachers is a continuing challenge as we will have to retire, with benefits totaling almost US$1.1 million, the majority of the 7056 volunteer teachers who did not meet the requisite qualification to continue to teach at the level they have been doing in our schools. At the same time, our policy of shifting priority from foreign training to development of local training institutions remains on course as we provided scholarships to 2,344 students at local institutions at a cost of about US$500,000. Nevertheless, through scholarships provided by bilateral partners and foreign institutions, we have over 200 students pursuing studies in ten friendly countries.

Honorable Legislators, we are pleased to report that a strong signal of partnership and security was sent to the world by the return of the U.S. Peace Corps and the opening of the American International School (AIS). We must now address the questionable judicial action that now risks the closure of AIS.

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Honorable Legislators, our country’s health sector continues to make progress toward fulfillment of our primary goal of increasing the basic package of health services to an increasing number of the population. In pursuit of this goal we increased to 91 percent the number of our children immunized. Liberia was thus declared polio free by the African Regional Certification Committee of the World Health Organization.

Medical service to other groups in the society expanded, with 550,000 prenatal mothers and 650,000 children immunized against measles, neonate tetanus, and other deficiency. The distribution of 871,000 treated mosquito bed nets continues our overall fight against malaria which remains a major health hazard. Progress in the containment of HIV/AIDS is notable resulting from expansion in counseling and testing treatment sites.

As reported last year, fifteen county hospitals are now functioning including the renovated and expanded Telewoyan Hospital in Voinjama, which includes residential houses for doctors. The hospital will receive additional support from the Swiss government for operational cost for the next three years. We have also started the renovation of clinics, eight completed during the past year, and the establishment of midwifery schools, two established in Zwedru and Zorzor during the year. With the participation of some of you, Honorable Legislators, we broke grounds for construction of a US$10 million hospital in Tappita; and we expect to complete construction of the Foya Health Center and the CB Dunbar hospital in Gbarnga before the end of this year.

The positive trends of progress in the health sector are not matched by programs of assistance to the physically challenged and by an adoption program that has gone amok. We must do more to improve the living and training conditions for our disabled and I will ask for your support in this regard in the next fiscal year budget.

The gross mismanagement of the adoption program (which aims primarily at placing orphans in homes in the United States), by both Liberian and U.S. personnel in the concerned NGO is the subject of a report by a Special Committee which I appointed for this purpose. Essentially, we have discovered that many of the children in these orphanages are not in fact orphans but children taken from their living parents on the promise of support and a good life in America. Moreover, we found that young children were being sexually abused at some of these orphanages, while others including officials of government, have used the program to extort money from potential adoptors. We have thus suspended the adoption program until laws, policies and proper guidelines have been established and we have asked our concerned friends and partners in the United States to be patient as we try to correct the serious malpractices which exist. We expect the National Social Welfare Policy and National Adoption Act which will be submitted to you during the course of the year, will provide guidance and prevent such abuses in the future.

Honorable Legislators, the Ministry of Health has made the most progress in the establishment of financial management systems. In recognition of this achievement, the Pool Fund established last year for the sector attracted the support and the praise of several of our development partners.

Honorable Legislators, despite the continued low capacity of the White Plains Treatment Plant, water supply to the Greater Monrovia area increased by 40 percent reaching several new communities in Clara town, New Kru town, S.K. Doe, and is expanding to thousands of new customers. The Mamba Point high enclave area should be served after commissioning of the facilities early next month. We are also pleased to note that pipe borne water has been restored to Kakata and efforts are under way to restore supply to Zwedru, Voinjama, Robertsport, Greenville and Buchanan. Other rural cities will be targeted with success in our mobilization effort.

Access to sanitation facilities remains a challenge as the Monrovia sewage system is largely inoperable since its four main lift pumps stations and pipelines, were looted and vandalized during the years of conflict. However, with extraordinary support for its Government of Turkey through our Ambassador in Washington DC, we have addressed the problem of sewage spilling on to the street. Until our sanitation facilities are restored, the public continues to rely on personal septic tanks and on government constructed public toilets.

After a long period of planning and resource mobilization, the Liberia Telecommunication Corporation is now ready for business in providing a wide range of service including the restoration of fax facilities. They will compete in certain categories with the four GSM companies that operate. We are also pleased to report that in keeping with the Telecommunications Act which you passed last year, we have made significant progress in negotiating the standardization of licenses for Lone Star and Libercell. This is a clear victory for the national interest consistent with the practice in other African countries. Many of you may recall that licenses were granted to all GSM companies for US$50,000 per annum for variable tenures ranging from ten to fifteen years. They will now be standardized at a fee of US$15 million each with rights over a fifteen year period. Appropriate measures are now being considered to ensure compliance by the other two GSM companies.

Honorable Legislators, we expect that with the completion of the National Transport Policy the Government will be better positioned to coordinate and ensure regulation of our road and air transport systems with proper attention to be paid to the development of a much needed sea transport system. In the meanwhile, we note the progress made at Robert International Airport and at James Sprigs Field Airfield under the Liberian Domestic Airport Agency. At both facilities we have witnessed an increased level of passengers and freight and a resumption of commercial flights from Sprigs to several domestic locations. We are also pleased to note that the Liberia Civil Aviation Agency (LCAA) has been successful in retuning to Liberia the Flight Information Regional (FIR) Center and in concluding, arrangement for direct flights from the United States to Liberia by Delta Airways starting in June this year. The LCAA has also been instrumental in start up of negotiations with the Lockheed-Martin Corporation of the United States for the development and management of Roberts International Airport.

Mr. Speaker, we commend the significant progress made in public transport in Monrovia and its environs by the new Managing Director Mr. Senwan Wiah and his team at the Monrovia Transport Authority (MTA). MTA commuted over a million residents during the reporting period and is set to expand its service when the ongoing process to purchase 40 buses is concluded. Establishment of the National Transport Authority will facilitate the extension of public transport service to several other counties.

Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to report that Liberia’s voting rights at the Universal Postal Union and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) have been restored, and that these institutions are providing support to our Ministry of Post and Telecommunications in expanding services and building our ITC Training Center in Voinjama. The Ministry has also constructed or rehabilitated 23 post offices nationwide including several in Montserrado, Bomi, Grand Bassa, Margibi, Bong, Grand Gedeh, Nimba and Lofa. Inbound and outbound mail delivery has increased significantly. Supported by a grant from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, a feasibility study is being conducted for the construction of a fiber optic network in Monrovia and its environs.

PARTNERSHIP
Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, our nation continues to enjoy strong partnership from all over the world. In our own region and continent, sisterly states of Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Rwanda assist in providing logistics and training in our security sector. Morocco, Egypt and Namibia support our training initiatives. On the bilateral side, our key partner is the United States joined by China, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, France, Japan, Ireland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the European Union. The support from these partners is directed at all sectors and are increasingly harmonized and coordinated toward support of the development agenda set forth by the PRS. This coordinated approach will guide the allocation of some US$300 million to support the Health and Education Pool Funds as well as to the Liberia Infrastructure Fund which was established at the June Berlin Meeting and has a current commitment of approximately US$127 million.

Our multilateral partners, which include the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Africa Development Bank and the United Nations System are equally supportive and active. The World Bank has provided support of nearly US$100 million for economic governance, rehabilitation of infrastructure and urban waste management and agriculture development. The IMF through the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility approved in December will provide US$10 million worth equipment in support of the capitalization of the Central Bank while the Africa Development Bank has provided support of US$39 to support institutional capacity building and infrastructure development, particularly road rehabilitation. The United Nations System which serves as a financial interceptor and manager for other multilateral funds provided through its several agencies and funds, an estimated additional US$150 million. This does not include allocation for the operations of UNMIL which is correctly estimated at US$600 million annually.

Honorable Legislators, we are pleased to report that while previously the vast majority of external support was channeled through NGOs and contractors, the year 2008 saw a significant increase in donor support to the Government’s budget. We thank the Government of France for US$1.2 million; the Government of China for US$1 million, both sums already allocated in the 2007/2008 supplemental budget. We now expect US$5 million from the World Bank and US$18 million from the Africa Development Bank which will cover expected revenue shortfall and cover specific expenditure items.

We continue to enjoy the confidence and support from non official partners. The Soros Foundation and Open Society Initiative has provided support on the order of US$20 million for our Education Pool Fund, our economic and legal advisory services, our Senior Executive and Capacity Development Program. The McCall MacBain Foundation has committed over US$10 million in eleven grants to support our urban transport program with ten buses to the Monrovia Transit Authority, construction of children playgrounds in Montserrado, Maryland, Sinoe and Grand Gedeh through the NGO Right to Play, the construction of the Midwifery School in Zwedru, and the biomass Power Plant whose concession agreement is before you. There is also the Scott Family Fellowship which provides funding of US$1 million to support six young professionals to serve in the public service over a period of three years. The program has been expanded to nine additional fellows with support from the Soros Foundation. They add great value to our capacity development. We also continue to receive support from several foundations, institutions and individuals for programs under the Liberia Education Trust and the Sirleaf Market Women Fund.

In September last year, we organized in New York, with philanthropist George Soros a first Foundation Partnership Meeting intended to achieve more harmony and coordination of programs by our foundation partners. A Secretariat has been established in our Liberia Reconstruction and Development Committee (LRDC) to follow up and institutionalize this coordination.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Honorable Legislators, the guiding principles of Liberia’s foreign policy is the maintenance of national security for the protection of our territorial integrity and sovereignty, the promotion of peace and harmony and unity among nations in our region, continent and the world. There are currently eighteen diplomatic missions resident in Monrovia, twenty eight non resident Ambassadors accredited to the Republic, one Honorary Consul and one Consulate General. An additional six Ambassadors have received their Agrement and await presentation of their letters of credence.

Liberia maintains abroad twenty-two diplomatic missions, including the mission to Senegal opened last year, and two consular posts. We are pleased that our foreign envoys, charged with promoting the principle of economic diplomacy, now enjoy a better level of compensation which as at home, is paid on time. We are also pleased that Liberia has regained its place in pride and reputation throughout the world. We expect a further enhancement of this image when the new passports that are ready for issuance commencing June of this year, bring to an end the use of our passport by those who obtained same through fraudulent means.

We should also report that significant progress was made during last year in the legal step being taken to reclaim government properties in Paris, Nairobi and other places that were sold or pledged against personal loans by unscrupulous officials of the past who will be exposed as soon as those cases have been concluded. We must also note that we are pursuing legal action against certain of our current official serving abroad who continue to engage in corrupt practices in collusion with officials at home.

Honorable Members of the Legislature, I am pleased to report that as a result of a positive image abroad and significant development progress at home we continue to attract the visit of high level personnel to our country. During the course of the year we received several such persons. This includes US President George Bush, the first in twenty years to visit Liberia, President John Kufuor of Ghana, Former Presidents Jerry Rawlings, Nicephore Soglo, Joaquin Chissano, Ketumile Masire and Sam Nujoma of the Africa Forum; World Bank President Robert Zoellick, Former President of Finland Maarti Ahtisaari, FAO Director General Jacques Diouf, UNICEF Executive Director, Ann Veneman, US Congressional Delegation Head Senator Bill Nelson, Chairman of RLJ Companies, Robert Johnson; Soros Foundation Chairman George Soros, Millennium Village Founder, Professor Jeffery Sachs.

I was privileged to pay state visits to our Sisterly Republic of La Cote d’Ivoire and to the Republic of Namibia. I also had the opportunity to visit US President George Bush for the third and last time and to meet with former President Nelson Mandela and officials of the South African Government when I gave the 6th Annual Nelson Mandela Lecture in July as part of the celebration of President Mandela’s 90th birthday.

Other travels abroad aimed at participation in ECOWAS and African Union Meetings in Burkina Faso, Algeria, Egypt, the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Progressive Governance Summit in London, the Aid Effectiveness Forum in Accra, following which several Development Ministers from major partners visited Liberia, and the MDCB Conference in Copenhagen. I was also privileged to give commencement addresses at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government and to three U.S. Universities – Brown and Indiana Universities and at Dartmouth College where I received Honorary Doctorate Degrees. I also gave the Commencement address and received an Honorary Degree from one of our own African Methodist University and was honored with prestigious award from four other international institutions including the International Crisis Group.

I am particularly pleased to report that under Liberia’s Chair of the Mano River Union (MRU), we witnessed the expansion of the Union in May last year with the accession of la Cote d’Ivoire as the fourth member state. Subsequently, at a summit of Heads of State in December in Sierra Leone in which President Gbagbo was personally in attendance. A plan of action which places emphasis on the agriculture and security sectors was agreed.

The Union continues to be faced with challenges, most recently the developments in the wake of the death of President Conteh of Guinea which the MRU countries are trying to manage.

V. OBITUARY
Honorable Legislators, during last year, several current and former Government officials, prominent and law abiding colleagues were called to the great beyond. Among those were:
Honourable Isaac Johnson, former Senator, River Gee County;
Honourable Isaac Charyien Nyeplu, former Minister of Justice & Attorney General;
Counsellor Lawrence Alford Morgan, Former Senator Grand Bassa County;
Honourable Kebbeh Ballah Zuku Freeman, former Member of the House of Representatives Montserrado County;
Honourable James Kla Giko, former Member and First Deputy Speaker, Transitional Legislative Assembly (TLA);
Honourable John D. Lasana, Sr. Stipendiary Magistrate of Arthington City, Montserrado County;
Honourable Isaac Saye Mussah, former Member of the House of Representatives of the Second National Transitional Government of Liberia;
His Excellency Mr. Francis Alphonso Dennis, Sr., former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary;
Honourable J. Sabto-Wiah, former Minister Counsellor/Press Attaché;
Rev. Nathaniel T. Dixon, former Press and Financial Attaché;
Rev. Dr. Advertus Arthur Hoff, Sr., former Minister of Education;
Honourable Nora Lovo Korvah, former Deputy Minister for Operation, Ministry of Gender & Development;
Honourable Joseph K. Yourwatei, Sr., former Deputy Minister Operation, Ministry of Internal Affairs;
Honourable Nathaniel Reginald Richardson, Jr., former Director, Liberian Geological Survey;
Honourable Frederick Russell Deshield, Sr., former Deputy Minister for Administration, Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism;
Honourable Ambrose Mohammed Kromah, former Senior Communication Officer/Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

The list also included:
Honourable Julu Mah Johnson, former Acting Minister of Lands, Mines & Energy,
Honourable Sewell Telfore Prout Brewer, Sr., former Chief Engineer, Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LTC);
Honourable Oliver Bor-Yee Toe Swen, Sr., Attorney-At-Law, Chief Prosecutor for Government;
Honourable Jeremiah Bishop Johnson, Sr., former Development Superintendent, Grand Bassa County;
Honourable Charles V. Dormeyan, Sr., former Development Superintendent, Bong County,
Mother ADA Amorette Phebean Decker Goodings, former District Supervisor of Schools, Margibi County;
Honourable Francis Dugbe-Nmeh Pelenah, Sr., Defense Counsel of Grand Kru County;
Professor Victor-Emmanuel Larteyvi Lawson, former Chairman, Department of English and Literature, Liberia College, University of Liberia;
Mr. Lafayette Henry Montgomery, Sr., Proprietor of Montgomery’s One Hour;
Mrs. Louise Ether Barnard-Reeves, former Member of the House of Representatives, Grand Bassa County;
Mrs. Matee Mardea Cephas-Cooper, Widow of the late Willie G. Cooper, Butler to former President; and
Mrs. Farmatta Lucretia James-Snetter, Widow of former Ambassador Charles A. Snetter, Sr.

May their souls rest in perfect and everlasting peace.

Mr. President of the Senate, Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members of the Legislature, let me now address a few issues that have serious implication for our national development effort.

ARMY WORM INVASION
I know that we all share the alarm and the deep concern over the emergence of the army or tent worms which have invaded our county with the potential to set back our progress in the production of food and export crops. Ongoing investigation show that 62 communities in Bong and some parts of Lower Lofa and Gbarpolu counties involving some 350,000 inhabitants many have already been affected. Five of the twenty-eight affected communities in Zota District of Bong County are bordering neighboring Guinea and there are indications that several villages in Guinea are now experiencing similar invasion.

This is indeed a crisis and I hereby declare a state of National Emergency with particular emphasis on the existing and potentially affected counties.

The government has taken immediate initial steps to respond to the crisis. A Task Force under the Ministry of Agriculture with support of the Ministry of Health has been established. The technical team has identified and classified the species and has commenced spraying in the affected areas. Water and food are being supplied to the most vulnerable and displaced. Meetings have been held with our partners and several international organizations have responded to our appeal and will be sending experts and supplies to supplement our effort.

More effort and more resources are required if we are to be successful in containing this problem. I have therefore instructed the Minister of Finance to identify budgetary resources from any source possible that can be used to meet the needs that are required. He knows that this will not be the time for long procurement procedures and bureaucratic hurdles.

I have also called upon our partners for urgent response to our appeal and I expect to review the effectiveness of our combined response when I meet with them on Wednesday.

corruption

Perhaps the greatest challenge faced the government over the past several months is corruption. It is a national malaise, long standing and deeply entrenched in all levels of society. It stems from years of depravation, poor salaries, lack of a pension scheme at the lower levels, and an environment of impunity and tolerance of greed at higher levels.

The fight against corruption has started. Through investigations, auditing and whistle blowing, we are uncovering and exposing acts of corruption. Officials have been suspended, fired and turned over to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution and/or restitution of government assets. At the same time, we have increased the compensation and pension for civil servants, concluded the biometric program for civil servants, removed ghost names from the payroll, strengthened the Government Auditing Commission, adopted an Anticorruption Policy and Strategy, established an Anticorruption Commission, and established the Liberian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative going beyond the required to include revenues from forestry operations.

Honorable legislators, I am happy to note that for once in the history of our country, the fight against corruption has been elevated to a pedestal of prominence and widespread public concern which bears testimony to the success of our strategy. Now unlike in the past, we have a capacitated the Auditing Commission and audit reports are now being received. Now, unlike in the past, we have an Anti-Corruption Commission that will be playing a frontal role in the investigation of corruption. Now, unlike in the past, we have a free press that is not intimidated by big powers when alleged acts of corruption are reported, even though the press themselves sometimes get their facts wrong. Now unlike in the past, the man in the street can call on a talk-show and freely express himself on issues of corruption. That corruption has gained such a prominence in our national debate, is in itself a commendable achievement of this regime. For one way to deal with a chronic sore is to expose it to sunshine. Unfortunately however, our success in exposing this menace to the sunshine has yielded unintended consequences as it has led to the mistaken belief in some quarters that corruption is on an upward swing just because the reportage of corruption has increased today as compared to the past. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Honorable legislators, the fight against corruption does not come to an end with the mere exposure of corruption. We must act. The Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary must act decisively and collaboratively to deal with the scourge. On the side of the Executive we have taken some actions are will take other drastic actions in the coming weeks and months. However, we must act methodically, maturely, and judiciously, and not haphazardly just to satisfy the whims of a critic.

The steps we have taken thus far in the war against corruption helped us move up in the rankings and was recognized by the World Bank and the Mo Ibrahim governance indicators as one of the countries having made best progress in fighting corruption.

Yet, Honorable Legislators, serious challenges still remain in this battle for which we have been criticized. This largely has to do with the slow process involved in the prosecution of those who have violated the public trust. This is a matter of justice and of judicial process which we have to respect. Unfounded and misdirected accusations will only undermine the government’s effort and discourage the investors we need to expand our economy with benefits to all segments of society. We also know that all of these measures and progress will not produce the truly sustainable results which we seek unless there are systems improvements, and professional and apolitical financial audits.

However, we have not and will not relent in moving this process forward and we will take other harsh measures to ensure that this battle is won. We cannot do this alone. Your help, the help of civil society, the help of the media, the religious institutions, and the National Bar Association will be required, for we know that corruption lies deep at the foundation of our country’s underdevelopment.

County Development Fund

Mr. Speaker, Honorable Legislators:
For the first time in the history of our nation, this Administration allocated a total amount of US$9.5 million, specifically for the counties in a process that allowed for the determination of development priorities by the people themselves. In the recast budget February to June, we provided US$1 million, 2006/2007 US$2.5 million; 2007/2008 US$30 million; and 2008/2009 – which was allocated equally for each county. This allocation adopted the same principle of participation by the people and you added a role of the county Legislative caucus in the Budget Act.

Although many projects have been constructed in the counties to the satisfaction of the residents, much leaves to be desired to obtain maximum results from this important initiative.

We are thus in the process of introducing changes in order that the process is truly participatory, that goods and services are provided locally as much as possible and that systems of accountability are more rigorous and transparent with more effective oversight and reporting by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

An Independent Inspection Task force headed by Mr. Sam Jackson has been established to visit the projects in all counties so as to provide the information and advice that will enable us to achieve these objectives.

I ask that with these measures, the Legislature should withdraw from its active role in the determination and implementation of these projects. This will allow the Executive to take full responsibility in carrying out its role as dictated by the constitution without prejudice to your oversight role as also dictated by the Constitution.

Food, Fuel & Financial Crises
Honorable Legislators, in the last three years, we have seen a steady acceleration of growth, with the economy growing 8 percent in 2006, 9.5 percent in 2007, and then an estimated 7.1 percent in 2008. This latest dip reflects the challenges that the economy faced in the last year. Most notably, during the year under review, the global economy was buffeted by a trinity of crises - the food, fuel, and financial crises, presenting untold challenges for the government and the people of Liberia..

First, food and fuel prices rose on the world market, with the price of rice doubling and fuel and electricity costs increasing, causing great hardships here in Liberia. While still grappling with the adverse effects of the food and fuel crises, a third crisis, dubbed the “financial crisis” reared its ugly head. Having its origins in the US sub-prime home mortgage market, the financial crisis precipitated a credit crunch and set off panic in the global economy, leading to the collapse of leading financial institutions in the US and Europe and a precipitous drop in global demand for key commodities.

Honorable legislators, the financial crisis has to a large extent been a ‘mixed curse” for Liberia. For on the one hand, it occasioned downward movements in the prices of two of our most strategic imports, rice and fuel, thereby bringing much needed relief to our people; but on the other, it has led to a significant drop in the prices of our key exports, especially rubber and iron-ore and consequently poses a threat to our revenue generating capacity.

As a way of mitigating the adverse impacts of the crisis on our populace, we took a number of measures including the elimination of tariff on rice imports which translates to revenue forgone of nearly US$9 million in the current budget, eliminated personal income tax on all persons in the public and private sector earning monthly incomes of US$70 and below, waived duties on agricultural and construction equipment. We also more than quadrupled the subsidy to a well performing Monrovia Transit Authority (MTA) to enabled it acquire more buses and critical spare parts, and we doubled the budgetary appropriation of the Ministry of Agriculture to enable it tackle pre and post-harvest losses sustained by our farmers.

Besides steps taken domestically to cushion the impact of the crises on the population, we engaged our partners to help us steer through the turbulence. We are accordingly grateful to the World Bank for a US$10 million dollar assistance to be used to feed vulnerable segments of our population and for cash for work programs, to the African Development Bank for an estimated US$4.5 million and to the Japanese Government for an as yet to be realized US$6 million equivalent to cover rice imports. We also have received from the World Food Program, a commitment of US$41 million over a three year period for food supply and agriculture development.
More precisely, the financial crisis led to a sharp decline in the price of rubber. From October 2008 to January 2009 rubber prices dropped from US$1,425 to US$525 per ton, thus interrupting the operations and replanting programs of thousands of small and medium sized plantations and will result in unemployment, lost income and reduced government taxes for the large farms and plantations, perhaps as high as US$3 million in the next year. We have already received formal notice or indication of a reduction in the size of planned investment and a slow down in operations of those ongoing.

Our Central Bank will be hit by loss of income from reduced interest rates on their foreign deposits. Commercial banks and local beneficiaries have felt the blow from reduced remittances from abroad which affect local investment and consumption. The opportunity side of this crisis is that we must do more to encourage local production, particularly food and we must move quickly in our effort to reactivate and replant traditional export crops such as rubber, oil palm, coffee and cocoa so that we are positioned to benefit when the production swings once again to buoyant world commodity prices.

Yet, it is important that the government responds to the crisis in pursuit of the objectives stated by providing some stimuli no matter how moderate given the existing fiscal constraints.

Mr. Speaker and Honorable Members of the Legislature, we are therefore pleased to propose the following measures:
Reduction of the Business Income Tax rate from 35% to 25%.
Reduction of the Personal Income Tax Rate from 35% to 25%
Reduction in the presumptive tax on businesses with turnovers above L$201,000 from 4% to 2% of their gross quarterly income
Reduction of the Ecowas Trade Levy from 1% to 0.75%.
Elimination of the 2% advance tax as a minimum tax on businesses with turnovers above L$5 million
These tax rate revisions form part of the comprehensive revision of the Revenue Code which is presently being finalized. However, in order to ensure that the Liberian people begin to benefit from the relief that is embedded in these tax reductions, I will be submitting my proposals for tax reductions in the next few days in advance of the submission in advance of a comprehensively revised revenue code that will also be shortly submitted.

In addition to these tax reduction measures, I am also pleased to note the following measures:
1) as a result of market forces of supply and demand, the official price of butter rice has been reduced from US$35 to US$30.
2) an opening of the rice market to other importers for all grades of rice, except those prohibited for the protection of citizens
3) The establishment of a US$1 million facility at the Central Bank for the purchase of paddy rice from local producers. This will serve as an incentive to stimulate production in the coming planting season. I am also pleased to announce the launch of a pilot program whereby ten persons each from all 14 counties not including Montserrado who are resident in Monrovia and willing to relocate to another county or to their county of origin will be provided 5 acres of land in fee simple for the planting of rice or tree crops for which seeds and cutting will be provided.
4) Reduction of Import Duty and Goods and Services Tax on buses 24-seater or above from a total of 18% to 2.5%. This measure is intended to encourage private sector actors to intervene more robustly in the transport sector as a means of alleviating the hardship our people encounter in getting transport.
In order to give added incentive to the margin of preference for Liberian businesses that is included in the revised Incentive Code that will soon be presented to you, the Economic Management Team of the Government is presently considering the establishment of a US$2 million guarantee fund at the Central Bank to support Liberian businesses. The criteria and modalities for operationalising such a scheme are also being considered.

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro-Tempore,
Honorable Legislators:
Our country embarked upon a journey that commenced on January 16, 2006, a journey embedded in the dream of a peaceful and prosperous nation based upon proper allocation and use of our national resources in ensuring equity and equal opportunity for all our citizens. That dream envisioned that we had the courage to depart from the ways of the past that have kept our country underdeveloped, our people divided and our children devoid of hope in the future.

We have come a long way in the journey, in the fulfillment of our dream as I have just recounted the progress which we have made in just three years of this Government. There may be those whose hate, guilt and fears prevent them from being a part of this great journey. There may be those who, lacking the courage to dream and to accept the reality of progress can only stand in the sidelines seeing only the difficulties and the shortcomings. There are also those who simply want us to return to the habits of old – plunder, lawlessness, indiscipline.

But let us thank God for the thousands of Liberians, particularly those in our rural communities who share in our dream of reform and change, those who are thankful and have made the sacrifice and the contribution to get us where we are today. For them, we cannot stop but must stay the course. To them, we must pledge our continued commitment to a legacy that will see Liberia three years from now a better place than we found it. This legacy is also yours as we together continue on this journey of courage, hope and promise toward the fulfillment of the now possible dream.

As I draw to a close, there is no doubt that our challenges remain enormous. But we remain committed to the ongoing reform and change knowing that the resistance from the minority is bound to become more intense as the majority sense and feel the progress that is being made. I said last year, and I say again, we will bear the cross, we will stay the course, we will carry the load for that is the only way to ensure that we achieve our Poverty Reduction goals to “Lift Liberia”, thereby enabling our nation to consolidate the gains on this irreversible road to a participatory democracy in which rights are protected, freedom is enjoyed with responsibility, and there is social equity and equal opportunity for all.

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members of the Legislature, Thank you for joining me on this journey. Thank you for helping me in the progress we have made in rebuilding our institutions and renewing our nation. Thank you for your contribution in making us all proud to be Liberians.

Please join me in the first week in March, when Women leaders all over the world will join Liberian women in a Colloquium co-chaired by Finland President Tarja Halonen and me to celebrate women’s empowerment and to recognize in presence their promotion of the role of women by President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.

I thank you.

3-Yrs of Unity party Rule Have Change Things?

2009-01-27T06:55:00.000-08:00

…Nation’s Address to Leg. Speaks of Progress & Challenges

”During the past three years she noted that her administration took major strides towards rebuilding and reintegrating our economy into the world economy. But to fully appreciate the extent of progress, it is better to put things in perspective and remind ourselves where things were at the end of 2005. Owing to poor governance, the UN ban on exports of diamonds and timber products was still in place. Exports valued US$131 million.”

This was the focal pointed statement uttered to the Fourth Session of the 52nd National Legislature of the Republic of Liberia on Monday, January 26, when President Sirleaf delivered her State of the Nation’s address to the National Legislature in fulfillment of Article 58 of the Liberian constitution which states that: “The President shall, on the fourth working Monday in January of each year; present the administration’s legislative program for the ensuing session, and shall once a year report to the Legislature on the state of the Republic.

Not delving into the statement by the President, the truth is that the national reconstruction task was move to no significant dimension by the defunct National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) when the two years life span faded away in 2005 when the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration of the Unity Party was voted into office. The Sirleaf Government was preferred to its political arch-rival of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) represented in the presidential race by football icon George Manneh Weah otherwise called ‘Opong’ because it was conceived by the majority Madam Sirleaf would use her political experience, economic expertise and social contacts within the global community to advance the nation’s reconciliation and reconstruction agenda.

It was just when the nation was suffocated by a fratricidal war that devastated every fabric of the nation. In spite of the odds, the President has restored the obscure image of the country and has been trying to make Liberia once more life-worthy for its residents. For premier task was to revitalize the national economic and others. Therefore the President made an elaborate speech when she addressed In presenting the economic condition of the Republic the report shall cover expenditure as well as income” Monday has formally addressed the National Legislature commenting on wide range of issues including economic, security, amongst others.

Economic Revitalization:

In Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s State of the Nation’s address to the National legislature on January 26, 2009, she said the Government’s strategy for accelerating economic growth has three prongs – rebuilding basic infrastructure, restoring production in the natural resource sectors while ensuring that the benefits are widely shared, reducing production cost to lay the foundation for diversification of the economy.

During the past three years, she noted, her administration took major strides towards rebuilding and reintegrating our economy into the world economy. But to fully appreciate the extent of progress, it is better to put things in perspective and remind ourselves where things were at the end of 2005. Owing to poor governance, the UN ban on exports of diamonds and timber products was still in place. Exports valued US$131 million.

The government budget was a paltry US$80 million. Civil servants salaries were as low as US$15 per month. Our roads, not built or maintained for many years, had countless pot-holes, some virtually impassable, resulting into extremely high repair and maintenance costs on vehicles. Large foreign and domestic arrears were accumulating while large revenue leakages persisted.

The Central Bank’s international reserves stood at just a little over US$5 million. Reflecting the underlying concerns about the management of the economy, net outflows of remittances were US$133 million, foreign direct investments was virtually non-existent, and Liberia’s massive external debt had accumulated to over US$4 billion, equivalent to US$1,500 for each Liberian citizen.

Things Have Change In 3-Yrs

The President recounted that three years on, things have changed. Economic growth increased from 5.3 percent in 2005, to 9.5 percent in 2007 with an expected decline to 7.1 percent in 2008 on account of lags in investment starts. According to her, the ban on diamond and timber exports has been removed, the Kimberly Certification Process has been adopted, new forestry law and regulations established, and timber exports are expected to restart in the next few weeks.

President Johnson-Sirleaf said the level of exports rose to US$260 million in 2008. The government’s budget has increased to nearly US$300 million. The lowest monthly civil servants salaries is now US$70 and civil servants salaries are paid sometimes two weeks before the end of the month. “The government’s external and domestic debts are being addressed, and the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) international reserves now stands at approximately US$50 million. Additionally, the capital and liquidity positions of banks operating in Liberia have significantly improved, and the exchange rate has been broadly stable, thereby containing inflation,” she noted.

Reflecting confidence in the management of the economy in 2008, she said net inflows of remittances were US$42 million and new foreign direct investments were estimated at US$200 million. Immediately upon our ascendancy, we took swift and decisive action to launch an initial 150-Day Action Plan to address the immediate development challenges, and during the period under review, we completed our first comprehensive PRS after unprecedented national consultations across the fifteen political subdivisions.

The President indicated that from the outset, the administration embraced the international community in an open partnership in Liberia’s reconstruction and development and in the improvement of economic management under the Governance and Economic Management Assistance Program (GEMAP). “With strong leadership and commitment by the government, rapid progress was made under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Staff Monitored Program (SMP) in improving the revenue base, strengthening cash management and commitment controls, strengthening the management of the Central Bank’s finances and the fragile banking system, and putting in place a strategy to address corruption and Liberia’s large external and domestic debts,” President told the nation.

The Government’s commitment to sound economic management, according to her, have been well-received by the international community. In April last year the IMF Board approved a three-year program supported by a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) to help maintain macroeconomic stability and achieve the growth objectives under the PRS.

In December 2008, the Liberian leader explained, the Executive Branch of the IMF completed the first review of Liberia’s economic performance under the three year PRGF arrangement, saying that following the Board’s discussion, the Acting Chair summarized their discussion thus, "The Liberian authorities have implemented prudent fiscal and monetary policies and structural reforms under their IMF-assisted program to support postwar reconstruction and economic recovery. Important measures have been taken to strengthen public financial management and fight corruption,” the President further told the National Legislature.

These Successes Attributes to Sound Policies

But Madam Sirleaf attributed these successes to sound policies. She said "Sound policies have contributed to strong economic growth, rising foreign direct investment, a build-up of net international reserves, and broad exchange rate stability. She furthered that economic prospects remain favorable. Nevertheless, the current global slowdown could negatively affect foreign direct investment, exports, and remittance flows. The authorities responded appropriately to the challenges posed by higher fuel and food prices in 2008. Their comprehensive food security strategy focuses on raising domestic food production and securing donor resources to finance social safety net programs. Continued donor support will be essential to ensure the success of the strategy, in view of the limited availability of public resources.” With their completion of the review, SDR 7 million or US$10 million was made available to strengthen our Central Bank reserves.

When her administration assumed office, she remembered that it inherited massive external debt amounting to $4.7 billion US dollars including US$1.6 billion in multilateral debt, US$1.5 billion in bilateral debt and US$1.6 billion in commercial loans and suppliers credit. “This represented a burden far too large for the Liberian people to pay. As I reported last year, we began to rationalize our debt when in December 2007 long overdue amounts to the World Bank and African Development Bank were cleared through grant operations, effectively reducing our debt by US$670 million.

In March 2008, Liberia’s arrears of some US$900 million to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were cleared through new financing arrangements with IMF members. I am thus pleased to report that for the first time in more than two decades, Liberia’s membership rights have been fully restored and returned to good standing with the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.

Besides she said her government moved to tackle the bilateral debt. In March 2008, we reached the so-called “Decision Point” of the (HIPC) Initiative, an important milestone in the formal debt relief process. At the “Decision Point”, the international community committed itself to writing-off Liberia’s external debt in line with the HIPC terms. In April 2008, Liberia met with the Paris Club, the group of official bilateral creditors, for the first time in over 25 years.

“We successfully negotiated the most generous terms ever afforded by the Paris Club to a HIPC country at the Decision Point. The agreement provided immediate forgiveness of over US$250 million in debt. The remainder was rescheduled in such as way that Liberia effectively will not be required to make debt service payments for the foreseeable future, and paves the way for ultimate 100 percent forgiveness of our bilateral debts. Several Paris Club creditors have agreed to provide immediate 100 percent debt forgiveness, with full cancellation agreements already signed with the United States (US$425 million), Germany (US$410 million) and Denmark (US$29 million),” she said.

“In 2008, we signed an agreement with the French Government involving the immediate cancellation of approximately US$1.8 million and the rescheduling of approximately US$152 million. This morning, the Minister of Finance and the Norwegian Ambassador signed an agreement involving cancellation of approximately US$32.8 million of our debt obligation to Norway and the rescheduling of the balance US$3.5 million along HIPC terms. We are in the process of concluding agreements with other Paris Club members for the cancellation and/or rescheduling the remainder of our bilateral debt,” President Sirleaf who spent two hours on the podium said in her address.

With respect to commercial debt, she said the Government has met with its commercial creditors three times, and negotiations are proceeding favorably. We are cautiously optimistic that during the course of this year we will reach final agreement with these private sector creditors that will results in a substantial write-down in this segment of our debt.

She said all told, to date, the Government’s negotiations so far have resulted in immediate debt reductions of nearly US$1.5 billion US dollars. The remaining debt is expected to be forgiven when we reach the final stage of the HIPC Process – the “Completion Point” – hopefully by the end of 2009 or early 2010.

However, I should point out that reaching the HIPC Completion Point is dependent on when we achieve all of the Completion Point triggers. These, she indicated, include completion of important reforms that provide assurances of our commitment to sound economic policies that can help the poor and improved governance and that lay the platform for strong growth.

More importantly, we must have enacted and implemented a Public Financial Management Law and its accompanying regulations for at least a year. We must have completed successive audits of key government ministries and agencies, begun the implementation of a revised Investment Incentive Code, enhanced our debt management capacity and ensured the smooth operation of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission.

“So Mr. Speaker and Honorable Members of the Legislature, the challenge is indeed enormous but I am confident that with your support we can reach the HIPC Completion Point no later than early 2010. This is very important for it is only at that time we can get the fiscal space to access normal sources of financing that would begin to address our development challenges more meaningfully,” she told the Legislature.

Addressing the national Legislature, the President said there has been significant improvement in fiscal management in the past year. As a result she said domestic revenues grew from US$176.18 million in 2007 to US$211.12 million in 2008, a growth of 19.8 percent. Adding the revenue collected in 2008 to the beginning cash balance of approximately US$38.28 million, the total amount available to spend in 2008 was US$249.38 million. The main drivers of revenue growth in 2008 were increased collections of customs revenues on account of the rise in imports as well as increased collections from the mining sector.

On the expenditure side, she exclaimed, “we have continued the policy of a cash-based budget while ensuring the payment of civil servant salaries on time and tackling the large stock of domestic arrears which we inherited. Expenditure for the period under review totaled US$230 million compared with expenditure of US$166.92 million in the previous year, a jump of over 38 percent.”

But she said this significant increase in expenditure in 2008 is explained not only by the increase in the amount available to spend in the budget but also by small measures of strengthening capacity in procurement and efficiency enhancement in budget execution across government institutions. These gains notwithstanding, we must concede that we are still dogged with serious capacity constraints in government institutions as regards understanding of the new public procurement process and bureaucratic hiccups in budget execution.

She furthered that in December 2008, we began the payment of salaries of employees of thirteen government ministries and agencies through direct deposits at commercial banks and will add eleven more ministries to the direct deposit program in February 2009. The goal is to ensure that before the end of April 2009, not less than 90 percent of civil servants are paid through direct deposits.

Another significant step in the direct deposit program will begin in February 2009 when the Ministry of Finance will stop paying vendors through checks but rather through direct deposits to their accounts at commercial banks. These measures are intended to deal with inefficiencies and integrity of our entire payment system. On the revenue side, processes are now underway to improve the custom clearing process, the management of duty free privileges and plug leakages at revenue collectorates across the country, she disclosed.

The President said in 2008, maritime revenue to government totaled US$14.6 million compared with US$13.5 in 2007. “This performance reflects an increase of 10 percent in vessel registration, including 513 new vessels, from 2,665 at 82 million gross tons to 2,926 at 86 million gross tons. Let me say a few additional words regarding our Maritime Program. We have appointed as new managers a group of capable and highly motivated individuals who have already moved the program a long way to more national partnership and control around a broader range of maritime services consistent with the path other registries have followed. They have been given the authority to explore all options for the future management of the program, being only concerned with that which avoids any possible conflict of interest and maximizes national interest and benefits.”

However, she noted that there are still challenges to be met in our fiscal system. Systems development through automation is nearing completion, thereby enhancing accountability and transparency in the budget process. The restructuring and reorganizing of the Ministry of Finance now under way will result in better staffing and stronger capacity. In the longer term, decentralization of some of the operational functions of the Ministry will provide a wider policy and regulatory role for the Ministry of Finance.

“Honorable Legislators, we remain ever grateful to former Finance Minister, Dr. Antoinette Sayeh, for the competence and quality of leadership she brought to our debt relief effort. With our concurrence, the IMF has recognized her capacity and performance by elevating her to the position of Director of the African Department of the IMF where she will continue to serve Liberia within the scope of her African directorship,” Madam Sirleaf said.

According to the President, under guidance of a strongly motivated and reorganized Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs, Liberia qualified in December for threshold status under the program of the United States Millennium Challenge Corporation. This gave further testimony to the country’s strong governance gains as recognized by the World Bank Institute which ranked Liberia as having made the best progress in fighting corruption. This was echoed by the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance which rated Liberia last year as the most improved country on the continent in terms of governance. Our challenge is to sustain this progress.

Net Foreign Reserves Increased

The Liberian leaders also mentioned in her address that the net foreign reserves position of the CBL increased by US$14.3 million in 2008, bringing the total level of reserves to US$49.4 million. This is significant, she deduced, considering that about three years ago, the reserves were about US$5 million. The continued increase in the Bank’s foreign reserves position enhances its ability to intervene in the foreign exchange market to support stability of the exchange rate and boost the nation’s macroeconomic environment. She cataloged the progressive achievement of her government in the banking sector as followed

a) In 2008, the CBL increased the minimum capital requirement of all commercial banks operating in Liberia from US$2 million to US$6 million. It is expected to be further increased to US$8 million at end-December, 2009 and to US$10 million by end-December 2010.

b) This is intended to make the Liberian banking sector internationally competitive; create the incentive for banks to properly and adequately manage their risks; and put the banking sector in a stronger position to help meet the financing needs of the economy.

c) The total capital of commercial banks increased from US$21 million in 2006 to US$40.5 million by end-December, 2008, largely on account of the injection of new capital. Additionally, the CBL has made significant progress at promoting a banking culture and access to financial services throughout the nation.

d) Currently, there are 28 bank branches in many major population centers throughout a number of counties including Montserrado, Nimba, Margibi, Bong, Grand Cape Mount and Grand Bass. Permission has been granted for bank branches in Maryland. Also, the banking sector has benefited from a number of innovations geared towards improving the payments system. These include the introduction of Automatic Teller Machine (ATM), Short Message Service (SMS), and internet banking.

e) During the year, the number of operational banks increased to six (6) with the opening of United Bank for Africa Liberia (UBAL). The CBL granted provisional licenses to three international banks: Guaranty Trust which will be capitalized at US$10 million, Access Bank Liberia Limited – The Microfinance Bank, which will have an initial capital of US$6 million, and Oceanic Bank which will be capitalized at US$8 million. This will bring to nine the number of banks operating in Liberia during the course of 2009.

f) Through prudent monetary policy management and the conduct of the CBL weekly foreign exchange auction, the readily available monetary policy instrument to the Bank, the L$/US$ exchange rate remained broadly stable during the course of the year. In our society where most of the people live below the poverty line, this is very important as it provides some protection to the purchasing power of the domestic currency.

g) Inflation declined from a peak of 26.5 percent in August to 9.4 percent at end-December, 2008, much lower than inflation rates in many countries in the region. This is an indication of a progressive downward movement in the general price level in the economy.

h) The high volume of non-performing loans in the sector remains a concern largely due to the poor credit culture of individuals and inability of the court system to enforce commercial contracts. A fast-track court to deal with financial and commercial contracts will help improve the climate for lending.

Notwithstanding, she said the numerous strides made by the Central Bank, the year was not without its fair share of challenges. “Thanks to the vigilance of an employee and internal controls at the Bank, a scam involving the recycling of some government checks was uncovered. This was a matter of collusion, which in most cases will defeat internal control measures put in place,” she said

She also said, “This unscrupulous conduct provides ample evidence that ‘the lack of integrity’ is a cancer that pervades all segments of our society. Although this scandal is suspected to involve a collusion of participants across multiple governmental ministries/agencies, every CBL employee suspected of involvement were immediately suspended and turned over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and prosecution where necessary. Additionally, the CBL is restructuring its Banking Department and has hired a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) as its internal auditor.

Agriculture Effective in Poverty Reduction

The President address also touched the agriculture and forestry sector of the country. She said there is no doubt that growth in agriculture is more effective in reducing poverty than effort in any other sector. In the agriculture sector, she noted:

a) We sought to expand domestic food production with emphasis on rice so as to reduce the substantial import bill for this strategic commodity. Although this was not Government funding, it is important to note that rice import cost our economy over US$200 million last year. In response we have signed and you have ratified two concession agreements for aggregate investment of US$32.5 million for rice production in Lofa and Grand Cape Mount Counties. A continuation of support to small farmers by providing seeds, tools and processing machines will add impetus to this effort and the reactivation of agriculture research at the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) has proven instrumental in this regard.

b) Revitalization of our traditional rubber industry, she also maintained, is critical to the long term growth potential of our agriculture export sector. During the year we experienced a sharp fall in production due to low yields from old and damaged trees and a decline in demand on account of the global financial crisis. An aggressive ongoing replanting program by Liberian farmers and by the large existing plantations – Firestone, Liberia Agriculture Company (LAC), Morris American Rubber (MARCO) – is expected to boost production in the medium term.

c) She said When negotiations are concluded with Sime Darby of Malaysia for reactivation and expansion of the Guthrie Plantation; with Salala Rubber Investment Ltd. from the United Kingdom and Internationale De Plantation D’Heveast (SIPH) of France for the Cavalla Plantation in Maryland County, and with Sithe Global of the United States, overall concession production of rubber and oil palm should experience significant expansion. Ongoing effort to attract investment for reactivation of the Decoris Oil Palm plantation in Maryland County and the Cocopa rubber plantation in Nimba County should bring similar results.

d) The Forestry Sector, she re represents one of Liberia’s greatest assets. Our total forestry land area of 9.58 million hectares represents one of the 36 hot spots in the world with diverse plant and animal species and 240 timber species. The sector has been slow in meeting its performance and revenue targets due to the difficulties experienced in meeting the requirements of the New Forestry Law. Six timber sales contracts for Liberian timber operators have commenced in Grand Bassa, Gbarpolu and Grand Cape Mount County. Two large-sized revised Forestry Management contracts for operations in Rivercess have been signed and submitted to you for ratification while a third in Lofa and Gbarpolu is being processed for submission to you.

All forest operations may suffer additional delays as we seek a solution to the conflict which exists between the Forestry Law and the Forest Community Rights Law. This may please local and external conservationists but will harm the employment and social benefits that would accrue to our communities. Thus, effort is required to strike a right balance in our goals of commercialization, conversation and community benefits.

The president also report progress in the reactivation of our mining sector to the Honorable Legislators, saying that although affected by the current global crisis, the Yekepa Mines reactivation is on course with Arcelor Mittal which has reaffirmed its commitment to the activities detailed in its concession agreement but with a possible slow down that would result in the first export in 2010 rather than 2009.

On the other hand, she said the government expects full speed ahead with China Union under the recently signed concession agreement for US$2.6 billion, the largest size investment in our country’s history, once you have ratified the concession agreement.

Moreover, when ongoing processes and negotiations are concluded, we look forward to operations by the America Liberia Company in the gold fields of Cocoya in Bong County, Karweakan in Grand Gedeh County, Klekle in Montserrado County, and Cestos gold fields in Rivercess County. “We look forward to operations by BHP Billiton in the Kitoma iron ore mines in Grand Bassa and Nimba Counties and similar operations by Mano River Resources in the Putu iron ore range in Grand Gedeh County. When one of the six companies that are involved in the rebidding process is chosen before the middle of this year, we expect the start up of operations in the Western Cluster iron ore mines of Bomi and Gbarpolu counties,” President Sirleaf intimated. .

She also reported significant progress in our oil exploration program. Three dimensional seismic surveys, which are more detailed have started by the five companies which obtained ratified Production Sharing Contracts. A second bid round for three blocks were concluded during the year under review. Anadarko of the United States and Hong Kong Tong-Tai Petroleum Corporation of Hong Kong were successful in this bid. Production Sharing Contracts for this next phase of exploration will be forwarded for your review and ratification when negotiations are concluded, she disclosed.

Several other investment, she disclosed, are underway or under consideration in the service sector – construction, housing, and hotels. Notably among these is the Robert L. Johnson / OPIC US$30 million to support Liberian businesses and the soon to be launched construction of two new housing estates; a 1,200 unit on the Robertsfield highway by Broad Cove/OPIC of the United States and a 10,000 unit by Haiman Century Investment of China. “We are aware that there is need to rehabilitate or complete several public buildings in Monrovia and in other counties. There is also urgency in restoring the nation’s seat of Government – the Executive Mansion. Effort is underway to mobilize the significant resources required to achieve this objective.” She said.

The National Investment Commission (NIC) also reports that during last year, a total of eighteen investment contracts were signed for an aggregate value of US$132.5 million and creation of 2,287 jobs. In the area of commerce, total trade continue to expand with exports at a value of US$181.05 million and imports US$856.81 million. This trend is matched by the increase in the number of businesses registered, 7,569 in 2008 compared with 6,764 in 2007.

Yet, she said. “We have not seen the expected growth in Liberian businesses, nor have we been able to take advantage of our eligibility for the African Growth and opportunity Act. Moreover, we continue to be concerned about the continued high prices of commodities on the market, relating not only to world market prices but to high taxes, profiteering, theft and inefficiency at the port of Monrovia. The Ministry of Commerce which has taken bold steps recently to address these issues give assurance that we can expect progress in responding to these concerns in this year.

She then pointed out that as a part of our economic reform agenda, appropriate steps are being taken to develop a comprehensive corporate governance framework with the goal of improving the efficiency and increasing the productivity of state owned enterprises and public parastatals.

“Mr. President of the Senate, Mr. Speaker, Honourable Legislators, our vision is clear and detailed in our Poverty Reduction Strategy. Liberians want to build a new nation that is peaceful, secure and prosperous, with democratic and accountable governance based on the rule of law and with abundant employment and other economic opportunities. Our critical objective over the next three years is to be on an irreversible path toward this goal – to achieve rapid, exclusive and sustainable growth and development, to build the capabilities of and provide new opportunities for Liberia’s greatest asset, its people; to establish responsible institutions of justice, human rights and governance,” she divulge her intention for Libneria, saying, “This is our vision and our commitment which can only be achieved when the majority of our people share in the vision and are willing to participate positively and constructively in the processes of reform and change.”

She at the same function reported on the state of the nation, the progress made and the challenges being faced under the four pillars of our development agenda which include PEACE AND SECURITY, GOVERNANCE AND THE RULE OF LAW, In doing so, and in the interest of not keeping you sitting as long as last year, I will provide main highlights leaving details for you to read in the text that will be distributed to you and posted on the Executive Mansion Website: http://www.e-mansion.com/ .

On peace and security, she said: “Let us all be thankful to God and to the Liberian people as we enter our sixth year of peace. This has been made possible by the continued support which we receive from the United Nations Security Council in providing the United Nations Mission which includes a Peace Keeping Force with a current strength of 12,065. An agreed gradual drawdown plan is expected to see a meaningful size force in the country through the 2011 elections.

“Under the security sector reform, our target for the new Armed Forces of Liberia has been met with the current strength of 2057 personnel. This includes 773 formed into military police units, an engineering company, garrison departments and a brigade training unit. Expanded and improved facilities at the Edward Binyah Kesselly Barrack in Schefflin, the Sandee Ware Barracks in Careysburg and the newly renovated Tubman barracks in Gbarnga will accommodate our troops. Under the Defense Act, we have commenced the reestablishment of our Coast Guard with forty persons in initial sailor training to commence initial operations when facilities at the port are rehabilitated and vessels and other equipment are ready by the end of the year.

“The Liberia National Police (LNP) had attained and surpassed its initial goal set by the United Nations of training a new core of 3,500 personnel. Using that figure in comparison with the population of over 3.5 million, it means that on the average one police officer services 1,000 citizens. There is therefore a need for infusion of more officers in the New Year, a process that has already begun.

“The LNP, in its continued drive to upgrade its effectiveness and responsiveness to crimes in the community, graduated the first 139 approved 500 contingent Emergency Response Unit (ERU) of the LNP. The Unit is now fully operational, assisting the Police Support Unit (PSU) and the regular police units combat crimes in the nation. It is anticipated that the full strength of the ERU will be attained during the course of 2009.

“The Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) reports that during the year a total of 235,495 legal aliens were admitted into the country, 101 aliens were refused admission, and 191,098 departed the country. It also records that a total of 44 Liberians were deported from the United States of America and several hundred Liberians repatriated from Ghana.

“The incidence of drug trafficking in our sub-region is of increasing concern. During the year our Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) arrested 267 persons including 244 Liberians for drug offences and the Agency continues to be active in the destruction of marijuana plants some of which are grown in certain parts of the country. A continuing problem still to be effectively addressed, the Liberia National Fire Service recorded 147 fires during the year which resulted in 11 casualties, 32 injuries and damages totaling about US$1.2 million.

“With a few exceptional lapses, the Special Security Service (SSS) improved its performance with training and instructional support from the US Advisory Team.

“We continue to face challenges in all of our security units in terms of integrity and attitude reminiscent of the past. However, government must take responsibility in encouraging better performance by doing more to improve their living and work conditions. This is particularly true for those who are to serve in rural areas. We must also find more effective means to deal with the menace of armed robbery. I ask your support in providing the budgetary resources that will enable us to do so and I will engage the Judiciary Branch in an effort to obtain quick and effective action against those criminals who continue to harm and steal from hard working innocent citizens.

“The National Commission on Disarmament, Demobilization, Resettlement and Reintegration (NCDDRR) is nearing completion of training of the residual caseload of 7, 388 disarmed and demobilized ex-combatants and will wind down its activities by mid year. There is need for assistance to the Commission to retire honorably the 53 ex-generals of the AFL and warring factions that have assisted in bringing this program to successful conclusion.

“The Liberia Refugee, Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), as the refugee agency of Government, completed the process that resulted in 326,990 of the 400,000 displaced persons returned to their communities. Those commissions also worked with the concerned Ministries of Government to address the problems of refugees in the Budumburan camp in Ghana. As a result, some 10,000 of a total refugee population of approximately 26,000 have returned home, several of whom are benefiting from programs of capacity building and skills training, employment and a moderate micro credit loan scheme.

Governance And The Rule Of Law

On Governance and the Rule of Law, the Ptresident said. “Under the third pillar of the PRS, Governance and the Rule of Law, we seek to reform the civil service, decentralize governance, strengthen the rule of law and respect for human rights, promote a strong and responsible civil society including the media, encourage broad participation in governance and reduce corruption.

“We are pleased to report that consistent with our goals, we have county development agendas, linked to the Poverty Reduction Strategy, for all fifteen counties. This represents the first such local development plans which were prepared under the guidance of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the participation of local authorities and representatives of the society at large.

“Currently under review by the Cabinet are several documents completed by the Governance Commission – the National Public Sector Policy statement, a Report on the Rationalization and Restructuring of Ministries and Agencies of Government, a National Policy on Decentralization. Draft legislation where applicable including that which establishes a Law Reform Commission will be submitted to you within the next few months.

“As stated earlier, during the year in review, we increased the minimum salary for civil servants to US$70 representing a composite 400 percent increase during this administration. We still have inherited arrears totaling nearly US$17 million representing over 18 months salaries to civil servants which will be fully retired during the course of this year while we finalize plans to address long standing and substantial Foreign Service arrears.

“A comprehensive Civil Service Reform Strategy is now concluded covering compensation and pension to improve service delivery and to use performance as the main criterion for recruitment, selection and promotion. Additionally, we have in place three incentive programs under which some 150 nationals at home and abroad bring added capacity and professionalism to public service. Several now serve in our local governance system in the rural areas bringing significant added value to the rural civil service outreach program that was launched during the year.

“The final draft of Liberia’s first National Employment Policy including proposal for the establishment of a National Bureau of Employment is in the final review process. In the interim, short term job initiatives by the Ministry of Labor have created close to 35,000 short term job opportunities in various sectors especially waste management, sanitation and public works. The final draft of a revised Labor Code is also under review and we expect to propose a new minimum wage for the private sector before the end of this year.

“I should also note that the merger of the two labor centers – the Liberia Federation of Labour Unions (LFLU) and the Congress of National Trade Unions of Liberia (CONATUL) into the Liberia Labor Congress (LLC) will facilitate consultation and enable the labor union to play a more effective role in enhancing labor rights, in improving the terms and conditions of work for employees and in the settlement of disputes.

“We commend, and we believe you share this sentiment, the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union (FAWUL) for the prestigious George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award which they received last year from the American Federation of Labor Union (AFL-CIO).

“Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members of the Legislature: Under guidance of the Supreme Court and with the participation of the Ministry of Justice as appropriate, our judicial system is undergoing long needed reform. Judges, Magistrates, County Attorneys and other judicial officials now enjoy higher levels of compensation and better working conditions.

“Several challenges remain. The Court system seems excessively slow in its processes and dispensation of justice – ultimately judgment. For example, we continue to receive complaints that prisoners are incarcerated without trial for periods as long as and over a year. The Jury system also gives concerns as persons considered professional jurors with compensation as prime motivation move from one court to the other.

“To enhance the Justice system, the Ministry of Justice collaborating with the Judicial Branch, has organized a judicial setting at the Monrovia Central Prison where Magistrates will dispose of cases thereby reducing the high level or number of unindicted prisoners. There has also been established a Criminal Court E which will commence work in February to deal exclusively with gender based violence and the unacceptable high level of rape cases stemming from the violation of young girls, sometimes babies, by cowardly and mentally deranged sex fiends.

“The Ministry of Justice has also established a Special Legal Task Force to speed up the prosecution of those charged with corruption and is working through the Anti Corruption Commission to obtain order from the court to freeze the assets of persons being investigated or tried for corruption. To its credit, the Ministry has compiled most of the laws passed by this Legislature and opinions handed down by this Supreme Court with the intent to edit and publish these works during this year.

“Honorable Legislators, I am aware that despite strong political will and commitment of this Government, the Executive will face a serious challenge in sustaining the gains made in combating corruption given recent public outcry and media reports on perceived corruption in the public sector. Overcoming this challenge will require the collective effort and political will not only on the part of the Executive but by all three branches of Government.

Gender Issues & Women’s participation

The President also said the government has been making efforts to promote gender equity and enhance the role and participation of women made significant progress during the past year. For the first time, Liberia’s report on national progress in compliance with UN Resolution on the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women was completed in that connection and a National Rural Women Program was launched and a project commenced to build safe homes and establish micro credit operations for women in five counties.

“Two innovative interventions will enhance our gender initiative – a US$22 million equivalent grant proposal by the Danish Government to support a program that would make Liberia a model country for the achievement of Millennium Development Goal #5 and a Nike Foundation/World Bank Economic Empowerment of Adolescent Girl project that seeks to train 1,500 young women for direct employment placement in our country’s private sector.

“Honorable Legislators, we are also pleased to note that The Liberia Education Trust (LET) and the Sirleaf Market Women Fund (SMWF) continue to expand operations in providing scholarships for girls, promoting literacy programs for market women and building schools and markets throughout the country.

“Resources mobilized for these projects total over US$6 million, contributed solely by private institutions, foundations and individuals in response to my personal appeal and my participation in fund raising events. The Minister of Gender and Development and the Chair person of the African Women Development Fund, Dr. Thelma Awori have been very instrumental in our success under these two interventions.”

Besides, the President indicated that government will continue to identify measures that respond to our youths who comprise over 45 percent of our population. We are pleased to note that during the year some 1,306 youths benefited from internships and apprenticeship programs primarily in Montserrado and Grand Bassa Counties. She said a vacation program, the National Youth Volunteer Service which was launched in 2006 completed a first phase this year with 67 youths serving for six months in rural areas in the health and education sectors.

According to her, “Emphasis on the training and employment of youth remain a Government priority. I would therefore like to assure our young citizens that the Youth Policy document which was completed during the year can be launched immediately. Our delay and concern regard the generality of the provisions of that document. Realistically, only specific elements of that policy can be carried forward into law that is enforceable. I therefore appeal to the youth representatives, particularly the Federation of Liberian Youth to appoint representatives who will work with us to achieve the objectives of finalizing a direct Act whose provisions can be respected and enforced.

“We are equally pleased to report that Liberia won the championship for the second Amputee African Nations Cup and the second place in the Guinea ECOWAS cycling tour for peace. We also witnessed and participated in a successful county Meet which saw Sinoe and Rivercess win the basketball and kickball competition. Bomi County successfully competed with River Gee County, to win the football competition. I am also pleased to note Liberia’s participation the Beijing Olympics.

He speech did touch on efforts by government to strengthen its information dissemination and public awareness apparatus. “Government continues to strengthen its information dissemination and public awareness apparatus. Although the challenges are many, we have made a number of strides in this regard. We held a country-wide competition to solicit names for our Poverty Reduction Strategy, and at the end of a two-week naming search, my Cabinet and I settled on the name ‘Lift Liberia,’ suggested by Dr. Shadrack Bryant, a Liberian residing in Gardnesville.

“This was just the beginning of branding our national development agenda. The Ministry of Information, in collaboration with the Executive Mansion, has developed a comprehensive Communications Strategy for the PRS that includes a number of non-conventional tools for engagement. This is now in the implementation phase and will require a mass effort by all of us to fund the Strategy. The Ministry of Information has also collaborated with media development agencies and the Press Union of Liberia to draft and submit three acts to the Legislature establishing an independent commission to regulate broadcast media, making freedom of information a law, and establishing a public broadcasting entity. We ask your early action in passing these Acts into Law.

“MICAT has also established a “war room” to gather, analyze and respond to reports in the media that require clarification or follow up; revitalized the Liberia News Agency (LINA); re-stocked artifacts at the National Museum; and established the Bai T. Moore research room as a center for learning and appreciation of Liberia’s rich cultural heritage; and revamped the New Liberia Newspaper and its website, (www.newliberia.com.lr ). In continuance of MICAT’s mandate to harness public information dissemination, ministries and autonomous agencies continue to strengthen relations with the independent media through weekly press briefings and regular interactions.

“New news is provided on a daily basis on our Executive Mansion website http://www.emansion.gov.lr/, whose hits increased from 5 million in 2007 to 8 million in 2008, the Executive Mansion. Because we understand the fundamental importance of information dissemination as a tool of empowerment, fourteen Government ministry websites are now accessible and fully stocked with customized information related to the PRS. A number of autonomous agencies are also online, and we will continue to work to bring ‘Government to the people’ via the World Wide Web.

Army Worm Invasion

She also commented on the invasion of Liberia by an armyworms in central and northern Liberia. “I know that we all share the alarm and the deep concern over the emergence of the army or tent worms which have invaded our county with the potential to set back our progress in the production of food and export crops. Ongoing investigation show that 62 communities in Bong and some parts of Lower Lofa and Gbarpolu counties involving some 350,000 inhabitants many have already been affected. Five of the twenty-eight affected communities in Zota District of Bong County are bordering neighboring Guinea and there are indications that several villages in Guinea are now experiencing similar invasion.

“This is indeed a crisis and I hereby declare a state of National Emergency with particular emphasis on the existing and potentially affected counties.

“The government has taken immediate initial steps to respond to the crisis. A Task Force under the Ministry of Agriculture with support of the Ministry of Health has been established. The technical team has identified and classified the species and has commenced spraying in the affected areas. Water and food are being supplied to the most vulnerable and displaced. Meetings have been held with our partners and several international organizations have responded to our appeal and will be sending experts and supplies to supplement our effort.

“More effort and more resources are required if we are to be successful in containing this problem. I have therefore instructed the Minister of Finance to identify budgetary resources from any source possible that can be used to meet the needs that are required. He knows that this will not be the time for long procurement procedures and bureaucratic hurdles.

“I have also called upon our partners for urgent response to our appeal and I expect to review the effectiveness of our combined response when I meet with them on Wednesday.

CORRUPTION

Perhaps the greatest challenge faced the government over the past several months is corruption. It is a national malaise, long standing and deeply entrenched in all levels of society. It stems from years of depravation, poor salaries, lack of a pension scheme at the lower levels, and an environment of impunity and tolerance of greed at higher levels.

The fight against corruption has started. Through investigations, auditing and whistle blowing, we are uncovering and exposing acts of corruption. Officials have been suspended, fired and turned over to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution and/or restitution of government assets. At the same time, we have increased the compensation and pension for civil servants, concluded the biometric program for civil servants, removed ghost names from the payroll, strengthened the Government Auditing Commission, adopted an Anticorruption Policy and Strategy, established an Anticorruption Commission, and established the Liberian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative going beyond the required to include revenues from forestry operations.

Honorable legislators, I am happy to note that for once in the history of our country, the fight against corruption has been elevated to a pedestal of prominence and widespread public concern which bears testimony to the success of our strategy. Now unlike in the past, we have a capacitated the Auditing Commission and audit reports are now being received. Now, unlike in the past, we have an Anti-Corruption Commission that will be playing a frontal role in the investigation of corruption. Now, unlike in the past, we have a free press that is not intimidated by big powers when alleged acts of corruption are reported, even though the press themselves sometimes get their facts wrong. Now unlike in the past, the man in the street can call on a talk-show and freely express himself on issues of corruption. That corruption has gained such a prominence in our national debate, is in itself a commendable achievement of this regime. For one way to deal with a chronic sore is to expose it to sunshine. Unfortunately however, our success in exposing this menace to the sunshine has yielded unintended consequences as it has led to the mistaken belief in some quarters that corruption is on an upward swing just because the reportage of corruption has increased today as compared to the past. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Honorable legislators, the fight against corruption does not come to an end with the mere exposure of corruption. We must act. The Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary must act decisively and collaboratively to deal with the scourge. On the side of the Executive we have taken some actions are will take other drastic actions in the coming weeks and months. However, we must act methodically, maturely, and judiciously, and not haphazardly just to satisfy the whims of a critic.

The steps we have taken thus far in the war against corruption helped us move up in the rankings and was recognized by the World Bank and the Mo Ibrahim governance indicators as one of the countries having made best progress in fighting corruption.

Yet, Honorable Legislators, serious challenges still remain in this battle for which we have been criticized. This largely has to do with the slow process involved in the prosecution of those who have violated the public trust. This is a matter of justice and of judicial process which we have to respect. Unfounded and misdirected accusations will only undermine the government’s effort and discourage the investors we need to expand our economy with benefits to all segments of society. We also know that all of these measures and progress will not produce the truly sustainable results which we seek unless there are systems improvements, and professional and apolitical financial audits.

However, we have not and will not relent in moving this process forward and we will take other harsh measures to ensure that this battle is won. We cannot do this alone. Your help, the help of civil society, the help of the media, the religious institutions, and the National Bar Association will be required, for we know that corruption lies deep at the foundation of our country’s underdevelopment.

COUNTY DEVELOPMENT FUND

Mr. Speaker, Honorable Legislators:
For the first time in the history of our nation, this Administration allocated a total amount of US$9.5 million, specifically for the counties in a process that allowed for the determination of development priorities by the people themselves. In the recast budget February to June, we provided US$1 million, 2006/2007 US$2.5 million; 2007/2008 US$30 million; and 2008/2009 – which was allocated equally for each county. This allocation adopted the same principle of participation by the people and you added a role of the county Legislative caucus in the Budget Act.

Although many projects have been constructed in the counties to the satisfaction of the residents, much leaves to be desired to obtain maximum results from this important initiative.

We are thus in the process of introducing changes in order that the process is truly participatory, that goods and services are provided locally as much as possible and that systems of accountability are more rigorous and transparent with more effective oversight and reporting by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

An Independent Inspection Task force headed by Mr. Sam Jackson has been established to visit the projects in all counties so as to provide the information and advice that will enable us to achieve these objectives.

I ask that with these measures, the Legislature should withdraw from its active role in the determination and implementation of these projects. This will allow the Executive to take full responsibility in carrying out its role as dictated by the constitution without prejudice to your oversight role as also dictated by the Constitution.

Food, Fuel & Financial Crises

Honorable Legislators, in the last three years, we have seen a steady acceleration of growth, with the economy growing 8 percent in 2006, 9.5 percent in 2007, and then an estimated 7.1 percent in 2008. This latest dip reflects the challenges that the economy faced in the last year. Most notably, during the year under review, the global economy was buffeted by a trinity of crises - the food, fuel, and financial crises, presenting untold challenges for the government and the people of Liberia..

First, food and fuel prices rose on the world market, with the price of rice doubling and fuel and electricity costs increasing, causing great hardships here in Liberia. While still grappling with the adverse effects of the food and fuel crises, a third crisis, dubbed the “financial crisis” reared its ugly head. Having its origins in the US sub-prime home mortgage market, the financial crisis precipitated a credit crunch and set off panic in the global economy, leading to the collapse of leading financial institutions in the US and Europe and a precipitous drop in global demand for key commodities.

Honorable legislators, the financial crisis has to a large extent been a ‘mixed curse” for Liberia. For on the one hand, it occasioned downward movements in the prices of two of our most strategic imports, rice and fuel, thereby bringing much needed relief to our people; but on the other, it has led to a significant drop in the prices of our key exports, especially rubber and iron-ore and consequently poses a threat to our revenue generating capacity.

As a way of mitigating the adverse impacts of the crisis on our populace, we took a number of measures including the elimination of tariff on rice imports which translates to revenue forgone of nearly US$9 million in the current budget, eliminated personal income tax on all persons in the public and private sector earning monthly incomes of US$70 and below, waived duties on agricultural and construction equipment. We also more than quadrupled the subsidy to a well performing Monrovia Transit Authority (MTA) to enabled it acquire more buses and critical spare parts, and we doubled the budgetary appropriation of the Ministry of Agriculture to enable it tackle pre and post-harvest losses sustained by our farmers.

Besides steps taken domestically to cushion the impact of the crises on the population, we engaged our partners to help us steer through the turbulence. We are accordingly grateful to the World Bank for a US$10 million dollar assistance to be used to feed vulnerable segments of our population and for cash for work programs, to the African Development Bank for an estimated US$4.5 million and to the Japanese Government for an as yet to be realized US$6 million equivalent to cover rice imports. We also have received from the World Food Program, a commitment of US$41 million over a three year period for food supply and agriculture development.

More precisely, the financial crisis led to a sharp decline in the price of rubber. From October 2008 to January 2009 rubber prices dropped from US$1,425 to US$525 per ton, thus interrupting the operations and replanting programs of thousands of small and medium sized plantations and will result in unemployment, lost income and reduced government taxes for the large farms and plantations, perhaps as high as US$3 million in the next year. We have already received formal notice or indication of a reduction in the size of planned investment and a slow down in operations of those ongoing.

Our Central Bank will be hit by loss of income from reduced interest rates on their foreign deposits. Commercial banks and local beneficiaries have felt the blow from reduced remittances from abroad which affect local investment and consumption. The opportunity side of this crisis is that we must do more to encourage local production, particularly food and we must move quickly in our effort to reactivate and replant traditional export crops such as rubber, oil palm, coffee and cocoa so that we are positioned to benefit when the production swings once again to buoyant world commodity prices.

Yet, it is important that the government responds to the crisis in pursuit of the objectives stated by providing some stimuli no matter how moderate given the existing fiscal constraints.

Mr. Speaker and Honorable Members of the Legislature, we are therefore pleased to propose the following measures:

• Reduction of the Business Income Tax rate from 35% to 25%
.
• Reduction of the Personal Income Tax Rate from 35% to 25%

• Reduction in the presumptive tax on businesses with turnovers above L$201,000 from 4% to 2% of their gross quarterly income

• Reduction of the Ecowas Trade Levy from 1% to 0.75%.

• Elimination of the 2% advance tax as a minimum tax on businesses with turnovers above L$5 million

• These tax rate revisions form part of the comprehensive revision of the Revenue Code which is presently being finalized. However, in order to ensure that the Liberian people begin to benefit from the relief that is embedded in these tax reductions, I will be submitting my proposals for tax reductions in the next few days in advance of the submission in advance of a comprehensively revised revenue code that will also be shortly submitted.

In addition to these tax reduction measures, I am also pleased to note the following measures: 1) as a result of market forces of supply and demand, the official price of butter rice has been reduced from US$35 to US$30.

2) an opening of the rice market to other importers for all grades of rice, except those prohibited for the protection of citizens

3) The establishment of a US$1 million facility at the Central Bank for the purchase of paddy rice from local producers. This will serve as an incentive to stimulate production in the coming planting season. I am also pleased to announce the launch of a pilot program whereby ten persons each from all 14 counties not including Montserrado who are resident in Monrovia and willing to relocate to another county or to their county of origin will be provided 5 acres of land in fee simple for the planting of rice or tree crops for which seeds and cutting will be provided.

4) Reduction of Import Duty and Goods and Services Tax on buses 24-seater or above from a total of 18% to 2.5%. This measure is intended to encourage private sector actors to intervene more robustly in the transport sector as a means of alleviating the hardship our people encounter in getting transport.

In order to give added incentive to the margin of preference for Liberian businesses that is included in the revised Incentive Code that will soon be presented to you, the Economic Management Team of the Government is presently considering the establishment of a US$2 million guarantee fund at the Central Bank to support Liberian businesses. The criteria and modalities for operationalising such a scheme are also being considered.

Partnership

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, our nation continues to enjoy strong partnership from all over the world. In our own region and continent, sisterly states of Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Rwanda assist in providing logistics and training in our security sector. Morocco, Egypt and Namibia support our training initiatives. On the bilateral side, our key partner is the United States joined by China, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, France, Japan, Ireland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the European Union. The support from these partners is directed at all sectors and are increasingly harmonized and coordinated toward support of the development agenda set forth by the PRS. This coordinated approach will guide the allocation of some US$300 million to support the Health and Education Pool Funds as well as to the Liberia Infrastructure Fund which was established at the June Berlin Meeting and has a current commitment of approximately US$127 million.

Our multilateral partners, which include the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Africa Development Bank and the United Nations System are equally supportive and active. The World Bank has provided support of nearly US$100 million for economic governance, rehabilitation of infrastructure and urban waste management and agriculture development. The IMF through the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility approved in December will provide US$10 million worth equipment in support of the capitalization of the Central Bank while the Africa Development Bank has provided support of US$39 to support institutional capacity building and infrastructure development, particularly road rehabilitation. The United Nations System which serves as a financial interceptor and manager for other multilateral funds provided through its several agencies and funds, an estimated additional US$150 million. This does not include allocation for the operations of UNMIL which is correctly estimated at US$600 million annually.

Honorable Legislators, we are pleased to report that while previously the vast majority of external support was channeled through NGOs and contractors, the year 2008 saw a significant increase in donor support to the Government’s budget. We thank the Government of France for US$1.2 million; the Government of China for US$1 million, both sums already allocated in the 2007/2008 supplemental budget. We now expect US$5 million from the World Bank and US$18 million from the Africa Development Bank which will cover expected revenue shortfall and cover specific expenditure items.

We continue to enjoy the confidence and support from non official partners. The Soros Foundation and Open Society Initiative has provided support on the order of US$20 million for our Education Pool Fund, our economic and legal advisory services, our Senior Executive and Capacity Development Program. The McCall MacBain Foundation has committed over US$10 million in eleven grants to support our urban transport program with ten buses to the Monrovia Transit Authority, construction of children playgrounds in Montserrado, Maryland, Sinoe and Grand Gedeh through the NGO Right to Play, the construction of the Midwifery School in Zwedru, and the biomass Power Plant whose concession agreement is before you. There is also the Scott Family Fellowship which provides funding of US$1 million to support six young professionals to serve in the public service over a period of three years. The program has been expanded to nine additional fellows with support from the Soros Foundation. They add great value to our capacity development. We also continue to receive support from several foundations, institutions and individuals for programs under the Liberia Education Trust and the Sirleaf Market Women Fund.

In September last year, we organized in New York, with philanthropist George Soros a first Foundation Partnership Meeting intended to achieve more harmony and coordination of programs by our foundation partners. A Secretariat has been established in our Liberia Reconstruction and Development Committee (LRDC) to follow up and institutionalize this coordination.

International Relations
Honorable Legislators, the guiding principles of Liberia’s foreign policy is the maintenance of national security for the protection of our territorial integrity and sovereignty, the promotion of peace and harmony and unity among nations in our region, continent and the world. There are currently eighteen diplomatic missions resident in Monrovia, twenty eight non resident Ambassadors accredited to the Republic, one Honorary Consul and one Consulate General. An additional six Ambassadors have received their Agrement and await presentation of their letters of credence.

Liberia maintains abroad twenty-two diplomatic missions, including the mission to Senegal opened last year, and two consular posts. We are pleased that our foreign envoys, charged with promoting the principle of economic diplomacy, now enjoy a better level of compensation which as at home, is paid on time. We are also pleased that Liberia has regained its place in pride and reputation throughout the world. We expect a further enhancement of this image when the new passports that are ready for issuance commencing June of this year, bring to an end the use of our passport by those who obtained same through fraudulent means.

We should also report that significant progress was made during last year in the legal step being taken to reclaim government properties in Paris, Nairobi and other places that were sold or pledged against personal loans by unscrupulous officials of the past who will be exposed as soon as those cases have been concluded. We must also note that we are pursuing legal action against certain of our current official serving abroad who continue to engage in corrupt practices in collusion with officials at home.

Honorable Members of the Legislature, I am pleased to report that as a result of a positive image abroad and significant development progress at home we continue to attract the visit of high level personnel to our country. During the course of the year we received several such persons. This includes US President George Bush, the first in twenty years to visit Liberia, President John Kufuor of Ghana, Former Presidents Jerry Rawlings, Nicephore Soglo, Joaquin Chissano, Ketumile Masire and Sam Nujoma of the Africa Forum; World Bank President Robert Zoellick, Former President of Finland Maarti Ahtisaari, FAO Director General Jacques Diouf, UNICEF Executive Director, Ann Veneman, US Congressional Delegation Head Senator Bill Nelson, Chairman of RLJ Companies, Robert Johnson; Soros Foundation Chairman George Soros, Millennium Village Founder, Professor Jeffery Sachs.

I was privileged to pay state visits to our Sisterly Republic of La Cote d’Ivoire and to the Republic of Namibia. I also had the opportunity to visit US President George Bush for the third and last time and to meet with former President Nelson Mandela and officials of the South African Government when I gave the 6th Annual Nelson Mandela Lecture in July as part of the celebration of President Mandela’s 90th birthday.

Other travels abroad aimed at participation in ECOWAS and African Union Meetings in Burkina Faso, Algeria, Egypt, the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Progressive Governance Summit in London, the Aid Effectiveness Forum in Accra, following which several Development Ministers from major partners visited Liberia, and the MDCB Conference in Copenhagen. I was also privileged to give commencement addresses at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government and to three U.S. Universities – Brown and Indiana Universities and at Dartmouth College where I received Honorary Doctorate Degrees. I also gave the Commencement address and received an Honorary Degree from one of our own African Methodist University and was honored with prestigious award from four other international institutions including the International Crisis Group.

I am particularly pleased to report that under Liberia’s Chair of the Mano River Union (MRU), we witnessed the expansion of the Union in May last year with the accession of la Cote d’Ivoire as the fourth member state. Subsequently, at a summit of Heads of State in December in Sierra Leone in which President Gbagbo was personally in attendance. A plan of action which places emphasis on the agriculture and security sectors was agreed.

The Union continues to be faced with challenges, most recently the developments in the wake of the death of President Conteh of Guinea which the MRU countries are trying to manage.

Stalwart, Gurus Flocks for UP, Give Reason

2009-01-22T07:03:00.000-08:00

…Cite Development Initiatives

Politics is the game of the possible. Most often, political actor and figure cross carpets when they see their political future compromised of bleak or sometimes when they seek political appointments. The latest have been the case on the Liberian political platform. However, whether or not such has manifested in this dispensation, one thing that has sprouted is the crossing of some political figures from 16 opposition political groupings to the ruling Unity Party. For why, the Explain as you will read below.

Opinion leaders and stake holders from 16 political parties of the more than 20 political parties in the country have reportedly joined the incumbent Unity Party (UP). The conglomeration of opinion and political leaders of the 16 parties Chaired by J. Benedict Matada also include the following top executive members such as Eric S. Gbanmie, Emmanuel Mac Nana Russel and Harrison Kanwea, among others.

They chose to join the Unity Party for the following reason: give they were joining the Unity Party as a result of the many achievements of development and peace-building initiatives by the UP-led government headed by her Excellency, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

“Our decision to join the ruling Unity party today is evidence of the fact that Liberia, over 30 or more years back, is not the Liberia we see and live in today. To be frank and very candid with you, Liberia under the leadership of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has significantly improved,” they said.

They named as some of the government’s achievements, the construction of 150 public schools throughout the country, construction and rehabilitation of the Kakata Rural Teacher Training Institute (KRTTI) in Margibi County, rehabilitation OF THE William V. S. Tubman College of Technology in Maryland County, construction of administrative buildings in all of the 15 counties.

Other achievements identified by the group include the conditioning of roads across the country, the signing of the US$2.5 billion concession contract between the Government of Liberia and the Arcelor Mittal, the US$150 million concession agreement between the Government and the Buchanan Renewable Company (BRC) and others.

They citizens called on all Liberians to support the Ellen-Johnson Sirleaf-led Government for the speedy reconstruction of the country. Some of those who joined the UP come from the opposition national Democratic party of Liberia (NDPL), the Liberty party (LP), the All-Coalition Party (ALCOP), the National Patriotic Party (NPP), the Liberia National Union (LINU), the Liberia Education and Development Party (LEDP) amongst others.

Children Are Valuable National Assets

2009-01-22T06:45:00.000-08:00

…Says Ghana Ambassador; Fetes Kids

Monrovia (EOG/PR) 19-01-09:-Hosting a year-end party for community children at his Congo Town residence, the Ambassador of Ghana, His Excellency, Major General Francis Adu-Amanfoh last Saturday said children are valuable national assets that must always be nurtured for a vibrant national future. The future of any nation, he said, depends on its children and noted that the future of society is bound to remain bleak if the children are ignored.

A Ghana Embassy release says Ambassador Adu-Amanfoh made the comments when he hosted more than 200 kids within his neighborhood in an end of party. The party has been an annual event the ambassador traditionally hosts for the kids in the neighborhood of his Congo Town Residence since he took over the Ghanaian Mission in 2006. The Ghanaian envoy intimated that the Children are the future of the nation, saying that they should be made happy at all times.

The Ambassador maintained that for a nation to cultivate a bright future, the welfare of the children should be a priority. “Since they need good education, they must be in good health to have a sound mind and a sound body. This way, the will better be prepared to takeover from the older folks,” the Ambassador said. Ambassador Adu-Amanfoh added that Liberian children in particular should be given special attention and shown love, considering the traumatic period that had characterized the Liberian civil crisis.

The New Year party for the kids was also graced by Sierra Leonean Ambassador, Her Excellency, Marie Jilo Barnett. The Sierra Leonean ambassador also reminded the children the essence of love. She said the children should practice love amongst themselves and be able to care for each other just as their parents and community people care for them. Ambassador Barnett noted that the Bible teaches that “we love our neighbor as we love ourselves,” noting that discipline is the pillow of love amongst children.

Deputy Auditor General Flogged

2008-12-10T03:45:00.000-08:00

...Auditor General Complains To President Sirleaf

Monrovia - The Deputy Auditor General for Audit Service (DAG)of the General Auditing Commission(GAC),Mr. Winsely S. Nanka was Tuesday assaulted by the Assistant Minister for Administration, at the Ministry of Public Works Mr. Cleon Gerbeh.

In a release issued by the Department of Communications of GAC, DAG, Mr. Nanka had gone along with a team of auditors to the Public Works to confirm a meeting with management aimed at verifying contrasting documents the team discovered during its transactional audit.

GAC says, when the DAG and the supreme auditors got at the Ministry, they were told that Roderick Smith, now Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Public Works gave directive that he is the only person that must speak to any auditors from GAC.

DAG then went to Roderick Smith office to inquire about this directive and Smith affirmed. The DAG not remembering to provide some information, hurriedly went back to Smith’s office the second time to inform him that Charles Carpenter, a former Deputy Minister must be at the scheduled meeting.

DAG Winsely: “It was at this point that the Assistant Minister for Administration Cleon Gerbeh yelled at me like a kid saying, ‘Get outside we told you that the meeting is scheduled this evening, get outside!’

GAC says, the DAG, in a state of awe, still tried to explain why he had gone back, but the Assistant Minister continued to shout: “I told you to leave this office, I say leave this place.”

Winsely: What confuses and surprises me most is that Deputy Minister Roderick Smith was right in the same office and he did not alter a word even up to the point and after the point I was forcibly shoved outside with Smith’s office door by Cleon.”

The Department of Communications says Mr. Nanka and the supreme auditors had gone to the Public Works Ministry to do a comparative analysis and verification of US$693, 595.00 bid that was won by Consolidated Group Inc, operator of DSTV here in Liberia.

This Group won the bid from the Ministry of Public Works to purchase 13 pieces of road construction equipment for the Ministry, but strangely, GAC transitional audit discovered that an invoice presented to the Commission shows that US$887,945.00 was paid for the said equipment, instead of the US$ 693,595.00 as stated in the bid.

Charles Carpeneter who still works at Public Works was one of the Deputy Ministers at the time the contract was consummated between Public Works and Consolidated Group Inc.

Payment was made October 30, 2008 and the equipment was delivered between March and April 2007.

There have been public concerns about the newness and durability of these equipment and wide disparity in the bid and the payment vouchers.

GAC says it takes this assault very seriously and has reported same to the Ministry of Justice and the National Police for their action and expresses concern about the safety of its auditors at the Ministry in the wake of attack on a high profile official of the GAC.

“We are not enemies of the Government and the government is not enemy of us,” GAC Chief Communications Officer Ernest S. Maximore asserts, adding “GAC and the Government are working together to ensure that accountability and transparency be the truest foundation of revival of Liberia from the decades of entrenched and systematic corruption.”

All we are doing, Maximore indicates is to make sure that those public officials entrusted with positions of public trust truly account for public monies.

Meanwhile, Civil society groups have been denounce what is considered in some quarters as Sirleaf's 'Mockery' Fight Against Corruption in Liberia.

The groups' statements came against the background of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's recent policy statement on corruption, continues to get lashes from a cross section of the Liberian society including religious prelate, civil society organizations as well as prominent individuals.

The President of the Liberian Council of Churches Methodist Bishop John Innis has described as deceptive, selective and a mockery to the fight against corruption statement by the Liberian leader stating that audit reports released by the GAC are subject to review by the National Legislature and public hearings before acting.

Selecting corrupt officials

Bishop Innis said the president must begin to prosecute corrupt officials of her government if the fight against corruption is to yield fruits.

According to the Bishop if the government begins to select officials for prosecution, President Sirleaf tenure will expire without the fight against corruption achieving anything substantial.

The Forum for the Establishment of War crimes Court in Liberia led by Mulbah Morlu has also begun a three day hunger strike in front of the United States Embassy in Monrovia, the Executive Mansion and some places calling on President Sirleaf to begin prosecuting officials of government found in the act of corruption.

Mulbah Morlu told reporters the Liberian leader is trying to evade audit reports by the GAC to protect some officials of her government.

“Ellen was elected by the people and is obliged to work for the people, so we will continue this strike action until the government begin taking concrete steps to fight corruption sincerely by dismissing and prosecuting those found in the ugly act”, Morlu stated.

The war crimes court advocate said the Liberian people need to know how the resources of the state is spent and therefore the president must provide explanations by taking actions against corrupt officials.

The Progressive Youths for the Promotion of Accountability and Transparency In Liberia (PRO-YOUTHS), INC issued a strong worded statement in which it accused the Unity Party led government of doing nothing substantial to fight corruption.

PROYOUTHS claimed the ruling Unity Party is behind what it called surrogates groups attacking the General Auditing Commission and doubting the credibility of its audit findings making specific reference to a new group that emerged at the advent of the release of GAC audit report on NASSCORP, the Movement for the Defense of the Downtrodden Masses which has been defending NASSCORP and fighting the GAC.

The civil society group said NASSCORP and some Unity Party officials are behind the group.

“The surrogacy & authenticity of the “movement for defense of the down trodden. Based on a thorough background check engaged since the Movement’s attack on the GAC, it has been discovered that it is not as independent as it claims and in fact is a propaganda syndicate established by Madam Elizabeth Tubman, Hassan Kiazolou, Aletha Brown, Francis Carbah, Henry Fahnbulleh Jr., and other Unity Party big wigs to undermine the audit process and effectively defeat the twin terms of Transparency and Accountability in post conflict Liberia. These individuals have been the one giving money and teleguiding the unpopular media campaign against the AG and the GAC.

To further proof that this Movement cannot be taken serious as it is not worth considering, is it not self contradictory and quite confusing for this body to claim to be in the interest of the majority poor masses of this country and yet be against the very institution that is working very assiduously to ensure that money needed to better the condition of the down trodden is not squandered and taken away to unknown bank abroad while the very down trodden languished in sub-human conditions?”, the PROYOUTHS statement noted.

On the alleged support of the Unity Party to the Movement for the Defense of Down Trodden Masses, the youth group said: the ruling unity party support to the down trodden movement: “From all indications and based on comments and remarks being expressed by officials of the ruling Unity Party, we (PROYOUTHS) have strong reason to believe that the Party is quietly throwing the stone and hiding its hands by supporting the “Movement for the Defense of the Down Trodden” in an attempt to undermine the audit process since in fact many of the Party’s stalwarts have and are being indicted by various audits. The indictment of the Francis Carbah led NASSCORP is clear cut evidence that cannot be ignored by anyone.

In the same vein, statements made by both the Secretary General- Mr. Henry Fahnbulleh and UP Youth Wing Chairman Hassan Kiazolou who happens to also be the Deputy Comptroller General on separate radio talk shows wherein they not only alluded to the Down Trodden but give their backing to it, is a clear manifestation that the audits are hurting the image of some of the darlings of “The Party” and so they must fight back by supporting mendicants and street weary pedestrians; majority of whom are jobless and hungry youth starving for survival and are therefore prepare to do just anything that will carry them through to the next morning when the hustle shall commence once more.Quite strikingly, PROYOUTHS has in its possession, a communication allegedly written by Hon. Hassan Kiazolou-Deputy Comptroller General six months ago in which he duly informed the AG that: “That hundred of thousand of Government civil servant salary checks have been re-issued without adherence to internal control and due process to establish cost for the re-issued checks, this is squarely the doing of the Assistant Minister for expenditure.”

He further went ahead to make another serious allegation that “Special ECOWAS TRADE LEVY ACCOUNT” at the Central Bank of Liberia be investigated due to serious mis-management. Again, our information is that this letter was written when Antoinette Sayeh serve as Minister of Finance and Mr. Kiazolou’s position was being greatly marginalized, particularly whenever the Comptroller General was out of the country and he expected to that he would be given the opportunity to act” PROYOUTHS intimated.

UP Feeding surrogate groups?

The group accused Deputy Auditor general Madam Elizabeth Tubman of feeding what it considered the surrogates group with information defaming the chacareter of the GAC and its Auditor general John Morlu. Count 4 of the PROYOUTHS statement accusing the Deputy Audtiro General for Administration stated: character assassination & image destruction campaign spearheaded by Madam Elizabeth Tubman, DAG for administration:

“Contingent upon credible documents in our possession and information gathered from employees at the GAC, there certainly is a rift between the AG and the DAG. However, far from this being a matter of marginalization or a clever maneuvering by the AG or other manager to create a conduit for fraud, our informed judgment is that the DAG for reason best known to herself, has not been behaving and performing in a manner and style befitting the DAG of a supreme audit institution as the GAC.

In series of communication in our possession, DAG Tubman demonstrated poor leadership, lack of competence and neglect of duty. Take for instance, in a May 28, 2008 memorandum to the AG after being previously mandated by the AG to assist with the preparation of project proposals for four of the GAC international partners, Madam Tubman informed the AG and I quote “I do not have the technical skill in writing project proposals, therefore, it will be prudent to hire a expert or select someone in our organization who has the technical skill, and I will be more than happy to work on the team.” Unquote This, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press is a demonstration of poor leadership to the highest degree. Even if Madam Tubman did not possess the requisite skills needed to draft a project proposal as she claimed, I think it would have been prudent to give it a try as no one is actually given birth to with these competencies but rather they practiced and learnt.

Moreover, further letter from her former place of work and boss, dated December 5, 2007, her professional and administrative ineptitude were also highlighted. PROYOUTHS again wonder as to what was the raison d’etre for the President appointing this lady to this key and strategic position of financial probity that is doing all within its fibers to make Liberia corruption free and ensure that resources are use for the intended purpose. Again, another reason for Madam Tubman anti-GAC campaign stance from the fact that she happens to be one of the indictee of the on-going audit at the Ministry of Finance.

She got to know this because she is an insider and happens to be the DAG for Administration and has in fact been harassing and intimidating auditors assigned on the MOF audit to give her information. Quite unbecoming of a DAG, isn’t it? Why will this corrupt lady be the one the President will sent to such a clean institution like the GAC, perhaps the President didn’t know. More strikingly, it was also uncovered that Madam Tubman as one of the darlings of the regime has been benefiting from two pays unknown to other staffers at the GAC including even the boss John S. Morlu. The two institutions are the GAC and the UNDP. It is our understanding that the Executive Mansion negotiated this double payment arrangement”.

Saydee Monboe, executive director of the Center for Trauma Counseling and Conflict Resolution (CETCCOR), has also expressed disgust over the president statement concerning the various audit reports by the GAC.

Audit credible, Accountant Monboe Says

He said the present statement was selective in the fight against corruption and undermines the work of the General Auditing Commission and the Auditor General John Morlu.

The Anti impunity campaigner challenged president Sirleaf to prove her advocacy over the years against bad governance which centers around the border of corruption as highlighted for the purpose of transparency and accountability which according to Monboe was enshrined in her campaign promise which convinced the Liberian people to give her the mantle of power in 2005.

Monboe described as credible audit conducted by the General Auditing Commission and said the persistent delay by the President to act on those reports when she acted on the first by suspending Bong Superintendent Rennie Jackson is clear indication of selective judgment in the fight against corruption.

Truth Commissioner Recruited ULIMO Fighters

2008-12-10T03:35:00.000-08:00

…Witness Tells TRC Hearing

A witness appearing before the thematic and institutional hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia (TRC) has accused a commissioner of recruiting fighters and supplying arms to fighters during the Liberian civil war.

Ofori Diah, a onetime feared general of the defunct United Liberian Movement (ULIMO) K and the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) told the TRC Monday that Commissioner Sheik Kafumba Conneh was involved in the recruitment of fighters for the ULIMO- K one of the splinter rebel groups during the Liberian crisis.

Diah who fought for the ULIMO K faction during its formation accused commissioner Conneh of been a major supplier of arms for the rebel group then headed by Conneh’s kinsman, University of Liberia Professor Alhagi G.V. Kromah.

“The people that used to supply us arms and recruit people some of them are all sitting here. When I was recruited, I stayed at Kafumba Conneh’s house until the truck came and we got on board to go to the battlefront”, former General Diah alleged.

Diah said Commissioner Conneh was the Chairman for recruitment of ULIMO K and was with them (fighters) at the Barclay Training Center (BTC) where recruitment was carried out for rebel movement.

He narrated that Sheik Conneh negotiated and purchased arms from a Nigerian ECOMOG whom he only named as Col. Gbawo for onward supply to ULIMO K fighters.

On the formation of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), a belligerent force which pressurized Liberia’s President Charles Taylor to seek asylum in Calabar, Nigeria, Mr. Diah said now Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Cllr. Cabineh Ja’neh, Soko Sackor and two other individuals he named as Small Sheriff and Big Sheriff were the main founders of the group.

Guinea, the LURD general said was where the group was organized and served as their main base during their onslaught against the government of Mr. Charles Taylor now on trial in The Hague.

Diah like other initial TRC witnesses denied ever committing atrocities during Liberian civil war in which he actively participated from the early 90s through 2003 until the brokering of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) which finally restored peace to Liberia after almost 15 unbroken years of fighting.

The LURD general who was feared by his own followers and civilians said the shelling of Monrovia during the rebel group’s battle for control of Monrovia which led to the death of internally displaced people seeking refuge at the United States embassy and other centers was carried out by forces of Charles Taylor and not LURD.

LURD was accused for using heavy weapons including 81mm mortar guns which damaged a good portion of Monrovia and killed many as President Taylor at the time announced that his fighters had gone out of arms and ammunitions.

Reacting to Ofori Diah’s allegation Tuesday, Commissioner Kafumba Conneh described the former ULIMO and LURD Fighter statement as an illusion.

Commissioner Conneh explained that he was hunted by the ULIMO rebel group during their operations because he refused to lend them support or become a member.

“I was hunted by ULIMO fighters because they said why I was not supporting the group, then how can somebody say I was recruiting and supplying arms, this is an illusion”, Commissioner Conneh told reporters.

Sheik Conneh Tuesday declared that he is willing to face prosecution if allegations made by former General Ofori Diah are proven to be true.

The TRC Commissioner also vowed to resign his post to make way for prosecution.

He said the allegation by Ofori Diah is mischievous stating that he had no link with the rebel group and does not even know Ofori Diah who is making the allegation.

“To my righteous God I do not know the man Ofori Diah, he said I was at BTC in 1990, I have never been at the BTC in 1990, Infact I was in Sierra Leone when former President Doe was killed, some of the people who formed ULIMO have come here and explained without calling my name. Maybe he is mistaken me for someone else”, said Commissioner Conneh.

The Commissioner said there are people who have been programmed to lie on others stating that he served as head of the Inter Religious Council of Liberia that negotiated peace for Liberia and could not have supported a fighting group.

The allegation by General Diah has raised new debate as Commissioner Conneh has in the past been accused of supporting the ULIMO K rebel group.

During his appointment as a Commissioner on the TRC some local media outlets published a communication purportedly written by Sheik Conneh soliciting support from wealthy Islamic Cleric for ULIMO but he denied those allegations until now when an insider of the rebel group is once again coming up with the assertion.

[Ictmedia] WAXAL — Blogging Africa Awards - 2008 Edition

2008-12-10T03:11:00.000-08:00

Dear all,

The WAXAL Blogging Africa Awards are an initiative of Panos Institute of West Africa with the partnership of Highway Africa and Global Voices.

WAXAL (pronounced WA-HAL) means “speak” in Wolof (Senegalese language) and the word captures the essence of the evolution of the worldwide web as a platform for conversation and for the raising of marginalized voices.

For this first edition, the WAXAL Awards will seek to recognize the production of blogs by people working as journalists (from all kind of media: print, online, radio, TV) and by African organizations working to favour the production of alternative information and citizen expression.
3 categories have been chosen: Best French-speaking Journalist Blog, Best English-speaking Journalist Blog, Best Citizen Journalist Blog produced by an African Organization.

Each winner of the first two categories will receive a cash sum of F CFA 1,000,000 (about 2,000 USD). The organization winner of the third category will receive a cash sum of F CFA 2,000,000 (about USD 4,000). The reference currency is F CFA.

All the blogs showing a good quality will also be promoted on our website and on numerous discussion lists.

See the Waxal Africa Blogging Awards blog for further information.
http://www.highwayafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=53
http://blogs.haayo.org/waxal/

From:
"Judith Lenti-Sidibé"

Ellen’s Appearance before the TRC Is An Impeachable Offense

2008-12-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

By: Bill K. Jarkloh
www.panwhanpen.com (panwhanpen.blogspot.com)
billkjarkloh.wordpress.com
Emails: bmjarkloh@yahoo.com; bksolbor_jarkloh2008@yahoo.com
jloplehdee@gmail.com

Introduction
Although the President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has expressed support to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) at its launching and had promised to appear, her latest decision that she would not appear before is elating. It is unquestionable to state that the Constitution of Liberia – past and Present - immunes the President from judicial actions unless through impeachment for offenses against the organic laws. For instance, the TRC – in the execution of its mandate – uses the power of subpoena usually ascribed to courts of law to compel appearance of witnesses in the docks. Besides, the President’s appearance would expose her to questioning that could leak state secrets to the disadvantage of the country. This is why it becomes bothersome when reports lately stated that Information Minister Laurence Bropleh reemphasized the President’s commitment to appear before the commission if she is called upon.

The President’s Commitment and Its Consequences

The appearance before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is gravely consequential. It could warrant impeachment of the President to the joy of her opponents and critics. However, others may argued that the President, in pledging support to the TRC, also consented to appeal before the TRC to share knowledge about her participation in politics during the period of time under review – 1979 to 2003.
On March 13, 2008, the Voice of America’s James Butty published an interview with Liberia’s Information Minister Laurence K. Bropleh in which the Information Minister said President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says her support for the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) remains unwavering. But before then, the president had earlier changed her mind from previous statement when she said she’s writing a book to be released next year, which is going cover all what she would have told the TRC.
“Let me make it emphatically clear that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is committed to total reconciliation of this nation, Liberia. She is committed to understanding and helping people understand that the methodology by which we can reconcile our nation, that process can really begin effectively with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This government has supported that commission financially; morally the president was there at the opening of the TRC. And the president is committed to being at the TRC, if she is called, and she is not backing down from that,” Minister Brobleh tol Mr. Butty.
But this position of the President as stated by the Minister is highly questionable. It is questionable because all it does is to put the President against the Constitution, reference to Article 61 which immune from any suits, actions, or proceedings judicial or otherwise and from arrest, detention or other actions on account of any act by him while President of Liberia pursuant to any provision of this Constitution or any other laws of the Republic.
There is no support of a commission that, including the TRC that should lead the President to abrogating any clause, phrase sentence or paragraph of the Constitution just to satisfy either critics of supporters. As it is know, the President swore to protect the Constitution when she took her oath of office on January 18, 2006. So there isn’t any room or alibi that can be used to evade the protection given the presidency – the President in particular, for doing so constitutes an impeachable offence.

Truth Commissions & the case of Liberia’s TRC

Liberian TRC is one of at least 34 truth commissions which have been established in 28 different countries of the world since the mid-1970s. Some of these commissions are officially named "Truth and Reconciliation Commission", like the one in Liberia, while others have different official names. Truth commission is the term commonly used to refer to all of them.
In Africa, eight countries other than Liberia have established truth commissions. South Africa has had three truth commissions, including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission established in 1995. Other African countries which have established such commissions are: Uganda (1974), Chad (1991), Nigeria (1999), Ghana (2002), Sierra Leone (2002), Democratic Republic of Congo (2003), and Morocco (2004).
Negotiations were ongoing to establish a truth commission in Burundi; it is not up to press time, known whether the truth commission of Burundi has been established. However, while other countries may structure their laws and Constitutions in a way that would subject their presidents to judicial actions while in office, the Liberian constitutions and laws are on the contrary. Apparently, the appearance of President Sirleaf at the TRC would be recorded in the Liberian history as the first president to face a quasi judicial forum or a commission.

Presidential Immunity

Article 61 of the Constitution expressly provides that “The President shall be immune from any suits, actions, or proceedings judicial or otherwise and from arrest, detention or other actions on account of any act by him while President of Liberia pursuant to any provision of this Constitution or any other laws of the Republic. The President shall not, however, be immune from prosecution upon removal from office for the commission of any criminal act done while President.” [Arthur Dennis Article -In the President Ellen Sirleaf’s Appearance before TRC: I Beg to Differ – Published on August 11, 2008 in the Liberian Journal on Line Magazine] - This provision of the Constitution would not allow the President to be subjected to such quasi-judicial powers that are being exercise by the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Liberia.
As a matter of fact, the language under this immunity clause is crystal clear. In the first understanding of the Constitution, Article 61 provides that no private citizen, public agency or commission, has the power to arrest, detain, or file a lawsuit or judicial proceedings against a sitting President; that is by provisions in the Constitution, the House of Representative is the only forum empowered to summon a sitting President for judicial proceeding.
Secondly, the clause (President shall not, however, be immune from prosecution upon removal...) means if the President was removed from office for committing a criminal act while in office, he is not entitled to such immunity and lastly the Constitution is completely silent on the immunity for a sitting President for wrongs committed in private or public life before ascending to office. On the basis of these variables, it is rational for one to see that the President’s appearance before the TRC is lawfully inconceivable, considering that the Constitution is the supreme and organic law of the land and any other law that runs contrary to it is notwithstanding.

America and Ghana: Lessons for Liberia

Constitutional crisis similar to the one concerning the appearance of the President at the TRC hearings developed in America and Ghana, and resolutions of these crises in the two countries, I believe, should serve as Liberia’s guide. In May 1994, one Paula Jones filed a lawsuit against President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment for an act which allegedly took place before Clinton entered office.
The U. S. Supreme Court ruled on that MATTER. In its ruling, the federal Supreme Court held that although the constitutional immunity in the United States does not protect a sitting President for civil acts he committed before entering office, however, to preserve the honor of the presidency, Pula was requested to wait until President Clinton left office.
This legal precedence is a law to day in Liberia. In our case here, preserving the dignity of the Presidency of Liberia is not a matter of compromise as it was in the United States in 1994. It is here a matter of adhering to Constitutional guidance and principles of the Liberia law.
Ghana also experienced the same constitutional crisis. The citizens witnessed several brutal incidents under the regime of President Jerry Rawlings. However, in the interest of peace and security, they waited until he left office in 2001 before he was summoned to testify before the National Reconciliation Commission, which in this case is called the TRC.

Conclusion

It is therefore lawful for the president to resist any attempt to have her cited before the TRC while she still occupies the Liberian presidency. Those who have the other side of the cone, calling her to appear before the TRC should know and understand clearly the constitutional implications and the morale values of the presidency that would be dragged into the mud. For me, the hold their peace, for even if the TRC’s statute of limitation expires before she leaves, they would even take Madam Sirleaf to court if testimonies regarding her political life in the years 1979-2003 were importantly convicting and of interest to them. On the other hand, the may simply complain to the Supreme Court for the legal interpretation of the President’s appearance before the TRC for the purpose of their call. But let me warn that it will not be surprising fro some others to file a petition of impeachment before the House of Representatives, picking bones with the president for betraying and violating the Constitution, an act which is definitely impeachable.

Thinking Through The Time (Part I)

2008-11-15T08:45:00.000-08:00

…Rape Becomes Hate Weapon; Media Lost Watchdog Role!
…Justice Ashamed of Truth; Unity Evaporates

By Bill K. Jarkloh
http://www.pamwhanpen.com/ or (panwhanpen.blogspot.com)
billkjarkloh.wordpress.com
Email: bmjarkloh@yahoo.com or jloplehdee@gmail.com

Advocacy today is gender-based and rape is the pivot. Everyone, including myself as media personnel and a good citizen, is fighting against rape. But rape has become a hate weapon used unscrupulously actualize resentment, I mean hatred. Just as a true victim must be given justice, so the rights of the accused be protected and respected. However, the crime instead is seemed to be an instrument of entanglement on account of hatred, thus destroying communal unity and reconciliation and betraying justice. Worst about rape nowadays is the betrayal of justice against the accused, who seems to have no right. Against him all the women groups, without authenticating the truth of the matter scrupulously, go shouting “he is a rapist! He is a rapist.” The worst of the situation is the media too have lost its watchdog role; it wouldn’t verify the truth of the allegation, but go about reporting unbalanced stories against the accused perhaps out of sympathy, for pecuniary gains or because of hatred. I am a victim; and this article, “THINKING THROUGH THE TIMES” is the first in a series of personal reflection and therefore seeks to establish how even journalists who suppose to bridge the gap between insensitive advocacy and justice for the accused join the fray of character assassination thereby betraying the watchdog role the ought to play.

Since 1985 when I started active journalism, never have I witnessed division in the media than now. My experience with post conflict media has taught such a bitter lesson of envy and pettiness amongst journalists who are supposed to be the mentor for peace building, reconciliation and unity in the society. For this reason, there are victims of circumstances in the wake of this new trend of advocacy for societal decency, especially in the situation whereby those who do not have the means are further betrayed on the platform justice.

In the very first place, envy and hatred has permeated the journalism profession. Media solidarity which was the hallmark of journalism in the country up to the 1980s has found its way out of the media terrain. So how can divisive media protect and impact society?
In the 1980s when big brothers and professional daddies like Lamini Waritay, Stockton Peabody, Edward ‘Okeke’ Davies, Rufus Darpoh and Bill Frank amongst others were at the frontal of Liberian journalism, media solidarity was at its peak. There wasn’t a time practitioners will expose each other to risk, neither was there a time they were not heard when they expressed public opinion or circulated a press release. Their thoughts were not downplayed and they were not selective amongst themselves when it came to who should be heard or who shouldn’t. From what I noticed at the time, solidarity amongst media personnel was such that they were each other’s keeper in time of tribulation. In fact, it should safely be said that the fruit of this level of solidarity culminated to what we call the Press Union of Liberia today.

Unlike those days, media men are envious and seek to destroy one another today for material wealth or achievements made. They plot against each other and pull down one another for selfish reasons. Ego – “if it cannot be me, it will not be him” is the basis of the practice of the act. This division makes its way into the ranks and files of even the umbrella organization, the union. Not only the PUL that this divisiveness penetrates, personnel and institutions are tearing one another down. This is my experience indeed of today’s journalism. This reflection clogged my thought after a colleague gave me lift from 15th Street to the Main Campus of the University of Liberia on Capitol Hill. This colleague lamented similar observation of this crab syndrome amongst journalists that have the propensity to betray the public trust. He told of his ordeal when he was accused to have impersonated as US Embassy personnel. His accuser(s), he said, alleged that he extorted huge sums of USD from one who was seeking a US visa. This brother said without hearing his side of the story, his colleagues at a local daily demonized him; he named HERITAGE which he said had run an unbalance story that negatively projected him to the public as a criminal.

This ordeal of the journalist took me back to reflect on mine when I was innocently accused by one who called himself a journalist. Sorbor George, a Bassa lady who had abandoned her eight-year daughter to the street, manipulated rape/sodomy charges against me. But the story is that this kid was found and brought to my fiancée for rehabilitation and with my support and help the kid was dressed and forwarded to the Police where she was sent to the Benson Hospital and the Safe-Home while investigation into her raping was underway.

Although the kid told police that she was raped by one Lincoln in a video club, this so-called journalist manipulated out of envy to incriminate me, and all I saw next was heavy presence off police and court officers, including the Chief Justice’s driver at my apartment on that fateful morning of May 13, 2008 when I was preparing for work. What was tagged “Criminal Coercion Suit” turned out to be “Rape/Sodomy” charges against me while my fiancé was charged with “Kidnapping” the very kid. At the court where I was taken to, I saw the Chief Justice descending from his throne down to the Monrovia City Court where he instruct the court to issue a Writ of Arrest on charges of Rape/sodomy against me in the absence of police investigative report. But thanks be to the God of Justice that He had arisen to my situation with the buried truth and I was vindicated for lack of evidence after my three weeks three days of detention at the Monrovia central Prison.

But why do I choose to reflect now? Well the year is ending, and the way to appreciate God is to openly testify of his goodness towards me. It was due to his loving kindness that I narrowly escaped life imprisonment, after the kid –Little Love Samuels – was persuaded even by judges and justices to name me the rapist that assaulted her. This was a violation of my rights and a gross disrespect to the rule of law and my innocence. Anyway, what every Liberian and even the international community desire of this society is rule of law and free press which are the catalysts for this emerging democracy. As it was in the case of my professional colleague mentioned earlier, the very newspaper he mentioned – the HERITAGE and the FRONTPAGEAFRICA which I wrote for, became the frontier for the assassination of my character. These media outlets joined conspirators. In the case of the HERITAG, it struggled to photograph and publish me handcuffed without trying to know the chemistry of the case. Apparently, they were contacted and maybe enticed to destroy this journalists who has been trying to live to appreciable standard of contemporary life.

It was surprising to me. Like the Liberian media of old, professional colleague wouldn’t write an empty story without further investigation. What annoyed me most when I was in prison was when they mentioned that my former wife and I divorced because of rape. What evidence have they? Did they care to know my side? In fact were there any quarrels between Munah and I concerning rape? NO! What the HERITAG and the FrontPageAfrica showed me was rather irresponsible journalism. They did not make effort to get my side until when I legally battle to disentangle myself by the grace of God. Even at that, the two institutions were dodging my side of the story when I contacted them after I was out from detention.

Good and unbias journalists would go to find the lawyer of an accused party; especially at a time the crime brought against was unbailable and felonious with a life-time penalty. Instead of finding my family and/or my lawyer, the HERITAGE and the FrontPageAfrica went ahead to publish my image with a story indicting me as a rapist when I was innocent. It took the TRUTH FM, my friend and former boss Philip Wesseh, my friend Josephus Moses Gray along with Geevon Smith of the Star Radio, Gibson Jerue of the Liberiaqwbs.com amongst others to clear my image without any insinuation of guilt.

This kind of journalism is an outgrowth of pettiness. This kind of media coverage implants acrimony in the country amongst the people and at the same time destroys the essence of media participation in building democracy. Today, I am following stories by these media reporting allegations of corruption, projecting the reputation of some good negatively. I keep wondering whether it is not the same kind of way the dragged my character into the muddy water of rape. I wonder whether they are not out to destroy others just as they wanted to destroy me.

If I may draw an analogy, just as the government is fighting against corruption and find corrupt act grievously punishable, so is rape a heinous offence punishable by life imprisonment. My experience now is that corruption and rape are tools used by resentful people to make scornful those who are their targets. As the result, corruption stories and those of rape in those outlets should be carefully considered, lest before a wrong impression is formed out of innocent character in the name of combating these menaces.

I relate to you a story. An old man thrown into the dungeon of the Monrovia Central Prison for almost a year now without trial narrated to me his ordeal. He told me that a landlady who wanted him to leave a room that he renovated for another tenant set him up and lied on him that he raped her daughter. He was taken to the police and published in the media, but every attempt by this poor man to put the record right was fouled. Oldman Kamara, if I may recall his name, looking very poor and indigent was t was sent to court. He was not judged but sent to the prison from where he hasn’t one day called to court for hearing of charges brought against him. He is a victim of rape allegation and because he does not have the means, he accepted his slow death in the jail. He is one of several persons sent to jail for alleged rape, published without his side in the media and have not been tried.

These little things matter. They matter because they destroy the good intention of building “a decent and free society.” To say the least, if journalists who should go beyond mere allegations of crimes and should be in the vanguard of equity and justice are going about aiding accusers to mete injustice to others because of either hatred or pecuniary gains, what better society are we Liberians building? Is it one of acrimony, hatred, disunity and division? What Press Union do we have? Is one of pettiness, envy, division and unprofessionally bias? What justice system are we nurturing? Is it one where the dollar speaks, where association and affiliation with bureaucrats, judges and justices determine guilt for the accused? How do we reconcile as a people in the midst of acrimonies, who know you, envy and hatred? Surely I am thinking about these and please let us think through the times the more than 14 years of war and hatred that have afflicted this country, so that we as a people and/or as professional journalists find our way out of the debris.

Thinking Through The Time (Part II)
…The Interference with Justice Is Troubling

By Bill K. Jarkloh
http://www.pamwhanpen.com/ or (panwhanpen.blogspot.com)
billkjarkloh.wordpress.com
Email: bmjarkloh@yahoo.com or jloplehdee@gmail.com

Advocacy today, as was stated in the first article of this series, is gender-based and rape is the pivot. Everyone, including myself as media personnel and a good citizen, is fighting against rape. But rape has become a hate weapon used unscrupulous to express ire against and make scornful the hated ones. In truth the trend of advocacy against has encourage evil minded people to scorn others.

But rationally, it is indisputable that the very justice an alleged victim seeks is the same fairness that the accused desires; this is to say that just as the “victim” need justice, so the rights of accused must be protected and respected in finding the merits of demerits of rape allegations. However, the crime instead is seemed to be an instrument of entanglement for others on account of hatred, thus destroying communal unity and reconciliation and betraying justice.

As a matter of fact, when bureaucrats or officials begin to influence guilt, not only by their tacit manipulation of justice, but by inciting of crowds massive presence against the accused rapist in courts or investigative forums, then the crime has indeed become an instrument used for vendetta and therefore one most often leveled against people by their opponents to settle scores at the platform of personal differences; yes indeed, I am a victim.

Typical of this kind of interference with justice against alleged rapists is the one witnessed at the Temple of Justice on November 11, 2008, when Gender & Development Minister Varbah Gayflor led throngs of advocates to court to input guilt on a 39-year-old school teacher accused of raping a two-year old child. While I wouldn’t like my two-year-old daughter raped by a heartless man of demonic character regardless of age group, it must be said that the presence of officials of government such as the Minister of Gender, Varbah Gayflor, leading group of women protesters, not outside the court, but inside the hearing hall amounts to executive interference with court cases. Such is highly illegal and unconstitutional, for the law and Constitution are harmonized on the maxim, “The accused is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.”

If the above is right, than what was the Gender Minister doing at the hearing of Nathaniel Wilson with crowds of anti-rape protesters? Did she go there to influence the Court, to input guilt on the classroom teacher who should be presumed innocent unless proven guilty by state and complainants? Does that mean that Minister Gayflor did not trust the prosecutors or she simply went there to ensure the other way around the law - that Mr. Wilson was presumed guilty until the can prove himself innocent? Anyway, Minister Gayflor undoubtedly knows that defendant Nathaniel Gibson was in the custody of the court and that there were prosecutors assigned to find evidence against the accused for trial when he led the women into the courtroom – to prove what? And certainly the Minister should have elementarily known that her action was sub-judicé and therefore was prejudicing the legal interest of the accused. What a mockery of justice? This is a clear indication that there is no fair trial as long as one is taken to court on account of rape.

This is evident by Gayflor’s presence at the court. It should sound a warning to those who will innocently be accused of rape that their family people should massively mobilized too to counter by equal protestation the absurdity taking throng of women to court to input guilt on an accused rapist when the accused should be tried under an atmospheres of impartiality and without any form of influences acting to jeopardize his legal interest. This kind of interference amounts to sheer wickedness – an official making effort to imprison another family’s breadwinner. This should not be the way to build a new decent Liberia where justice and equity should guide the emerging democracy, the Liberia where reconciliation and unity should be the hallmark of community and national interactions.

When I said earlier that I am a victim of the interference of bureaucrats with justice against accused rapists, I meant to refer the deign instruction given by the Chief Justice of Liberia to the Monrovia City Court to issue a Writ of Arrest of against me for an alleged Rape/Sodomy and against my fiancée, Korpo Kortimai for alleged “Kidnapping” of an eight year-old child were saving from parental abandonment and neglect through the Women and Children Unit of the Liberia National police. The story is that little Love Samuels who was most often abandoned according to the police, this time was found in Sonniewein, near the Rally Time Market and was brought to Korpo, the Assistant Coordinator for Women & Children’s Affairs of ZODWOCA, to help the kid get rehabilitated. Korpo had helped in collaboration with this identical police unit to restore other little girls from the street or from further molestation. Love Samuels was already raped by one Lincoln in a Video Club under the cover of darkness as she explained her ordeal.
However without allowing the police to work, Chief Justice Johnny Lewis, on May 13, 2008, descended from his weighty throne purposely to influence my arrest and prosecution at the Monrovia City Court, the very George who had instrumented the scheme against me as a result of pettiness.

I and Korpo were taken to the court on account of a “Criminal Cohesion” suit filed by George, yes, and we filed our bail just to see the very George and group of women trooping in the courtyard a Bassa Woman who said she is the mother of Love Samuels. Before I understand, the Chief Justice walked through the courtroom into the Magistrate’s chamber and commanded court officers to take us into the chamber. He adequately intimidated us with his hoarse voice, interrupting every attempt to genesize the case and explain its nature.

Justice Lewis began to haul into the court chamber the assistant county attorney who, by principle of law prevented of the first “Kidnapping Writ” issued against Korpo until police finding were submitted to court regarding the matter. Thereafter Chief Justice Lewis called in the County Attorney and warned both of them from stopping the Court issuing precepts against Korpo and I because “THE POLICE CAN LIE; THE POLICE LACK CREDIBILITY”. I was obliged to show him the flag. Pointing to flag that was unfolded behind the magistrate’s desk, I reminded this final arbiter “justice” that “You owe the flag allegiance just as I do and you owe me protection – I mean the protection of my rights. Why do you choose to abuse my rights to the state’s protection? Why you Chief Justice should be my accuser and then you will later be my judge when this matter reaches the Supreme Court?” “No I am not accusing you! I am serving you justice!” He replied and walked away with Specific instruction – I expect that Solicitor Sam Solomon be the prosecutor of this matter.” Gush ‘justice’- my fate started.

Oh yes! We are talking by abiding by the rule of law. A Chief Justice came down his throne. He intimidated party litigants and expressed interest in a single prosecutor. He accused a journalist of rape and sodomy and instructed court precepts against the journalist’s family. They where thrown to the dungeon in the absence of police charge sheets or reports and judges started to fetch for evidence as was in the case of Criminal Court “B” Judge Evelyna Quaqua who wanted little Love Samuels to lie on me that I “rape” the little girl, while the Magistrate - on the basis of the Chief Justice’s interference – stayed away from the case for lack of evidence while I was being marched handcuffed from Temple of Justice to the Monrovia Central Prison on an alleged Rape/Sodomy for three weeks- three-days with the blind justice gaining sight to see the influence of a heavy hand - a bureaucrat – the Chief Justice.

What kind of society is this? I remembered my past when the Taylor government, the Doe administration used to do the same. Those days, like it seems to be today, justice used to be on sale, by influence of big-shakes – to refer to bureaucrats. I was whisked into jail at MP Headquarters at the Barclay Training Center for stories written by me. Bureaucrats at the time used the security; but in this dispensation, they themselves come to the fore to baffle justice. Surely, this is what I remember in thinking through the time, WHEN PEOPLE ARE CHANTING RECONCILIATION, UNITY AND RULE OF LAW. This is the very time others are frustrating the purpose this globally acclaimed regime that should stand for justice. Well it doesn’t matter who is involved, justice is and will remain justice. But what’s about the use of the name of officials to abuse the rights of others. This is another issue that will be discussed in Part III of Thinking through the time.

To drop pen for now, the president should begin develop interest in these kinds of things. Justice should not mean when one is accused of rape then he is guilty. Justice should not mean allegation of rape is an end of the case and should make a family’s breadwinner to be cast into dungeon without justice or remorse because rape is heinous. It should rather means that the accused should be given fair and impartial trial as long as his life get on the line by that allegation and that he could be jailed for life if he should be proven guilty. I mean proven guilty – I do not say made guilty. For to make someone guilty is different from proven someone guilty. In the former, even concoction of lies, wicked manipulation and bureaucratic influences could make one guilty while in the latter, the adduction of corroborated evidences beyond all reasonable doubts could prove one guilty. These are two separate scenarios, one of which comes to play when it comes to this rape thing. And the worst is that rape is not bailable – this is why people lie on their targets and incite public sentiments at the peril of another’s reputation.

However, if bureaucrats and advocates will be cautious in following up some of these rape allegations like it was in my case, one will get to know that most of these rape cases are makeup and trap set to invite public hatred against others and accordingly end their hard earn lives and reputation in frustration and agony.

Let is be mindful of the sweeping rape allegations and careful in delving into their merits. Today most of the unheard cases at the magistrate courts are rape, and I discovered that many of the detainees without trial – some overstayed – are victims of rape allegations slapped on them sometimes by landlords or landladies, sometime workmates who want the accused out of their way, community people who are envious because of one’s lifestyle. Surely, I am thinking through the time - I mean the past days of 2008 - with lamentation of injustices meted to me for false allegation of rape, which I think others might have or might be suffering by now.

Govt PR Should Give No Room

2008-11-15T07:21:00.000-08:00

…To Undermining Gains Made By Sirleaf Adm.
A Liberian Journalist, Mr. Bill K. Jarkloh, is calling on the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism to consider synchronizing government websites to LiberiaNet, where all other Liberia webs will be linked. “This will make it easier to research Liberia at home and from abroad,” Mr. Jarkloh said.

The journalist reiterated that Liberian government continues to be dead at the expensive of the progressivism with which the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Administration works. He further criticized the Ministry of Information and other operatives of the government’s information and communication offices for their failures to update websites of government ministries and agencies established on the cyber superhighway.

Journalist said any act of “inefficiency and ineffectiveness” exhibited by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism in the articulation of government policies, especially on the websites created to by government ministries and agencies will give room to destructive trend of political opposition in the country whereby other information sites on the cyber super highway would be used by some self-centered opposition politicians to undermine achievements made.

Journalist Jarkloh has therefore called on the Information Ministry to wakeup from its slumber and adopt positive attitude towards achieving its role with efficiency and effectiveness.
In a press release issued recent, Jarkloh praised the independent media which he added, have been doing the jobs of the Ministry of Information. He made particular reference to the frontpageafrica, the Truth Radio and its auxiliary media outlets, the STAR Radio, the Daily OBSERVER, the NEW DEMOCRAT, The ANALYST LIBERIA and the INQUIRER when it comes to ensuring the articulation of government’s policy against corruption and other vital policies including the Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Jarkloh, who is a fellow of the Panos Institute of West Africa in Senegal, Dakar said application of the emerging information communication technology (ICT) in the articulation of government policies and programs, especially the poverty reduction strategy (PRS), should be the business of the Ministries of Information and Post and Telecommunication which have all been reneging on this sacred modern responsibility. The journalist said it is disappointing to visit government oriented websites, except for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Executive Mansion websites, for the purpose of researching the government.

Mr. Jarkloh observes that the performance of the Government’s public relation team spearheaded by the Ministry of Information has given room to the barrage of unwarranted criticisms which, he said, most often result from misunderstanding of the realities of government’s operation

According to the journalist who serves as Executive Officer of Information at the Embassy of Ghana said the website of the Ministries of Information, Education, Health, Public Works and the Central Banks of Liberia have no current information that will keep visitors on those sites informed of the reality of operations in these government entities.

Jarkloh, who is also managing two blogs - http://www.panwhanpen.com/ and billkjarkloh.wordpress.com, said the emerging democracy practiced under the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration and which is being given keen attention by peoples of the world will not be better portrayed to the outside world in the absence of articulate, effective and efficient public relation or public affairs activities.

As such, Mr. Jarkloh noted, the best platform of explaining government policy is not the independent press, but the websites and journals of government public affairs offices. Government websites and journals, Mr. Jarkloh noted should be sources of research of stories by independent media practitioners, and that those websites and journals and/or magazines must at all times avail to the people within and without, a regular update of happenings in government circles.

According to Journalists Jarkloh, the failure by the government ministries and agencies, especially the Ministry of Information, to ensure updating of government websites is responsible for the misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the government’s policies to the people and the outside world.

“The right to information is a matter of must and encourages massive participation of the people in the process of governance,” Mr. Jarkloh indicated.
According to him, the failure of the government public affairs machinery to exert itself by interpreting government’s activities as done by the Ghanaweb and the public affairs teams of other countries will subject the Sirleaf administration to unnecessary public criticisms and its achievements will continue to be obscured as long as it operates with poor information mechanism, especially when it comes to articulating the policies of government.

“It is with regret to note that even the Liberian Legislature does not have a website on which regular legislative activities will be traced in terms of current bills and past laws that are on the books, while the judiciary has no website that will indicate its activities and achievements,” Mr. Jarkloh said.

.........

Govt PR “Ineffective and Inefficient”
… A Liberian Journalist Criticizes Information Ministry

A Liberian Journalist has criticized the Ministry of Information and other information and communication officers of government for their failures to update websites established on the cyber superhighway.

Journalist Bill K. Jarkloh has also criticized as “Ineffective and Inefficient” the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism in the articulation of government policies as reflected on its ‘dead website”. Journalist Jarkloh has therefore called on the Information Ministry to wakeup from its slumber and adopt positive attitude towards achieving its role with efficiency and effectiveness.

In a press release issued recent, Jarkloh praised the independent media which he added, have been doing the jobs of the Ministry of Information. He made particular reference to the frontpageafrica, the Truth Radio and its auxiliary media outlets, the STAR Radio, the Daily OBSERVER, the NEW DEMOCRAT, The ANALYST LIBERIA and the INQUIRER when it comes to ensuring the articulation of government’s policy against corruption and other vital policies including the Poverty Reduction Strategy.

While praising the independent media, Mr. Jarkloh said it is disappointing that government media offices and internet pages of official Liberian websites contain no up-to-date information that will inform Liberians in the diasporas, donors and partners and friends of Liberia of the contemporary trends of development in the country.
Mr. Jarkloh observes that the performance of the Government’s public relation team spearheaded by the Ministry of Information has given room to the barrage of unwarranted criticisms which, he said, most often result from misunderstanding of the realities of government’s operation

He notes with regrets that the Sirleaf Government - from the Legislative to the Executive and the Judicial Branches of government – is operating without organized public affairs mechanisms that will deliver to the people the level of coordination and independence with which they act as required by the Constitutions. “The right to information is a matter of must and encourages massive participation of the people in the process of governance,” Mr. Jarkloh indicated.
According to him, the failure of the government public affairs machinery to exert itself by interpreting government’s activities as done by the Ghanaweb and the public affairs teams of other countries will subject the Sirleaf administration to unnecessary public criticisms and its achievements will continue to be obscured as long as it operates with poor information mechanism, especially when it comes to articulating the policies of government.

Be Positve & Not Negative of Genuine Efforts

2008-10-12T11:11:00.001-07:00

…A Wakeup Call to Journalists
By: Bill K. Jarkloh
Email: bmjarkloh@yahoo.com; jloplehdee@gmail.com

Many a time, it is sad when people who should be appreciative are whimsically critical of gestures that are meant for their own development and the enhancement of their professional goals, especially for the benefit of those in professional domains such as journalism. This has been the situation with some Liberian journalists who have failed to rally any support for or make any donation to the umbrella organization of Liberian journalists, but have instead stood by to criticize development initiatives.
Typical of such people are two former officials of the Press Union who are barking at a US$1000 assistance given by President of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, to help support the construction project of the Press Union of Liberia’s (PUL) Headquarters. The two journalists, Isaac Bantu and Emmanuel Abalo considered as “poor judgment” on the part of the Barpeen Administration, the request to Madam for assistance and the acceptance of the amount donate to the union in response to the Barpeen Administration’s request.
Messrs Bantu and Abalo uniquely served the Union’s leadership, but abandoned the Union in rented buildings without any traced of any form of assistance to the union. They don not care about the plight of the Union in rented buildings, not to mention making a contribution towards rescuing the PUL out of its dilemma. All they and their-likes know is to distance themselves from the Press Union’s development and to criticize genuine efforts towards the union’s upliftment. Certainly, it is woeful of the journalist’s criticisms, especially ones from Abalo and Bantu, whose traces of development of the union during their tenures of office are nowhere to be seen.
Instead of rallying support for the Union to move out of rented buildings while the sit at the United States, they have probably forgotten that the PUL’s extant development needs back home – doing nothing to rally support for its projects – the Headquarters Project in particular - which it is no doubt they know about. They forget their obligation to helping the union grow - to be on par with equal umbrella groups in other countries; they rather vaguely say the PUL’s administration of George Barpeen was being awarded for by President Sirleaf with the US$100,000 without stating what they leadership is awarded for. Maybe they need to be told that an award is a prize, a decoration or medal that is won for some good performance or works. If by this definitions they mention award of the PUL by President Sirleaf, then what have the PUL done that warrant the award; better still, why do they have problem with good performance of the PUL?.
Their blind criticisms started after President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf responded to an appeal for assistance for a project to construct a headquarters for the Press Union of Liberia. The appeal was made by the Union’s President George Barpeen and his team of officers and the US$100,000 donation was in response to the PUL’s appeal and not an award, a prize or an honor.
If the donation at all should be an award, which of course it is not, then it would reasonably be an award celebrating professionalism demonstrated by members of the Press Union in the development of Liberia’s emerging democracy. Making the donation through Acting Information Minister Cletus Sieh, I recall that President Sirleaf did not call for any media favor for personal political enhancement. She simply acknowledged the contribution of journalists to the development of democracy in the country. In fact, Madam Sirleaf herself, making good the US$100,000 assistance towards the PUL Construction Project, she dispelled public impression that the gesture was intended to influence the reportage of the media. The President said the gesture was made out of her desire to put the PUL on par with other equal umbrella groupings of media in other countries in West Africa and elsewhere. She further disclosed that she solicited the funds from her friends out of her desire to see a modern facility erected for the PUL as it is in other countries in the sub-region.
In the first place, the critics need to be reminded one thing – that Madam Sirleaf as a Liberian and democratic minded person has been a major contributor to the welfare and growth of Liberian journalism and journalists. The madam has been contributing to the media even before she could become President and no one complains. Not even the critics who are themselves journalists have made any such contribution to the media or the welfare of its personnel. For instance, Madam Sirleaf, when she was not yet the President of Liberia, raised US$56,000 for more than war affected journalists in 2003 when brother Abalo, Bantu and others of their likes were enjoying themselves in the United States, viewing the serious nightmare that was victimizing every Liberian at home including their colleagues – journalists – on the television screen just as they were watching movie shows.
Madam Sirleaf again was the only Liberian social worker, who was swift in ensuring that Comrade Throuble Suah was saved from death when Taylor’s draconian Anti Terrorist Unit (ATU) flogged him severely, made him almost blind and broke his spinal cord. It was through Madam Sirleaf the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) gave its support to the brother to save him from perishing when the critics only listened and did nothing. Thirdly, Madam Sirleaf was the one who hosted Liberian media executives during the Accra Peace Accord in Ghana which brought about the end of the war. Through Madam Sirleaf, each of them received US$500 while Mr. Abalo and Bantu were sitting on the fence. This goes to say that Madam Sirleaf would still use her influence to help the PUL with the construction, even if she was not at the echelon of national leadership, provided that she’s approached.
As far as media support is concerned in Liberia, the madam is the most selfless politician and social worker ever seen media friendly in Liberia. But most often the media hit at her administration objectively. I recall, just as you readers may, that President Sirleaf chided the press and was some how sarcastic when she addressed some groups, but her statement was not taken kindly, and the media gave her the appropriate backlash that such utterances deserves. And considering the weight of her statement she conceded, regretted and conform as a good and dynamic leader could normally do; and she did not behave like one who would be throwing practitioners into the dungeons for their media output.
This is why I consider as a shame, such comments coming from our past leaders, Messrs Abalo and Bantu, and their cronies. I thought they should be gladdened by any genuine gesture and applaud any gift from philanthropists, goodwill and media friendly people and countries t6owardssuch a worthy project. What PUL needs most now is contributions towards implementation PUL’s Headquarters project that could boost Liberian journalism to a contemporary global standard. Instead of rallying some money and material resources in the United States just as Madam Sirleaf is doing, the critics chose to spread on the internet empty and shameless criticisms that are unimaginable of past leaders and members of an organization or institution.
On the Abalo-Bantu claim that they have made sacrifices prior to the Barpeen Administration in upholding the highest principles of propriety, may they state the sacrifice they’ve made that is greater in contemporary global and modern journalism than the PUL erecting of its own Headquarter complex with every modern research facilities as an umbrella group. In fact, what have they done towards achieving PUL independence when it comes to living on its own without being bothered by landlords? Anyway, I am really moved to salute Mr. Barpeen for the courage and bold initiative that to which the President positively responded. I feel strongly that comrade Barpeen does not deserve the criticisms being heaped at him for rallying support for the implementation of the PUL Headquarter project. Instead of the empty and vague criticisms, members and past leaders should begin to put in place initiatives that would contribute to this worthy venture and other programs and projects geared towards the development of Liberian journalist and the media in this country. This advice especially goes to Mr. Abalo and Mr. Bantu who have immensely benefited from.
To conclude, detracting good and genuine efforts is not the journalism that we as practitioners should engage. What rather should be our professional focus should be promoting growth and development of every sector of the media in particular and the society in general. I agree with the PUL leadership that the US$100,000 contribution of Madam Sirleaf is in no way a bribe. The critics should be informed that President John Kuffour of Ghana contributed to the building of the Press Center of the Ghanaian Association of Journalists but the journalists of Ghana did not considers the gesture of the Ghanaian President ‘soli’ or bribe. The Foreign Press Center of Washington DC would not have been built without contributions from other sources other than American journalists etc. If making a contribution to journalists’ growth and welfare should be considered a bribe, then it is obvious that journalists themselves and the media will be in isolation. This is because the rationality forbidding gifts or bribe is not to influence news. So if this is true, then it is hypothetical that that any other institution, including the NED – the National Endowment for Democracy - which is sponsoring the PUL should not because by doing so could be interpreted buying some favor with Liberia journalists. Let us agree that the government and President owes the PUL protection and growth and a Liberian institution, so assisting in building the Headquarters is in no way a professional folly. That is, Madam Sirleaf is the national leader; if in her drive to build and nurture democracy, she decides to help build the capacity of a democratic institutions like the PUL or any civil society organization, it should not be ground for criticisms, especially so when she holds every sector of the society – including the media the opportunity of protection and growth. Besides, how comprehensible it is for one to believe that the PUL, which does not operate the individual media institutions, will control media content in favor of Madam Sirleaf because of assistance toward a construction project.
Criticisms by those against the just and genuine assistance of the President to the PUL are not insult only to the PUL alone, they are insults the conscience of various media executives and owners. For the PUL to just get up, walk into their offices, use their seats as stools and dictate to them to go unprofessional in favor of Madam Sirleaf is incomprehensible and technically insults to a professional standard of every journalist in Liberian and media institutions as well who are associating with the union. For me, I take such criticisms as a high degree of absurdity. Indeed, it doesn’t make sense for one to insinuate that PUL is able to dictate media contents because of a US$100,000 contribution by the President to headquarter project of the umbrella group. This means that critics who are particularly journalists must be more positive rather than detracting genuine efforts and by that insulting the professional integrity of their colleagues. While every journalist is aspired to college education and further advancement, professional development would even manifested more by modernizing contemporary practice in our beloved Liberia to global standard; and such can obtain not only by the college education we are all aspired to and are achieving, but also by the availability of modern facilities such as the ones the PUL’s Headquarters would offer Liberian journalists if completed.