TOP

STORIES

SPORTS

SHERMAN

pg 13

OUT

COUNTY NEWS

pg 7

ALARMING
INSECURITY

In Grand Bassa CountyOne Police To a District

FREE
OF
EBOLA - AGAIN
SPORTS

pg 15

WHO hails Liberia's

"successful response" to the
recent re-emergence of Ebola,
when six people were infected,
including two who died.

FrontPage

Lonestar First Choice Goalie

Doubtful for Tunisia Clash

www.frontpageafricaonline.com

VOL 9 NO.134

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015

PRICE L$40

THE LEGACY COUNTDOWN: EJS-GOVERNMENT RACING

AGAINST TIME: KEY PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE

MESSY EDUCATION PLAY

The state-run University of Liberia is still struggling to come on par with other African universities as no
Liberian University is ranked amongst top African universities while the performance of Liberian students
in the regional West African Examination Council exams remains dismal. In rural Liberia students sit on
sticks or blocks due to lack of chairs and benches; using makeshift structures as school buildings

Education- pg. 5

CENTRAL BANK OF LIBERIA

MARKET BUYING AND SELLING RATES

LIBERIAN DOLLARS PER US DOLLAR

BUYING

SELLING

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2015

L$88.00/US$1

L$89.00/US$1

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2015

L$88.00/US$1

L$89.00/US$1

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

L$88.00/US$1

L$89.00/US$1

These are indicative rates based on results of daily surveys of the foreign exchange market
in Monrovia and its environs. The rates are collected from the Forex Bureaux and the
commercials banks. The rates are not set by the Central Bank of Liberia.
Source: Research, Policy and Planning Department, Central Bank Liberia, Monrovia, Liberia

Page 2 | Frontpage

FROM PAGE 1

Friday, September 4, 2015

unless he is online with Washington, Mr. Taylor told an
interviewer.
Continued Taylor: Now Im not the kind of guy that you can
pick up the telephone and command. I dont take that. I did
not take that from Washington then, even if I wasnt elected
president, I will not take it. Im not that kind. Im not a coward.
But I do believe a good America relationship is essential for
any president of Liberia or that President will fail.
Some of Mr. Ureys supporters, including noted Liberian
economist and political scientist Mr. Samuel P. Jackson, like
Mr. Urey, is confident that the U.S. will follow suit, basing
his suggestion on the close proximity of the US Treasury
Department sanctions and the UN restrictions which were
dissolved this week.

I regret that I was never able to get the

United States to understand me. I was
never able to get them to work with
me which is so essential for Liberia. No
President of Liberia, no President can
make it successfully unless he is online
with Washington. Former Liberian
president Charles Ghankay Taylor, in a
Nigerian Television interview while in exile
in Calabar, Nigeria

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

Monrovia n July 22nd, 2004, U.S. President George W. Bush,

acting in unison with U.S. laws, the United Nations
and the Comprehensive Accra Peace Accord on
Liberia, in an executive order, noted that the
actions and policies of former President Charles Taylor and
some of his associates, in particular their unlawful depletion
of Liberian resources and their removal from Liberia and
secreting of Liberian funds and property, undermined
Liberias transition to democracy and the orderly
development of its political and economic institutions and
resources.
SIMILAR TREND, US, UN

President Bush went on to note that the peace accord signed

on August 18, 2003, and the related ceasefire had not yet
been universally implemented throughout Liberia, and that
the illicit trade in round logs and timber products was linked
to the proliferation of and trafficking in illegal arms, which
perpetuated the civil conflict and fueled and exacerbated
other conflicts in the region. Thus, President Bush said he
found that actions, policies and circumstances at the time
constituted an unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S.
Foreign policy and went on to order the freezing of assets for
Mr. Taylor and all of his associates as the UN had done only
a year earlier.
President Bushs successor, Barack Obama has in each of the
succeeding years of his presidency issued similar executive
orders renewing the sanctions.
On Wednesday, the United Nation Security Council issued
Resolution 2237 declaring that the individuals and entities
on the 1521 Sanctions list immediately prior to the adoption
of 2237 (2015) are no longer subject to travel and financial
measures and their names have been removed from the
Consolidated United Nations Security Council Sanctions
List.
The decision which appears to have been pushed by the
government of Liberia was greeted with optimism by the
government. The general government position to the U.N.
has been that the sanction list, travel ban and assets freeze
list should not be kept in full, that relevant information needs
to be evaluated and to the extent that information will point
to the lifting of sanctions or a ban on an individual, that the
UN should do so. Liberia wants all its citizens and partners
to be contributive of the peace and progress of the nation,"
Foreign Minister Augustine Ngafuan told FrontPageAfrica
Wednesday.
The minister however clarified that it was the Liberian
governments policy to push for assets freeze or travel ban,
particularly in a case where an individual or individuals are
no longer a threat to the peace and stability of the country.
The irony of Wednesday UNSC decision is already raising
concerns about the scope of the sanctions dissolution amid
mounting speculations that international organizations
are bracing for a massive war crimes effort to bring those
responsible for the civil war to book for their respective
roles.
Mr. Benoni Urey, a candidate for the Liberian presidency
under the banner of the All Liberian Party (ALP); and one of

The UN Security Council includes the

United States of America. I am confident
that the USA will follow its own leadership
in the council and delist any Liberian,
including Benoni Urey, on the Specially
Designated Nationals list of the US Treasury
Department. I can say that we in the Urey
2017 Organization believe in American justice
and we are confident that the Americans
will do the right thing. We look forward to
working with the American people, who have
been our greatest ally in our country's history
in moving towards more concrete trade
and investment relations between the two
countries.
Mr. Samuel P. Jackson, a Urey sympathizer
many on the U.S. treasury listing; is hopeful that the U.S. will
follow the footsteps of the UN in removing him and others
from the list.

TAYLOR FEARS; UREYS PREDICAMENT

Urey, who had earlier told the Voice of America that he had
written the U.S. government to remove the ban since it was
based on U.N. sanctions that have now been lifted, is quite
aware about the importance of any sign of strains with
Liberias adopted stepfather, the United States.
Taylor, with whom he had a close relationship acknowledged
months after his departure from Liberia, in Nigerian
Television interview that one of his greatest regrets was
not getting the U.S. to understand him and being able to
get Americas blessing. I regret that I was never able to get
the United States to understand me. I was never able to get
them to work with me which is so essential for Liberia. No
President of Liberia, no President can make it successfully

Says Mr. Jackson: The UN Security Council includes the

United States of America. I am confident that the USA will
follow its own leadership in the council and delist any
Liberian, including Benoni Urey, on the Specially Designated
Nationals list of the US Treasury Department. I can say that
we in the Urey 2017 Organization believe in American justice
and we are confident that the Americans will do the right
thing. We look forward to working with the American people,
who have been our greatest ally in our country's history
in moving towards more concrete trade and investment
relations between the two countries.
Besides Mr. Urey, many other Liberians and international
players are included on the U.S. list and all shared billing
with the previously-designated UN list.
Camp Urey Upbeat About US Sanction Ease

The US list includes former Finance minister Charles Bright,

Victor Bout, a businessman and transporter of weapons
and minerals and the subject of the Hollywood blockbuster
Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage; Jenkins Dunbar, former
Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy, Chief Cyril Allen, former
Chairman of the National Patriotic Party, Randolph Cooper,
former Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining
Company, Mr. Gus Kouwenhoven, a Dutch businessman and
President of the former Oriental Timber Company, Hotel
Africa, Mr. Emmanuel Shaw and former Finance Minister
Juanita Neal.
According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the former
Liberian Regime of Charles Taylor Sanctions represent the
implementation of multiple legal authorities. Some of these
authorities are in the form of executive orders issued by
the President. Other authorities are public laws (statutes)
passed by The Congress. These authorities are further
codified by OFAC in its regulations which are published the
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Modifications to these
regulations are posted in the Federal Register. In addition
to all of these authorities, OFAC may also implement United
Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) with regard
to the Former Liberian Regime of Charles Taylor Sanctions.
Amid the similarities between the US Treasury Department
listing and the dissolved UN travel and assets freeze,
diplomatic observers are keen to see how the U.S. will
respond in the coming days and the impact the decision
would have on the outcome of the 2017 presidential race.
For supporters of Urey, Wednesdays decision by the UN could
trigger the spark some say is crucial to Ureys candidacy. We
are pleased by this historic decision of the United Nations.
Liberians are indeed breathing a sigh of relief in the wake
of this. We are firmly confident that our valued American
partners are assured of our commitment to the peace and
stability of Liberia through our active involvement in the
democratic process, and they too will soon act and they
too will soon ensure that all Liberians are removed from
all forms of sanctions, a Urey aide told FrontPageAfrica on
condition of anonymity Thursday.
Lost in the optimism of Mr. Ureys supporters is the daunting
task of a presidential candidacy hinging much on the easing
of sanctions and how much of a factor, his looming freedom
from his association with former President Taylor will have
on his quest for the Liberian presidency; albeit Americas
acceptance.

Friday, September 4, 2015

US Sanctions list

Frontpage

Page 3

Friday, September 4, 2015

Page 4 | Frontpage

FrontPage COMMENTARY
LIBERIAS UNCERTAIN FUTUREEDITORIAL HUNTED BY WAR/ECONOMIC CRIMES
v

TEN YEARS ON,

LIBERIANS AWAIT
THE BIG LIGHT

ELECTRICITY IS ESSENTIAL to humans. In this 21st

century and digital world, everything is heavily
reliant on electricity.
THIS IS WHY it comes as a surprise to people who
have never visited third world countries like Liberia
when they are told that Monrovia does not have a
reliable supply of electricity. They then wonder
how the city looks at nightfall.
LIBERIANS HAVE ENDURED for too long the issue
of lack of electricity as many who can afford rely
on private generators while others have no option
but to sleep in complete darkness. Students have
to study using candles. Outside Monrovia, others
see the moonlight as a good source of light.
BUSINESSES ARE INCURRING high cost of
operations due to the money spent on the purchase
of petrol products on a daily basis.
BASED ON THE difficulties, when President Sirleaf
promised upon her inauguration in 2006 that she
would have restored electricity to Monrovia in six
months, thousands danced and celebrated to the
promise of Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a promise
which contributed to her election.
FROM 2006, INSTEAD of beginning a long term
plan such as the rehabilitation of the Mount Coffee
Hydro dam, Madam Sirleaf opted for short term
Small Light Today, Big Light Tomorrow program.
GENERATORS WERE USED by the Liberia Electricity
Corporation to provide electricity to Monrovia and
immediate environs but that has only made little
impact in solving the electricity problem.
ELECTRICITY IS RATIONED to the extent that
many businesses prefer using a generator while
some opt for the LEC power as an alternative to the
generators.
WITH LARGE NUMBER of Liberians unable to go to
school during the civil war, running adult literacy
classes at night is difficult.
CRIMINALITY IS ALSO high in darkness and there
are several other negative consequences associated
with the lack of reliable electricity.
PRESIDENT SIRLEAF, AFTER ONLY managing to
provide small and unreliable light to the residents
of Monrovia and immediate environs for the first
six years, told the Liberians that the time is short
for doing many of what she had promised.
AGAIN, SHE WAS given another six years by the
Liberian people, with the population hoping that
this time she will make the difference.
FOUR YEARS INTO the second term of office, there
are signs of improvement with the rehabilitation of
the Mount Coffee Dam now underway.
THIS IS WELCOMING and should be completed in
timeDecember 2016to bring electricity relief
to the people.
MADAM PRESIDENT, THE Liberian people are tired
of darkness and need this big light by the latest
December 2016. Government should do all it can to
ensure that the ongoing hydro project is not halted
or delayed.
THE HYDRO MUST be the same as other promised
projects such as revitalization of health care, which
has turned a fiasco, improvement in education
which nowhere to be seen and other unfulfilled
promises.

By: Sam K. Zinnah, szinnah@gmail.com ; Contributing Writer

iberias history of recent is largely replete with economic and

human rights related crimes. Two debacles, if not checked
and corrected, will continue to undermine and erode
economic and political advancement of our country. Without
efforts by the International Community and Liberians themselves,
at home and abroad, to consolidate concrete actions in dealing with
these menaces, the revival and restoration of our Country and its
weak institutions, will be visited with failure and faltering.
Liberia is so jaundiced and held hostage by forces with heavy burden
of war and economic crimes, gallivanting around the political and
business platforms where they insidiously rise to power and fame by
manipulating our ever weak and greedy voters. These war lords and
economic plunderers are no longer satisfied with legislative seats,
rather they are yearning for the common presidency, on the other
hand, who can blame them when some of the current leaders wear
the golden crown of human blood and ghosts of our civil war?
In a country where war lords and perpetrators of economic crimes
are rewarded by system of undermined sovereignty and national
integrity, we have fallen prey to the venomous and verminous acts of
these plunderers who are busy exsanguinating us to our very death.
Will we keep rewarding acts of malfeasance?

The trend of globalization in international politics and fight against

crimes is changing. First, we ourselves must begin to initiate a
prompt stance and seek remedy in collaboration with international
partners and institutions. Rewarding these inane vampires (to use
Ellen Johnson Sirleafs words) sends a signal that we are complacent
with the state of our minds and national situation. Meaning, What
is wrong with us, is us. Only by concrete civil and/or legal action, to
punish crimes that threaten our very survival that will set the basis for
our Countrys affability for international actors to help our situation.
We, intellectuals, technicians, politicians, activists, religious leaders,
traditional leaders, etc need now than ever before to demonstrate a
cocksure nature and approach to fighting the ills of war and economic
crimes in our national existence. Our real problem is we easily coax
each other toward wrong tendencies in our personal interests than
harmonizing our differences and resolve towards solving national
problems. Liberias convalescence, following years of war and greeted
with almost 12 years of economic degradation and erosion, (a period
in which we have also witnessed the metamorphosis of crooks, killers
and plunderers into Kings, Queens and tycoons) can be midwived into
a better society if we ignite justice against crimes that are hunting
down our overall progress.
In this business, the powerful crooks and killers will threaten a total
States collapse and retrogression
to war. This is a vain threat intended to delay peoples might and
action. Surely public revenge through justice of the law is more urgent
than ever before. Sierra Leone, our closest neighbor is a perfect
example where peoples power has out weighted the glory of killers
and plunderage of war.
The global community and their institutions have always offered
a hand of partnership, especially if their own interest is involved.
For instance, western superposition over the African and sub
regional influence saw Nigeria hand over Charles Taylor (former
Liberian President). The sub regional political dynamism that has
brought strong willed leaders like Nigerias Mohammed Buhari,
amongst others needs to super pose its own machinery to punish
perpetrators of war and economic crimes within the sub region, if
West Africa must build on the pillars of an integration of people in
a stable environment. We have seen over times that corruption and
undemocratic tendencies- bad governance or for Liberias situation,
worse governance, which undercut the attainment of human security
and survival, have all served as recipes for instability in West Africa.
We follow the history of a region of coups that later were elevated to
brutal civil wars spreading from Liberia like tornado.
Recently, revolutionary forces in Burkina Faso did not only deny long
serving Blaise Campaore extension of term of office, but also ejected
him off the presidency. This indeed was a bloodless exercise growing
out of the peoples power. Eventually, their action has paved the way
to hold Campaore accountable for crimes he committed during the
untimely murder of Captain Thomas Sankara and others and the
deployment of several Burkinabe (who may not be accounted for) in
Liberia for warfare assignment during the brutal Liberian civil war.
The scourge engineered by Blaise Campaore via Cote DVoire, we are
quite aware, spread to Sierra Leone, and later to Guinea.
Blaise Campaore will/should not go down alone. His Liberian partners
that aided him in the Thomas Sankara episode should be called to
book. Their political status in Liberia must not deter the sub Region.
The Liberian Legislature or Executive mansion therefore provides
easy delivery to justice as the Charles Taylors case has proven. Abuja,
West Africas most powerful capital must not, in these circumstances
provide safe haven for war lords. Already, with credible news filtering
around about a list of suspects in the possession of disciplinarian

Buhari, one can be certain, that in partnership with other members of

the international community, the old man Baba Buhari will help clean
some of the mess around here.
Similarly, western partners in whose countries suspected Liberian
thieves have deposited huge savings and investments are under
obligation to demonstrate goodwill. As in the FIFA case, they need
to go beyond freezing accounts, to actual arrest and prosecution.
America and Europe cannot afford to grant these suspected criminals
sanctuary.
The recent harsh interaction/exchanges between the U.S. government
(through its Ambassador in Liberia) and the Liberian President over a
U.S. human rights report is a welcoming adventure. The U.S. Embassy
stood its grounds on the report and daringly challenged the Ellen
Johnson-Sirleafs government to disprove any aspects of the report.
Since then, there has been guilty silence. Silence of course means
consent. But the U.S needs to go further than just cataloging human
rights violations. It needs now, with the stability we have growing out
of their support, focus on the setting up of war and economic crimes
court to arrest and bring to trial those war and economic vampires.
Washington, under the leadership of President Barack Obama needs
to exert strong will and leadership here. He needs to follow the good
example of former president George Bush who would not take no for
an answer.
The Ellen Johnson-Sirleafs administration has to be called to account
for the millions it presiding over. Fortunately, at the end of the civil
war, ECOWAS commissioned an audit. Based on the audit report,
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf led government prosecuted former Chairman
Gyude Bryant and others for economic crimes. This was/is a classical
example and demonstration of holding individuals (who hold the
public trust) accountable. Her government and others before her
must be held accountable.
While this is unfolding, we must note President Sirleaf never
attempted to raise the issue of war crimes against anyone. (My
subsequent issue will delve into the why).
Where are the Progressives?

Over the years, failed attempt to reach the presidency and other key
related positions have baptized many Progressives into the symbiosis
problem of self survival, and the see the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
administration as the last stage of destiny. These group of people
who, in the seventies and eighties propelled the society into action on
key national issues, are dormant silent like the environment of a mid
night grave yard in rural community. Here too, people are fighting for
belly full, someone lamented to me. In Ellens case, she is a master
player, one political observer told me. She has them to herself and
makes good job offers and controls their thinking and lips.
One has to think now about resting with his/her fat salary and
benefits, of course prestige too, then to open your mouth and you are
axed out. With age weighting them (Progressives) down, where else
can they comfortably survive? It is not in their younger ages when
they could run to Europe or America and cut eight hours to earn
living, I dare them now.
The Progressives sit silently around issues like level the mansion, we
will rebuild it, I contributed USD$10,000.00 for children welfare.
The corruption deeply rooted and now vampire, but in this game,
who will cast the first stone?.
The 2017 presidential elections and it results could spark renew
tension amongst war lords and very powerful tycoons. The rivalry
between and amongst war lords, tycoons and stand by forces, if not
checked by the international community who have dumped in their
millions and the sub region that has borne the burden of human and
material loss, Liberia will fail. Abuja has much to do with this, because
if trouble breaks out, she bears the huge costs of it.
The reasons I stress the urgent involvement of the international
community or the sub region, Liberians and their institutions are
weak, porous and vulnerable. Liberias former minister of Justice
Cllr. Christina Tah, in her letter of resignation declared President
Johnson-Sirleaf herself is the chief under miner of the rule of law. Not
much is desirable in our judicial system. Shielding corrupt officials
and gross human rights violators has been at the core of the present
government gimmick. It fears if it pulls rope, rope will haul/pull
bush.
Today, for example the former security advisor to former president
Charles Taylor is spokesman for President Johnson-Sirleafs
government. General Prince Johnson is a darling political golden egg
to president Sirleaf as evidenced by General Prince Johnsons overt
support to President Sirleafs 2011 second term bid.
In the judiciary, sits on the Supreme Court bench, a former commander
and spokesman of LURD. In the legislature are seated indictees of GAC
audit reports for allegedly plundering thousands of State funds. They
are comfortable as long as they dance to the rhythm of the power that
be. Cant we see danger ahead?? I surely do see! Open your eyes!!.

Friday, September 4, 2015

Frontpage

The Reader's Page

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WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

ABOUT OUR STORIES ON THE
WORLDWIDE WEB

COMMENTS FROM
FPA ONLINE

ELECTRICITY
RESTORATION

THE BIG LIGHT

TOMORROW CHALLENGE
Jesse Fahngon-Metropolitan State University
The provisions of electricity n water supply to its
citizens are not milestones achievements. These are
BASIC and the simply utilities a government can make
available to its citizens. The FORMER n LATTER are not
legacy items, my friends.

Esther Richards -Pikesville, Maryland

Forgive me for being such a sceptic, but I have lost
all hope of seeing electricity on Duport Road, right in
Paynesville. It is so depressing to sit and watch how
development occurs in Liberia. Duport Road (Du River
side), is a small but very growing community, which
has seen road, light, water schools, clinic development
just pass right by them and go on to Zubah town,
ELWA community, etc. I can't imagine this happening,
but it did. We are tired of pleading with the relevant
authorities to help us out. These utility companies have
used friendship to run a few poles to accommodate
their friends and relatives. Even the road project which
was started has been abandoned. It is as if some people
are not entitled while others have it all. I just want it to
be known that we are entitled to these developments
and shoud not just be passed by. Someday, we will see
the manifestation of our dream.
George K. Fahnbulleh
Mt. Coffee is a white elephant, which at nearly $500
million will not even meet the needs of Monrovia.
For that price we could have built one of the Rwanda
style projects in EVERY COUNTY.
Rwanda completed an Africa's first utility scale solar
project in 13 months: from signature to connection,
for only 23.1 Million USD. You can read about it here:
http://thisisafrica.me/rwanda-launches-east-africas.../
"Rwandas doing a number of things right. I mean
one, security. It is a place where people can trust their
PPAs for 25 years. [For] geo-political stability, Rwanda
probably is the most attractive place in east Africa. And
Rwandas regulatory framework - no corruption. It is a
very, very transparent system,
Lorenzo D Gartor-First Assembly of God
'To run is not necessarily to arrive', making a political
promise and fulling it is another thing, in most cases the
fulfilment part relies on the sincerity of the promisor,
and the last I check.......................

Eric Massoud-St. Peter Claver's High School

This should have ben priority number one from the
beginning more like 'Big Light Now' and small light
later' as oppose to making the increment of Law makers
pay a priority. And what about Bassa? Buchanan is in
darkness. The second largest city in the country ..
Peterson Kortuwah
"President Sirleaf is racing against time to fulfill her
promise to the Liberian people and protect her legacy."
At this point, the question of legacy is off the table;
rather, it is now a matter of investigating, auditing,
and prosecuting this failed administration on charges
of Economic Crimes committed against the Liberian
people.

DISCLAIMER: The comments expressed here are

those of our online readers and bloggers and do no
represent the views of FrontPageAfrica

Page 5

Send your letters and comments to:

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

CDC WRITES EDUCATION MINISTER

The Editor,

present compliments on behalf of the Congress for Democratic

Change, (CDC). I wish to use this medium to congratulate you
on your ascendency as Minister of Education of the Republic of
Liberia. I am of the firm conviction that the President meant well
when she opted to appoint you to this important position giving you
the herculean responsibility of dealing with the mess of the education
system - a mess largely created due to the lack of leadership and
political will to take hard and strategic decisions to solve this national
problem.
In June 2015, you made a pronouncement for the closure of schools
by July 31 to allow you and your team implement a new education
policy. There was a major outcry because many, including the National
Legislature, private schools administrators and proprietors, as well
as other stakeholders were of the view that your pronouncement
was abrupt and seemed not to have been clearly thought through. Mr.
Minister, your pronouncement led to street protests by students who
were rightly aggrieved by your attempt to prematurely eject them
from school. You neither consulted stakeholders in the education
sector nor the Peoples Representatives (National Legislature) for
discussions thereof on your proposed policy.
By and through your action, a constitutional crisis nearly ensued
between the National Legislature and the Executive. The President
announced that the closure of schools was on hold until some
consultations. Many, including the Congress for Democratic Change
(CDC), were of the view that you would have seized the opportunity
to hold back on your pronouncement thereby allowing the academic
year as carved by your predecessor to run its course. Such a move
would have provided the opportunity for over Thirty Thousand
(30,000) 12th graders to complete their academic year, sit the
National Examinations and proceed to college if they so desire.
However, to the disappointment of all stakeholders, you enforced the
closure of schools against all logic and reasoning. For the first time
in Liberian history, students are being promoted amass based on a
disrupted single academic semester.
The West African Examination Councils annual examinations have
been cancelled based on your instruction. Students in the 12Th Grade,
some of whom will never visit a class room again, have been thrown
out of school without properly concluding their high school sojourn
all in the name of giving the Education Ministrys Team one month
(August 1 August 31), to institute reforms facilitating resumption of
classes in September.
Honestly, you had an opportunity to eat your pride and allow
reasoning to prevail.
But you insisted and you have indeed prevailed at the cost and
expense of hundreds of thousands of Liberian students who are
already struggling to cope with an educational system which is
seriously challenged. You, as the Honorable Minister of Education,
have prevailed against the National Legislature, Liberian students,
Private Schools Principal Association, parents and guardians. You
have indeed portrayed yourself as a powerful man in Liberia whatever you say about the education system is not subject to review.
Bravo!
Notwithstanding, every victory has some costs associated. Have you
calculated the cost of your victory over the interest of the students and
everyone else? Have you considered the implications of your victory
to the nearly thirty Thousand Twelfth Graders who are abruptly out
of school and are required to sit and pass the national examination in
May next year? Have you calculated lost time while they wait till May
2016? They have to wait for nearly a year! Life is all about time and
these young lives are in abeyance all because an Education Minister
needed one month to do some reforms? Thank you for the reform
efforts. However, there must be some housekeeping as we move
forward.
Moreover, we are sure you and the Government of Liberia have some
plans to ensure that the nearly Thirty Thousand 12th graders are
taken care of and readied for the National Examination of 2016. They
are now your responsibility. Most schools cannot accommodate the
12th graders and the 11th graders who have been promoted as a
result of your policy. In other words, the two cannot sit in the same
classes as there are not enough space. I am sure you have a plan
for over Thirty Thousand (30,000) of your fellow Liberians, your
compatriots who deserve an opportunity to be prepared to sit the
2016 national examination. They will be required to sacrifice their

time and wait.

Furthermore, we are of the firm conviction that you do not intend
to abandon them until 2016 when they sit the National Examination.
You definitely have some plans, we suppose. Some scheme to fund
12th graders second half of academic instructions in preparation for
the national examination of 2016.
Additionally, we are sure the case of the 9th graders is manageable as
they have additional three years to make up for the lost one semester
of 2015. But the case of the 12th graders requires immediate actionand you must act now! This is not one of the issues that just goes
away in the Liberian way. No, this has to do with tens of thousands
of your compatriots whose future lies in your hands. This could be
a generational crisis if not handled immediately, properly and with
care. You see, without passing the national examination and getting
the WAEC certificate, the 30,000 or more students wont have
access to university or tertiary education as the WAEC certificate
is a prerequisite for entry into all institutions of higher learning in
Liberia.
Mr. Minister, many are wondering if the newly proposed education
policy you are implementing is worth endangering the future of
a single Liberian not to mention endangering the future of nearly
Thirty Thousand (30,000) young Liberians. By guaranteeing that
nearly thirty thousand students will sit and fail the National Exam
because of poor preparation occasioned by abrupt disruption of their
academic pursuit.
BY ALL ACCOUNTS, YOU ARE LIABLE!
We await a cogent, timely and realistic plan to avert a serious
generational crisis for the tens of thousands of twelfth Graders of
2015.
Mr. Minister, here is an option to consider: kindly consult with your
principal, the President of Liberia, to secure funds to take care of
these Special Needs students who have created as a result of your
policy.
In conclusion, Mr. Minister, we request a full and comprehensive
report to the Liberian people on how many school Libraries have been
refurbished or upgraded. How many school Laboratories have been
sufficiently equipped for the academic commencing September 2015.
How many teachers have been trained for the academic commencing
September 2015?
We as stakeholders, reserve the right and option to initiate and
institute civil legal proceedings against you for the violation of the
education laws of the land and for endangering the future of tens of
thousands of young Liberians.
Janga A. Kowo National Secretary General
jkowo@yahoo.com
Bernards Compound, Congo Town
Janga Kowo
CC:
1. HE Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of
Liberia,
Executive Mansion, Monrovia, Liberia
2. Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai, Vice President of Liberia, Capitol Hill
3. Hon. J. Alex Tyler, Speaker, House of Representatives, Capitol
Building
4. Hon. Armah Zulu Jallah, President Pro-Tempore, Liberian Senate
5. Amb. Senator George Manneh Weah, Sr., Political Leader of CDC and
Senator
of Montserrado County
6. Hon. Thomas Fallah, Chairman CDC Legislative Caucus
7. Senator Jewel Howard Taylor, Senate Committee Chair on Education
8. Hon. Matthew Zarzar, House Committee Chairman on Education
9. Hon. Nathaniel F. McGill, National Chairman, CDC and Members
CDC NEC
10. Amb. Deborah Malac, Ambassador of the USA, U.S Embassy
Monrovia
11. Amb. Karen Lundgren, Special Representative of the UN Secretary
General,
UNMIL
12. Dr. H. Boimah Fahnbulleh, Jr, National Security Advisor
13. Dr. Amos C. Sawyer, Chairman, Governance Commission
14. Mr. Varney Alieu Jarsay, President, LINSU
15. Mr. Augustine Tamba, FLY
16. Mr. Abdulai Kamara, President, Press Union of Liberia
17. Civil Society Network and Organizations
18. The MEDIA

EDITORIAL TEAM

Rodney D. Sieh, Managing Editor, 0886-738-666;

077-936-138, editor@FrontPageAfricaonline.com;
rodney.sieh@FrontPageAfricaonline.com
Samwar S. Fallah, News Desk Chief, 0886-527
541, samwar.fallah@frontpageafricaonline.com
Gboko Stewart, Copy Editor 0886 484974
gboko.stewart@frontpageafricaonline.con
Danesius Marteh, Sports Editor, danesius.
marteh@frontpageafricaonline.com, 0886236528
James-Emmanuel D. Cole, Jr, Graphics Designer
& Layout Editor, echange4life@gmail.com;
0886 211 390, 0777 027 030
Henry Karmo, Reporter, henry.karmo@
frontpageafricaonline.com
Bettie Johnson, Reporter, , / betty.johnson@
frontpageafricaonline.com/0886971922

Al-varney Rogers, Reporter, al.rogers@

frontpageafricaonline.com, 0886-304498
Kennedy L. Yangian, Reporter, kennedy.yangian@
frontpageafricaonline.com 0777296781
A. Macaulay Sombai, Sports Reporter, macaulay.sombai@
FrontpageAfricaonline.com, 077217428
COUNTY NEWS TEAM
Grand Bassa, Alpha Daffae Senkpeni, 0777432042
Bong County, Selma Lomax, selma.lomax@
frontpageafricaonline.com, 0886-484666
BUSINESS/ADVERTISING
Kadi Coleman Porte, 0886-304-178/ 0777832753,
advertise@frontpageafricaonline.com

ALARMING INSECURITY

Friday, September 4, 2015

Page 6 | Frontpage

In Grand Bassa County-One Police To a District

Alpha Daffae Senkpeni, daffae82@gmail.com

Compound Four, Grand Bassa

Countyhe
limitation
of
Liberias
security
sector appears to
be glaring as the
country embraces itself for
life after the United Nations
mission departs the country.
Resolution 2190 of the United
Nations Security Council
signed in 2014 mandates
the Liberian Government
to shoulders the countrys
security responsibilities from
UNMIL by 30 June 2016, and
also suggests a concrete
plan, with timelines and
benchmarks, for building the
security sector and assuming
all security responsibilities of
the country.
But the lack of manpower in
rural communities like District
Four, Grand Bassa County
is casting doubts over the
effectiveness of governments
post-UNMIL plans and how it
will adequately deal with the
countrys security situation.
FrontPageAfrica investigation
has established that theres
one police officer assigned on
Compound Four the districts
provincial capital located just
couple of miles away from two
of the countrys concession
companies: The Liberian
Agricultural Company(District
Three) and the Equatorial
Palm Oil plantation (District
Four).

Mehnpa, Nimba Countys part of efforts

to
complement
Governments Ebola
Recovery
Plan,
Oxfam Liberia has launched
a 1.7 Million United States
dollars Livelihood Program.
The Program which was
launched Monday in Mehnpa,
Saclepea-Mah
District,
Nimba County targets 11,317
beneficiaries from Nimba,
River Gee and Grand Gedeh
Counties.
The Cash for work focuses
on providing incentives to
local farmers in the three
counties, including farming
implements.
It also targets vulnerable
persons in the three counties
with Livelihood Sustainable
Grant of 150 United States
dollars to each beneficiary.
Most of the beneficiaries
include the elderly and
persons with disabilities.
Oxfam
Liberia
Country
Director,
Mamudu
Salifu
said the grant is aimed at

Compound Four Police detail also lacks logistical support

The only assigned LNP officer

in the area, Emmanuel B.
Monseegar is constrained
to recruit young men in the
communities to help enforce
the law. He has setup a policecommunity relationship to
help prevent crime in the
district though theres lack
of logistics. I lack manpower
but I have some community
policing pekin (boys) and they
and I are working together,
he said. Because I am alone I
cannot go up and down thats
why I have my community
policing to be with me.
The total members of the
community
policing
is
unknown while there are
also uncertainty about the
requisite training for these
community policing members
whose Officer Monseegar
heavily relies on to effect

arrest and put situation under

control. The problem is even
further compounded due to
the lack of logistical support.
Theres lack of logistics
like motorbike to go and
arrest; the distances are too
far and even to carry my
report in Buchanan I can
pay almost LD$1,500.00 (for
transportation) just to send
my report, Monseegar told
FPA.
He continued: When the
community people give me
a tip-off about a criminal
situation I dont even have a
motorbike and it is difficult
to get there, so Im talking to
my big people them to help me
with motorbike to do the job.
There are a handful of police
officers on the EPO palm
plantation but they are usually
confined to the plantation to

deal with security situation

in the concession area while
more than 60 towns around
the Compound Four Town
remain vulnerable to security
threat. The presence of one
police officer, some residents
in the district say, may increase
the situation of mob violence
or the district may serve as a
hideout for criminals.
From Kpogblem Clan to
Sekepo Clan in District Four,
there is no police presence,
says a senior district official
who asked not be named. The
situation is very embarrassing
for this district and it is
affecting the district badly
because we would not be
able to calm any situation
promptly once we have one
on our hands, the source said,
adding that theres also no
Drug Enforcement Agencys

officer (DEA) in the district.

We are responsible to
address civil matter but when
crime occurred, the criminal
escape which is a problem,
the source added.
Locals in the area are frustrated
over the low presence of the
Liberian National Police and
the absence of the DEA in
their district. It is a problem
here for us but what we will
do? The government knows
about it but they are not
saying anything so we will
work for our community, said
John W. Zeon, a police aide and
member of the community
policing team.
RIVERCESS ALSO FACES
SECURITY CHALLENGE

Even
before
UNMIL
completely pull out there
is limited manpower and
lack of logistical support
for security forces outside

Monrovia. Rivercess County

has been struggling to deal
with security issues in hardto-reach areas.
Limited man power as well
as the lack of vehicles for the
police is making it difficult for
police to respond to frequent
riots and tension in gold
mining areas in Rivercess
County. UNMIL, in June this
year pulled out of Rivercess
County.
This year the Liberian
government disclosed that
it has a transition plan as
UNMIL leaves the country. The
implementation of the Plan
was set at US$104.848 million
and most of this amount is
expected to be raised by the
government which has now
captured nearly US$96 million
for security while mentioning
that the largest share of
additional support will go
towards UNMIL drawdown.
The strategy stressed the
importance of the government
prioritizing funding for the
countrys security sector
for five years, which means,
allocation in the national
fiscal budget for the next three
to five years should prioritize
the national security of the
country.

Inspector Emmanuel B. Monseegar is the only LNP officer assigned in

the Compound Four area, District Four Grand Bassa County

EBOLA RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

Oxfam Launches $1.7 Million Cash Empowerment Program

Some beneficiaries (elderly) of Oxfam Ebola Recovery Program in Mehnpa, Nimba County

strengthening the capacity of

local farmers, Women Groups
and the vulnerable.

Oxfam-Liberia Country Director, Mamudu Salifu(L) and

Assistant City Mayor of Saclepea, Wallace Zigbuo(R)

According to Mr. Salifu, the

provision of the grant was
also based on an investigation
conducted to determine the
financial position of Liberians
after the Ebola crisis.
Mr. Salifu revealed the
investigation shows that about
70 percent of Liberians could
not afford for themselves and
families due to the pandemic.
He said the money would
assist the beneficiaries pay
children school fees, medical
bills and the establishment of
businesses.
The Program launched by
Oxfam is in two categories,

Conditional and Unconditional

Cash.
The
conditional
involves
farmers growing their own
crops and financially assisted
and provided tools, while
the unconditional stresses
financial assistance for the
vulnerable with no labor.
Providing an update of the
Project, the Program Manager
for Oxfam with oversight
in Nimba, Grand Gedeh
and River Gee Counties,
Dze Ryumukama said nine
thousand one hundred fifty
seven persons will receive
cash for work.

He further disclosed that

two thousand one hundred
fifty vulnerable persons will
receive unconditional cash.
Mr.
Ryumukama
also
explained that fifty three
Women Saving Groups in the
three counties will receive one
thousand five hundred United
States dollars each.
Appearing on Radio Saclepea
before the official launch of
the Program, Mr. Ryumukama
assured beneficiaries that
all will be done by Oxfam to
continue to provide the much
needed assistance to them.
Speaking at the official launch
of the Program, the Assistant
City Mayor of Saclepea City, A.
Wallace Zigbuo Jr. commended
Oxfam for the Initiative in
Nimba County.
Mr.
Zigbuo
noted
the
Project shows that Oxfam
is committed to improve
the living standards of
beneficiaries of the three
counties.
He called on the beneficiaries
to ensure that funds provided
them are used wisely to bring
about positive changes.
The
Assistant
Saclepea
City Mayor said the city
government will collaborate
with beneficiaries to ensure
that such Initiative is sustained
through local efforts.

One of the beneficiaries of

Oxfams Cash Empowerment
Scheme,
Prince
Dangan
expressed gratitude to Oxfam
for the Initiative.
Prince said the cash will help
him greatly in buttressing
his bid to obtain college
education.
Another beneficiary, Linda
Davis praised Oxfam as the
first Organization to bring
such Cash for Work Program,
which she said has greatly
motivated the farmers to grow
their own food.
Linda said the Initiative will
go a long way in empowering
farmers and their respective
families.
The launch of the Program
witnessed the jubilation of
the locals, including women,
the elderly and persons with
disabilities.
Some were seen sharing tears
of joy, as they commanded
Oxfam for the Initiative and
urged other organizations,
including
the
Liberian
government to do likewise
across the country.
The program was attended
by hundreds of the residents,
including
the
county
administration,
amidst
cultural performances.

Friday, September 4, 2015

Monroviaducation, especially
quality one, is an
important tool to
the
growth
and
development of any nation.
Through
education,
the
human resource capacity of
the population of a country is
built and with higher literacy,
the country is bound to
flourish in every aspect due to
the competition amongst its
educated population.
In Liberia, before the outbreak
of the civil war, the Liberia
College, now University of
Liberia was performing well
and considered one of the best
in the West African sub region
it is said to have attracted
dozens of foreign students.
After the civil war, the
education sector took the
downturn with the quality
of teaching low, facilities in
tatters, thereby resulting to
poor output of many students.
When
President
Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf took office in
January 2006, she promised
to
revitalize
educational
facilities and the entire sector.
Said President Sirleaf Yet, we
are humbled and awed by the
enormity of the challenges
that lie ahead to heal our
nations wounds, redefine
and strengthen its purpose,
make democracy a living and
effective experiment, promote
economic growth, create
jobs, revitalize our health
and educational facilities and
services, and quicken the
pace of social progress and
individual prosperity in this
country.
President Sirleaf, the first
female to be democratically
elected President in Liberia
and Africa also promised
education for Liberian girls
when she said, Mrs. Bush and
I share a common passion and
commitment to gender equity
and the education of the girl
child.
During the first six years
of Sirleafs regime, 2006 to
2011, there was one major
achievement in the education
sector-the construction of
the Fendall campus of the
University of Liberia.
In July 2010, the Chinese
completed the construction
of a complex at the Fendall
Campus of the University
which was dedicated on July
10 and the Liberian leader
recognized the importance
of education when she said
I owe my life to education.
It taught me the value of
learning and hard work, and
that life is full of chances.
After
expressing
the
importance of education,
besides the construction
of the Fendall campus of
the University, the state
run institution still lacks
good laboratory for science
students and well equipped
library for research.
The William V.S. Tubman
University in the Maryland
County is now operational
but the University recently
expressed that it needs
increment
in
budgetary
allocation to continue to
provide education for the
people of the south eastern
region.
COMPULSORY EDUCATION
FAILURE
The government of President
Sirleaf introduced a free

EDUCATION

Frontpage

Page 7

EJS-GOVERNMENT RACING AGAINST TIME: KEY PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE

THE LEGACY COUNTDOWN

THE ELLEN JOHNSON-SIRLEAF-LED GOVERNMENT IS RACING AGAINST TIME TO FULFILL A NUMBER OF PROJECT DELIVERABLES IT HOPES WILL LEAVE AN
IMPRINT ON THE LEGACY OF THE RULING UNITY PARTY. FRONTPAGEAFRICA CONTINUES A SPECIAL SERIES LOOKING AT IMPROVING THE EDUCATION SECTOR
WHERE OUTPUT IS SO LOW AND ACTS OF CHEATING ARE CONSTANTLY REPORTED IN HIGH SCHOOLS AND OTHER HIGHER INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING.

EDUCATION MESS

The state run University of Liberia is still struggling to come on par with other African universities as no Liberian University is ranked amongst
top African universities while the performance of Liberian students in the regional West African Examination Council exams remains dismal. In
rural Liberia students sit on sticks or blocks due to lack of chairs and benches; using makeshift structures as school buildings

and compulsory primary

education program which was
intended to get more pupils
into schools.
The program did not yield
any fruitful result as the
government could not ensure
that public schools were up
to the task to have students
enrolled. Instead of increasing
enrollment
the
program
rather led to decrease in
schools enrollment.
The University of Liberia
continued to perform below
standard
and
President
Sirleaf, during one of the
graduation exercises of the
University, described the
educational system in the
country as a mess.
In 2013, over 25,000 high
school students sitting state
university entrance exams
failed and President Sirleaf
blamed the failure on the
messy system.
"The students' failure did not
come from the university, but
rather from the schools that
prepared them. The result
is alarming," said President
Sirleaf. "It tells me that the
educational system is a mess,"
she added.
Despite the public criticism by
the President, there has been
no major improvement in the
education sector.
School enrollment remains
low with many children now
selling on the streets as many
of their parents cannot afford
to send them to school.
According to Ministry of
Education data there is 73%
drop in enrolment between
primary and junior high.
After nearly 10 years in power,
the Ministry of Education
also now reports that 42% of
primary school age children
are not in school and over
20% of young people aged 1524 are illiterate.
Quality of teachings in
Liberian schools is below
standard with majority of

the teachers unqualified. Per

official statistics from the
Ministry of Education, 35%
of primary teachers and 63%
of secondary teachers are untrained. The data states that
only 17% of teachers have a
degree-level qualification.
School facilities in the
various counties are awful
with students sitting on the
floor and others on blocks
due to the lack of chairs and
benches. Many of the schools
in the counties are makeshift
structures built of mat and
sticks which are unusable
during the rainy season.
Liberia has 5,181 schools for
around 1.5 million students
and many schools face
overcrowding, with average
class sizes in Grand Kru
reaching 53 students. Only
39% of primary classrooms in
Liberia are a solid structure.
Heavy rains make some
buildings un-usable during
the
rainy
season,
and
throughout the year children
are often forced to sit on dirty
floors putting their health
at risk. Girls are particularly
negatively impacted by the
lack of latrines, especially
when they reach puberty.
Yet, half of primary schools
have no or a very limited
access to water (using a river
or waiting for repairs). Less
than half of primary schools
have functioning latrines. In
areas where the government
cannot build schools, unregulated private schools are
established to fill the gap.
The performance of Liberian
students in WAEC is low as the
MOE has stated that 27,651
candidates sat the exam
in 2014: 28% from public
schools and 72% from private
schools with only 3,414 or
44% passing in public schools
while 4,305 failed (56%)
passed in private schools.
MALPRACTICES IN SCHOOLS

There continues to be reports

of fraudulent activities in
various schools with sale of
grades to students and other
malpractices common.
In several WAEC exams,
students have been caught
cheating
and
FrontPage
Africa has gathered that
during this year re-sitter
exams administered by WAEC
Liberia, several students
who were in the 12th grade
and could not complete
high school due to the Ebola
outbreak registered and sat
the exams.
These students, according
to
FrontPage
Africas
investigation, registered to
sit the re-sitter exams with
the help of administrators
of these high schools who
provided fake documents
to WAEC for these students.
WAEC Liberia also failed to
investigate whether many of
these students desperately
fighting to leave high school
had earlier sat the exams
before accepting them to resit.
The government of Liberia
announced the closure of
schools
after
reopening
following the outbreak of
Ebola in March claiming that
it wants to put in place the
proper measures to improve

the educational system.

Some of the measures
mentioned include training of
teachers, providing textbooks
for students and others but
since the closure of schools
on July 31, many of what
were mentioned is yet to be
done with schools expected to
reopen on September 7.
With about two years left
for the President Sirleaf led
regime, the education sector
looks to be what it was before
her election if nothing is done
to bring some instant changes.
For the foreseeable future, the
government has earmarked
programs and policies it
hopes will reshape public
perceptions and expectations.
The Ministry of Education says
it is projecting to undertake a
number of projects including
having qualified teachers
with the skills to Improve
Children's Learning Outcomes
to increase the number of
trained teachers: identify
un-qualified teachers on the
payroll and provide competent
teachers with professional
training; and place 1,158
teaching graduates on the
payroll, including a package
of incentives to encourage
teaching in rural areas.
According to Minister George
Werner, the Ministry also

wants to clean payroll and

adapt management structure
to ensure accountability,
and issue biometric cards to
secure teacher payments.
On the infrastructure aspect
of schools, Werner says, the
Ministry intends to construct
new classrooms to ensure all
children can access a local
school and renovate schools
to meet the needs of children,
with a focus on WASH facilities
and boundary walls.
The Ministry Education is
also projecting improvement
in the sector targeting
up to 2020. The MOE has
indicated that it working on
additional special projects
with partners include piloting
and rolling out a School
Feeding
Program
across
public schools to increase
enrolment of students from
disadvantaged backgrounds;
re-starting
the
TOKTEN
program to encourage 100
Liberian nationals working
abroad to return to the
country to take up teaching or
school supervision positions;
supporting nnational Reading
Assessment established and
used, Clean and complete
teacher payroll with more
teachers trained; Core subject
textbooks for all students;
professional and efficient
ECE and TVET programs
developed and rolled-out,
Girls enrolment, retention
and graduation increases and
three Centers of Excellence
are operational.
Minister Werner says the
ministry is also projecting
to the following by 2020
to ensure that all teachers
on the payroll are qualified
and receiving regular inservice training; all children
are learning in safe schools
with furniture, facilities and
learning aids. Also Children
aged 6 are completing quality
pre-school; enrolling in gr;
Young people are in education,
training or work and gender
parity in enrolment, retention
and graduation

Page 8 | Frontpage

Friday, September 4, 2015

Friday, September 4, 2015

Frontpage

Page 9

MEMORIAL SERVICE

A memorial service remembering the life of the late Reverend

Napoleon Nathaniel Brathwaite IIIl will be held on Saturday,
September 12th at the Peaceful Baptist Church in Flahn town
Battery factory, lower New Georgia; at 10:00 o'clock a.m. The
late Reverend Napoleon N. Brathwaite was the Special Assistant
to the Chief medical Officer, Mrs Bernice Dahn. He was also the
Pastor of Peaceful Baptist Church. Reverend Brathwaite was born
on December 25th, 1959 in Gbarnga, Bong County unto the union
of Napoleon Nathaniel Brathwaite and his consort Esther. He died
in his 54th year on September 24th, 2015. He was buried at the
Tinker town cemetery off the Robertsfield highway.

Elections Coordinating Committee

Search for Common Ground Office
16th Street Sinkor, Cheeseman Avenue
Monrovia, Liberia
Tel:+231-6-554-109/+231-6-227-759
Email:eccscretariat2011@gmail.com
www.eccliberia.org

POSITION: COORDINATOR OF SECRETARIAT

LOCATION: Based in Monrovia with field trips in the counties
The Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC), civil society platform for election observation
and electoral reform in Liberia is seeking applications for the position of Coordinator of its
Secretariat. The Secretariat manages the day to day operations of the ECCs elections work
both at National and County level.

Key Responsibilities: The Coordinator will be responsible to perform the following tasks:
To engage civil society partners in the implementation of activities;
To liase with the National Elections Commission on all election related matter;
Work closely with the Executive Committee of the ECC in designing strategy for the
recruitment and training of election observers;
To develop a data-base for all election observers;
To engage political parties and independent candidates on critical national election issues;
To design a strategy for building and improving strategic partnership with key government
institutions at the national level, donors and other civil society actors working on elections
matters;
Develop quarterly workplan to guide the implementation of activities;
Compile monthly narrative report on progress in the implementation of all ECCs election
related work.
Required qualifications and competencies

Applicants must possess at least a bachelor degree in any of the social sciences;

He or she must demonstrate at least 2 years of work in the civil society sector;

He or she must demonstrate skills in writing quality reports;

He or she must show skills in writing press statements;

He or she must demonstrate knowledge in organizing and conducting trainings;

He or she must demonstrate working knowledge in advocacy;

Must be fluent in spoken and written English;

He or she must demonstrate knowledge in the use of Micro soft office;

Ability to work as a team and in a multi-cultural setting.
Deadline for the submission of applications and CVs is September 7, 2015 at 4:00 Pm and
should be addressed to the Chairperson of the ECC, C/O Search for Common Ground, Off
Tubman Boulevard, Vamoma House, Airfield, Sinkor.
Increasing Public Confidence in Liberias Fragile Democracy

Page 10 | Frontpage

LAWSUIT HANGS OVER

EDUCATION MINISTER
E
Monroviaducation
Minister
George Werner could
land in court to justify
the recent closure of
schools if improvements are
not made in the education
system as promised.
Recently, the Ministry of
Education announced the
closure of all schools to
accordingly to make way
for improvements but Janga
Kowo, Secretary General of
the Congress for Democratic
Change has written a letter
questioning the Minister to
announce the improvements
made since schools were
closed.
According to Kowo the action
of the minister led to confusion
and almost resulted to
constitutional crisis between
the legislature and the
executive.
Stated Kowo By and through
your action, a constitutional
crisis nearly ensued between
the National Legislature and
the Executive. The President
announced that the closure of

Monrovia he Cummings Africa

Foundation (CAF), a
foundation founded
by Mr. Alexander B.
Cummings, Jr. and his family,
announced today that it will

schools was on hold until some

consultations. Many, including
the Congress for Democratic
Change (CDC), were of the view
that you would have seized the
opportunity to hold back on
your pronouncement thereby
allowing the academic year as
carved by your predecessor
to run its course. Such a move
would have provided the
opportunity for over Thirty
Thousand
(30,000) 12th
graders to complete their

academic year, sit the National

Examinations and proceed to
college if they so desire.
The CDC official declared
that the minister had an
opportunity to eat his pride
and allow reasoning to
prevail but insisted and has
indeed prevailed at the cost
and expense of hundreds of
thousands of Liberian students
who are already struggling
to cope with an educational
system which is seriously

challenged.
You, as the Honorable
Minister of Education, have
prevailed against the National
Legislature, Liberian students,
Private
Schools
Principal
Association,
parents
and
guardians. You have indeed
portrayed yourself as a
powerful man in Liberia whatever you say about the
education system is not subject
to review, the letter added.

pay the scholarship fees for

one year, for 12 scholarship
recipients who may miss
enrollment in the Coca-Cola
Institute for Innovation at
the African Methodist and
Episcopal University (AMEU),

due to lack of funds.

I am very humbled about the
opportunity for CAF to support
the affected students for a year,
said Mr. Cummings, adding that
it is very important to stand
in the gap for the students to
ensure that they receive the
necessary financial support
to complete their education.
According to Mr. Cummings,
these students are the future
leaders of Liberia and it is
important that we invest in
them to ensure that they, in
turn, also feel vested in Mama

Liberia.
Dr. Dawn Cooper Barnes,
Associate Vice President for
Academic Support Services at
African Methodist Episcopal
University (AMEU), expressed
her delight for the CAF support
to the scholars at the CocaCola Institute for Innovation
at AMEU. We are elated about
the timely CAF scholarship
intervention for our students,
she said, adding, Coca-Cola,
has been very generous in
committing US $5,000 as a
prize to the best research

Friday, September 4, 2015

LOST TIME
The letter further stated that
the Minister did not consider
the lost time to the thousands
of twelfth graders.
Notwithstanding,
every
victory has some costs
associated. Have you calculated
the cost of your victory over
the interest of the students
and everyone else? Have you
considered the implications of
your victory to the nearly thirty
Thousand Twelfth Graders
who are abruptly out of school
and are required to sit and
pass the national examination
in May next year? Have you
calculated lost time while they
wait till May 2016? They have
to wait for nearly a year! Life
is all about time and these
young lives are in abeyance all
because an Education Minister
needed one month to do some
reforms? Thank you for the
reform efforts. However, there
must be some housekeeping as
we move forward, the letter
continued.
The CDC official argues that
the case of the 12th graders
requires immediate actionand the Minister must act now!
He noted This is not one of the
issues that just goes away in
the Liberian way. No, this has
to do with tens of thousands of
your compatriots whose future
lies in your hands. This could
be a generational crisis if not
handled immediately, properly

and with care. You see,

without passing the national
examination and getting the
WAEC certificate, the 30,000
or more students wont
have access to university or
tertiary education as the WAEC
certificate is a prerequisite for
entry into all institutions of
higher learning in Liberia.

project addressing the CocaCola Distribution challenge.

However, the value of CAF
assistance in paying students
tuition, is of greater impact
on the future of these young
people than the US $5000
prize at the end of the research
project.
According to CAF, 12 senior
students
will
receive
scholarships for 1 year. The
total monetary value of the
CAF scholarship support at
the Coca-Cola Institute for
Innovation at AMEU for this

semester is US$5,600. The

students were initially NOCAL
scholars.
The
Cummings
Africa
Foundation aims to be
Liberia and Africas leading
Non
Profit
Organization,
focusing
on
empowering
and uplifting Africans in the
sectors of Education, Health
and Agriculture. The CAF
anticipates making substantial
and sustainable impact in
Liberia.

Right to Legal Proceeding

The CDC Secretary General is
requesting a full report from
the Minister on how many
schools and libraries have
been refurbished or upgraded.
Mr. Minister, we request a full
and comprehensive report to
the Liberian people on how
many school Libraries have
been refurbished or upgraded.
How many school Laboratories
have been sufficiently equipped
for the academic commencing
September 2015. How many
teachers have been trained
for the academic commencing
September 2015? the letter
Kowo warned that the Liberian
stakeholders have the right to
initiate civil legal proceedings
against Education Minister.
We as stakeholders, reserve the
right and option to initiate and
institute civil legal proceedings
against you for the violation of
the education laws of the land
and for endangering the future
of tens of thousands of young
Liberians.

CUMMINGS AFRICA FOUNDATION (CAF) ANNOUNCES

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 12 STUDENTS AT AME UNIVERSITY

Friday, September 4, 2015

FRIENDS OF
BRUMSKINE
GEARING UP L
FOR 2017

ore than a decade ago, a group of Liberians feeling

depressed over the poor governance structure of
the nation decided to find an alternative to take
over the helm of power through democratic
means. This was not an easy task, yet they finally brought
forth a true Liberian, Cllr. Charles Brumskine, a man with a
heart for the people. Weeks later, the group would be known
as the Friends of Brumskine (FOB).
With will and determination and against all odds, and
representing all spectrum of the Liberian society ranging
from slum dwellers, Yanna Boys to meager income earners,
FOB posed a serious challenge to the power that be. It was like
there were only two groups during those years recall Munah
Tarpeh: You were either a member of the FOB or the other
side.
The FOB endured threats, beatings, imprisonments and
clashes with the ATU and other state security units. Siafa
Kpoto, Moivee Dennis, Fatu Kamara and others, including
Reverend Victoria Porte felt the wrath of imprisonment. Yet
still, and in defense of a cause to set the captives free they
continued to the end.
On the political front, the FOB marriage with the Liberian
Unification Party was short lived as some members of that
party were used as instruments to kill the vision of rebuilding,
reconciling and re-engineering Liberia. In spite of all the
political and legal hurdles with the LUP, the FOB became more
determined to move ahead in the democratization process.
Not deterred and still courageous, the FOB finally
metamorphosed into what is today known as the Liberty
Party. But then again, with the broadening of the political
playing field, the Party slowly started to lose its steam coming
third and fourth in two separate national elections.
But that vigor, unwavering conviction and high spirited
enthusiasm which brought the group together is gradually
beginning to resurface. Credited as the first group to introduce
the Jehovah Witness Approach to politics, FOB has seriously
been holding meetings to reposition itself as a viable political
unit in the coming 2017 elections. One advantage the group
enjoys is that it is a makeup of all shades of the political divide;
the bigs and smalls, the haves and have nots.
Windfall- with uncertainty in the political landscape, and
as many are hurting from the ruling style of the Unity Party,
chances are the FOB/Liberty Party could remake itself as
a convinced political alternative to the aspirations of the
Liberian people. Early preparations seem a good start, but
more needs to be done in terms of the re-establishment of cell
groups and reconnection with the Liberian people through
visibility and media outreach.
To do this, the Friends of Brumskine has started discussions
on how to make a meaningful impact in the political landscape,
especially ensuring that Cllr. Charles Brumskine is elected
President comes 2017.

Page 11

LIBERIA WELCOMES UN
SANCTIONS REMOVAL
Frontpage

Monrovia iberia said Wednesday

it welcomes a decision
by the United Nations
Security Council to
terminate sanctions, including
a travel ban and asset freeze
on certain individuals who had
been deemed a danger to the
stability of the country.
In a resolution adopted
Wednesday, the council urged
the
Liberian
government
to take further steps to
combat the illicit trafficking
of arms and ammunition by
implementing an effective legal
framework.
Foreign Minister Augustine
Ngafuan told VOA it has
always been the Liberian
governments position for the
Security Council to periodically
review the sanctions list.

He said Liberia wants all

its citizens and partners to
contribute to the peace and
progress of the nation.
The general government
position to the U.N. has been
that the sanction list, travel
ban and assets freeze list
should not be kept in full, that
relevant information needs to
be evaluated and to the extent
that information will point to
the lifting of sanctions or a ban
on an individual, that the UN
should do so. Liberia wants all
its citizens and partners to be
contributive of the peace and
progress of the nation," he said.
Ngafuan said Liberia will
continue to work with the
United Nations and all partners
to ensure that the countrys
peace and security are not
jeopardized going forward.

But he said its not the Liberian

governments policy to push
for assets freeze or travel ban,
particularly in a case where an
individual or individuals are
no longer a threat to the peace
and stability of the country.
In
Wednesdays
Security
Council Resolution 2237, the
U.N. body said: The individuals
and entities on the 1521
Sanctions list immediately
prior to the adoption of 2237
(2015) are no longer subject to
travel and financial measures
set forth in paragraph 4 of
resolution 1521 (2003) and
paragraph 1 of resolution
1532 (2004) and their names
have been removed from the
Consolidated United Nations
Security Council Sanctions
List.
In July 2012, the council

delisted 17 aides of former

Liberian president Charles
Taylor at the request of the
Liberian government, ending
nine years of isolation for
those it is believed contributed
to atrocities during Liberias
civil war or those who watched
and did nothing. Among those
taken off the sanctions list in
2012 were three of Taylors
wives or former wives -- Agnes
Reeves Taylor, Tupee Taylor
and Jewel Howard Taylor.
In 2014, businessman Benoni
Urey, currently a candidate for
the 2017 Liberian presidential
elections, was also removed
from the list.
But Urey of the All Liberian
Party (ALP), who served as
head of the countrys lucrative
Bureau of Maritime Affairs
during the Taylor presidency,
told VOA last month hes
still under U.S. Treasury
Department sanctions.
He said he has written the U.S.
government to remove the
ban since it was based on U.N.
sanctions that have now been
lifted.
Foreign Minister Ngafuan
said while all countries,
including the United States,
have their own policies and
requirements, Liberia has met
with and told U.S. officials that
things like sanctions and assets
freezes and travel bans need to
be reviewed regularly based on
their own information.
What we say is that it is not
helpful to keep these things
stuck in history and not
review them because people
can transition. So we say that
if someone has transitioned
in attitude from negative to
positive, action should be
taken to reflect that transition,
Ngafuan said

arms and drugs smuggling as

well as other illicit activities.
The Customs Commissioner
urged the border team to
cooperate with the customs
officers assigned at the border
in the execution of their duties
to collect the legitimate revenue
due the government, noting
that customs alone accounts
for 40% of the over US$622
million fiscal budget for
2015/16. He emphasized that
this revenue must be generated
at Free Port, Loguatuo, Jorwah,
Mendicorma,
Ganta,
BoWaterside, Robertsfield and
other borders of our country.
Commissioner Saamoi said,
if revenue is not raised,
government would not meet
its target of improving the
schools, roads, hospitals or
even paying civil servants.
For his part, Domestic Tax

Commissioner
Darlingston
Talery called for patriotism in
building Liberia. This country
belongs to us, and we, not
Ghanaians and Malians, must
build it, and we can do so by
paying our personal income
real estate and business
income taxes, etc.
He added that when people
pay their real estate taxes they
empower the government to
undertake more development.
Commissioner
Talery
commended businesses and
Liberians across the counties
for paying their taxes even
during the heat of the Ebola
crisis and called on them to
continue in good faith.
Commissioner Saamoi and the
Commissioner of Domestic Tax
Darlingston Talery were jointly
leading an LRA delegation
to Margibi, Bong and Nimba
Counties to sensitize citizens
and the business community
on paying their taxes and
customs duties.
The Assistant Commissioner
of Customs Ports Operations
Edwin F. Kendema and
the Acting Manager for
Collectorate Tax Section, Bob
N. Johnson accompanied the
commissioners on the tour.

LRA PROMOTING STRONGER BORDER MANAGEMENT REGIME

Monroviahe Liberia Revenue

Authority
(LRA)
wants
stronger
security
and
customs border regime at the
countrys various borders
and ports of entry to enhance
national security and revenue
generation.
The Commissioner of Customs
at the LRA Saa Saamoi says
an
effective
coordination
in border management is
very cardinal to the security,
economy and development of
the Liberian state.
He called on the border
management team to work in
harmony against contrabands,
arms and drugs smuggling,
and other illegal activities that
endanger the lives of citizens
and undermine the security of
the state.
Speaking recently at the
Liberian-Ivorian border in
Loguatuo, Nimba County,
Commissioner Saamoi said,
You are the eyes of the
Liberian people to control
what enters and gets out of
our country, and in raising
revenue to support national
development,. Addressing a
meeting of customs officers

and
the
joint
security
at the Loguatuo Border,
Commissioner Saamoi said in
the absence of coordination
and
cooperation,
those
assigned at the borders of the
country would disappoint the
Liberian people when they
respectively fail to scrutinize
what or who enters or leaves
the country.
He said, though the two
lead agencies in border
management are Customs for
taxes and Immigration for
passengers, all other security
agencies including the police,
national security agency and
the drug Enforcement Agency
have also important roles to
play in protecting the state.
He said when they work as a
professional team of people,
they will detect and abort
illegal border trade such as

Page 12 | Frontpage

Monrovia (AFP) he World Health

Organization said on
Thursday that Ebolaravaged Liberia was
once again free of the deadly
virus,
prompting
muted
celebrations in the capital
Monrovia.
The west African nation, where
thousands died at the height
of the epidemic last year, has
already been declared Ebolafree once before, in May, only
to see the fever resurface six
weeks later.
"WHO declares Liberia free of
Ebola virus transmission in
the human population," the
UN health agency said in a
statement.
It hailed Liberia's "successful
response" to the recent reemergence of Ebola, when
six people were infected,
including two who died.
"Liberia's ability to effectively
respond to the outbreak of
Ebola virus disease is due to
intensified vigilance and rapid
response by the government
and multiple partners," WHO
said.
Liberia was long the hardest
hit in the west African Ebola
outbreak that began in
December 2013 and which
infected more than 28,000
people and claimed more than
11,000 lives mainly in Liberia,
Guinea, and Sierra Leone.
More than 10,500 of those
infections and 4,800 of the
deaths occurred in Liberia.
Radio
and
television
lunchtime bulletins carrying
the development were greeted
with muted celebration in
Monrovia, a chaotic city of a
million people where bodies

LIBERIA
DECLARED
FREE OF EBOLA SPREAD -- AGAIN: WHO
Friday, September 4, 2015

piled up the streets at the

outbreak's peak from August
to December.
- 'Happy, and worried' "I am happy, very happy to

hear that pronouncement by

the WHO but this is not the
first time. So I am happy -- and
worried," said motorist Mary
Grants, 56.

"I am worried because the

experts told us that there will
always be some re-occurrence
of this virus, though it may not
be like the first."

Ebola is spread among

humans via the bodily fluids of
recently deceased victims and
carriers showing symptoms,
including vomiting, diarrhoea

WE DONT WANT RE-EMERGENCE OF EBOLALIBERIANS SPEAK ON WHO DECLARATION

Bettie K. Johnson/ betty.johnson@frontpageafricaonline.com

Monroviaeveral Liberians have

commended the World
Health Organization
for declaring Liberia
Ebola free.
On September 3, the WHO
declared Liberia free of Ebola
virus transmission in the

human population. Forty-two

days have passed since the
second negative test on 22 July
2015 of the last laboratoryconfirmed case. Liberia now
enters a 90-day period of
heightened surveillance.
Ciatta Beyslow, Management
student UMU said she

was overwhelmed by the

declaration but cautioned
that she fears that if people
move away from good health
practices the virus could
remerge. Today, I am happy
that we are declared free, but
what is the Government doing
that we wouldnt have this

virus again.
She continued: Also we
Liberians need to stay away
from those things that will
allow the virus to return.
Alpha Jlatu cautioned that
the Government should put
in measures so the countrys
health system would not be

seen as a mess and broken to

the international community.
All I can say is thanks to all
Liberians...
According to the World
Health Organization, Liberias
ability to effectively respond
to the outbreak of Ebola
virus disease is due to the
intensified vigilance and rapid
response by the government
and
multiple
partners.
Transmission
had
been
declared over previously on
9 May 2015, but the disease
re-emerged on 29 June and
6 additional cases were
identified.
On 29 June 2015, midway
through the first 90-day
period, a routine post-mortem
swab taken from a 17-year old
male, who died on 28 June,
tested positive for Ebola virus
disease. Upon confirmation of
this positive case, a specialized
team
was
immediately
dispatched and undertook a
detailed investigation.
Under the leadership of
the
Liberia
Government
authorities,
an
effective
response was rapidly initiated
to contain the new outbreak.
Members of the community
were engaged and effectively
contributed to contact tracing
and social mobilization.
International
partners
supported the government
in areas such as technical
assistance,
provision
of
personnel, food, supplies and

and -- in the worst cases -massive internal and external

bleeding.
A country is considered
free of human-to-human
transmission once two 21day incubation periods have
passed since the last known
case tested negative for a
second time.
But experts warn that even
after 42 days the danger is not
over, considering that some
Ebola cases are still surfacing
in neighbouring Guinea and
Sierra Leone.
The Ebola virus has been found
lingering in the semen of male
survivors many months after
they test negative.
Francis Karteh, of Liberia's
Ebola
management
department,
warned
that while the Ebola-free
announcement was a cause
for celebration, complacency
could not be allowed to creep
in and the fight against the
virus was "not yet over".
"As long as there is one person
with Ebola in our region Ebola
is still a threat," he told AFP.
"The Ministry of Health and
its partners will continue
monitoring Liberia's borders
and rebuilding the healthcare
system
to
assure
that
Liberians remain safe."
equipment. Ultimately, an
additional 5 cases arose out
of this re-emergence of the
disease in Liberia. Out of 6
cases, there were 2 deaths.
There were no infections or
deaths among health-care
workers.
Meanwhile, WHO commends
the Government of Liberia and
its people on the successful
response to this recent reemergence.
But Moses Swaray has
questioned the WHO and
Ministry of Health on the
whereabouts of the case, At
first we knew where the case
came from, but since this
outbreak, no health people
can tell us where the virus
came from.
Up till today, the case source
remains
unknown.
The
professed strong surveillance
network of the Ministry of
Health has been unable to
identify any clue since the
death of patient zero on June
27, 2015.
Recently Liberia was officially
declared Ebola free on
May 9 by the World Health
organization with assurances
from officials of the Ministry
of Health that the right system
has now been put in place
to quickly detect any new
emergence of the killer virus.
More than 11,000 people
have died of the disease since
December 2013, the vast
majority of them in Liberia,
Guinea and Sierra Leone. But
it has all turned out to be a
hectic task for the country as
the source of the virus which
was confirmed positive in the
specimen of a 17 year old boy
who died before his status was
known remains unknown.

Friday, September 4, 2015

"THE ILLICIT FLOW OF FUNDS

MOVES THOUSANDS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
AFRICA" - THABO MBEKI

Sports

Frontpage

Page 13

Mbeki is now head of the High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial

Flows From Africa created by the United Nations Economic
Commission for Africa and the African Union,

LUANDA, Angola,
he
continent
of
Africa loses over 50
thousand
million
dollars each year as
a result of the illicit flow of
funds, former president of
South Africa Thabo Mbeki told
the meeting of the Group of
African Governors affiliated
with the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund,
known as the African Caucus.
"Africa faces the great
challenge of large volumes of
capital leaving the continent
illicitly money that our
continent needs to address the
challenges of development.
We, as Africans, have an
absolute obligation to act on
this to ensure that the rest
of the world (the destination
of these illicit movements of
funds), by acting together,
will help stop this drain of
resources which belong to the
continent that needs them so
badly," said Thabo Mbeki.
Mbeki is now head of the HighLevel Panel on Illicit Financial
Flows From Africa created by
the United Nations Economic
Commission for Africa and
the African Union, which did
exemplary work and analysed
the magnitude of the problem
on the continent, producing
a report now known as the
"Mbeki Report".
The former President of South
Africa maintains that it is
possible to put an end to these
issues with proper monitoring

of the transactions of large

commercial
companies.
Moreover, he points out
that in order to combat this
phenomenon
interventions
are needed from institutions
such as tax authorities,
customs,
central
banks,
financial intelligence units for
combating money laundering,
audit and anti-corruption
authorities and the police.
It is clear to Thabo Mbeki
that there is also a need for
appropriate legislation to give
these institutions the mandate
they need to cooperate in the
fight against illicit capital
outflows and so that countries
can also cooperate at the
regional level, given that some
of these outflows move across
shared borders.
"Our governments lose large
amounts of revenue owed to
the state due to the unlawful
outflow of significant capital
that we need for development,"
he pointed out.
Thabo Mbeki says that it is
imperative to build the global
architecture required for a
focussed offensive to put an
end to these illicit outflows,
within the framework of UN
processes, in order to avoid
a piecemeal approach to
the problem and to enable
supervision by an appropriate
UN body.
Distributed by APO (African
Press Organization) on behalf
of the Ministry of Finance of
Angola.

the leadership of the Press

Union and the hierarchy of
Police to discuss the strain
relationship between the LNP
and the media.
In recent times, the Press
Union of Liberia has protested
the flogging of four journalists
in Monrovia and Kakata, while
discharging their normal

LONESTAR FIRST CHOICE GOALIE

DOUBTFUL FOR TUNISIA CLASH
A. Macaulay Sombai, sombaifrontpageafricaonline. Com 0777217428

Monroviahe national football

team of Liberia the
Lone Star could be
without its number
one goalie Nathaniel Sherman
due to head injuries. The
keeper inadvertently barge
into the glass door of the
Executive Lodge Hotel hosting
the team, thereby injuring his
eyes.
Head coach, James Salinsa

Debbah, seen in a somber

mood at the John F. Kennedy
Hospital on Thursday, voiced
that Shermans condition is
not very critical as speculated
and he believes the player
could make a speedy recovery.
According
to
Debbah,
Shermans chances of playing
in the game tomorrow are at
fifty percent.
The Goalkeeper is presently
undergoing medical treatment

Goalkeeper Sherman left in Lone Star lineup against Lesotho

PUL, POLICE HOLDS TALK

Monroviahe Press Union of

Liberia
and
the
Liberia
National
Police (LNP) have
held meeting in Monrovia
aimed at resolving unprovoked
attacks on journalists in the
country.
The meeting brought together

at the JFK Hospital in Sinkor

and, according to report, he is
responding well to treatment.
Says Debbah: We are waiting
on the final report from the
hospital authority so that we
will be able to really know
his final status. I pray that
Shermans injury will not
cause any serious harm to his
football career.
Lone Star Assistant Coach
Thomas Kojo explained that

reportorial duties.
During the meeting, the both
parties agreed on holding
national dialogue that will
bring together police and
media practitioners to discuss
the scope of their works and
craft ideas that will improve
Police-media
relationship.
The Leadership of the PUL

formally presented a letter of

complaint asking the Police
to investigate the reported
flogging of four journalists last
month.
Receiving the complaint,
Deputy Police Chief for
Administration, James Mulbah
urged
the
Professional
Standards Division of the

LNP to speedily investigate

the manhandling of the
journalists.
The Police is working to
protect the public and must
not be seen as violating the
rights of members of that
same public, Col. Mulbah
said, urging the Professional
Standard Division to report its
findings in one week.
Speaking earlier, Press Union
of Liberia Acting President
Jallah Grayfield re-echoed the

Shermans injury happened

mistakenly and that they all
were very surprised but prays
that he will recover as soon as
possible.
The player is right now at
the JFK Hospital and we are
waiting on the doctor to
complete the X-Ray so that
the hospital would tell us the
detail of his health status,
said Kojo.
Kojo called on Liberians to
keep Sherman in their prayers.
To all Liberians, please
keep Sherman in all of your
prayers so hopefully if he is
to go through surgery that
by the grace and power of
the Almighty God that he can
come out successfully.
Sherman is one of the
experienced
goalkeepers
in Liberia and he currently
plays for the Barrack Young
Controllers (BYC). He rose to
popularity during his days
with Roots FC four years ago.
Head Coach Debbah was
expected to announce the final
squad for Saturdays match
against Tunisia on yesterday
but could not do so due to the
injury goalkeeper Sherman
sustained. He is expected to
do so today.
PULs earlier position that
journalists are not whipping
dogs and asked the police to be
true to its words to investigate
the recent flogging of the four
journalists.
Mr. Grayfield welcomed the
continuation of dialogues
between the media and
security institutions, in the
hope that it could lead to
improvement in relations
between the media and
security services.

Page 14 | Frontpage

PAGE

RONT

WORLD NEWS

Friday, September 4, 2015

TRUMP SIGNS PLEDGE TO BACK

GOP'S 2016 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE
EXCLUSIVE: FORMER CLINTON AIDE HAS
REBUFFED FBI AND STATE DEPARTMENT
INVESTIGATORS IN EMAIL PROBE

he former aide to Hillary Clinton who helped set up

and maintain her private email server has declined
to talk to the FBI and the State Department inspector
generals office, as well as a congressional committee,
invoking his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself,
sources familiar with the investigation confirmed to Yahoo
News.
The move by Bryan Pagliano, who served on Clintons 2008
campaign and later as a technology officer in the State
Department, to decline to cooperate in two federal probes
considerably raises the stakes in the Clinton email investigation,
the sources said. It confronts the Justice Department with a
decision about whether to grant him immunity in exchange
for his testimony a move that could be taken only were the
department to escalate the probe into a full-scale criminal
investigation, the sources said.
Paglianos decision this week to decline to testify before a
congressional committee investigating the death of the U.S.
ambassador in Benghazi was first reported Wednesday night
by the Washington Post. But Paglianos earlier rebuffs to federal
investigators, including the FBI, have not been previously
reported.
Pagliano, who maintained the private email server in the
basement of Bill and Hillary Clintons home in Chappaqua, N.Y.,
was first contacted by the State Department inspector generals
office in June, the sources said. The inspector general was at
that point in the early stages of its investigation into Clintons
use of a private email server to conduct official business.
But Pagliano a potential key figure in the probe declined
to speak to the inspector generals investigators, informing
them through his Washington lawyer, Mark MacDougall, that
he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right, the sources said.
Then, in late July, the State Department inspector general and
the inspector general for the director of national intelligence
referred the matter to the FBI counterintelligence division to
determine if classified information was mishandled through
the use of the private email server after finding evidence
that classified information was communicated on emails
sent through the server. But officials stressed at that time
that the inquiry was an intelligence probe and not a criminal
investigation.

SOMALIA ATTACK: AL-SHABAB

WASHINGTON (AP)
residential candidate
Donald Trump ruled
out the prospect of
a third-party White
House bid Thursday and vowed
to support the Republican
Party's nominee whoever it
may be.
The billionaire businessman
announced his decision in
a raucous news conference
at Trump Tower, the goldhued skyscraper in midtown
Manhattan where he launched
his surging and front-running
campaign for president.
"I have signed the pledge,"
Trump said, adding that he
intends to win the nomination
himself and face whoever the
Democrats nominate.
"So, I will be totally pledging my
allegiance to the Republican
Party and the conservative
principles for which it stands,
and we will go out and we will
fight hard and we will win," he

said.
Trump's decision comes weeks
after he roiled the race for
the GOP nomination when, in
response to the first question
at the opening debate of the
2016 campaign, he refused to
promise to back the party's
nominee if he fell short.
He was intensely lobbied
by
Republican
National
Committee
leaders,
who
have struggled to rein in
the unpredictable former
reality television star. Trump
announced his decision shortly
after meeting privately with
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who
angrily challenged Trump at
the debate, took credit for what
he termed the billionaire's
"capitulation."
"I spent the last few weeks
making sure people knew
it was not acceptable to
potentially throw the next
election to Hillary," Paul

wrote on Twitter, referring

to Democratic front-runner
Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The decision puts an end
for now to the nervousness
felt inside the GOP about the
prospect of Trump holding firm
and keeping his options open.
At the debate, he said that gave
him "a lot of leverage."
The pledge is not legally
binding. Trump could always
change his mind, particularly
if GOP establishment leaders
take aggressive steps to thwart
his candidacy in the coming
months.
"I see no circumstances under
which I would tear up that
pledge," Trump said Thursday.
If not for Trump, the need for
such a loyalty oath probably
would not exist. There were
no doubts about the intentions
of the GOP's other major
presidential
contenders
headed into the debate, and
they quickly lined up Thursday

TRAGIC IMAGE OF DROWNED SYRIAN TODDLER

HIGHLIGHTS HUMAN COST OF REFUGEE CRISIS

ATTACKS AFRICAN UNION JANALE BASE

ighters from the al-Shabab militant Islamist group have

overrun an African Union military base in southern
Somalia, inflicting heavy casualties, witnesses have
told the BBC.
The militants said they have killed 70 AU soldiers at the Janale
base, 90km (55 miles) south-east of the capital.
AU forces say they are back in control after taking a "tactical
withdrawal".
Al-Shabab, part of al-Qaeda, is battling the AU-backed
government for control of Somalia.
Residents said the attack started with a suicide car bombing
at the base's gate, followed by sustained gunfire which lasted
more than an hour.
They told the BBC Somali service that AU forces were seen
leaving the base, which is run by the Ugandan troops.
They said they counted the bodies of 20 AU soldiers and later
they saw more troops arriving at the base after the militants
had left with weapons.
The AU mission in Somalia (Amisom) says the situation is
complex and it does not yet have casualty figures.
The BBC's Mohamed Mualimu in the capital, Mogadishu, says
the situation in the area is very tense and few residents remain
there.

is name was Aylan.

Images of a drowned Syrian boys
body washed ashore on a Turkish
beach caught the worlds attention
Wednesday and highlighted the tragic plight
of thousands of migrants who are fleeing the
war-torn region, and the brutality of Islamic
terrorists, to seek safety and asylum.
Three-year-old Aylan Kurdi was one of at least
12 Syrians who drowned trying to reach the
Greek island of Kos.
The distressing pictures show Aylan, wearing a
red T-shirt and blue shorts, lying face-down in
the sand in Bodrum, a popular resort city, before
a Turkish police officer carries his body away.
The images quickly spread across the Internet
under the hashtag #KiyiyaVuranInsanlik,

which means humanity washed ashore,

drawing renewed attention to the humanitarian
crisis in Syria.
Words and numbers only go so far and often the
world needs something so out of the ordinary
[of our] experience and so jarring to the senses
to force it to engage, Rob Simpson, a British
humanitarian worker in Yemen (temporarily in
Jordan), said to Yahoo News. Yes, the picture
is horrific, but the story it tells is even more so;
one tragedy really amplifies the other. The only
thing I hope is that the debate around whether
it was right or wrong to broadcast this to the
world does not overshadow and outweigh the
real debate lying underneath: How a child can
die this way.
The widely shared image triggered intense

to sign.
"The RNC clearly felt it had to
box Trump into a decision,"
said Doug Watts, a spokesman
for fellow candidate and
retired surgeon Ben Carson.
"We just sort of shrugged our
shoulders, and that's the end
of that."
A third-party bid by Trump
could harm the GOP's efforts
to take back the White House
after eight years of Democratic
President Barack Obama. He
leads the Republican field in
what are still very early polls.
RNC officials had been working
with Trump's campaign to
avoid such a scenario. In
recent days, Trump hinted
the lobbying was beginning to
work. "I think a lot of people
are going to be very happy," he
said Saturday in Tennessee.
The RNC's pledge asks
candidates to promise to
"endorse the 2016 Republican
presidential
nominee
regardless of who it is."
Further, it asks them to pledge
"that I will not seek to run as
an independent or write-in
candidate, nor will I seek or
accept the nomination for
president of any other party."
"It is, more than anything,
your word," former technology
executive Carly Fiorina said
Thursday on CNN's "New
Day." ''And I would presume
that somebody running for
president would like to signal
to the American people, and
most especially right now to
Republican primary voters,
that their word can be trusted."
emotions and left many who
saw it seeking ways to take
action to help those displaced
by Syria's civil war, including
Claire Nelson, a Glasgow-based
businesswoman who took
to Twitter after she saw the
pictures.
I stared at this picture this
morning, really stared, and
then I sobbed. Deeply and
desperately sobbed. I sobbed
for this child, his mother, his
father and siblings. I sobbed
for the others like him that we
have seen washed ashore like
litter on the beach, she said in
an email to Yahoo News.
Im not entirely sure what I can
do to help this situation, she
continued. But I do know that
I cannot sit back and pretend
that this isnt happening. [I
can't pretend] that that boy
washed up on the shore wasnt
once a carefree happy child
like one of my own, that there
arent desperate parents trying
to fight for and protect their
children at our shores and
borders. I will look and see and
feel because someone has
to.
British Prime Minister David
Cameron was widely criticized
for saying that the answer to
the refugee crisis was bringing
stability to the Middle East
rather than accepting migrants
into the United Kingdom, which
has provided a safe haven
for fewer refugees than any
other European country. The
comments became particularly
divisive hours later when the
images of Aylan appeared.

Friday, September 4, 2015

Frontpage

Sports

LIBERIA VS TUNISIA: TWO WINS, TWO

DRAWS AND FOUR DEFEATS FOR THE HOSTS

Page 15

SPORTS

CHELSEA AGREE 4M
DEAL FOR HECTOR

A MAKE OR BREAK T

ENCOUNTER
Who will win Saturdays crunch 2017 Afcon qualifiers at the ATS?
Danesius Marteh, danesius.marteh@frontpageafricaonline.com

since the league started on

August 15.
Addressing a news conference
at the LFA headquarters and
flanked by Sebwe on August
29, Debbah bemoaned the
limited time he has to work
with his squad.
Tunisia
coach
Henryk
Kasperczak,
who
picked
eight players from Etoile du
Sahel due to the clubs fine
form in the Caf Confederation
and Tunisian Cups, arrived
yesterday with his 26-man
squad.
It remains largely unchanged
from the 8-1 mauling of
Djibouti in Tunis on June 13
with hat-trick hero Yasine
Chikhaoui of FC Zurich in
Switzerland among the stars.
In eight meetings, Liberia have
won two, drawn two and lost
four matches respectively.
In their last meeting in Tunis
on December 30, 2001, Liberia
lost 7-2 in an international
friendly ahead of the 2002
Africa Cup of Nations finals in
Bamako, Mali.
Liberia did win her last home
encounter, 2-0 in a 2000 Africa
Cup of Nations qualifier at the
Samuel Kanyon Doe sports
complex in Paynesville on June
20, 1999.
Probable line-ups

Saylee Swen (standing) is poised to start in goal on Saturday

iberia will take on

Tunisia tomorrow in
a make or break 2017
Africa Cup of Nations
qualifier at the Antoinette
Tubman Stadium (ATS), which
has been undergoing its fifth
renovation in two years, since
March.
Stadium workers were eagerly
putting finishing touches
together when our reporter
toured the facility yesterday
but it is highly unlikely the job
will be done by kick-off time at
16:00GMT (4:00PM local time)
unless 10,000 workers are
recruited.
Twenty-six players have been
training under the watchful
eyes of coach James Salinsa
Debbah and his technical staff
that includes deputy coach
Kelvin Sebwe, trainer Joe
Armstrong Nagbe, under-23
head coach Thomas Kojo and
goalkeeper coach Lucretius
Togba.
There were no places for
striker
Edward
Junior
Wilson of Felda United in the
Malaysian Super League and
midfielders Amadaiya Rennie
of SK Brann in the Norwegian
First Division, Theo Weeks
of Ermis Aradippou in the
Cypriot First Division and Abel

Gebor of KS Trbuni Puk in

the Albanian Superliga, who
were in Lom for the 2-1 defeat
to Togo on June 14.
Nathaniel Sherman, who has
been the undisputed number
one goalie, is ruled out of
tomorrows tie.
The Barrack Young Controller
(BYC) shot stopper sustained
serious facial injury, having
crashed into a transparent
glass door at the teams

Executive
Lodge while communicating
on the cell phone.
According to Liberia Football
Association (LFA) sources,
Sherman was admitted at the
John F. Kennedy memorial
medical center Thursday.
Spain-based striker William
Jebor did not train after he
bumped into BYC defender
Alpha James during Tuesdays
warm-up
match
but

participated in yesterdays
session.
Debbah must do without
towering defender Omega
Roberts of FK Donji Srem in
the Serbian Prva Liga (second
division), who declined to
honor the invitation at the
eleventh hour.
Roberts is yet to make his
debut for Srem, who are 11th
placed on the 16-team log with
three points after three draws

The Tunisians arrived yesterday at the RIA

Liberia: Saylee Swen, Solomon

Grimes, Gizzie Dorbor, Dirkir
Glay, Teah Dennis, Sekou
Jabateh-Oliseh,
Patrick
Gerhardt,
Zah
Kranger,
Anthony Laffor, Grandpa Doe
and William Jerbo.
Tunisia: Moez Ben Cherifia,
Syam Habib Ben Youssef,
Hamza Aguerebi, Mohammed
Ali Yakoubi, Ali Maaloul,
Yasine Chikhaoui, Ferjani
Sassi, Chaker Regeui, Yoann
Touzghar, Wahbi Khazri and
Saber Khalifa.

he Blues are close

to
completing
a shock deal
for the Reading
defender with deadlineday hopes of landing
marquee target John
Stones looking all but lost
Chelsea have agreed a
4m deal for Reading
defender Michael Hector,
Goal understands.
Hectors representatives
are currently discussing
personal terms in west
London ahead of a shock
deadline day move to
the
Premier
League
champions.

BERAHINO SLAMS WEST BROM

OVER FAILED TOTTENHAM MOVE:
I'LL NEVER PLAY FOR THEM AGAIN

he
22-year-old
was the subject
of multiple bids
from the White
Hart Lane outfit and saw a
transfer request rejected
and has now hit out at
Baggies chairman Jeremy
Pearce
Saido Berahino says he
will never play for West
Brom again following their
refusal to accept a bid from
Tottenham.
The 22-year-old has seen a
transfer requested turned
down by the Baggies as
the striker looked to force
through a move to White
Hart Lane after two bids,
understood to be worth
18 million and 22m were
rejected.

ANTONIO, SONG, MOSES AND JELAVIC

JOIN WEST HAM ON DEADLINE DAY

est
Ham
have
signed
Nottingham
Forest winger
Michail Antonio and Hull
striker Nikica Jelavic and
completed loan deals for
Barcelona midfielder Alex
Song and Chelsea winger
Victor Moses.
Antonio, 25, has moved to the
Hammers for an undisclosed
fee, reported to be 7m, while
30-year-old Jelavic moves in a
transfer worth about 3m.
Song, 27, and Moses, 24, have
joined the club on season-long
loan deals.
Antonio has signed a four-year
deal with a further two-year
option.

FrontPage
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015

VOL 9 NO.134

A MAKE OR BREAK

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LIBERIA VS TUNISIA: TWO WINS, TWO DRAWS AND FOUR DEFEATS FOR THE HOSTS

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