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Liberian Diplomat Speaks On Ellen’s First Term

2012-01-07T07:32:00.000-08:00

…Pays Special Tribute; Calls for Collective Support

( Monrovia, January 5, 2012):The Political Counsellor at the Embassy of Liberia in France, Mr. Josephus Moses Gray has disclosed that President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s first term in Office is characterized with illustrious achievements both on the domestic and international fronts.

Speaking at an Intellectual Forum Thursday in Sinkor, the Liberian diplomat said it is undisputable fact that the President during her first term in office has made sparkly progress in the creation of an unique system and structure that brought benefit to all Liberians.

According to Mr. Gray, some of the critical areas of major achievements of President Johnson-Sirleaf first term include stability, peace and security, Free Speech& Press Freedom, restoration of basic social services and respect for civil liberties.

The Liberian diplomat also identified construction and rehabilitation of road & bridges, gains in the Foreign Service, fight against corruption, mass improvement in the educational and health sectors, upholding freedom of speech, press freedom and rule of law and justice.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gray has disclosed that Liberia has won back its reputation and regained its lost image through the instrumentality of President Johnson Sirleaf’s dynamic leadership and constructive diplomatic engagements across the world.

He said Liberians travelling abroad can proudly present their passports at any port of entrance in the world and be given a positive reception without being discriminated against.

Commenting on achievements on the domestic front, the Liberian diplomat named the pavement of the main streets in all parts of Monrovia and the famous Robertsfield – Monrovia Highway, Belle Yallah Road, Cotton Tree-Buchanan road, the newly constructed Vai Town Bridge, George Walker Bush Bridge in Barclayville and the rehabilitation several major and feeder roads across the country.

On in the health sector, Mr. Gray said President Johnson-Sirleaf first term witnessed the visible achievements including the Telewoyan Hospital in Voinjama, the Jackson Fiah Doe Referral Hospital in Tappita, and the rehabilitation of Japanese-Liberia Friendship Maternity.

The President also scored high marks in the construction of hundreds of schools across the country and managed to expand secondary school system to accommodate large student population as they move through elementary to high school and then to college, with a free and compulsory primary education policy.

The government also succeeded in reforming the educational system and continues to provide a safe and healthy learning environment, including adequate furnishing and instructional materials for all schools.

Today, he said public schools became cheapest to attend while there is an exodus of teachers from private to public schools owing to attractive salaries in the public schools.

On basic social services, the President succeeded in restoring electricity, water and waste disposal to parts of Monrovia for the first time in decades.

Commenting on gains in the Foreign Service, President Johnson-Sirleaf succeeded in reestablishing Liberia’s lost image and maintained over twenty-six diplomatic missions abroad across Africa, Asia, Meddle East, Europe and America.

Under the Sirleaf’s first term in office, the nation won back its reputation, and regained its financial independence, while the President’s commitment continues to play a major role in the focus of the nation’s foreign policy and international relations.

He further added that during the first term of President Sirleaf, Liberia became the first country in West Africa to pass a Freedom of Information Act, while Liberia can boost of the establishment of over thirty newspapers and about 45 mainstream and community radio stations across the country, a press release circulated by the Liberian diplomat said.

Radio Harper Goes Off In Maryland

2012-01-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

….County Authorities Concerned; Manager Points to Damaged Transmitter

The Office of the Superintendent of Maryland County has blamed the continuous closure of the Harper Community Radio Station on the lack of interest shown by stakeholders.

Trainer Bill Jarkloh standing infront of the Harper City Hall in Cape Palmas

The comment by the Office of the Superintendent was a response to inquiries by a team of community radio trainers of the Liberia Media Center (LMC). The LMC trainers visited the county late November but found that the station has been closed since March 2011 due to transmitter deficiency.

But the Administrative Assistant to the County Superintendent, Daniel Williams, reasons that the station has been off the air because neglect as it is not usually considered in the allocation of development funds of the County. He spoke with me in Harper City, Maryland County.

Mr. Williams said Radio Harper is an important tool in stimulating development and social works in the county, appealing to the County authorities and people of the County to considered apportioning part of the Development funds of the county for the benefit of the Station.

Alphonso Wright is an official of Radio Harper. Here he interviews a resident at the General Market in Harper

The Harper Community Radio operates a 350 watts transmitter that covers the entire county, but since the transmitter developed problem last march it is yet to be repaired or replaced due to the lack of funds.

An official of the station, Alphonso Wright told the LMC that the people of Maryland, especially Harper through the Board of Directors has not shown interest in the Radio, a situation which has contributed to the plight of the station.

Consequently, Mr. Wright, who is one of Radio Harper's directors, said the Office of the Superintendent and other interested community people has established an interim Board which has been trying to work towards the reopening of Radio Harper. A random interview with the cross section of residents of Harper has indicated the need for the radio to restore broadcast activities.

Marketers, students and commuters told the LMC that the people of the community has contributed to a drive by the Board of Directors to restore the radio, but expressed surprise that the resumption of broadcast has remained an issue.

The residents accused the management of the station of inefficiency, blaming Martin Nyenkan, the Station Manager of not showing interest in the Radio. Martin Nyenkan was not in Harper at the time, and the LMC was told that he was not scarce from work at the station apparent due to his busy schedule at the Cavalla Rubber Plantation.

But Mr. Nyenkan refuted the claim, saying that the Station has closed because of the transmitter problem, and that his office is working harder to ensure that it secures funds for its repair; reports Bill K Jarkloh/1 Nov. 2011.

Maryland Administration Accuses Contractors
...Supt's Office Cites Insincerity

The Office of the Superintendent of Maryland County has envisage the need to renovate the Harper Administrative Building to provide adequate offices that will allow the free and unhindered operations of all offices representing central government.

Here is Mr. Daniel Williams, the Administrative Assistant to the County Superintendent

Mr. Daniel Williams, the Administrative Assistant to the County Superintendent, said the County's Administration has been running the affairs of Maryland from the Harper City Hall where it is at Present.

He told a joint interview of Radio Harper and the Liberia Media Center recently that renovation of the Harper Administrative Building has become inevitable if the County Administration should avoid the embarrassment of inadequate offices.

Cataloging some of the County's development achievement, Williams hinted the County Administration's renovation and refurbishing of the JJ Dossen Hospital at US$50,000, the purchase a truck to facilitate the road construction works, construction and rehabilitation of schools, clinics and roads amongst others.

He however called on the people of Maryland County to consider the seat of government in the County, Harper City.

The Administrative Assistant to the Maryland County Superintendent, who said some $600,000 is of the County Development Funds (CDF) presently in the county's coffer, noting that plans are at foot to commence the reconstruction of the County Administrative Building in Harper.

He said four clinics and five schools have so far been constructed at the level of the four districts in the county. Besides, he spoke of the rehabilitation of the River-Gee to Harper Highway through a firm contracted by central government.

But he complains the insincerity of some contractors who usually run with funds given them without completing the term of their contracts.

He clarified that all contractors at the used by county authorities are approved by the relevant central government authorities without local authority input, although attempts to contact the Ministries of Public Works, Finance, Justice and Internal Affairs, who are usually involved with the bidding of contractors, have not materialized.

However, Williams made specific reference to a contractor firm he identified as KASAD. According to him, KASAD was given several thousands of dollars for the rehabilitation of the Cape Palmas High School, but the contractors absconded without completing the contract.

The Administrative Assistant noted that the County Administration has informed Central Administration at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the matter.

He then called on Marylanders to contribute to the development of the County, and urged the Maryland County Legislative Caucus to cooperate with the County Administration in forging the development agenda of the programs County; reports Bill K Jarkloh/21 Nov. 2011.

Monday New Year Celebraction Canceled for 2012

2012-01-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

...Constitutional Reason Cited

(MONROVIA, LIBERIA – December 30, 2011): It has been announced in Monrovia that Monday, January 2, 2012, is not a holiday. According to the Executive Mansion, the day is a regular work day.

The general public, business houses and other institutions are therefore urged to carry out their normal activities if they so desire.
Although no reason was given in an Executive Mansion release announcing this, political and legal pundits put it at constitutional reason

Chapter VI, Article 50 of the Liberian Constitution of 1986, "...The president shall be elected by universal adult suffrage of registered voters in the Republic and shall hold office for a term of six years commencing at noon on the third working Monday in January of the year immediately following the elections...."

Usually, holidays falling on Sundays are celebrated on Mondays. However, it is said that the decision to breach this usual way of holiday celebration is to ensure that the the President's inauguration, which falls on the third working Monday of the New Year goes unquestionable and unchallenged.

According to the pundits, canceling the first working Monday will would disqualify the February 16, 2012 inauguration of President Sirleaf constitutionally, since it would render the January 16 Monday the second working Monday of the year contrary to the Constitution's provision under Article 50.

Meanwhile, nine prisoners from the Monrovia Central Prison have been granted Executive Pardon by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Those pardoned include six men and three women who have been held at the prison for minor offenses. The decision was taken Friday, December 23, by the Liberian leader during a visit to the Prison as part of a Christmas goodwill gesture.

The President urged those released to remain peaceful and law abiding citizens. “The next time you violate the law and you are caught, you will not stay in the central prison; you will be sent to the prison in Grand Gedeh County,” the President cautioned those ordered released.

According to an Executive Mansion release the Liberian President has directed the Ministry of Justice to review the cases of other inmates at the Monrovia Central Prison who have been held for minor offenses.

“I’ve asked them to look at each of your case, the person who did not commit a serious crime ... if you did armed robbery or you did murder, rape, I can’t help you. But if that’s something small; they will look at you and say yes they can do it, then, they can work on that next week.”

The President later presented a purse of US$1,000 to members of the kitchen staff of the prison. She thanked the staff for their commitment to duty. The Chief Executive also presented some food items including rice and fish as well as toiletries, mattresses, slippers, coal pots, among other items to the prison.

The Liberian leader was accompanied to the Central Prison by Solicitor General Wilkins Wright and other officials of government.

Earlier, the President distributed Christmas gifts among mothers and babies at the Maternity ward of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital.

Pres. Sirleaf Dedicates Via Town Bridge

2012-01-01T12:38:00.001-08:00

Renames It King Zolu Duma Bridge

(MONROVIA, LIBERIA - December 30, 2011): President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Friday dedicated the bridge linking the City of Monrovia to the commercial district of Bushrod Island.

Speaking at the dedication, the President thanked all those who played leading roles, including Ministers of Finance who spearheaded negotiations for the construction of the bridge, past and present Ministers of Public Works, other government agencies, the World Bank, as well as the Chico Construction Company and the Government of China for the partnership.

According to an Executive Mansion release, the President thanked Liberian workers for their dedication to the project and expressed satisfaction at its completion. She directed the Ministry of Public Works to continue to utilize the services of the workers in other areas following the completion of the bridge.

The President said government will work with property owners along the Mesurado River to improve the area which she observed is becoming a big sewer that will not be allowed. “So we ask the cooperation of all of those who have property around here to make sure that Monrovia becomes beautiful also like other cities, to make sure that we have a presentable city.”

To protect the bridge, the President mentioned the construction of a fence. Any attempt to destroy it, she cautioned, would have a “compensatory response.”

The Chief Executive urged Liberians to use the bridge in the right spirit, to protect, maintain and secure it, and avoid acts that would undermine its lifespan. The President disclosed that the leadership of the Ma Juah Market, in Clara Town, has agreed to be relocated, to make way for a parking lot at the site.

Public Works Minister Samuel Kofi Woods, in remarks, thanked all those who contributed to the successful completion of the bridge, particularly the Liberian workers who he described as the “real heroes that have made this bridge possible.”

The Minister drew attention to the consistent theft and abuse of the nation’s infrastructure, and urged those responsible to join the government in efforts to build, adding, “It is men of courage and commitment that build; it is men of weak character who tend to destroy.”

He defended government’s decision to construct a wall along the bridge, owing to the threat of potential theft, sand mining and other dangerous activities along the banks of the river. “This bridge belongs to Liberia and all of you; you must join us in owning it, in protecting it and in ensuring that its integrity is sustained.

The President announced that the Via Town Bridge will now be known as the Zolu Duma Bridge, in honor of a former chief of the Dey tribe. King Durma played a leading role in providing the land to the Settlers for the construction of the bridge.

Initially used as a railway bridge to transport crushed rocks to construct the jetty at the Freeport of Monrovia, the Vai Town Bridge was constructed between 1935 and 1936. In November 2006, the bridge, which had been transformed into a two-lane roadway and used by vehicles and pedestrians, collapsed.

Funding for the construction of the US$16 million bridge was provided by the World Bank upon a request in 2006 by the Government of Liberia for funding assistance for the demolition of the collapsed bridge and the construction of a new one, according to an Executive Mansion release.

Prof. Joe W. Mulbah! The University Still Needs You

2011-12-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

...An Eulogy In Memory of the Fallen Professor
By Bill K. Jarkloh

Oh death, why cannot you run away? You know everyone fears you – Why should we then do to avoid you? My thoughts were plagued with these words that state nothing but a myth, since the inevitable cold hands of death snatched away a celebrated broadcast journalist, a profound statesman, a legal erudite, an administrator and an academician, Professor Joe Wolorbah Mulbah.
But yes, death is indeed inevitable. Over the years, there is no doubt that this unavoidable melancholic agent of the 'Great Beyond' has built a community of Liberian journalists beyond the veil. In that community are acclaimed journalists like Rufus Darpoh, Bill Frank Enoyi, Stockton Peabody, John Vambo and John Elliot. No! Those are not all; there too is Nigerian trained prolific writer Ebenezer Wureh Worrison, BBC Correspondent Klon Hinneh, The INQUIRER's roving reporter Emmanuel Nah, Bobby Tapson of The NEWS, Attes Johnson of the Daily Observer and the list continues.
Why has death continued to ruin our profession? On Friday, the 18th of November, my thoughts were preoccupied, as though it's a possibility, a declaration of war against death for the unforgettable pains its piercing swore has caused the media - having listened to a Radio VERITAS broadcast that broke the death news of the famous journalist and patriotic. I was stunned by the breaking news though, I momentarily rediscovered myself as the details of the newscast unfolded about the demise of Chairman Mulbah of the Department of Mass Communication under whose tutorship and guidance I was awarded my undergraduate degree in Mass Communication and Sociology.
Surely, I would have blown the horn for the declaration of war against Death like a field marshal for such a mischief to which one of the supreme generals of the inky fraternity has fallen. Burning with frustration, I painfully listened to the radio narrating that the setting of this sad event was the Duside Hospital.
Oh impossibility, why defeateth thou me at the frontline of preventing the irreparable losses journalism suffer in Liberia? Truly, reality realizably prevails over the imaginary. So as I look about myself, I realize that mobilizing the inky fraternity to warfare against death was not possible. I was therefore left with the option of first trying the phone number of the fallen professor. It was of course dead as the LoneStar GSM reminded me at each call trial that “The LoneStar cell you are calling is at a switch off or out of coverage area.”
Oh no! Is this real? Has Prof. Mulbah truly join ranks with those in the “Great Beyond?” I then continue to verify. I started calling professional colleagues, some of whom confirmed the striking news. The following day I hurried to the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Liberia. There an aide to the fallen professor, Comrade Seyon Kieh, further confirmed to me that Prof. Mulbah joined the other colleagues beyond the veil.
Hmmmmmm!!!!!! I took a deep breath with a moment of recollecting my encounters with him. I remember that shortly before the elections, he and some Ghanaian authors wrote African Election manual. This his Ghanaian counterpart sent him an email he could not easily access. I remember he gave me his laptop to download the message from the Ghanaian Colleague of his, and dictated to me a short reply that I sent through his Yahoo account.
The late Prof. Mulbah was always fond of soliciting my opinion on national issues. Just in October on the day of the first round of the elections when I was in the heart of Lofa to train some community radio stations, Prof. Mulbah called me on his mobile phone and asked of me my opinion on what would possibly be the result of the presidential race. I responded thus: I believe there will definitely be a second round. “Why do you think so”, he further asked me. “Because of the plurality of the election for the presidency. The presidential race had 16 candidates. Therefore, producing an absolute result of 50 percent and one vote was logically impossible,” I explained to him.
I further told him, “I believe the second round round will be between the governing Unity Party (UP) and the mainstream opposition party, the Congress for Democratic Party (CDC).” He interjected with a question: But don't you see the CDC winning narrowly, considering the crowd it pulled at its rally at the ATS – meaning Antoinette Tubman Stadium - shortly before the elections?” “No prof! Crowd-wise, both CDCians and UPists have pulled almost equal crowds at their respective rallies.
Regarding the question of narrow victory, it would be obtained only if the race was not flooded in addition to the equally crowd the two leading parties pulled at their pre-election rallies. This is because the rest of the contestants too have their respective followers that possibly will rob either of the two leading parties a narrow win in the first round,“ I told him. The last statement I heard from him was, “Brilliant analysis!”
Consequent to this mobile conversation, I fruitlessly called the Professor's phone to chat with him on results of round-one of the polls for the presidency announced by NEC – the National Elections Commission. Again LoneStar GSM kept reminding me that the phone was at a switch-off or out of coverage area. It was thereafter that the news of his demise was broken while I had just return from work on that fateful Friday, November 18.
Surely, like he did in the lives of other colleagues, Professor Joe Wolorbah Mulbah touched my personal life. He was my guidance during my last days of undergraduate studies at the University of Liberia. He was even my instructor during my pursuit of a Certificate in Print Journalism. In fact through out my college education, he taught me Public Relations and Broadcasting. It was partly based on the knowledge he inculcated into me that I edited several papers, splendidly performed as Executive Officer for Information at a foreign embassy accredited near Monrovia for more than five consecutive years and has been able to train community radio stations across the country.
During my 21 years of encounter with the late Joe, as he was affectionately called by his contemporaries, I admired his passion for journalism, his love and interest for the brilliance of students of the Department of Mass Communication, his statesmanship and patriotism with which he ably reconciled a divided Liberian media.
I started active journalism in 1985. The breed of journalists at those early days of my career life are, in most cases, executives of contemporary Liberian media. At the time, plunderers of state resources, corrupt bureaucrats and military dictators were critical of the media. Often, journalist were referred to as “mere high school graduates” interested in soliciting bribes. This was an overstatement then, anyway, because bureaucrats themselves were dishing out money to the young journalists for cover-up of their misdeeds and for the makeup of their obscured images.
Journalists that stood for principle were branded unprofessional and agents of blackmail. The reference of unprofessionalism bordering on their level of education was only intended to coerce them to subjection to praise-singing. I clearly remember when the Defense Minister of the time, Gray D. Allison, referred to journalists as “bableh”, a Southern Liberian word referring to a species of fish preyed on by wild species of fish.
Professor Joe Mulbah, a former presenter of the “Window on the World“ Program on the ELWA, and other senior journalists of interest then took seriously the imperatives for higher professional education that could curtail this robust criticism of young journalists by bureaucrats. They prevailed on the Department of Mass Communication of the University of Liberia to inculcate into its curriculum, a compressed one-year certificate course for working print and broadcast journalists, of which I am a beneficiary.
Accordingly, Professor Mulbah taught Public Relations/Public Affairs reporting at the time. Frankly, the course upgraded the skills of the young journalists and delivered unto them the mantle of middle-level media leadership; the serious minded ones took editorial positions with various media outlets.
Passion drives people to going beyond the seeming impossible. A radio station that was required for practical broadcasting, could not be achieved by the Department at the time though; the station is now broadcasting through the instrumentality of Professor Mulbah after he took over the Department of Mass Communication as Chairman. During the One-Year certificate program, the need for a University Radio Station was inevitable for practical for broadcast students. Unlike those who read broadcast journalism during the program, print journalism students had the Varsity Pilot Newspaper providing them the opportunity to practicalizing their studies.
Notwithstanding, Professor Mulbah's assumption of the Chairmanship of the Department of Mass Communication chronicled the establishment of the first university radio in Liberia to host Mass Communication students. The fallen professor wrote and follow up proposals to UNESCO for the radio which is now called LUX FM 106.6 now broadcasting to the Liberian publics. .
“My dream is to make sure that a television station is attached to this station - LUX FM,” Prof. Mulbah told me during one of our chats at his office. But he expressed misgiving about the way his dream was being thwarted by the University of Liberia authorities. He said the UL Administration instead have opted to remove the LUX FM from the Department of Mass Communication to the Department of Public Relations. In his opinion, the LUX FM and the conceived university television station should remain under the Department of Mass Communication because it is the arm of that institution that trains students of journalism – print and broadcast journalists. He wondered why the University is fighting to take over the radio station, without contending for the Varsity Pilot in like manner.
“The LUX FM being controlled by the department of Mass Communication does not stop, in any way, the University administration from using the radio if it wishes to,” Prof. Mulbah contended. He said to me, “In the first place, removing the station to the Public Relations Department will throw into question its purpose for which UNESCO had supported its establishment; besides, the concept of objectivity with which every journalist must operate when it comes to training the students will be lost as a training component if the station should solely broadcast PR materials.” He then rhetorically asked: Do you want students to be trained on a radio station which is a Public Relations tool and will not be objective? He then challenged us, alumni, to rise up to defend the stay of the radio station under the Department of Mass Communications.
The professor was a disciplinarian who wouldn't give anyone a free ride at his lesson. He in fact made me to repeat Comm 313 for failing to take a quiz he administered when I was not in school due to my office engagement at the Embassy of Ghana. “Bill I cannot manufacture the grade for that serious quiz. I will be cheating those who sat for it. Re-register the course to clear it,” he advised me. And surely I registered that course and cleared it under Professor Weade Kobbah-Wureh.
Before he assumed the Chairmanship of the Department of Mass Communications, Prof. Mulbah served as Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism over a divided media in the country. The Liberian media was divided between “Greater Liberia” of former Liberian rebel leader Charles Ghankay Taylor and Monrovia Liberia then of the former Interim President Amos C. Sawyer. Notwithstanding the fact that Honorable Joe Mulbah was from the Greater Liberia divide, his posture as a Minister was reminiscent of a twin mother.
He successfully dealt with and reconciled journalists of both divides and ensure a united Press Union of Liberia under which all journalists were accredited members. “This was good statesmanship and symbolizes patriotism,” a female graduate of the Department of Mass Communication eulogized the memory of Professor Mulbah.
But life was so cruel to this fallen hero. The first blow he suffered was the death of Mrs. Doris Mulbah, his darling wife. Following that, his leg was amputated at the Duside Hospital due to diabetes.
He was not perturbed though by these melancholic occurrences in his life, he continued his academic engagements with the University of Liberia as Chairman of the Mass Communications Department. Besides, he ended his studies at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law At the University of Liberia and became an honored valedictorian for his class with a Bachelor at Law (LLB) Degree. However, Life has dealt a third first against him - taken him beyond the veil while his students and graduates gazing in the air for his replacement at the Department.
Oh professor Joe Wolorbah Mulbah, if an oracle that could bring you back alive was available, I believe that I could commit all that I have for now to the cause of bringing you alive. Yes, my eyes of faith have seen some lawyers and members of the inky fraternity standing out to support me in this venture for your resurrection. But oh no Prof, we love you but God loves you best. May the soul of this fallen hero and the souls of all faithful departed rest in perfect peace and light perpetual shine upon them.

LMC Ends JHR Varsity Chapter Workshop

2011-12-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

...Executive Director Challenges Participants

Monrovia (LMC/PR)-Dec/2/'11:-The Liberia Media Center (LMC) on Friday ended a six-day workshop of members of the student chapter of the Journalists for Human Rights (JHR).

The workshop, conducted under the auspices of the JHR Unit of the LMC, was spread on three months. Participants were drilled in basic journalism and news writing, reporting human rights issues, national and international human rights frameworks including laws and conventions amongst others.

Twenty-two participants attended the workshop and were certificated by the Executive Director of the LMC, T. Lawrence Randall. They drawn from three universities, including the United Methodist University (UMU), the University of Liberia (UL) and the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU).

Executive Director Randall, addressing the closing of the workshop, challenged participants to take seriously the knowledge the acquired.

According to him, the participating student journalists should understand that one does not become a journalist overnight. He said a journalist is made from the passion s/he exhibits in upholding ethical values.

To this effect, he reminded them that journalists are people interested in reading. “You can't be a journalist if you cannot read. If you can't read, go sell your water because to be a good journalist, you have to be interested in reading materials.”

He therefore implored the participants to visit the Liberia Media Center's internet center, which he added, is available to journalists seeking to track local and global events.

The LMC boss also challenged the participants to take advantage of the social networks in their reportage of human rights issues. he said, “We will need you at the LMC in the future inasmuch as you remain to pursue excellence in the practice of the journalism profession.

Also speaking, the President of the Student Chapter of the JHR Network, Mr. Kolobah Akoi of the University of Liberia, praised the Liberia Media Center for the level of support it gives the group.

Contingent on said support, he noted the JHR Student Chapter has been undertaking marches in support of human dignity and the right to vote.

He then said a Right Night was being planned in commemoration of the International Day of Human Rights, extending invitation to the executive director of the LMC.

# # #

Liberian Iron Ore Sector Activated

2011-09-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

Liberia has formally begun shipping of iron ore for the first time in 20 years.The shipment took place Tuesday 27 September 2011 through the port of Buchanan, in Grand Bassa County by Arcelor Mittal.. Arcelor Mittal is the world’s largest stell and mining company.

The company however did not disclose the total amount of ore shipped out of the country. Liberia’s mining sector sized operations in the late 1990s, due to the 14-year civil war that devastated the nation.

Arcel Mittal’s Chairman and Chief Executive, Lakshmi Mittal, at the ceremony in Buchanan City, described the sudden shipment of iron ore as a milestone in Liberia’s renewed economic drive“The shipment of the first iron ore in twenty years is a testimony to the new stability prevailing in Liberia”.

Mr. Mittal said: “Arcelor Mittal would provide the requisite opportunity for Liberians working with the company to play key role in its management to ensure a sustainable future”.

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, addressing the occasion, said: “The re-negotiation of the agreement between government and Arcelor Mittal was intended to ensure mutuality on both sides”.

According to President Sirleaf, “Buchanan and Yekepah have come alive today, due to Arcelor Mittal’s commitment to the agreement".

“For the first time Liberians have begun benefiting from funds accrued from social development agreement, aimed at fostering development in various communities across the country”, Madam Sirleaf indicated.

The Liberian leader said: “Nimba, Bong and Grand Bassa counties are now benefiting from US$3msocial development funds provided by Arcelor Mittal under the agreement”

LMC Sets Media Legacy for Africa

2011-09-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

…As PUL Promises Reckless Journalists Tougher Measures 26-Aug-’11 (Monrovia): The Liberia Media Center (LMC) today, Friday, inaugurated its Election Reporting Center with the LMC’s Executive Director Lawrence Randall saying the opening of the modern center is evident of the institution's effort at building a media legacy for African

In his remarks, Randall said, “Today, Liberia is the first country to have a Media Quality Rating system in the West African Region. We were the first country to have conducted a comprehensive assessment of media coverage of Truth Commissions. Also, we were the first country to have a homegrown and tailored guide on reporting of the Poverty Reduction Strategy,” Mr. Randall told the official program of the LMC’s Sixth Anniversary Program. Held on the theme, “Strengthened Media for Transparent Elections,” the Sixth Anniversary Program of the LMC brought together an array of government officials, representatives of local and international partners. Prominent in the audience were the Vice President of Liberia, Ambassador Joseph N. Boakai; Deputy Minister of Information for Administration, Norris Tweah; Press Union of Liberia President Peter Quaqua; UNESCO Country Representative Stevenson Seidi; Irex-Liberia’s the Chief of Party Tilly Reed and USAID-Liberia’s Mission Director Patricia Rader amongst others Mr. Randall, expressed the belief that the media center must represent a model that other African nations can replicate and spoke of the importance of an Election Reporting Center, which he noted, will provide journalists the opportunity use ICTs and social media applications like facebook, twitter, you-tube and flicker to cover the 2011 elections. “With this facility Mr. Vice President, we bring another first, using technology to monitor television and radio news coverage when countries like Nigeria and Ghana are still using manual methods,” he noted. He also added that the center will have a minivan dedicated to transporting journalists to key election events across the country. It will provide an incentive for journalists to conduct independent, non-partisan coverage of election rallies and programs, indicating that bthese3 could not have been possible without the support of the government. “With a strong and excellent partnership between the Ministry of Information and Finance, your administration has waived duties and import charges in amounts over 70,000.00 USD to ensure this happens,” Mr. Randall reiterated. Mr. Randall indicated further that the achievement mentioned “is a testament to the gift and graft this beloved country has endowed upon us. We must take this interesting prospect further,” maintaining that, “We must move to build a Media Park.” The LMC boss also disclosed a multi-purpose complex project underway that will showcase Liberian media legacies such as the work of Albert Porte, Stanton Peabody, Kenneth Y Best, etc. “We intend to include a media museum, digital audio and print library and a conference center for convening of different kinds of activities,” enjoining all well-meaning Liberians to support the LMC’s efforts in making this dream a reality by 2016. For his part, Vice President Boakai lauded the LMC for its contributions to the process of democracy in Liberia. The Vice President noted that it was the responsibility of every Liberian to ensure the sustenance of peace and democracy in the country, especially in ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections. “Today, the media is going to have a facility that will enhance their works. We are grateful to IREX and all those who have made it possible,” Vice President Boakai said, adding, “We want to ensure that Liberia is a responsible country who will not disappoint you.” The Vice President also notes the need to support efforts at making Liberia a lead country in upholding press freedom. UNESCO’s Seidi express excitement for the Election Reporting Center, while the IREX-Liberia’s the Chief of Party Tilly Reed explained among other things that the strengthen media initiative is intended to provide a peaceful atmosphere in the country by engage the media and the people. In a related development, USAID-Liberia’s Mission Director Patricia Rader praised Liberians for the successful complementation of the Referendum election which she observed was well organized and peaceful. Madam Rader said USAID was proud to support democracy in Liberia, enumerating that her organization was funding civil society and media initiatives in several areas of cooperation. She said USAID has collaborated with others and IREX to monitor the media for equal access and transparency, calling on all to advocate for non violence and peace. Also addressing the occasion, the Chief of Party of IREX-Liberia, Madam Tilly Reed, spoke of the importance of conflict sensitive reporting and added that journalists should be mindful to create an environment where the children of Liberia have the opportunity to education, health and basic freedoms. She then pledged IREX’s support of the programs of LMC in working with the media to professionalize media activities in the election era and beyond. Similarly, the Media specialist of IREX-Liberia, Mr. Bill Burke earlier reemphasized the importance of the media's the role in ensuring free and transparent elections in the country. Meanwhile the Press Union of Liberia’s President Peter Quaqua promising tougher measures against reckless reportage of electoral issues by journalist during the 2011 process. Quaqua cautions media practitioners against heeding manipulation by politicians and expressing the need for journalists to hold together in avoiding conflict ridden elections. “We must not be the guilty party,” the PUL boss said.# # #

Concern over ICC Funding

2011-09-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

By Robbie Corey-BouletMONROVIA, Sep 28, 2011 (IPS) - International justice advocates are worried that donors will deprive the International Criminal Court (ICC) of sufficient funding next year, hindering the court’s ability to fulfil an expanding mandate that will stretch from Kenya to Libya and potentially Ivory Coast.In late July, the court proposed a 2012 budget of 159.45 million dollars, an increase of 13.6 percent over 2011. Maria Kamara, an outreach coordinator for the court, said the main drivers of the increase included the Libya investigation referred by the United Nations Security Council in February and "essential legal assistance for counsel for the defence and victims’ representatives."Even before the proposal was submitted, however, key donors were issuing calls for zero growth in the court’s budget. The Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC), a collection of more than 2,500 civil society organisations, has said zero growth "would undermine the effectiveness of the court’s work and would curtail its ability to respond promptly to situations where crimes are committed."The ICC, which began operating in 2002, has to date undertaken six investigations into allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Kenya and Libya.Last month, the court’s Committee on Budget and Finance, a subsidiary expert body that advises the court’s member states on the budgeting process, recommended a smaller 8.1 percent increase for the 2012 budget. The Assembly of States Parties, made up of the 118 nations that have ratified the court’s founding treaty, will weigh in on the budget in December.Sunil Pal, head of the CICC’s legal section, told IPS that the most vocal proponents of zero growth in the ICC budget were Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy, which are also the court’s biggest donors. CICC convenor William Pace said he expected that four or five other countries would support the large donors, while 10 or 20 would oppose them. The majority of the states parties, he added, are unlikely to take a position.Pace said that among African countries, South Africa has reportedly emerged as the strongest opponent of zero nominal growth."Arrogant and unworkable"When it comes to those pushing for zero growth, Pace accused the UK and France of "policy hypocrisy," noting that both countries were adamant supporters of getting the ICC involved in Libya, a major source of its workload and budget increases. The U.N. Security Council voted 15 to zero to refer the Libya situation to the court in February. It was the first time that there had been a unanimous endorsement of an ICC investigation."The principle that the Security Council can ask international bodies to undertake expensive peace and security missions and then say, ‘Oh, but you have to pay for it,’ is an arrogant and unworkable principle," Pace said.He added that the reluctance of the UK and France to give more money to the court did not square with those countries’ willingness to fund the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya – at a cost that easily dwarfed any potential increase in their contributions to the ICC."The contradictions are intolerable between how governments treat military intervention costs, but when you get down to peace building and preventing these crimes they say, ‘Oh, we don’t want to pay for that'," he said.A spokesperson for the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), however, said the UK was "widely regarded as one of the ICC’s strongest supporters, both politically and financially."The spokesperson said the push for zero growth was "in line with our position on the budgets for other international institutions," and added that the UK had asked for more information about potential increases at the ICC.While the court has drawn criticism for what some perceive as slow progress, those calling for a budget increase argue that imposing zero growth would be counterproductive."Certainly there are ways in which the court could arguably improve efficiency, but it is for the judges to determine the way in which judicial processes should be conducted, not for bureaucrats in capitals interested in the budgetary bottom line," said Carla Ferstman, director of Redress, a London-based organisation that helps victims of torture and related crimes obtain justice."The court has an obligation to be efficient and effective in the administration of justice – and certainly there is a lot of room for improvement," Ferstman added. "But the fact that the court could be more efficient should not be confused or conflated with the issue of ‘zero growth’ – it is mixing apples and oranges."The FCO spokesperson said the UK would "never consider funding cuts that put at risk the court’s ability to carry out its core mandate."Stretched thinThe court is already seen as being stretched thin in a number of areas.Redress issued a statement in July drawing attention to the fact that 470 victims were unable to participate in the confirmation of charges hearing for Callixte Mbarushimana, the Rwandan rebel leader accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Judges ruled that the applications would be left out because the court’s registry did not have the resources to process them by the deadline.This problem has also occurred in the court’s two Kenyan cases, and Redress said almost 2,000 victims in total have been affected. "If this resource issue is not resolved, victim participation will become a meaningless paper promise," Ferstman said.An Aug. 17 document submitted by the CICC to the court’s Committee on Budget and Finance pointed to evidence of underfunding in the following areas: the Victims Participation and Reparations Section; the Office of Public Counsel for the Defence; the Public Information and Documentation Section; the Victim and Witnesses Unit; the Field Operations Section; and the Office of Internal Audit.The court does have a contingency fund, but Christian Wenaweser, president of the Assembly of States Parties, said in a July interview with IPS that the fund would need to be tapped in response to the referral of the Libya situation. Due to a legal requirement that the fund not fall below seven million euros, Wenaweser said it would need to be replenished.Wenaweser also called on the U.N. General Assembly "to take a specific decision regarding the full or partial reimbursement" of member states’ payments to the ICC.Pace said the CICC agreed with the principle behind the idea, noting that the ICC’s founding treaty and the ICC-U.N. Relationship Agreement allow for it. Courtesy to IPS news (END)

Is the National Referendum Relevant?

2011-04-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

...Jerome Verdier Says No, Points to Violations
I have written my impression on the referendum in a 26-page letter to Her Excellency and members of the National Legislature. Without much to say, I will premise my presentation on the fact that the propositions for Referendum are all irrelevant. As far as the best interest of the Liberian people are concerned, as far as the aspiration of the Liberian people for greater democracy are concerned, as far as transitional and reform objectives are concerned,. The entire referendum is irrelevant.
The second thing to add to this position is that the Referendum is premature. It is not well-planned; there have been no rather consultations on issues of Constitutional Reform – what we need in Liberia is not amendment, we need a reform process that takes time, that generates debate, that consults with the Liberian people and generates their impressions.
Since the conflict, it was necessary for us to suspend the Constitution because it appears as good as the Constitution is, it has not worked well for Liberia. That is why when the Constitution was inaugurated in 1984 or ’86, there was war in 1985, there was war in 1990, and throughout 1990 to 2005, the Constitution was suspended. In my view, we need to reform our Constitution and not to amend it as being suggested to satisfy those who are in authority.
Democracy is rule by the people; and we sent our Representatives to the Legislature to represent us. Which one of the Representatives can claim that they are representing their constituencies? None! [This is] because they have never presented the issue to people they represent.
We are supposed to empower our people to amend or reform our Constitution. It should not be the prerogative of 64 or 100 persons plus one at the Executive mansion. No! The exercise is premised on uncertified, short-term and very myopic short-term political objective – and this objective is hidden in the proposition for the reduction of the residency clause. All the other things are just to make it looks like somebody is thinking about the constitution. That is why you see all the propositions lack depths; they refused to honor all the constitutional requirements because the Constitution says they should be published in a gazette and the gazette should contain the rationale for each of the propositions.
As I stand before you, there are members of the Legislature who themselves are not aware and do not understand the rationale for those propositions just like the ordinary citizens like us.
There is an argument going around that: Why we didn’t oppose the Referendum one year ago? My response is, I didn’t know about it until today, until just recently when I got a copy from of the political parties; and [the Party] and I refer to Article 92 [of the Constitution which states that the rationales] should be published in an official Gazette and circulated around the country. An UNTIL THAT PUBLICATION IS COMPLETED, THE ACTION OF THE LEGISLATURE IS NOT YET COMPLETE. You cannot begin to count one year in September or August last year. No! [This is] because we are not informed and there is no informed basis for the Referendum.
The Constitution has been consistently violated, and we have not spoken about; so our Legislature and the Executive Branch feel free and comfortable to continue these violations. We go back to the threshold - [the National] Elections Commission has published regulations governing Referendum and it refers to people voting not art Constituencies but at polling stations.
Where in the Constitution or in any law that they have in Liberia that you can vote at polling stations – check it out. UNDER WHAT AUTHORITY [IS] THE [NATIONAL] ELECTIONS COMMISSION ATTEMPTING TO CONDUCT A REFERENDUM?
The Constitutions says you should have an Elections Commission – there is legislation establishing the National Elections Commission; the Constitution says you should have an auditing Commission, there is a legislation establishing the auditing commission. The Constitution prescribed a lot of things. The Constitution [also] says you should conduct a Referendum; there is no legislation to support the conduct or the holding of Referendum in Liberia. So under what authority the [National] Elections Commission can assume that it can conduct a referendum and issue the draft regulation that it has issued? If you read the legislations, they are laws. So the [National] Election Commission is making law to govern the conduct of Referendum? Our Legislature should have made those laws and they haven’t made them.
The other question, this government has only nine months to be in office. Why should it attempt to change the Constitution and burden the future government when it only nine months in office and two months to elections, from August to October? What is the rationale; what is the overriding influence the compelling need for a referendum before elections.
All we have said is that all of the four propositions are irrelevant – it doesn’t benefit me, it doesn’t benefit you, it doesn’t promote peace, it doesn’t advance reconciliation, it doesn’t benefit the country in anyway.
We have had fourteen years of turmoil in this country. Do you know why the TRC was established? To examine the problems we have experience and find a way out. The recommendations from the TRC should form a national constitutional reform process. Do you know why we have a Governance Reform Commission? To examine all the problems associated with governance. Recommendations from the Governance Reform Commission should form a national constitutional reform process. Do you know why we have the GAC now? Is to examine all the issues relating to accountability; the recommendations from there should form a process to reform the Constitution. Do you know why we have the Anti-Corruption after the war? Is to examine the issues of corruption and to make sure that any reform process of this Constitution that seems not to work well for us, we should make sure to incorporate the recommendations of the Anti-Corruption Commission. All of these transitional institutions were established to protect the future. We are ignoring them, we are violating the laws and we want to go into an election plague with legal and constitutional violation which is not good for our country.
I have said, and I did say in a communication to the President of Liberia that this election is similar to the 1985 elections. That election came after a brutal conflict which saw the execution of our President and the killing of our entire cabinet. We’ve played with it – there were legal issues concerned, we didn’t address them.
The Election Commission functioned in its own manner, at its own will without any check and balance. The President decided he has the authority and he will do what he wanted to do. He created an impression of lies, an impression of subservience to the President. So whatever was the result the Liberian people knew that it would have been rigged and it led serious conflict that took us down the role of 14 years of war.
Now we are about to hold another elections. The Elections Commission pronounced that to hold a referendum before elections would be impossible. The Elections Commission on its own analysis and credibility came out and said it is impossible – and I am echoing that voice of the Commission – it is impossible, it is illegal, it is premature- and it is unfortunate. The consequences I cannot imagine but we all will see the consequences to the extent to hold a premature National Referendum.
A referendum is just like a national election. Can you hold two national elections at a time? People are even reluctant to vote for candidates, for people. Can they vote for ideas that they don’t understand, they know nothing about? It’s a mockery and I repeat it is… pursuing a narrow political objective which serves the country no good and we all should object; we all should be opposed to uphold illegality.
The Constitution says before you hold a referendum you should publish; I am saying that they have hidden the propositions from the Liberian people; it should be published one year in advance before the National Referendum. And so they have not been published in March, and I know it will not be published in April, it means that Referendum should not be held before March of 2012, meaning that after the elections, we can come together as a nation and a people to conduct the referendum under the a calm atmosphere. The propositions are disservice to us and insult to our intelligence as a people who have survive a fourteen year conflict and have and are determined to build peace in Liberia.

Referendum under What Authority?

2011-04-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

Elections Commission Chairman Fromayan

… Cllr. Verdier Says To Satisfy Power Holders;

By: Bill K. Jarkloh

A fortnight ago, the National Elections Commission announced the commissioning of voters’ education for the conduct of the embattled National Referendum. But under what authority is the NEC acting to trigger into motion the process for conduct of the ensuing National Referendum. As The Diary’s Editor dived into the matter, a prominent and young Liberian lawyer says holding the National Referendum before the 2011 presidential and general elections is masked with a hidden agenda which is insulting to the intelligence of the general Public.
Cllr. Jerome Verdier’s argument indicates the violations, schemes and flaws that have wrapped around the agenda, saying that the propositions or rationale behind the changing of the four Constitutional articles constitute a disservice to the people and are insulting to their intelligence as people who have survived a fourteen year conflict and are determined to build peace in the country.
The boss of the defunct Truth & Reconciliation Commission made the statement on the latest edition of the Edward Wilmot Blyden Lecture Series of the Press Union of Liberia at the Headquarters of the Union.
He was there along with other civil society leaders including Mr. Dan Saryee of the Liberia Democratic Institute, Mr. Mark Marvey of the National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections and the Vision Bearer of the Proposed Liberia Reconstruction Party, Dr. Manferngei Cecelia Ndebe were panelists.
Called to debate the topic: “Propositions for National Referendum and their Relevance,” all of the panelists discredited the rationale for the pending national referendum.
For Cllr. Verdier, the NATIONAL REFERENDUM, if held, would be unconstitutional. He therefore opposed to the process through an elaborate legal explanations.
Residency Clause a hidden agenda
“The exercise is premised on an uncertified … and very myopic short-term political objective – and this objective is hidden in the proposition for the reduction of the residency clause,” the former Truth and Reconciliation Commission boss said.
The soft-spoken lawyer added, “All the other things are just to make it looks like somebody is thinking about the constitution.”
The residency clause is enshrined in Article 52(c), which states that “No person shall be eligible to hold the office of President or Vice–President, unless that person is resident in the Republic ten years prior to his election, provided that the President and the Vice–President shall not come from the same County.”
He explained that Article 92 of the Constitution which states that the rationales should be published in an official Gazette and circulated around the country.
And UNTIL THAT PUBLICATION IS COMPLETED, THE ACTION OF THE LEGISLATURE IS NOT YET COMPLETE, he reiterated, noting, “You cannot begin to count one year in September or August last year. No! [This is] because we are not informed and there is no informed basis for the Referendum.”
The Constitution, he observed, has been consistently violated with none speaking against it. He said the Liberian Legislature and the Executive Branch feel free and comfortable to continue these violations.
“We go back to the threshold - [the National] Elections Commission has published regulations governing Referendum and it refers to people voting not at Constituencies but at polling stations,” he exclaimed.
According to him, “The Constitution has been consistently violated, and we have not spoken about; so our Legislature and the Executive Branch feel free and comfortable to continue these violations.”
Polling Station voting where in the Law?
Citing the failure by the Legislature to enact a threshold, Verdier said the National Elections Commission has published regulations governing Referendum in which the commission asked the people to vote not at Constituencies, but at polling stations.
“Where in the Constitution or in any law… in Liberia that you can vote at polling stations – check it out. UNDER WHAT AUTHORITY [IS] THE [NATIONAL] ELECTIONS COMMISSION ATTEMPTING TO CONDUCT A REFERENDUM?” he asked
A referendum is just like a national election and the possibility of holding two national elections at a time is a question he raised also.
“People are even reluctant to vote for candidates, for people. Can they vote for ideas that they don’t understand, they know nothing about? It’s a mockery and I repeat it is… pursuing a narrow political objective which serves the country no good and we all should object; we all should be opposed to uphold illegality,” said Cllr. Verdier as though he was outrage.
At this point, his argument came to dwell on Article 92 of the Constitution which provides for publishing the rationale for changing each of the articles of the Constitution in a referendum before the conduct of the referendum itself.
According to Article 92, “Proposed constitutional amendments shall be accompanied by statements setting forth the reasons therefor, and shall be published in the Official Gazette and made known to the people through the information services of the Republic. If more than one proposed amendment is to be voted upon in a referendum they shall be submitted in such manner that the people may vote for or against them separately.”
Accordingly, Verdier referred to this Article, averring, “…I am saying that they have hidden the propositions from the Liberian people; it should be published one year in advance before the National Referendum. And so they have not been published in March, and I know it will not be published in April, it means that Referendum should not be held before March of 2012…”
Defining this argument further, Cllr. Verdier said it meant “… that after the elections, we can come together as a nation and a people to conduct the referendum under the calm atmosphere.”
In the opened and outright manner, the boss of the defunct TRC accentuated, “The propositions are disservice to us and insult to our intelligence as a people who have survived a fourteen year conflict and are determined to build peace in Liberia”
In a nutshell, all of the speakers at the PUL function said the National Referendum before the 2011 elections is irrelevant and will violate Articles 91 and 92 of the Liberian Constitution.
No Constitutional foundation
Mr. Mark Marvey of the National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections, who opened the floor, was the first to assert that the planned referendum is not premised on constitutional foundation.
He referred to Article 91 of the Constitution providing that voting in a referendum conducted by the Elections Commission is not sooner than one year after legislative approval and cited Article 92 stating the setting forth of reasons for the changes in an official gazette to the people through the information services available to the Republic.
Mavey also noted that the issues presented in the referendum proposal are irrelevant and politically motivated.
He said the rationales for the changes proposed have not been explained to the Liberian people in a published gazette while the proposed change affecting Article 52(c) of the Constitution requiring 5-Year Residency instead of 10 years for presidential candidates prior to election only serves the political interest of incumbent candidates.
Marvey also said proposed changes of Article 72 redefining the terms of judges in the pending referendum, and the change affecting the absolute Majority voting provision in Article 83(b) were self-seeking and unnecessary.
He also added that the change in election schedule from October to November was also irrelevant.

Beware of Looming Threats

2011-04-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

An Analysis of the Cote d’Ivoire & Liberian Conflicts
By: Bill K. Jarkloh

Journalist Bill K. Jarkloh

There is reason for every Liberian to be concerned. The situation in Ivory Coast has certainly posed threat to pre-election Liberia, but if prudence is not employed in managing the political activities in the country, the situation in Ivory Coast could be imported to Liberia, considering the involvement of some Liberian combatants in that country’s crisis who could be manipulated back to Liberia in the name of ‘revolution’ for the third time.
I am indeed touched to speak to a gruesome picture of massacred Ivorian residents in Doukoué carried in the FrontPageAfrica’s Volume 5 edition number One, a picture in which columns of bodies were seen killed in that part of West Africa in a manner and form that bring to memory some of the scenes of the Liberian civil debacle of the 1990s. While mass graves are being discovered in Liberia, it is absolute insanity and traumatic for Liberians to be reminded of their past, using scenes from the Ivorian crisis of elsewhere. But the fact remains that such scene does much to remind political actors and their followers, especially those holding state powers that much should be done to avert a situation that would take Liberia back to such bloody era.
Skimming through, the FrontPageAfrica captioned the story with the headline reading: Ivory Coast’s Killing Fields. The obscenity in the photo itself was highly revealing the danger that awaits any of the countries neighboring Ivory Coast, especially Liberia. Explaining the photo, the paper says, “With Abidjan on edge, both sides in the ongoing post-election violence are claiming casualties; but which side is responsible for the killings of hundred in the battle between internationally recognized winner Alassane Ouattara and embattled [incumbent] leader Laurent Gbagbo?” As the story was told, the innocent victims were alive until a town named Doukoué was ‘liberated’ by pro-Outtarra forces.
a) Two Countries, similar case
While everyone is calling for international intervention in the post electoral conflict in that country, it is important to state that the situation in Ivory Coast is redolently not different from the Liberian civil conflict, local and international radios were at the same time broadcasting negations of surrender by incumbent Gbagbo who is closed up at the basement of his residence in Abidjan, la Cote d’Ivoire. Perhaps this could be the only difference between the civil war of the 1990s in Liberia and the present catastrophe taking place in that country. This is because Samuel Doe, the incumbent in Liberian at the time refused to negotiate his departure from the Executive Mansion and was therefore killed like a beast by rebel forces. Otherwise than the negation efforts in the Ivory Coast for the incumbent President’s departure, we are talking about two settings – Liberia and Ivory Coast - with conflicts absolutely similar. Oh no! Another character is the fact that the winner of the Ivory Coast
election, Alasane Outtarra is alive, making his case and is now backed by fighters, while in Liberia, invading forces from the Ivory Coast under the leadership of Charles Taylor killed opposition political leaders that should have been protected, including the presumed winner of the 1985 presidential elections of Liberia.
Well, one thing that must be said is that the timing and trend of the post electoral Ivorian conflict is inimical and utterly unfavorable to present today’s Liberia, a country which is journeying towards a volatile presidential election that should precede a national constitutional referendum obviously purposed to qualify a constitutionally unqualified incumbent for a second term bid, out of what seems to be uncompromising and desperation for a second term amidst heightened public criticisms.
b) The tribal factor plays also
The situation in Ivory Coast is similar to Liberia’s 1990 conflict. Firstly the Ivorian case is charged with ethnicity and religious tension just as the Liberian situation. In fact there is no secrete here in Liberia that the ex-combatants of the erstwhile National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) are crossing the border to fight for Outtara who most people speculate has a Gio or Minor background while the former fighters of the defunct Liberia Peace Council and the former MODEL who are mainly Khrans have been battling in favor of Ivorian incumbent Gbagbo. In this kind of situation, the possibility of a spillover to Liberia is imminent unless cautious and precautionary measures are put in place to avert winding eventualities.
Besides, the crisis in question centers on the intransigence of a defeated President who has refused to surrender power to the actual winner of the election. Gbagbo was beaten flat by his presidential contender Alassane Outtara before the international community but refused to cede to the actual winner, Mr. Gbagbo, just as Samuel Doe of the National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL) in 1985, overwhelmingly lost the presidential race to Jackson F. Doe of the Liberia Action Party (LAP). Gbagbo contended that some ballots from Outtarra stronghold were in valid, influenced the Constitutional Court to legitimize his claims. With Outtarra’s insistence on the Presidency backed by the international community, Gbagbo has chosen to use the State Security against the people of Ivory Coast to sustain himself in power while Outtarra, backed by the New Rebels forces that once fought in the first round of the Ivorian crisis, has been resisting the incumbent. The innocent people I saw in the FrontPageAfrica Newspaper and others who have lost their lives are the ones in the web of the power play. Others have scattered into Ghana, Guinea, with more than 100,000 refugees crossing the border into Liberia.
c) The Unhealthy Pre-election bickering and flaws
This situation in the Ivory Coast precedes the Liberian presidential election in which the incumbent is out for a second bid. Already in Liberia there has been pre-elections bickering. The President is accused of attempting to run a faulty referendum that would qualify her to run, since Article 52 (c) providing for a 10-year residency clause. According to Article 52 (c), “No person shall be eligible to hold the office of President or Vice–President, unless that person is … resident in the Republic ten years prior to his election, provided that the President and the Vice–President shall not come from the same County.” Critics of the pending Referendum have already argues that the President is forcing the National Referendum through to reduce the 10 years to five years so that her second bid aspiration to the Presidency will be a fruition.
So what is the truth of this argument? The truth is that the President came to power through a transitional arrangement leading to election, which did not consider every provision within the Constitution. It was provided in the Comprehensive Peace Accord that the 2005 elections that brought President Sirleaf to power was Special Elections that should lead the country to democracy. Now that there is no excuse of sidestepping any portion of the 2011 Presidential election, the best option is to force through a Referendum that would amend that portion that would prevent the incumbency of President Sirleaf.
In fact the process leading to the ensuing Referendum is shrouded with flaws. For instance, a referendum is provided for under Articles 91 and 92 of the Constitution. In CHAPTER XII covering AMENDMENTS, Article 91 states, “This Constitution may be amended whenever a proposal by either (1) two-thirds of the membership of both Houses of the Legislature or (2) a petition submitted to the Legislature, by not fewer than 10,000 citizens which receives the concurrence of two-thirds of the membership of both Houses of the Legislature, is ratified by two-thirds of the registered voters, voting in a referendum conducted by the Elections Commission not sooner than one year after the action of the Legislature.
The national Legislature passed a resolution last August proposing the Referendum though, but this was the President’s second bid proposal. This referendum was never proposed in the last five years until after the incumbent President expressed interest. The fact remains that Madam Sirleaf has not been resident in the country for the last 10 years prior to the 2005 elections and by this she would not be qualified under Constitutional rule guiding the election in which she wants a second term.
Secondly, the phrase not sooner than one year means “earlier than one year; quicker than one year or closer to one year. So why should the NEC and the Legislature, knowing that 2011 October will be Presidential and Legislative Election passed a Joint Resolution for Referendum. This was why National Elections Commission Chairman James Fromayan was declarative that Referendum wasn’t possible ahead of the 2011 elections. Unfortunately however, he somersaulted anyway, on his position. The reason is obvious that there was an influence, for he knew every provision of the Constitution when the Referendum wasn’t possible ahead of the 2011 elections.
In fact the referendum itself fails to satisfy Article 92 which provides that proposed constitutional amendments shall be accompanied by statements setting forth the reasons therefore and shall be published in the Official Gazette and made known to the people through the information services of the Republic. In this case, what is the reason set forth to warrant the referendum changing Article 52(c)? What rationale difference it makes in changing election month from October to November? We are raising some of the contentions that may sprout and geminate to chaos, a debacle that may replay the past since already the Ivorian crisis has set into motion blueprint for spillover of the confusion in that country.
Besides, the referendum involving Article 83 (a) , which provides for voting for the President, Vice–President, members of the Senate and members of the House of Representatives to be conducted throughout the Republic on the second Tuesday in October of each election year, to be changed to November does not make any difference and sense. October and November are the same climatic, DRY SEASON in Liberia, and their nearness climate wise is practically the same. So why the Change – this has not been convincingly explained and has therefore constitute a point for contention.
Another issue raised for referendum is the issue of the term of service of judges and justices as provided for in Article 72 (b). Article 72 (b) promulgates that the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court and judges of subordinate courts of record shall be retired at the age of seventy; provided, however, that a justice or judge who has attained that age may continue in office for as long as may be necessary to enable him to render judgment or perform any other judicial duty in regard to proceedings entertained by him before he attained that age. So why extend the tenure to extra five years from 70 years.
For me, I agree with others arguing that a prudent amendment could be the one reducing the tenure of services of the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court and judges of subordinate courts of record to far less than 70 years, in a country where many younger, middle-aged or older folks than 70 years of age are interested in reading or have already read law. This would create opportunity for the folks as stated to also contribute to their country through the administration of justice as justices or judges.
These constitutional changes, no doubt, are supposed to protecting incumbents in power, to the silencing of the greater population and the knowledgeable elites. Where politicians are feeling isolated from power almost perpetually, the next option is to consider actions that could be counter-productive to peace. It is like a despot driving away politicians who had gone out, remobilized and return with force. Liberia has learned this lesson and will not afford to return to it.
These issues have certainly continued to stir the political terrain, just as debate of the President’s failure to submit to an irking report of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission has not been resolved. This report recommends that the President and others who supported the war morally and financially should not hold office for at least 30 years. The President, apparently disturbed by this recommendation has failed to act on the TRC report in spite persistent calls. Today, the TRC report remains swept under the rug while the defunct TRC leadership particularly its Chairman has fruitlessly struggled to ensure that the report is implemented.
d) conclusion
Well, my fingers are going of the keyboard with re-emphasis of attention to the situation next door, the situation to the borders of Liberia with Ivory Coast where Liberians mercenaries are active combatants going in and out with looted goods trade.
A disturbing story of the security situation was told. A Nimbaian from the border lectured on the metro while en route from New Georgia how terrible it is for those living along the Liberian side of the border with Ivory Coast. “You will be hearing the echoes of bombardments, with the automatic machine guns popping under the heavy sound. You will see Liberians militias armed mingling with the state security forces who dare not to pressurize them. One immigration officer told me that they know those boys and they are not causing problem for the Liberian security”.
I was stunned to have heard this. In fact he said of the militia in armed were armed in the Ivory Coast and were fighting alongside the Outtarra side. They conveyed looted vehicles and goods to Liberia with no tax levied because they are armed, and they ran inside Liberia to rest if they were tire fighting for a while. That is certainly absurd for the security to allow, even though I was told that they are being coerced to permit such, because they were not adequately armed to tame the Liberian mercenaries fighting in the Ivory Coast.
That is the point I made when I overviewed the Liberian political scenario. Processes and debates attending the pending referendum and the anticipated elections are not healthy at all. With the ill-equipped Liberian army, the need to be prudent to avoid electoral conflict should not be overemphasized. Such conflicts cold destroy the gains made by this administration and send the country in shambles. By meaning, I am saying the National Elections Commission, the desperate-for-second term incumbent and government and the ferociously uncompromising opposition critics should see reason to be not only cautious and meticulous, but to act in a form and manner that would correct every flaw along the road to election; I mean no room for electoral irregularities and future post election conflict should be entertained as Liberians were tire of war.

CONCERNED WORKERS ASSOCIATION ACCUSES FOREIGN MINISTRY

2011-02-25T07:46:00.000-08:00

CAPITOL HILL/ MONROVIA LIBERIA

PRESS RELEASE

Scholarships on Sale At Foreign Ministry

Feb 19/ 11: In the past, employees of the Ministry have benefited immensely from scholarship opportunities to studies abroad both on a long and short terms basis, but the days are now over, as scholarships are now being awarded to friends, family members, girl-friends and most often awarded to people who have no expertise or experience in the field of study.

Occasionally, these scholarships are sold out to people outside the Ministry by the Bureau of African and Asian Affairs. Presently, there is no merit system in the awarding of scholarships in the Ministry, as only is the one who make the selection of who benefit.

Appointment of Unqualified Foreign Service Officers
One area of major concern is the persistent appointment of incompetent, inexperience and inept Foreign Service Officers into the field despite the present of qualified, experienced, educated, professionals and trained Foreign Service officers and graduates of the FSI are present at the Central Office doing nothing.

Most disappointing is the posting of children and ill-responsible people to strategic missions with no or little knowledge in diplomacy service, thus leaving out qualified and experienced Foreign Service graduates well schooled in diplomacy and those recalled from the field.

Also, there is on-going of secret appointment Foreign Service officers at the Ministry who are on the list of being sent into the field, with no reference to record ones at the Ministry despite of long service to their country.

It has also been noted that those sent into the field forced their way through by beating the system to purchase their appointment, by bribing top officials of the Ministry or by favoritism on the part of some high up at the Ministry.

The situation makes one to wonder why should the Ministry preferred to send inexperience ones in the field when well trained diplomats and graduates of the FSI have expressed their readiness to return to service.

Those requesting for those documents are usually and intentionally delayed work on documents until they are bribed to speed-up the process, as a result, those who do not comply find it very difficult in recent time to get their documents process on time and deliver.

Prostitutions at Foreign Ministry
Some females at the Foreign Ministry have been subjected to sexual exploitation and harassment by some senior officials of the Ministry who have taken advantage of their positions to sexually exploit some female staff members.

Among the perpetrators of this ugly practice include Deputy Minister Sylvester Grigsby who Offices on the 3rd Floor and Chief of Protocol Eddie Dunnh who rank equivalent to Deputy Minister, with offices on the 4th Floor, among others.

For Deputy Minister Grigsby, he has gone so bad that he approaches every good-looking and nice lady at the Ministry, ranging from the Basement to 4th Floor of the Ministry.

He is noted for constantly approaching women and persistently on a phone with ladies. Some of his casualties include a black looking light-skin, in shape big-legs lady identified as Antoinette Munnahe Wollor assigned on the 4th Floor and another bright female assigned on the third floor, among several ladies.

This lady in recent time has been a regular visitor at the Deputy Minister office and sometime seems during night hour in the Deputy Minister’s white vehicle driving towards unknown destination, perhaps on a honeymoon.

Shealso maintains a strong intimate relationship with her boss , the chief of protocol who is also at the center of subjecting his subordinates’ female staffers to sex before awarding them with benefits. This same lady also had relationship with a former deputy minister who resiged his post and a former comptroller who was dismissed for stealing and also a former assistant minister who has been replaced from the ministry. Also there are several other females at the Ministry who are sleeping with their bosses.

Other officials of the Ministry, ranging from Assistant Ministers to Directors are also engaged into similar repugnant act by constantly subjecting their staff members to sexual exploitation and harassment, with those who resisted their requests are sidelined while those who comply are giving special treatment and recommended for high allowances and other benefits, to the determine of other shown in the disparity of monthly allowances and distribution of gas slips.

In recent time, passport applicants and visitors have complaint of continuously coming contact with officials of the Ministry who are in the habit of demanding that they sleep with the applicants before assisting them to quickly obtain their passports.

Done Appoint Angela Cassell Bush
On a serious note, we have received unconfirmed report that plans are underway for the appointment of Madam Angela Cassell Bush as the new Inspector-General of the Foreign Service. If the report is to go by, we are strongly warning against the appointment of Madam Bush, as the new Inspector-General of the Foreign time she is appointed to the position which requires confirmation. She does not the moral rectitude and technical expertise to run that dedicated office.

She is inexperience, unrepresentable, unprofessional and lack the basic diplomatic training for the post, and we again reiterates that she leave the Ministry. This record for lobbying for the retirement of the former Inspector-General and several Ambassadors-At-Large, and others who were recorded from the Foreign Service and several persons dismissed from the Ministry and sent to the Ministry of
Justice.

Currently, there is an exodus of employees from the Inspector-General Office to anther Bureaus following reports that she is about to be appointed to the office. She is the one indirectly who run the financial bureau at the Ministry and decides who receive monthly allowance and gas slips, as well as who get on the payroll, while the Deputy Minister for Administration is being remotely run by ghosts of the former Foreign Minister.

Theses ghosts are still visible at the Ministry and directing things to the disappointment of the general workers. Let it be categorically states that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs deliverance from the ugly activities on-going at the Ministry if the new Administration is to success in its drive to regain the Ministry lost status and restore its credibility.

The situation of administrative malpractice has dramatically becomes and practice of the day, with those employed in recent time are either family members, close associate or friends of the Deputy Minister for Finance and the Assistant Minister for Administration as well as other officials of the Ministry. Recently, new batch of employees have been placed on the payroll while some of those who been working at the Ministry for years and months fate are left in the balance, with no news about their employment.

Greed For Foreign Trips
Another issue of major concern is the attitudes of one Assistant Minister and Deputy Minister with offices on the Ground Floor and 3rd Floor and the Chief of Protocol to be the only ones to attend all foreign trips without surprising their subordinates to attend of the trips. It is so unacceptable that they have become unpopular in the eyes of their immediate deputies and some staff members, who usually gossip about them.

They are hardly seemed in their respective office for a month without traveling, just for allowances and other benefits. Both of them were at the recent AU Summit in Addis Ababa , and they about to travel again.

Corruption
Another negating happening at the Ministry is the failures of the authority to combat corruption at the Ministry especially at the Bureaus of Achieves, Legal, Protocol and Passports, where staff members at these bureaus usually demand illegal money before working on importance documents such as Articles of Incorporation, Verbal Notes, Duplication of Legal Instruments and documents and processing of passports to the detriment of the applicants.

Daily Bribery
Those assigned at the Bureau of Legal Affairs usual over charged applicants more than the stipulated fees of US$20.00 for the processing of Article of Incorporation, with some applicants paying between US$50.oo to US$200.00, while some staffers at the Bureau of Protocol are in the habit of requesting money from government officials travelling abroad before preparing their Verbal Note and at the same time delivering same to a diplomatic missions in Monrovia responsible to issue visas.

This Bureau is performing below standard due to lack of competent and qualified persons. The staff are the bureau are noted for blundering on importance as was the case of ceremony marking the President’s Annual to the National legislature and the party.

During the party they were concern loading their hand bags with food instead of catering to the guests most of whom had no seats. When one of the protocol officers was threatened by a senior official with dismissal over her unwanted attitude displayed to towards guests, she said that she will only be dismiss accept her boss have not see her nakedness.

Also, the Bureau is in the habit of demanding officials of government to pay extra money under the pretend of sending the verbal note out of the country through couriers. This embarrassing practices at the Protocol Bureau has become and money making adventure.

Last week Tuesday, one official of government was seemed in the corridor of the Ministry vesting his frustration over the preparation of delay of his verbal note. The man alleged that he was asked to speedily facility the process but refused to comply to the illegal act and threatened to expose those involved.

Another bureau which employees considered as a fast money making area is the Bureau of Passports and Visas where applicants are over-charged against the approved US$23.00 to process a passport.

Accordingly, those who briber by paying more than the approved fees passports are treated with urgency and received the same day while those who refused to bribe and only paid the approved fees are taken days or weeks to obtain their traveling book. The bureau is usually overcrowded with employees of the Ministry who are hunting for passport’s applicants to illegally over-charge them to process their passports.

Lack of Monthly Benefits
The Ministry is again experiencing difficult to give its work forces their needed monthly benefits such as allowances and gas slips as well as transportation to commute them to job and home. Since this year we are yet to get our January Allowances and gas slips while the buses are grounded due to lack of fuel and gasoline.

As a result, we are force to pay our way to work on a daily basic while other ministries received their needed benefits and allowance on time for the month. On an important note, the Deputy Minister for Administration has disappoints us and unable to run his office. The Ministry is unable to settle its debts therefore no vendors want to do busy with the administration.

Greed For Foreign Trips
Another issue of major concern is the attitudes of one Assistant Minister and Deputy Minister with offices on the Ground Floor and 3rd Floor and the Chief of Protocol to be the only ones to attend all foreign trips without surprising their subordinates to attend of the trips. It is so unacceptable that they have become unpopular in the eyes of their immediate deputies and some staff members, who usually gossip about them.

They are hardly seemed in their respective office for a month without traveling, just for allowances and other benefits. Both of them were at the recent AU Summit in Addis Ababa , and they about to travel again.

Conflict of Interest
The Chief of Protocol has engaged into serious conflict of interest by hijacking all government important delegation trips abroad and awarding the purchasing of flights tickets to his Airline office, run by his wife, contrary to government policy. The recent government delegation visit to the AU summit flight tickets were purchased from his airline office on Broad Street , while other airlines agencies which are paying taxes to government benefit no support from the government. His airlines office is usually over-charged government for
flights tickets.

Practice of Nepotism
The practice of nepotism, favoritism and tribalism are growing issues that need to be dealt with decisively by the new Foreign Minister, if his Administration is to be successful in bring the Ministry to its pre war status and regaining its lost image as the first Ministry in the country. Another issue which has taken a center stage for the past three months is the issue of corruption which shows that some employees with low rank are rewarded with high allowance and more gas slips more than others like directors and those with BSC and Masters’ Degrees in various disciplines of studies.

Even those who were sent abroad to undergo studies have returned with Master Degree but there has been no promotion and that their monthly allowance for the month of January is US$125.00, while they still receive civil servant salary while those assigned in Madam Angela Cassell Bush office without degree receive a monthly allowance of US$200.00 to US$350.00, while some staff members get between USD20 to 50.

For instance, all staff members at office of the Deputy Minister for Finance receive monthly gas slips and better allowance, while some secretaries favored also receive monthly allowance and gas slips, with nothing for other secretaries assigned in other bureaus and departments. This ugly act was exposed during the recent distributions of gas slips. We are calling for an audit into the distributions of gas slips and both US and Liberian dollars’ payrolls.

We will not rest in our advocacy until ills and ugly practices at the Ministry are removed. We called on the new Minister to be vigilant in combating societal ills at the Ministry and protect the interests of the general staff members.

We commend our new Minister for little improvement at the Ministry but we propose a regular monthly meeting to enable employees express their feeling of unwholesome activities at the Ministry. We believe that constant meeting will help resolve some of the ills eating up the Ministry and that the plights of majority of us will be address.

Signed Willie Flomo

Interim Chairman/ MOFA Concerned Workers Association

A SARAFINA EDITORIAL ON GHANAIAN BRUTALITY

2011-02-25T07:36:00.001-08:00

This News Commentary, “Don’t Abandon Liberians Abroad to Torture and Death At the Expense of Diplomatic Cooperation,” represents the views of the SARAFINA VENTURES & COMMUNICATION Incorporation on the current Buduburam shooting saga that led to the killing of several Liberians

Report from Accra that Ghanaian police have gunned down some Liberians at the Buduburam Camp near Accra is disturbing. The news is especially disturbing because of the low level of attention it has been given by Liberian authorities – meanly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the time some five Liberians, resident in Ghana, were killed in cold blood with some 60 more arrested and bundled at the Cape Coast Prison.
Liberians were on Sunday, February 13, stunned when a radio broadcast of phone call from the Buduburam Camp stating the invasion of Liberian community at the Camp by well-armed Ghanaian police in the wake of leadership dispute between two Liberian contending factions. The caller further stated that the Ghanaian police had already killed five Liberians before her and that the pandemonium created by the police brutality had forced several of them indoors at a time an installation of a new Liberian welfare leadership was scheduled on the Camp.
This news was verified by Deputy Information Minister for Public Affairs, Jerolinmek Piah, who put the number of deaths at only one. Piah further confirmed that the Ghanaian security entered the camp shooting at the unarmed civilians. Further confirmation unfolded when Ghanaian police spokesman, Kwesi Ofori, told the Cable News Network that the police were called in to quell what he referred to as “disturbances” between two rival factions on the camp, both of whom were claiming legitimacy to the camp’s leadership. Ofori noted that the Ghanaian police entered the camp while one of the factions was trying to install its leadership and added that 30 persons were arrested. Ofori’s account did not mention the number of deaths.
For us, we are strongly convinced that shooting of unarmed Liberian civilians by the host country’s police to quell a mere leadership dispute is not only undiplomatic; it is also unprofessional and deserves condemnation. Besides, it appears to be a calculated plan to terrify the unarmed Liberian community to the extent of killing some of them for some ulterior reasons.
As a matter of fact, there is no amount of “disturbances” between two unarmed Liberian rival factions on the camp in a leadership dispute that should deserve the use of deadly police force, neither is there any amount of mere pelting at the police that should merit such melancholic cruelty, especially where there is no indication of the presence of weapons at the contentious installation.
This police brutality against Liberians is just a tactful reminder of past Ghanaian attacks on peaceful Liberians in that country. It brings to memory the Ghanaian authorities’ attacks, dispossession of properties and subsequent deportation of Liberians from Ghana during the regime of President William V. S. Tubman in the 1940s for no justifiable reasons. Those Liberians fishermen deported, mostly of the Kru tribe, left back their real estates and other personal properties they amassed over the years in that country. Noticing reciprocation of the Ghanaian cruelty towards Liberians, Ghanaians in Liberia at the demonstrated against their government to avert reciprocal eventualities and the Liberian government under Tubman did nothing while most of the deportees died out of frustration.
The Ghanaian cruelty towards Liberians repeated itself during the Samuel Doe regime in the 1980s when Liberians were massively bundled and deported from Ghana for no justifiable reason with the Liberian Government remaining silent on the matter. Similar attacks were carried out during the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Administration, the latest been at the command of the Ghanaian Minister of Interior Kwamenah Barteh in 2007/2008, which only left the refugees at the mercy of the UNHCR as the government’s action was again passive. Today, we are talking about Liberians killed by Ghanaian police with some arrested and bundled into the Cape Coast Prison where Ghanaian security officials are using them to solicit bribe from relatives under the pretext that they would free them once the bribe of US$250 or its equivalent in Ghana cedis was proffered.
There is no way this time that the Ghanaians should go with impunity for this graved offense against the people of Liberia in that country, especially when the Ghanaian-based Radio, FM Vibe, located a Ghanaian national, Code named 919 who made it clear the Ghanaian police had indeed killed Liberians and that he has a video tape he was willing to release to the FM station’s management.
All we are saying is that these things happened because our governments have been passive on Ghanaian authorities’ offenses against peaceful Liberians in that country. It is against this backdrop that we implore the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Government not to abandon Liberians abroad on the altar of good neighborliness, at the time that the neighbor cannot protect the Children of Mama Liberia under its jurisdictional territory.
This has been a news commentary titled: “Do Not Abandon Liberians Abroad To Torture and Death At The Expense Of Diplomatic Cooperation”, representing the views of the SARAFINA VENTURES & COMMUNICATIONS Incorporated produced and presented by Bill K. Jarkloh.

Oh Ghana! Why Liberia Again?

2011-02-25T07:33:00.000-08:00

…A Plea with GOL to Speed Up It Account To the People

By: Bill K. Jarkloh

Oh Ghana! Why hurt Liberia Again? This my initial reaction inwardly when a phone call from one Decontee at the Buduburam Refugee camp in Ghana related the police brutality of Ghanaian officers against Liberia in the wake of a leadership crisis on the camp. This call instantly reminded me of the Liberian -Ghanaian relations that has always been reminiscent of an eye-service and usually characterize by deception punctuated by hostilities towards the people of Liberia.

Indeed, the Liberian-Ghanaian diplomacy has never continued on the path of genuine diplomacy; it has been instead marked deception on the part of the Ghanaian side to the disadvantage of Liberians resident in Ghana. This might be basically due to the ill-thoughts of some influential Ghanaians about Liberians, thoughts especially masterminded by overzealous Ghanaian bureaucrats whose selfish desire under the messy cover-up of so-called patriotism and nationalism has driven them to defying diplomatic tenets practiced around the world bilaterally or multilaterally.

Just last Sunday, February 13, while sitting by my receiver listening to gospel Liberian music, the phone call by the Liberian resident in Ghana was broadcast from Buduburam from indoor at which time the where the Caller who identified herself on the Truth FM of the Renaissance Communication Incorporated (RCI) as “Decontee Pannoh” [I stand to be corrected] alleged that officers of the Ghanaian Police Service were gunning down Liberians. She put the number of deaths at four Liberians in the wake of a leadership debacle, and said that the panic created by the despicable melancholy droved the Liberians indoor.

The news sent chills into the spines of most Liberians who were listening, for the Ghanaian authorities have always adopted hostile attitude towards Liberians, since the Tubmanic regime, when scores of Liberians were bundled up and deported back home. And so I started to think: What will the Government do this time around? I was certainly consumed in a thought pattern after the guess that: Will it be business as usual – one like the impunity and deprivation I suffer when I was never my severance benefit by the Embassy of Ghana here for whom I worked for more than four years? Will it be business as usual when even the Foreign Ministry which I ran to for protection shy away leaving my family and I economically vulnerable? Hmm!!??!!!!?????!!!!!!! Hurtful but no redress up to present

Latest police brutality
So I was glued to my radio receiver to follow the incident as Decontee, from the Liberian refugee camp, explained that the Liberians on the camp had elected one Joseph Sambullah to Head them. She said on that Sunday, April 13 was a scheduled date for the installation of the elected officials. But she noted that surprising, she discovered the massive movement of Ghanaian police on the Camp well-armed, shooting at the unarmed crowds of Liberians - killing four persons instantly. She did not disclose their identities; she however noted that the act of the police caused panic amongst the refugees who were forced indoors for fear of their dear lives. Latter calls established that the police went firing at the Buduburam Camp hosting more than 15,000 Liberians. According to her, several others were wounded while Decontee in one of her calls said she noticed the police were taking some of the wounded or dead to an unknown destination, apparently to conceal identities or temper with evidence.

While apprehensions were growing amongst Liberians at home as most people were glued to their radio receivers, Deputy Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah called from Ganta unofficially confirming the news. He said one Smith he called from Ghana confirmed that Ghanaian police have gone about shooting the Liberian refugees. The Deputy Information Minister for Public Affairs who used his phone call to call for calm amongst the Liberian people explained that he was told the Ghanaian police went into the camp armed, and that it was his information that they went shooting at the Buduburam. Piah said he was told that one person was reported dead instead of the claim of four by Decontee, noting that the Government was making contact with the Liberian Embassy in Accra to give an official account. He said the Ghanaian Police entered the Camp amidst confusion over the leadership of a welfare oriented group which reports named as Jahred.

Police brutality: A condemnable act
In a CNN account, Ghanaian police spokesman Kwesi Ofori said the police were called in to quell what he referred to as “disturbances” between two rival factions on the camp, both of whom were claiming legitimacy to the camp’s leadership. Ofori noted that the Ghanaian police entered the camp while one of the factions was trying to install its leadership and added that 30 persons were arrested. This account did not mention the number of deaths, while eyewitness account puts the number of Liberian arrested at 54.

Be what the situation may be, armed police were not supposed to enter the camp of unarmed civilians with excessive force to the extent of killing some of the civilians. The act by the Ghanaian police is certainly uncivilized and primitive and warrants or deserves condemnation to say the least. Just listen to Ofori saying they were called in “disturbances” between two rival factions on the camp, both of whom were claiming legitimacy to the camp’s leadership. What was the extent of the “disturbances – installing leaders? What then warrant armed police shooting at unarmed civilians – for pelting at the police? What was pelted at the police – gun fire, stones, sand or water? There must be severe cause for police to shoot at unarmed civilians.

So what would the Ghanaian authorities do had they seen a gun or knife with someone at the contentious installation? Wouldn’t they unleash military delta force on the camp? Gush!!!!!!!!! My thoughts are pouring out and I can imagine the Ghanaian skinning everyone alive if there were any form of weapon play at the installation and they would justify even if they gunned everyone down amidst unimaginable proportion. Certainly, I can safely say our government would engage into for nothing diplomacy that would produce no reprimand for the offending authorities of Ghana. That is not the first time. But we will soon come to that.

In any case and giving the varying accounts related by the Deputy Mi9nister Piah, Decontee and even Ofori – the Ghanaian police spokesman on the CNN, it must be noted that the need for an official account is inevitable. It is inevitable because the explanations leave rooms for more questions than answers as to why the police used excessive and deadly force amongst the unarmed civilians. This is in fact why such is a detestable act of barbarity and primitivism that police brutality meted against the unarmed Liberians on account of ordinary leadership crisis of a refugee-based Jahred Welfare Group. The contestable installation for which they were called in does not deserve such intolerance exhibited by the Ghanaian police. The barbarity displayed by the Ghanaian against Liberians goes beyond normality of diplomacy and is against the reciprocity nature of diplomacy, for Liberians would not dare acceptable diplomatic norms to reciprocate such dreadful police brutality against Ghanaians in Liberia.

Past offense still afresh
But this is not the first time the Ghanaians have acted hostile and intolerable towards Liberian refugees. Minds are still afresh when the Ghanaian authorities ruthlessly dealt with refuges who were protesting for higher benefits to either go to a third country or return home, when the Ghanaians announced the end of the country’s official accommodation of the Liberian refugees in 2007/2008. At the time, the crime of the Liberians was to advocate for a US$1,000 package when they were being given US$500 to return home.

The Ghanaian refugee council insisted on their package, and a peaceful sit-in protest action was turned sour for the Liberian refugees who were given security attacks. The result was a diplomatic feud that involved intensive bureaucratic negotiations when Liberians at home were rising to reciprocate drastically the Ghanaian ruthlessness. These things are usually masterminded by some heartless Ghanaians, whose naivety and so-called patriotism yields nothing but diplomatic rivalry and conflict between the two countries peoples. I can safely say Ghanaians of such nature have even attempted to do or have done same in our own country. I remember a Ghanaian who told me, “How many Ghanaians your Liberian Embassy in my country employ; here you are heavily paid by us…” This statement I will never forget, and will always come to mind whenever I notice some self-centered Ghanaians misbehaved towards my countrymen, here at home or even abroad. This is because Ghanaians alone do not harbor the sense of nationality, we Liberians - irrespective of our civil conflict – cherished mother Liberia and her beautiful daughters and handsome sons.

But one thing that that is at stake is that our government – the Government of Liberia – is overly lenient on these matters. For each time Ghanaians behave cruelly towards a Liberians or group of Liberians, our authorities that should have given provided security reneged on its responsibility to the Liberian victim/s of abuses from some Ghanaians. Oh yes! Liberian officials are always bent on the back. I am a victim – a Liberian who worked selflessly for the Republic of Ghana here in Liberia for more than four years, whose services were terminated under a no-money cover-up and was never paid his benefits – some five thousands United States dollars while the Foreign Ministry of Liberia which was run to for redress remained idle, living my family and I in an economically vulnerable turbulence for about a year. Today the Ghana Embassy still has my money and my effort with Liberian Foreign Ministry for redress is to no avail as though there are no laws covering such matters.

Someone will say he is bitter against the Ghanaians because of his money! I will say yes. But my bitterness did not lead the despicable Ghanaian police to killing unarmed Liberians, leaving their dependents in destitute last Sunday. No! It was not my bitterness that witch-hunted Liberians in Ghana and bundled peaceful protesting refugees in Ghanaian police cells where they are treated like sub-humans. I say No! it was not my bitterness that killed a Liberian on the Budumbura Camp which moved Liberians protesting at some in few years ago.

Most Ghanaians do not understand the contemporary world of interdependence. They fail to understand the culture of intermarriages that have sociologically swept across the globe. They refused to acknowledge the fact that while there are Liberians in Ghana; Ghanaians too are in Liberia enjoying the warm hospitality of the Liberian counterparts. So what is the problem?

While I may be tempted to runn a series on the Liberian-Ghanaian relations, the Ghanaian’s stance against Liberians and the Government of Liberia’s posture in this Ghanaian mishap perpetrated against Liberians. But for now, I am calling on the Liberian Government not to sweep this latest Ghanaian police brutality under the carpet. This because Liberians should not always be at the disadvantage of this so-called relationship, for whatsoever good the Ghanaian deserve here, Liberians deserve it there; whatever favor or Ghanaians rendered Liberia, Liberia was the first to help Ghana out from colonialism. Bedsides we are all brothers and sister of grandma Africa mother Africa and should be able to treat each other as such.

“Act or We React To Buduburam Cruelty”

2011-02-25T07:25:00.000-08:00

...Liberians Tell Their Govt;
...As Eyewitnesses Say Mass Murder “Was Planned & Executed”

By: Bill K. Jarkloh

Although reports from the Liberian Embassy officials in Ghana has lied that only one Ghanaian lady was gunned down when Ghanaian police raided the Liberian refugee camp on Sunday February 13, reports emanating from Accra says the Ghanaian police had systematically planned and executed the raid according to the plan.
The Ghanaian police raid that has resulted to mass murder on the Buduburam Camp led to what was reported as the willful killing of five unarmed Liberians and a Ghanaian lady mistaken to be a Liberian on the camp.
However, Liberian citizens have blamed their government for always leaving Liberians unprotected in the cruel hands of Ghanaians, saying that this latest might trigger a citizen reciprocal action against Ghanaian residents and authorities in Liberia.
Some Liberians that have spoken to this paper in West Point, New Krutown and Gardnersville noted that for each time Ghanaians attack peaceful Liberians in that country, the Government has always treated the situation with passivity, leaving Liberians in Ghana always vulnerable to the cruelty of Ghanaian authorities.
“This time around, Liberians need to reciprocate this Ghanaian attacks on peaceful Liberians; after all there are Ghanaians in Liberia amassing properties just as Liberians in Ghana are also amassing properties. What is good for Peter is equally good for John,” says Tonia Blama, who spoke to the Liberian Journal on the Bushrod Island.
Mary Wesseh in Gardnersville, apparently concurring with this traced the history of Ghanaian attacks on Liberians, saying, “my sister was a victim of the attacks on peaceful refugee protestors, who were on a sit-in action but were ordered attacked by Ghanaian Minister of Interior.”
Mary said unless the Liberian Government reacts decisively to these kind of constant Ghanaian brutalities masterminded usually by Ghanaian officials, citizens’ actions against Ghanaians here will be necessary as a way of protesting such cruelty.
Another Barsee Johnson, in his own reaction, was blunt: Unless the Government reacts to such unlike of past instances of such acts of barbarity by Ghanaian authorities against Liberians, we are capable of mobilizing decisive reciprocal action that would signal the disapproval of Ghanaian cruelty against Liberians by the sovereign people of this country.
Other others reacted in like manner, calling on the Government to act quickly so as to appease the dependents of the Liberians that were murdered by unidentified Ghanaian police in that country at the Buduburam Camp.
Mr. John Matthias, for his part described the report emanating from the Liberian Embassy in Accra that only one Ghanaian lady was killed as a betrayal of the country and its people in that foreign land, saying that this should show to the Liberian people that the Government’s international sympathy of this Government is aimed at sacrificing the interest of Liberians internationally.
“If nothing is done about this, we will use it as a campaign tool against the Ellen Johnson Government to vote it out because international assistance should not jeopardize the interest and welfare of Liberians at home and at broad,” Mr. John Matthias added.
Accordingly, University of Liberia Students through the institutions’ student government staged a street demonstration that took them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where the presented a protest statement to the President threatening that Ghanaians in Liberian risked suffering similar fate in the hands of the citizens if the government did nothing to forestall recurrence of the Ghanaian police brutality.
Chronicle of the police brutality
From Buduburam, eyewitnesses on the Camp indicated that the Ghanaian police raid was reportedly executed by unidentified police who removed their identity tags from their uniforms during the raid, noting further that the police entered the camp with shooting at the unarmed Liberians.
Other accounts said some corpses were nicodemusly taken away to unknown destinations apparent to erase evidence, noting that those bodies that were visible to the public and accounted for were all shot from their backs, an indication that they were shot deliberately by the Ghanaian police while escaping police brutality. A phone call by the Liberian resident on the Buduburam Camp, Decontee Pannoh, who called on a local Liberian radio from Ghana, alleged that officers of the Ghanaian Police Service were gunning down Liberians. She put the number of instant deaths at four Liberians in the wake of a leadership debacle between two Liberians groups over control of a welfare council, and said that the panic created by the despicable melancholy droved the Liberians indoor. Decontee noted that she was making the call from indoor at Buduburam.
The news that sent chills into the spines of most Liberians brought to memory past Ghanaian misbehavior towards Liberians in that country without reciprocation since the Tubmanic regime, when scores of Liberians were bundled up and deported back home leaving back their possessions they amass in their life to Ghanaians that had coveted and took over them.
Decontee, from the Liberian refugee camp, further explained that the Liberians on the camp had elected one Joseph Sambullah to Head them. She said on that Sunday, April 13 was a scheduled date for the installation of the elected officials.
But she noted that surprising, she discovered the massive movement of Ghanaian police on the Camp well-armed, shooting at the unarmed crowds of Liberians - killing four persons instantly.
She did not disclose their identities; she however noted that the act of the police caused panic amongst the refugees who were forced indoors for fear of their dear lives. Latter calls established that the police went firing at the Buduburam Camp hosting more than 15,000 Liberians. According to her, several others were wounded while Decontee in one of her calls said she noticed the police were taking some of the wounded or dead to an unknown destination, apparently to conceal identities or temper with evidence.
While apprehensions were growing amongst Liberians at home as most people were glued to their radio receivers, Deputy Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah called from Ganta unofficially confirming the news. He said one Smith he called from Ghana confirmed that Ghanaian police have gone about shooting the Liberian refugees.
The Deputy Information Minister for Public Affairs who used his phone call to call for calm amongst the Liberian people explained that he was told the Ghanaian police went into the camp armed, and that it was his information that they went shooting at the Buduburam.
Piah said he was told that one person was reported dead instead of the claim of four by Decontee, noting that the Government was making contact with the Liberian Embassy in Accra to give an official account. He said the Ghanaian Police entered the Camp amidst confusion over the leadership of a welfare oriented group which reports named as Jahred.
Police brutality: A condemnable act
In a CNN account, Ghanaian police spokesman Kwesi Ofori said the police were called in to quell what he referred to as “disturbances” between two rival factions on the camp, both of whom were claiming legitimacy to the camp’s leadership. Ofori noted that the Ghanaian police entered the camp while one of the factions was trying to install its leadership and added that 30 persons were arrested. This account did not mention the number of deaths, while eyewitness account puts the number of Liberian arrested at 60
The Liberians arrested were bundled into the Cape Coast Prison where Ghanaian security officials are using them to solicit bribe from relatives under the pretext that they would free them once the bribe of US$250 equivalent in Ghana cedi was proffered.
The matter was already taken to court where the Liberians at the Cape Coast Prison were paraded before a Court in that country, but the matter was reportedly adjoined for the March term of Court.
But a broadcast on Vibe FM near Accra in Ghana located a Ghanaian national, Code named 919 made it clear the Ghanaian police had indeed killed Liberians and that he has a video tape he was willing to release to the FM station’s management.
The Buduburam Refugee Camp
The Buduburam Camp was used to harbor Liberian refugees who fled the country at the height of the Liberian civil war. The area was said to be a forbidden forest given to the Liberians refugees, and reports indicated that the refugees have development the camp to a modern urban community booming with life and interest to the envy of insolent Ghanaians who thought the areas could not be the way it was being developed by the Liberians.
Buduburam has therefore become a modern Liberian refugee community until when the Ghanaian Refugees Council announced the end of Liberian refugee status in that country in 2007, forcing the Liberians to controversially return home amidst security brutality ordered by Ghanaian Interior Minister then, Mr. Kwamenah Barteh, who claimed that women that were protesting for their just repatriation packages demonstrated naked thereby warranting the security brutality meted to the Liberians before their deportation.
The Women were then protesting against US$500 package provided each of them instead of US$1,000 the refugees said they should have been given to either return home of travel to third country for refuge.
Since then, they remaining more than 15,000 Liberians that built modern structures at the camp sought integration into the Ghanaian Society, and have further been developing the camp for their convenient habitation, reports from Ghana noted.
Since then, the Liberians have been living in peace until Sunday, February 13, when the Ghana Police raided the camp.
History of Ghanaian attacks
It can be recalled that Ghanaian authorities, during the regime of President William V. S. Tubman in the 1940s, unjustifiably bundled Liberians fishermen, mostly of the Kru tribe, like cargo and deported them – leaving back their real estates and other personal properties they amassed over the years in that country.
Noticing reciprocation of the Ghanaian cruelty towards Liberians, Ghanaian in Liberian demonstrated against their government to avert reciprocal eventualities.
Although the Li9berian government under Tubman did nothing about that, most of the deportees died at home out of frustration.
The Ghanaian cruelty towards Liberians repeated itself during the Samuel Doe regime in the 1980s when Liberians were massively bundled and deported from Ghana for no justifiable reason with the Liberian Government remaining silent on the matter.
Similar attacks were carried out during the Ellen Johnson Administration, the latest been at the command of the Ghanaian Minister of Interior Kwamenah Barteh in 2007/2008, which only left the refugees at the mercy of the UNHCR as the government’s action was again passive.

‘When You Touch the Money, I will Touch You’

2010-05-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

…Minister Karnwea Warns ‘Economic Vampires’

Internal Affairs Minister Harrison Karnwea has sworn to fight corruption at the internal Affairs Minister. Mr. Karnwea promised when he took over the Ministry Wednesday that no economic vampire or corrupt official or person will be allowed an inch to siphon money or funnel into their personal accounts and uses any money intended for an item or project intended to meaningfully impact the lives of our people.

County Development Funds, Mr. Karnwea said, must and needs to be used for their intended purposes. “Anyone who touches any money or any thing not intended for you but for projects will be touched remorselessly by our leadership,” he warned.
“ To the staffers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs beginning with deputies to janitors or least persons in this ministry, let us inform you that true to our confirmation statement, under our leadership as Minister of Internal affairs of the Republic of Liberia, who need more from us,” Minister Karnwea warned.

Mr. Karnwea indicated that to show a sign of his seriousness to tackle the problem of corruption of corruption at the Ministry, “I have recommended to the president the immediate suspension without pay the Assistant Development Superintendent for River Gee County in person of Mr. Alexander Yeaher and have asked Mr. Yeaher to cooperate with and turn himself over to the County Attorney of Margibi County to answer to allegation levied against him by the Margibi County Administration’.

The Internal Affairs Minister further stated that doing so would ensure that the suspended Development Superintendent exonerate from the allegations levied against him by the County Administration of Montserrado County concerning a project in New Kru Town.

Stating that his leadership will reinforce vigorous monitoring and evaluation mechanism to ensure that monies spent commensurate with work done, he added that to this “… we will beef up and strengthen effective monitoring and evaluation machinery of the Ministry in order to achieve much in this limited time.”

He also warned against laziness and sluggishness on the job. “Let me also say quite clearly that lazy people who think that they will come to work and sleep on job instead of working will not be my friends and they need to rethink and readjust now and not later. Let me also say that those who will be given instructions and will not ensure that those instructions are executed should also rethink seriously,” the Superintendent added.

Superintendent Karnwea then thanked the Deputy Minister for Planning and Research of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mr. Peter Kamei, who he said has steered the ship of this Ministry during difficult period when Maryland and Lofa were in turmoil. We will work with you and all stakeholders to ensure that these matters are peacefully resolved.

Earlier, he started his expose’ by acknowledging that purpose of the gathering, which was to commemorate the official turning over of the mantle of authority to him to preside over the administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

“We would love to use this opportunity to call on our partners who have been quite helpful in these challenging times to please redouble their efforts, put their assistance gear to an overdrive and ensure that those much needed assistances are made available and importantly aligned properly with our PRS deliverables,” he said saying he knows partners have been quite helpful and we believe that they are even prepared now to be even more helpful than ever before.

The turning over ceremony was graced by local chiefs, elders, zoes, traditional leaders among others, as the atmosphere was characterized by sounds of drums and traditional folksongs that filled the air the open of the vicinity of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Amidst the pomp and pageantry, the Senate Committee Chairman on Internal affairs, Nimba County Senator Adolphus Dolo implored the newly inducted Minister of Internal to take advantage of his experience as former Superintendent of Nimba County to unite the people of Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties.

“If you are successful at reconciling the people of Nimba and Gedeh, your ministerial administration at the Internal Affairs would be most definitely successful in reconciling the people of the entire country,” Senator Dolo zealously exclaimed. The Nimba County Senator then challenge the Minister of Internal Affairs to raise high the cultural heritage and tradition of Liberians, which he added was gradually sinking to nothingness.

Speaking on behalf of the traditional governors of Liberia, the Dei Governor who chairs the Traditional Governor’s Association of Liberia decried the government’s down playing of traditional governors when it comes to decision making on internal affairs.

Dei Governor Blama Gaye said the Ellen Sirleaf Government was neglecting traditional governors while at the same time prioritizing the council of traditional chiefs and elders headed by Chief Zanzan Kawah, assuring the Minister of Internal Affairs that they were willing to work with the newly inducted Internal Affairs Administration of Minister Karnwea to bring to the country people the government so as to ensure that the ordinary traditional and country benefit from the government the necessary incentives befitting their welfare.

The traditional governors further assure the cooperation of governors and their people to help forge the development agenda of the government.

Allegation Against Morlu Not GAC

2010-05-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

…Information Ministry Says of Yeaher’s Claims, Chides GAC Director

By Bill K. Jarkloh/+231-6-468-244
Bill_ksolborjarkloh@yahoo.com
www.theperiscope.com (panwhanpen2.blogspot.com)

Information Minister Sieh

The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism says the sexual harassment allegation raised by Ruth Yeaher against Mr. John Morlu is a person to person thing and not a matter involving the General Auditing Commission (GAC). As such, the Ministry says it is in the position to defend neither Auditor General John Morlu nor Mrs. Yeaher who is also from the GAC.

Before the Information Minister’s position Thursday, the General Auditing Commission (GAC) in a press conference Wednesday stressed that the President has to convince the entire GAC while it planted a woman to accuse the Auditor General, all because the Auditor General reported her husband to the very President, noting that it is unacceptable to knowingly appoint and induct into office a person who has stolen Government funds.

The Director of Press and Publicity, Ernest Maximore, further disclosed that the Government has left the substantive issues of accountability and transparency as captured by more than thirty audit reports produced and has resorted to attacking the GAC and the Auditor General. See below full text of the edited press release from GAC.

“We know the Minister of Finance and the Executive Mansion have led the attack on the Auditor General and the GAC, all intended to undermine the HIPC audits and 30 other audits GAC has conducted and released to the Liberian people.” Mr. Maximore indicated, saying the GAC has drawn a battle line between it and the Auditor General on the one hand, and the Executive Mansion and audit indictees on the other.

The Ministry of Information’s press release of yesterday describing as inflammatory the Auditor General’s comments that Finance Ministry cannot account for US$51m and if international auditing firms proves the GAC wrong in audits conducted under the same conditions, he would resign, Maximore accentuated, is evidently, Government mouthpiece has begun defender of the Executive Mansion and auditees against an Independent Commission of the State, describing it as a sad commentary in this country.

According to the GAC’s spokesman, “It is now evident that it was not just the Ruths and the Ngafuans bashing the GAC, the struggle is now manifesting itself in an organized Government war to damage another Government official and Government institution. Why would the Ministry of Information speak against another Government agency?”

He said but AG Morlu and GAC say no more. This issue has come to an end. Auditor General believes in the Colin Powell Doctrine: Go to war with overwhelming force and have an Exit Strategy. Minister Ngafuan and Executive Mansion has started a fight and condemned AG Morlu and GAC audit reports. Minister Ngafuan said GAC is scandalizing where there are no scandals.

Maximore added that there is no need to be superfluous on these cowardly verbal attacks; and since there will be time for questions and answers, let me say that AG Morlu and the GAC have endured too many aggressions in the last 3 years from people and groups who are clearly allergic to transparency and accountability, indicating further that for each time there is an audit, Government officials take the airways of radio stations and center-spreads of newspaper to attack the Auditor General, calling him “incompetent”, “rebel”, “witch hunting”, “unprofessional”, amongst other invectives.

Allegations personal

Addressing its regular press briefing at the Ministry of Information’s conference room, however, Deputy Minister for Public Affairs Jerolinmek Piah responded to the statement by the GAC spokesman. Mr. Piah, indicating the Ministry’s attention is drawn to what he referred to as reckless accusation of the Executive Mansion, said, “The claim was not against the Government of Liberia neither were they against the GAC; but they were against an individual.”

He reasoned that for a director of the GAC to accused the Executive Mansion is a total disrespect to constituted authorities, because the Executive Mansion is a symbol of authority, and by that the accusation by the GAC director is a direct accusation of the President of the Republic of Liberia.

Piah instead said it was the responsibility of the GAC to apply its internal mechanisms of probe to address the allegation by Ruth Yeaher against Auditor General Morlu in an attempt to establish the real truth or falsehood in Ms. Yeaher’s allegations against Auditor General, since both Yeaher and Morlu are all personnel or officials of the GAC.

Mr. Piah also suggested court option as another avenue for settlement if internal regulations would not be working to address the Yeaher-Morlu frail, saying that that it was unbecoming of a GAC director to link the symbol of authority, the Executive Mansion to the allegations by Ruth Yeaher against AG Morlu.

On other matters, Deputy Minister Piah accused those he referred to as “a number of failed officials” who he said are bent on misinforming the Liberian people regarding development projects on going in the country. The Public Affairs Deputy Minister recalled that these failed officials have always said the projects underway in the country are World Bank projects.

To the contrary, Piah said there is no such think like World Bank project in the country, saying that all projects are the Republic of Liberia projects undertaken by the Government of Liberia. According to him, some of these projects were being funded from taxpayers’ money while others were being funded through the assistance of the international community.

No World Bank project

Commenting on international assistance to the country through which projects were being funded, Mr. Piah explained that following ascendency of Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to the height of State administration, a donor conference was convened in Berlin, Germany aimed at sourcing funding for the reconstruction of the country.
According to the government senior public affairs official, donor countries, friendly nations and organizations made pledges based on the benchmarks that the World Bank be the custodian of the funds, which the Liberian Government agreed to in line with its transparency policy.

“These pledges were made good and the monies are now reserved for Liberia; it is Liberia which can identify projects on which the money should be used.” Drawing a hypothetic scenario, Piah asked rhetorically: Assuming that a church is undertaking a project and rally people who made pledges and cash donations, will the money be for those who made the pledges and donation of the Church?”

He then noted that this is the situation obtaining and Liberia is the proud owner of the funds of which the World Bank is a custodian.

When the NEW VISION quizzed the deputy minister on how much was the total of the pledges, how much was being expended, on what sorts of projects and how much was the balance at the World Bank, Mr. Piah said how much was the funds does not matter for now, what matters is the project(s) undertaken. He however said the Ministry would give a breakdown later, after consultation with the appropriate government functionaries, adding “As we speak now, there is a situation of cash inflow and out flow in the Liberia Reconstruction Trust Funds at the World Bank, at the appropriate time statistical details would be advanced”.

Where do we take the money from?

The issue of corruption was also addressed at the briefings. Piah said corruption was not pervasive in government as it is been projected, alluding to the US$900 million domestic debts inherited by the government which are now reduced to half a million, the massive reconstruction projects including the construction and rehabilitation of clinics and hospitals, schools, road networks around the country , the electrification projects of governments amongst other.

“We inherited such a huge domestic debts of US$900 million and we reduced the debts so low to US$0.5 million; we met the budget of US$80 million with low salary structures, salaries are increase, these projects are ongoing some from taxpayers money and yet we successfully pay domestic debts. If this administration was pervasively corrupt, were we would be taking the money from? So no, corruption is not pervasive,” Piah responded to a question.

He continued that these failed officials raising corruption allegations were in power, electricity was good for chickens in Careysburg while the people were sitting in utter darkness. Today, the children are sitting under street lights and those who can afford are connecting their houses,” he rated the Ellen Sirleaf administration higher above past regime.

Earlier, he disclosed that Information Minister Cletus Abenego Sieh has departed Liberia for China to chair a 32-member Steering Committee of Expo 2010 of which Liberia is co-chairman, saying that Deputy Minister of Information for Administration, Mr. Norris Tweh will head Government’s information machinery until the arrival of Minister Sieh.

Liberia's Information Ministry Replies Critics

2010-05-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

...Says Former Regimes Failed the State; Lewis Brown Was One
By: Bill K. Jarkloh
www.theperiscope.com

The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism sharply reacted to criticisms from the opposition that the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Administration has failed, saying that the government to the contrary is succeeding in its mandate given President Sirleaf at the 2005 presidential poll.

Information Minister Cletus Abenego Sieh and his Deputy for Public Affairs Jerelimek Piah told the CEMPID Haitai Club yesterday on Carey Street that it was far-fetched for one to think that the building of roads and other reconstruction works in the country were being undertaken by the world bank, wondering why didn’t the world bank engaged these projects during the past regimes.

They told the gathering that the Ministry was on an outreach that would bring the government to the people, so that the people would have the opportunity to interact with the government directly.

The remarks by officials at the Ministry of Information come in the wake of criticisms by the Chairman of the Democratic Alliance, former Presidential Security Advisor to President Charles Taylor Lewis Brown when he addressed the Polit Bureau Hatai Center in Clara Town last Saturday

In his criticisms, Mr. Brown amongst other things indicated that the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Administration has massively failed the Liberian people by its alleged failure to provide basic social services to the people.

Brown further criticized that the only good that the government has done is to downsize civil servants, imposed hardship on the people by imposing tax system that has evaded the entities by exorbitant taxes leveled on the imported goods of the average Liberian doing business.

Amongst other things, he said due to the failure of the government to provide for its citizenry, may short limbs people and broad based masses of the citizens have become beggars in the streets while the government only cater to its officials.

But the Ministry of information was robust in its reaction to the CEMPID Hatai Center. Answering questions propounded by members of the hatai club, Minister Sieh told the gathering, “Yesterday the criticism was the government is doing nothing; today having seen the trend of development including road building and the modernization campaign amongst other, the criticisms change to otherwise saying it is the World Bank that doing this that doing that.”

According the Information Ministry boss, “You can see and judge for yourself; there are fanatics who see thing black when they are white and white when they are black – but what I can safely tell you is that the government is committed to delivering on its mandate.”

Sieh recalled that when President Sirleaf ascended to the Presidency, she decided to deliver on her campaign promises when she initiated a donor conference at which members of the international community, including America, Sweden, the World bank and other donor countries and organizations made pledges later remitted to the custody of the World Bank fort Liberia, noting that Liberia has been benefiting from the donor funds by identifying projects on which the money is being used.

“The Money is Liberia’s money. It is Liberia through this government that identifies how it should be used. It is Liberia that has decided to build the roads, the hospitals, the schools – these projects are not World Bank neither is the Money World bank money but contributions from donor countries and institutions towards Liberia’s reconstruction,” the Information Minister clarified.

The Information Minister was decisively buttressed by his deputy, Piah. “If they are saying the government is doing nothing, then who is building the 100 bedroom hotel in Ganta? Who is the University City, who is ensuring the re-electrification of the Monrovia and the rest of Liberia? The streets of Monrovia were more of dumpsites – who has been paving the streets to modern ones?

Mr. Piah noted that the money given by donors are donated based on benchmarks, which the Taylor government of which Mr. Brown was an integral part and prominent team-player had failed to meet, given their conduct in the governing process.

“Lewis Brown was part of that arrangement that labeled Liberia a failed state and therefore isolated the country from the comity of nations,” Piah noted, imploring Liberians, “Unless you
Can open your eyes and recognized the efforts by this government of President Sirleaf to redeem the country, I believe that Liberia is certainly in trouble”.

On the issue of corruption being rampant as being alleged in some quarters, Piah indicated that it appears that corruption is rampant than in the past regime because people join the government’s fight against corruption and are talking about it every where. That doesn’t necessarily mean its prevalence.

“Corruption is a public matter people are talking about it every where in the country. This means that everyone is involved in the fight. Like it was with the number of rape cases which were actually four cases when I was at the Gender Ministry, it appeared that there were so hundreds of rape cases because everyone was involving in talking about it – so it is with the case of corruption,” Deputy Minister Piah said.

In the face of the criticisms, the information Ministry bosses noted, the almost US$5 billion debt burden of Liberia from the 1970s, which former regimes could not work towards because of bad governance is being waived and the international community which disengaged from Liberia and isolated the country as a failed state has been converged and reengaged simply because the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf team is responsibly conducting itself as a redemptive regime, chiding at comments recently attributed to the Chairman of the Democratic Alliance, former President Taylor’s advisor security advisor Lewis Brown.

In a concluding statement, Piah said there are many who say things that the Ministry of Information cannot react to, lest they are given relevance as they seek to build political image, adding, “We speak for every Liberian irrespective of partisanship or religion or whatever affiliation, politicians who may want to answer such people may do so at their party level.”

Liberia's Information Ministry Replies Critics

2010-05-20T09:12:00.002-07:00

...Says Former Regimes Failed the State; Lewis Brown Was One

By: Bill K. Jarkloh
www.theperiscope.com The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism sharply reacted to criticisms from the opposition that the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Administration has failed, saying that the government to the contrary is succeeding in its mandate given President Sirleaf at the 2005 presidential poll.
Information Minister Cletus Abenego Sieh and his Deputy for Public Affairs Jerolimek Piah told the CEMPID Haitai Club yesterday on Carey Street that it was far-fetched for one to think that the building of roads and other reconstruction works in the country were being undertaken by the world bank, wondering why didn’t the world bank engaged these projects during the past regimes.
They told the gathering that the Ministry was on an outreach that would bring the government to the people, so that the people would have the opportunity to interact with the government directly.
The remarks by officials at the Ministry of Information come in the wake of criticisms by the Chairman of the Democratic Alliance, former Presidential Advisor to President Charles Taylor Lewis Brown when he addressed the Polit Bureau Hatai Center in Clara Town last Saturday
In his criticisms, Mr. Brown amongst other things indicated that the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Administration has massively failed the Liberian people by its alleged failure to provide basic social services to the people.
Brown further criticized that the only good that the government has done is to downsize civil servants, imposed hardship on the people by imposing tax system that has evaded the entities by exorbitant taxes leveled on the imported goods of the average Liberian doing business.
Amongst other things, he said due to the failure of the government to provide for its citizenry, may short limbs people and broad based masses of the citizens have become beggars in the streets while the government only cater to its officials.
Lewis Brown served the National Patriotic Front of Libeia's Government as Security Advisor to President Charles Ghankay Taylor. He also served the country as Managing Director of the nation's oil refinery, the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) and as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
At present, Mr. Brown is the Chairman of the proposed Democratic Alliance of which the opposition New Democratic Alliance of Liberia (New DEAL)party is a member. He heaped his criticisms against the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Government in Clary Town Saturday last week when he addressed Hatai (Chinese tea) drinkers.
But the Ministry of information was robust in its reaction to Mr. Brown criticisms at the CEMPID Hatai Center on Carey Street.
Answering questions propounded by members of the hatai club, Minister Sieh told the gathering, “Yesterday the criticism was the government is doing nothing; today having seen the trend of development including road building and the modernization campaign amongst other, the criticisms change to otherwise saying it is the World Bank that doing this that doing that.”
According the Information Ministry boss, “You can see and judge for yourself; there are fanatics who see thing black when they are white and white when they are black – but what I can safely tell you is that the government is committed to delivering on its mandate.”
Sieh recalled that when President Sirleaf ascended to the Presidency, she decided to deliver on her campaign promises when she initiated a donor conference at which members of the international community, including America, Sweden, the World bank and other donor countries and organizations made pledges later remitted to the custody of the World Bank fort Liberia, noting that Liberia has been benefiting from the donor funds by identifying projects on which the money is being used.
“The Money is Liberia’s money. It is Liberia through this government that identifies how it should be used. It is Liberia that has decided to build the roads, the hospitals, the schools – these projects are not World Bank neither is the Money World bank money but contributions from donor countries and institutions towards Liberia’s reconstruction,” the Information Minister clarified.
The Information Minister was decisively buttressed by his deputy, Piah. “If they are saying the government is doing nothing, then who is building the 100 bedroom hotel in Ganta? Who is the University City, who is ensuring the re-electrification of the Monrovia and the rest of Liberia? The streets of Monrovia were more of dumpsites – who has been paving the streets to modern ones?
Mr. Piah noted that the money given by donors are donated based on benchmarks, which the Taylor government of which Mr. Brown was an integral part and prominent team-player had failed to meet, given their conduct in the governing process.
“Lewis Brown was part of that arrangement that labeled Liberia a failed state and therefore isolated the country from the comity of nations,” Piah noted, imploring Liberians, “Unless you
Can open your eyes and recognized the efforts by this government of President Sirleaf to redeem the country, I believe that Liberia is certainly in trouble”.
On the issue of corruption being rampant as being alleged in some quarters, Piah indicated that it appears that corruption is rampant than in the past regime because people join the government’s fight against corruption and are talking about it every where. That doesn’t necessarily mean its prevalence.
“Corruption is a public matter people are talking about it every where in the country. This means that everyone is involved in the fight. Like it was with the number of rape cases which were actually four cases when I was at the Gender Ministry, it appeared that there were so hundreds of rape cases because everyone was involving in talking about it – so it is with the case of corruption,” Deputy Minister Piah said.
In the face of the criticisms, the information Ministry bosses noted, the almost US$5 billion debt burden of Liberia from the 1970s, which former regimes could not work towards because of bad governance is being waived and the international community which disengaged from Liberia and isolated the country as a failed state has been converged and reengaged simply because the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf team is responsibly conducting itself as a redemptive regime, chiding at comments recently attributed to the Chairman of the Democratic Alliance, former President Taylor’s advisor security advisor Lewis Brown.
In a concluding statement, Piah said there are many who say things that the Ministry of Information cannot react to, lest they are given relevance as they seek to build political image, adding, “We speak for every Liberian irrespective of partisanship or religion or whatever affiliation, politicians who may want to answer such people may do so at their party level.”

………………….

Senator Nelson, Minister Sieh

2010-05-20T03:54:00.000-07:00

….For Preferring Defense Boss To Run State Affairs
By Bill K. Jarkloh/06-468-266
www.theperiscope.com
(panwhanpen.blogspot.com)

Senator Nelson, Minister Sieh
….For Preferring Defense Boss To Run State Affairs
By Bill K. Jarkloh/06-468-266
www.theperiscope.com
(panwhanpen.blogspot.com)

As the Grand Kru County Senator Blamo Nelson bashed at the President for prefereing Defense Minister Brownie Samukai to steer the affairs of State for the period May 15-21, the Minister of Information, Culture & Tourism has reacted, saying that the President broke no law when he named the Defense Minister to chair the cabinet in the President’s absence.

Information Minister Cletus Sieh, addressing the Sinkor Intellectual, Social and Athletic Club on 11th Street Sinkor Wednesday told his audience in response to Senator Nelson that it is the President’s constitutional prerogative to name any one she has confidence in, to act in her stead as cabinet chairman in her absence.

Senator Nelson during plenary Tuesday bashed at President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, when he said it is wrong for the Liberian leader to left the Minister of National Defense in charge of the State. The Grand Kru County Senator told Plenary that this is the second time the President left the country with the Defense Minister who could easily act otherwise eventually, and warned the President that this should be the last of its kind.

But Information Minister Cletus Sieh rubbished the claimed of the Senator. The Information Ministry boss who spoke at the Sinkor Intellectual, Social and Athletic Club at a Hatai center yesterday on 11th Street Sinkor noted that the President committed no crime.

Mr. Sieh, answering question of some members of the club, said leaving the country with the Defense Minister or anyone else is a matter of confidence, and that it is a right ascribed to her by the organic law of the land. “We don’t need to be negative; the President has the prerogative to decide who should act,” the Minister stressed. He the asked: “Why is the Senator crying than the bereaved?”

Leaving recently for the United States to participate in several events and consultations with U.S. Government officials, business executives and other partners, An Executive Mansion Press release state that in the absence of President Sirleaf, the Minister of Justice, Cllr. Christiana Tah, as Chairman of the Cabinet for the period May 15-21, and the Minister of National Defense, Hon. Brownie Samukai, for the period May 22- June 2, will coordinate the affairs of the Executive in consultation with Vice President Joseph N. Boakai and under the President’s direction by telephone.

Meanwhile, the Minister who was accompanied to the 11th Street Sinkor Hatai Center by his Assistant Minister-designate for Public Affairs Isaac Jackson, his Deputy Minister for Public Affairs Jerilimek Piah, his Director and Assistant Director for Public Affairs Abel Blackie and Anderson Chea amongst others articulated the policy of the government on the fight against corruption and on the Truth & Reconciliation Commission recommendations amongst others.

Addressing the TRC recommendation issue, Minister Sieh said the government was supportive of the TRC report as an instrument of recommendation, but noted, “Government disagrees to accept that the commissioners are blameless. Besides some of the recommendations within the TRC report are at variance with the Constitution,” he said.

According to Mr. Sieh, the positive aspect of the TRC was that Liberians were able to interact; victims and perpetrators were able to some face each other to resolve and talk about what went wrong.

The Information Ministry boss furthered that government will indeed implement those aspects of the report that are implementable, leaving those that are at variance with the Constitution with the Supreme Court to decide on them.

The Minister was also quizzed on the Motorbike “Pen-pen” Transportation system. On this Minister Sieh indicated that it is sometimes easier on the part of some officials to make pronouncement but difficult for them to implement the pronouncement.

He recalled the Ministry of Transport made certain pronouncement against the Pen-pen riders in the main streets of Monrovia, saying that he does not understand why the Transport Ministry has not enforce the decision.

On the question of the President’s travel with Lenn Eugene Nagbe, the Secretary General of the Congress for Democratic Change, he noted that it is not an attempt by President Sirleaf to buy him over, but it is an attempt to ensure that Liberians are reconciled at all times regardless of their political differences. The Government is forging reconciliation, and all the government is doing is to live by example, he said.

Liberia Refuses To Tap Tourism

2010-05-18T08:45:00.003-07:00

…But Minister Sieh Regrets Past Failure

Information Minister Cletus Sieh

The Minister of Information, Culture & Tourism, Mr. Cletus Abenego Sieh has disclosed plans to boost Liberia’s tourism, indicating that the Ministry will be discussing the tourism sector of the country and will establish a tourism, boar of Liberia to map out plans that would boost the sector.

The Information Ministry boss also spoke of plans for the will establishment of a tourism board that that would map out plans to boost the sector.

Minister Sieh spoke Monday on Carey Street when he addressed the CEMPID Hatai Club. Sieh who was accompanied to the CEMPID Hatai center by an array of office staff along with Deputy Information Minister for Public Affairs Jerilimek Piah say his trip was poaty of the Ministry’s public affairs strategy to bring the government to the people.

Answering a question from the Audience regarding Liberia’s tourism sector, the Minister responded with regret that Liberia has not been utilizing her tourism sector. According to him, Liberia is blessed with tourist attractions but noted that the country has not utilized its huge tourism industry.

“It hurts that those do not have more tourist attraction have used tourism as a huge industry while Liberia sits by without prioritizing its tourism sector,” he said He said

The Information Minister was apparently referring to our neighbors and sister countries such as Ghana and Ivory Coast, who have prioritized tourism.

Minister Sieh pointed to the Kpatawi Fall; the Sarpo National Park which he said contains 40 percent of the total forest land in West Africa with the appropriate wildlife, the major lakes in Liberia amongst others.

A lot of other natural beauties around the country and major hotels are also attractions that must be developed, according to the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism.

An independent survey of sites paraded to the NEW VISION New Vision, such hotels like Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo , Hotel Tropicana in Tamarindo, El Punto of 4 B&Bs / inns in Liberia, Boyeros Hotel & Conference Center, Hilton Garden Inn Liberia Airport ,Canon de la Vieja Lodge and El Sol Verde Lodge & Campground .

Others include Best Western Las Espuelas , Guanacaste Hotel, Best Western El Sitio Hotel & Casino,
Giardini di Papagayo Hotel, Posada del Tope, Hotel El Bramadero, Hostal Ciudad Blanca and Cabinas Michelle amongst others.

Minister Sieh added how the Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism will be discussing the tourism sector of the country and will establish a tourism, boar of Liberia to map out plans that would boost the sector.

In his article Rebuilding Liberia’s Tourism Industry for Economic Growth, a Liberian researcher, Dr. Syrulwa Somah, enumerated challenges that were being faced by the Liberian Toursim industry. The Liberian elite found that in Africa, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda stand out as tourism-driven economies. According to traveldocs.com, in 2003, tourism became Ghana’s largest foreign earner, about $600 million, while the BBC reports that tourism is a cardinal economic booster in Kenya, generating half a million jobs, which account for 12% of the Kenyan economy.

In Uganda, tourism is the second highest foreign exchange earner next to coffee, generating $276 million from 6,000 visitors between 1993 and 1996. Tourism is being developed and promoted elsewhere in Africa and other parts of the world, and we in Liberia need to exploit our tourism potential for the development and promotion of a fledging tourism industry in the 4th republic.

Recipe for improved tourism

Dr. Somah pointed to Liberia’s tourism Potential, saying that in spite of television images and news reports portraying Liberia as a country ravaged by starvation and the residual effects of a 14-year civil war, much of the roof of Liberia is fertile and well watered, with awe-inspiring scenery dominated by highlands and savannah grasslands are indicative of a potential useful tourist attraction.

“Liberia has tourist attractions such as shallow lagoons, islands, lakes, mangrove swamps, capes, rivers, colonial-styled wide porch homes and 350 miles white sandy beaches. Liberia’s unique history as the first black African republic and a haven for freed black American slaves in the 19th century can be great tourist attractions,” he said

The Liberia writer said in addition, palace of culture and ethnic Liberian kingdoms such as Bassa Kingdom, Belle Kingdom, Gola Kingdom, Klao (Kru) Kingdom, Grebo Kingdom, Krahn (Wee) Kingdom, Mende Kingdom, Sapo Kingdom, Kpelle Kingdom, Kissi Kingdom, Pleebo Kingdom, Gbii Kingdom, Via Kingdom, Dei Kingdom, Gio (Dan) Kingdom, Loma Kingdom, Mandingo Kingdom, and the Maih (Mano) Kingdom can be valuable tourist attractions once developed to host annual cultural history tours, rituals displays, etc.

“The majestic St. John River in Grand Bassa County, Cestos (or Nuon) River in Rivercess County, Yar River in Nimba County, St. Paul River and Cavalla (Youbou) River in Maryland County, and the Mano River that connects Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are among a few of Liberia’s magnificent rivers for environmental tourism,” he maintained

He said Liberia has enormous tourism potential to generate revenue for economic development in the country if only we could tap into the resources we have, saying that Liberia enjoys good dry and sunny weather, coupled with a gentle breeze unique in West Africa.

“Hence, Liberia has potential for the following tourist attractions and recreation activities, which he said include fee fishing, skeet shooting, canoe livery, biking, bird watching, hiking, hang gliding and hot air balloon rides.

The challenges

Tourism as we know it today did not appear on the world page until the 19th century, as an outshoot of leisure travel, which has formed the larger part of the tourist industry. Naturally, as the vanguard of the Industrial Revolution, Great Britain set the pace for leisure travel by offering leisure time to factory owners, traders, and other pillars of the Industrial Revolution. France followed suit with launch of the French Riviera, one of the glamorous holiday resorts in the world.

To establish a separate Ministry of Tourism detached from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism for efficient management and coordination of the revamped Liberian tourism Program, he said is a challenge, noting that another one lies in financing the plans with respect to general infrastructure, tourism facilities, attractions, marketing and delivery of quality tourism services.
He suggested therefore, four funding sources below to be considered, government funding, establishment of a Tourism Development Fund, international donor assistance and , private sector investment.

I don’t think we in Liberia need to sit around and cry about the kind of infrastructure developments and standards of living we should have been enjoying instead of begging for handouts from others. But we are not the only nation playing catch up in terms of our development.

The great nations of Europe had to count on the generosity of the Americans through the Marshall Plan to rebuild their societies. We can do the same. We can start with developing a tourism program that rivals Ghana and the Caribbean countries with respect to natural beauty, adventure sports and hiking, excursion tours and safaris up our mountains, traditional villages, and open fields.

He called for the political will to rebuild Liberia for the better by choosing the kind of national leaders that will hold our country together. We must show our moral empathy or courage as lawyers, doctors, journalists, farmers, students, market women and men to rebuild our country.

“ We must endeavor to build a new malaria-freed 4th Liberian Republic endowed with capital cities with technological innovations in communications and transportation to facilitate the free movement of goods, services, people, and information across Liberia in the faster and cheapest ways,” he said. Dr. Somah disclosed that the country needs an integrated transportation system and new national capital city that include with Planned airports, Sport Stadiums—around which Liberia should design and develop (West Africa Major Soccer WAMC) which will be first of its kind on the Continent, recycling plants, public and private buildings, colleges and universities and a four four-lane superhighways such as a new Liberia Highway and specific lanes for trucks only.

Recreation Parks, Bus stations, Buildings with postal zip codes for efficiency mail delivery and zonal location, rail systems are all considered recipe for a viable tourism, but Dr. Somah added, “We also need an Integrated Ferry System connecting ports of Harper in Maryland County, Greenville in Sinoe County, and Buchanan in Grand Bassa County to one another and to rivers and lakes adjacent to these ports for the free movement of people in these communities. We should develop our tourism industry to include not only traditional canoe safaris but also other non-vehicular mode of transportation.”

LPC Fighters Are Being Recruited for Witnesses

2010-05-18T07:55:00.001-07:00

…To Prosecute George Boley in Minnesota
Reports gathered in Monrovia have indicated that a the prosecutor of a Liberian warlord, George S. Boley, are finding it difficult to recruit Liberian witnesses as some members of the first batch of witnesses taken to Ghana destined for the United States have on already absconded with US$30,000.

According to the reports, the services of a U. S. based a Liberian journalist, who has been frequenting Monrovia to recruiting the witnesses for the successful the prosecution of the former warlord, but Boley’s son, George Boley Jr. contended via mobile phone that his father is totally innocent of charges brought against him, but was being pursued innocently.

George Junior however said modalities have been put place for legal defenses, adding that Dr. Boley is still in detention as he was not entitled to bail.

Dr. Boley was arrested by the Homeland Security for allegedly lying to enter to United States and extrajudicial killings during the Liberian civil war. He has been arraigned before the United States District Court B, in the District of Minnesota and detained pending prosecution.

Accordingly, prosecutors have embarked on proving their charges against Dr. Boley, and have been trying to rally former LPC fighters in Liberia to serve as witnesses.

As the story goes, Journalist Hassan Bility in 2009 travelled to Monrovia with two white Americans and contacted one Blama Monger, an influential LPC fighter who was also used to contact additional former LPC fighters.

It was disclosed that Monger and Mr. Bility has successfully listed some six men including Monger himself, who were taken to the Royal Hotel in Sinkor where the two Americans were reportedly lodging, and where the recruits for witness were interviewed as to their certain knowledge of any the atrocious acts by Dr. Boley during the LPC belligerence against the National patriotic front of Liberia.

Some of the fighters disclosed that they were asked at the Hotel on 15th Street Royal Sinkor questions like: Isn’t it true that Mr. Boley killed personally? The answer, accordingly by the fighters who wanted to snatch a US$30,000 each as was reportedly promised them was “Yes”.

“The two white man and Hassan Bility talked in my presence when he took me to them, but I didn’t know what the talk,” Monger explained to an insider and associate of Dr. Boley, who played the tape of the conversation on a mobile phone.

“I don’t get money at the time; but when it cause for me to go they will give me some money,” Monger said. HASSAN Bility along with Monger, it was indicated, came alone; “we went to the hotel, the interview us one by one. Ask us to testify against Boley,” Monger furthered said.

He claimed that they him their phone numbers to stay in touch. “They give me there phone number and all,” added, noting that for a second time, the other group of white five Americans came and lodge at the Mamba Point Hotel; hired a conference room in Cape Hotel where they called Monger and his colleagues to interview them further on their witness status in the case against Dr. Boley.

“This time they were five; the people from the states wanted to know the character of Dr. Boley. I told them I joined the LPC 1992. I told them Boley killed; he took his own gun and fire at people,” Monger explained. He was head saying that that they would call him when the wanted him.

However, our sources said the recruits were flown to Ghana. In furtherance of the deal, from where they were expected to have undergone their final interview before taking off for the Minnesota. But it appears that the plan is not materializing to expectation as three of the recruits intended for witness against Boley reportedly absconded with US$10.000, each.

The alarm from this has obviously alerted Ghanaian security, as suspicion abounds of some foul play that could be a threatening. s was created suspicion in the minds of those who recruited them; alerted Ghanaian security forces are now keeping surveillance on the rest including Monger who are now on the Bumdurum Refugees camps in Ghana.

Monger’s wife was contacted on the mobile phone by our reporter, and she confirmed that Monger was still in Ghana and is contemplating to return. She was suspicious and could not further answer to basic questions regarding how Blama Monger left Liberia for what.

Liberian Affidavit before US Court

An Affidavit filed before the UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT B in DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA by Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner John H. T. Stewart in the case: George Boley, Plaintiff versus Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, a/k/a The Advocates for Human Rights and Jennifer Prestholdt, individually and in Her Official Capacity as Deputy Director of Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, Defendants and Counterclaimants quoted Mr. Stewart as saying, There is no question in my mind that George Boley has widespread public reputation in Liberia and amongst Liberians in the diaspora as a perpetrator of horrendous human rights abuses. He had this reputation well before 2006 and regardless of any radio interview given by Jennifer Prestholdt.

Page 5 count 6 of the Affidavit indicated, “In 1994, I was a reporter working for the New Democrat newspaper in Monrovia. I received a telephone from a lady (name withheld)-withhold name, whom I knew to be a girlfriend of George Boley and someone who worked under him on behalf of the Liberian Peace Council (LPC).

Stewart said, “ At the time, negotiations were under way to form a coalition government including representatives of the major warring factions controlling portions of Liberia. Charles Taylor, whose National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) controlled much of Liberia, disputed the right of George Boley to participate in a coalition government as he disputed Boley’s claim that that he controlled significant territory. The lady, withhold name, asked me, as an independent observer, to travel to Bong County and confirm that it was under the control of the LPC, headed by George Boley. She said one of Boley’s soldiers would pick me up and take me to Bong County.

“ Subsequently, I was picked up by a group by a group of soldiers led by someone known to me under the war name of jack the Rebel. This group drove me through ECOMOG lines to the town of Buchanan, and we then turned towards Bong County. On the way we evaded two land mines that I understood to have been set by the NPFL under the overall command of Charles Taylor. We were also set upon by the NPFL troops and there was a firefight. While several of four of our company were killed, the rest of us made it into Gbarnga, Bong County, Mr. Stewart told the Court .

According to him, “We joined a fighting force that were introduced to me by Jack the Rebel as fighter for the LPC, intended to demonstrate to me that the LPC was in charged of territory in Bong County and so George Boley would qualify to participate in coalition government. Many of the fighters to whom I was so introduced were children. They were obviously 12 or younger, and they were carrying guns. One boy, approximately of age -(Page-6) – 12, was wounded on the arm. I asked him how he had injured the arm and he told me he was hit by a shell from an anti-aircraft, gun that was being used by the NPFL as a combat weapon. I came to know this boy and know him now, as an adult who lives in Grand Gedeh County in Liberia.

Initial Report

It may be recalled that a foreign journalist who covered the Liberian civil war in the mid-90s, Jeffrey Goldberg, has reported in his blog that former warlord, George Boley, was arrested January 15th by U.S. Immigration and Customs and is now sitting in a jail cell in upstate Batavia.

So far, according to Goldberg, Boley is being charged administratively with lying in order to gain entry into the U.S., and with committing extra-judicial killings while in another country.

Other branches of government such as the Department of Homeland Security are looking at charging Boley with actual war crimes. When the Daily Observer contacted the Liberian Consulate in New York on January 29, more than two weeks after Boley’s arrest, officials said they had not been informed by local authorities as protocol would dictate. Liberian Ambassador to the United States, M. Nathaniel Barnes, said he had not been contacted by authorities either, but said that the Boley’s family had reached out to him.

Goldberg, in his online publication, said he first met Boley in the 90s while covering the civil war in Liberia. “I’ve been involved with Boley’s case for a little while. I was subpoenaed by a human rights group in Minnesota, the Advocates for Human Rights, to testify against Boley in a defamation lawsuit that he himself filed against the group... I eventually provided a sworn affidavit in the case, in which I detailed what I knew of Boley’s activities in the civil war...

“I knew, from firsthand observation, that his organization, the grossly misnamed ‘Liberian Peace Council’, recruited and armed child soldiers, fed them drugs and ordered them to rape and kill for starters. The lawsuit, unsurprisingly, was dismissed earlier this month,” Goldberg writes.

Boley, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Akron, received his undergraduate degree at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Brockport and kept his family in upstate New York for the duration of the civil war.

“I’ve been speaking to him on and off now for a year,” Goldberg notes, “and his excuse-making had become increasingly ridiculous. The last time we spoke, he told me that there had been two organizations in Liberia during the civil war named the Liberian Peace Council – his, which was “peaceful”, and someone else’s which was a fighting faction. This was an absurd line of argument, especially to someone like me, who had seen him actually in command of child soldiers in the war zone.”

A Liberian web publication, Bushchicken.com, observes that “With this latest arrest, warlords and other perpetrators of the Liberian civil war will seriously contemplate their travels from the comfort of Liberia. [Charles] Taylor and George Boley are two of the many that have been arrested by the long arm of the US criminal system;” Bill K. Jarkloh writes this article

War Was Punishment for Christians

2010-04-13T03:26:00.000-07:00

---Says Bishop Summerville, Presents New Destiny Int’l Treasurer
Partial view of the congregation;Bro. Bill Jarkloh reading from a book amongst the congration
Caption: Bishop Summerville Presenting Pastor Kortimai to the Congregation

The founder and President of the New Destiny Pastoral Network, Bishop Adolphus D. W. Summerville, says the civil war in Liberia was a punishment for the Church by God for it’s disobedient to His words.

“The civil war that was a curse for this country and its people was a punishment for the church and not really for pageant,” Bishop Summerville who is also the Senior Pastor of the Potters’ House on Newport Street told a congregation of the Freedom Kingdom International Ministries on Sunday.

The Bishop was speaking at a Special thanksgiving program for the presentation of Mother Pastor Agnes F. Kortimai to congregation of the Freedom Kingdom International Neo-Pentecostal Church in Lower Johnsonville.

The New Destiny Pastoral Network which comprises 36 countries including the United States of America elected in Ghana, the Mother, Pastor Agnes Kortimai as the International Treasurer for Africa. The Sunday occasion, which was graced by the Deputy Minister of Commerce for Administration, Professor Level B. Kortimai, was intended to present the pastor to her church, the Freedom Kingdom International Ministries.

Deputy Minister Kortimai, a deacon at the Freedom Kingdom and a host of pastors, including Pastors Brenda Jleh who anointed the celebrant and Rebecca Taylor of the Pillar of Fire Evangelical Ministries International were amongst other cleric from various churches.

Speaking on the Theme: What Is Blessed Cannot Be Cursed” with text randomly drawn from Genesis 1:1-28 the Bishop further dragged to 2nd Chronicle 7:14 when he said that the church of Jesus Christ which suppose to lead the people to the truth and righteousness has reneged; Christians who are supposed to hold up the teachings go all over the place to seek more powerful preachers and miracles thereby perverting the words of God.

He said evil prevailed because most Christians do not follow the teachings of the Holy Bible; they quenched the light of God and indulged into evil of darkness thereby inflicting curses upon the people.

“If my people, which are called by my named and shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turned from their wicked way; then will I hear them from heaven and forgive their sins and will heal their land,” the Pentecostal preacher added.

Christian cannot even pay tithe and offering correctly, he pointed out, saying that this has caused poverty and curses in the nation. Statistically, more than 80 percent of Liberians are Christians while the remaining percentage of about 20 constitutes predominantly Muslims and other religious sects, cults and pageants.

To this end the Bishop indicated people of God should use wisdom in Christianity. “The Bible says ‘My people Perish because of the lack of knowledge,” according to Bishop Summerville who said anointing does not go alone; it goes with wisdom and obedience.” The guest preacher indicated that consequent to this lack of knowlledge, members of the churches have begun to perish when they go about looking for solutions from everywhere. This is to say that Christians linger in disobedience to the Bible.

Instead of exercising “dominion and power” as commanded by God in Genesis to subdue curses and evil, most Christians shiver in fear during temptation and run to pastors to pray for them. He added that not all prayer persons or those who called themselves anointed people of God are serving the true God; “… you may soon shake the devil hand because of your failure to study the words,” he noted.

Bishop Summerville, to the contrary admonished, “All what Christians are expected to do is exercise faith and dominion; this they can achieve when they attend to church activities and studies. By so doing, they would ask their pastors how to use the scriptures against evil and curses, considering that the pastors themselves are not playing magic in prayers but use the very words against evil.

Bishop Summerville said from the beginning of creation, the earth was useless and without form and void, and darkness (which he noted is curse) covered the face of the earth until when God commanded light (which he said is blessing) from darkness thereby separating between light and darkness or curse and blessing.

The young preacher, noting that God did not throw darkness or curse away so that at the completion of creation - the two destinies of curses or darkness and blessing or light would be set before man, noting that when it reached to the creation of man, God could no longer give the “let there be command”. He instead changed the command to “Let us make man in our own image.” From this, he indicated, “…small gods – the image of God from the dust was made; man and woman they were made.”

Dwelling on verse 28th of Genesis Chapter one, he said, “And God blessed them, and God said to them be fruitful, not necessarily referring to bearing plenty children, and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it,” questioning the congregation are you replenishing your church and subduing the forces of destruction and distraction or you are killing your church?”

Maintaining that the attitude of most Christians have doomed the country and bring curses of war in the form of hardship, sickness amongst others, Bishop Summer concluded, saying “may the curse be broken” with a big amen from the congregation.

Responding, Pastor Kortimai thanked the Freedom Kingdom family, her husband Prof. Kortimai and the new Destiny family for her the courage given her in the service of God and her preferment.

MPW To Open Post-War Regional Headquarters

2010-04-12T06:24:00.001-07:00

…Public Works Scheduled Monthly Press Briefing Soon

An official ceremony marking the handing over of the Ministry of Public Works Wainsue facility in Bong County has taken place with a call for local dwellers to get involved in the protection of the facility.

Speaking at a brief ceremony in Wainsue, 10 kilometers north of Gbarnga, Assistant Public Works Minister for Administration says the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) intends to transform the facility into its regional office charged with the management and operation of roads, bridges, buildings, water and sanitation and all other MPW activities in Nimba, Lofa and Bong Counties. This Regional Office will be a model for four (4) other strategic locations nationwide.

Mr. Klahn-Gboloh Jarbah recounted the many benefits the headquarter will provide to local inhabitants especially in the area of employment. “The facility will be used as a central point for MPW’s activities in Bong, Nimba and Lofa Counties.

Once it is functioning well, jobs will eventually be closer at your door steps”, Minister Jarbah maintained. He expressed special thanks to the Bangladeshi contingent of UNMIL for protecting the facility thus far adding “we as citizens and members of MPW family will forever remember you”.

Earlier, the Operation Officer of Bangladeshi Battalion 16 of UNMIL, Major Mo Bubayel-Ahmed thanked the Ministry of Public works authority for allowing them use the facility during their operation in Liberia. He said it is sad to leave Liberia but happy that stability has again return to Liberia. The Bangladeshi Battalion stationed at Camp Wainsue is expected to depart Liberia late April as a result of the expiration of their term of duty in Liberia.

For her part, Bong County Assistant Superintendent for Development Lucinda Herbert warned citizens of Wainsue to desist from looting and vandalizing the facility. She said the local government will be vigilant in buttressing support to MPW security in ensuring that the facility is protected.

Camp Wainsue as it is commonly called was temporarily given to UNMIL by the Ministry of Public Works to be used to keep the peace in Liberia. It is located in north-central Bong County. The structure was built and used by MPW prior to the civil war but was massively destroyed during Liberia’s civil war.

The turning over of the structure and its subsequent rehabilitation will put MPW in a better position to swiftly handle roads and infrastructure work at the regional.

The structure according to Assistant Minister Jarbah is expected to be rehabilitated in a sixty (60) day period.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Works has announced that it will this month launch its monthly press briefing named and styled “Rebuilding Liberia Together” in a bid to further inform and educate the Liberian people about its roads and infrastructure interventions currently spread across Liberia.

The disclosure was made yesterday when the New Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Hon. Cletus Sieh paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Public Works in an effort to develop a collective strategy on government’s information dissemination.

Stressing the importance of the Monthly Press Briefing, Minister Samuel Kofi Woods, II said the press briefing will be used to interact with the Liberian Press and provide information to the public on MPW’s intervention on Infrastructure and basic services within the context of the Poverty Reduction Strategy.

In welcoming Minister Cletus Sieh, Minister Woods expressed delight for his preferment by the President and subsequent confirmation by the National Legislature, and admonished the new MICAT boss to move with speed and clarity in ensuring that the general populace are correctly inform about the many positive and concrete accomplishments of this government .

According to Minister Samuel Kofi Woods, II the Ministry as the frontline agency of the Liberian government responsible for roads and infrastructural development, every effort must be exerted to inform the people about how their government is operating and what plans and activities are being initiated to improve their lives and raised the structural profile of the state.

In brief remarks, Hon. Cletus Sieh expressed satisfaction about the Ministry of Public Works’ current activities and promised to jointly work with the agency in ensuring that citizens are duly informed about the various initiatives of the Public Works Ministry.

He encouraged the MPW to take advantage of the various news outlets of the Information Ministry including the “New Liberian Newspaper” and the Liberia News Agency (LINA) in its information dissemination drive.

Davis & Andrews Join Liberia's Financial Mananagement Team

2010-04-12T06:19:00.001-07:00

…Finance Minister Ngafuan Wants Them See Appointments Challenging
Finance Minister Augustine Ngafuan has reminded the newly confirmed Comptroller General of Liberia, John B. S. Davies and Assistant Finance Minister for Administration, Cain Prince Andrews, to consider their appointment among the 4.5 million people in Liberia as a challenge to them.

The Finance Minister also encouraged the new presidential appointees to be diligent in the discharge of their new duties, calling on them to be multidimensional players in controlling the nation's economy.

The Finance Minister spoke Monday, April 5, at the induction of the of the two Comptroller and the Assistant Minister on the 10th Floor of the Ministry of Finance where he urged the two officials to be more active. “When we find out that anyone is sleeping behind the wheel, we will shift the vehicle to another person,” the cautioned the two new financial managers of the government.

The minister continued that the new officials has join his 'indomitable' team at the Ministry to reengineer the ongoing financial management system. “As we proceed at the Finance Ministry, we are the ones that take care of the country's banana and that we should not be monkeys; which I think there is no monkey among us here anyway,” the Finance Minister further cautioned.

According to him, “We want multidimensional players here at Finance Ministry. What will happen to the ceremony here today depends on the individuals being introduced. As we celebrate today, let's celebrate tomorrow; let's celebrate day after tomorrow and forever.”

He formally introduced the two officials, and challenged them to be multidimensional players in shifting the destiny of the nation's financial management system.

Minister Ngafuan, notwithstanding, expressed confidence in the new Finance Ministry officials; he noted that Comptroller General Davies brings more experiences from the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI), while Assistant Minister Andrews brings to the table his technical know-how from the Budget Bureau.

The Minister Ngafuan also expressed happiness over the filling of the gab at the Finance Ministry, terming the two positions as critical to the performance of the Ministry. He maintained that the Ministry has operated without a Comptroller General more than a year following the dismissal of James Boker.
Although the two officials of the ministry awaits presidential commission, Minister Ngafuan said he was mandated by the President to introduce them to begin work.

Responding, Comptroller General Davis, who worked at LBDI and Andrews who worked at the Budget Bureau, informed Minister Ngafuan that their new assignment is a transfer of values they have accumulated over the years, indicating that they are not strange in the financial environment.

For Comptroller General Davies, who promised to not be “superfluous” with “verbosity” emptily promised to remain committed to financial propriety. He recalled, “ “Already at Finance Ministry, I am referred to as Armstrong Jackson,” the tough talking Comptroller General stated. Davies and Andrews were confirmed by the Liberian Senate last week.

In his own judgment and mode of operation at the LBDI, he said: I am already referred to as 'God Bless You Gate' at the LBDI, saying, “I am being called so because of my toughness in handling finance at the LBDI.”

He however allayed the fears of his office staff when he said, “I may be tough, I may be difficult, but I will not leaf you alone. All I expect is for every one to work harder so that we all will learn together.”

For their part, Deputy Ministers for Administration, Expenditure and Revenue, Messrs. Tarnue Mawolo , Arthur Fumba and Madam Elfreda Tamba received Davies and Andrews to the Ministry, and welcomed them to the public financial management system (PFMS).

Diplomat Charged With Murder

2010-04-12T06:07:00.002-07:00

…Others Held in Court for M/land Ritual Cases

With suspicion dangling as to who made be directly linked to the Maryland County ritualistic killing imbroglio, reports from Cape Palmas say Internal Affairs Mr. Dan Morias and seven others were formally being charged while several others were release on the basis of lack of sufficient evidence to implicate and link them for prosecution while others who were released were also rearrested following revelations linking them.

The state said it had earlier released some of those held in connection with the alleged act based on the lack of sufficient evidence against them. Those reportedly released include Isaac Moore, a prominent citizen of the county, Henry Cole, local Chief of Office Staff and Walmle Elloit, a former Superintendent of the county.

The prosecution and release of some categories of suspects of the Harper ritualistic killing case came in the wake of reports of rising tension in Harper, Maryland County, after initial reports that Mr. Fulton Yancy was formerly charged for the murder of a 7-month old pregnant woman with her unborn child extracted for alleged human sacrifice.

The older brother of Cllr. Fulton Yancy, Mr. Allen Yancy, and several others, were convicted of the crime in 1977 and hanged in 1978.

Mr. Allen Yancy’s hanging by the William R. Tolbert Administration of the True
Whig Party at the time defied protests from members of the ruling class, who wanted Yancy shielded on ground that the convicted Yancy served as Vice President and chair of the lone ruling party, the True Whig Party.

Police sources in Monrovia, in the case involving his Fulton and other prominent Marylanders, earlier hinted that 23 persons, including the County's Development Superintendent, were arrested, prompting Justice Minister Christiana Tah to have flown to Harper where she held a citizens' meeting there.

Another top official arrested in connection with the crime Dan Morias, listed in the Truth and Reconciliation report for abuses when he served as Minister of Internal Affairs in the Charles Taylor regime. He now served as Special Envoy for the current Government.

Our Maryland Correspondent informed The NEW VISION that former Internal Affairs Minister and Ambassador At large Dan Morias and Six other persons who were recently rounded-up by the government in connection to recent cases of ritualistic killings in Harper, have been formally charged with murder and arraigned in court.

Reports named those accused along with Mr. Morias as Hudo Clark, the County's Chief Inspector, William Wallace a youth leader of the county, Madam Lucy Harmon and Alfred Thompson a District Commissioner in the county.

Reports further indicated that the above men were taken to court under tense security atmosphere. The reports also indicated that curious reporters who were following the case were turned down from covering the court proceedings.

But our correspondent in Harper told the NEW VISION via mobile phone that Ambassador Morias and other culprits were taken to court handcuffed as always cone to ‘common criminals’ or defendants in the criminal justice system of Liberia.

With journalists barred from the court proceeding, our correspondent who contacted the prosecutor, County Attorney Aloysius S. K. Alison on the nature of the proceedings, said attorney Alison declined to comment for reason that “The government has advised me against making public comments while the case was legally commencing.”

According to reporters in Harper, the Justice Ministry had released two of the alleged suspects, Alfred Thompson and Hudo Clark, but they both men were later rearrested and arraigned before the Harper Magisterial Court after 'revelation' allegedly linking them to the case were made.

Although no clear justifications as to the reasons for their re-arrest not made safe for what was referred to as revelation linking the reasserted accused, it was said that release after previous arrest was characterized by euphoria by local people in the county, who were show-casing the traditional war dance in support for the release of the accused.

Witch doctor evidence insufficient

Late last week, the accused were rounded up by the government after it was reported that traditional witch doctors have uncovered that they masterminded and carried out most of the ritualistic killings in the county. Two of the killings, allegedly involved a pregnant woman and a girl who were murdered with several parts extracted for alleged ritual purposes.

The men were arrested following series of protest actions by some local people in the county who raised alarm over the killings and called for justice in the matter.But the Liberian government through the Ministry of Justice has made it clear, that while it does not support the killings of innocent people, witch doctor's evidence is not admissible in the case.

In may be recalled that the Ministries of Justice, Internal Affairs, and Information disclosed in a joint news conference recently that investigations in the Maryland County ritualistic situation must be handled with care, because according to them, the penalty of ritualistic is death, therefore investigation needs to be thoroughly conducted without prejudice.

Noting that it would be problematic to use a witch doctor evidence which she said is only a list of people for arrest for prosecution, Justice Minister Tah furthered that the witch doctor is not a judicial officer to have assumed the enforcement of search warrant along with police and court officers.

Two bottles of blood discovered

According to even if it is with the court officers such collect information and evidence by a witch doctor is not proper, and that the government would only proceed with the case judicially when proper evidence are gathered linking people that may be liable.

Minister Tah said information gathered from the preliminary investigation revealed that the witch doctor along with a Sheriff from one of the courts in the county went to Cllr. Yancy's home and a girl working with Cllr. Yancy was instructed by the witch doctor to get 2 bottles in a corner of the house. The Minister quoted the information gathered as saying that the girl did as she was commanded, and brought forth the two bottles containing a liquid. Minister Tarr also said that there was no indication as to what was in the bottle.

The Justice Minister also disclosed that when his office contacted the accused (Cllr. Yancy), he denied the allegation, but blamed it on the witch doctor that the bottles were placed in there by the witch doctor only to implicate him.

During the news conference at the Justice Ministry, Minister Tarr said the two bottles with the dark liquid in it that is alleged to be blood, have since been transferred to Neighboring Ivory Coast for examination to detest whether it is a blood or not.

But Cllr, Yancy was since being held for murder and is at the Maryland
Prison compound awaiting court trial. He was charged as a result of the dark liquid which some considered as blood.

The Minister said Government has learnt a lot of lessons from the Lofa County saga, so, investigators will do their best to go in detail to investigate allegation involving these personality of the county.

Minister Tar said Government is doing everything possible to get to the bottom of the matter while it is presently holding consultation with citizens of the area to understand as to what is actually unfolding in Harper, Maryland County. She said though, the act of ritualistic killing is not a new phenomenon in that county, but it must come to an end.

This issue came about as a result of the disappearance of a 19- year old boy, James Morias and the eye witnessed butchering of one Jestina who was also killed recently by unknown persons.

The Justice Minister said government is not taking the issues lightly
because it involved lives and therefore they had consultation with several groups of the county making them to understand the legal implication of ritualistic perpetrators.

President Sirleaf concerned

Justice Minister Christiana Tah, also said President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was concerned about the peace and tranquility of the region.

“We have reports of the disappearance of individuals in the last month; we’ve
had reports of two individuals disappearing – a 19 year-old boy and then a young girl whose age is underdetermined disappeared. In both cases we have not seen any bodies. There’s no evidence that they have been killed. They just simply disappeared,” she said.

But Tah said President Sirleaf dispatched her and the internal affairs minister to the region because the residents there were becoming very anxious and tension was building in the region.

She said adding to the tension in the region was the fact that a witch doctor
provided the list from which the 18 suspects were arrested.

“We had 18 persons arrested based on a list that had been produced by a
traditional doctor upon which a warrant was obtained to search the homes of these suspects. This also is not consistent with our laws,” Tah said.

Maryland County is notorious for ritualistic killings. In 1977, Allen Yancy, vice president and chair of the then ruling True Whig Party was hang after being found guilty for the same practice.

In the latest episode, Counselor Fulton Yancy, a prominent government official in Maryland County is reportedly among the 23 suspects. Some reports said a bottle of human blood and the intestines of a dead child were found in Mr. Yancy’s home.

But Justice Minister Tah said her ministry knows of no human parts being found in people’s houses. “What we do know at this time was that two very small bottles were found in the home of Counselor Yancy. People speculate that what was in the bottles may have been blood and some human tissues. We do not know this for a fact. The Ministry has agreed to have the specimens sent to Ivory Coast for examination,” Tah said.

Tah said President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s government is concerned about instability in the region and the fact that the residents do not feel secured in their homes as a result of the alleged ritualistic killings.

“We are doing whatever we can to ensure that we try to get rid of this problem
because we are concerned about the peace and tranquility in that area. People tell me that they feel captive in their own homeland; they are not free to get out in the night to go to the bathroom or to go to the club. The young children are afraid to go out alone to the beaches,” Tah said.

She said President Sirleaf’s government has stepped up security and increased
the number of investigators to make the citizens of the region regain confidence in the rule of law. The Justice Minister also said the government has reopened some alleged ritualistic killings cases that had been closed and unsolved.

Tah said Liberians have been getting a lot of rumors and misinformation about the developments in country’s southeastern region of Maryland County.

She said she will try to set the record straight at her Tuesday news conference
in the capital, Monrovia.

Meaanwhile, latest report says Ambassador Morias has been released by the Magisterial Court in Harper for lack of evidence agaainst him. Correspondents say the court argued that no substance or evidence id found in his possession of residence as it was the case in others.

It is yet to be determined whether or not further investigation would remand the diplomat into custody based on allegations of ritual killings.

CBL Wants Private sector Strengthened

2010-04-12T06:01:00.002-07:00

….Signs Pact Two Commercial Banks on Credit Authority
By: J. Baitermeayea Hilton, III/077219227

The Central Banks of Liberia (CBL) and two commercial banks, ECOBANK Liberia Limited and the International Bank have signed an agreement launching a partnership between USAID and two of our commercial banks aimed at increasing credit to small and medium sized enterprises(SMEs).

Speaking at the signing Ceremonies at the Central Bank’s Conference Room, CBL Governor Dr. Mill Jones said emphasis is being placed on agriculture in this agreement.

Agriculture, Executive Governor Jones said, is believed to be key to sustained growth and development, adding that in particular Agriculture will help deal with its balance of payments problem over the longer term.

“The heart of the program is a credit guarantee scheme, with USAID’s Development credit Agency sharing the lending risks with the banks involved for businesses that qualify under the program,” Dr. Jones told journalists at the signing of the agreement.

In his prepared text, the Central Bank Governor added, “I need to make one point clear; this is not an opening for businesses or individual entrepreneurs to borrow and not repay. The banks themselves will continue to do the requisite due diligence.”

He explained that against this background, the various business professional organizations have a responsibility to impress upon their membership that the efforts put into getting this credit guarantee scheme operational in Liberia will not be sacrificed by those who might not respect the need to honor financial commitment to the detriment of others who would see this as an opportunity to develop or expand their businesses.

“The need to improve the credit cultured in Liberia is the responsibility of all of us. For our part, the Central Bank of Liberia will remain a friend of the business sector and will continue to work to support the enhancement of Liberia entrepreneurship,” Dr. Jones assured.

According to him, “We leave here today thankful to the Government of the United States, an enduring partner in Liberia’s upward march to lasting peace, development and shared opportunities,” saying “We are pleased to be a part of an exercise that buttresses a position we have enunciated on several occasions and that is the need to strengthen the private sector to be able to mere effectively play its role as the engine of growth in the Liberia economy.”

He said part of this effort is to ensure the availability of financing on appropriate terms for existing small and medium sized enterprises and for entrepreneurs who want to start new businesses.

“We are hopeful that such exercise would not just be concentrated in Monrovia. But would be expanded to include SMEs throughout Liberia. We look forward to the involvement of other commercial banks and financial institutions in such a laudable undertaking,” he said further.

The CBL Executive Governor contended, “Let us make no mistake about it; Capitalism requires capital, and without capital all we have is ism. “So this is why we have been working so hand to grow and improve the banking system; to encourage competition; to move forward with out recapitalization plan; and to support the expansion of bank branches throughout the country.”

Also Speaking at the at the Signing ceremony, USAID Liberia Mission Director, Madam Pamela White said that Liberian is now getting to an exciting point in its recovery. The USAID Director maintained that the ceremony symbolizes the beginning of this important step.

The United States diplomat thanked the government for the hard work and many successes it has made since 2005; she also thanked the international community’s unwavering commitment to Liberia, a country, which she said, now finds itself entering a phase where the economic climate will allow the private sector to increase its importance as the engine for economic growth she said.

Madam white recalled that the shut down of many businesses during the 14-year civic conflict
in Liberia led to enormous lasses in productivity and prosperity. She said major among the lasses were those in the agricultural sector.

She noted Liberia’s under developed agricultural sector, which in her view, is holding the country back from realizing its potential.

USAID Liberia Mission Director reasoned that the women are the foundation on which this country’s agricultural sector is built, but added that currently the women find their efforts hampered by a lack investment capital to expand their business ventures.

USAID Director White also averred that launching of USAID’s Development Credit Authority Program will directly address the issue by easing the access to credit for small and medium sized enterprises in the agricultural sector in the country Liberia and allowing women entrepreneurs to make the expansions their businesses need to grow financially.

According to Madam White the opportunity of the credit goes with responsibility. According to her, USAID with its development credit authority and the American people are providing Liberian businesses in the Agricultural and energy sectors with those opportunities but those opportunities are not without responsibility.

She maintained the only way this program will work is if Liberian businesses shoulder responsibility of repay loans taken from the banks. Madam white also urge all Liberian entrepreneurs to use this opportunity wisely for the improvement of their businesses.

Meanwhile, the General Manager of ECOBANK, (Liberia Limited), Mr. Kola Adeleke has
pledged the Bank’s support to the initiative made possible by USAID in partnership with his bank and the International Bank. He said this gesture is yet another important milestone in the collective guest for national development and poverty reduction strategy of government.

Agricultural, Mr. Adeleke said, has been the bedrock of the Liberian economy, and Liberia’s
Economic development is therefore directly linked to the progress of the Agriculture sector.

The ECOBANK boss also called on all well meaning Liberians to take advantages of these investment opportunities, commending the Government President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for providing the enabling environment that allows banking institutions assume their proper and effective role in the economy recovery program of the country.

Is Media Discrimination Good Governance?

2010-04-12T05:46:00.000-07:00

… The Cases the Executive Mansion & NEC Are Tacit Examples

By Bill K. Jarkloh
Email: bill_ksolborjarkloh@yahoo.com
Call: +231–(0)6-468-244

Media discrimination is a tenet of bad governance which in my view should be distanced from the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Government. This statement is against the backdrop of my observation regarding public affairs practices by Presidential Press Secretary Cyrus Badio which is now visiting the National Elections Commission (NEC) ahead of the 2011 elections. It is an indisputable fact that Presidential Press Secretary Cyrus is fond of selecting from certain group of media institutions to travel with the President, leaving out others such is the case pf the NEW VISION Newspaper.

Similar attitude of media discrimination is now making its way into the NEC. To begin with the Wednesday meeting of the National Elections Commission with some media institution is a bad precedence and a recipe for a divide and rule engagement of the NEC with the media during the ensuing national elections. The NEC, as the institution, scheduled a meeting with the media through radio announcement in a bid to engage the fourth estate on a means of collaboration in ensuring a successful election. In that announcement the NEC said it “hopes that invited media institutions are present” at the meeting.

True to the content of the announcement, the NEC sent out invitations to the exclusion of some media institutions. The reason for discriminating amongst the media outlets is not known; however, a staff of NEC, while I was returning to office to finish production, restated to me on Broad Street that the Commission had just met with “the press people.” This media operative of the NEC further informed me that several other invited media institutions were present, but he could not answer why was the meeting seeking media collaboration was limited to some media institutions and excluding others. The restriction of the meeting by the NEC media office to some institutions signal a wrong intention by the NEC to deal with only those institutions that it prefers and chooses to collaborate with.

The NEC pretended to forget that such is a recipe for future conflict, whereby the discriminated media institutions could operate outside the NEC-media collaboration plan and agenda. Does NEC forget that every print media institution has a readership and all electronic communication channels or frequencies have their respective listening audiences here and abroad? This means selecting and dividing the media would set up a media approach that could operate against the very commission.

The NEC should be told that there are groups of people with diverse and contentious interests that it would be dealing with 2011, and any of the two groups could use the left discriminated media outlets to propagate a situation that may push the Commission against its traditional norms of fairness and transparency during the conduct of elections.

As a matter of fact, the perception of free, fair and transparent conducts of the 12011 elections is highly becoming questionable in as much as the NEC would discriminate amongst the media institutions operating within its very proximity. In a practical reality, a national and democratic institution such as the NEC, which has begun to be discriminative in all its dealings with the media, has something to hide under its sleeves. This is to say that a transparent, fair and free minded NEC will not choose certain media institutions to plan election approaches and strategies collaboratively in a divide and rule fashion. To divide the media means that the institution itself through its media component has failed to uphold the tenets of transparency and is therefore is seen to be shrouded in unfairness and partiality for reason that its very media strategy and collaboration have come to be divisive d discriminatory in nature.

May I ask: What would be the NEC’s reaction if one of the discriminated papers or radio/TV stations (if any in the latter categories) is rigorous used to propagate the Commission’s partiality, unfairness and lack of transparency in the democratic process? Didn’t it think that every institution is playing a recording keeping and watchdog role? Is it that the NEC media operatives and commissioners are underestimating the capacities of journalists of the discriminated media themselves? Does the NEC forget that it is a democratic institution that should befriend and partner with all and every media and other democratic institutions to achieve its function successfully?

For me, the discrimination of other media institutions is a flaw in the NEC’s strategy to partner with the media, since every media institution including the ones that may be established today must have a stake in the electoral affairs of the country. Besides, all of the newspapers, radio and television stations have their respective unique potentials as well as readerships and audiences that have stakes in shaping the destiny of the country as far as successful outcome of the elections are concerned.

This is why I am not surprise at the NEC as a public institution. Some of these public institutions have the tendency of discriminating amongst the media. For instance, the office of the President is also doing that. Mr. Cyrus Badio who is the President’s Press Secretary has always led the President to selecting one group of institutions to go on trips, while the discriminated ones are those that give wider publicity and coverage to the Executive Mansion and other public institutions.

But they are deliberately discriminated and denied access to the Presidency when it comes to trips and sometimes negotiated exclusive interviews. This kind of behavior by public affairs and public relations offices of government is sometimes translated to the way they dish out advertisement and invite institutions to programs or press conferences.

I therefore call on all public institutions to be even-handed in dealing with the press so that at the end, they would not be trading blames of unprofessionalism against the discriminated media institutions and their operators. The fact is that no one should see one or few newspapers or radio stations to be more than the others. Every journalist was schooled and every newspaper or station has audience. You may not know the amount of influence the discriminated papers wheel in the public until when one stumbles foot against the stone, when media – discriminated or favored - begin to carry the filths or shortcomings to their respective or individual publics.

It is against this backdrop that public institutions interested in good governance are cautioned against media discrimination, which in my view, is pervasive in this government’s public relations/public affairs bureaucracy, especially using the cases of the NEC ands the Executive Mansion as discussed above. I also draw President Sirleaf’s attention to this kind of discrimination by her Press Secretary, so that every media institution, especially the NEW VISION would benefit from the exposures associated with presidential trips.

Defendant Was ‘Inconsistent’ & ‘Contradictory’

2010-03-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

Says Judge Dixon; Pronounces Death-by-Hanging Sentence
Among other things, trial Judge A. Blamo Dixon says the testimonies of Co-defendant Hans Caphart Williams, Sr. during the Angel Togba’s murder trial against him and his fiancée Mardea Paykue “were inconsistent, contradictory and at variance with one another” the Judge of the Criminal Court “B” at the Temple of Justice, A. Blamo Dixon has ruled.

The Judge and Jury de facto who brought down guilty the co-defendants and pronounced “death-by-hanging’ sentence upon the couples to-be noted that co-defendant Mardea Paykue whose testimony should have corroborated that of Hans waived her testimony, thus, disenfranchising herself in the case.

The Grand Jury for Montserrado County, on August 22, 2008, indicted Hans C. Williams and Mardea Paykue for the alleged commission of the crime of murder, which the indictment said was in contravention of section 14.1 of the New Penal Code of Liberia.

According to the indictment, the convicts did jointly connive and conspire with pre-meditation and malice aforethought intentionally, knowingly, purposely and wickedly killed and murder 13-year-old Meideh Angel Togba on November 30,2007, who was their warden, with out any justifiable reason and with extreme indifference to the value of human being.

The indictment further alleged that co-defendant Paykue, out of malice, aforethought and being of the conviction that co-defendant Williams had sexual intercourse with the decease, thereby prompting her to strangulate and choke her to death.

After accomplishing her wicked act, they jointly connived, conspired and clandestinely took the lifeless body of the late Togba to the bathroom in their house and tied a cloth/belt around the deceased neck and hanged her lifeless body to the bathroom rod under the pretense that she hanged herself, the indictment indicated.

After series of legal technicalities, the case finally took off for hearings on Monday, December 14, 2009 at the Criminal Court “B” at the Temple of Justice, sitting in its November Term during which trial the defendants were represented in court by Cllr. Francis Garlawolo, F. Musa Dean and Pearl Brown Bull, while the state was represented by M. Wilkins Wright, Solicitor General of Liberia, Cllr. Augustine C. Fayiah, Theophilus C. Gould, T. Dempster Brown among others.

During the course of the trial, the state produced nine witnesses while the defense on the other hand produced ten witnesses along with several species of evidence by the two opposing legal teams. The trial was characterized by public sentiments against the co-defendants thereby propelling a robust media coverage which drew huge local and international attention. Consequently, law students, human rights organizations and practitioners, students – the peers of Little Angel and other advocacy groups took interest in the case from start to end, and swarmed the Temple of Justice ground

Women groups and the students were carrying placards reading – “We want justice,” converged mainly at the Capitol Bypass flank of the Seat of Judiciary where the Court is hosted; some sinking “Tomorrow, tomorrow what you will say”. Based on the tension that characterized the scene of the ruling, the well-armed officers of Emergency Response Unite of the Liberia National Police, UNMIL civilian police and correction officers were all on high alert, while the courtroom was not spacious to accommodate everyone that throng the scene.

‘Death by hanging’ – Judge Dixon

It was at that occasion that the Judge gave detailed analysis of the trial, the evidences adduced before him, testimonies of witnesses and rebuttal witnesses and at the end hand down a ruling that was thunderously applauded by the crowds.

Judge Dixon told the jam parked court that as far he was aware and in keeping with the law, prosecution lawyers overwhelmingly established a prima facie case against the defendants to warrant their conviction for the crime of murder as charged in the indictment drawn up by the grand jury beyond every and all reasonable doubts.
The judge described the issue on which judgment was based as being “Whether or not the state has proved the allegations and averments contained in the indictment drawn against the Defendants to warrant their conviction for the crime of murder beyond all reasonable doubt,” to which he answered in the affirmative, changing the countenance of the accused.

The judge said there was a missing piece of rope that could have shown on given the clued to suicide and described the missing of a piece of the rope/belt that was used for the alleged hanging from the other piece marked by the court as P/1 in-bulk; the missing parts of Angel's body prior to the conduct of the second autopsy by the Cuban Pathologist; the finding of the said parts before the conduct of the third autopsy by the team of American Pathologists on behalf of the Defendants; tampering with the evidence in the case and also the missing of torn panties of the Little Angel Togba testified to by one of the witnesses ; coupled with the secrete attempt by the Defendants to bury the deceased before the conduct of the first autopsy and the hanging of the lifeless body as 'elements of malice aforethought and premeditation'.

Judge Blamo continued that the funeral wreath-pass attested to by the Defendants and their son on Friday, November 30, 2007 cannot be used as an alibi to project suicide as the cause of Angel’s death as the Defendants left the occasion and were present at home along with the other occupants of the house where the deceased was murdered.

The judge furthered that three autopsies were conducted on the body of Angel. The first by Dr. Anthony Quaye on behalf of the Homicide Department of the Liberia National Police, the second by Prof. Dr. Josefa Jimenez Hernadez, a Cuban Pathologist assigned to the Ghana Police Hospital in Accra and the third by an American team of Pathologists from the Nebraska Institute of Forensic Sciences Incorporated of the United States of America.

All the three reports state the cause of death as Asphyxia, but Dr. Quaye and the Cuban Pathologist stated that it was Asphyxia secondary to strangulation while the American Pathologist said it was Asphyxia secondary to hanging, the latest of the autopsy which he discredited, overruled and threw in the trash can when he said the first two were the best autopsies that have proven the case.

He defined 'asphyxiation' from the Dorland's Pocket Dictionary. The judge said, “It is worth noting that in those rare instances of death by asphyxiation that there is normally a sexual element to the investigation and this is something that forensic Pathologists and Police alike will seek to confirm or deny at the beginning of any enquiry where asphyxiation is used as a means to bring about death.”

According to him, “The Cuban pathologist reported that the deceased was sexually assaulted and violated; strangulated before hanging. At the time of the death of the deceased, she was 13 years old and could not have given sexual consent at that age and anyone who allegedly had sexual intercourse with her committed the atrocious crime of rape.”

This fact, the judge said, was also confirmed by the prosecution's first witness Dr. Servillano B. Rituallo, III, and the second rebuttal witness David M. Kpardeh, after the allegations of sexual intercourse were denied by defendant Hans C. Williams Sr. with whom the deceased had very serious sexual relationship …”

Judge Dixon added that it was a visiting medical doctor from the USA who lifted the skirt of Angel at the JFK hospital on the night of November 30, 2007 and discovered that her panties had been torn. It was because of the torn panties that the doctor advised Hans Williams to report the case to the police, he indicated.

“The court is convinced that hanging took place; but the deceased did not hang herself and did not commit suicide. She was killed and murdered by the defendants as laid down in the indictment,” the judge maintained.

Surprisingly, none of the evidence produced by the defense 10 witnesses was upheld. According to the judge, Hans Williams took the stand on his own behalf and supposedly on behalf of co-defendant Mardea P. Williams but failed to traverse the allegations and averments spelt out in the indictment but rather accused several persons who did not live in his household at the time the death occurred.

“All species of evidence admitted into evidence by the prosecution and testimonies of witnesses for the state are sustained and upheld by the court, unlike those of the defendants,” the Judge continued.

He accentuated, “The burden of proof rest on the party who alleges a fact except that when the subject matter of a negative averment lies peculiarly within the knowledge of the other party.” “The averment is taken as true unless disproof by that party. It is sufficient if the party who has the burden of proof established his allegations by a preponderance of the evidence,” Judge Dixon stated.

He named some of the species of evidence admitted into evidence as P/1- In – Bulk up to and including P/9- In – Bulk, noting that “The best evidence, which the case admits of, must always be produced; that is, no evidence is sufficient which supposes the existence of better evidence” as he pour into his mouth a sip from the mineral water bottle that was on his desk.

Judge Dixon further stated that nobody shall be deprived of life, liberty, security of the person, property, privilege or any other right except as the outcome of a hearing judgment consistent with the provision laid down in the constitution and in accordance with the “Due Process” of law.

He said justice shall be done to all without sale, denial or delay, pointing out that to convict in a criminal case not only should there be a preponderance of evidence, but also the evidence must be so conclusive as to exclude every reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the accused.

“Wherefore and in view of the foregoing facts and attending circumstances and the laws controlling, it is the considered final verdict/judgment of this Honorable Court that Defendants Hans C. Williams, Sr. and Mardia P. Williams, are hereby adjudged Guilty…” Judge Dixon, overlooking his spectacle standing reading the verdict and judgment on his throne could not land when a thunderous big applause get the court uncontrollable while cameras of journalists were all fixed at him focused.

Soon after he discovered that the court bailiff could not bring silence to the court with a pounded gavel, the trial judge continues amid the noisy court room shouting on the peak of his voice, “…it is the considered final verdict/judgment of this Honorable Court that Defendants Hans C. Williams, Sr. and Mardia P. Williams, are hereby adjudged Guilty of the crime of murder with immediate effect in keeping with section 14.1 of the NEW PENAL CODE of Liberia.”

In his judgment, Judge Dixon ordered the convicted persons to be hanged on Friday, March 26, 2010 at the Monrovia Central Prison from 6 A.M to 6 P.M until death, and also ordered the clerk of the court to communicate with the Liberian leader, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf so as to effect the final verdict.

He further ordered the clerk of the court to issue a commitment upon conviction for death by hanging and have same placed in the hands of the Sheriff for service on the Superintendent of the Monrovia Central Prison as notification for the order.

Accordingly, the Judge further ordered the Clerk of Court “to issue a commitment upon conviction for death by hanging and have same placed in the hands of the Sheriff for service on the Superintendent of the Monrovia Central Prison Compound. And it is hereby ordered.”

Defense runs to high court

As the Judge downed the Microphone of the speakers at the court, Cllr. Francis Y. S. Garlawolo sprang from the bar of the defense and excepted to the ruling. “To which ruling of Your Honor, defendants excepts [e-x-c-e-p-t-s],” he spelled it to the clerk, saying, “and defense announced an appeal to the Honorable Supreme Court sitting in its October A. D., 2010 Term of Court, and submit”

As though it was a drama, Judge Dixon grasped the microphone back, stating, “exception noted, matter suspended….”, soon after which dramatic ruling that security forces whisked Hans and Mardea from the Court to the Prison van from where the piloted back to prison as Hans was seen sobbing while others identified as his children and family broke down tears at the court.

By the appeal, it is apparent that the convicts, Hans and his fiancée Mardea will only hanged provided the Supreme Court, the final arbiter of justice, upholds the ruling of the Criminal Court “B”, but if this should be the case, it would be after the October term of the Supreme Court and not on March 26, 2010, as ordered by the Judge of Criminal Court “B”.

Hans’ ‘inconsistent’ testimonies

Taking the witness’ for him and his fiancée Mardea, Hans testified to the court with tears: “I never slept with my daughter; we loved her so much; she was an honest girl.” He said the accusations against him and his beloved Mardea were master-minded by former Justice Minister Philip A. Z. Banks and others, even though a rebuttal witness brought into the case to the effect of Hans’ testimonies openly told the court that the he saw Hans on several occasions with little Angel kissing in Hans white car at different locations in Old Road, Sinkor.

“Co-defendants Hans C. Williams, Sr. took the witnesses’ stand … he failed to traverse the allegations and averments laid down in the Indictment drawn against them, but rather he accused several persons who did not live in his household at the time the death occurred for being responsible for the plight,” the trial judge said in his ruling convicting Hans and Mardea.

Co-defendant hans C. William, Sr., Judge A. Blamo Dixon maintained, made several sweeping statements in court that do not have any bearing on the case. “He testified that at one point he was fatigue; at the other he was asleep and later awakened by a phone call and back to sleep and finally awakened by the alarm of Hans C. William, Jr.,” Judge Dixon quoted the co-defendant Hans in his testimonies.

The Judge furthered, furthering that the testimonies of Co-defendant “were inconsistent, contradictory and at variance with one another”, noted that Mardea whose testimonies should have corroborated Hans’ waived her testimony in the case while the entire defense team, he found, failed and neglected to produce before the court the security guard in person of Patrick Kollie and Oldman Oscar Paykue, the both of whom that allegedly assisted Co-defendant Hans to cut the robe belt from Angel’s neck in a bathroom at the Williamses residence.

The indictment of the case

Hans Williams and Mardea Paykou were arrested in January 2008 by the Liberia National Police (LNP) after the death of 13-year-old Angel Togba, who until her death was living with the couple as a foster daughter. Angel was related to Mardea Paykou.
Defendants Hans Williams and Mardea Paykou claimed that they discovered the body of Angel suspending to the curtain rail in their guest bathroom in November 2007.

According to them, they tried all they could to resuscitate her and at the same time rushed her to John F. Kennedy (JFK) Medical Center but their efforts proved futile. The state, however, charged the two for murder and consequently indicted them.

In the indictment, defendant Hans Williams was accused of sexually abusing the 13-year-old girl while his wife was accused of strangulating Angel to death after she (Mardea) had discovered the sexual relationship between her husband and Angel.

The defendants pleaded not guilty of the charges brought against them. After the discovery of the body, a team of Liberian police investigators constituted by government to investigate the mysterious death of the 13-year-old girl said in their findings that the investigators could not derive any clue to link the accused to the crime. The team, in consultation with Dr. Anthony Quaye - the Liberian medical doctor and pathologist who conducted the first examination on the corpse of little Angel Togba, found that Angel committed suicide.

But the state disregarded to Dr. Quaye’s findings and those of the first police probe thereby commissioning a second investigation undertaken by Ghanaian homicide investigators from the Ghana Police Service.

This second investigation was done along with a Cuban pathologist from the Ghanaian Police Hospital in Accra, who concluded that Little Angel Togba was strangled to death. The Ghanaian homicide investigators found that there was no way Little Angel could have hanged herself, considering the measurement of the alleged crime scene in relation to the height of deceased.

Case history

When the case was called for the second time at the Criminal Court “B: thios time under the gavel of Judge A. Blamo Dixon, Dr. Quaye’s testimony in open court went at variance with his autopsy report. The Liberia medical doctor testified that although his autopsy report stated that Angel died as a result of suicide, he was bullied by the LNP officers to make derive a suicide report against the deceased. He said he had a double mind while compiling the report, telling the court that he knew Angel died of Asphyxia secondary to strangulation.

A team of American pathologists were also invited from Nebraska Institute of Forensic Sciences in the United States of America (USA) by the defendants in 2008 to conduct autopsy on the remains of Angel Togba, and said Angel died of Asphyxiation due to suicide.

A third person who testified to provide technical explanation of Angel’s death, Dr. Thomas L. Bennett told the court that one could commit suicide even by lying on the floor. Dr. Bennett said for strangulation to be determined, there should be a breakage in the hyoid bone which is located in the neck of every human being. He further stated that the hyoid bone does not break in the case of Angel’s alleged suicide.

The was clear in his testimony in Court how none of the previous pathologists made mention of the hyoid bone in their reports, but concluded that Angel died of asphyxia secondary to strangulation.

Disclosing that his team located the hyoid bone and took a microscopic look at it and realized that it was not broken which indicated that Angel was not strangulated.
Notwithstanding, the state produced a rebuttal witness, Dr. Rituallo, a Philippine pathologist who is currently serving as the head of the JFK Pathology Department and also serving as a professor of Pathology at the University of Liberia, whose testimony nullified Dr. Bennett.

The Filipino doctor, explaining from photos of the corpse of Angel Togba disclosed that a careful review of some of the photos had established that Angel did not hang herself. Agreed with Dr. Bennett that the hyoid bone is often broken during strangulation, the Filipino medical practitioner however said such is highly uncommon in children.

The state produced 15 witnesses including rebuttal witnesses while the defendants produced 10 witnesses. Even though the state produced 10 witnesses and five rebuttal witnesses, none of the witnesses linked anyone to the commission of the crime directly, but circumstantially.

Massive jubilation

The court doors and gates were unusually closed for the arrival as the public sentiments seem to be flaring on the matter and discussions amongst separate groups of various categories in and outside the fence of the Temple of Justice were dominated by sentiments expressed against the defendants, while a few disagree and argued that it the law that can convict them and not the sentiments.

Amidst the tensed atmosphere and high security alert were the women and students groups sitting and singing The hot morning sunrise meant nothing to then as long as they were yearning for ‘justice’ in the case.

Traffic around the Temple of Justice was at a standstill for several hours as the women, children, uniformed students, individuals; security personnel had taken over the street at the entrance on Capitol By-pass into the Alphonso Caine Police Headquarters just adjacent the trial court at Temple of Justice.

The ruling finally came, bringing down guilty the accused on whom death by hanging sentence was passed, massive jubilations seized the area and the judge was overwhelmingly cheered by the crowds, even when he was escorted from the Temple of Justice by a Police siren vehicle.

US Ambassador, Speaker Tyler In War of Words

2010-03-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

Over Lawmakers’ Agriculture Break

By: Bill K. Jarkloh
www.theperiscope.com / www.panwhanpen.com
Email:bill_ksolborjarkloh@yahoo.com
Call: +231(0)-6-468-244 or : +231-(0)77-468-244

Minutes after the United States Ambassador, Linda Thomas Greenfield criticizes elected officials for reneging on their fundamental responsibility to their people to ensure their development needs and welfare are met, House Speaker Alex Tyler quickly responded, saying there is no restriction on how members of the Legislature should observe their annual or agriculture break.

Speaking Wednesday to reporters in reaction to Ambassador Greenfield assertions against the lawmakers, House Speaker Tyler has clarified that there is no restriction on how and where members of the Legislature should spent their annual or agriculture break. Speaker Tyler further said the annual Legislative break usually taken by Legislators can be spent anyway.

The Speaker argued that an individual lawmaker may choose to either spend the Legislative break on travel or with constituents, conceding however that the annual Legislative break is intended for lawmakers to get to their people, something he said is being done.

But the United States Ambassador, Madam Greenfield disagrees. She said earlier that lawmakers are required to spend their break with voting constituents. Speaking at the formal program Wednesday when she turned over to the Liberian government the newly constructed Headquarters of the National Elections Commission (NEC) in Sinkor, Ambassador Greenfield indicated that instead of legislators visiting their constituents, they instead choose to spend their break to the United States under the canopy of traveling to meet their constituents abroad.

The United States envoy, in her disagreement asked, “How many of you Liberians know your senators, your Representatives? How many of you Liberians see the legislators at their constituencies often to ask the people what are their development needs? Ambassador Greenfield reasoned that the people of Liberia deserve visitation of elected officials who are responsible to them and who see them as their constituents to discuss development issues.

The Ambassador was speaking to the backdrop that Legislators often use their Agricultural break to either stay in the Capitol City with little concern of the development needs of the peoples of their respective constituencies, or at times run to the United States in the name of meeting non-voting members of their constituencies in the diaspora.

It is said that lawmakers are entitled to some gains accrued from the Agricultural break, but it equally often noted that the purpose of the multiple agricultural breaks of successive regimes have not achieved the requisite developments initiatives that could justify the breaks.

Today, Liberia remains one of the least developed country, a resident of Neezo Community in Paynesville remarked openly, having listened to the Truth FM’s morning breakfast show of Thursday on which the interplay of the Greenfield-Tyler actualities were aired.

Analysts have viewed that the United States Ambassador has right to speak to bad governance practices here in Liberia, considering that Liberians look up to the United States for rescue in time of trouble such as the past civil war and subsequently criticize the US Administration upon failure or delay by the U. S. to intervene.

The US Ambassador observed most Liberian lawmakers do not spend time with the people during their regular legislative breaks. She said these lawmakers are instead seen at the US Embassy collecting visas to visit the United States where they have no constituency

In her view, the United States Ambassador said that those in the diaspora are not voting constituents, and that the legislators need to visit the voting constituents who enthroned them into their legislative offices through their votes than the non-voting ones who are not feeling the actual lack of needed development projects at the constituency levels.

Ambassador Greenfield said from recent travels she has made around the country, most people complained of not having access to their lawmakers. She said elected officials especially lawmakers need to visit their people to discuss with them developmental and other issues.

The U. S. Ambassador also said meaningful democracy requires that all Liberians become involved and engage each other and their leaders with honesty, respect and candor. The US envoy urged Liberians to participate in the democratic process of their country to make sound decision that would promote good governance.

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield noted that the NEC that will sit in the new office structure is one of Liberia's most important government institutions. “It is the starting point for the democratic process in Liberia because it ensures that the leaders who run Liberia's democracy are selected by the people in a politically-neutral impartial manner.”

The Ambassador said the completion of the building does not mark the end of the US government's commitment in helping to make sure that Liberians are able to choose their leaders in a free and fair election. “We are committed to supporting the right of Liberians; the key democratic right to decide who runs their government. So, in addition to renovating this building, we are also providing US$17 million to build the NEC's capacity to prepare for and carry out the 2011 elections which will and must be free, fair and transparent,” Ambassador Greenfield announced.

She expressed confidence that the new NEC Headquarters will become symbol of the strength and durability of Liberia's democratic process. A monument depicting a woman her casting ballot has been erected at the new NEC Compound. The ambassador said the woman depicted in the statue will always reminded Liberians that democracy and good governance are ensured by citizens' active participation in the electoral process and the dialogue that follows between elected officials and their constitutions.

“This woman, like many Liberian women before her, is struggling, against all odds, to submit her ballot and vote. I am proud to say that, since arriving in Liberia nearly two years ago, I have seen men and women, young and old, travel worn roads and brave rainstorms in order to cast their ballot. And I have also seen those people ask their politicians hard questions and demand accountability from them after the people put them into office.”

Ambassador implored the NEC that the commission works for the people of Liberia, and that the new building was built for the people of Liberia. “In 2011, Liberians will again go to the polls to exercise their right to vote. This time, it is the NEC alone, without international support that will bear the trust of the Liberian people as it oversees the nationwide elections,” she said

USAID Liberia Mission Director Pamela White, who also addressed the occasion, said true democracy will require effort by all Liberians, and the American. Madam White hopes that the grandeur of the building will inspire the NEC to grasp its mandate with both hands and ensure access to democracy for all Liberians.

“We also hope that this new structure, situated so close to Tubman Boulevard will be a daily reminder to Liberians of the promise of democracy and the vital importance of free and fair elections,” she further said.

Liberia’s Nightmare Is Over!

2010-03-26T08:39:00.001-07:00

…President Sirleaf Tells ECOWAS; Says the Country Is On The Move

The President of Liberia, madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, says Liberia is on the move after decades of economic mismanagement and fourteen years of brutal civil war. The President also declared that the country’s national nightmare is over.

Madam Sirleaf spoke recently when she addressed an ECOWAS conference in Monrovia. She said the country has been at peace since 2003. Two rounds of free and fair elections in 2005 led to the inauguration of a new government in January 2006.

The economy, she observed, is expanding rapidly with growth accelerating to over 9 percent in 2007. Roads and buildings are being rebuilt, health clinics and schools are re-opening and agricultural production is increasing.

The Government is introducing a broad set of policies to foster peace, accelerate reconstruction and development, and build strong systems of governance. There is a long way to go, but Liberia has launched its recovery and is poised for rapid, inclusive and sustainable development in the years to come, the President indicated.

She told the African leaders that on this course, “we have embarked on the four pillars Poverty Reduction Strategy which addresses peace & security, Economic Revitalization, Strengthening Governance and Rule of Law, Rehabilitating Infrastructure and delivering basic Social Services.”

“We are grateful for the all round support from our West African, American, European, and Asian nations; the United Nations and the entire international community. I now have the honor and pleasure to declare the conference open and wish you all fruitful and rewarding deliberations,’ she added. Below is the full text:

Before proceeding, I ask that we stand and observe a moment of silence in memory of the peacekeepers, partners of Liberia, and the thousands of Liberians who perished during the bloody civil war in this country. Thank you.

I wish to welcome all of you who are visiting Liberia for this Conference. I particularly welcome home to Liberia those who labored so tirelessly for peace in this Country. I wish you a most pleasant stay as you deliberate on the achievements and challenges of two decades of peace processes in our nation, and as you chart a course for an even more profound peace in the future.

By an Act of the Legislature, August 24 is set aside each year as national holiday, in commemoration of the national insignia of Liberia, its flag. It was on this day, in 1847, when the Lone Star was hoisted over the first independent African Republic in sub-Saharan Africa. But on August 24, 1990, there was addendum to our history. The Lone Star had difficulty unfurling because a bloody civil war was being waged. The country was partitioned into spheres of control among three warring factions. Fortunately, up the Atlantic Ocean came a ship laden with peacekeepers, from neighboring countries in West Africa, to intervene in ending the era of violence in Liberia.

The Peacekeepers raised a white flag to signify peace, friendship and neutrality. However, their friendly gesture was greeted with hostility, for upon landing on Liberian soil, they were greeted by a firestorm of mortar shelling. Although they sustained casualties, they were brave and courageous, and determined to execute their mission of separating the warring factions, ensuring a ceasefire and, eventually, holding a democratic election.

At the height of the war, there was a popular slogan, which we still passionately believe and acclaim: “Thank God for ECOMOG”. So again, on behalf of the grateful people of Liberia, I salute the men and women of valor - the compatriots of spine and courage who made daring sacrifices for peace to reign in Liberia. I pay special homage to the men and women who paid so dearly for the peace and stability we enjoy today. We thank the succeeding Chairmen of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government represented by you in this room, the Force and Field Commanders of ECOMOG; the gallant soldiers in the field and the diplomats who endured sleepless nights in the pursuit of peace in Liberia, the Executive Secretaries of ECOWAS.

I must single out those leaders of West Africa at the time in 1990 who took the critical decision that helped save our Country: President Dawda Kariba Jawara during whose Chairmanship of the Authority of ECOWAS the decision to constitute and deploy ECOMOG was reached; General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who, as Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provided the largest force and bore the logistical brunt of the intervention; President Jerry John Rawlings, who commissioned one of his best soldiers to serve as head of the ECOMOG Force; President Lansana Conte, and President Joseph Momo who demonstrated good neighborliness and spite of their difficulties deployed their troops to Liberia. Let me also acknowledge Dr. Abbas Bundu, under whose stewardship as Executive Secretary of ECOWAS a decision guaranteeing peace in Liberia was made, and also General Arnold Quainoo who led the first contingent of 4, 000 peace keepers to Liberia to begin an epic military operation that would prove to be enviable, exemplary and worthy. Liberians continue to have fund memories of the heroism and military leadership of Generals Joshua Dongayaro and Adetunji Olurin. To all of these patriots for peace---and to the countless others I say a big thank you.

You have left indelible footprints on the Liberian landscape. Indeed, you have written your names on the tablets of our hearts.

The record is clear that the root causes of civil conflicts in Africa are bad governance, lack of respect for human rights socio-economic and political inequity and grinding poverty. Liberia is no different. The origins of our conflict can be traced to two broad factors. First, significant portions of our society were systematically excluded and marginalized from institutions of political governance and access to key economic assets. The over concentration of power bred corruption, restricted access to the decision-making process, and limited the space for civil society participation in governance processes. Second, economic collapse helped to propel the crisis.

We descended into war. The tragic consequence of violence was not confined to Liberia alone. Like a cancerous virus, it soon spread widely, slowing the process of democratization that was progressing in West Africa.

When the request for assistance to end the crisis was made--first by Liberia, and then by ECOWAS--to our influential partners, they refused to intervene on grounds that it was an African crisis requiring African solution, meaning that Africans should handle the situation. It was Nigeria which led the bold step to encourage intervention to halt the slaughter and genocide being perpetrated in Liberia.

Excellencies: Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen:

The establishment and deployment of ECOMOG represented the first credible attempt at a regional security initiative since the erstwhile OAU attempted with an international African force to intervene in Chad in 1981. The West African operation was generally successful because ECOWAS member States were united in removing armed violence from politics. They wanted peace, security and stability. They recognized that a state of insecurity was completely counterproductive to socio-economic advancement, the main purpose for the establishment of ECOWAS.

Today as it was in Liberia twenty years ago, we call for robust international support for the efforts of ECOWAS to accelerate the political processes in Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea and Niger. We are confident that this conference will produce the desired result and that at the end of this exercise, West Africa and the people of the region will be even more proud of the success of ECOWAS and that the ECOMOG model will be a trademark for West African progress.

Liberia is on the move. After decades of economic mismanagement and fourteen years of brutal civil war, Liberia’s national nightmare is over. The country has been at peace since 2003. Two rounds of free and fair elections in 2005 led to the inauguration of a new government in January 2006. The economy is expanding rapidly with growth accelerating to over 9 percent in 2007. Roads and buildings are being rebuilt, health clinics and schools are re-opening and agricultural production is increasing. The Government is introducing a broad set of policies to foster peace, accelerate reconstruction and development, and build strong systems of governance. There is a long way to go, but Liberia has launched its recovery and is poised for rapid, inclusive and sustainable development in the years to come. On this course, we have embarked on the four pillars Poverty Reduction Strategy which addresses peace & security, Economic Revitalization, Strengthening Governance and Rule of Law, Rehabilitating Infrastructure and delivering basic Social Services. We are grateful for the all round support from our West African, American, European, and Asian nations; the United Nations and the entire international community. I now have the honor and pleasure to declare the conference open and wish you all fruitful and rewarding deliberations.

Thank you. God Bless you, God bless Liberia and God Bless West Africa.

Pres. Attah Mills Contributes US$10,000 to Clinic Projact in Liberia

2010-03-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

Ghanaian Ambassador Ground for the $265, 000 Project

By: J. Baitermeayea Hilton II/
Cell 077219227

The Ghanaian community and Descendants Union in Liberia has broken grounds for the construction of an eighteen bedroom clinic in the Logan Town Community on the Bushrod Island.

The clinic, according to insiders, costs $265, 000 covering the inclusion of laboratory facilities, doctors’ quarter and other medical equipments. Already, the President John Attah Mills has contributed US$190,000 towards the project, the Ghanaian Community and Descendants Union in Liberia, Sam Ashley told the NEW VISION. He along With Ghanaians Ambassador to Liberia, Kenneth Asare Bosompem, has broken grounds for the construction of the clinic.

Mr. Ashley confirmed that the clinic, when constructed, would include a laboratory, doctors’ quarter and other modern medical facilities. The Ghanaian Community President said for the past four years the Ghanaian community have been planning to construct a modern health facility as a way of helping Liberia’s Health Sector, following years of civil unrest in Liberia which has damaged the Health infrastructures and development of the country.

Mr. Ashley pointed out that the clinic project is also intended to assist residents of Logan town and its surrounding communities who were gravely affected during the 14 years of civil conflict. Ashley said due to the lack of Health facility and medical supplies in the community, residents were taken in wheel barrows to the only government hospital near the area, the Redemption to seek medical attention, in the event of serious health attacks.

On their way to the hospital in some instances, Ashley said the sick people died on the way or give up the ghost upon arrival. Mr. Ashley told this paper on Saturday during the ground breaking ceremony program that the clinic will help to reduce the many health problems and the number of sicknesses in the community and amongst the vast majority of people living on the Bushrod Island.
He furthered that the initiative will also cement the long standing brotherly relations between the two countries, indicating that when the clinic is completed it will serve both Liberians and Ghanaian.

Performing the ground breaking ceremony, the Ghanaian Ambassador Kenneth Assure Bosomed praised the Ghanaian community for clinic project. Ambassador Bosompem described the initiative as important to the health and survival of the people on the entire Bushrod Island region. The Ghanaian envoy also promised his financial and moral supports, saying he is committed to seeing the clinic project’s start and final completion before his turner can expire in Liberia. The Ambassador said further said the decision to construct a community clinic is an attestation that the residents have valued their health, adding that Health is wealth.

Ambassador Bosompem lauded President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for the level of friendship and cooperation subsisting between Liberia and Ghana, wishing that these friendly ties continue to flourish among peoples of the two countries.

Meanwhile, Ghanaian Ambassador Bosompem made a contribution of 500 USD towards the project and admonished residents of Logan town and its environs to work towards the completion and success of the clinic project.

Also speaking at the program was the commissioner of the Township of Garworlohn on the Bushrof Island in Monrovia, Madam Willametta Gooding Carlos, who commended the Ghanaian community in Liberia for the bold step taken to build a community clinic in the area. The Commission reasoned that the clinic would help to alleviate the many health problems that the people of Liberia are faced with in the country. She said the project is a good move by the visionary people of Ghana resident in Liberia, who have the dream of the construction such the clinic.

Commissioner Carlos also urged the residents of the areas to take great interest in supporting the project with all their little resources for the construction of the US$265,000 clinic.

PYJ Starts to Campaign for Presidency

2010-03-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

…As NEC Clears NDUP to Canvass for Members

Liberia’s National Elections Commission (NEC) has authorized the proposed National Democratic Union of Progress Party (NDUP) of Senator Prince Johnson to canvass for membership in Liberia.

The former leader of the defunct Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL) threw his bid into the ring of the 2011 presidential contest of Liberia after President Ellen Johnson announced a second term during the State of the Nation address to the National Legislature on the second working Monday of January.

In a letter, NEC mandated the proposed National Democratic Union of Progress to seek 500 members each in six of the country’s 15 counties. The authorization is part of a requirement to ensure the registration of Senator Johnson’s party as a full fledged political institution in Liberia.

At a mass rally Saturday, Senator Johnson told his followers, the authorization marked the beginning of a victory battle for his party will win. He urged his followers not to be deterred by the misrepresentations of his character, declaring he is the Jacob Zuma of Liberia.

The Nimba Senator said his decision to contest the 2011 Presidency is to rescue Liberians from the ‘bondage of political and economic prison’.

Meanwhile, an executive member of Senator Prince Johnson’s proposed National Democratic Union of Progress Party has reported an attack on his home.

Former Nimba County lawmaker Benedict Bartuah said 15 men armed with AK-47 riffles broke into his house early Monday morning and raped his daughter. Mr. Bartuah said the men told his nineteen year old daughter to take responsibility for whatever they had planned to do to her father.

Mr. Batuah said he had gone to a relative’s house on the Old Road after an interaction with Senator Prince Johnson on Sunday when the men attacked. He believes the armed men had gone to his house for what he called political assassination.

Mr. Bartuah who claims to also be the Chairman of the Nimba Branch of the proposed NDUP said all attempts to contact the police or UN security failed. Although he claims to have nearly thirty-two years of military experience, Mr. Bartuah said he was still nervous and called on the government for protection.

Despite Massive International Support: Problem Sighted for 2011

2010-03-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

Fromoyan Sees Threshold Passage A Prerequisite to Elections

The Chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Cllr. James Fromayan says the prerequisite to the conduct of the 2011 elections is the passage of the Threshold Bill which is still languishing at the National Legislature; reports Bill K. Jarkloh.

The NEC boss indicated that his commission is mindful of the challenges facing the commission. “Some of these challenges include constituency delimitation; a comprehensive voter registration and the conduct of the 2011 presidential and Legislative Elections,” he told the audience that has gathered at the turning over ceremony of a new headquarters of the NEC in Sinkor, Monrovia.

“It is a pity that close to two years now we are still at square one with respect to the Threshold bill, I honestly do not see how the NEC can be expected to conduct a national referendum to address key constitutional issues under severe time constraint.” Mr. Fromayan, indicated further.

He said election requires massive planning and time is an essential factor noting that the commission cannot perform miracle. The construction of the NEC headquarters is a result of a US$2 million grant provided to the commission by United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The modern building will provide offices for NEC staff, foreign observers and the media. It is the first time since 1847 that the NEC has its own headquarters in which to operate. USAID-IFES Announce New Support to NEC

In essence, Mr. Fromoyan has been contending on a referendum before 2011 polling possibility. At the end of last year, the NEC Chairman released a statement in said earlier plans by the National Elections Commission (NEC) to conduct a national referendum, before running into the 2011 general and presidential elections, has been thwarted.

NEC had intended to hold the referendum to make some "important changes" in the Liberian Constitution, indented to make the electioneering process less burdensome, which would eventually cut down an astronomical overhanging cost.

The National Political officer of NEC, Joseph A. Yarsiah at the time told the Truth FM, a popular radio station in Monrovia, Tuesday morning that the Commission can no longer hold the planned referendum due to the "unwarranted delay" in the passage of the threshold bill by the National Legislature.

The threshold and other electoral bills have been before the National Legislature for nearly two years, but they have failed to pass it, despite incessant local and diplomatic calls. NEC has repeatedly warned that failure of the Legislature to pass the threshold bill on time will seriously hamper the conduct of pending elections-considered all-Liberian-affair elections.

Article 80 (d) of the Liberian Constitution mandates the National Legislature to set a new threshold (number of persons that constitutes an electoral constituency) immediately after the conduct of a national census provided that the total number of constituencies in the republic does not exceed 100.

"We thought by now constituencies would have been set in place, voter's registration on course, and probably a national referendum..., but all of these are held by the unwarranted delay of the thresholds bill by the National Legislature," Mr. Yarsiah sounded frustrated yesterday.

He said a study by NEC found out that the 2005 voter's registration was to some extent non-inclusive, and NEC had designed programs to address this problem and many others before the 2011 polls, but these efforts are being frustrated.

The referendum, Yarsiah added, it requires at least one year (about 18 months) conducting a referendum, and with a year left to go, it has become impossible to hold a referendum even if the bill was passed now. This is indicative that elections could be delayed beyond 2011 if corrective measures are not taken in the direction of the Threshold legislation.

The bill was passed on two occasions but was vetoed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The referendum is intended to change the constitutional provision of "absolute majority" to win an elective post.

Absolute majority means that a candidate must attain 50% +1 vote in any election to be declared winner, otherwise a runoff-as witnessed in the recent Montserrado County Senatorial by-election-is scheduled in two weeks.

Senate Pro Tempore Cletus S. Wotorson recently lashed at NEC and others who say the 2011 elections are tied to the threshold bill, describing the claim as "untrue". He said 'no one will pull the Legislature by its nose or force the august body to act or not to act on the controversial bill'.

Electoral officials and experts have opined that credible elections can not be held without a defined threshold, for doing so would render electoral result unconstitutional. At Present, Liberia’s current population of the country at 3.4 million, the threshold of stands 20,000 in spite of the population growth from 2.5 million to 3.4 million.

On the other hand, there is no provision and reason for special elections as was done in the past as was occasioned by the transition from war to peace, especially when the full force of the Constitution is being employed as of January 16, 2006 when President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf took office.

The National Legislature few months ago passed threshold bill, setting the threshold at 40,000, but with a condition that no county gets less that two seats. President Sirleaf vetoed the bill on grounds that it had "condition" attached, and recommended the Legislature to increase the threshold to at least 45,000. The House has since acted on the vetoed bill, removing the "condition", but keeping it at 40,000 with two representatives each county across the board, which was again vetoed by the Present.

The Threshold Bill is presently stranded before the National Legislature after the second veto, a situation which has influence the statement of the NEC chairman during the turning over of the new NEC Headquarters.

Prior to the turning over of the, Frank Vassallo, Director of the Liberian office of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), said there although there are steps to be taken regarding voters' registration, the transportation and delivery of ballot boxes, training, office space, equipment and other logistics amongst others but noted that the delay has not stopped the National Elections Commission from doing its planning; it has been plodding on and has done some excellent work.

Mr. Vassallo told a local outlet that already, there is a voter's registration expert in the country who has begun the groundwork for that part of the process. Liberians cannot ask anything more of this Commission.”

The head of IFES was addressing himself to questions raised about the smallness of offices built by his organization in southeastern Liberia, especially, those in Grand Kru, Zwedru, and River Gee, as compared to those they built in Lofa and Bopolo.

Most lacked a conference room, training space, storage (for ballot boxes, etc.) and bathroom facilities, among other things. Just back from a tour of the southeast, NEC Chairman James Fromoyan agreed that an earlier group of IFES operators might not have used the funds (provided by USAID) wisely in their bid to get that set of offices in place for an earlier election.

He hoped that something else could be done to correct the situation concerning the offices mentioned above as well as a few others with some special needs.
IFES, through Country Director Vassallo and his deputy Jared Hayes, pointed out that their mandate involves mainly logistics and technical support and are prevented from engaging in rebuilding or expanding structures. However, they promised to do all they could in mobilizing some extra funds from either UNDP or USAID to help expand or rebuild the offices mention, in time for the upcoming 2011 elections.

Recently, United States Aid for International Development (USAID and the International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES) have announced new support for Liberia's National Elections Commission.

USAID-Liberia has awarded a five-year US$17.5 million grant to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) for the conduct of the 2011 Liberian residential and general elections and beyond to 2014. The grant will support programs whose overall goal will be to build sustained election management capacity and operations in Liberia.

The programs will consist of multiple types of support to Liberia’s National Elections Commission (NEC) to conduct complex election-related exercises such as setting constituency boundaries according to the 2008 population census, conducting referenda on constitutional and electoral laws, voter registration, and civic education over the next couple years leading up to 2011.

The new programs also include comprehensive capacity-building for all NEC officials in every department, including the 19 electoral magistrate offices throughout Liberia. This award affirms US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's announcement of support for the NEC during her recent visit to Liberia.

Stakeholders Want LFA Audited But

2010-02-26T08:31:00.000-08:00

…As Incumbent LFA Veep Speaks of Accountability Problems

Incumbent Vice President for Administration, Pennoh Bestman, at the weekend said the Liberia Football Association lacks accounting principles. The statement came against the backdrop that stakeholders are yearning audit.

Addressing representatives of women football in the country, Pennoh said he had carved an accounting manual for use by the LFA, which was adapted by the executive committee, but added that Madam Wesley through the secretariat kept it in dustbin to date.

The regime of Madam Izeta Wesley, President of the Liberia Football Association and former cheering squad member, cum women youth chair of Invincible Eleven (IE), has been unable to to unite its staff and instill proper accounting.

The national league is poorly organized as winners at the end of the season are given post-dated cheques, while it is said that clubs operate in deficit, for what they earn at the end of the season cannot commensurate expenses just two matches, least to mention of the overall season’s expenses thereby dispiriting clubs and players alike and lowly motivating.

The clubs are unable to compete in international or CAF competitions after winning slots to represent the country. The national team is a celebrated minnow on the continent; in fact, the various national teams have since gone in slumber.

A well constructive program is lacking to take the game to the next level. The relationship between the LFA and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) is normally acrimonious, thus affecting the growth and development of the game. Again, FA vice Pennoh Bestman who has quite close to Izetta, recently lauded the LFA needs one will break the lasting jinx between the MYS and LFA. He said Izetta has failed to breach that gap. “You stakeholders need to elect someone who will mend fences between the two entities if football is to go forward; I believe Musa Bility has got a platform good enough to not only scout sponsorship for the game unite all stakeholders”, Pennoh said.

As elections of the Liberia Football Association (LFA) draws near, the president of the Liberia Association, Cllr. Izetta Wesley, is reported to have snubbed audit which her critics say stakeholders have been yarning for.

The camp of serious rival in the ensuing LFA contest for leadership positions says the attitude on the part of the incumbent leadership of the association has the propensity to deny stakeholders of their right to financial report.

It can be recalled that stakeholders, through the congress last September, mandated the LFA to conduct a comprehensive audit of the financial records of the football house before the pending March elections. However, it is incomprehensible that Madam Wesley and her acting secretarial undermined the decision of congress by what was considered as the LFA administration’s refusal to cooperate with auditors.

Since her ascendancy to the LFA, it is said that the LFA has never presented stakeholders any finial report. There are indications that some stakeholders are planning to make the incumbent the leadership of Madam Wesley to account for every penny she handled at the LFA.

During her more than six years of leadership as president, Madam Wesley reportedly has gone bankrupt as the LFA’s coffers at the Ecobank are virtually empty in the face of an annual US$250,000.0 and US$ 100,000.00 from the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) respectively.

As president, Madam Wesley is said to have been receiving such huge amounts, deciding how it is expended and approving its usage, without accountability - audit.

There is indeed hardship, which seem unending as long as the "iron lady" turned rubber lady remains at the apogee of such high profile football position. The future is therefore oblique, uninspiring and discouraging as there is no glamour of hope. Things have since gone haywire, hope have turned into despair, joys have turned into sorrow, success have turned into failure, the positives have become negatives, promotion have turned into retrogression and boom have turned into hardship.

With just few of the many problems catalogued, the critics of the Wesley administration say there is a need not to reelect the Izetta Wesley Administration on account of lack of accountability which has been impeding the country's football development.

The LFA head is said to be suffocating the growth of the game and is a serious embarrassment to the game's improvement and transformation that must be obliterated come at the post of the March 20, this year.

But attempts to get to Madam Wesley did not materialize; investigation continues

What Did Supt Bacon Tell House?

2010-02-26T07:55:00.001-08:00

…Detained But Freed on Constitutional Ground

By: Bill K. Jarkloh
Email: billkjarkloh@gmail.com / jloplehdee@gmail.com
bill_ksolborjarkloh@yahoo.com
Call: + (231)-(0)77-544-286 / + (231)-(0)6-468-244
Weblogs: www.panwhanpen.com (panwhanpen.blogspot.com)
www.theperiscope.com /billkjarkloh.wordpress.com

Although detained with immediate effect in a common jail by the House of Representatives for an alleged chopping of development funds, Montserrado County Superintendent Beauty Bacon denied squandering development funds when she faced the Lower House of Legislature, putting the total covering projects she executed including the administrative bank charges at for the period of seven months US$105,099.

Madam Bacon, who was ordered incarcerated along with Bomi County Superintendent Mohammed Massaley Tuesday insisted that she applied the funds on development projects added that what she referred to as administrative bank charges to US$11,020.

“We convene a meeting in January 2009 where we have the citizens of Montserrado County deciding what they wanted to do; I have the resolution with me for that meeting here; Out of that meeting, we also realize that we could not leave outstanding projects that were incomplete from previous period – outstanding and left undone, and so we were requested through the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ensure that all projects be completed.

She indicated accordingly, “and so we consulted with the Honorable Legislators from Montserrado County and elected to complete those projects from the County Development Funds,” the Montserrado County Superintendent told the House shortly after they were incarcerated.

But dissatisfied with her exposé highlighting her accounting for development funds, the House of Representatives ordered that the county officials remain in detention for forty-eight hours. The House of Representatives also ordered the Development Superintendents Momolu Bass of Montserrado and Rebecca Benson of Bomi detained along with their bosses.

Also ordered detained by the House of Representative is the Coordinator of the County Development Funds at the Internal Affairs Ministry, Mr. Michael George. The House ordered the detention of the officials after it found them guilty of grossly violating Section 8 of the Budget Law of Liberia, against the unilateral expenditure of the County Development Funds, and act the House held the five executive local government officials on.

The House voted sixteen for, seven against and two abstentions to have the officials detained at the Monrovia Central Prison after hours of interrogation. The hearing was triggered by two separate letters of complaint by Montserrado Representative Thomas Fallah and Bomi Representative Tarnue Cooper.

During the hearing, Superintendent Bacon insisted she had the authority to expend the development funds without the approval of the Legislative Caucus. Appearing before the House, Montserrado County Superintendent Beauty Bacon insisted that the budget laws provided that she chair meeting as co-chairman in the absence of the Chairman to decide the development agenda of the county.

“According to the Budget Law, we are to convene a county Development/County Development Steering Council Meeting comprising of the traditional districts and communities of the County,” she pleaded her case, saying that the Montserrado Legislative Caucus should “…tell us the number of persons and then we plan the meeting together and convene it.”

However, Madam Bacon indicated, “From July August when the Budget was passed, we could not have the meeting into the busy schedule of the Legislator for Montserrado County; and as Superintendent and Co-Chairman according to the budget law, I saw it fit to chair in the absence of the Chairman or council.”

“We convene a meeting in January 2009 where we have the citizens of Montserrado County deciding what they wanted to do; I have the resolution with me for that meeting here,” she continued before the House of Representatives, she added

Accountability

Acting in the interest of the citizens of Montserrado County, she said her administration was able to construct a 10-compartment modern pit latrine in District No. 3 for US$7,000, a structure which she pronounced completed and was used by the community based on their demand before it was eventually demolished by the Special Presidential Taskforce.

Madam Bacon also said her administration has commenced and is continuing the development in the Borough of New Kru Town where the Town Hall Project costing US$20,000 is ongoing.

“We completed the Diggsville Town Hall Administration Building US$3,409 in District No.13; and in District 14- Todee District the Administration Building also was renovated and completed – we spent US$47670; in District N0. 5 in Rehab Community where we constructed four hand-pumps providing safe-drinking water for the people of that community in the tone of US$8,000 (project is 90 percent completed) except for the 5th remaining hand pump pending because of the lack of ideal space for its construction,” Superintendent further accounted.

She said a decision was reached through discussion and resolution to construct a clinic on the other side of the St. Paul River where we have no major public clinic covering from all the way Cheesemanburg to Virginia – so in the Town of Boduah there is a Public Clinic under Construction for US$37,000; In District No.4, the Catholic Hospital Community, we have a Hand Pump also constructed providing the safe-drinking water for the resident in that community for US$1,000.

“We also realized that having constructed administration buildings for townships and cities, it is important and useful to provide the requisite logistics for the offices for the building to be made functional; and as such we provided furniture and material for the City of Brewerville in District No. 13, the Township of Barnersville in District No. 8, Diggsville 13, Congo Town District Nos. 4 and 5, and New Georgia District No. 9.,” she maintained

The Montserrado County Superintendent stated further that she constructed a walkway connecting the side of the Administration Building in Bentol City US$2, 000; renovated two apartments to house and sheltered teachers that are to take assignment at renovated Frank Tolbert High School the costing US$5,500.

But members of the Montserrado Caucus who were in session contended that Superintendent Bacon delivered a document to the Plenary that is contrary to previous one she furnished the Caucus.

Beside, the Caucus also said Superintendent has tried to shift its argument which pointed to contradiction of the Budget Law Section 8 relating to the use of the County Development Funds.

Bomi Superintendent Massaley and his Assistant were held liable for expending the development funds without the involvement of the Legislative Caucus. The House has meanwhile asked the General Auditing Commission to conduct an audit of the County development funds of Montserrado and Bomi Counties.

Bomi County Senator Lahai Lansanah says the House of Representatives acted unconstitutionally to order the detention of his Superintendent and deputy.

Senator Lansanah told reporters the House has no authority to detain the officials following a hearing on the alleged violation of the budget law. According to him, the House can only detain people if the function of the Legislature is impeded.

Senator Lansanah said the decision of the House is out of bounds and a making of Speaker Alex Tyler. But Speaker Tyler told reporters the House acted within the law. Also, another Bomi lawmaker, Tarnue Cooper, whose letter led to the detention of the Bomi raised similar contention supporting Speaker Tyler, while the affected Superintendents said the House acted harshly.

However, Representatives Thomas Fallah of Montserrado and Zoe Pennoh of Grand Gedeh said the decision of the House was Constitutional.
Representatives Fallah and Pennoh argued any official who violates the law must be punished.

What Did Supt Bacon Tell House?

2010-02-26T07:55:00.000-08:00

…Detained But Freed on Constitutional Ground

By: Bill K. Jarkloh
Email: billkjarkloh@gmail.com / jloplehdee@gmail.com
bill_ksolborjarkloh@yahoo.com
Call: + (231)-(0)77-544-286 / + (231)-(0)6-468-244
Weblogs: www.panwhanpen.com (panwhanpen.blogspot.com)
www.theperiscope.com /billkjarkloh.wordpress.com

Although detained with immediate effect in a common jail by the House of Representatives for an alleged chopping of development funds, Montserrado County Superintendent Beauty Bacon denied squandering development funds when she faced the Lower House of Legislature, putting the total covering projects she executed including the administrative bank charges at for the period of seven months US$105,099.

Madam Bacon, who was ordered incarcerated along with Bomi County Superintendent Mohammed Massaley Tuesday insisted that she applied the funds on development projects added that what she referred to as administrative bank charges to US$11,020.

“We convene a meeting in January 2009 where we have the citizens of Montserrado County deciding what they wanted to do; I have the resolution with me for that meeting here; Out of that meeting, we also realize that we could not leave outstanding projects that were incomplete from previous period – outstanding and left undone, and so we were requested through the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ensure that all projects be completed.

She indicated accordingly, “and so we consulted with the Honorable Legislators from Montserrado County and elected to complete those projects from the County Development Funds,” the Montserrado County Superintendent told the House shortly after they were incarcerated.

But dissatisfied with her exposé highlighting her accounting for development funds, the House of Representatives ordered that the county officials remain in detention for forty-eight hours. The House of Representatives also ordered the Development Superintendents Momolu Bass of Montserrado and Rebecca Benson of Bomi detained along with their bosses.

Also ordered detained by the House of Representative is the Coordinator of the County Development Funds at the Internal Affairs Ministry, Mr. Michael George. The House ordered the detention of the officials after it found them guilty of grossly violating Section 8 of the Budget Law of Liberia, against the unilateral expenditure of the County Development Funds, and act the House held the five executive local government officials on.

The House voted sixteen for, seven against and two abstentions to have the officials detained at the Monrovia Central Prison after hours of interrogation. The hearing was triggered by two separate letters of complaint by Montserrado Representative Thomas Fallah and Bomi Representative Tarnue Cooper.

During the hearing, Superintendent Bacon insisted she had the authority to expend the development funds without the approval of the Legislative Caucus. Appearing before the House, Montserrado County Superintendent Beauty Bacon insisted that the budget laws provided that she chair meeting as co-chairman in the absence of the Chairman to decide the development agenda of the county.

“According to the Budget Law, we are to convene a county Development/County Development Steering Council Meeting comprising of the traditional districts and communities of the County,” she pleaded her case, saying that the Montserrado Legislative Caucus should “…tell us the number of persons and then we plan the meeting together and convene it.”

However, Madam Bacon indicated, “From July August when the Budget was passed, we could not have the meeting into the busy schedule of the Legislator for Montserrado County; and as Superintendent and Co-Chairman according to the budget law, I saw it fit to chair in the absence of the Chairman or council.”

“We convene a meeting in January 2009 where we have the citizens of Montserrado County deciding what they wanted to do; I have the resolution with me for that meeting here,” she continued before the House of Representatives, she added

Accountability

Acting in the interest of the citizens of Montserrado County, she said her administration was able to construct a 10-compartment modern pit latrine in District No. 3 for US$7,000, a structure which she pronounced completed and was used by the community based on their demand before it was eventually demolished by the Special Presidential Taskforce.

Madam Bacon also said her administration has commenced and is continuing the development in the Borough of New Kru Town where the Town Hall Project costing US$20,000 is ongoing.

“We completed the Diggsville Town Hall Administration Building US$3,409 in District No.13; and in District 14- Todee District the Administration Building also was renovated and completed – we spent US$47670; in District N0. 5 in Rehab Community where we constructed four hand-pumps providing safe-drinking water for the people of that community in the tone of US$8,000 (project is 90 percent completed) except for the 5th remaining hand pump pending because of the lack of ideal space for its construction,” Superintendent further accounted.

She said a decision was reached through discussion and resolution to construct a clinic on the other side of the St. Paul River where we have no major public clinic covering from all the way Cheesemanburg to Virginia – so in the Town of Boduah there is a Public Clinic under Construction for US$37,000; In District No.4, the Catholic Hospital Community, we have a Hand Pump also constructed providing the safe-drinking water for the resident in that community for US$1,000.

“We also realized that having constructed administration buildings for townships and cities, it is important and useful to provide the requisite logistics for the offices for the building to be made functional; and as such we provided furniture and material for the City of Brewerville in District No. 13, the Township of Barnersville in District No. 8, Diggsville 13, Congo Town District Nos. 4 and 5, and New Georgia District No. 9.,” she maintained

The Montserrado County Superintendent stated further that she constructed a walkway connecting the side of the Administration Building in Bentol City US$2, 000; renovated two apartments to house and sheltered teachers that are to take assignment at renovated Frank Tolbert High School the costing US$5,500.

But members of the Montserrado Caucus who were in session contended that Superintendent Bacon delivered a document to the Plenary that is contrary to previous one she furnished the Caucus.

Beside, the Caucus also said Superintendent has tried to shift its argument which pointed to contradiction of the Budget Law Section 8 relating to the use of the County Development Funds.

Bomi Superintendent Massaley and his Assistant were held liable for expending the development funds without the involvement of the Legislative Caucus. The House has meanwhile asked the General Auditing Commission to conduct an audit of the County development funds of Montserrado and Bomi Counties.

Bomi County Senator Lahai Lansanah says the House of Representatives acted unconstitutionally to order the detention of his Superintendent and deputy.

Senator Lansanah told reporters the House has no authority to detain the officials following a hearing on the alleged violation of the budget law. According to him, the House can only detain people if the function of the Legislature is impeded.

Senator Lansanah said the decision of the House is out of bounds and a making of Speaker Alex Tyler. But Speaker Tyler told reporters the House acted within the law. Also, another Bomi lawmaker, Tarnue Cooper, whose letter led to the detention of the Bomi raised similar contention supporting Speaker Tyler, while the affected Superintendents said the House acted harshly.

However, Representatives Thomas Fallah of Montserrado and Zoe Pennoh of Grand Gedeh said the decision of the House was Constitutional.
Representatives Fallah and Pennoh argued any official who violates the law must be punished.

China Union 2nd Amendment Gets First Reading

In more legislative business during this week, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has recommended to the National Legislatures what is considered a second amendment of the China Union Concession Agreement, for ratification, imploring the House to act on it.

In the amendment which has had its first reading g recently, the President wrote the National Legislature through the House of Representatives that Second Amendment of the Mineral Development Agreement, the MDA is between the Government of the Republic of Liberia and China Union Hong Kong Mining Company Limited and China Union Investment Liberia Bong Mines Company Limited dated January 19, 2009.

The President further said it is the government’s concern to introduce the China-Africa Development Fund (CAD) directly or through wholly owned subsidiaries of the shareholders of 85 percent of the outstanding shares of the concessionaires under the Mineral Development Agreement, the MDA, between the Government of the Republic of Liberia and China Union Investment Liberia.

The parties agree that the Mineral Development Agreement, President Sirleaf said in the communication, remain in full force and effect provided that the performance of the of the obligations of all parties under the agreement are hereby deemed to be suspended from the execution of the MDA and the first amendment respectively until the effective date of this second amendment except for the payment of the first installment of the off front payment.

According to the communication, this Second Amendment made to concession agreement has not substantially or materially change the agreement as to the risks allocated by the body.

“All legal issues made in the original agreement are being preserved. I wish to inform the Honorable Legislature that when this second amendment is ratified, concessionaire will rehabilitate infrastructure and operational facilities at Bong Mines including the Port, the Railroad, the Kataka – Bong Mines highway and will also create jobs and other economic and social benefits for our people, especially in the mid western region of our country,” she said.

She therefore urged your assistance in having this second amendment to the agreement ratified to accelerate the operation of the concessionaire through our nation’s recovery process.

UN Says Haiti Is Not Alone

2010-01-25T09:16:00.000-08:00

- Says Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Laments Disaster
Saying the Southern American Country of Haiti hit by an earthquake recently is not alone, United nations secretary General Ban Ki-moon also indicated that the disaster in Haiti shows once again something that we, as human beings, have always known: that even amid the worst devastation, there is always hope.
“I saw that for myself this week in Port au Prince. The UN suffered its single greatest loss in history. Our headquarters in the Haitian capital was a mass of crushed concrete and tangled steel. How could anyone survive, I thought? Yet moments after I departed, with a heavy heart, rescue teams pulled out a survivor – alive, after five days, buried, without food or water. I think of it as a small miracle, a sign of hope,” Mr. Ban lamented.
He said such disasters as that in Haiti remind the world of the fragility of life, but also reaffirm our strength.
“We have seen horrific images on television: collapsed buildings, bodies in the streets, people in dire need of food, water and shelter. I saw all this, and more, as I moved around the stricken city. But I also saw something else — a remarkable expression of human spirit, people suffering the heaviest blows yet demonstrating extraordinary resilience,” the UN boss accentuated.
The UN Secretary General was commenting on the Haitian disaster, an earthquake which devastated the country and its people. He said during his brief visit in that Caribbean country, he met with many ordinary people, noting that a group of young men near the ruins of the presidential palace told him of wanting to help rebuild Haiti.
“Beyond the immediate crisis, they hope for jobs, a future with dignity, work to do. Across the street, I met a young mother with her children living in a tent in a public park, with little food,” Mr. Ban noted, saying that there were thousands like her, patiently enduring, helping one another as best they could.
“She had faith that help would soon come, as did others. “I came to offer hope,” I told them. “Do not despair.” In return she, too, asked the international community to help Haiti to rebuild — for her children, for the generations of tomorrow,” Mr. Ban observed.
For those who have lost everything, he said help cannot come soon enough. “But it is coming, and in growing amounts despite very difficult logistical challenges in a capital city where all services and capacity are gone. As of Monday morning, more than 40 international search and rescue teams with more than 1700 staff were at work. Water supplies are increasing; tents and temporary shelters are arriving in larger numbers,” the UN boss assured.
Ban added that badly damaged hospitals are beginning to function again, aided by international medical teams. Meanwhile, the World Food Program is working with the U.S. army to distribute daily food rations to nearly 200,000 people; he said the agency expects to reach as many as one million people within the coming weeks, building toward two million.
“We have seen an outpouring of international aid, commensurate with the scale of this disaster. Every nation, every international aid organization in the world, has mobilized for Haiti’s relief. Our job is to channel that assistance. We need to make sure our help gets to the people who need it, as fast as possible. We cannot have essential supplies sitting in warehouses. We have no time to lose, nor money to waste. This requires strong and effective coordination— the international community working together, as one, with the United Nations in the lead,” he accentuated..
Indicating further that this critical work began from the first day, both among UN and international aid agencies as well as among key players, he disclosed that that the United Nations is working closely with the United States and the countries of Europe, Latin America and many others to identity the most pressing humanitarian needs and deliver what is required.
“These needs must be grouped into well-defined “clusters,” so that the efforts of all the various organizations complement rather than duplicate one another. A health cluster run by the World Health Organization, for example, is already organizing medical assistance among 21 international agencies,” he averred.
Ban said the urgency of the moment will naturally dominate our planning. But it is not too early to begin thinking about tomorrow, a point that President Rene Preval emphasized when he met him, the UN Secretary General during the visit.
Though desperately poor, Haiti had been making progress. It was enjoying a new stability; investors had returned. It will not be enough to rebuild the country as it was, nor is there any place for cosmetic improvements.
In this respect, Mr. Ban said, “We must help Haiti build back better, working side by side with the government, so that the money and aid invested today will have lasting benefit, creating jobs and freeing it from dependence on the world’s generosity.”
In this sense, according to him, Haiti’s plight is a reminder of our wider responsibilities. A decade ago, the international community began a new century by agreeing to act to eliminate extreme poverty by the year 2015.
He said great strides have been made toward some of these ambitious “Millennium goals,” variously targeting core sources of global poverty and obstacles to development from maternal health and education to managing infectious disease. Yet progress in other critical areas lags badly. The bottom line: we are very far from delivering on our promises of a better future for the world’s poor.
Concluding, the United Nations boss said: As we rush to Haiti’s immediate aid, let us keep in mind this larger picture. That was the message I received, loud and clear, from those people on the streets of Port au Prince. They asked for jobs, dignity and a better future. That is the hope of the all world’s poor, wherever they might live. Doing the right thing for Haiti, in its hour of need, will be a powerful message of hope for them as well.
Source: www.unmil.org

New Threshold Gives Montserrado 27 Seats In Parliament

2010-01-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

…Some Senators Threaten Court Action

By: Papie Sheriff Kollie Jr.
(Senate Protemp Wortorson Photo inserted)

At the passage of the controversial Threshold Bill of Liberia at 40,000 per constituency by the Plenary of the Liberian Senate Wednesday during a Special Session, few senators have threatened to challenge the passage of the Bill at the Supreme Court of Liberia.
It was reported from the Joint Assembly Chamber where Senate business was done yesterday that each of the senators present was given at most three minutes each to give their positions on the Threshold before votes were taken, which was done. Not withstanding the majority support the Threshold Bill enjoyed at 40,000 per constituency, some seven senators firmly opposed the passage even after the vote-taking.
Amongst the senators were Theodore Momo and Daniel Naathan of Gbarpolu, Gloria Musu Scott of and John Ballout of Maryland, Saye Tayor Dolo (Aldolphus Dolo) of Nimba County and Lahai Lansana of Bomi .
The opposing Senator contended that the Threshold Bill should be passed at 50,000 per constituency said the Government has already said it has no money to sponsor additional lawmakers that would be elected as a result of the new threshold.
Also opposed to the new Threshold was River-Gee County Senior Senator Fredrick Cherue who considered the threshold passage at 40,000 unconstitutional and will also serve as a ploy to put more economic burden of the government when it comes to supporting the additional representations created by the threshold.
As a consequence the opposing senators threatened to take their colleagues to the Supreme Court to seek judicial redress on the matter, as they walked out of the session in protest of the passage of the Threshold at 40,000.
Our legislative reporter said the senators walkout minutes after Pro-Tempore Cletus Wotorson announced that that with 17 senators for, seven against, two abstained and two absent, the controversial Threshold Bill was now passed at without any provision attached unlike before, the opposing senators walked out of the Plenary Session and an attempt to called them back to session did not materialize.
The Sergeant-At-Arms who the Pro-Tempore sent to call the protesting Senators back to session reported that the senators said they were no longer coming to session.
On the basis of the decision, the Senate announced that it would sanction the senators that walked out of the session apparently for disrespect to the plenary, but the Senate Pro-Tempore did not specify the sanction.
Meanwhile, with the voting of the document into law Wednesday, the Threshold Bill will now be sent to the President for Signature.
The Passage of the Threshold Bill at 40,000 per Constituency, kit means that representation at the lower House of Parliament is to by 16 Representatives, with Montserrado alone taking 13 Representatives, since it has the density of population at 1.1 million people. By this increase, Montserrado will now be represented with 27 lawmakers at the House of Representatives, followed by Nimba, Bong and Lofa Counties, which will be represented by 11, 8 and 6 Representatives respectively.
Recently, a team of seventeen Senators has written the Senate seeking a concurrence vote on the controversial population threshold bill. The Senators said the passage of the threshold bill is a constitutional imperative and a conditional precedent for the 2011 elections.
In a two page letter they pledged support for the forty-thousand threshold passed by the House of Representatives. The seventeen Senators from eleven Counties asked the Senate to take a decision on the threshold bill by Tuesday, January 19.
One of the seventeen Senators Mobutu Nyepan of Sinoe warned, any attempt to delay the passage of the threshold bill would harm Liberia’s young democracy. Also, Nimba County Representative Madam Nohn Rebecca Kidau, has observed that the proposed Threshold Bill submitted to the National Legislature by the National Elections Commission (NEC) is indeed critical to the holding of free and fair democratic elections in Liberia come 2011.
Representative Kidau who is member of the House Committee on Executive, Gender Equity, Lands, Mines and Natural Resources, intimated that, it is a common logic and reasoning that there can be no free and fair elections in the country in the absence of proper constituency demarcation and districts harmonization which are relevant issues that must be addressed through the speedy passage of the Threshold Bill.
The lawmaker told reporters Tuesday that it is expedient that her colleagues within the Legislature proceed with the passage of the Threshold Bill on the basis of population statistics produced by the Liberia Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) during the national census which was carried out.
Representative Kidau has meanwhile disclosed that series of discussions and consultations aimed at resolving lands conflicts in her county (Nimba) are ongoing and further revealed that a special committee comprising of some key individuals from diverse ethnic and tribal backgrounds in the country have since been constituted for the sole purpose of finding meaningful solutions to land crises in the area. She has promised to continue her development projects in her county.
This is the second time the Liberia Senate has concurred with the House of Representatives by passing the controversial threshold bill that experienced hitches at the Legislature for some differences amongst lawmakers.
The Senators yesterday went into an extraordinary session to obtain votes that would ensure passage of the bill after intense public pressure bore on them for their delay to concur with the lower House, which passed the bill at 40,000 per constituency.
The National Population Threshold Bill originated from the National Elections Commission, which set the population threshold at 38 per constituency, but the projection triggered contentions amongst lawmakers some of whom stated that the threshold proposed would deprive their counties or districts appropriate representation at the National Legislature.
Amid the bickering, public outcries and international pressure pushed the House to pass the Population Threshold Bill at 40,000 but when it went into the Senate, the contention lingered, causing prolonged bickering.
On Wednesday, bickering intensified when Senator Jewell Howard Taylor Wednesday made a motion for the passage of the controversial threshold bill at 40,000, she received a backlash from other senators who stepped on the motion on grounds that the threshold should be at 48,000 persons per constituency.
The motion generated an irking debate which brought the two opposing sides at each others’ throats with journalists gazing as though there was a motion picture being shown in the Senate Chamber. Apparently, the show was observed to be the incumbent Unity Party versus the out-of power National Patriotic Party acting for passage the threshold bill.
The bill was passed at 40,000 per constituency by the House of Representatives at the end of heavy bickering and prolonged hearing that aggravated public pressure which led to its passage. The contention has been that counties with a smaller population would be either under-represented in parliament or without any representation while those with larger populations have argued that the threshold bill is constitutional.
When the bill was sent to the Senate for concurrence, it got stalled. But a committee which handled it reported that it increased the threshold to 48,000 per constituency with at least two representatives across the board before the application of the threshold, a suggestion which has never sufficed up to present.
Accordingly, there has been immense consultation amongst senators to mitigate the impasse until yesterday when the Jewel Howard-Taylor motion was raised with a resistance that seemed to further stall its passage.
During yesterday’s session, Senator Abel Massaley of Grand Cape Mount County and a stalwart of the National Patriotic Party made an opening statement in which he said the Unity Party doesn’t want the Threshold Bill to be passed. In his statement, Senator Massaley indicated that he will join the civil society group and other groupings to see to it that the Unity Party doesn’t succeed in passing this controversial Threshold Bill.
Bomi County Senator Richard Devine reacting to Massaley from a Unity Party point of view said the NPP is no longer in existence, and that NPP will not be allowed to stall progress of the Unity Party, especially in stalling the passage of the Threshold Bill. Senator Devine indicated that he will make sure that he does not form part of what ever thing that is going to affect the people of Bomi.
At the senate session Wednesday, 25 Senators were present to vote the bill; when the presiding officer requested for votes, 11 senators voted for the passage of the Bill at 40,000 and while 14 were against.
Those who were for the bill at 40,000 include Senators Jewel Taylor, Joyce Freeman, Masseley, Prince Johnson amongst others, while those who were against the bill passed at 40,000 but instead at 48,000 were Maryland County Senator Gloria Scott, Bomi’s Richard Devine, Maryland’s John Ballout, Grand Bassa’s Gbazongar Finely, and Bomi’s Laiha Lansana amongst others.
Apparently the development at the Senate suggests refusal by the Liberian Senate to concur with the House of Representatives in the passing the National Threshold Bill at 40,000 per constituency, without addressing pertinent concerns.
The delay in passing the controversial National Threshold Bill currently before the Senate has ignited local and International criticisms on the national Legislative, which have apparently compelled its passage by the House of Representative pending senate concurrence.
Notwithstanding Thursday, however, there were threats of demonstrations by some civil society members who have decided to pressure the Senate to pass the bill so that it would not hinder progress in preparation for the 2011 presidential and general elections.
Our reporter from the Capitol said senators were seen Thursday engaged by so many civil society organization members on ground that the senators should see reason to pass the bill in the national interest.
Amongst the civil society organization members seen at the Capitol were the Justice of the Peace (JPC) director in person of Augustine Toe and others.
The Senate Committee Chairman on Executive, Nathaniel Nathan of Gbarpulo County who was the presiding, recognized Senator Franklin Siakor of Bong County to make the motion. Senator Siakor, in his motion suggested that the bill which was brought to us from the lower house for concurrence remains at 40,000 as the national threshold with no counties having less than two seats across the board.
The motion was overwhelmingly accepted with 16 votes in favor of the 40,000 for the reason that the bill should not be held hostage, while 9 was against the bill at 40,000. The senators told journalist that a Conference Committee will be set up next Tuesday to see how best they can negotiate with the lower house for the provision to be accepted.
Source: The NEW VISION Newspaper in Monrovia

CBL, CELLCOM Collaborate

2010-01-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

Issue Guidelines To Protect Customers Interest in Debentures Scheme
By: Bill K. Jarkloh
Photo: CBL Governor Dr. Mill Jones

Weblog: www.theperiscope.com/www.panwhanpen.com
Email: bill_ksolborjarkloh@yahoo.com
Call: (231)-77-544-286/(231)-6-468-244

As the Management of the Central Bank of Liberia in collaboration with CELLCOM GSM service provider moves to protect the interest of Convertible Debentures, the GSM company says regulatory agencies of government such as the Central Bank should also address Concerns about the need for developing and regulating underdeveloped sectors and complementing factors of growing economy.

Commenting at a joint Central Bank of Liberia and CELLCOM press briefing Monday, CELLCOM’s Board Chairman, Mr. Zaidenberg noted the company’s gratitude to Governor Jones and officials of the Central Bank of Liberia for the opportunity during the course of what he called “meaningful engagements to explore what is really unchartered financial territory in Liberia.”

Although the Offering of Convertible Debentures is new to Liberia, Mr. Zaidenberg said the CBL-CELLCOM engagements have afforded the company the chance to act positively and progressively together to consider the evolving possibilities of its growing economy, enhance the public trust and confidence and to develop appropriate mechanisms to embrace what is a certain future in the conduct of business in Liberia.

The CELLCOM Board Chairman, saying that regulatory institutions such as the CBL exercising authority without fear or favor will not only provide assurance for collective quests for increased integrity, orderliness and safeguard of public trust but also address Concerns about the need for developing and regulating underdeveloped sectors and complementing factors of growing economy.

“At CELLCOM, we believe in our individual and collective capacities to be better. This is why we are Liberia’s fastest growing business. All the CELLCOM has tried to do in Liberia affirm our belief that this country and its economy will improve, if we – the business community and regulating agencies do our parts well,” Mr. Zaidenberg recounted,

He added that this requires that members of the business community’s’ respects local laws, conform to international best practices and conduct business and responsibilities with the highest standard of transparency and integrity.

Accordingly, the Central Bank of Liberia yesterday Monday new measures which the management of the GSM Company says it is committed to upholding in its debenture scheme.

On November 8, CELLCOM Telecommunications Incorporated, a leading GSM telephony and internet services provider announced an Offering of Convertible Debentures to the Liberian public.

In its Offering, the GSM service providers advertised interest payment of a minimum of 10% per annum, a tenor of five years for its convertible Debentures and, at the election of each Debenture holder, either the conversion of the face value of the Debenture certificate into shares of common stock or the repayment of the principal invested plus any accrued interests.

CELLCOM offer comes at a time when the capital market in Liberia has yet to be developed, including having in place the appropriate regulatory and supervisory regime, according to the CBL authorities.

The Central Bank’s Executive Governor, Dr. Mills Jones told a news briefing that the development of a capital market in Liberia has been an interest of the Central Bank of Liberia.

According to the bank governor, the CBL has recently announced the need for avoiding any actions on the part of businesses that have the potential of creating problems that could lead to a loss of confidence of the public in the issuance of shares and/or debt obligations ahead of the establishment of a well functioning capital market.

CELLCOM’s Commitments
“In line with its mandate to ensure the orderly development of financial and capital markets that are responsive to the needs of the national economy, and to safeguard the public trust and interest in relation to financial transactions, the Central Bank of Liberia invited CELLCOM to review and discuss its Offering of the said Convertible Debentures,” Governor Jones indicated.

He told journalists, “Based on these discussions, CELLCOM has committed to make changes intended to enhance the disclosure of information about the company and the nature of the debenture being offered with a view to safeguarding the interest and trust of the public and ensuring orderliness in the process of issuing such financial instruments.

Accordingly, he said CELLCOM has committed to make several changes in the execution of its scheme, with immediate effect, which include the title of the Investment Guide of CELLCOM Offering of Convertible Debenture will be changed from “Private Placement of up to 500,000 Convertible Debentures at US$10 Per Unit Payable in Full Upon Application” to read “Placement of up to 500,000 Convertible Debentures at US$10 Per Unit Payable in Full Upon Application”. The removal of the word “Private” obligates CELLCOM to augment the level of disclosure to the public.

“In this connection,” Dr. Jones continued, the disclaimer of CELLCOM in reserving the “…right to amend or replace the information at any time and undertakes no obligation to provide the recipient with access to any additional information…” has been changed.

The Governor further announcing that CELLCOM has committed to now communicate any changes or replacement of information – with appropriate rationale for changes - by communicating, in a reasonable time, through publications in newspapers of general circulation, radio and/or other media, noted that in the summary of the terms of the Offering, CELLCOM will amend its statement to reflect that “this offer is intended, in part, to enable Liberians to eventually participate in the ownership, control and management of the company”.

According to the CBL Governor, this should make it clearer to the public that the purchase of these Debentures does not automatically translate into one becoming a ‘part-owner’ of CELLCOM.

“It is only at the maturity of the Debenture (5 yrs from now) that an investor may exercise the option of having his or her Debentures converted into shares. This clarification will also be further emphasized in succeeding advertisements and related media campaigns undertaken by CELLCOM,” he added.

Flanked by CELLCOM Board Chairman Mr. Avi Zaidenberg, Dr. Jones maintained that the GSA Company has committed to further clarify that for those investors who want to be paid in full at the maturity date, CELLCOM will pay back the Debentures in full on the maturity date, the issue price plus any unpaid accrued interest. For those investors who wish to become shareholders, Cellcom will convert the principal of its Debentures into shares of common stock.

“Not later than 30 days prior to the maturity date of the Debentures, CELLCOM will inform Debenture holders of the impending maturity date and that investors would be reminded of their right to either redeem the Debentures or convert same to shares in Cellcom,” he said.

Debentures holders must be informed
He noted, ”This information will be communicated to Debenture holders by written notices to the addresses provided on the subscription forms; notices placed in at least two local newspapers; notices published on two internet websites including CELLCOM’s; notices broadcast on at least three radio stations and sent via SMS text messages for a period of two weeks.

Dr. Jones asserted that the prior offering of CELLCOM allowed for the automatic conversion of Debentures into shares, in the event that an investor was unavailable to express his or her desire to either redeem the Debenture or to convert it into shares within 1 month following its maturity.

But he noted that as a further protection to the public, in the event that Cellcom does not receive a response from the Debenture holder within one month as of the maturity date of the Debenture, Cellcom will hold the principal of the Debenture plus any unpaid accrued interest for a further period of one year within which the Debenture holder can still exercise his or her right to either liquidate said Debenture or have it converted into shares, provided however that no further interest shall accrue on the principal amount, as of the maturity date.

“At the expiry of the one year period, Cellcom will remit to the Central Bank of Liberia any unclaimed or unconverted principal amounts, plus unpaid interest earned prior to the maturity date. The CBL will hold the funds in escrow, for up to 15 years, on behalf of debenture holders, their heirs, and assignee,” the CBL boss explained.

Given that Liberia has yet to develop a fully functional capital market that would allow for regular buying and selling of securities, such as debentures, he said CELLCOM has agreed to facilitate the transfer process (including registration) for debenture holders wishing to sell or transfer ownership of their debenture prior to maturity.

CELLCOM, he furthered, will not be involved in the transaction that takes place between the debenture holder and the third party, including any discounts that may be agreed upon between the two parties. “For the service of facilitating the transfer process, CELLCOM will charge an administrative fee in respect to each trade of said Debentures, provided said administrative charge will not exceed 2% of the face value of the Debenture,” he added.

The Central Bank Executive Governor accentuated that Cellcom commits to the provision of this service after August 30, 2010. “In effect, this provision makes it easier for holders of the debentures to be able to convert the debenture to cash through agreed upon transactions with third parties ahead of the five year maturity period,” he told the journalists.

Recent issuances of securities have pointed to an emerging need for an expanded range of options to mobilize domestic and international savings for efficient allocation to productive economic activities. This is why an orderly process for developing Liberia’s capital market is essential.

Meanwhile, the CELLCOM Board Chairman said he is the GSM company is pleased with and grateful to the public for its response to its offering of Convertible Debentures, saying that the CELLCOM has extended its purchase of convertible debentures to April 15, 2010.

Liberia - Guinea Border Tensed

2010-01-13T10:37:00.006-08:00

Lawmaker Expresses Dislike, Concerned Liberian Comments

Reports from the Liberian Guinean border have indicated tension characterized by seizures of belongings of Liberian traders by Guinean security forces; reports Bill K. Jarkloh.

The reports indicated that Guinean security at the borders have been mistreating Liberian traders, confiscating personal belongings including money and good, but a Nimba County Representative in Parliament who just returned from Ganta indicated that the treatment by the Guineans security is unacceptable, vowing to officialize her position against it to the Liberian Government.

The Nimba County Representative, Rebecca Norkidor, said the mistreatment of Liberians have defied official position of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Administration following a local newspaper report that madam Sirleaf was supplying weapons to Guinean dissidents against the military junta of that country.

The Plain Truth Newspaper published a news story to the effect of alleging that the administration of Madam Sirleaf was arming some Guineans against the military government, but the publisher of the paper, Attorney Saymah Cyrenus Cephus, was investigated by state security forces and is being prosecuted in connection with the story.

A concerned Liberian, in a letter published on the FrontPageAfrica online newspaper wondered whether there is a disconnection between the Plain Truth Story and Liberians traveling to Guinea.

Mr. Maxim Freeman, having listed to reports on the Africa network of the British Broadcasting Corporation concerning the situation at the Guinean border with Liberia noted that since the coup in December 2008 such mistreatment of Liberians was not happening until recently when people started spreading rumors about Liberian support to dissidents for regime change in Conakry.

“These are the sort of things that responsible factor into their calculation before making alarmist claims against their own government,” Mr. Freeman said, noting that the Liberian trader who spoke to the BBC is not the President, Vice President, Speaker or Chief Justice.

According to Mr. Freemen, the speaker on the BBC was rather not the Minister of Defense, Justice or Finance, but one who spoke because of his livelihood, and the purchasing power of ordinary consumers that will be affected by the unconventional actions of the Guinean security people.

“Can we say there is a complete disconnect between what is happening to our people traveling to Guinea and the publication that appeared some weeks ago? I think probably not,” Maxime Freeman concluded.

Efforts to get statements from the appropriate government authorities have not materialized.

In Angel Tokpah Murder Trial Update: We Didn’t Investigate All

2010-01-13T10:26:00.000-08:00

… State Witness, A Ghanaian, Told Court Of Crime Scene
Ears were raised in the Angel Tokpah murder trial at the Criminal Court “B” at the Temple of Justice when the head of Ghanaian team of investigators that accompanied the Ghanaian-based pathologist to Liberia 2008 told the Court Wednesday that his team did not investigate the entire perimeter of the crime scene.

Represented by Solicitor General – M. Wilkins Wright, County Attorney J. Darku Mulbah, Human Rights Lawyer T. Dempster Brown and Justice Ministry Attorney ASamuel Jacobs, the State imported the Ghanaian investigators headed by Inspector Alex Asanmoa Franpona who, however, told defense cross examination led by Cllr. Pearl Bull who was in court lead defense lawyers Musa dean that the Ghanaian homicide investigators were given the mandate by the Justice Ministry of Liberia to investigate the cause of death of 13-year-old Angel Tokpah in 2008 when the Liberian Government invited the intervention of Ghanaian experts in murder investigation of the 13-years-old boy.

Inspected Franpona, who claimed high knowledge and professionalism when he was quizzed on his background, responded to defense lawyer Pearl Bull’s question by further saying that his team did not asked neighbors as to their knowledge of what happened in the neighborhood regarding the alleged murder of little Angel Tokpah.

The Ghanaian inspector who is the ninth prosecution also disclosed in open court that although his team visited the John F. Kennedy medical center where little Angel Tokpah was taken and pronounced dead, members of the Ghanaian homicide investigators did not meet Dr. Jallah who was the medical practitioner that was responsible to give them the medical report of the ‘murdered’ adolescent to them.

According to him, Dr. Anthony Quaye, a Liberian practitioner who was at the JFK, confirmed to the Ghanaian homicide team accompanying the Ghanaian-based Cuban pathologist that Dr. Jallah was not at the hospital at the time. He however, said “We had Dr, Jallah’s report, adding that the investigation of the Angel Tokpah homicide affair was his first international experience as a crime investigator in the Ghanaian police.

“Our specific mandate was to investigate cause of death…” Inspector Franpona told the lawyer on the cross, noting we arrived in Liberia on January 13, 2008, met the Minister of Justice, Philip A. Z. Banks who give them the briefings “and tasked us to investigate the cause of death of Angel Tokpah”.

According to Inspector Franpona, the met with the teams of Liberia investigators at a press conference held at the Ministry of Justice and requested them for court docket of the Angel Tokpah murder case so that the Ghanaian homicide team would start from where the Liberian teams stopped, but added that they Ghanaian team was told by its Liberian counterparts that there was no docket, and that they should start from scratch, which they did.

Mode of operation

Giving his testimony in chief on the direct examination, Inspector Franpona however told the court that the Ghanaian homicide investigators that came to Liberia for the case, including him, Homicide Investigator Inspector Charles Appiah and Crime Scene Technician Richard Anaty, investigated the entire household of Mr. Hans Williams “and their assertions were that they found the deceased hanging in a bathroom.”

Investigator Franpona explained that team took statements from occupants, and added that the investigators were told that Angel was discovered hanging by a son of Hans Williams, who was identified by name of Hans Williams, Jr.

Jr. Williams went into the bathroom to fetch bucket when he saw the deceased hanging, according to what the Ghanaian investigator told the court. Jr. Williams then raised alarm which alerted the entire household which include Hans and Mardea, Mrs. Henrietta Payku, Mr. Payku and little Angel Gargar and some security men at their security post, the prosecution ninth witness told the court.

Upon the alarm by Jr. Williams, Inspector Franpona said Mr. Williams, the security and Mr. Payku went into the bathroom just to see little Angel Tokpah hanging, the Ghanaian police agent said they were told during their investigation, saying that Hans and the security called kolleh, apparently a man living around, held the deceased while Mr. Payku rushed for a kitchen knife, which was used to cut the rope.

He said according to the narration, the deceased was gasping, when they rushed her to the hospital – the JFK Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead six minutes after arrival. Based upon the explanations provided by the Hans Williams Household, the Ghanaian police asked members of the household present to demonstrate the crime scene after which the team of Franpona took measurement of the bathroom, saying, “the household did not object.”

On January 16, 2008, Inspector Franpona indicate, the Ghana-based Cuban pathologist the Ghanaian police accompanied to Liberia performed the second autopsy on the mortal remains of little Angel Tokpah in the presence of the Ghanaian team, some personnel of the crime service department of the Liberia National Police, some UNMIL personnel, father of the deceased, a group of women and Dr. Anthony Quaye. After the examination, the Ghanaian officer said the pathologist gave findings as “asphyxia secondary to strangulation.”

The witness who was discharged was preceded by the prosecution’s 8th witness, another Ghanaian security agent who ruled out suicide hanging on the part of Angel.

International witness ruled out suicide

The state’s first international witness in the Angel Tokpah murder case says it was not possible for the 13-year-old to have hanged herself where it was alleged she hanged herself.

Chief Investigator Charles Appiah said family assertions that little Angel died by hanging was not realistic. The Ghanaian Detective’s testimony supports earlier testimonies by some senior LNP officers that the victim was taller than where it was alleged she hanged herself.

The Ghanaian homicide investigator says the diagram of the crime scene on the court’s file give full backing to the testimonies of the local and international investigators. Chief Inspector Appiah also confirmed that Dr. Anthony Quaye was part of the second autopsy the Cuban pathologist conducted.
Dr. Quaye testified Monday and told the court his autopsy report was not satisfactory. Another international investigator is expected to testify Wednesday at Criminal Court B.

The author of the controversial autopsy, performed on body of little Angel Tokpah has testified in the murder case. Prosecution produced Dr. Anthony Quaye instead of one of its international witnesses as was earlier announced. Dr. Quaye told the court, he was not satisfied with the first autopsy report which sparked public outcry two years ago. The doctor said the mode of death was not included in the first report because of his reservation.

According to Dr. Quaye, he did not get the full cooperation of the first police investigation team. Dr. Quaye claimed former CID boss Stephen Zargo told him the case was suicidal even before the autopsy was done.

He said every time he requested the police findings to compile the autopsy report, Attorney Zargo told him the case was suicidal.

Commentators say this latest information sound good. I believe Dr. has realized his mistake and now willing to admit the facts. That is the right thing. As professionals we should never comprise our intergrity regardless of prevailing circumstances.

The Quality of our works should in no way be a function of influence of what ever kind. We should remain professional under all circumstances.

The suspected killers of little Angel Tokpah have again pleaded not guilty to the indictment against them. Hans and Mardea Williams pleaded not guilty to the murder charge Monday at Criminal Court B.

Mr. and Mrs. Williams also waived jury trial before hundreds of people who went to see the trial. Government accused the couple of hanging the body of the 13-year-old in a bathroom of their house after killing her.

According to the indictment, Mrs. Williams met Mr. Williams sexually abusing Angel and out of anger strangled the girl to death. The couple and their family members denied the allegations and said the girl hanged herself.

At least three autopsies have been done to settle the controversies surrounding Angel Tokpah’s death.
Government did two and the defense did one.

H’Right lawyer thrown out

Meanwhile, legal proceedings at Criminal Court "B" recently came to a stand still when defendant Hans Williams informed his lawyers who were busy perusing some documents that human right lawyer, Cllr. Dempster Brown was in the restroom with witness Joseph Flomo who asked the Judge to use the restroom.

The information which claimed the attention of the defense counsel prompted the two defense lawyers, Cllrs. Pearl Brown Bull and Francis Galawolo to rush into the restroom to find out what was transpiring between the witness and Cllr. Dempster Brown.

The defense counsel then forwarded the issue to the attention of Judge Dixon who was presiding. Commenting on the act, Judge Dixon said the presence of Cllr. Brown in chamber has not been made known to him. Though he has been sitting with the prosecution since the case resumed on Monday, it was not clear whether he was part of the prosecution team. Judge Dixon said.

Judge Dixon without delay ordered the immediate eviction of Cllr. Dempster Brown from the chamber of the court since the state failed to give account of him.
Following the eviction of the human right lawyer from the premises of the court chamber, the witness was asked to continue his testimony.

In his testimony, witness Joseph Flomo of Criminal Investigation Division of the Liberia National Police told the court that it was not possible for Angel Tokpah to have committed suicide according to police investigation.

The witness also mentioned in his testimony that the measurement taken at the place the girl allegedly hung herself proved different from the guidance claimed. He said the late Angel Tokpah measured 4ft 9 inches and the rope she allegedly used was 3ft 8inches making it longer than the distance between the floor and the place where the rope she used to hang herself was tied before putting same around her neck. He furthered that if the rope is tied on her neck that means she will rather sit on the floor than hanging.

Witness Flomo's testimony was followed by a direct and cross examination by state and defense lawyers respectively.

The two defendants, Hans and Mardea Williams were very attentive taking and passing notes to their lawyers as the witness testify.

November 30, 2007 was a dark day for 13-year old Meideh Angel Tokpah who was found hanging at 7:30 pm in a bathroom of her guardians on the Old Road, Sinkor, in Monrovia.
Just before her lifeless body was submitted to postmortem examination, the police issued a statement that she committed suicide, which corroborated her guardian, Hans Williams.

Women, student and youth groups and human rights organizations challenged the police report. But the postmortem report #009 conducted by Anthony S. Quaye raised more questions than answers. However, an autopsy performed by foreign experts has found out that Angel was not only sexually abused, she was strangled to death.

Historical Perspective

Students of Christ the King School Old road had just begun their weekend on November 30, 2007 when the news broke that one them, 13-year old adolescent Meideh Angel Togba was dead.

Little Angel, weighing 38 kg and 150 cm tall, was found hanging from a belt in the bathroom of her Guardian Mr. Hans Williams. The alarm was blown, neighbors converged at the Williams' residence, and the police was alerted.

Police reported that little Angel died on the same Friday, Nov. 30, 2007 at 7:30 as a result of hanging. The body was then submitted to the Medical Examiner of the Liberian National Police, Anthony S. Quayee.

Mr. Quayee conducted the postmortem examination while the body of the deceased was yet un-embalmed, frozen, partially dressed in a multiple color blouse and multiple colors torn panties.
No mention was made in the autopsy report as to what partially tore Angel's panties, but the report admitted the deceased suffered a violent death.

Describing the vaginal orifice, Dr. Quayee said Angel's heymen was broken with irregular edges. A medical practitioner who spoke with The Analyst when the "heymen" is broken a female is said to be de-virginized.

The Quayee autopsy also said the "mucobloody vaginal" discharge was present on the body of Angel Togba.

In his conclusion, Quayee said there was evidence of a torn panties, but claimed that during the investigation, "the evidence of sexual abuse couldnot be established because of duration elapsed before the postmortem examination was performed".

Quayee said in his report that Angel's Suprebubic hair (hair around her private part), vaginal secretion, vaginal tissue were taken for DNA analysis, if sponsored.

Reading the report during a press conference, Solicitor General Tiawan Gongloe said there was no foul-play in the death of little Angel, but that met public dissension.

New Autopsy report

Liberia's Justice Minister, Cllr. Philip A.Z. Banks yesterday released the autopsy report of the late little Angel Tokpah conducted by a Ghanaian Pathologist with 32 years of experience and Prof. Dr. Josefa Jimenez Hernandez.

A second autopsy was ordered by the government of Liberia following public out cry that the Quayee postmortem report was faulty. The Ghanaian Pathologist, Prof. Dr. Hernandez was seconded to conduct a new autopsy.

According to the findings of the new autopsy on the embalmed body of Angel, the 13-year old girl was reportedly sexually abused and strangled to death.

In his concluding comments, Dr. Hernandez said: "The review of the postmortem report and the examination of the photographs in the process of the re-examination demonstrated evidence of violence."

The Ghanaian Pathologist also said: "This case describes morphological changes in the neck, respiratory system and the external genital. Alleging, she was sexually violated and strangled before the hanging."

Latest news on the trial have it that Cllr. Banks said some parts were taken off the body of little Angel but said those parts were later discovered at the Samuel Striker Funeral home.

The previous autopsy report said those parts were extracted for DNA test which was not done before the new autopsy was conducted. He said the study of the initial autopsy photographs indicated diffused scratches on the Suprapubic (private) area, and burns on the supero-anterior side of booth thighs.

Meanwhile, police sources have disclosed that Mr. & Mrs. Hans Williams have been arrested and detained at the National Police Headquarters on Capitol Hill and are been interrogated.

In the mean time, Justice Minister Philip Banks said the body of little Angel will be tuned over to her parents after investigation of the missing parts is concluded.

He then promised the government will speedily prosecute those connected to the death of Meideh Angel Togba.
18th January, 2008 Report of review of postmortem conducted on deceased Meideh Togba was upon a request received from the Acting Head of Ghana Mission in the Republic of Liberia for assistance in respect of a review of an autopsy, I arrived in Monrovia on the 14th January 2008 to undertake the re-examination.
On Wednesday 16th January 2008, the body was made available to me at the Samuel Stryker Funeral home, in attendance to witness were the following: During the autopsy, representation include Crime Service Department of Liberia, the United Nations, the Criminal Investigations Department of Ghana,
women in peace building network of Liberia, the father of the deceased, Mr. Togba during which external examination was conducted and found that the body was that of an embalmed female adolescent.

Marks of Violence:

The body had a ligature mark from internal lateral right side to the internal lateral left side of the neck surrounded by diffused petechial hemorrhages that extended to the right cheek. In the photographs of the Initial examination. The study of the initial autopsy photographs indicated a diffused scratches or abrasions on the suprapubic area and burns on the supero-anterior side of both things. The examination of the embalmed body revealed the disappearance of the epidermis and hair of the suprapubic area.

Again, the vestibular and the minor labial tissues and the vaginal wall components of the external genital were not found. The internal face of the left thing showed scratches. The chemical used for the embalmment, thus formalin 10%, can only preserve the tissues and change the color. According to Dr. Anthony S. Quayee who performed the initial autopsy, the epidemis and pubic hair were taken for DNA analyses.

Internal Examination

The internal examination of the body revealed the disappearance of parts of the respiratory system including laryngeal structure, trachea and bronchial (airways). Studies of the initial autopsy photographs showed the dissection of the neck and a review of the structure indicated a diffused hemorrhage in the subcutaneous tissue.

According to the examination, the tarynx and the trachea were dislocated and surrounded by traumatic hemorrhagic injuries Lungs show diffuse areas of atelectases and hemorrhage. The heart covered by pericardium sac, and a dissection showed diffused petechial hemorrhage for Asphyxia.

The Liver, it was said then, was pale and showed no abnormality. The spleen was congestive. The kidneys were pale. On cutting section the cortical area was pale and pyramid with severe congestion due to the loss blood for the laceration of the vessels (carotid arteries and yugular vein localized in the laterals side of the neck). Brain shows congestion and moderate edema. Rest of the organs no evidence of alteration seen.

Murder Trial Update: We Didn’t Investigate All

2010-01-13T10:22:00.000-08:00

… State Witness, A Ghanaian, Told Court Of Crime Scene
Ears were raised in the Angel Tokpah murder trial at the Criminal Court “B” at the Temple of Justice when the head of Ghanaian team of investigators that accompanied the Ghanaian-based pathologist to Liberia 2008 told the Court Wednesday that his team did not investigate the entire perimeter of the crime scene.
Represented by Solicitor General – M. Wilkins Wright, County Attorney J. Darku Mulbah, Human Rights Lawyer T. Dempster Brown and Justice Ministry Attorney ASamuel Jacobs, the State imported the Ghanaian investigators headed by Inspector Alex Asanmoa Franpona who, however, told defense cross examination led by Cllr. Pearl Bull who was in court lead defense lawyers Musa dean that the Ghanaian homicide investigators were given the mandate by the Justice Ministry of Liberia to investigate the cause of death of 13-year-old Angel Tokpah in 2008 when the Liberian Government invited the intervention of Ghanaian experts in murder investigation of the 13-years-old boy.
Inspected Franpona, who claimed high knowledge and professionalism when he was quizzed on his background, responded to defense lawyer Pearl Bull’s question by further saying that his team did not asked neighbors as to their knowledge of what happened in the neighborhood regarding the alleged murder of little Angel Tokpah.
The Ghanaian inspector who is the ninth prosecution also disclosed in open court that although his team visited the John F. Kennedy medical center where little Angel Tokpah was taken and pronounced dead, members of the Ghanaian homicide investigators did not meet Dr. Jallah who was the medical practitioner that was responsible to give them the medical report of the ‘murdered’ adolescent to them.
According to him, Dr. Anthony Quaye, a Liberian practitioner who was at the JFK, confirmed to the Ghanaian homicide team accompanying the Ghanaian-based Cuban pathologist that Dr. Jallah was not at the hospital at the time. He however, said “We had Dr, Jallah’s report, adding that the investigation of the Angel Tokpah homicide affair was his first international experience as a crime investigator in the Ghanaian police.
“Our specific mandate was to investigate cause of death…” Inspector Franpona told the lawyer on the cross, noting we arrived in Liberia on January 13, 2008, met the Minister of Justice, Philip A. Z. Banks who give them the briefings “and tasked us to investigate the cause of death of Angel Tokpah”.
According to Inspector Franpona, the met with the teams of Liberia investigators at a press conference held at the Ministry of Justice and requested them for court docket of the Angel Tokpah murder case so that the Ghanaian homicide team would start from where the Liberian teams stopped, but added that they Ghanaian team was told by its Liberian counterparts that there was no docket, and that they should start from scratch, which they did.

Mode of operation

Giving his testimony in chief on the direct examination, Inspector Franpona however told the court that the Ghanaian homicide investigators that came to Liberia for the case, including him, Homicide Investigator Inspector Charles Appiah and Crime Scene Technician Richard Anaty, investigated the entire household of Mr. Hans Williams “and their assertions were that they found the deceased hanging in a bathroom.”
Investigator Franpona explained that team took statements from occupants, and added that the investigators were told that Angel was discovered hanging by a son of Hans Williams, who was identified by name of Hans Williams, Jr.
Jr. Williams went into the bathroom to fetch bucket when he saw the deceased hanging, according to what the Ghanaian investigator told the court. Jr. Williams then raised alarm which alerted the entire household which include Hans and Mardea, Mrs. Henrietta Payku, Mr. Payku and little Angel Gargar and some security men at their security post, the prosecution ninth witness told the court.
Upon the alarm by Jr. Williams, Inspector Franpona said Mr. Williams, the security and Mr. Payku went into the bathroom just to see little Angel Tokpah hanging, the Ghanaian police agent said they were told during their investigation, saying that Hans and the security called kolleh, apparently a man living around, held the deceased while Mr. Payku rushed for a kitchen knife, which was used to cut the rope.
He said according to the narration, the deceased was gasping, when they rushed her to the hospital – the JFK Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead six minutes after arrival. Based upon the explanations provided by the Hans Williams Household, the Ghanaian police asked members of the household present to demonstrate the crime scene after which the team of Franpona took measurement of the bathroom, saying, “the household did not object.”
On January 16, 2008, Inspector Franpona indicate, the Ghana-based Cuban pathologist the Ghanaian police accompanied to Liberia performed the second autopsy on the mortal remains of little Angel Tokpah in the presence of the Ghanaian team, some personnel of the crime service department of the Liberia National Police, some UNMIL personnel, father of the deceased, a group of women and Dr. Anthony Quaye. After the examination, the Ghanaian officer said the pathologist gave findings as “asphyxia secondary to strangulation.”
The witness who was discharged was preceded by the prosecution’s 8th witness, another Ghanaian security agent who ruled out suicide hanging on the part of Angel.

International witness ruled out suicide

The state’s first international witness in the Angel Tokpah murder case says it was not possible for the 13-year-old to have hanged herself where it was alleged she hanged herself.
Chief Investigator Charles Appiah said family assertions that little Angel died by hanging was not realistic. The Ghanaian Detective’s testimony supports earlier testimonies by some senior LNP officers that the victim was taller than where it was alleged she hanged herself.
The Ghanaian homicide investigator says the diagram of the crime scene on the court’s file give full backing to the testimonies of the local and international investigators. Chief Inspector Appiah also confirmed that Dr. Anthony Quaye was part of the second autopsy the Cuban pathologist conducted.
Dr. Quaye testified Monday and told the court his autopsy report was not satisfactory. Another international investigator is expected to testify Wednesday at Criminal Court B.
The author of the controversial autopsy, performed on body of little Angel Tokpah has testified in the murder case. Prosecution produced Dr. Anthony Quaye instead of one of its international witnesses as was earlier announced. Dr. Quaye told the court, he was not satisfied with the first autopsy report which sparked public outcry two years ago. The doctor said the mode of death was not included in the first report because of his reservation.
According to Dr. Quaye, he did not get the full cooperation of the first police investigation team. Dr. Quaye claimed former CID boss Stephen Zargo told him the case was suicidal even before the autopsy was done.
He said every time he requested the police findings to compile the autopsy report, Attorney Zargo told him the case was suicidal.
Commentators say this latest information sound good. I believe Dr. has realized his mistake and now willing to admit the facts. That is the right thing. As professionals we should never comprise our intergrity regardless of prevailing circumstances.
The Quality of our works should in no way be a function of influence of what ever kind. We should remain professional under all circumstances.
The suspected killers of little Angel Tokpah have again pleaded not guilty to the indictment against them. Hans and Mardea Williams pleaded not guilty to the murder charge Monday at Criminal Court B.
Mr. and Mrs. Williams also waived jury trial before hundreds of people who went to see the trial. Government accused the couple of hanging the body of the 13-year-old in a bathroom of their house after killing her.
According to the indictment, Mrs. Williams met Mr. Williams sexually abusing Angel and out of anger strangled the girl to death. The couple and their family members denied the allegations and said the girl hanged herself.
At least three autopsies have been done to settle the controversies surrounding Angel Tokpah’s death.
Government did two and the defense did one.

H’Right lawyer thrown out

Meanwhile, legal proceedings at Criminal Court "B" recently came to a stand still when defendant Hans Williams informed his lawyers who were busy perusing some documents that human right lawyer, Cllr. Dempster Brown was in the restroom with witness Joseph Flomo who asked the Judge to use the restroom.
The information which claimed the attention of the defense counsel prompted the two defense lawyers, Cllrs. Pearl Brown Bull and Francis Galawolo to rush into the restroom to find out what was transpiring between the witness and Cllr. Dempster Brown.
The defense counsel then forwarded the issue to the attention of Judge Dixon who was presiding. Commenting on the act, Judge Dixon said the presence of Cllr. Brown in chamber has not been made known to him. Though he has been sitting with the prosecution since the case resumed on Monday, it was not clear whether he was part of the prosecution team. Judge Dixon said.
Judge Dixon without delay ordered the immediate eviction of Cllr. Dempster Brown from the chamber of the court since the state failed to give account of him.
Following the eviction of the human right lawyer from the premises of the court chamber, the witness was asked to continue his testimony.
In his testimony, witness Joseph Flomo of Criminal Investigation Division of the Liberia National Police told the court that it was not possible for Angel Tokpah to have committed suicide according to police investigation.
The witness also mentioned in his testimony that the measurement taken at the place the girl allegedly hung herself proved different from the guidance claimed. He said the late Angel Tokpah measured 4ft 9 inches and the rope she allegedly used was 3ft 8inches making it longer than the distance between the floor and the place where the rope she used to hang herself was tied before putting same around her neck. He furthered that if the rope is tied on her neck that means she will rather sit on the floor than hanging.
Witness Flomo's testimony was followed by a direct and cross examination by state and defense lawyers respectively.
The two defendants, Hans and Mardea Williams were very attentive taking and passing notes to their lawyers as the witness testify.
November 30, 2007 was a dark day for 13-year old Meideh Angel Tokpah who was found hanging at 7:30 pm in a bathroom of her guardians on the Old Road, Sinkor, in Monrovia.
Just before her lifeless body was submitted to postmortem examination, the police issued a statement that she committed suicide, which corroborated her guardian, Hans Williams.
Women, student and youth groups and human rights organizations challenged the police report. But the postmortem report #009 conducted by Anthony S. Quaye raised more questions than answers. However, an autopsy performed by foreign experts has found out that Angel was not only sexually abused, she was strangled to death.

Historical Perspective

Students of Christ the King School Old road had just begun their weekend on November 30, 2007 when the news broke that one them, 13-year old adolescent Meideh Angel Togba was dead.
Little Angel, weighing 38 kg and 150 cm tall, was found hanging from a belt in the bathroom of her Guardian Mr. Hans Williams. The alarm was blown, neighbors converged at the Williams' residence, and the police was alerted.
Police reported that little Angel died on the same Friday, Nov. 30, 2007 at 7:30 as a result of hanging. The body was then submitted to the Medical Examiner of the Liberian National Police, Anthony S. Quayee.
Mr. Quayee conducted the postmortem examination while the body of the deceased was yet un-embalmed, frozen, partially dressed in a multiple color blouse and multiple colors torn panties.
No mention was made in the autopsy report as to what partially tore Angel's panties, but the report admitted the deceased suffered a violent death.
Describing the vaginal orifice, Dr. Quayee said Angel's heymen was broken with irregular edges. A medical practitioner who spoke with The Analyst when the "heymen" is broken a female is said to be de-virginized.
The Quayee autopsy also said the "mucobloody vaginal" discharge was present on the body of Angel Togba.
In his conclusion, Quayee said there was evidence of a torn panties, but claimed that during the investigation, "the evidence of sexual abuse couldnot be established because of duration elapsed before the postmortem examination was performed".
Quayee said in his report that Angel's Suprebubic hair (hair around her private part), vaginal secretion, vaginal tissue were taken for DNA analysis, if sponsored.
Reading the report during a press conference, Solicitor General Tiawan Gongloe said there was no foul-play in the death of little Angel, but that met public dissension.

New Autopsy report

Liberia's Justice Minister, Cllr. Philip A.Z. Banks yesterday released the autopsy report of the late little Angel Tokpah conducted by a Ghanaian Pathologist with 32 years of experience and Prof. Dr. Josefa Jimenez Hernandez.
A second autopsy was ordered by the government of Liberia following public out cry that the Quayee postmortem report was faulty. The Ghanaian Pathologist, Prof. Dr. Hernandez was seconded to conduct a new autopsy.
According to the findings of the new autopsy on the embalmed body of Angel, the 13-year old girl was reportedly sexually abused and strangled to death.
In his concluding comments, Dr. Hernandez said: "The review of the postmortem report and the examination of the photographs in the process of the re-examination demonstrated evidence of violence."
The Ghanaian Pathologist also said: "This case describes morphological changes in the neck, respiratory system and the external genital. Alleging, she was sexually violated and strangled before the hanging."
Latest news on the trial have it that Cllr. Banks said some parts were taken off the body of little Angel but said those parts were later discovered at the Samuel Striker Funeral home.
The previous autopsy report said those parts were extracted for DNA test which was not done before the new autopsy was conducted. He said the study of the initial autopsy photographs indicated diffused scratches on the Suprapubic (private) area, and burns on the supero-anterior side of booth thighs.
Meanwhile, police sources have disclosed that Mr. & Mrs. Hans Williams have been arrested and detained at the National Police Headquarters on Capitol Hill and are been interrogated.
In the mean time, Justice Minister Philip Banks said the body of little Angel will be tuned over to her parents after investigation of the missing parts is concluded.
He then promised the government will speedily prosecute those connected to the death of Meideh Angel Togba.
18th January, 2008 Report of review of postmortem conducted on deceased Meideh Togba was upon a request received from the Acting Head of Ghana Mission in the Republic of Liberia for assistance in respect of a review of an autopsy, I arrived in Monrovia on the 14th January 2008 to undertake the re-examination.
On Wednesday 16th January 2008, the body was made available to me at the Samuel Stryker Funeral home, in attendance to witness were the following: During the autopsy, representation include Crime Service Department of Liberia, the United Nations, the Criminal Investigations Department of Ghana,
women in peace building network of Liberia, the father of the deceased, Mr. Togba during which external examination was conducted and found that the body was that of an embalmed female adolescent.

Marks of Violence:

The body had a ligature mark from internal lateral right side to the internal lateral left side of the neck surrounded by diffused petechial hemorrhages that extended to the right cheek. In the photographs of the Initial examination. The study of the initial autopsy photographs indicated a diffused scratches or abrasions on the suprapubic area and burns on the supero-anterior side of both things. The examination of the embalmed body revealed the disappearance of the epidermis and hair of the suprapubic area.
Again, the vestibular and the minor labial tissues and the vaginal wall components of the external genital were not found. The internal face of the left thing showed scratches. The chemical used for the embalmment, thus formalin 10%, can only preserve the tissues and change the color. According to Dr. Anthony S. Quayee who performed the initial autopsy, the epidemis and pubic hair were taken for DNA analyses.

Internal Examination

The internal examination of the body revealed the disappearance of parts of the respiratory system including laryngeal structure, trachea and bronchial (airways). Studies of the initial autopsy photographs showed the dissection of the neck and a review of the structure indicated a diffused hemorrhage in the subcutaneous tissue.
According to the examination, the tarynx and the trachea were dislocated and surrounded by traumatic hemorrhagic injuries Lungs show diffuse areas of atelectases and hemorrhage. The heart covered by pericardium sac, and a dissection showed diffused petechial hemorrhage for Asphyxia.
The Liver, it was said then, was pale and showed no abnormality. The spleen was congestive. The kidneys were pale. On cutting section the cortical area was pale and pyramid with severe congestion due to the loss blood for the laceration of the vessels (carotid arteries and yugular vein localized in the laterals side of the neck). Brain shows congestion and moderate edema. Rest of the organs no evidence of alteration seen.

Three Dead After Gun Attack On Togo Football Team

2010-01-13T10:17:00.000-08:00

Optimism Turned To Horror
The Angolan government chose to use the northern enclave of Cabinda as a venue for the African Cup of Nations to improve the province's war-torn image and drive investment, but its plan has turned out to be a tragic own goal, with reports of three dead, Togo set to pull out of the tournament and Angola in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
The death toll from an attack on Togo's football team as they travelled in Angola has risen from one to three, reports say. The team bus driver was killed in Friday's attack, with the deaths of the assistant coach and a spokesman announced a day later.
Two players were among nine people injured in the attack as the team headed to the Africa Cup of Nations. The teams were recalled from the competition by the Togo government.
The Angolan government officials and tournament organizers had held unsuccessful talks with the team to persuade them to stay after reports they were withdrawing.
The attack happened in Angola's northern province of Cabinda on Friday. Goalkeeper Kossi Agassa, who plays for French club Istres, told France-Info radio that two people had died.
They were the assistant coach Amalete Abalo and media spokesperson Stanislas Ocloo. Among the nine people injured were two players, an assistant manager, physio, goalkeeping coach and another coach.
Reserve goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale was flown to South Africa for surgery for injuries to his back, club president Philippe Le Mestre told AP news agency.
The attackers machine-gunned the vehicle after it crossed from the Republic of Congo into Angola's oil-rich territory of Cabinda.
Rebels who have been fighting for the region's independence later said they had carried out the attack. The Angolan government called the incident an "act of terrorism".
Togo had been due to play their first cup game in Cabinda on Monday. The Angolan Prime Minister, Paulo Kassoma, described the attack as an "isolated act", and guaranteed the security of teams, AFP news agency reported.
The BBC sports correspondent says that Togo's withdrawal will be a crushing blow for the Angolan hosts, who hoped the tournament would show how far their country had progressed since the end of the civil war.
The tournament's organizers, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), said the team should have travelled by air rather than road.
The Togolese team - which includes Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor and Aston Villa midfielder Moustapha Salifou - were shot at by a group of gunmen as they travelled by bus from the Republic of Congo into Cabinda, which is separated from Angola by a strip of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The small jungle province is home to much of Angola's offshore petroleum activity and has been at the centre of a long-running independence fight led by various splinter groups of Flec (the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda).
Despite a so-called peace deal in 2006, low-level insurgency has continued and there have been sporadic reports of attacks on members of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) and some on Chinese and Brazilian nationals working in the province.
Flec had made some veiled threats that it might attack during the Cup of Nations - when it knew the world's media would be watching - but the Angolan government gave assurances security was in place and there would be no trouble.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Antonio Bento Bembe, a former Flec leader who was made a government minister as part of the 2006 Memorandum of Understanding, said: "Cabinda is safe and security there is guaranteed.
"The Cup of Nations is an opportunity for Cabinda to receive visitors and it will bring money and investment to the province," he added. Later, responding to the shooting, the minister said he had made the statements in good faith and added: "I am really sad to think that our African brothers came to Angola to take part in the Cup of Nations and this has happened."
An investigation has been launched into what happened, but questions are also being asked about why Togo chose to drive through a notoriously dangerous part of the province, a known location for insurgents, instead of flying to Cabinda city directly, according to the Confederation of African Football regulations.
"The mistake is that the team travelled by road, they had obviously done no serious risk assessment of the area," said Alex Vines, of London-based think tank Chatham House.
"This is the Mayombe rainforest and where radical Flec separatists have operated for decades. "They number just several hundred but they can be disruptive, despite the large number of Angolan military and security deployed in the province, and international companies in the zones have been targeted with abductions and killings."
Few such attacks reach the headlines because of an ongoing clampdown on media activities in the province of Cabinda and the government's refusal to acknowledge Flec's actions.
With Togo having pulled out of the tournament, the organizing committee is pledging tighter security but trying to play down the incident. On Saturday, it issued a statement repeating that the competition would go ahead as planned.
Angola has reportedly spent $1bn preparing for the biannual tournament to be played in the four host cities of Luanda, Lubango, Benguela and Cabinda, as well as four brand new Chinese-built stadiums. There are new airports, roads, hotels and upgraded hospital facilities.
Hype has been building in the country for weeks and the streets of Luanda have been a sea of red, black and gold Angolan flags and people in team shirts and caps.
One woman selling mangoes outside Luanda's 50,000-seat stadium said: "We are happy about the Cup of Nations because it will bring tourists to Angola, and they will see that the war is over and that the people are peaceful."
After the incident involving the Togo team, this type of optimism may now be hard to find.

26,000 USD Earmarked for Clinic Project

2009-12-20T08:09:00.000-08:00

…Former Supt. Says US$5,000 Already Raised
By: J. Baitermeayea Hilton III/ Cell # 077219227
The citizens of the Township of Central Virginia in Montserrado County residing in the United States of America will shortly renovate the only public government clinic, the Dr. Robert C.D. Marshall Memorial Clinic at the cost of 26,000.
Making the disclosure recently when he took the US Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy, Madame Brooks A. Robinson, on a guided tour of Clinic, former Montserrado County Superintendent Rupel E. Marshal Sr. senior told residents in the area that the Virginia Citizens Union, residing in the USA and have already raised the amount of US$5,000 to jump-start the clinic renovation project.
He said, the citizens have sent him, Mr. Marshal to Liberia to inform the people back home about the imitative that they have undertaken to start the renovation of the clinic that has been providing health service to the people of Virginia and its environs.
Former Superintendent Marshal has disclosed that they are hoping to generate the amount of 21,000 USD, through partnership with the citizens of Virginia in the USA and other international donor agencies within the country and outside Liberia.
During the tour of the facility, residents the area used the occasion to appeal to Madame Robinson for assistance in the renovation project. The community people said the clinic was damaged due to the 14 years of war.
In respond, Madame Brooks A. Robinson firstly applauded the citizens of the township both at home and abroad for the self-help initiative in their community.
The Deputy Chief of Mission of the American Embassy said the process of assisting them is to apply to the office of the USA Embassy near Monrovia through the office of Mr. Daniel F. Bovel, Jr., project coordinator at the embassy for the United States Ambassador’s special fund.

TRC Gives Diagnoses & Recommendations!

2009-12-20T08:06:00.000-08:00

…Final Report Points Out Imbalances

By: Bill K. Jarkloh
www.theperiscope.com/www.panwhanpe.com
Email: billkjarkloh@gmail.com /bill_ksolborjarkloh@yahoo.com
Call: (231)-6-468-244; (231)-77-544-286

The Truth & Reconciliation has release its final edited report containing 10 findings and determinations, 18 additional findings and 13 determinations with three a point-recommendation.
In its findings and determinations, the TRC holds in its final edited report that poverty, governance, its over centralization and the oppressive dominance of the Americo-Liberian oligarchy over the indigenous peoples’ rights and culture is a root cause of the conflict in Liberia, and pointed to the lack of any permanent or appropriate mechanism for the settlement of the disputes, the judiciary being week and unreliable, as the basis for the conflict.
The Commission also names the duality of the Liberian political, social and legal systems which polarizes and widens the disparities between the Liberian peoples – a chasm between settler and indigenous Liberians respectively as be a factor for the conflict, saying that ethnicity and divisive cluster is another determination for the root causes of the conflict.
The nine-member benched TRC considered as another root causes of the conflict, “Entrenched political and social system found on the privilege, patronage, politicization of the military and endemic corruption which created limited access to education and justice, economic and social opportunities and amenities.”
It says other root causes include “Unfair discrimination against women and denial of their rightful place in society as equal partners,” and “historical disputes over land acquisition, distribution and accessibility” as well as “Lack of clarity and understanding of Liberia’s history including its history of conflict.”
“Identity and the crisis of identity engender disunity and undermined Liberian patriotism and sense of nationhood” and “gradual breakdown of the family and loss of its traditional value system” are also considered one of the root causes of the conflict.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia (TRC) has announced the release and publication of its final reports after several weeks of editing and technical work leading to its publication.
Other 18 count-determination of the TRC points to, amongst others, the including the trace of the origin of the conflict to the history and the founding of a modern Liberian state, are also inclusive in the additional determination in which it was also said that all warring factions violated, degraded, abused and disintegrated, committed sexual and gender-based violence as well against women, including rape sexual slavery, forced marriage, and other dehumanizing forms of violations, amongst others.
The determinations hold that all warring faction are responsible for the commission of gross human rights violations, saying that prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction and other forms of public sanctions are appropriate mechanisms to promote the ends of justice peace and security and foster genuine national reconciliation and combat impunity, etc.
However, while saying both individual and community reparation is the duty of the state to promote justice and genuine reconciliation, the TRC determination furthered that where the determination of responsibility of IHRL, IHL, ICL do not apply.
Toward these ends, the TRC recommended that the people of Liberia adopt positive attitudes and change old mind set, calling on the government to fully and timely implement all recommendations contained in the report, including prosecution and public sanction against various categories of perpetrators. The TRC also implored the international community to continue and consider long term security engagement in the country amongst.
Meanwhile, a TRC release states that the report, which is an edited version of the “TRC FINAL REPORT, VOLUME II, and CONSOLIDATED REPORT (UNEDITED)”, was first released on June 30, 2009. At least 1,500 copies of the report is now in print, courtesy of funding provided by the UNDP.
The report, containing twenty-one (21) chapters and approximately 1,500 pages in all is published in three volumes as follows which include Volume I: Preliminary Report, presented to the government of Liberia December 20, 2008; Volume II: Consolidated Final Report, presented to the government of Liberia June 29, 2009; Volume III: Appendices containing thirteen (13) titles of supplemental and specialized reports.
Volume IV: Transcripts containing ten thousand pages of testimonies from TRC witnesses during the Survivors’ Hearings, Thematic and Institutional Hearings and the TRC Diaspora Hearings, remains unpublished.
According to a TRC press release issued December 1, 2009 in Monrovia, the report provides a historical analysis of the conflict in Liberia, the root causes of the conflict and 142 pieces of recommendations intended to redress Liberia’s legacy of conflict, dysfunction, massive human rights violations and promote national peace, unity and reconciliation.
In all, the report includes eight (8) recommendations for public sanctions and prosecution combined and another eight (8) pieces of recommendations relating to economic crimes.
The remaining total of 126 recommendations relate to a wide range of public interest issues including public integrity, corruption, human rights, economic empowerment, good governance, national identity and reparation, amongst others intended to resolve past conflicts as part of a national progression towards lasting peace and reconciliation.
The Report also contains a list of dead perpetrators, the names, nationalities and probable locations of 102 foreign fighters who operated in Liberia; 26 tables and 5 figures of TRC statistical information; a listing of 116 most notorious perpetrators recommended for prosecution by an Extraordinary Criminal Court and 58 perpetrators recommended for prosecution in the domestic courts of Liberia; public sanctions for 49 persons for their role in supporting, financially and otherwise, various warring factions.
Another 45 persons are recommended for economic crimes prosecution and 54 others recommended for further investigation into their activities related to economic crimes.
The TRC Release furthered that of the over 103,019 former combatants disarmed by the United Nations Mission in Liberia under its demobilization and disarmament programs, the report is recommending that a little over 7,000 face the “Palava Hut Program” as a community reconciliation initiative to build peace at the grass roots level, meaning that of the 103,019 documented perpetrators, 0.169% percent is being recommended for prosecution whilst 6.7% documented perpetrators have been identified to participate in the Palava Hut Program, as would those recommended for economic crimes prosecution and public sanctions on account of their support for various warring factions.
The release signed by TRC media department, quotes the TRC Chairman, Cllr Jerome J. Verdier as saying that the report “is dedicated to the evergreen memory of all those who lost their lives during the Liberian conflict, the children of tomorrow and all who dare to hope for a better Liberia”.
He said the completion of this exercise and the release of the report “marks the rebirth of a new Liberia in which all Liberians irrespective of their roles or experiences in the past will acknowledge the throes of the bitter past and unite for a peaceful and more prosperous Liberia”.
The TRC release called on Liberians to spare no efforts in working and praying for unity, peace, justice and reconciliation in Liberia while thanking the Almighty God for his benevolence to the nation and its people. The release concluded that the Report is published on the TRC website and will be disseminated locally and internationally.
The TRC, through the release, is thanking the government, its many partners, stakeholders and the people of Liberia for their support during this national enterprise. The TRC now awaits its formal retirement by the government of Liberia, the release concluded.

GOL Institutes Legal Actions

2009-12-20T08:04:00.000-08:00

…To Reclaim Missions in Paris, Other Countries
In a bid to for the Government of Liberia reclaim its Missions abroad, Foreign Minister Olubanke King-Akerele disclosed Wednesday that the government has embarked on legal processes aimed at reclaiming its several missions abroad, specifically in London, Belgium , Nairobi , Paris and Nigeria respectively, through a legal process.
The Foreign Minister also said former Liberian Ambassador Cllr. Winston Tubman and former Interim President Dr. Amos C. sawyer are helping with the legal process involving recovery of the Liberian Embassy in Paris, but dispelled reports that let the government did not accused Ambassador Tubman as “common Criminal” as reported in the a local daily.
Madam King-Akerele also said the specific Mission in dispute are London, Belgium, Nairobi, Paris and Nigeria Embassies respectively. She said government was reclaiming these embassies through a legal process.

“I’m not common criminal”

The former Liberian diplomat and politician Defended his character at a news conference Tuesday where he dispelled his involvement in the sale of the Liberian Embassy in the French Capital, Paris. “I’m not a common criminal. I was involved in no such act”, Counselor Tubman said Tuesday in Monrovia. However the Liberian jurist and diplomat however noted that he only provided a legal opinion on the matter.
He described the statement that the embassy has been sold as an overstatement on ground that ‘the Embassy is still there.’
He said he only rendered his legal opinion in his capacity as a Special Envoy and Minster of State in the Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU) at the time when a team of contractors who was carrying out a construction within the Embassy compound in Paris wanted to abandon the project immediately following the death of Former President Samuel Doe.
“I advised that they did continue because in my view that the fact that Doe had died didn’t mean that what the Government had agree had to stop”, he stressed. He said the abandonment of the project would have meant the damage of the Liberian Government property.
He explained that the project which was the construction of an apartment building was authorized by the late President Doe and the team of contractors was worried that a new government may not possibly continue with the construction.
Tubman, a presidential aspirant, was reacting to a National CHRONICLE newspaper report that Counselor Tubman, a former justice minister of Liberia and Special Envoy of the United Nations to Somalia, was involved in the sale of the Liberian Embassy building in the French Capital. The local daily continued by categorizing the former Liberian diplomat as a ‘common criminal’ in which it states that Counselor Tubman was later rewarded with the post of Special Representative to the United Nations Secretary-General to war-ravaged Somalia.
According to the daily, Counselor Tubman had earlier confirmed some months ago that Dr. Amos Sawyer, under whose transitional government he served as Special Envoy and Minister of State, was aware of the sale of the Liberian Embassy.
Foreign Minister Akerele, however, clarified that Government has never accused anyone of being common criminal in situation surrounding the Missions in question as reported by some local media houses.
The Liberian most senior diplomat made the assertions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where she addressed local and foreign journalists. Addressing the press conference, Madam King-Akerele further disclosed that the investigations by her Ministry is being done in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice to make sure the country re-possesses her legitimate assets abroad.
Commenting on the Liberian Mission in Nairobi, Kenya and Nigeria respectively, the Minister said the Kenya and the Nigerian Anti-Corruption Commission were assisting the Liberian Government to the conduct probe regarding these missions.
She also mentioned renovation of properties, improvement of conditions in the Foreign Service, payment of Foreign Service Officers’ Arrears, training opportunities and staff rotation as part of the Ministry’s efforts.
Giving details on renovation work carried out by the Ministry, she said the Liberian Missions in Sweden, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone have been refurbished.

Inspectorate General Service re-launched

Foreign Minister Akerele also spoke on other varieties of issues, including the re-launch of the Inspectorate General Service specifically, Quarterly Reports, Increased Accountability & Transparency, introduction of New System of accountability with IT, Plugging loopholes within the Bureaux of Archives and Personnel respectively as well as the recall some Foreign Service Officers.
She said new guidelines have been issued regarding recruitment of Honorary Consuls for Liberia, adding that under the latest procedures, applications are received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and candidates are vetted by the National Security Agency (NSA) before selections are made as to who becomes Honorary Consul for Liberia.
In addressing the issue of plugging loopholes at the Home office, Minister king-Akerele said administration has taken several measures aimed at fighting corruption in government, disclosing that several employees were dismissed and suspended in connection with malpractices at the Ministry.
Minister King-Akerele said significant improvements have been achieved in the Liberian Foreign Service, including payment of arrears for Foreign Service Officers which are currently underway, besides providing training opportunities for Foreign Service Officers both at home and abroad.
She indicated that the Liberian government, in collaboration with UNDP, has also instituted a process of rotating personnel in the Foreign Service for experience and exposure purposes, stressing that 70% of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ budget was being spent on Foreign Service while 30% is expedited for the Home Office.
The Minister said a Foreign Service Officer identified as Bility was recalled home from Japan because of alleged involvement in malfeasance, but the staff involved has refused to return.
Minister King-Akerele then commented on the launch of the New Liberian Machine Readable Passport, which can be obtained at the Passport Section of the Ministry for US$50. She said Government is constraint to price the Passport at this cost, because of huge obligation reached by past administration with the printing company, Blackwell.
She also spoke on payment of arrears to international organizations including the African Union, ECOWAS, WHO, and others, Minister King-Akerele. On this, she said the government has made 50 percent payment of arrears owed the African Union, thus restoring Liberia’s voting right at the AU.
She further disclosed that Government was indebted to Swiss creditors which were being vigorously paid, enabling Liberia to re-open its Mission in Geneva since January this year, noting this is very important because Geneva is the international headquarters of important world bodies.
The Minister assured that efforts were underway to clear arrears with all international bodies.

TRC Didn’t Sanction “The President”

2009-12-20T08:02:00.001-08:00

…Verdier Clarifies; Presents Final Report With Additional Names

By: Bill K. Jarkloh
www.theperiscope.com/www.panwhanpe.com
Email: billkjarkloh@gmail.com /bill_ksolborjarkloh@yahoo.com
Call: (231)-6-468-244; (231)-77-544-286

Although there was no alteration in the lists of categories of perpetrators contained in the Undited Final Report of Liberia’s Truth & reconciliation Commission, the Chairman of the TRC, Cllr. Jerome Verdier at the official presentation of the Commission’s Final Edited Report clarified that the TRC report did not sanction the “President of Liberia”.
Cllr. Verdier, flanked by two other commissioners of the TRC, Commissioners John Stewart and Gerald Coleman, said the TRC’s Edited Final Report (https://www.trcofliberia.org) recommended sanctions against individuals for their respective roles in the Liberian political platform from 1979 to 2003 as per the mandate of the commission.
Although the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia, while releasing its final edited report Tuesday, said it has added more names to the "Most Notorious Perpetrators, Public Sanctions, and Economic Crimes" lists it had published earlier in its "unedited final report,” Chairman Verdier did not name those added to the lists.
However, it was hinted by insiders the listing of former Maryland County Superintendent and Internal Affairs Minister Dan Morias; NPFL leader Charles Taylor’s close associate and chief strategist John T. Richardson; former Speaker of the House of Representatives during the Taylor administration, Nyondueh Monokomanah; and Benedict and Tiagan Wontee, were amongst those added to the "Most Notorious Perpetrators" list. Others listed on the list have been identified as Edwin Voker, Charles Breeze, Gola Red, Joseph Montgomery, Moses Samukai, and Momolu Jibba.
Edward Massaquoi, Wilfred Clarke, and Cllr. Momo Kpaka Rogers, amongst many others, were added to the "Lustration and Debarment from Holding Public Office" list. TRC also added Roland Massaquoi, former Agriculture Minister under the Taylor administration; Nathanial Barnes, Liberia's Ambassador to the US who served as finance minister in the Taylor government; Myrtle Gibson, former Senator of Sinoe County; Mark Keshen, and Bell Dunbar, former director of the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Corporation (LPRC), to the list of those accused of economic crimes.

Only two percent accountable

The TRC Chairman indicated that out of the several hundreds of persons that participated in the Liberian civil conflict, only 300 of them have been held accountable for war crimes, crimes against humanity and others, a figure which he noted is just two percent of the total number of perpetrators.
The recommendations in the final report, Chairman Verdier further indicated, take into consideration the resources spent by the international community, the flood of those killed by perpetrators and buried in mass graves and the concerted engaged by all to ensure that impunity does not overtake Liberia.
According to him, now that the final edited report of the TRC is submitted, it behooves the Liberian people to ensure its implementation by engaging their representatives in the government. “It is now left with the people. If they people say the report should be brushed aside, it will be. If the people say those buried in mass graves should be for nothing, it should be. If the people wants women raped and abused, children drugged and fathers killed should go without impunity, then it will be. Or if we Liberians agree our resources plundered by perpetrators should be for nothing, then so it be,” Chairman Verdier exclaimed.
He however said it would concern him as any other peace-loving compatriots because Liberia is his country and he has nowhere to be called his home. Commissioner Verdier told newsmen that the TRC had information on those added to the list prior to the editing and finalization of the consolidated final report. Chairman Verdier, flanked by two of nine commissioners - Gerald Coleman and John Stewart both of whom were members of the report writing committee - also revealed that the Commission has added 100 names of foreign fighters to that of the previous list, ascribing to them mercenaries title.
According to Chairman Verdier, the commission whose three-year mandate ended some five months ago, was able to compile the report in three volumes with Volume One being the preliminary report presented in December 2008; Volume Two being the Consolidated Final Report released in June of this year; and Volume Three being a set of appendices attached to the overall report which included detailed and specialized report on the issues of women, children, and conflict, amongst others.

Sourced documents for achieve

Commenting on what should be done to preserve other important work germane to Liberia, he said there were sourced documents generated over the years that needed to be properly archived , stressing "It is the plan and intention of the Commission to have them properly archived."
"Experts have come and told us that the papers we used to record those documents will not last more than five years. So it has been planned to have them digitized so that they will be in electronic form and they can be preserved for all us to view, to research in the future," Cllr. Verdier told the news conference attended by interested international partners.
The Consolidated Final Report released by the commission, according to Chairman Verdier, has not been subjected to alterations as many have at least thought, noting "the edited version is in no significant way different from the previous report".
"They are one and the same report. But what we did is we corrected some grammatical and structural errors. During the period of editing, we didn't do any new investigation; we did not take any new information or evidence; we did not hold hearings; we did not cite anybody. We only worked based on the information we already had at the time the unedited version was released. So all of those mistakes, all of that information that was left out of that report were included," he said.

Significance of final report

Apparently fearing fierce public reaction to the final report, as there is already an ongoing heated national debate, Chairman Verdier said it was important that Liberians understand the perspective from which the report was compiled.

The final report comes months after the release of the second volume of the commission’s report entitled unedited that caused stir in Liberia with many, mainly politicians recommended to face prosecution and other forms of punishments expressing indignation at the report.
Cllr. Jerome Verdier, Chairman of the TRC releasing the final report Tuesday in Monrovia said the commission is satisfied with the final work and it is now left with the Liberian people to decide what to be done with the in-depth investigation.
“The report of the TRC has been released and here we have copies, the process of dissemination has begun and at the TRC we have dedicated the report to the people of Liberia. That the report is the people of Liberia property”, Cllr. Verdier officially released the final TRC report.
In what was seen as a tribute to the thousands that died during the nearly 15 year fratricidal civil war fought in Liberia, Cllr. Verdier dedicated the report to victims of the civil crisis.
“This report belongs to all of those who died, all of those who as a consequence of the war are buried today in unmarked graves, all of those who have lost potential sources of income or to earn income, all of those who have lost their properties and all of us who are today hoping for a better Liberia”, Cllr. Verdier accentuated.
The report of the TRC, he said is written in three volumes-volume one containing the preliminary report presented December 2008, the second being the consolidated final report released last June and the final volume a set of appendices that are attached to the report that include detail studies and specialized reports on issues regarding women, children and the Liberian conflict.
He described the final report as comprehensive and a credible document that will help Liberia attain genuine peace and reconciliation if the recommendations contained within are implemented.
“What you have is a comprehensive work of the TRC that is being presented to the people of Liberia today. We regret that because of time and the lack of resources, there are three other volumes that should have been attached to this that are not included in the report because we did have the time and the resources to that”, Cllr. Verdier stated.
Another volume of the TRC work, volume four, Commissioner Verdier said is unpublished because of resource constraints, indicating that the final volume contains 10,000 pages of transcripts from the hearings carried out by the commission in Liberia and the Diaspora.
Cllr. Verdier indicated that experts have disclosed that the papers used by the commission have a lifespan of just five years and the commission is looking forward for support to digitize the report to be used for future research and other purposes.
The final report he said is in no significant way different from the previous one released in June but there were grammatical errors and structural problems that were corrected.
“During the period of editing, we did not do any new investigation, we did not take any new information or evidence, we did not hold hearings, we did not cite anybody”, Cllr. Verdier explained