…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.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Allegation Against Morlu Not GAC
…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.
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
...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.”
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
...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.”
………………….
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
….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.
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.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Liberia Refuses To Tap Tourism
…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.”
Information Minister Cletus SiehThe 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
…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
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
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
War Was Punishment for Christians
---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.
Partial view of the congregation;Bro. Bill Jarkloh reading from a book amongst the congration
Caption: Bishop Summerville Presenting Pastor Kortimai to the CongregationThe 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.
Monday, April 12, 2010
MPW To Open Post-War Regional Headquarters
…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.
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
…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).
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
…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.
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
….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.
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?
… 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.
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.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Defendant Was ‘Inconsistent’ & ‘Contradictory’
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.
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