GNN-Liberia has reliably learnt that the man who made news and became the third-place finisher, Mr. Edward Appleton of the Grassroots Development Movement (GDM) is yet to be appointed by the Liberian leader, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai in the appointment of his government officials. Mr. Appleton conquered the third place during the 2023 general and presidential elections from big names which includes Mr. Alexander Cummings of the Alternative National Congress, by extension the CPP. He beat the likes of Tiawon Gongloe from a vote rich County of Nimba shown in the National Elections records of count. Meanwhile, the citizens are protesting against GDM political leader, and further threatened to leave the GDM party, if their political does not address their concern. Note: This is a developing storyVisited 181 times, 79 visit(s) today

BY MARIA TRIL |The Senate Majority Leader representing the Democratic Party, Chuck Schumer, arrived in Ukraine on 23 February to hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the needed weapons, Chuck Schumer said on X. On 13 February, the US Senate passed a bill at a late-night session to provide $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, with $60 billion earmarked for Kyiv. The bill has to be approved by the US House of Representatives, where Republicans hold the majority. Many take guidance from former President Donald Trump, who has been critical of the bill. President Joe Biden urged the House to ‘quickly pass the bill,’ which includes aid to Ukraine, among other things.

The recent withdrawals of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from ECOWAS have plunged the organization into a state of crisis. ECOWAS, tasked with addressing coup incidents and ensuring the equitable distribution of resources, has faced mounting challenges in recent times. Last year, the regional bloc’s court ruled against the legitimacy of juntas to govern in lieu of elected administrations. Notably, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have formed a security alliance and severed military ties with European nations, seeking support from Russia instead. In a joint statement issued late January, the military administrations in these three nations accused ECOWAS of imposing punitive sanctions aimed at reversing recent coups, labeling them as inhumane measures.

MONROVIA – The Management of China Union has acknowledged several lapses in compliance with the implementation of the Mineral Development Agreement signed with the Liberian government in 2009. By Selma Lomax, [email protected]The mining company’s admittance comes following a communication to the House of Representatives by Bong County District #7 Representative, Foday Fahnbulleh. Among the proposals are immediate-term intervention which will run for the period of ninety days and medium term intervention which goes for a hundred and eighty days. Under the immediate term intervention, the company promised to set up a joint working group to identify feasible intervention activities that can be implemented in the immediate and medium terms and to initiate the implementation of immediate term activities. The medium term intervention will see the regularization of all non-compliances and a joint plan for an early review of the MDA.

Colonel Elijah F. Rufus, one of the longest serving immigration Officer has been appointed to the position as the deputy Commissioner General for Administration ( U- 301). In 2010-2014 as Special Assistant to the office of the Commissioner General he served as policy advisor, monitor and supervise subordinate officers assigned at the Commissioner General office. For over ten consecutive years, Colonel Rufus has served various Commission Generals ranging from Administrative assistant, Special Assistant, Chief of Office Staff, now appointed as the Deputy Commissioner General for Administration ( U-300). They said he understand issues confronting the forward match of immigration Officers because he is one of them. Colonel Rufus was recently appointed by His Excellency Ambassador Joseph N. Boakai to serve as the principal deputy for Administration to the Commissioner General appointed.

Murdered on the evening of February 22, 2023, amidst screens, shouts, and panic by helpless and astonished family members and neighbors, beautiful and resourceful Charloe Musu, a then prospective graduate of the Starz University of Technology, is today exactly one year in the chills of the St. Moses Funeral Home. To mark the day in solemn reflection, family members, friends, and loved ones will gather at a suitable location to share their griefs, memories, and solace, as Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott and three other family members controversially found guilty of murdering their lovely family member, await the opening of the Honorable Supreme Court to hear their appeal against the shocking verdict by the jury and the mind-blowing judgment of the lower court. The family has already termed as a clear vindication, the recent revelation by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Monroe Dennis that the investigation findings in the Charloe Musu murder case did not suggest the charges levied against the defendants. The family members, friends, and loved ones of Charloe will gather to reflect, sing, and pray for God to accept her gentle soul, and for God to take charge of all processes, procedures, and circumstances surrounding her situation.

MONROVIA – There is a serious fury in the Margibi chapter of the ruling Unity Party over the appointment of James Armah Massaquoi as deputy minister for administration, Ministry of Education. Mr. Massaquoi served as Assistant Minister for Fiscal Affairs during the regime of former President George Weah. “These people actively opposed the election of JNB/JKK and Unity Party candidates in Margibi County. We believed this appointment should be reconsidered or revoked by President Boakai”, he stressed. Let Mr. President reconsider his decision for the benefit of the masses that elected him”, Anthony Wulamehn, UP member.

Monrovia – Madam Jeanine M. Cooper, the immediate past minister of agriculture, says if Liberia’s Agriculture sector is to develop, there is a need to treat agriculture as a business rather than just sustenance. We can have the best soil scientist, the best crops scientist, if farmers cannot sell what he or she produces you will not move. “Liberia now has a palm oil industry; Liberia now has its own seed plant especially cocoa seeds can now be purchase locally. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy and is also a key sector for human development and economic growth in Liberia. The key sub-sectors are food crops, tree crops, horticultural crops, animal husbandry, and fisheries and aquaculture.

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden’s dog Commander bit US Secret Service agents on at least 24 occasions, new documents show. US Secret Service records show the extent to which the German Shepherd caused chaos for the presidential bodyguards. One senior agent noted the bites meant the Secret Service changed tactics, advising agents to “give lots of room”. They are heavily redacted to protect the identity of Secret Service agents and secrecy of their security tactics. The Biden family’s pet left the White House in October last year, one week after a Secret Service agent required medical treatment for a severe bite.

The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has expressed dismay over recent appointments made by President Joseph N. Boakai, Sr. In the case, Martin Sallie Kollie vs. the Executive Branch of the Government of the Republic of Liberia, the Supreme Court of Liberia upheld the sanctity of tenure against an illegitimate exercise of Presidential appointment. The Court ruled that the appointment was hopefully illegitimate since the NLA Director General had a secured tenure of four (4) years, as prescribed by the Legislature. CENTAL: "For such categories of public officials, only the Liberian people acting through a referendum can remove or amend their tenures. Office of Ombudsman to oversee implementation of the Code of Conduct for Public Officials; and timely and impartially investigating and prosecuting corruption complaints/cases.

Yekepa, Nimba County (February 21, 2024) ̶ The ArcelorMittal Liberia Training Academy (AMLTA), one of Liberia’s premier vocational training institutions has enrolled a new batch of young Liberian trainees for a three-year international-standard vocational and technical education program in several disciplines. The latest batch of trainees are 71 in total, with 10 females. This brings the total number of students who have been enrolled at the AMLTA since its launch in 2018 to 276. The 71 successful candidates matriculated into the institution on February 20 in Yekepa Nimba County after being recruited from amongst 2,047 applicants who underwent various levels of assessments in line with the high standards set by the AML Training Academy. Worzon further noted that out of the 71 new recruits, 19 are from Nimba County, 22 from Grand Bassa, and 9 from Bong County.

Addressing Liberia's perennial power crisis will require significant financial investment, with the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) estimating that between US$700 million to US$1 billion is needed for the construction of a reservoir to alleviate the electricity issue. The lack of a sufficient reservoir at the Mount Coffee Power plant has been identified as a long-standing challenge, leading to operational gaps during dry seasons. Asked what preparation LEC made for the dry season, Shobayo referenced the power purchase agreement (PPA) between Ivory Coast, particularly Compagnie Ivoirienne d'Electricité (CIE), and Liberia. The government has paid US$8.9 million, and LEC on its own has paid US$12 million, so the deficit is just a little over US$2 million, Shobayo said. Despite facing operational challenges and fluctuations in power supply, LEC says it remains committed to addressing the pressing power needs of Liberians.

Senator Abraham Dillon of Montserrado County, a staunch supporter of President Boakai, has admitted to public criticisms of 'some missteps' in appointments being made by the President. "We note that there are some early missteps," said Dillon who, during last year's election, was one of Boakai's campaign managers -- serving Montserrado County. Dillon's position comes amid some serious missteps from the President as it relates to appointments. However, despite the act being violated by the President, he has yet to withdraw the appointments of Jaleiba and Azango. These missteps in appointments have caught the attention of Rep. Musa Bility, who is the House Chair on National Security.

John Gbelewoe a resident of Shankpalla Town situated in Zota District, Bong County initiated the rice and fish production project aimed at not only sustaining himself but also contributing to the local economy. Born with physical disabilities that have posed significant challenges throughout his life, John Gbelewoe a former refugee during the Liberian crisis has refused to let his circumstances define his potential. John’s project focuses on integrated farming, combining rice cultivation with fish farming in a symbiotic system known as aquaponics. By utilizing aquaponics, John aims to produce high-quality rice and fish in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. The physically challenged farmer maintains he went into lowland rice production because of the changing weather pattern due to climate change.

Convoys of tractors disrupted traffic around the Spanish capital on Wednesday as farmers protesting against what they see as excessive red tape and insufficient state aid converged in downtown Madrid to march towards the Agriculture Ministry. Farmers have been protesting for weeks across European countries, most recently including Poland, Greece and the Czech Republic. They all call for a reduction of bureaucracy linked to the European Union’s Common Agriculture Policy and a loosening of the bloc’s environmental rules. Some farmers complained that police were preventing tractors from entering Madrid. “I have the same expenses but I’m making half as much, so we can’t go on like this,” she told Reuters, adding there was no limit to the protests until the government implemented strong measures to aid farmers.