Monrovia – First lady Clar Duncan Weah was on Wednesday joined by her husband, President George Weah and top government officials to launch her ‘She’s You Personal Hygiene Initiative’ in support of women and adolescent girls. “The She’s You Menstrual & Personal Hygiene Initiative espouses the view that dignity is not a luxury; rather, it is a human right,” she said. The cheer grew louder when President Weah, on ‘behalf of his children’, pledged another machine to Madam Weah’s initiative. Student Tina Morris, also of Carver Mission said: “We are very grateful to Madam Weah for thinking about us. And on behalf of my friends and my school, I extend my thanks and appreciation to the First Lady for this initiative.”

KOLAHUN, Lofa County – The Liberia Renewable Energy Access Project (LIRENAP), with support from World Bank has been launched in Lofa County, aimed at decentralizing electrification in that part of Liberia. The project, when completed, is expected to provide access to electricity for about 50,000 people, including small businesses, associations and public institutions in Lofa County. “We appreciate the World Bank for this project and we will make sure that the project is implemented properly to achieve its objectives,” President Weah averred. The Liberia Renewable Energy Access Project (LIRENAP) is a partnership between the Government of Liberia and the World Bank implemented by the Rural and Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA). LIRENAP’s development objective is to increase access to electricity and foster the use of renewable energy sources, with target of 150,000 direct project beneficiaries (50,000 – access to electricity.

Monrovia – The Patriotic Entrepreneurs of Liberia (PATEL), in collaboration with several of its partners has set up a working group to address challenges holding back trade efficiency in Liberia. The working group, set up at the just ended Liberia Trade Facilitation Forum held in Monrovia under the auspices of PATEL, was organized to address diverse challenges and bottlenecks through the creation of a framework for reducing trade cost. There have been increasing discontent by importers including Liberian business owners over the huge tariff charged by shipping companies. Meanwhile, the organizing committee’s over all task is to sponsor and drive forward a national trade facilitation strategy, monitor progress, and periodically report progress to the government of Liberia. It comprised of the Ministries of Commerce, Finance and Justice, as well as the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), PATEL, Liberia Business Association (LIBA) and the Chamber of Commerce.

Liberia: Former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott Blames Executive and Legislature For The Pilling Up of Cases at the JudiciaryMONROVIA – Former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott has blamed the Executive and the Legislature branches of government for the huge number of cases piling up at the Judiciary. Justice Scott said the caseload on the Judiciary is due to the low budgetary support, signing and ratification of international laws by the Executive and the Legislature without the impact of the Judiciary. Scott further stated that the underfunding of the Judiciary and the consciousness of the public demand for justice is lost on the Legislature. Scott is a Liberian lawyer, politician and jurist who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia from 1997-2003. The judicial conference is the first of its kind under Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor, Sr. since it was held in 2010 under late former Chief Justice Johnnie Lewis approximately 10 year ago.

Samuel D. Jr., has urged the African Development Bank Liberia Country office to align its strategy plan of action from 2019-2023 to economic diversification in the country. ‘’We want the world bank, African Development Bank and development partners to structure resources in the way that help private sector actors to take greater roles and responsibility to expand the economy,’’ Min. Same for oil palm, because the oil palm is the new commodity, and there are so many products you can get from it like soap, oil, and lotion, just to name few” Tweah added. According to him, the bank country strategy paper was approved by the executive board of directors of the African Development bank on the 24th of October, 2018. ‘’ As we know this year we will focus on two major priorities- economic diversification through improving transport and energy infrastructure and improving economic governance and advancing economic development.

Foundation for Human Rights Defense International (FOHRD) Country Director Peter N. Wonokay said the Weah-led Administration is struggling to embrace freedom of expression as enshrined in the Liberian ConstitutionMonrovia – The Foundation for Human Rights Defense International (FOHRD) Liberia office has released its maiden national human rights report in which it cites that the Administration of President George Manneh Weah is struggling to embrace freedom of expression as enshrined in the Liberian Constitution. “To a certain extent, the Government of President George Weah has had a hard time respecting Freedom of Expressions. Under “Allegation of Corruption” in its report, FOHRD frowned on the Weah-led administration for allowing the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission’s (LACC) former Vice Chairperson, Cllr. Gbala, including collection of daily sustenance allowance (DSA) for several trips out of town that he did not make. Several months after being promoted to the chairmanship of the LACC, an LACC internal investigation surprisingly submitted a report clearing Cllr.

“This meeting is being organized for young people to get engage in malaria elimination. He disclosed that young Liberians were galvanized from all sectors of the country to brainstorm and ensure a stronger youth engagement towards malaria elimination. According to him, a National Youth Task Force on Malaria Elimination will be established at the end of the meeting. AccountabilityHe stated that the group will also ensure that government is held accountable for funding it receives for the combat against malaria. “Government receives funding but these funding do not drop down to the communities that is why the malaria elimination project has not been met.

Liberia: PUL Edward Wilmot Blyden Forum Assert Pushes for Independent Media as Incentive for Growth and DevelopmentMONROVIA – Panelists at the Wednesday, June 9, 2021 edition of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) flagship intellectual symposium, the Edward Wilmot Blyden Forum have identified an independent and strong media as a catalyst for driving national growth and development. “The media was all out in helping the country transitioned from war to peace and from peace to development. She challenged her colleagues in the media to help facilitate public discourses in way that help inform national development and transformation. “On the issue of the economy of the media, Zeon suggested state’s financing of the media in ways that ensure that the media as an element of the state benefits from taxes being generated. He also encouraged the media to promoters of peace and development; saying sustainable development is tied to peace as peace is tied to “sustainable development.

MONROVIA — The Alliance World Fellowship (AWF) is an umbrella body of Christian organizations (Churches) under the Christian Missionary Alliance (CMA)—an evangelical group founded by Albert Benjamin Simpson, a Canadian-American Theologian, Evangelist, and Author. Born on the 15th of December, 1843, Albert Benjamin Simpson migrated to America for globalization of his evangelical vision, especially Church planting. COB, a CMA, serves as a mother of two different Christian denominations—Evangelical Protestant Church (Guinea’s branch) and Good Harvest Ministries (based in Liberia)—each attached to AWF. Liberty added, says any AWF member that wants to operate in a foreign Country should work under the AWF member already existing in the host Country. Begin with needs assessment, which would guide you on what the community needs and how to provide the needs,” he advised.

“Clearly, it is our Deputy Managing Director for Finance, Hon. “But MD [Managing Director], don’t be putting fear in me because you know that I will not be afraid. The Finance Minister himself can ask me, I will explain. Rep. George alleged that he has taken Mr. Kamara along with him to India and connected him with potential investors and partners but he squandered the opportunity. The lawmakers spoke in response to Managing Director Kamara when he blamed the country’s failed sewage system to the huge population size of Monrovia and limited budgetary support to the entity.

THE RICE IMPORTERS ASSOCIATION OF LIBERIA say the increase in price of rice is necessary due to a worldwide increment in freight and the rapidly rising increase in fees for services at the National Port Authority (NPA). In February 2018 meeting with importers, President Weah secured an agreement with importers for the price of rice to be reduced between US$2-4. Since February 2018, rice price has been US$13.00. The Association of Rice Importers headed by their Chairman, John Bestman, agreed to reduce the price of the 25Kg bag of rice by US $2.00 while the price of 50kg bag of rice will be reduced by US $4.00. THE ONGOING ISSUE regarding the price of rice is reminiscent of the events leading to the April 14, 1979 rice riots.

In March this year, lawyers representing the interest of the accuser informed the company BMMC about the allegations. In the communication, in possession of FrontPageAfrica, the accuser’s lawyer expressed concerns that the accused Mr. Ozdenvar, also the accuser’s supervisor, was also part of the committee set up to investigate the allegations. The accuser’s lawyer informed BMMC that the withholding of her salary is an unlawful retaliation. The company has also been informed that its facilitation of the travel of Mr. Ozdenvar out of Liberia is a clear stratagem at obstruction of justice. When contacted by FrontPageAfrica, Mr. Serhan Umurhan, Chief Executive Officer of Bea Mountain Mining Company denied that Mr. Ferhat is still in the employ of the company.

FOYA DISTRICT, Lofa County – The 2023 presidential and legislative elections are three years away but there are signs that Monsterrado County District Five lawmaker Thomas Fallah is exploring contesting in Foya District, Lofa County. That prospect is fueling tension in the district between partisans of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and Unity Party (UP). The CDC lawmaker said he’s committed to serving Foya District, adding that the district needs a leader who will provide a space for renewed vision through infrastructural development. Rep. Fallah popularity soarsIt’s hard to find someone in Foya District who doesn’t see Fallah as someone having a political ambition for the district in 2023. A group under the banner ‘Friends of Fallah in Foya’ says it will fully support Fallah if he decides to contest as lawmaker of the district in 2023.

Monrovia- In its bid to boost Liberia’s digital financial platform, Lonestar Cell MTN has launched its MTN Mobile Money In-App QR Code. Now, with the QR code feature, you can simply scan a QR code and pay for goods and services quickly and easily. Lonestarcell MTN is credited for being the pioneer of the mobile money platform in Liberia when it launched the Lonestar Cell MTN Mobile Money, simply called Momo in 2011. She noted MTN Mobile Money has always been more than just sending and receiving money. “Liberia’s financial digi-tiz-ation would not have been possible without your foresight and belief in Mobile Money and in Lonestar Cell MTN.

Liberia recorded its first case of COVID-19 confirmed on March 16, 2020 with the response efforts lasting more than 450-days. To date, more than 120,000 COVID-19 tests conducted with a total of 2,290 confirmed cases to date as of June 6, 2021. According to NPHIL, 564 of the confirmed in 2021, there are 266 active cases as of June 6, 2021 and 88 confirmed COVID-19 deaths. There are currently 12 cases, four confirmed and eight suspects in treatment unit while 33 cases are being managed in home based care. Another study in the U.K., using self-reported data from the COVID Symptom Study app, demonstrated no changes in reported symptoms or disease duration associated with the B.1.1.7 variant.