MONROVIA — Liberian author and businessman Kaiyeh Roosevelt Quiah, in paying tribute to his deceased father, the veteran statesman Oscar Jaryee Quiah, calls on the Government and people of Liberia to grant the Sapo tribe its official standing. The Sapo tribe is not officially listed among the 16 tribes of Liberia, and have been considered by many as a subset of either Kru or Krahn. “To the Sapo tribe we are grateful! And for this herculean sacrifice, we will recommit to the general welfare of the Sapo tribe. With Sapo, Quiah lives on” intimated the young Quiah as to why he makes this call.

The Marshall Plan was an American initiative passed in 1948 for foreign aid to Western Europe. Foreign Aid has contributed to corruption in Africa through the large amounts of money that are sent over, and exploitation of resources. Foreign aid can help only those African countries that undertake political, economic, institutional, and anti-corruption reform. For instance, in Mozambique since they started receiving foreign aid , the level of dependency as a percentage of their GDP rose by 16 percentage points in less than 20 years; and Zambia for the past years been relaying on foreign aid. Today, Zambia is positioned among the poorest nations around the world despite receiving huge foreign aid .

By all objective public health and socio-economic measures, the continent of Africa should be a basket case in coping with the pandemic. And yet the burden of COVID-19 is far less in Africa, compared to the most affluent regions of the world outside of Africa. African countries combined have had just a little over 4.1 million cases and about 110,000 COVID-19 deaths in a population of 1.3 billion people. So how did Africa as a region or continent escape the calamity of this pandemic? If we generalize these findings to the African population, it means many people in Africa could be infected and spreading COVID-19 without knowing it.

Liberia as a beneficiary of U.S. Government assistance and considering that the Americans are committed to placing human rights as the center of their foreign policy and cherished democratic values and principles, the George Weah led government should commit and support strong actions to improve human rights standards, adherence to the rule of law, promote political accountability, reforming the criminal justice system to be more responsive, defend democracy, and fight corruption, etc. Eddie Jarwolo, Executive Director of the Naymote Partners for Democratic Development, said the United States Annual Human Rights report for the past years has indicted Liberia and urgent actions are required to address the situation. Mr. Jarwolo said his institution welcomes the statement from the U.S. Embassy that Liberians in government are designated as corrupt actors by the U.S. State Department and U.S. Treasury Department and calls for due process and sanctions. He also calls on the U.S. Government and international partners to support and commit to the establishment of a war and economic crimes court in Liberia which will address human rights abuse and economic crimes in the country. The Naymote Executive Director is challenging Liberian voters to hold elected officials accountable, vote out of office, incumbents who are indicted as corrupt and human rights abusers while encouraging them to promote electoral and political accountability.

Monrovia — The outgoing Ghanaian Ambassador, H.E. Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., as he ended his three-and-a-half-year tour of duty in Liberia, saying his task is over and will be returning home. Ambassador Asiedu asserted that his tour of duty in Liberia has been marked by great achievements with a sense of memory that will live with him throughout his career. Responding, Minister Kemayah expressed gratitude to Ambassador Asiedu for the level of services he rendered to Liberia and the role Ambassador Asiedu played in strengthening the bilateral and historic ties subsisting between Ghana and Liberia. Ms. Neematu Ziblim Adam, who accompanied Ambassador Asiedu to the Foreign Ministry, will serve as Charge d’Affairs of the Ghanaian Embassy near Monrovia, pending the appointment of a new ambassador; outgoing Ambassador Asiedu disclosed.

KAKATA, Margibi County- Police in Margibi County on Thursday, April 1 charged and sent to court a 31-year-old teacher for allegedly raping four primary school pupils placed under his supervision. “My teacher told me that if I tell my ma then I will not go back to school”, the victim said. Fourth rape victim like others explained similar encounter with their teacher where she alleged to have been raped by him. The arrest of the 31-year-old teacher led the other pupils to speak out about the wholesome attitude of their teacher melted against them at the school. Talawillay with the crime of rape in accordance with Chapter 14.70 of the New Panel Code of the Republic of Liberia.

Firestone, Margibi County – Margibi County District 3 Representative Ellen Attoh-Wreh has donated assorted medical and non-medical materials to Division 38 clinic operated by Firestone-Liberia hired contractor (Seema Contractor Services). The donated materials include a 2.5KVA generator, five medical beds, four pieces of mattresses, two standing fans, eight drip stands, amongst others. For his part, Bob T. Bundo, the Chief ExecutiveOfficer (CEO) of the Seema Contractor Services,lauded the Margibi County District# 3 Representative for the donation, terming the gesture as ‘welcoming and timely’. Bundo: “We are just overwhelmed with Rep. Attoh-Wreh donation to this health facility, especially at a time this place was at the point of closure due the lack of these essential materials”. Meanwhile, Rep. Ellen Attoh-Wreh on Sunday, March 28, broke grounds for the construction of a US$10,000 modern town hall project in 26th Gate Community in Kakata.

“[Massaquoi] cut off their throats with a knife.”The ex-soldier also accused Massaquoi of butchering civilians he accused of looting in Monrovia, removing their hearts and intestines. The second and third witnesses also told the court Massaquoi killed civilians. The second witness known to the court as “Soldier 50” told judges Massaquoi burnt villagers alive in Kamatahun. The third witness known as “Soldier 37” accused Massaquoi of ordering the killing of townspeople in Kamatahun he accused on being LURD informants. Massaquoi, 51, is on trial for war crimes allegedly committed in Liberia between 2001 and 2003.

MONROVIA — Rescue Alternatives Liberia (RAL) Wednesday March 31, 2021 donated nonfood items to a baby mother at the Monrovia Central Prison (MCP). A female inmate who was pregnant at the Central Prison arrived a week ago and gave birth. The human rights organization promptly provided materials for the baby and the mother after a call was made for intervention. The materials donated through the Gender Unit at the Monrovia Central Prison (MCP) include bed sheets, clothes for babies, pampas, and other sanitary materials. The lady is detained at the Monrovia Central Prison, but was taken out of the prison for delivery and sent back after delivery.

Gbarnga — The magistrate of Bong Mines Magisterial Court, Richard Flomo, Jr, has been arrested for allegedly raping two minor girls, aged 11 and 13, after luring them to his house in Bong Mines, police in Bong County said on Friday. Police said Flomo, 59, and oldest son to former Bong County senator, Richard Flomo, Sr, lured the girls to his house when they were returning from school in Bong Mines on Wednesday, March 31. He raped the minors, the police said, adding that the man threatened them that they will be killed if they disclosed the incident with anyone. After a day, the victims and their family lodged a complaint with the police station March 31. “The minors are in our custody,” the police said, adding that the victims will be sent to C. B. Dunbar Hospital for medical test Monday, April 5.”

In November 2020, the investigating judge in his closing order had requested the indictment of Kunti K. for crimes of torture and barbaric acts. Kunti K.’s trial will be the first in France, since the establishment of the French war crimes division in 2012, not connected to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. In 2019, French authorities, alongside Liberian authorities, travelled to Lofa County, in Northern Liberia, for a fact-finding mission related to Kunti K.’s case. The announcement of the Kunti K. trial closely evokes the trial of Alieu Kosiah, which was concluded in March 2021 in Switzerland, and it is expected that a verdict will be reached soon. Both Kunti K. and Kosiah were ULIMO commanders active in the same region and are both implicated in alleged heinous crimes against the population of Lofa County in Liberia.

A Kigali-based Liberian scholar, Amara M. Kamara, recently graduated with two masters, an MSc in Project Management from the University of Kigali and an MA in Development Studies from Mount Kenya University, Kenya. He is an alumnus of the University of Liberia, where he obtained his undergraduate degree in Public Administration (BPA) in 2016. These publications seek to contribute to Liberia’s macroeconomic policy priorities by providing sustainable policy directions to her development challenges. Throughout his years in academia, the young Liberian scholar and academician has fiercely pursued knowledge and consistently admired his ambitious quest for superior knowledge. Professionally, Amara has experience working in both Public and Private sectors in several functions for over eight years.

I hope everyone is warming up to take their vaccine,” Minister Jallah said. Doubts in the publicDespite these encouragements from the Health Minister, some residents of Monrovia from all walks of life do not share the same confidence on the safety of the vaccine. Doris Gaye, a petty trader on Randall Street said, “I will not take the coronavirus vaccine. “They told us they were bringing food for us but the food they said they were bringing no head, no tail; then I should come to take coronavirus vaccine? So, until the coronavirus vaccine can reach that process, I will not take it.”Siaffa Kannah, Resident of Clara Town still holds doubt on the existence of coronavirus in Liberia.

Bong County Police Launch Manhunt for Man Suspected of Slaughtering His Spouse of Nine ChildrenMano Wainsue, Jorquelleh District, Bong — Police in Bong County have launched a manhunt for a man suspected to have stabbed his wife to death in Mano Wainsue, Jorquelleh District, Bong County over domestic wrangle. According to some of the relatives to the deceased, the couple have been fighting and they have advised them to separate. Murder cases linked to love affairsSordid details and betrayals appear to be the twin dominant factors behind murder cases and attempts to murder in Bong County, crime statistics with police in the county show. According to the police data accessed by FrontPageAfrica Thursday, illicit relationships account for 60 percent of the 16 cases of murder in the county since October 2019. “The victims in most cases were done away with brutality” a senior police, who is an expert in homicide cases told FrontPageAfrica, requesting abnonmity.

“The man (Brownie Samukai) knows he has the people money and he there talking about Lofa County will pay. They’re forcing the people to pay money. Cephas maintained that though his comments do not amount to a threat, no one should be forced or harassed to pay money for something they do not know about. “The man (Brownie Samukai) knows he has the people money and he there talking about Lofa County will pay. He denied claims being raised by citizens, particularly residents of Lofa that Mr. Samukai is being witch-hunted by the government.