MONROVIA – The Government of Liberia and the European Union (EU) are expected to hold the 8th session of the Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) meeting in Monrovia slated for November 24-26, 2020. At the meeting, the status of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement, striving for the enhancement of Liberia’s forest governance, will be reviewed. The VPA was designed to address illegal logging, improve the law enforcement and forest governance and promote trade in legal timber products. Under the agreement, Liberia will ensure that its timber exports are legally corroborated before being shipped for the EU and other international markets. They will all be deliberating on pertinent issues bordering on the status of the forest governance in Liberia.

Ambassador Likely to be President-elect Biden’s Pick as Ambassador to the U.N.Former U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, Linda Thomas-Greenfield is expected to be President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for ambassador to the United Nations and Jake Sullivan as his national security adviser, several people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post. She served as assistant secretary of state for African affairs and was ambassador to Liberia during the Obama administration. Sullivan was one of Biden’s national security advisers during his time as vice president and was also a deputy chief of staff to Hillary Clinton when she was secretary of state. Antony Blinken, Biden’s reported pick to be his secretary of state nominee, also served as one of Biden’s national security advisers while vice president.

At the same time, the National Civil Society Council of Liberia has reassured its willingness to network with government and other partners for a better Liberia. According to Mr. Ajisomo, without civil society presence, it would be difficult to get credible and authentic report on the governance structure. He, however, urged civil society actors to perform their roles in a way that will enable Liberia to continue sustaining peace. “You should be able to report in a way that will create an impact on state actors and society,” Ajisomo said. Meanwhile, Mr. Ajisomo said there are still more that civil society actors need to do in holding government accountable, therefore, pledging ECOWAS commitment to work with the National Civil Society Council of Liberia.

Accra, Ghana – The Covid-19 Action Fund for Africa (CAF-Africa) has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to health ministries in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte D’Ivoire, and Mali for each nation’s cadre of community health workers (CHWs). The shipment contained 5,472,000 masks, and 22,529 face shields-PPE required to safeguard health workers providing services at the last-mile. Community health workers (CHWs) provide essential health services such as integrated community case management as well as COVID-19 specific activities. While a worldwide shortage of PPE affects all health workers, the brunt has fallen on low- and middle-income countries and community health workers in particular. Integrated with national responses, this is the only known effort that pools resources for PPE items specifically for community health workers in Africa.

MONROVIA – The Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning is to shortly roll out the Aid Management Tool (specifically referred to as the Liberia Project Dash Board), as well as, the National Aid and NGO Policy of Liberia (NAPL). And thirdly, the Organizers will present and official launch the Liberia Project Dashboard (LPD) as a repository of donor and GoL project information. To date, two (2) Units of the MFDP (Aid Management & Coordination Unit and the Program Implementation Unit) have rolled out the LPD in their aid information management system. The National Aid Policy of Liberia (NAPL) is designed to address these gaps and establish an internal coordination mechanism to curtail instances of such. The policy also establishes a national coordination framework for collective engagement with Development Partners at the technical and policy levels.

He said, the President’s security guards initially attempted taking him to Jamaica Lodge – the President’s private lodge – but he resisted on the ground that is not a police depot. MONROVIA – Civil Society Advocate, Eddie Jarwolo, has been arrested by the Liberia National Police for allegedly invading Pres. He said, the President’s security guards initially attempted taking him to Jamaica Lodge – the President’s private lodge – but he resisted on ground that is not a police depot. Eddie Jarwolo is the Executive Director at Naymote Partners for Democratic Development. Naymote Partners for Democratic Development promotes citizens’ understanding of democratic processes and the long-term benefits of their participation in these processes.

Typical example of such scenario is the dreadful Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic consistently and persistently deforming the ability of the entire world including the richest and most sophisticated (in the truest sense of the word) nations. Also, the pandemic exposed political leaders’ weaknesses and stained their popularity, therefore, dragging their reelection prospects in a state of political limbo. However, states and multilateral institutions are waiting to see how quickly, and effectively global leaders take on the mantle of global leadership in response to the pandemic in weathering the dire storm. The coronavirus pandemic forced candidates to momentarily suspend the face-to-face interaction campaigning for about three months. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, President Trump’s reelection was far from certain, but it appeared that the coronavirus devastation on America might have also influenced voters and altered the outcome of the race.

The president’s statement alone is an attempt to invite the state of nature which ultimately is anarchy. To shoulder the responsibility of providing security and protection for the subjects (people) of the state is to revert to the state of nature, which Thomas Hobbes described as the state of war. And indeed, the state of nature where the security of the people is resting in their own hands other than the responsibility of their government, they pay taxes to is a state of nature. Taken together, these plausible descriptive and normative assumptions from Hobbes yield a state of nature potentially fraught with divisive struggle. Since our security is no longer guaranteed by the state, you are simply telling us not to submit to the political authority of the state.

Monrovia – The Government of the State of Qatar, through the Qatar Charity, has donated an assortment of valuable medical equipment and supplies to the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Al-Marekhi said Liberia and Qatar share a special bond of friendship, and the gesture is also geared towards strengthening the already existing excellent relationship between the two nations. We also hope that our friendship will be sustainable,” Mr. Al-Marekhi said, while speaking through an interpreter. “Liberia and Qatar have come a long way. Words are inadequate to express our thanks and appreciation to Qatar because they have always come to our aid in times of needs,” Assistant Minister Jackson averred.

Empowerment Squared and Hamilton Children’s Aid Society have taken an intentional step on a joint initiative to support newcomer and marginalized families in the Hamilton community, with a special focus on Black and racialized children and youth. “At Hamilton CAS, our vision is to work together with families and partners in the community to provide support to keep children and youth safe and well,” says Bryan Shone, Executive Director, Hamilton CAS. Empowerment Squared will be establishing a presence at 26 Arrowsmith Road, the head office of Hamilton CAS. As of November 2020, a pilot program will provide early help and intervention services to meet the needs of racialized families working with Hamilton CAS. “By working together, we can expand the programs offered through Empowerment Squared to families working with CAS, and to the broader community,” adds Johnson.

Monrovia – Former Defense Minister Brownie Samukai, convicted of economic sabotage, is now free to contest the December 8, 2020 Senatorial Election in Lofa County. Samukai got the green light on Tuesday to contest when the Supreme Court denied a petition filed against his registration by Korvah Jorgbor seeking the Supreme Court to pronounced him ineligible for the Lofa County upcoming senatorial elections due to his conviction by the lower court. Thompson Jarba took an appeal to the Supreme Court in October 2020 against the Board of Commissioners of the National Elections Commission (NEC) decision to dismiss his challenge against Samukai. “NEC action is unjust we will not sit here and see someone who is convicted to come out to contest for senatorial seat only the Supreme Court will inteprete the law” said Jarba. “The election law says that failure on the part of challenger to perfect an appeal warrants dismissal,” said Cllr.

Cummings said “I have no doubt that CPP candidates are good brand to market”. Cummings also urged residents of the South-East to elect “different kinds of leaders’ for the development of Liberia. And for that to happen, we got to elect different kinds of leaders. Despite different political views, we are all Liberians and we got to work together for the benefit of all of us,” he said. Cummings is expected to endorse Eric Giko, candidate of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), one of four political parties making up the CPP Friday in Maryland County.

MONROVIA – A group under the banner the “Zoe Pennue Movement” has reacted to a letter circulating on social media linking Representatives Zoe Pennue and Alex Grant to promising to give huge acres of land to Minister Nathaniel McGill for allowing him (Rep. Pennue) to contest on the ticket of the CDC in Grand Gedeh County. In a statement issued Thursday by the “Zoe Pennue Movement” a youth-base political and developmental organization based in Grand Gedeh County, Mr. Sylvester Krah, media consultant of the group, described as fake the communication and blamed their opponents of carrying out such propaganda. “As a reputable institution of Grand Gedeh County, we want to categorically state that the self-created communication circulated by our opponents against our candidate Mr. Zoe Emmanuel Pennue is fake and lacks all characteristics of truthfulness. “Unfortunately, for our opponents, Representative Pennue has over the years worked for the people of grand Gedeh County and built for him a base. There’s no traceable history of he ever trying to temper with what belongs to his people and county.

MONROVIA – The Government of Liberia has officially announced the officially opening of the Book of Condolence for the fallen Minister of Public Works, Mr. Mobutu Flahn Nyepan. It can be recalled that on September 3rd, Minister Nyenpan fell off and suffered a massive stroke shortly after a meeting with senior administration officials at his office. Minister Nyenpan underwent intense treatment at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana, but was pronounced dead after over two months of battling illness. He was appointed by President Weah in February 2018 and confirmed by the Senate on February 15, 2018 as Minister of Public Works. Mr. Nyenpan won his seat in the 2005 general elections, running on the ticket of the Alliance for Peace & Democracy (APD).

Monrovia – The Ministry of Health (MOH) through its Non-Communicable Diseases and Injuries (NCDIs) Division has ended a three-day forum with lines ministries, development partners, and civil society organizations at the Bella Casa Hotel in Monrovia. Health experts including civil society at the forum were able to design plans that gear toward transforming Liberia’s non-communicable diseases and injuries Division at the Ministry of Health. During the interactive forum, medical experts threw the spotlight and sharpened participants’ knowledge about the harmful effects of non-communicable diseases and injuries and the socioeconomic effects on ordinary Liberian lives. Speaking during the start of the three-day forum, the Chief Medical Officer of Liberia Dr. Francis Kateh said as a country, the non-communicable disease is something that should not be overlooked. “It is important that we are now beginning to speak about non-communicable diseases.