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LAW & ORDER News Extra
VOL 8 NO.614
THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2014
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CENTRAL BANK OF LIBERIA
MARKET BUYING AND SELLING RATES
LIBERIAN DOLLARS PER US DOLLAR
These are indicative rates based on results of daily surveys of
the foreign exchange market in Monrovia and its environs. The
rates are collected from the Forex Bureaux and the commercials
banks. The rates are not set by the Central Bank of Liberia.
Source: Research, Policy and Planning Department, Central Bank Liberia, Monrovia, Liberia
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2014 L$87.00/US$1 L$88.00/US$1
BUYING SELLING
L$88.00/US$1 L$89.00/US$1
L$89.50/US$1 L$88.00/US$1
TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014
NIGERIAS
STRENGTH
COMMENTARY News Extra
Finance Minister
Appears in Court Defense Lawyer Questions Guilty
Ruling in mercenary case
WRONGFUL
DISMISSAL?
OVERNIGHT CHURCH
SERVICE MAY POSE
'HEALTH RISKS'
AMOS SAWYER SAYS STRENGTH OF NIGERIA`S
FEDERALISM LIES IN GOOD GOVERNANCE
EVIDENCE
CONTRARY
TO VERDICT

Page 2 |
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014
General rubbishes the allegations.
I dont understand what people are calling NPP cards. Where is
the NPP card coming from? Jimmy Anderson is not a member of
NPP, he said.
Continued Mcgill: Thats just foolish argument. My view is
anywhere we have problem and there is controversy; if the
partys national executive committee reviews it and sees that the
controversy requires a rerun, there should be a rerun. I am just one
member of the party, how can I overturn an entire election ruling
that is supported by the entire party. For anybody to believe that
I am overturning it, that is complete rubbish and foolishness. I
am not going to give credence to all these small children making
noise around here saying this and that.
The CDC Gbarpolu County candidate for the senate in the
upcoming special election said that claims that he and other
party offcials took bribes to tangle the process and make matters
diffcult for Chambers is not true.
Said Mcgill: Thats complete nonsense; I have not seen Anderson
for a complete six months. I never went to Maryland; they who
went to Maryland are not talking about taking money? Is calling
for a rerun the wrong thing to do?
He said the CDC as a democratic institution that champions the
cause of fairness in election processes, will not engage in a process
that would be replete with fraud.
We accused the NEC of cheating; we have argued that in fact the
election commission has problem, there must be an independent
tribunal to investigate issues of the NEC, he said.
If the national executive committee of our party believes that
the ad-hoc commission that we set up has become a party to the
confict, the executive committee believes that there is a need for
investigation which the Chairman said; we will investigate, let
them wait for the outcome of the investigation. If the outcome of
the investigation determines or provides reasons for a rerun, the
executive committee will make that decision.
Decision in two days
Amidst the wrangling over the southeastern vote, CDC chairman
is promising to complete an investigation in two days and come out
with a decision on what the Party will do to rectify the situation.
He said though there were some white ballot situation in that
region, CDCians should not panic as these will be treated as part
of the investigation.
Rerun possible
Solo has hinted that a possible rerun citing situations where the
party fnds it diffcult to fnd a clear winner because the CDC does
not want to come out of a process where partisans feel they were
not properly represented
He frowned on those who obstructed the process of primary in
other areas by intimidating people conducting the process and said
the party will not investigate complaints from those individuals
because the party will not tolerate such acts and called on aspirants
both winners and losers to exhibit high level of maturity.
Responding to question about receiving money from the ruling
Unity party to deny Chambers the opportunity to represent
the party in the special senatorial election, Solo described the
allegation as an elementary cartoon character that needs not to be
given credence.
Said Solo: For someone to suggest that we (CDC) received
money for Chambers not to represent the Party in the coming
election, I mean are we going back to elementary cartoon?
I will stand for people who speak against the government, so why
will I do that? What I have said consistently is that if you are a
CDCian and being here, you should go for primary and win and
if I fnd evidence that the process was not fair, I will redo it. If I
dont fnd evidence the result or any result from my committee
will stand.
Though Chambers chose to reserve comments on the matter as
he told ForntPageAfrica that he had been cautioned by the party
to do so, early Wednesday morning on a local Radio station SKY
FM, Rep. Chambers accused McGill and other Party leaders
of receiving money from the ruling Unity Party to deny him
the opportunity to represent the Party in the pending specials
senatorial election.
Rep. Chambers a former partisan of the ruling UP has been a strong
critics of the executive and also vocal against some concessions
operating in Maryland County.
Monrovia-
T
he just ended opposition Congress for Democratic
Change (CDC) primary that took place across the
country continues to smell foul, especially with results
from the entire southeast and Bomi County being placed
on hold.
Facts about what happened in the Maryland Primary are scanty, as
some CDC offcials who spoke to FrontPageAfrica on condition
of anonymity, but witnessed the polls over the weekend, are
claiming that Rep. Bhofal Chambers led the vote 17-15 against
James (also known as Jimmy) Anderson the other contender.
Sources say the disruption of the Maryland polls by some high-
ranking members of the CDC Executive Committee, including
the partys Secretary-General Nathaniel McGill, Chairman for
Mobilization and Operations Mulbah Morlu and Chairman George
Solo has led to a big split in the partys executive committee, the
legislative caucus and the partisans. The CDC caucus is said to
be in support of Chambers especially Rep. Acarous Moses Gray
(Montserrado District #8).
Results placed on hold
The party Wednesday released fnal results from two of the three
regions where the primary was carried out.
Party Chairman Solo at a news conference told reporters that
the fnal report from the primary are from region one and two,
which were held in Buchanan, Grand Bassa and Gbarnga, Bong
Counties.
Solo named Ambassador George Weah elected to contest for
the Montserrado County senatorial seat as he went unopposed.
Mr. Nathaniel McGill clinched the Gbapolu County seat also on
a white ballot. Others are: Mr. Solomon Morris (Grand Bassa
County), Ms. Teeplah Reeves (Rivercess County), Dr. Foday
Kromah (Grand Cape Mount County), Mr. August Flomo (Bong
County), Mr. Galakpai Kortima (Lofa County) and Cllr. Yarmin
Gbesay (Nimba County) as CDC preferred candidates to compete
in the above counties for the senatorial race.
Said Solo: With Bomi, we had an issue of power failure, and
we will put all efforts to ensure that we complete Bomi County.
In the next week, we will bring down the aspirants and ask them
to please forgive our national power problem and reengage in the
process to get a CDC preference for that County.
In region three which is Sinoe, River Gee, Grand Gedeh,
Maryland, Grand Kru counties, I received a full report from
the election committee that went out there to do the primary; I
have also received a lot of information from the aspirants in
regards to what went on there. My understanding is that there
is lot of misrepresentation in the press but region three is under
investigation.
Investigation required
Solo maintained that because of the situation surrounding the
Southeast vote, it would be important to investigate the matter
so as to sustain the integrity of the partys democratic tenets, as
the party is always holding the feet of the National Elections
Commission to the fre on transparency.
Nullifcation call
Sources say that some members of the CDC executive committee
are calling for the nullifcation of the votes from the entire southeast
and that the wrangling is because of the National Patriotic Party
(NPP) factor as the current senator Dan Morias (Maryland, NPP)
is an archrival to Rep. Bhofal Chambers and might fght to ensure
that Chambers is not successful in the county political process.
FrontPageAfrica has learned that the entire result from the primary
in the southeast was placed on hold because the party is trying to
cover-up the Maryland County vote fasco with some accusing
party executives of allegedly taking money to rattle the process
and give the seat to Anderson.
Blatant lie
But McGill the man in the middle of the accusations says the
allegations are false and something that is being carried out by
detractors of the party, who want to sow seeds of discord within
the ranks and fles of the entire CDC executive committee.
It is a malicious lie, a propaganda that is coming from the belly
of the devil. Lets face the facts; I supported Bhofal Chambers in
2011. Bhofal Chambers in 2011 was a member of the Unity Party,
I was supporting Winston Tubman; I talked to Bhofal Chambers to
go and join the CDC when he resigned from the Unity Party, said
McGill in a mobile phone conversation with FrontPageAfrica.
Bhofal Chambers never contested the CDC primary yet and still
we supported Bhofal when a CDC person won. When Bhofal won
the elections, I supported Bhofal to be deputy speaker though he
was not member of CDC at the time against Tokpa Mulbah. Ive
always supported Bhofals ambition; for somebody to say that Im
against Bhofal is appalling.
McGill said all he is pushing for is for the process of selecting
party candidates for the senatorial race to be transparent and
nothing more or less.
I have said, that in the face of the controversy that is coming
from Maryland, there is a need for us to investigate, he said.
If Bhofal says he won the election and Jimmy Anderson says
he won the election and the independent observers in Maryland
believe the election was not free and fair and the people rigged the
process, my view is, let us have a rerun of the process; thats all
Ive said. Is Bhofal afraid of a rerun? If Bhofal wins I will support
him.
Glaring NPP card
Critics are accusing McGill of trying to play the NPP card against
the candidacy of Chambers because of his affliation with the
party and that he would rather support Anderson than Chambers
for the slot in the upcoming election. But the CDC Secretary
It is a malicious lie, a propaganda that is coming from the belly of the devil. Lets
face the facts; I supported Bhofal Chambers in 2011. Bhofal Chambers in 2011
was a member of the Unity Party, I was supporting Winston Tubman; I talked
to Bhofal Chambers to go and join the CDC when he resigned from the Unity
Party, - Nathaniel McGill, Secretary-General - CDC
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014 Page 3
v
I
t was a long day. Running errands around Monrovia
including stints on crowded Bushrod Island was exhausting.
Driving in a black sport utility vehicle, with black leather
seats, and black tinted windows without air conditioner in a
blazing 93 degree temperature took its toll.
I retired sooner than usual, crashing on the bed just as soon as I
walked in the room. But,
I awoke even earlier to spiritual shouts, trumpeting from loud
speakers. Not sure what time it was, so I rolled over and checked
the timepiece on my mobile phone. It was three oclock in the
early morning. The loud noise had clearly hampered my sleeping
pattern.
I stepped outside to identify the direction of the pulsating chants.
I walked around the neighborhood, still pitched dark under a light
rain drizzle, trying to visit the church to ask the pastor to stop, or
at least, signifcantly lower the volume. After a few blocks, I was
halted by a large mangrove swamp
separating my apartment and the church, but the thumbing noise
of singing and drumming pierce through the damped morning air
unabated.
Not knowing where to go in the dark, I retreated to my residence
and decided to take up the issue with the authorities instead of
confronting a church packed with overzealous prayer warriors.
Two weeks earlier, a similar incident occurred when a self-
declared evangelist and man-of-God named, Will Smith,
berated a young woman who had asked him to turn down the
volume emanating from his apartment-chapel next door. He
responded by throwing the F bomb and hurling other offensive
words at her.
The woman was chosen by a small band of men as an emissary
to this one-man prayer band operator who disturbs the Airfeld
Lakpazee neighborhood most mornings with his cult-like rants.
The entire sub-division is at the mercy of this foul-mouth wannabe
cleric. Most people I talked to said they were uncomfortable
challenging him because in Liberia, no one confronts a pastor,
even if he is a phony who disturbs the public peace.
I searched around and found no one who could tell me where to go
for redress. It is time that Monrovia city offcials, law enforcement
authorities, and community leaders stop looking the other way
why tolerating the impunity of those who claim to be born-again
pastors. Yet, in reality, many of these
preachers are indulging in ungodly behaviors their utter
disregard for the
rights of their neighbors to sleep at night.
Clearly, these all-night church services and tarries are causing
sleepless nights to many Liberians but most people are helpless
to go up against these Christian leaders because it would seem
sacrilegious. Another problem is no one knows who to contact or
which government agency has jurisdiction over enforcing noise
ordinance or eliminating loud church revivals that sometime goes
well beyond 50 decibels at night.
Noise pollution has an adverse effect on our hearing; exposure
to loud levels of noise can easily result in the damage of our ear
drums and loss of hearing, according to medical practitioners.
Other health issues resulting from noise pollution, say doctors,
include sleeping disorders and cardiovascular conditions.
I have spoken to Liberians from across the city and all of them have
increasingly indicated that the problem of all night church service
is a menace throughout the country. It seems more prevalent in
densely populated Monrovia, but no one apparently has an answer
on how to close down churches guilty of noise pollution. These
churches are destroying community life!
Religious institutions have just as much rights as the average
citizen and should be regulated. These overnight church revivals
pose a risk to their attendants health. Many people think that by
attending church overnight can offer solutions to unemployment,
poverty and sickness. But many of these church goers are not
getting enough sleep and may not adequately perform on a job,
even if they
were to fnd work.
These church services over the years have proliferated, especially
during Christmas and New Years holiday, even in countries like
the United States (though, churches operate on set sound level and
will be heavily fned, if they violated noise ordinances).
You can have your all night tarries but control the sound to the
confnes of the building. Blaring loud speakers in the middle of
the night why people are generally asleep is unacceptable and
unhealthy.
But, why are these marathon church services on the rise? Is it
because many people believe in superstition and think that God
would provide them whatever they ask for during these revivals?
Whatever the motivation, the same God that is worshipped sets
time for everything in the Bible: A
time to work and a time to play, a time to eat, and a time to sleep,
which requires eight hours.
Noise pollution is a major problem in Monrovia and it is not
restricted to churches or spaces of worship from the constant
honking of horns, to loud music from the citys omnipresent
entertainment centers, bars, video clubs, and cars with loud
speakers in the trunk trumpeting all sorts of commercial
promotions.
What is the decibel level allowed under the citys noise ordinance,
or is there such a thing in Monrovia? Loud noise has public health
implications and is a menace that needs to be controlled. The
problem is now at a crisis level.
The solution to this problem is rather simple. Controlling the
noise pollution in the country will only be successful if it doesnt
come across like the authorities are picking on some religious
institutions. All those entities mentioned above need to be
regulated and given defned decibel level for operating in the city.
Worship centers could utilize sound proof equipment to reduce
noise during their religious services.
I fnally dozed off at about 6:30 a.m., only to be awaken again
after 30 minutes by the chant of a petty seller: Buy your sweet
doughnut here!
Wynfred Russell can be contacted at wnrussell@hotmail.com.
Photo credit: iStockphoto
OVERNIGHT CHURCH SERVICE
MAY POSE 'HEALTH RISKS'
FrontPage
v
Commentary
EDITORIAL
WITH THREE YEARS to the end of the tenure of President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberians are already looking to
life beyond the imminent 12 years rule of Africas first
democratically elected female President.
FOR MANY THE remaining three years is a like a century and
seeing Sirleaf out is the best option, with some not caring about
her replacement but anticipating a new regime with a new way
of doing things.
SIRLEAF HERSELF HAS so far remained kind on her
successor although a while ago she bluntly stated that she will
play a role in who succeeds her and will turn over to an elected
government, dashing the hope of some who think she is too
old to continue steering the affairs of the country and should
therefore step aside and leave her Vice President Joseph Boakai
in charge.
WHILE OPPOSITION POLITICAL parties are breathing
sign of relief in the absence of a strong and internationally
concocted Sirleaf, the Presidents ruling party and her kitchen
cabinet are on the other hand maneuvering to maintain grip on
power. Some pundits think they are doing so to protect their
business and other interest which will be at stake when Sirleaf
is no more in power.
SIRLEAFS RULING UNITY Party has renewed its bond in
recent weeks with regular holding of executive meetings many
of which are attended by Vice President Boakai who is been
tipped to replace Sirleaf.
THE REGIME HAS grown unpopular in the eyes of the
Liberian public for numerous promises unfilled and a successor
like Boakai is seen as a replica of the current regime, igniting
the need for a strong opposition to add new vigor to the
management of the state rather than a senior player in the
regime that has become so unpopular.
CHANGE OF REGIME comes with so many implications
and senior officials of the current regime some of whom have
acquired so much wealth in eight years will do all they can to
have one of their kind hold unto to power, avoiding the scenario
of former National Transitional Government of Liberia officials
who were prosecuted by the current regime on allegations of
corruption.
ALTHOUGH ALL THE NTGL officials were acquitted but
due to the trial, they were publicly vilified, creating trauma
and image problem for them, something many officials of the
Sirleaf regime will want to avoid as they might not be fortunate
to be acquitted like the case of others.
WITH ALL THESE varying interest at stake, in order to have
a new team to lead Liberia as is been envisioned by Liberians
during discussions in public places, on radio stations and other
places, there is a need for strong, formidable and responsible
opposition to break the cohesiveness of ruling party has been
in power for over eight years and will reach 12 years in three
years.
FORERUNNERS TO THE Unity Party in the 2011 elections
including the Congress for Democratic Change, the National
Union Democratic Progress (NUDP), the Liberty Party
and others appear not to be sensing the danger posed by
disorganization which will means the ruling party could still
maintain its hold unto state power.
THE SECOND TO the UP in 2011, the CDC is currently
embroiled in dispute over results of primary conducted in
some counties, pointing to some sign of disorganization which
perhaps could grow further come 2017 where there will be
more seats up for contest during primary instead of the current
one seat primary.
THE CDC HAS already cancelled the primary results from the
entire southeastern region and Bomi with looming suspicion of
money changing hands during the conduct of primary in some
counties.
THIS SPEAKS VOLUMES and is an indicator to what might
come out of the CDC in 2017 if nothing is done to put the party
in order.
COMMENTARY
FILLING
SIRLEAFS
VOID
ORGANIZED OPPOSITION
MUST STEP UP
Wynfred Russell, Contributing Writer, wnrussell@hotmail.com
NUDP WHICH MANAGED third spot in 2011 has been
dissolved as the National elections Commission through a
petition filed before the Civil Law Court seeking the revocation
of the registration and accreditation of 20 registered political
parties succeeded in deregistering 15 political parties including
the NUDP.
FOURTH PLACE LIBERTY Party has not made any significant
mobilization over the last two years with the exception of a few
crossovers of individuals.
THIS SHOWS HOW the first three main opposition parties to
the ruling party might not just be getting the tactics right to
unseat the regime at the polls in 2017.
WHILE THE RULING party might not be popular in Monrovia
and a few urban cities, it is no doubt that Liberians in rural areas
do not care much about how much jobs is creating in Monrovia
and are pleased with the few road construction taking place in
their towns and villages and so cherish the regime so much.
THOSE SEEKING WHITE collar jobs in Monrovia and
other cities are no doubt bitter with the regime for lack of job
opportunities, poor education and health sectors but the ordinary
farmers in the towns and villages do not a job and so their
perception for the government is quite different.
IN 2011, THE politics was the same lack of jobs, corruption
and poor health care delivery and education sectors but still
Sirleaf triumph during the first round of polling before winning
a boycotted runoff election.
2017 MIGHT JUST the same, failure to fight corruption, lack of
jobs, amongst others but how does not change the minds of the
electorates in the rural parts of the country who atleast now have
access to feeder roads remains a question.
THIS IS WHY filling Sirleafs void requires a strong and
responsible opposition that will not be Monrovia based but will
make its presence felt in towns and villages across Liberia head
of 2017.
IN THE ABSENCE of such opposition, Liberians might get a
shock at the polls come 2017.
Page 4 |
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014
MINISTER
WEEKS SHOWS
CONTEMPT AGAIN
WHERE IS THE
HOUSE ETHICS
COMMITTEE WHEN
YOU NEED THEM?
FrontPage
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editor@frontpageafricaonline.com
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COMMENTS FROM
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DISCLAIMER
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Rodney D. Sieh, Managing Editor, 0886-738-666;
077-936-138, editor@FrontPageAfricaonline.com;
rodney.sieh@FrontPageAfricaonline.com
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com
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com, 0886-304498
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E
DITORIAL TEAM
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
ABOUT OUR STORIES ON THE
WORLDWIDE WEB
The Reader's Page
SYLVESTER MOSES TOP COMMENTER
In their 2013 book on campaign reporting and political science
entitled THE GAMBLE: Choice and Chance in the 2012 Presidential
Election, John Sides and Lynn Vavreck devoted a section to the three
stages of media coverage many candidates go through during primaries
on the road to the American presidency; they are as follows: discovery,
scrutiny and decline.
As a result of his charisma, and the adulation of a rising population of
soccer crazy youths and young adults, our legend, Ambassador George
Weah, didnt have to go through the stage of discovery. And apart
from the issue of education which he overcame, the popular candidate
hasnt yet undergone a serious scrutiny by the press on his integrity,
except now.
Despite his defense, would these emails be the smoking gun to trigger
a decline, and an end to his thrilling trek to the presidency? if Weahs
meteoric rise from rags to riches through determination, hard work and
competitive advantage is any guide, it would take more than emails to
slow down his ambition. Time will tell, we thank FPA for breaking the
story.
SELTUE R KARWEAYE SR. TOP COMMENTER METRO STATE
183 SUBSCRIBERS
The revelation of George Weah is sickening. It seem everyone is a
fatherly fgure to confused Weah. First Sapp Blatter and now Bin
Hammam. It was Sapp Blatter who appointed Weah to the Pretigious
FIFA Committee which also includes Members like Roger Milla and
Pele. Blatter even Weah continue to used his fame for corruptible
practices in order to maximize wealth-from the back door dealing
in Liberia politics to the international footballing stage. He should
be ashamed of himself! Unfortunately, the Brother have no Ethical
principles or Standards. Accepting mere 30 British pound for so-called
school fees is sad. I believe it's God revealing the true color of Weah and
criminal enterprise. We beat on Ellen's led government for corruption
and malpractices and yet Weah and his compatriots are catched with
their pant down and folks want to justifed Weah dealing in the FIFA
Scandal. Let called Spade a Spade. Sometime, I wondered if We
Liberian are Cursed People or just Wicked and Selfsh People.
JOHN WILLIAMS TOP COMMENTER EASTERN UNIVERSITY,
ST. DAVIDS, PA
Football made Weah and helped to propel him to the national political
scene. I hope football does not help to destroy his political career.
The elections in 2017 will be completely different from 2005 or any
presidential elections Liberia has ever seen. There will be rigorous
scrutiny of candidates like never before. In the past it was easy for
anyone to claim that "America or the UN sent me" and people would
buy it. After Ellen's performance that propaganda will not easily
work. Similarly, after the performance of the legislature and cabinet
ministers, just being a "country" man or woman will not earn anyone
automatic acceptance. Too many people have died and the Liberian
people have a responsibility to ensure that those hundreds of thousands
of innocent people who were killed did not die in vain. Liberians have a
responsibility to ensure that they elect people, from the lowest position
to the presidency, who will seek the interest of the country. I have
always maintained that academic excellence and international contacts
are good but they do not guarantee patriotism and good governance.
Liberians must search for competent and incorruptible people to move
the country forward. The state of Liberia is shameful and leaders who
are prepared to sacrifce for the country to make the great leap must be
identifed and given the opportunity to lead. As this story has shown,
there are people with money in the world who are prepared to buy
anything. If Liberia has not already been sold, Liberians have a duty
to ensure that the integrity of the country is retained and maintained!
EDWARD ROYE TOP COMMENTER LIBERIA COLLEGE
World best player turned BM? this is unfortunate. for sure, the rumor
that lone star sold her chance of going to worldcup in 2002 seem to
be real. if weah of all personalities who played for millions of dollars
can come so low as to take $50,000.00 to infuence vote in liberia, just
shows how unserious this guy who want to lead Liberia is. all of his
predecessors(renown world class footballers) are linked to positivities
not criminality; from King pele, Abdi Pele, Platini, kanu, abu trikha,
etc. why should it be our Weah?it is time for Amb. Weah to step out
of public domain and clear his name at the FIFA saga. it is time for
the CDC to ask amb. Weah to clear his name before being considered
political leader of his party. i m sure CDC would dare ask weah to do
such.
The Editor,
T
his is where the rubber meets the road, as the
expression goes. Would FPA please go back into
its fles and reprint the story,--either after "DR."
Antoinette Weeks was appointed or when she went
for her Senate confrmation hearings--to read again her resume,
degrees earned and ENGINEERING PROJECTS she claimed
that she supervised, managed and or completed. I wrote then
and asked for verifcation of those engineering projects listed on
her resume. Classroom accomplishment as in schools attended
and degrees earned is not equivalent to work experience or work
history, and verifable work references. But in the Senate did
they dare question the stated accomplishments of a DR. WEEKS,
an arrogant congua who rained insults on her native deputy as a
"country ass?"
Weeks has even shown her contempt for constituted authorities
to the Senate when she frst refused to appear to answer to the
deplorable state of the roads in Liberia. Not only that, she was a
no-show when her boss the president surprisingly showed up at
her offce recently, and not once but twice. Does Weeks cares?
No, she is a Weeks whose father and Ellen worked together and
were "b-friend-g-friend" back in the good old days at Finance
in the TWP era. So "Cousin" Ellen must look out for "Cousin/
Uncle" Weeks' children and siblings. Hence, the presence of three
WEEKS in Ellen's government
with top lucrative positions,---Dr. Antoinette Weeks, Minister
of Public Works; ANGILIQUE WEEKS, Chair of the Board,
Liberia Telecommunications Authority; and KIMMI WEEKS,
Chair of the Board of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation--
and justifably the reason for their corrupt and arrogant behavior,
to a point where Angelique, in violation of the law engineered a
US$1 million building leasing ponzi scam and could not be fred
by the president.
So Antoinette now wants to use Kof Woods as a scapegoat for
her incompetent handling of the giant Public Works Ministry. But
Kof is not a pushover and has challenged the government to sue
him if it suspects he was a crook. All because Kof is a lawyer
who defended Rodney Sieh and Woods could harbor presidential
dreams in 2017.
But for Ellen who is an "economist" from Havard, long term
strategic planning for our roads is necessary instead of the annual
temporary band aid solution of resurfacing rather than paving
if one takes into consideration our annual six months of heavy
tropical rain. But then again, I did not go to Havard University.
But this problem of the rainfall has been around as long as
the beginning of time, and will always be with us unless some
powerful magical forces move Liberia physically to somewhere
in all yearlong hot climate region like the Middle East.
Fantasy dream.
Why trade our fertile soil and virgin rain forest for yearlong hot
weather because we lack the genius to plan? So our government
must think and plan long-term solutions.
Maybe we need to ask the United States for help with its best
engineers and the best road networks of any country in the world
to help design and build our roads. Tradeoffs would be some
WEAH DEFENDS FATHER
FIGURE ADMITS PROBED
IN FIFA SAGA
natural resources: iron ore and now OIL. It would be a win-
win for both Liberia and the US which has been babysitting and
breastfeeding us since birth in 1847. Didn't the US literally stop
the war, and when President George W. Bush told Charles Taylor
its time to pack up and leave and Taylor fed into Nigeria? The US
has pumped billions of dollars into Liberia and what have we got
to show for that money? Liberians can have frst class all weather
roads if we put our ego on one side and ask the country with the
best roads and best road construction engineers in the world, the
United States of America.
Ellen, you should have made me one of your advisors. See what
I just suggested? I am awaiting a call from you President Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia. My number is: 301-789-7786. Trust
me, it will work and can be done, ONLY if we ask. It is called
technical agreement/aid. The Chinese are doing it all over Africa.
I just rather put my money on American road engineers.
Jerry Wehtee Wion
Washington, DC, USA....
The Editor,
H
ow many times will this goon (Rep. Acarous Gray)
get away with felony? (Re "Acarous Gray Denies
Phone Theft" Daily Observer Online)
Representative Acarous Gray has ALL the markings
of a felon!!!.. But will you ever see Gray in an orange jumpsuit??
Please. In Liberia, lawmakers are entitled to legislative immunity
for felony!
In case your short term memory has failed you, let's recap some of
Gray's felonious activities, shall we??
#1) Have you forgotten how Gray and his goons threw stones at
3 year old school children and blocked productive citizens from
going to work during their (CDC) so called "peace march" on
March 25, 2011???
#2) Have you forgotten how Gray dressed up in a military fatigue
to intimidate elections offcials and incite election violence
because a CDC candidate was correctly disqualifed from a the
by-election (Re "CDC By-Elections Disqualifcation Leads to
Another Violent Turn in Monrovia")???
3) Have you ever seen a picture of Rep. Gray on the internet
(FPA website)?? Gray is an opium smoker.. Look at his red eyes!
Red eyes are an indicator of heavy marijuana use, but our public
servants not required to take drug test, so Gray gets high and does
all kinds of crazy shit to law-abiding citizens!
Look. When you assault school children; incite election violence;
smoke pot on the job; and steal other people property-- you belong
in the jail house, not in the House of Representatives!
Where the hell is the damn House Ethics committee when you
need them?
Martin Scott
Atlanta, Georgia
martyretire@yahoo.com
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014 Page 5
Wade C.L. Williams, wade.williams@frontpageafricaonline.com
TRANSITIONING OUT: MAKING THE MOST OF LIFE
AFTER OFFICE
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY H.E. PROFESSOR AMOS SAWYER,
FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT
OF LIBERIA, AT 4TH RETREAT OF NIGERIA GOVERNORS
FORUM IN PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA ON 6TH JUNE,
2014
Chairman of the Forum
Distinguished Governors
Former Governors Present
The Media
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, and your distinguished colleagues
for inviting me to this retreat and for the warm welcome accorded me
since my arrival in Nigeria but especially in Port Harcourt. I thank
you also for the opportunity to engage in these deliberations, to learn
from the fountain of knowledge and experience of the distinguished
participants and to share my views.
I had looked forward to the participation also of President Mbeki,
the former President of South Africa, a distinguished world leader
who regrettably is not here but who has contributed so much to the
development of his country South Africa and to the advancement
of global peace and security and international cooperation. We in
Africa owe an enormous debt of gratitude to President Mbeki for
his extraordinary leadership both while in offce and after offce. His
conceptualization of the African Renaissance and the establishment
of continental institutions for the promotion of good governance are
among his legacy to Africa. Since his retirement, he has been just as
active. His tireless quest for peaceful solutions to African conficts
and for the enhancement of accountability and transparency in
regional as well as global economic governance remains outstanding
on our continent. As a Liberian, let me also recall that it was through
the leadership of President Obasanjo and President Mbeki that in
2003 the Liberian confict was brought to an end when the two leaders
leading a high power team were able to persuade President Taylor to
resign and depart Liberia; thereby providing an enabled environment
for the fnal resolution of the confict, putting Liberia on a course
of peace and post-confict reconstruction. We Liberians owe both
leaders a debt of gratitude.
I want to congratulate this august body for taking time off to refect
on some critical areas of governance and development in Nigeria,
particularly at the level of state governance. The strength of Nigeria
as a federation lies not only in good governance at the federal level
but also at the level of state and local governance. The federal system
of governance works best when there are strong institutions of
governance at all levels and when the interaction among them works
smoothly, especially in the delivery of public goods and services to
the people.
There are always challenges in the relationships between federal
and state levels of governance. Contentions over jurisdictional
responsibilities and prerogatives, resource allocation and budgets,
among others will always exist and solutions to these challenges
might not always satisfy all parties. What is most important, however,
is that there should always exist a spirit of cooperation between
federal and state governments and a willingness to fnd solutions
together. Quite frequently adequate solutions to contentions about
jurisdictional issues can be found when the search for solutions is
guided by the principle of subsidiarity. Solutions to contentions about
resource allocations are best guided by principle of commensurability
such that the nature and magnitude of service to be provided at the
level of state governance have bearing on the nature and magnitude
of the resources allocated for the provision of the service. Success
in addressing the challenges between federal and state governments
can involve high transaction cost. Sometimes the level of transaction
cost is as high as that needed for confdence building. But if there is
a spirit of cooperation the environment for reaching understandings
will exist.
Mr. Chairman, I am not telling you things you do not already know.
As Governors, a good portion of your time is taken up in building
consensus among diverse constituencies and negotiating with the
federal government to reach productive outcomes to challenges.
This is what governance is aboutreaching common understandings
about how to address dilemmas and challenges of development.
Mr. Chairman, the issue under consideration at this session is of
critical importance to successful public service. Preparation for
transitioning out of public service and the question of the quality of
life we would like to live after public service are issues which should
be considered by all public offce holders while they are preparing to
hold offce or shortly after they are installed in offce. If we carefully
think about what quality of life we want to live after offce, the answer
to that question will help to shape the quality of service we provide
when in offce.
I submit to you that most if not all public offce holders would
like to live life after offce in dignity and with relevance. Concerns
about security, especially physical and fnancial security, and about
maintaining social standing and public respect and approbation are
key elements of the concern about living life in dignity. Concerns
about a relevant life often have to do with life that gives us a
productive niche and appreciation in society.
How do we ensure that we transition out of public offce to a life
in dignity and relevance after offce? Mr. Chairman, my personal
NIGERIAS STRENGTH
AMOS SAWYER SAYS STRENGTH OF NIGERIA`S FEDERALISM LIES IN GOOD GOVERNANCE
experience has in part guided my views on this question. In
September 1990, at the peak of the Liberian civil war, I was chosen
to serve as Interim President. Although under conditions of hardship,
I functioned both as ceremonial as well as substantive head of the
government. This included all the trappings of offce. In March 1994,
a new transitional government was formed and I stepped down,
returning to life as a private citizen. How did I cope with my new
circumstance? No retinue of state security, assistants and advisors;
no bullet-proof limousine, and no crowds attending my every
appearance! My preparation for exiting offce began at the time when
I was inducted into offce. Let me share with you how I prepared for
life after offce. And I recommend this to all leaders.
First, whether appointed or elected, it is important to see public
service as a privilege: We must see public service as a privilege and
because it is a privilege, we should be appreciative of the opportunity
given us to serve and we must be humble by this opportunity.
Second, we must remind ourselves every day that public service is
an assignment and not an entitlement. We must be mindful that as an
assignment, public service is of time-bound duration. We enter, we
serve and we exit.
Third, we must be mindful also that others are to follow us and
most often we would have had predecessors. As holders of public
offce, we are in a chain of actors and we have a responsibility to
build upon the good things that were done by our predecessors and to
leave our footprints for our successors to follow. One of the personal
challenges of holding public offce, especially elected offce, is the
temptation to condemn what our predecessors have done and to seek
to present ourselves as the frst ever to do the right thing. We are too
often reluctant to give due credit to our predecessors. This orientation
does not enhance development; it does not help us to build from
strength to strength. Moreover, it breeds enmity and an adversarial
relationship between incumbents and predecessors. It is not healthy
for life after offce.
Fourth, it is good for us to come to public offce with a vision. It is
even more helpful if that vision is to manage public affairs in a way
that changes things for the better, by developing and using the human
resources of the society in a manner that is inclusive of all, including
former leaders. An agenda for transformation cannot be implemented
by the government alone. The stature and experience of former
leaders who leave offce in good standing can prove invaluable in
promoting development objectives at all levels of governance where
human and material resources need to be mobilized and deployed.
Fifth, while in offce, select and undertake a legacy project from the
broader development agenda. People do remember leaders who make
a positive difference in their lives. Projects advancing education,
health care, roads, housing, water works and sanitation are among
projects that make a difference in the lives of people and serve as a
legacy of the leader.
While all of these steps would contribute to preparing a conducive
environment for transitioning out of offce and to life after offce,
there is a need to ensure that retirement packages are formulated as
part of the transition process. These packages are more likely to be
supported by the population when they are prepared as part of the
overall governing process with the advice of experts and in an open
and transparent manner. They can be resisted by the public when
they are perceived as acts of desperation by out-going incumbents;
or when seen to be unreasonable feather-bedding. An expert team can
be hired to study the circumstance of life after offce and provide
some guidance for enactment of legislation. This could be a project
for the secretariat of this Forum. In this way, individuals are spared
the arguments and insinuations which in themselves can detract from
public respect as one leaves offce. So it is better to institutionalize the
process of determining the retirement package of out-going leaders.
Mr. Chairman, let me mention some personal issues of preparation
associated with life after offce. We in Africa live in societies where
people can be generous to each other, respectful of their leaders, bring
gifts to them and expect gifts from them. Out-going leaders should
expect a shift in the balance: More people are likely to seek you out
as a former leader to see what you can do for them, than those who
would want to know in what ways they can be helpful to you. Fewer
people will be available in your retinue. Convoys of cars will not be
available to you. Wives, children and relatives must be sensitized to
this reality as part of the preparation of a happy life after offce. One
of the ways to address the demands for fnancial and material help
is to engage in social and charitable work as part of a collectivity or
through a foundation or charitable institution. Leaders who exit offce
with goodwill are usually able to work with others in establishing or
strengthening community-based and other types of nongovernmental
organizations, strengthening scholarship programs and microcredit
and savings and loans associations, among others. An institutional
approach to the provision of charitable assistance is often more
sustainable than the individual approach.
Mr. Chairman as I end these remarks allow me to think aloud about
a few areas in which retiring governors could be helpful to our sub-
region and perhaps our region after their retirement from offce.
As many African countries embark upon deepening their processes
of decentralization, the experience of retired governors becomes
invaluable assets to assist countries that are struggling with the
challenges of decentralization and power-sharing. In Liberia, we
are in the process of establishing a system of local governance as
a means of involving local people in the provision and delivery of
certain public services. Decentralization is new to us. The experience
of leaders who have served at the state level can be helpful.
African universities can beneft from the experience and insights of
former governors about the management of state affairs in a multi-
level system of governance in the African context. My sense, Mr.
Chairman, is the highly competent technical staff of the National
Governors Forum and others associated with them can be tasked to
put forward realistic and implementable recommendations.
There are numerous excellent examples of how former African
leaders, not only presidents and heads of government but also judges,
parliamentarians and heads of economic and educational institutions
have been able to assist in the promotion of local, national, and
regional development initiatives mediate conficts engage in post-
confict peacebuilding and recovery and social and economic
development. For example, several retired judges from African
countries serve as members of regional and global tribunes; former
parliamentarians serve as election observers and advisers in the
orientation of new parliamentarians both in their own countries as
well as in other African countries. More former governors need to be
among their ranks.
Mr. Chairman, permit me now to close and in doing so say that I
am sure each of you will fnd the exchange of ideas in this retreat
invaluable. Peer learning is a very effective form of capacity building
and I trust that by 2015 your exchanges will be broader involving all
of your colleagues and equally rewarding.
Thank you.

Page 6 |
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Monrovia-
D
efense lead lawyer in
the mercenary trial
where 13 defendants
were found guilty
of mercenarism Cllr. Tiawon
Gongloe says that the jurors
guilty verdict that dashed his
hopes Tuesday was contrary to
the evidence adduced at the trial.
Cllr.Gongloe also a former
Solicitor General of Liberia who
had throughout the three months
of trial accused the state of not
establishing any prima facie
evidence against the defendants,
told reporters outside the court
shortly after the guilty verdict
that the jurors verdict was far
from the truth.
The evidence which the jurors
relied upon to convict the
defendants was contrary to the
verdict, said the human rights
lawyer. Cllr. Gongloe who
closed the fnal argument on
behalf of the defense counsel
told jury ahead of the verdict,
not to bring down the defendants
guilty because the testimonies of
the prosecution witnesses were
characterized by lies.
At the same time
FrontPageAfrica has reliably
learnt that lawyers representing
the 13 guilty defendants have
planned to fle a motion of re-
trial against the jurors verdict,
which was greeted with weeping
from family members of the
guilty defendants.
Sources hinted FPA that the
defense counsel wants a motion
of re-trial because the six-
member trial jury ignored several
convincing legal issues raised by
the defense, that if considered
could have led to the acquittal of
the defendants.
Cllr. Gongloe said he will outline
these legal issues when the
motion is fled before the court
ahead of the fnal ruling by the
Judge set for June 17, 2014.
If the motion for re-trial is fled
and accepted by the court, it will
be the third time to hold hearing
into the mercenary case against
the 13 defendants, who have
been in detention for nearly three
years since their arrest in 2011
and subsequent charge with the
crime of mercenarism which
they have all denied.
The frst time the defendants
went on trial was during May
2013 term of court where the
case was ordered cutoff mid-
way to the close of the trial by
Judge Yussif Kaba when one of
F
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HEALTH
EVIDENCE CONTRARY TO VERDICT
MIDWIFERY DEFICIT
UNFPA Report 73 Countries in the Red
Defense Lawyer Questions Guilty Ruling in mercenary case

the jurors Jeremy Dweh alarmed
that he was been approached
by the prosecution to bribe him
to render verdict in favor of the
prosecution. But prosecution
lawyer Daku Mulbah denied the
claim.
The last time the case resumed
was during the 2014 February
Term of court, where the 18
defendants at the time of the trial
were tried and fve walked free
for lack of evidence leaving13
others on trial.
The crime allegedly occurred
in Ivory Coast during election
violence in that country, which
left several properties destroyed
and several other persons killed
including an ambush of seven
United Nations Peace Keepers
from Niger.
The election violence in
the Ivory Coast had ensued
between supporters of former
President Laurent Gbagbo who
resolved not to relinquish power
because the Supreme Court had
overturned the results in favor of
current leader Alassane Ouattara.
Kennedy L.Yangian kennedylyangian@frontpageafricaonline.com 077296781
F
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LAW & ORDER
PRAGUE, CZECH
REPUBLIC-
A
report released on
June 4, 2014 by
the United Nations
Population Fund
UNFPA, together with the
International Confederation of
Midwives (ICM), the World
Health Organization (WHO)
and partners reveals that major
defcits in the midwifery
workforce occur in 73 countries
where these services are most
desperately needed. The report
recommends new strategies to
address these defcits and save
millions of lives of women and
newborns.
The 73 African, Asian and
Latin American countries
represented in the State of
the Worlds Midwifery 2014:
A Universal Pathway A
Womans Right to Health
suffer 96 per cent of the global
burden of maternal deaths, 91
per cent of stillbirths and 93
per cent of newborn deaths,
but have only 42 per cent of the
worlds midwives, nurses and
doctors.
The report urges countries to
invest in midwifery education
and training to contribute to
closing the glaring gaps that
exist. Investments in midwifery
education and training at
agreed international standards
can yield as a study from
Bangladesh shows a 1,600
per cent return on investment.
"Midwives make enormous
contributions to the health
of mothers and newborns
and the well-being of entire
communities. Access to quality
health care is a basic human
right. Greater investment
in midwifery is key to
making this right a reality for
women everywhere," said
Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin,
UNFPA Executive Director.
Midwives have a crucial role
to play in the achievement of
the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) 4 (decrease
child death) and 5 (increase
maternal health). When
educated to international
standards and within a fully
functional health system,
they can provide about 90 per
cent of the essential care to
women and newborns and can
potentially reduce maternal
and newborn deaths by two
thirds. Despite a steady decline
in maternal deaths in the 73
countries that are covered in
the report dropping yearly
by 3 per cent since 1990 and
newborn deaths decreasing
by 1.9 per cent per year
since 1990 there is more
these countries need to do to
address the severe shortage of
midwifery care.
Midwives are central to
midwifery care and the lives
of women and newborn babies.
The report precedes the Lancet
Special Series on Midwifery,
which together with the report
will provide the evidence to
guide all policy-makers in
their quest to end preventable
maternal and newborn deaths,
said ICM President Frances
Day-Stirk.
The report, launched at the
30th ICM Triennial Congress
in Prague, Czech Republic
highlights the progress made
since the inaugural 2011 report
and solutions to the barriers
outlined in four key areas:
availability, accessibility,
acceptability and quality of
midwifery services: A number
of countries have effectively
strengthened midwifery and
improved access: Nearly half
(45 per cent) of the 73 countries
have implemented measures
to retain midwives in remote
areas and 28 per cent are
increasing the recruitment and
deployment of midwives, while
20 per cent have implemented
new codes of practice
1and 71 per cent have improved
information collection enabling
countries to address shortages
and education standards.
Despite progress, inequities
such as lack of access to
services and poverty have
increased within and among
countries. There are still not
enough adequately educated
midwives to support the health
of women and newborns, and
this contributes to hundreds
of thousands of preventable
deaths annually. Today, only
22 per cent of countries have
potentially enough midwives
to provide life-saving
interventions to meet the needs
of women and newborns,
which leaves over three-fourths
(78 per cent) of the countries
with severe shortages in proper
care. As the population grows,
so does the gap in critical
resources and infrastructure,
unless urgent action is taken.
The 2014 report includes
recommendations to close
these gaps and to ensure all
women have access to sexual,
reproductive, maternal and
newborn services. These
includes issues such as
preventive and supportive care
from a collaborative midwifery
team, immediate access to
emergency services when
needed, and completing post-
secondary education. From a
broader perspective, women
should delay marriage, have
access to healthy nutrition
and receive four pre-birth care
visits.
This report, like the Every
Newborn Action Plan recently
adopted by the World Health
Assembly, sets a clear way
forward. Both aim to encourage
governments to allocate
adequate resources for maternal
and newborn health services
within national health sector
plans. This should include
funds for the education and
retention of midwives. We will
continue to support countries
to develop and strengthen their
midwifery services as a critical
intervention to save the lives
of women and newborns,
said Dr. Flavia Bustreo, WHO
Assistant Director-General
for Family, Women's and
Children's Health.
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014 Page 7
F
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POLITICS
By: Al-varney Rogers alrogers2008@gmail.com
Monrovia-
A
member of the
Congress for
Democratic Change
USA chapter Ms.
Fatuma Zinnah has called for
the immediate resignation of
Mr. Nathaniel McGill Secretary
general of the CDC to avoid
what she termed confict of
interest.
Ms. Zinnah who is also an
aspirant in Gbapolu County
recently resigned from the
party after refusing to contest
in the partys primary because
according to her, she did not
trust the process.
In her letter of resignation
a copy of which is in the
possession of FrontPageAfrica
she states: In keeping with the
Preamble of our Constitutions
frst paragraph which states:
MCGILL MUST RESIGN
F
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NEWS EXTRA
Monrovia-
T
he Minister of
Finance Amara
Konneh and his
deputies, Assistant
Ministers and comptroller have
been summoned to appear
before the sixth Judicial Circuit
Court at the Temple of Justice.
His honor Yussif D. Kaba
ordered that the Finance
Minister and his team appear
on June 16, 2014 to answer to
complaint fled by eight former
employees of the Ministry,
namely Henry Sele, Elder
Jallah, Byron Trokon Geply,
Duyan Pewee, Siafa Kemokai,
and Benedict Browne.
The writ of summon states
that failure on the part of the
Finance Minister and his team
to appear before the court will
automatically lead to judgment
by default against them.
The dismissed employees in
their complaint to the court are
claiming US$ 175,520.00 and
$L 1, 923,039.00 as damages
for the press conference held
by the Ministry announcing
their dismissal without the
due process of law. They are
claiming that the allegations
brought against them have no
iota of truth and are therefore
praying the court to ensure that
their salaries for the period
commencing from the date
of their dismissal up to and
including the 31th of May
2014 are paid in full.
The complaint furthered
that the Minister of Finance
should give the dismissed
employees not less than US$
8,000,000.00[United States
Eight Million Dollars] as
general damages as well as
punitive damages in discretion
of the court to serve as a
deterrent.
"Plaintiffs [eight dismissed
WRONGFUL DISMISSAL?
employees] averred that
as a consequence of frst
defendant's [Minister
Konneh]s action, plaintiffs
suffered mental anguish,
injuries to their reputation and
physical injuries and therefore
entitled to general damages,"
the complaint states.
According to the dismissed
employees complaint, the
Finance Minister hosted a press
conference stating that the
plaintiffs made unauthorized
payments in the tune of over
US$11.2 million, which caused
a defcit in the national Budget.
The complaint states that the
Ministry of Finance dismissed
them as a result of allegations
the employees argued are
untrue.
The employees through the
complaint fled by their legal
counsel Nyenati Tuan said,
on the 6th of December 2012,
the Solicitor General Wilkins
Wright wrote a letter to Hon.
Angela Cassell Bush, Deputy
Minister for Expenditure and
Debt Management, returning
the fles to the effect that
no criminal opinion was
formulated due to the lack
of cooperation from the task
force.
Cllr. Tuan said based on the
communication sent to deputy
minister Bush by the solicitor
General, he wrote to deputy
minister for administration
Jordan Sulunteh to reinstate the
dismissed employees but the
directive was not adhered to.
It can be recalled that on
April 13, 2012 Finance
Minister Konneh dismissed
eight employees for single
or collective negligence. The
dismissal was a result of gross
negligence in the management
of the national payroll, which
emerged out of an investigation
by the Special Wage Bill
Management Task Force
according to the dismissal
letter.
The letter of dismissal stated:
"The task force has discovered
the unauthorized payment of
over US$ 11.2 Million which
have caused a defcit in the
national budget."
According to the dismissed
employees, the US$ 11.2
Million would-be defcit at
the time was a projection done
by Mr. Sele, former Deputy
Finance Minister Appears in Court
-CDC USA member demands SG Exit
Comptroller & Accountant
General for Payroll to the
Department of Budget
informing them that a potential
defcit would have occurred
at the close of FY 2011/2012
if the trend of payment in the
Ministry of Education budget
continued.
Speaking at a press conference
held at the Ministrys edifce
on Friday April 13, 2012 the
Finance Minister disclosed that
there exist overspending of
salaries across the government,
but what was occurring at the
ministry of education at the
time was especially alarming.
So therefore fellow Liberians,
if you are presiding over a
system with these known
defciencies and weaknesses
that land themselves to
criminal exploitation with the
potential to cause national
upheaval and civil disturbance
and you dont feel the urgency
to act decisively, you leave
room for unlimited questions,
he said.
Quizzed by FrontPage
Africa at the International
Monetary Fund headquarters
in Washington D. C. in 2012,
Minister Konneh encouraged
those who feel dissatisfed by
his actions to go to court as the
decision he took was endorsed
by auxiliary government arms
including the civil service and
the ministry of justice.
My actions will affect
colleagues, families and
friends, but my inaction will
affect the entire nation and
many poor people who place
their trust and confdence in us
to do the right thing no matter
the personal cost, he stated.

Henry Karmo (0886522495) henrykarmo47@gmail.com
Having endured over a century
of bad governance, misrule,
and corruption which have
deprived our people of a decent
standard of living, national
development,.; I bring to your
attention again the complaint in
relations to the unfairness in the
2014 Congress for Democratic
Change (CDC), Gbarpolu
County Primary that I have
experienced and foreseen.
She disclosed that she On
February 13, 2014, fled an
offcial complaint to both
(Chairman Isaac Tukpah
and Chairman George Solo
regarding the role of Secretary
General McGill at the party
level, and his declaration to vie
for the 2014 Gbarpolu County
Senatorial Election and other
partisans including herself who
also have interest to vie for the
same position.
Ms. Zinnah in her resignation
letter stated that if McGill is
willing to continue his ambition,
it will be of best practice to
submit his resignation as
National Secretary General of
CDC.
She warned that if McGill does
not resign his present position at
the leadership level, she would
be unable to participate in any
primary in Gbarpolu County.
In the letter also, I mentioned
that Sec. McGill conducted a
short interview regarding my
interest and connections to the
county, she said. I provided
to Hon. McGill a full detail
of my establishments and
achievements with my district
over the years.
Zinnah claims the CDC SG
encouraged her to come home
and contest for the Gbarpolu seat
when she made her intention
known to him only to fnd out
that he was himself vying for
the slot on the partys ticket.
From my opinion, the
conversation was well
acknowledged by Hon. McGill
at which time he encouraged
me to make a trip to Liberia
to familiarize myself with the
party and its leadership, she
said. Now as you are aware,
he is contesting which is also
not in conformity with the Code
of Conduct Rule 5.b (creating
division within its ranks or
membership) and d. (doing any
other act which undermines its
effectiveness as a Party).
Continued Zinnah: CDC
has the biggest dream that its
leadership has option to offer
Mama Liberia. How can this
dream become a reality when
its leadership is not for and
of the people? Adhering to
Article 4 Sec. 24 and 25, we,
the masses, are entitled to a
democratic leadership of good
governance, transparency,
accountability, fairness, respect,
and about all else, love across
its spectrum. From my view,
some of the offcials within
the CDC have a dictatorship
style of leadership removing
county offcials without the due
process.
Page 8 |
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014
PRESIDENT SIRLEAF DEDICATES THE CHIEF SUAKOKO
CENTER FOR RURAL WOMENS EMPOWERMENT;
F
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UN NEWS
F
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COUNTY NEWS
Suakoko, Bong County
P
resident Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf has
challenged Liberian
women to rise up to
the challenge by empowering
themselves now that the
pace has been set for self-
actualization.
According to an Executive
Mansion release, the Liberian
leader, speaking at the launch
of the Chief Suah Koko
Center for Rural Womens
Empowerment in Bong
County, said the launch of the
Center was a promise fulflled
on a commitment to improving
their lives.
The Chief Suah Koko
Center for Rural Womens
Empowerment, located on the
main campus of the Cuttington
University in Suakoko, is
named in honor of former
paramount chief Madam
Suah Koko for her role in the
annexation of north-western
region to Liberia in the late
19th century which includes
todays Lofa, Bong and Nimba
Counties.
President Sirleaf said the
honoring of Madam Suah Koko
was the rural womens version
of the same honor bestowed on
Madam Angie Brooks Randall
in whose name the Angie
Brooks Randall International
Center at the University of
Liberia Fendell Campus is
established which came as
the result of the International
Women Colloquium held in
Liberia in March of 2009.
She challenged the rural
women to seize the opportunity
that the Center will offer,
which include but not limited
to training, research and
advocacy for their common
good.
President Sirleaf said she
was happy for the level of
involvement of Liberian
women in decision-making
and leadership which has come
as the result of changing times
and gender equality.
Speaking earlier, the national
head of the Angie Brooks
Randall International Center,
Cllr. Yvette Chessen Wureh,
UN PANEL OF EXPERTS
Liberias Refusal to Enact Small Arms law
Dampening Efforts to lift Arms Embargo
RURAL WOMEN BOOST
paid tribute to President
Sirleaf for leading the way for
sustained women advocacy in
Liberia as demonstrated by the
creation of women advocacy
centers and at the same time
honoring the two great Liberian
women.
She informed the Liberian
leader that her involvement
in the establishment of the
Centers have further motivated
women to get involved in
leadership roles, decision-
making, advocacy, and
physical work though most of
them are either half lettered or
completely illiterate.
Most of the work you see
Madam President in the
construction of this Center
was done by females who are
students of the LOIC Gbarnga
Satellite, as Cllr. Wureh
called on stage the young
girls in demonstration of how
enthusiastic the women are
with the establishment of an
institution that is exclusively
about them and their
empowerment.
Cllr. Wureh than announced
that the giant pot in which the
honoree cooked her food to
offer strangers would be on
display at the Center.
The President of Cuttington
University, Dr. Henrique
Tokpa, renewed his institutions
commitment to supporting
the Center, women rights and
empowerment as evidence by
the donation of the land on
which the Center is built.
He joined President Sirleaf
and other speakers in urging
the rural women to make use
of the facility in advancing
themselves through training
and empowerment.
Bong County Senator Jewel
Howard Taylor expressed
excitement that a Center is now
named in honor of someone
she had honored before now.
Senator Taylor named her
scholarship in honor of Madam
Suah Koko and gave a facelift
of her grave in Sergeant Kollie
Town (SKT) near Gbarnga.
President Sirleafs one day
visit to Bong County also took
her to a Leprosy Rehabilitation
Center in Suakoko to acquaint
herself with conditions there
for possible intervention by
Government.
At the center, the Liberian
leader promised governments
intervention upon the passage
of the 2014/2015 Fiscal Budget
in which they will be included
in social service delivery
category.
President Sirleaf thanked
the caretaker of the center,
Mr. Steve Kennedy and
admonished him to continue
his service to humanity.
She was responding to Mr.
Kennedys request, on behalf
of the lepers, who pleaded
with President Sirleaf to reach
out to the Center as they feel
abandoned.
He complained of severe
leakages in the school building
and the lack of safe drinking
water at the Center which
President Sirleaf promised to
intervene immediately.
Mr. Kennedy, though not
a leper, after obtaining a
Bachelor of Science (BSc.)
Degree in Economics from the
Cuttington University returned
to the Center to pay back
to the community where he
began his primary education.
President Sirleaf termed this
as an excellent example of
community service. She then
promised him a motorbike to
enhance his movement as he
serves his people.
Monrovia-
T
he United Nations Panel of Experts said in its May 2014 report to the
Security Council that the government of Liberia is dragging its feet
on the enactment of national frearms legislation.
The Panel said the law is critical to providing the legal framework
and institutional mechanism to ensure effective small arms control in Liberia,
a country that has in the past been controversial as it relates to arms traffcking
in the region.
The Panel is of the opinion that, if and when passed, the legislation will
establish adequate judicial regulations pertaining to the traffcking and
possession of frearms, stated the Panel in its report released on May 23,
2014.
The Panel notes that the failure to enact the frearms legislation also means
that there is no database of privately owned guns in the country.
The Panel also stated that there is a genuine danger of frearms proliferation
in the country if such legal framework for regulating the importation and
personal acquisition of frearms is not urgently approved adding that even
government offcials have expressed concern about the slow pace of enacting
a law to regulate small arms.
The Constitution of 1847 enshrines the right of Liberian citizens to keep and
bear arms for the common defense, stated the Panel in its report.
Government offcials, civil society activists and United Nations offcials with
whom the Panel spoke in Liberia persistently lamented the growing number
of violent incidents involving frearms. Such frearms are mostly single rife
shotguns and sometimes pistols, many of them smuggled into the country from
Guinea through the countrys porous borders.
The Panel stated that with the number of frearms landing in the hands of
the wrong people due to the lack of a legislation governing the possession
of small arms is troubling as these guns have in the past been used in cross-
border attacks by militia elements, making them a potential threat to peace
and security in Liberia and the region adding that the unregulated traffcking
across borders constitutes a violation of the arms embargo currently in place.
The Panel stated that the agency responsible to maintain centralized weapons
registration information and oversee markings of the objects in accordance with
the standard of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),
the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms, has been operating with a
lone commissioner since September 2013, even though it is supposed to have
three, one of whom is supposed to have a security background.
This is presumably in order to be able to perform the task above effectively.
As it is currently constituted, the Commission appears not to be properly
equipped, even when the frearms legislation is passed, to perform its
functions, stated the Panel in its report.
The Panel urges the Government and its partners to have the Commission
properly resourced in order for it to be able to carry out its mandate.
The Panel observed that the absence of this law creates an avenue for the
increase in the traffcking of frearms and it puts Liberia in a diffcult position
especially as the arms embargo is still in place.
Until this legislation is passed, however, there is no national legislation in
place to regulate the purchase, possession and control of small arms, possibly
creating incentives for illicit traffcking of arms, stated the Panel
This has been the case since Presidential Executive Order No. 34, which
banned the importation and possession of frearms and ammunition, except
hunting shotguns, expired in October 2012 (S/2013/316, para. 5).
The Panel noted that the Commission informed it that that there was intent
to have the draft submitted to the Legislature in April 2014, with the aim of
having it passed before the Legislature went into recess in July.
The Panel notes that, at the time of submission of the present report, the draft
law had not been submitted to the Legislature.
The Panel is concerned that the Legislature is unlikely to enact the legislation
in 2014, given the compressed timeline, its poor record of passing important
legislation and the fact that some key legislators are already focused on their
2014 re-election campaigns, stated the Panel.
The Panel reviewed the version of the draft legislation that was being
considered by the Commission in March. The draft differs from the 1956
Firearms Traffc Act in several signifcant respects, which could have an
impact on the proliferation of frearms. In the draft, the Inspector General of
the national police is invested with sole authority for the registration, licensing
and control of small arms and light weapons, ammunition and other related
materiel.
The Panel stated that during its review of the Liberia National Police and
UNMIL police crime statistics and for the past two years and found that in
2012, there were 379 arrests for illegal possession of frearms, compared with
178 in 2013.
The Panel was told that, the decline in 2013 notwithstanding, greater vigilance
by the police had led to an increase in such arrests in 2014. From 1 January to 7
March 2014, there were 38 arrests for illegal possession of frearms, indicating
an upward trend, stated the report.
Continued the Panel: An alarming trend is the growing incidence of homicides
involving frearms. In 2012, the police recorded 367 homicides, a third of
which involved the use of frearms. The fgure was higher in 2013 (133), with
more than a third involving the use of frearms. Some of the homicides resulted
from armed robbery, the occurrence of which peaked in 2012 (465 incidents).
In 2013, there were 259 incidents of armed robbery, pointing to a downward
trend. From 1 January to 7 March 2014, however, the police recorded 42 cases
of armed robbery, an upward trend. Such crimes test the limited capacity of
law enforcement agencies and underscore the continuing fragility of Liberia.
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014 Page 9
F
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GENDER ISSUES
F
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LIFESTYLE
A
s world experts
gather in London
for the Global
Summit to End
Sexual Violence in Confict,
the UKs leading development
think-tank warns that mothers
raped during conficts now
face the trauma of seeing their
daughters also become victims
of sexual assault, as the hyper-
masculinity sparked by war
persists into peacetime.
Researchers from the Overseas
Development Institute (ODI)
interviewed survivors in
Liberia, where the civil war
ended in 2003. During the war,
it is estimated that up to 77%
of women experienced sexual
violence, but today Liberia
continues to have one of the
highest incidences of sexual
assault in the world, and most
of the survivors are teenage
girls.
ODI experts say that aid donors
at the London summit must take
the unusual step of committing
to long-term approaches -
perhaps as long as 20 years if
sexual violence with impunity
normalised during war-time is
to be reversed.
Amongst the cases highlighted
by ODI researchers are:
A thirteen year old girl
from Bomi County, My
mother and this lady used to be
close friends. But that evening
she was not at home and her
husband forced me to have
sex when I tried to scream
he threatened to kill me. After
it had happened I managed to
run home. . Ive been to the
hospital and had the tests but
Im too scared to complain to
the police. At school now
Im aware other children are
talking about it. I look away
and only talk to my mother
about my feelings.
A Liberian welfare
offcer, A woman recently
came to our unit with a heart-
HYPER-MASCULINITY DRIVES SEXUAL VIOLENCE
HARMING TEENAGE GIRLS, WARNS THINK TANK
LEGACY OF WAR
breaking story her two year-
old had been raped by a male
acquaintance.... When she got
back home her daughter was
screaming and screaming when
she went to change the infants
diaper she discovered that the
baby had blood all over her
legs and private parts.
ODIs research released today,
The Fall-out of Rape as a
Weapon of War, highlights
how mothers - and now
daughters - are living through
the nightmare of sexual
violence as Liberian society
struggles to re-adjust to peace.
Dr Nicola Jones, a Research
Fellow at ODI, said: War
can lead to an environment
in which sexual violence is
normalised. After the war, men
are often aggressive, hyper-
masculine and struggle to
adapt to peacetime; the legacy
of sexual violence can have
devastating impacts not only
on individuals and families but
also on whole communities.
Dr Janice Cooper of the Carter
Centre Liberia which works
with survivors of sexual
violence in its mental health
programming said During
the war men faced the daily
threat of death, but women
had to go out into the felds, to
work, to fetch water, to keep
families fed, and they endured
horrifc sexual violence. Over a
decade on, men no longer face
the threat of being killed, but
women and girls still face the
risk of rape and sexual assault;
for them, the war continues.
Rape and sexual assault
have long-lasting physical,
psychological, social and
economic consequences,
many of which persist for
decades says ODI. Fistula,
infertility, risk of HIV and
other sexually-transmitted
diseases, post-traumatic stress
disorder and suicidal thoughts
are commonplace amongst
survivors. Some survivors also
face stigma that forces them out
of families, leaving individuals
abandoned - branded as
damaged goods - and left to
deal with the effects of rape on
their own, said Dr Jones.
According to ODI, fndings in
Liberia mirror those from other
post-confict settings around
the world, such as Sri Lanka
and the Democratic Republic
of Congo. Whilst there are no
quick-fx solutions, the report
highlights some promising
initiatives:
Tackling hyper-
masculinity with initiatives
helping men to adjust to their
new roles in peacetime society
and developing community
programmes so rape isnt seen
as the fault of the victim
Provision of adequate
mental health services, such
as those run by the Liberia
government with support from
the Carter Centre in Liberia.
These are not a western
luxury, say ODIs authors.
Development of justice
systems which support the
reporting, and prosecution
of sexual violence: often the
stigma around rape is such that
women and girls feel unable to
seek justice.
A CULTURE OF CHILD RAPE IN LIBERIA
HUGE CRIMES IN SMALL SMALL
THING: THE OLIVIA ZINNAH STORY
L
ooking for a villain in Jessica
Vales documentary? Theres
competition. Obviously, in
Small Small Thing: The Olivia
Zinnah Story, about a 7-year-old rape
victim in Liberia, there is the man who
attacked her so brutally that her genitals
were mangled and covered in scar tissue.
He was a 20-year-old cousin. She was left
with a fstula requiring numerous surgeries
to repair, if it could be fxed at all.
But there are so many others. Olivias
father leaves. Her grandfather, a tribal
chief, sides with the rapist. Even her
mother doubts her (If I had been there, I
would know.) and does the wrong thing.
A driver declares her useless, useless.
Some women who work at the hospital
seem compassionate, but others reveal
hard hearts. Like many women in the flm,
they are horrifyingly cavalier about the
male culture that endorses this behavior.
Raping a child, we are told, is considered a
good-luck move.
They do it for ritual purpose, a gender-
violence specialist says. To get money, to
get a job.
Looking into Olivias huge brown eyes,
full of hope despite everything, and then
into so many adults cold, dead ones (and
the camera does, bravely and pointedly) is
appalling. There is no gore here, and no
on-screen violence, but this is in every way
a horror movie. With a devastating ending.
ANITA GATES
Page 10 |
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014

Neved P. Kortu: I feel very happy that CDC was able to go
through the democratic process which proved to me that the
CDC is a democratic party. The fact that we were able to go to
primary and we were successful in the process, I feel happy for
the mighty Congress for Democratic Change. The people that
were voted for to run on the CDCs ticket are people who believe
in the ideology and policies of the CDC. If a CDCian goes and
elect them to primary, it means they are good candidates because
they believe in the party. There is something called inconsistency
and expediency. The party came up with a strategy and decided
to carry George Weah for the Montserrado senatorial seat and
because of expediency to keep the face of the party; Weah applied
to the party that he wants to run on the CDC ticket and the party
accepted his application. He went to the primary and he won; so
for Prince Johnson to come up and say Weah is inconsistent I
dont know he and George Weah who is inconsistent.
Jackson Jargbah: You know I always told people that CDC
is a mature political institution. Looking at this primary that an
opposition institution conducted and came out peacefully, it tells
us that CDC is mature and will remain a mature political party.
For even the leader of a political institution to submit himself to
the committee for the primary, I think the whole primary was free,
fair and transparent.

Flahn G. Smith: One of the important things that make me very
happy about the primary is, we expected Ambassador Weah to
start from the beginning as a senator or representative and now
he has thought right to go to that stage, so winning the primary
I think its welcoming. I think its good for the Liberian people.
As CDCian, I wish him good luck and I know he will win the
senatorial seat for Montserrado County.

Karim Kromah: For me I will tell you that the primary was the
best that I have ever witnessed. To see a primary that went very
smoothly and no noise, I think we are going somewhere. Every
other primary has been marred with controversy, but this one I
witnessed in Grand Bassa County, I think was the best one ever.
The CDC brought from Grand Cape Mount County Mr. Kromah
who has weight. When George Weah raises the hands of people in
Montserrado county Madam Sirleaf was nowhere around. When
he himself is in the race, I think it would be a tsunami. Weah
can beat anybody even if you bring Ellen here, we can beat her.
Madam Sirleaf who has been in power for two terms has never
defeated us, how can a small boy like Robert Sirleaf come and
say he will beat us. The issue is not about money because in 2011
Madam Sirleaf had all the money here and we defeated her with
two hundred thousand margin.
Monrovia-
L
iberias biggest opposition political party has completed
its frst round of primaries across the country bringing
to play several CDC stalwart that would battle others
contenders in Liberias mid-term election. There has
been mixed reaction from the public in the aftermath of the
CDC primaries with some citing bribery of delegates and other
irregularities. But what does CDCians say about their own
primaries? FrontPage Africa has been sampling the views of
several CDCians many of whom witnessed the process.

Varney A. Sherman
I feel that this is a milestone in the history of the CDC. We
observed that this years primary has been characterized by
irregularities that made people to complain. It was peaceful, joyful
and people exercised their franchise to choose the candidate of
their choice. So the names that surfaced are not strange names.
These are people that have worked over the years tirelessly to see
the growth and development of the party. If we retrospect on the
last primary in Bomi, the way people complained, this time around
we say to you that it was peaceful. I feel that CDC is on the right
trajectory of taking state power because the level of maturity.

Franklin K. Wesseh: Let me frstly say a big thank you to
CDCians across the country for observing what I will term as a
democratic process; a process that allows people to express their
franchise by way of the ballot box. I say its very commendable
and is a process worth emulating. Let us frst of all understand
what a primary is and what a primary is intended for. A primary
is that democratic exercise that allows a political party to make a
determination on who goes on a party ticket. And you will agree
with me that every political party will want to present a candidate
who will do his best to win the seat for the party because it is an
added advantage. It is not always the candidate who probably may
have money that could manage to buy his way through the votes.
But it is on the basis of that candidate whom the party feels can
ably represent it in election process. So sometimes you will fnd a
particular candidate might have the infuence over the electorates
within the primary. The party will have a rethink if its preferred
candidate on the ticket of the party does not win the primary.
When you have more people in the house it is an added advantage
for you as a party.
Stephen D. Kollie, stephenkollie13@gmail.com 0776329124
F
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VOICES






FREE, FAIR
OR FLAWED?
CDCIANS REFLECT ON PRIMARY
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014 Page 11


Announcement
In keeping with the vehicle and Traffc Law; Title 38,
approved May 9, 1972, and published in 1978, the
Government of Liberia is pleased to announce the approved
rates for Third Party Compulsory Motor Insurance Policy
in Liberia. These rates take effect January 2, 1996.
Approved Rates Sticker Price
No. Category of Vehicles Price
1 Taxi US$300.00 $ 15.00
2 Transport Pick-Up
S/Size-1/2 Ton 400.00 15.00
M/Size- 1 Ton 425.00 15.00
B/Size 1 Ton 450.00 15.00
3 Transport Buses
S/S-Max 18 Persons 550.00 15.00
M/S-30 Persons 600.00 15.00
B/S-30 Over Persons 650.00 15.00
4. Transport Truck
10 Tons (10 Tires) 720.00 15.00
12 Tons (12 Tires) 750.00 15.00
14-18 Tons (18 Tires) 800.00 15.00
Trailer-22 Tires 1,000.00 15.00
5 Private Car (PC + Personal Plate
Sedan 150.00 15.00
Jeep 225.00 15.00
6 Business Car (BC)
Sudan 175.00 15.00
Jeep 225.00 15.00
7 Pick Up
PP 250.00 15.00
BP 300.00 15.00
8 Business Truck (BT)
10-Tons (10 Tires) 575.00 15.00
12-Tons (10 Tires) 600.00 15.00
14-18 Tons (18 Tires) 640.00 15.00
Trailer (22 Tires) 800.00 15.00
9 Business Bus (BB)
S/S-Min 6-8 Persons 250.00 15.00
S/S-Max 18 Persons 440.00 15.00
M/S- 30 Persons 480.00 15.00
B/S-30 Over Persons 520.00 15.00
10 Private Bus (PB)
S/S-Max 18 Persons 335.00 15.00
M/S-30 Persons 385.00 15.00
B/S-30 Over Persons 420.00 15.00
11 Private Truck (PT) 575.00 15.00
12 Private Motorbike 150.00 15.00
13 Business Motorbike 125.00 15.00
Please ask Pearl 0886 578 981/ Lucinda 0886 514 623
/ 0777 514 623 / AB 0886 529 776
American Underwriters Group
INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE
JG Bull BLDG, Randall Street, Adjancent DITCO Store
Page 12 |
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014

1/2


WAPP SECRETARIAT GENERAL


REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (REOI)

RESIDENT
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS
EXPERT


Sector: Energy
Financing Agreement references: 2100155026067 (EEEOA: 0.721)
2100155026070 (EEEOA: 0.703)
2100155026073 (EEEOA: 0.781)

Project ID No.: P-Z1-F00-053
P-Z1-F00-054
P-Z1-F00-055


The Governments of Cte dIvoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea have received financing from
the African Development Fund (ADF) toward part funding of the cost of the Cte dIvoire
Liberia - Sierra Leone Guinea (CLSG) Interconnection Project, and intends to apply part of
the agreed Grant amount to finance the contract for the consulting services of a Resident
Environmental and Social Safeguards Expert to be based at the General Secretariat of the West
African Power Pool (WAPP/EEEOA).

The WAPP Secretariat is a Specialized Institution of the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) headquartered in Cotonou.

The WAPP Secretariat in a bid to reinforce its capacity in environmental and social safeguards has
secured funding from the African Development Fund (ADF) for the recruitment of one (01)
Resident Environmental and Social Safeguards Expert under a Technical Assistance Agreement
for a period of One (1) year renewable up to Three (3) years, if the performance of the selected
candidate is satisfactory.

The principal assignment of the Resident Environmental and Social Safeguards Expert shall be to
support the WAPP Secretariat and its member utilities in the preparation of Environmental and
Social Impact Assessment Studies for WAPP priority projects with a view to ensuring the
effective implementation of such projects without any detrimental environmental and social
impacts.


REOI/ Environmental and Social Safeguard Expert
2/2

The profile and detailed description of the services required from the Resident Environmental and
Social Safeguards Expert are specified in the Terms of Reference (ToR) available on WAPPs
website at http://www.ecowapp.org.

The WAPP Secretariat now invites eligible consultants to indicate their interest in providing the
services described in the TOR. Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they
are experienced and qualified to perform the services (a cover letter and a detailed curriculum vitae
in accordance with the downloadable CV format available on WAPPs website at
http://www.ecowapp.org ).

Eligibility criteria, establishment of the short-list and the selection procedure shall be in accordance
with the African Development Banks Rules and Procedures for the use of Consultants (May
2008, revised in July 2012), which is available on the Banks website at http://www.afdb.org.

Interested consultants may obtain further information from Mr. M.A. Sylla
(massylla@ecowapp.org) at the address below during office hours (0900 to 1800 hours, GMT+1).

Expressions of interest must be delivered by email to consultants@ecowapp.org or by post to the
address below by 30 June 2014 at 12H00 (GMT+1) and mention WAPP Resident
Environmental and Social Safeguard Expert.

Attn: The Secretary General
West African Power Pool (WAPP)
Zone des Ambassades, PK6, Akpakpa
06 BP 2907 Cotonou
Republic of Benin
Tel. +229 21374195
Fax. +229 21374197.



1/2


WAPP GENERAL SECRETARIAT


REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (REOI)

RESIDENT PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST


Sector: Energy
Financing Agreement reference: 2100155026067 (EEEOA: 0.721)
2100155026070 (EEEOA: 0.703)
2100155026073 (EEEOA: 0.781)

Project ID No.: P-Z1-F00-053
P-Z1-F00-054
P-Z1-F00-055


The Governments of Cte dIvoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea have received financing from
the African Development Fund (ADF) toward part funding of the cost of the Cte dIvoire
Liberia - Sierra Leone Guinea Interconnection Project, and intend to apply part of the agreed
Grant amount to finance the contract for the consulting services of a Procurement Specialist to be
based at the General Secretariat of the West African Power Pool (WAPP/EEEOA).

The WAPP Secretariat is a Specialized Institution of the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) headquartered in Cotonou.

The WAPP Secretariat in a bid to reinforce its capacity in procurement management has secured
funding from the African Development Fund (ADF) for the recruitment of one (01) Resident
Procurement Specialist under a Technical Assistance Agreement for a period of one (01) year,
renewable up to three (03) years based on the performance of the selected candidate.

As a resident expert, the Procurement Specialists main mission shall be to enforce effective
implementation of the WAPP Tender Code and ensure strict compliance with procurement
procedures and best practices. The Procurement Specialist shall ensure that WAPP procurement
processes are executed in a timely and professional manner.

Specifically, the Procurement Specialist shall support WAPP Secretariat in the review, update
and appropriate implementation of its key procurement-related strategic documents and policies.
The Procurement Specialist shall also ensure periodic formulation, update and implementation of
procurement plans, notably for WAPP priority projects. S/he shall equally review and/or establish
relevant procurement instruments (procurement and contract management procedures, standard
bidding documents or vendors consultation documents acceptable to donor agencies providing
financial backing for WAPP priority programmes/projects, etc.); put in place mechanisms for
2/2

follow-up implementation of contract awards and relevant procurement procedures/practices
required for the institutionalization of a proper procurement system (including an appropriate
classification/filing system); train staff members of the WAPP Secretariat and its Member
Utilities to be conversant with the procedures and directives of donor agencies (relating to
procurement management, selection & employment of consultants and ant-corruption practices),
and the preparation of relevant procurement documents and associated correspondence and
reports.

The profile and detailed description of the services required from the Procurement Specialist are
specified in the Terms of Reference (ToR) available on WAPPs website at
http://www.ecowapp.org.

The WAPP Secretariat now invites eligible consultants to indicate their interest in providing the
services described above. Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are
experienced and qualified to perform the services (a cover letter and a detailed curriculum vitae in
accordance with the downloadable CV format available on WAPPs website at
http://www.ecowapp.org ).

Eligibility criteria, establishment of the short-list and the selection procedure shall be in accordance
with the African Development Banks Rules and Procedures for the use of Consultants (May
2008, revised in July 2012), which is available on the Banks website at http://www.afdb.org.

Interested consultants may obtain further information from Mr. M.A. Sylla
(massylla@ecowapp.org) at the address below during office hours (0900 to 1700 hours, GMT+1).

Expressions of interest must be delivered by email to consultants@ecowapp.org or by post to the
address below no later than 30
th
June 2014 at 12H00 (GMT+1) and the outer envelope marked
WAPP Resident Procurement Specialist.

Attn: The Secretary General
West African Power Pool (WAPP)
Zone des Ambassades, PK6, Akpakpa
06 BP 2907 Cotonou
Republic of Benin
Tel. +229 21374195
Fax. +229 21374197.


Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014 Page 13
REGULATOR STILL IN LACC DRAGNET
Commission on Higher Education Director General long Corruption tale



















Terms of Reference

Recruitment of Procurement Expert


Economi c Communi t y Economi c Communi t y
Of West Af ri can St at es Of West Af ri can St at es
Communaut Economi que Communaut Economi que
Des Et at s Des Et at s d de e l l A Af ri que f ri que d de e l l O Ouest uest
General Secretariat / Secrtariat Gnral

2

Terms of Reference

Procurement Expert for the
West African Power Pool Secretariat


1. Background

The West African Power Pool (WAPP) Organization was established by the highest decision
making body of ECOWAS, the Authority of Heads of State and Government of Member
States, as a mechanism and institutional framework for integrating the national power
systems of ECOWAS member countries and help meet the energy needs of the ECOWAS
citizenry by providing least cost reliable and sustainable electricity supply for economic
development. The Implementation Strategy of WAPP is based on realizing complementary
and mutually reinforcing infrastructure sub-programs that encompass various regional
generation and transmission projects, which when implemented, would result in a fully
integrated grid in West Africa. The WAPP Infrastructure Program is based on the outcome
of an electricity Master Plan study that was developed in 1999, revised in 2005, and its
updated version approved for implementation by the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of
State and Government in February 2012.

The outcomes of the approved Master Plan dictate an investment requirement of US$26.416
billion involving the development of among others about 16,000 km of transmission lines,
7,092 MW of Hydropower, and 800 MW of Renewable Energy projects for the period 2012
to 2025. The implementation of these projects shall not only result in a complete integration
of all the national power systems of ECOWAS Member States thereby promoting trade, but
shall also significantly augment the quantity, quality and access to low cost clean energy
resources, which in turn shall support poverty reduction and improve the economic well-
being of the ECOWAS citizenry.

It is therefore evident that the successful attainment of a fully functional power pool in West
Africa that would permit the trading of electricity and the efficient delivery of power from
energy-rich countries to energy-deficient countries is contingent on the timely preparation
and realization of the key projects that would interconnect the national utilities of the
Member States of ECOWAS. As such, the WAPP Secretariat has placed great emphasis on
proficient project development, management and delivery with particular prominence on the
timely preparation and implementation of projects.

An ultimate requirement for the achievement of WAPP vision is timely delivery of its
projects and programs which fundamentally dependent on the respect of the procurement
deadlines and processes.

The WAPP Secretariat therefore intends to reinforce its human capacity and has secured
funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to recruit a Procurement Expert as
Technical Assistant for a period of three (3) years.





3
2. Objective

The Objective of these Terms of Reference is to recruit a Procurement Expert to reinforce the
capacity of the WAPP Secretariat under African Development Bank funding.


3. Scope of Work

As an Expert, the Procurement Experts main mission is to support further deploy the WAPP
Tender Code and institutionalize procurement best practices. The Procurement Expert shall
ensure that WAPP procurement processes are executed a timely and professional manner.

Specifically, the Procurement Expert shall support WAPP Secretariat in the review and
updating of its essential strategic documents and policies related to the procurement, as well
as he shall ensure their appropriate implementation. The Procurement Expert shall elaborate
periodically and update procurement plans and ensure its implementation, notably for
WAPPs priority projects identified in the ECOWAS Power Generation and Transmission
Master Plan.

The Procurement Expert shall be responsible for planning, managing and implementing
procedures in the acquisition of goods, works and services of overall WAPP needs. He shall
manage the related activities in collaboration with WAPP Procurement Committee and in
conformity with the procurement provisions and guidelines of WAPP and/or Funding
agencies.

The detailed scope of services of the Procurement Expert shall include but not be limited to:
Support WAPP Secretariat in the acquisition of goods, services and works
o Plan, develop and manage all procurement and contractual aspects of diverse products
and services for the WAPP Secretariat;
o Prepare a procurement plan of each WAPP priority project and program in line with
the requirements of WAPP Secretariat or funding agencies;
o Provide advice to requisitioning units and recipient entities on the full range of
procurement issues, providing support and guidance at all stage of the procurement
cycle;
o Prepare or review bidding and request for proposal documents;
o Prepare/oversee preparation and distribution of invitations to tender and
manage/conduct all aspects of bid/proposal evaluations;
o Formulate strategies and design innovative solutions to resolve issues/conflicts for
complex procurement projects;
o Establish and maintain work program and schedule for ongoing contracts and newly
planned ones;
o Participate in contract negotiations in conjunction with WAPP Procurement
Committee and prepare minutes of negotiation;
o Prepare and sign procurement orders up to the authorized limit and, in cases where the
amount exceeds authorized signature authority, seek approval of authorized officials
and, if applicable, prepare submissions to the Procurement Committee for review and
subsequent approval by the authorized official,
4
o Conduct market research to keep abreast of market developments, research and
analyze statistical data and market reports on the world commodity situation,
production patterns and availability of goods and services,
o Prepare, maintain and regularly update a Database of WAPP suppliers and service
providers;
o Identify new technologies, and products/services, evaluate and recommend potential
supply sources and participate in the incorporation of research results into the
procurement program;
o Oversee adherence to contractual agreements, recommends amendments and
extensions of contracts, and advise concerned parties on contractual rights and
obligations;
o Maintain a complete and systematic set of records of day-to-day business
transactions;
o Prepare a variety of procurement-related documents, contracts, communications,
guidelines, instructions, etc.;
o Provide guidance to, and may supervise, new/junior staff;
o Keep track of orders and determine causes of any delays;
o Answer any questions or clarifications from suppliers, and resolve any problems;
o Reconcile purchase orders with the shipments, ensuring that they match;
o Notify vendors when invoices are not received, and verify that the bills concur with
purchase orders;
o Oversee inventory control system, maintaining inventory spreadsheet and placing
orders when materials on hand are insufficient;
o Handle procurement issues as procurement focal point of the WAPP with donors;
o Participate to procurement supervision and audits/review missions;
o Prepare procurement reports;
o Review Terms of Reference submitted by enquiry entities and make
recommendations;
o Prepare statements, meeting reports, Aide Memoires, Project Profiles and Briefs as
well as the delivery of presentations as and when required;
o Interface with the stakeholders (Member utilities, funding agencies, etc.) such as a
focal point on procurement issues and provide any required information;
o Assess any significant issues, and if required, draw on policy and best practices to
provide advice on a corrective action plan;
o Train WAPP Secretariat staff to ensure an efficient follow-up after completion of the
work.

The Procurement Expert shall implement the assignment in accordance with internationally
recognized practices for Consultancy Services and in full conformity with the requirements of
the WAPP and African Development Bank.

4. Deliverables

The Services by the Procurement Expert shall include the preparation and submission in a
timely manner of quality reports and documents in English and French.

The implementation of the above-indicated activities under the Scope of Work shall be
considered as part of the Deliverables of the Procurement Expert under this Assignment.

Page 14 |
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014
5
The Procurement Expert shall ensure that all acquisition processes are performed in full
conformity with WAPP Secretariat, Member utilities and Funding Agencies requirements.

In addition to any submissions that WAPP Stakeholders (Member utilities, funding agencies,
etc.) may require, the Procurement Expert shall also make submissions to the WAPP
Secretariat as follows:

a. Inception Report

The Procurement Expert shall present within 4 weeks from Commencement of
Services in Cotonou, an Inception Report that shall contain, inter alia, the work plan,
methodology and schedule for conducting the assignment.

b. Quarterly Reports

The Procurement Expert shall submit Quarterly Reports over the period of the
assignment that describe the major tasks which have been undertaken in the
performance of the Assignment, milestones towards the completion of the
Assignment, and percentage completion of the Assignment. Financial data will
include photocopies of invoices from the Procurement Expert as well as financial
reports detailing expenditures of all funds and the daily rates of the Procurement
Expert, their hours worked and other direct costs. The reports shall be issued in
English and French by the 10
th
calendar day after the end of the Quarter under review.

c. Close-out Report

At the conclusion of the Assignment, the Procurement Expert shall submit a
comprehensive report covering among others, the activities undertaken during the
period of the assignment, outcomes, deliverables, and any other inputs required by the
WAPP Secretariat and Funding Agency. Submission and approval of this report shall
be a requirement for his last payment under the Assignment.

5. Reporting Requirements

The Procurement Expert shall report to the WAPP Secretary General but shall work closely
with the WAPP Procurement Committee and all WAPP Departments. In the execution of the
assignment, the Procurement Expert shall be required to interface with WAPP Member
Utilities, Ministries in charge of Energy and Funding Agencies. The Assignment shall be
funded by the African Development Bank and as such, the relevant requirements of the
African Development Bank shall also apply.


6. Requirements

Education:

An power engineer and/or an advanced university degree (Master's) in Business
Administration, Management, Economics, Supply Chain Management, Supply,
Logistics, Procurement, Purchasing, Contract/commercial Law or a directly related
field(s) is required. A valid professional certification (CSCP; CSCM; CPSM; SCMP;
6
etc.) from an accredited supply management institution, in conjunction with a relevant
first-level university degree (Bachelor's), may be taken in lieu of an advanced
university degree.

A first level university degree (Bachelor's) in a relevant technical field (as identified
above), in conjunction with ten years of relevant work experience in supply, logistics,
purchasing, contracting, administration and/or other related technical fields, may be
taken in lieu of an advanced university degree (Master's).

Experiences

A minimum of eight (8) years in formulating and implementing policies relating to
procurement at the national and international level. Having been involved in the
supply, logistics, procurement, purchasing, contracting, administration of goods,
services and works. Prior experience in management of power projects, monitoring
and evaluation is considered an asset.

o Demonstrated understanding of contracts and purchasing preferred.
o Familiar with International Financial Institutions procurement guidelines and
procedures (AfDB, World bank, EIB, IsDB, KfW, AFD, UN, etc.)
o Experience in an energy sector organization is considered an asset
o Must be able to work effectively in a multinational team environment with a
capacity to work with minimal supervision;
o Strong skills in the MS Office suite of applications including Excel, Word,
PowerPoint, Project, e-mail and internet programs
o Oral and written communication skills in French and English
o Critical analysis and listening skills
o Excellent ability to prepare reports and documents and comfortably defend
them
o Communications skills with a proven ability to convey information clearly and
concisely
o Ability to coordinate cross-departmental efforts to achieve common goals on
time
o Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize work load, handle
multiple tasks simultaneously and attend to detail
o Demonstrated integrity, objectivity, and confidentiality
Language:

Fluent in English or French and good working knowledge in the other language.

The Procurement Expert shall be based in Cotonou (Benin) but can be called upon to travel
within the sub-region. Work may require occasional weekend and/or evening work.























Terms of Reference

Recruitment of an
Expert in Environmental and Social Safeguards

(Funded by African Development Bank
Economi c Communi t y Economi c Communi t y
Of West Af ri can St at es Of West Af ri can St at es
Communaut Economi que Communaut Economi que
Des Et at s Des Et at s d de e l l A Af ri que f ri que d de e l l O Ouest uest
General Secretariat / Secrtariat Gnral

2


Terms of Reference

Expert in Environmental and Social Safeguards


1. Background

The West African Power Pool (WAPP) Organisation was established by the highest decision
making body of ECOWAS, the Authority of Heads of State and Government of Member
States, as a mechanism and institutional framework for integrating the national power
systems of ECOWAS member countries and help meet the energy needs of the ECOWAS
citizenry by providing least cost reliable and sustainable electricity supply for economic
development.

The Implementation Strategy of WAPP is based on realizing complementary and mutually
reinforcing infrastructure sub-programs that encompass various regional generation and
transmission projects, which when implemented, would result in a fully integrated grid in
West Africa. The WAPP Infrastructure Programme is based on the outcome of an electricity
Master Plan study that was developed in 1999, revised in 2005, and its updated version
approved for implementation by the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of State and
Government in February 2012.

The outcomes of the approved Master Plan dictate an investment requirement of US$26.416
billion involving the development of among others about 16,000 km of transmission lines,
7,092 MW of Hydropower, and 800 MW of Renewable Energy projects for the period 2012
to 2025. The implementation of these projects shall not only result in a complete integration
of all the national power systems of ECOWAS Member States thereby promoting trade, but
shall also significantly augment the quantity, quality and access to low cost clean energy
resources, which in turn shall support poverty reduction and improve the economic well-
being of the ECOWAS citizenry.

It is therefore evident that the successful attainment of a fully functional power pool in West
Africa that would permit the trading of electricity and the efficient delivery of power from
energy-rich countries to energy-deficient countries is contingent on the timely preparation
and realization of the key projects that would interconnect the national utilities of the
Member States of ECOWAS. As such, the WAPP Secretariat has placed great emphasis on
proficient project development, management and delivery with particular prominence on the
timely preparation and implementation of projects. A fundamental requirement for evaluating
the viability of projects is the conduct of detailed assessments to ensure that the projects do
not detrimentally influence the environment and social well-being of populations.

The WAPP Secretariat therefore intends to reinforce its capacity in environmental and social
safeguards and has secured funding from the African Development Bank to recruit a resident
expert as Technical Assistance for a period of three (3) years.




Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014 Page 15

3

2. Objective


The Objective of the Terms of Reference is to recruit a Consultant as Resident Expert in
Environmental and Social Safeguards to reinforce the capacity of the WAPP Secretariat in
project preparation and delivery with the support of the African Development Bank.


3. Scope of Work


The Consultant shall implement the assignment in accordance with internationally recognized
practices for Consultancy Services and in full conformity with the requirements of the WAPP
and African Development Bank.

The Consultant shall support the WAPP Secretariat in the preparation of Environmental and
Social Impact Assessments as well as the execution of Environmental and Social
Management Plans and Resettlement Action Plans for WAPP Priority Projects as defined in
the updated ECOWAS Revised Master Plan for the Generation and Transmission of
Electrical Energy or any other project as required by WAPP Secretariat. The list of Priority
Projects is indicated as Annex 1 but the Consultant shall be required to pay particular
attention to the following:

- 225 kV Guinea Mali Interconnection Project,
- 330 kV Cote dIvoire Ghana Interconnexion Re-inforcement Project,
- 330 kV Nigeria Niger Burkina Togo/Benin Interconnection Project,
- 330 kV Nigeria Benin Interconnection Reinforcement Project,
- 225 kV Ghana Burkina Mali Interconnection Project,
- 515 MW Souapiti Hydropower Project (Guinea),
- 220 MW Tiboto Hydropower Project (Cote dIvoire, Liberia),
- 30 MW WAPP Solar Power Plant in Mali,
- 450 MW WAPP Maria Gleta (Benin) Regional Generation Facility,
- 450 MW WAPP Domunli (Ghana) Regional Generation Facility,
- 150 - 450 MW WAPP Regional Generation Facility within the OMVS Zone (Senegal,
Mali)
- and if necessary, the 225 kV Cote dIvoire Liberia Sierra Leone Guinea
Interconnection Project.

The sequence of projects to be developed shall be determined by WAPP Secretariat. It
should be noted though that some of the priority projects in the Master Plan are in various
stages of development, with the majority requiring pre-investment studies to be prepared to
establish their viability.

The detailed scope of services of the Resident Expert shall be primarily aimed at reinforcing
the capacity of the WAPP and its Member Utilities to conduct ESIAs on the priority projects
to ensure that their delivery do not have adverse environmental and social impacts. In
particular, the Resident Expert shall among others:


4

Support WAPP Secretariat in the preparation of Environmental and Social Impact
Assessments (including routing for transmission lines, ESMPs and RAPs) for WAPP
Priority Projects that shall include but not be limited to:
i. Prepare Terms of Reference (ToR) for Transmission Line Routing, Environmental
and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), elaboration of Environmental and Social
Management Plans (ESMPs) and Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs) for thermal,
hydropower, and transmission line projects that are in line with the requirements
of Funding Agencies and concerned countries;
ii. Validate ToRs with concerned authorities in charge of environmental protection in
Project Beneficiary Countries
iii. Recruit appropriate Consultants to prepare the ESIA studies;
iv. Ensure that adequate project scoping is done by recruited Consultants in line with
the requirements of the Beneficiary countries;
v. Coordinate the public consultations on the priority projects to ensure that the
views of Stakeholders are adequately integrated in the development and designs of
the priority projects;
vi. Interface with national authorities in charge of environmental protection to ensure
that ESIA of WAPP Priority Projects including the preparation of ESMPs and
RAPs are in conformity with national requirements
vii. Conduct in-depth review of reports submitted by the recruited Consultants,
preparation of comments and participation in report-review meetings. The
comments prepared by the Resident Expert shall be regarded as part of the
Deliverables under this assignment;
viii. Monitor the implementation of ESMPs and RAPs on WAPP Priority Projects to
ensure conformity with national requirements and guidelines of involved Funding
Agencies
ix. Prepare Statements, Meeting Reports, Aide Memoires, Project Profiles and Briefs
as and when required;
x. Prepare and deliver presentations to stakeholders including Funding Agencies to
mobilize funding for the projects.
xi. Monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the implementing entities;
xii. Assess any significant issues, and if required, draw on policy and best practices to
provide advice on a corrective action plan;
Train WAPP Secretariat staff to ensure an efficient follow-up after completion of the
work.
Prepare Quarterly Work Programs and Activity Reports in acceptable format for
submission to WAPP Secretariat for onward transmission to the Funding Agency.

5

4. Deliverables


The Services by the Resident Expert include the preparation and submission in a timely
manner of quality reports and documents in English and French.

The Resident Expert shall also submit:

a. Inception Report

The Resident Expert shall present within 4 weeks from Commencement of Services in
Cotonou, an Inception Report that shall contain, inter alia, the work plan,
methodology and schedule for conducting the assignment.

b. Quarterly Reports

The Resident Expert shall submit Quarterly Reports over the period of the assignment
that describe the major tasks which have been undertaken in the performance of the
Assignment, milestones towards the completion of the Assignment, and percentage
completion of the Assignment. Financial data will include photocopies of invoices
from the Resident Expert as well as financial reports detailing expenditures of all
funds and the daily rates of the Resident Expert, their hours worked and other direct
costs. The Quarterly Reports shall also contain in Annex, all documents prepared by
the Resident Expert within the framework of the Assignment including but not limited
to presentations and annotated comments to reports. The reports shall be issued in
English and French by the 10th calendar day after the end of the Quarter under
review.

c. Close-out Report

At the conclusion of the Assignment, the Resident Expert shall submit a
comprehensive report covering among others, the activities undertaken during the
period of the assignment, outcomes, Deliverables, and any other inputs required by
the WAPP Secretariat and Funding Agency. Submission and approval of this report
shall be a requirement for the last payment to the Resident Expert under the
Assignment.

In addition, the implementation of the above-indicated activities under the Scope of Work
shall be considered as part of the Deliverables of the Resident Expert under this Assignment.


5. Reporting Requirements


The Resident Expert shall report to the Secretary General of WAPP but shall work closely
with the Department of Planning, Investment Programming and Environmental Safeguards of
the WAPP Secretariat. In the execution of the assignment, the Resident Expert shall be
required to interface with among others WAPP Member Utilities, Ministries in charge of
energy, Ministries/Agencies in charge of environmental protection, and Funding Agencies.
6
The Assignment shall be funded by the African Development Bank and as such, the relevant
requirements of the African Development Bank shall also apply.


6. Requirements


Education: Masters Degree or graduate degree in Environmental Science or equivalent or
an electrical engineering.

Year Experience: 8-10 years of experience in formulating policies relating to environmental
and social safeguards, including Africa. Having been involved in the preparation of studies
relating to environmental and social impact assessments (including Environmental and Social
Management Plans, Resettlement Action Plans) for power projects in addition to the
implementation of Environmental and Social Management Plans and Resettlement Action
Plans in the West Africa region shall be an advantage. The Consultant shall have:

In-depth knowledge of the Guidelines, requirements and procedures of Funding
Agencies as related to environmental and social safeguards, with particular reference
to World Bank, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, Islamic
Development Bank, KfW, Agence Francaise de Developpement, and United Nations
Basic Principles and Guidelines on Development-Based Evictions and Displacements;
Understanding of national legislation in West Africa relating to environmental and
social safeguards for power projects (thermal, hydropower, transmission);
Demonstrated experience in the preparation of Environmental and Social Impact
Assessments, Environmental and Social Management Plans, and Resettlement Action
Plans;
Must be able to work effectively in a multinational team environment with a capacity
to work with minimal supervision;
Strong skills in the MS Office suite of applications including Excel, Word,
PowerPoint, Project, e-mail and internet programs
Excellent oral and written communication skills in French and English
Critical analysis and listening skills
Excellent ability to prepare reports and documents and comfortably defend them

The Consultant shall be based in Cotonou (Benin) but shall be expected to travel extensively
within the sub-region. Work may require occasional weekend and/or evening work.

Language

Fluent in English or French and good working knowledge in the other language.
7
ANNEX I

PRIORITY GENERATION PROJECTS
1 60 MW Felou Hydropower Facility 350 GWh OMVS
2 400 MW Aboadze/Domunli Power Generation Facility WAPP EPSSP WAPP
3 450 MW Maria Gleta Power Generation Facility WAPP EPSSP WAPP
4 240 MW Kaleta Hydropower Faclility - 946 GWh Guine
5 64 MW Mount Coffee Hydropower Facility 435 GWh WAPP
6 875 MW Sendou Coal-fired Plant Sngal
7 140 MW Gouina Hydropower Facility - 565 GWh OMVS
8 128 MW Sambangalou Hydropower Facility OMVG Energy Project - 402 GWh OMVG
9 147 MW Adjarala Hydropower Facility - 366 GWh WAPP
10 181 MW Balassa Hydropower Facility - 401 GWh OMVS
11 70 MW Badoumb Hydropower Facility - 410 GWh OMVS
12 515 MW Souapiti Hydropower Facility - 2,518 GWh WAPP
13 400 MW Bumbuna Hydropower Facility - 1, 560 GWh WAPP
14 90 MW Fomi Hydropower Facility - 374 GWh ABN
15 270 MW Soubr Hydropower Facility - 1 120 GWh Cte d'Ivoire
16 112 MW Gribo Popoli Hydropower Facility 515 GWh Cte d'Ivoire
17 156 MW Boutoubre Hydropower Facility 785 GWh Cte d'Ivoire
18 280 MW Louga Hydropower Facility 1,330 GWh Cte d'Ivoire
19 150 MW Solar Power Facility in Burkina Faso WAPP
20 281 MW Koukoutamba Hydropower Facility - 455 GWh OMVS
21 200 MW Wind Power Park in Senegal and The Gambia - 200 MW WAPP
22 135 MW Kassa B Hydropower Facility - 528 GWh WAPP
23 300 MW Amaria Hydropower Facility - 1 435 GWh WAPP
24 225 MW Tiboto Hydropower Facility - 912 GWh WAPP
25 700 MW Zungeru Hydropower Facility 3,019 GWh WAPP
26 200 MW Salkadamna Coal-fired Facility Niger
27 150 MW Solar Power Facility in Mali WAPP
28 160 MW Boureya Hydropower Facility - 455 GWh OMVS
29 93.3 MW Digan Hydropower Facility MW - 243 GWh OMVG
30 291 MW Grand Kinkon Hydropower Facility - 720 GWh WAPP
31 450 MW Combined Cycle Thermal Power Facility in Togo WAPP
32 2,600 MW Mambilla Hydropower Facility - 11 214 GWh WAPP
33 300 MW Wind Power Park in Northern Nigeria WAPP

Page 16 |
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014 Page 17
In Somalia, Many children in the country are malnourished and few have access to
medical care, making an outbreak potentially dangerous for thousands of others.
IN BRIEF
IRAQ'S TIKRIT
FALLS TO
MILITANTS,
POLICE SAY
UKRAINE REJECTS
PUTIN'S OFFER OF GAS
DISCOUNTS
SYRIAN WOMAN SURVIVES
700 DAYS OF BLOCKADE

T
ikrit (Iraq) (AFP)
- Militants took
control of the Iraqi
city of Tikrit and
freed hundreds of prisoners on
Wednesday, police said, the
second provincial capital to fall
in two days.
"All of Tikrit is in the hands of
the militants," a police colonel
said of the Salaheddin provincial
capital, which lies roughly half
way between Baghdad and
Iraq's second city Mosul which
fell on Tuesday.
A police brigadier general said
that the militants attacked from
the north, west and south of the
city, and that they were from
powerful jihadist group the
Islamic State of Iraq and the
Levant (ISIL).
HOMS, Syria (AP)
O
ver the course of the
700-day blockade, her
world shrunk to her
living room and her
kitchen. She survived by eating
plants and reading books. She
refused to look in the mirror,
because seeing her withered state
might break her spirit.
Zeinat Akhras, a 65-year-old
pharmacist, still bears the effects
of nearly two years trapped in her
home, surrounded by rebel fghters
during the government's siege on
the ancient quarters of the central
Syrian city of Homs. She's still a
wispy 38 kilograms (83 pounds),
even after gaining four kilograms
(eight pounds) since the blockade
ended in early May with the fall of
the rebels in the city.
"Every day, we said it will end
tomorrow," Akhras said in a recent
interview with The Associated
Press in her home. "If we counted
the number of days, we would
have given up."
MOSCOW (AP)
R
ussia on Wednesday
offered to restore the
discounted gas price
it granted Ukraine
under the ousted pro-Russian
president, but Ukraine demanded
an even better deal and called for
arbitration to settle the dispute.
Speaking in Moscow, Russian
President Vladimir Putin said
Russia was offering the discount
as a "partnership deal." Russia's
energy minister, Alexander Novak,
specifed the price offered as $385
per 1,000 cubic meters of gas.
"We believe that our offer is more
than in a partnership spirit, aimed
to support the Ukrainian economy
at a rather diffcult time," Putin
said in televised remarks. "But if
our offers are rejected it means we
will enter another stage. This is not
our choice. We do not want it."

F
RONT
PAGE
WORLD NEWS
A WIVES TALE
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP)

H
awa Nor carried her
visibly weakened
son into the hospital's
isolation ward. Like
many sick children here, the
7-year-old boy is likely a victim
of an old Somali wives' tale: A
child with measles should be
kept inside, and away from the
doctor, for a week.
Abdullahi Hassan labored to
breathe, and his eyesight is
deteriorating.
"Even though we kept him
at home for a week, he's
getting weaker," Nor tells the
pediatrician.
Somalia is suffering from an
outbreak of measles that the
World Health Organization and
the U.N. children's agency labels
"extremely alarming." UNICEF
reported 1,350 suspected cases
of measles in March and April, a
fgure four times higher than the
same period last year. Another
1,000 cases were reported in
May.
Many children in the country
are malnourished and few have
access to medical care, making an
outbreak potentially dangerous
for thousands of others. One
additional danger that prevents
early medical intervention is the
belief by many parents that they
should keep measles-infected
children at home for a week for
what they call an "incubation"
period.
"Such delays cause clinical
problems, including respiratory
disorders, and in some cases they
bring children malnourished
who cannot survive without
ventilation," Dr. Omar Abdi, a
pediatrician at Banadir Hospital
in Mogadishu, said in an
interview on Tuesday.
Though mostly eradicated in the
United States, measles remains a
common disease in many parts
of Asia, the Pacifc and Africa
because of a lack of vaccinations.
Even the U.S., where the disease
has technically been eliminated,
has seen a record number of
measles cases this year. The
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention says the country has
nearly 400 reported cases, more
than twice as many as in all of
2013 and eight times as many as
in all of 2012.
The measles is spreading in a
handful of U.S. communities
where pockets of unvaccinated
people are found, the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention says.
In Somalia, the disease is
spreading because of a lack of
medical facilities. A measles
vaccination costs only about
$1, but millions of children
remain exposed to the disease.
Hunger and bad health add to the
problem.
"We have a very high number of
malnourished Somali children,"
said Sikander Khan, the
UNICEF Somalia representative.
"Malnourished children here
are more susceptible to disease
and are more likely to die or
suffer lifelong disability such
as blindness, deafness or brain
damage as a result of contracting
measles."
The World Health Organization
NIGERIA'S JONATHAN FACES POTENTIAL
STORM OVER NEW MUSLIM LEADER
Lagos (AFP) -
N
igeria's ruling party
has been given
another headache in
the run-up to next
year's general election, with
the appointment of the former
central bank governor to an
infuential religious post.
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was
named Emir of Kano on Sunday,
making him the second most-
powerful Islamic leader in
the country and giving him
immediate infuence across the
Muslim-majority north.
But with Sanusi's background
and the allegiances of the Kano
state governor who approved his
appointment, domestic politics
and jockeying for position
before next year's vote have been
suspected.
Dapo Thomas, a political
scientist at Lagos state university,
said Sanusi, as a grandson of
a former emir and member of
a ruling house in the northern
state, had all the right credentials
to win.
Kano state governor Rabiu
Kwankwaso was also within
his rights to approve the
recommendation of four royal
"kingmakers", who met in
private to discuss the succession
after the late emir's death on
Friday, he said.
But he added: "Although, he
is supposed to be apolitical,
Sanusi's choice may indirectly
affect the political fortunes of the
ruling Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) and President Goodluck
Jonathan, given the frosty
relationship between them," he
said.
"Sanusi was sacked as CBN
(Central Bank of Nigeria)
governor and I am not sure he
can easily forgive Jonathan and
his party for that.
SURVEY NOTICE

June 9, 2014

The public is hereby informed that in keeping with the Private Land Surveying
Regulation No 1-3-27-87 promulgated by the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy
(MLM&E) in relation to create public awareness, Madam Vickie Wannie Wilson, of
the city of Monrovia, has order the resurvey of Two (2) Town Lots Parcel of land,
with Lot No: N/N (portion of).

The property to be resurveyed lying and situated in Schiefflin Town, Schiefflin
Township, Lower Margibi County.

The resurvey will commence on Saturday, the 14
th
Day of June A.D. 2014 at the
hour of 9:30 am.

Henceforth, all adjacent property owners and interested person(s) having interest
in the survey who names are not mentioned and having property (ies) with in the
said community should come along with their Original Deeds, Diagrams or Area
Maps to substantiate their claims in order to avoid land dispute.

Let this notice claim the attention of the following property owners:
1. The S.D.A. Mission
2. The Smith
3. J.G.M & S.Z.H (cornerstones)

Signed:
James S. Fred, Jr.
Registered Land Surveyor
LIC #: 062 Republic of Liberia
Cell #: 0886-528-268 / 0777-904-060

Cc: Office of the Commissioner
Schiefflin Town, Schiefflin Township
Lower Margibi County
says about 330 people, mostly
children, die from measles every
day globally. The Philippines is
suffering from a severe outbreak
this year. WHO says the country
has about 40,000 cases.
The signs and symptoms of
measles include infamed eyes,
a cough, sore throat, fever and
a red, blotchy skin rash. There
is no specifc treatment but the
fever and pain can be controlled
with medication.
In Somalia, the belief that
treatment should be delayed
sometimes causes rifts inside
families. Halimo Hussein
brought her 4-year-old girl into
the hospital after defying her
husband's order to keep her child
home for at least a week.
"I'm here against his will," she
said. "He even threatened me
with divorce for defying him."
Two decades of confict has
devastated Somalia's health
sector. An estimated one in fve
children dies before his or her
ffth birthday, and measles is one
of the main causes. Vaccination
in areas controlled by al-Shabab
militants is diffcult. Health
offcials estimated only 15
percent of children there are
protected against the disease.
The World Health Organization
and UNICEF say a nationwide
campaign to vaccinate about 5
million children at a cost of $9
million needs to be conducted to
prevent thousands of avoidable
deaths.
Page 18 |
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014
GHANA THE WINNER AS ASAMOAH GYAN FORGES
GREATNESS IN THE ARABIAN WORLD
IVORY COAST COACH SABRI
LAMOUCHI JUGGLES GOLDEN
PAST , BRIGHT FUTURE AND THE
HERE AND NOW
DIDIER DESCHAMPS LEFT OUT SAMIR NASRI BECAUSE
HE BELIEVES TEAM SPIRIT IS KEY TO WINNING
Controversial decision not to select the Manchester City midfelder was made because
France coach wants to avoid the mistakes of his predcessor Laurent Blanc
Separate ways: Didier Deschamps
felt that Samir Nasri's off-feld
attitude would impede France at
the World Cup Photo: AFP
D
idier Deschamps
stopped dreaming a
long time ago. He has
always been more
mature, clever and astute than most
players of his generation. He also
knows what it takes to win and is
not afraid of making the decisions
he feels are right to get where he
wants.
He did it as a player when he
confronted Bernard Tapie himself
(something that, then, few had the
courage to do) and refused another
loan away from Marseille after a
year at Bordeaux. He stayed, was
made captain and two years later
lifted the Champions League.
He did it as captain of France too,
prior to the 1998 World Cup when
clearly David Ginola was not to his
taste and the Tottenham forward
was omitted from the tournament
squad by Aim Jacquet.
He did it as a manager of France
last week when he announced his
squad for the 2014 World Cup. I
mentioned in one of my previous
COUNTDOWN WORLD CUP


All the action leading up the Brazil
columns here, back in March, that
Samir Nasri could be dropped
for the trip to Brazil. And that is
exactly what happened.
No Nasri, as expected, because
Deschamps is a winner and wants
to win. To reach his objectives, he
sees beyond talent.
Laurent Blanc, his predecessor,
was totally different, more
laidback, more trustworthy, more
cool in many ways. For him the
notions of team spirit and team
were something that players had to
sort out by themselves. Like they
had in 1998. He thought that the
manager was not responsible for
how the players got on together.
Deschamps thinks differently. He
brought Nasri back last August
for a friendly game in Belgium (a
0-0 draw). He called him up for
every game until the end of the
year. Sometimes Nasri played,
sometimes he even started and
sometimes he did not play at all.
He had some good moments,
By Fiifi Anaman, World Cup
Nation: Ghana
T
here was a part of
every Ghanaian
football fan that died
when Asamoah Gyan
decided to head towards the
United Arab Emirates on loan
three years ago.
At 25, 'Baby Jet' was a
young star on the rise, a
future stocked with bright
possibilities beckoning.
After enduring years of doubt
and rejection from Ghana's
ever-demanding football
fandom, his performances at
Sunderland made him look
like he was finally on the path
to greatness that many had
predicted when he first burst
onto the scene as a teenager.
And so, when the news
broke, public reaction was
expectedly laced with deep
disappointment. Many
wrote off his career almost
immediately: he had sold
himself short and backed
down on his ambitions like
a coward; the pressure that
awaited him at the top was
raging and he had chosen the
easy way out.
Most of his admirers
defected to critics, his fans
haters. What he did was
unforgivable. To them, it
was quite simple: Gyan had
sold off his future for money
reportedly $200,000 per
week without tax and any
other interpretation was just,
well, crap.
They decided to turn their
back on him, just as he had
turned his back on arguably
the world's biggest league.
He had kissed the big-
time goodbye and was set
to fall out of the radar and
consciousness of many.
They didn't care about him
anymore because he had, to
them, proven that he wasn't a
serious footballer.
It became personal, with
people becoming emotionally
attached to the topic. It looked
like an abusive relationship:
it hurt them that Gyan was
being that stubborn about his
decision, and they vowed to
hate him and everything else
he would achieve thereon,
but deep down, they knew it
was all because they loved
him.
To them, he had taken a
careless, senseless dive into
an abyss of obscurity and
mediocrity and it served him
right that he was going to be
on his own. But they couldn't
help but keep an eye on him.
And so, as they secretly
watched with disapproving
and condescending eyes,
Gyan flourished, perfecting
his craft. Scoring, scoring
and scoring.
In his first season, he scored
22 league goals in 18 games
and was named top scorer
as his club Al Ain became
champions.
The next season, he made his
move permanent and repeated
the feat, only this time, he did
it better: he smashed the UAE
league record by bagging
31 goals in 22 games. This
season, Gyan has scored 28
league goals in 25 matches,
40 goals in 38 matches across
all competitions.
The 28-year-old has not even
completed a third season
yet, but his all time count
reads: 99 goals in 91 games,
only a single goal from the
great century and Arabian
immortality.
In the last three years, Gyan
has scored more goals than
he'd ever scored in all eight
years of his career prior to.
He has transformed into a
Asamoah Gyan's big-money move from the Premier League to the
UAE has paid off with 99 goals in 91 games
Gosso Gosso and Romaric the leading casualties
as Les Elephants cast aside their ageing heroes
others more diffcult, especially
the World Cup play-off frst leg in
Ukraine (like the rest of the team,
though). But Deschamps was
not so much interested in Nasris
performances on the pitch as his
performances off it, with the rest
of the group. He wanted to see his
behaviour, his temperament, his
attitude. He concluded that it was
not good enough.
I have seen enough he said last
week. He feels that instead of
gelling with the rest of the squad,
the former Marseille prodigy
would actually cause problems.
When he doesnt start, he is not
happy and when he is not happy,
it shows. And it affects the team
is the phrase Deschamps used to
justify his choice of leaving Nasri
at home. Despite the talent and
the Manchester City midfelder's
exceptional season, the coach
considers that France have more
chance of going further in the
tournament without Nasri, than
with him.
Of course, only time will tell. It is a
bold choice from Deschamps who,
to this day, is still refusing to speak
in person to the player. Nasri is the
most creative midfelder France
have right now and probably the
most talented too. If it works,
people will say, the manager was
right. If it does not work, then, he
will be heavily criticised.
However, Nasri is right when he
says that one cannot be friends
with everybody in a football team.
It is like that at every club, every
pub team and every national side.
Yet, if you do not have to like each
other to win, it helps massively if
you do. Deschamps has won all his
life, both as player and manager.
He has seen the mistakes Blanc
made, he remembers what Jacquet
did in 1998 and he has learnt a lot
from the past six months.
He wants Brazil 2014 to be a
success. So he has put everything
on his side for it. It meant no
Nasri, Eric Abidal, Gal Clichy or
Bafetimbi Gomis. He felt he had
to make those choices to succeed.
There were no sentiments.
Winning is the only thing that
matters to him.
beast helplessly hooked on
goals. Back in Ghana, fans
are having none of that,
though. He scores so many
because it's a 'Mickey Mouse
League', they say. But to
Arabian football fans, he's
rare gem. A genius. A god.
From a Ghanaian perspective,
Gyan might never get enough
respect and credit for the
amazing things he does week
in week out in the UAE, but
the truth that many cannot
run away from, is the fact that
his stay there has benefited
Ghana. Forget about the
disputed standard of the
Arabian Gulf League - goals
are goals everywhere.
What Gyan's quotidian routine
of scoring has done is that it
has embedded goalscoring in
his subconscious and grown
his confidence massively.
Sticking the ball at the back
of the net is now an effortless
art that is almost second
nature to him.
The facts don't lie: Gyan
has scored 13 of his 39
international goals for Ghana
during his time in the UAE,
spanning 23 games: an
average of a goal per two
games. Last year, he scored
11 times in 15 games six in
six World Cup qualifiers as
he capped his most prolific
international year yet by
becoming Ghana's all time
top scorer.
This might not have been
the Ghanaian football fan's
ultimate dream for their
captain's career, but he is
achieving and enjoying
himself whilst making very
good money too.
He might be tucked away
from the floodlights of 'top
level' football, but there is
no denying that the status
quo has been a win-win for
himself and his nation.
By Salim Masoud Said, World Cup Nation: Ivory Coast
H
aving both been dropped at various points in 2012 and
2013 for their lack of game time at club level, the duo
were proactive in their quest to gain regular minutes
last summer, joining Bastia and Genclerbirligi
respectively.
Omission from the squad will be hard to take, particularly as
insult has been added to misery.
When the designated misdfeld axis of Cheick Tiot and Serey
Die were serving suspension for the second leg of the World Cup
qualifcation play-off against Senegal, it was Gosso Gosso and
Romaric who were summoned to the starting XI.
While they were overrun and overpowered by the Senegalese
midfeld on the day, few would have excused them tailoring their
blazers and composing their playlists for Brazil after playing a
full part in such a crucial fxture.
Gosso Gossos limited technique is a source of hilarity amongst
the Ivorian players, but Romarics exclusion is more of an
eyebrow-raiser.
When he is not falling out with coaches, the candid midfelder has
the precision and poise on the ball which makes him the closest,
albeit infnitely inferior, alternative Les Elephants have to Yaya
Tour in terms of dictating play from deep areas.
With no other pure back-up central midfelder in the squad, it is
uncapped 21-year-old Ismal Diomand who looks set to sneak
into the fnal 23.
Another bona-fde member of the golden generation who has
been discarded is Siaka Tin. Like the aforementioned duo,
the 32-year-old also transferred in the summer, to Montpellier,
in search of a squad place after a lack of game time at Paris St-
Germain.
The left-back has had a good season but, in a case not too dissimilar
to that of Ashley Cole with England, he misses out because of his
age and having already had his chance at previous tournaments.
Constant Djakpa, 27, is the main benefciary after a good second-
half performance in Marchs friendly against Belgium, and he
will battle it out with Jean-Daniel Akpa-Apro, 21, for the reserve
left-back spot behind Arthur Boka.
Frontpage
Thursday, June 12, 2014 Page 19
THE WORLD CUP
FEVER IN LIBERIA?
Will the LFA national league kick-off in October?
CAN LBS STOP
Fans, Video Clubs and Independent Stations, Determine to see
Drogba, Eto, Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar and others, in ire as
premier event kicks off today
Sports
SPORT BRIEF
LUKAKU-GOOD FIT
FOR ATLETICO
R
omelu Lukaku
would be a perfect
replacement for
Diego Costa at
Atletico Madrid, according
to Evertongoalkeeper Joel
Robles.
Costa has passed his medical
at Chelsea ahead of a 35m
move, with the 25-year-
old having netted 27 goals
in 35 La Liga appearances
last season as Atletico were
crowned Spanish champions.
And Joel believes Lukaku
going in the opposite direction
would be a perfect deal for both
clubs after playing alongside
the Belgium international at
Goodison Park in 2013-14.
T
he Ivory Coast have
long been tipped to
impress on the world
stage as Africa's best
side, but tough groups in 2006
and 2010 have largely diminished
their impact, failing to get into
the knockout stages of the World
Cup on both occasions.
This year, Sabri Lamouchi's side
are faced by Colombia, Greece
and Japan in a more modest
group, but it's frustrating for the
Elephants because most of their
star players are now ageing, such
as Didier Zokora as well as Kolo
and Yaya Toure.
H
e may have fallen out
with Jose Mourinho,
but former Chelsea
striker Samuel Eto'o
is still extremely popular with
fans around the world.
The Cameroon captain, who
departed Stamford Bridge at
the end of the season after his
one-year deal expired, hit out
at Chelsea boss Mourinho last
month over comments about his
age and ftness.
But the 33-year-old seemed in
good health, and good spirits,
as he waved to adoring fans
and joked with his teammates at
Cameroon training on Tuesday.
The Indomitable Lions squad
have only recently arrived in
Brazil after a dispute over bonus
payments.
Eto'o and his team had threatened
to go on strike before the World
Cup, but eventually came to an
agreement and arrived in Brazil
on Monday
SAMUEL ETO'O IN GOOD SPIRITS
AS CAMEROON FINALLY BEGIN
THEIR PREPARATIONS IN BRAZIL
ARSENAL TARGET BONY COULD
REPLACE DROGBA IN IVORY
COAST STARTING XI




Monrovia
A
t the Planet Day
& Night Club
on the Old Road
Wednesday, a giant
poster displays World Cup
Madness, a teaser drawing
football enthusiasts to watch
the World Cup which starts
today in Brazil and which the
entertainment center will be
showing its customers for the
duration of the games.
Outside the club, Moses
Tarlue, a scratch card dealer
and Money changer said he
had no idea that Liberia
state broadcaster, the Liberia
Broadcasting System (LBS)
had imposed a fee on showing
of world cup matches on video
clubs and television stations in
Liberia.
Im just hearing about it. I
beg them yah, what? It will
be impossible. Im looking
forward to see Neymar and
Ronaldo doing their thing.
Last month, LBS struck a
controversy when it threatened
to sue private television
stations and video club owners
who will broadcast the FIFA
2014 World cup games without
permission from the entity.
"LBS will sue any station,
cinema and video clubs who
will broadcast the FIFA World
Cup without permission from
the LBS," the Deputy Director
General for Broadcasting at
LBS Ledgerhood Rennie said
The state broadcaster claimed
that it had obtained exclusive
rights from FIFA to publicly
broadcast the world cup.
Deputy Director General
Rennie fell short of disclosing
the amount spent by the state
broadcaster in obtaining the
permit.
Where did LBS acquire
exclusive rights?
"The LBS has negotiated and
purchased public viewing
television rights for the
FIFA World cup Brazil 2014
through the African Union of
broadcasting," Rennie said.
Director Rennie said stations
and video clubs in Liberia have
been abusing the world football
governing bodys intellectual
property. According to the
LBS, the rights provide for
LNTV to air the world cup.
Thus, public viewing in
cinemas, video clubs are not
obtained free of charge, these
intellectual properties are
highly protected.
To enforce its mandate the
state broadcaster said it will
use the Ministry of Justice
and other state institutions and
security personnel to ensure
that there is no violation.
Any institution that violates
these rights, LBS is working
with motion picture division
of the Ministry of Information
and the Ministry of Justice to
ensure that no one violates. We
will also be communicating
with DSTV representative,
all cinemas and television
stations."
Some observers say
enforcement could be
challenged as the government
has already granted sellers of
DSTV and other such services
the right to sell their equipment
and services to interested
parties. Thus, eliminating
exclusive rights obtained
from FIFA could open LBS to
unwarranted controversy and
ire from die-hard followers of
the game.
A document from FIFA listing
countries and institutions
that have acquired rights to
broadcast the game did not
include LBS as the entity that
obtained the rights to broadcast
the game in Liberia but the
African Union of broadcasting
which the LBS claimed to have
acquired its exclusive rights
from is listed by FIFA .
There is no independent
confirmation as to whether
African Union of broadcasting
has the right to also grant
license to a third party.
Document issued under the
heading 2014 FIFA World Cup
Brazil with three headings
Territory, Licensor, Media
Rights Licensees, the world
body listed institutions per
country and LBS was not
listed under Liberia.
FIFA listed under each country
the category of licenses
obtained including TV, Radio,
Mobile and Internet.
In the document there are
four institutions listed by
FIFA for obtaining license
in Liberia including African
Union Broadcasting (AUB),
Supersport International
(PTY) Limited, Canal+Afrique
& Groupe Canal+x and France
Medias Monde.
FIFA states in the document
that African Union of
Broadcasting (AUB) obtained
the rights for TV and Radio,
while Supersport International
(PTY) Limited obtained rights
for TV, Moblie and Internet,
Canal+Afrique & Groupe
Canal+x also obtained the
rights for TV and France
Medias Monde for moblie.
A Hoax, Nubian boss says
Local station owners are
already feeling the gripes.
Emeka E. Obiamiwe, President
/ CEO of NuEra Incorporated
(Nubian 96.7FM) says the
situation about owning rights
for the 2014 FIFA world cup
by LBS is a joke as they do not
have the capacity digitally to
even carry a live event locally
least we say the world cup as
they claimed to have rights for
public viewership. The LBS
leadership lacks the capacity
to handle the tournament
and have never live up to the
expectation of the tax payers
to delivering any substantial
programs to even get local
viewership.
Adds Obiamiwe: My
Company (NuEra Inc.)
broadcasted the Nobel Peace
prize awards from Norway and
the cost that was attributed
to it for viewership rights in
Liberia was over 480 Euros.
FIFA body raises money from
the rights of viewership as a
major source of income for the
federation during the world
cup. Where and how could or
would the management of LBS
source the funding to pay for
the rights as through which
station are they showing the
games as only MNET/DSTV
have the rights according to
FIFA for Africa and they have
a dedicated sports channel
and it is posted online and
Supersport has the exclusive
rights to carrying the games
live. This is a hoax and a big
joke and LBS needs to show
proof with a contract from
FIFA and also gave account for
the $1 campaign that is yet to
be unaccounted for.
I am challenging LBS to prove
claim to this.

www.frontpageafricaonline.com
Sports
FrontPage
PRICE L$40 VOL 8 NO.614 THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2014
I
n some African countries, certain jobs are
considered exclusively for men and women
venturing in performing such jobs are seen as
having masculine characteristics.
For example in Liberia it is rare to see a female
commercial motorcyclist as male are the ones
mostly known for riding motorbikes, with a
common name given them pehn Pehn boys but
that is not the case in Mali.
What seems uncommon in Liberia to see a woman
motorcyclist is very common in that country. It
was recently noticed that many Malian women
ride bikes to get to work, school, market and other
places, while others are commercial riders as well.
On a daily basis in the traffc in Bamako, many of
the elderly women dressed in their African attire
ride motorbikes, while a few younger ones wear
trousers to do the same.
Female motorcyclists in Bamako are very friendly
as they take passengers to their fnal destinations
like the male bikers, better known as pehn pehn
riders do in Liberia, but the difference between the
two countries is that many of the passengers riding
on a motorbike in Liberia risk getting to their fnal
destinations in pieces, as a result of the prevalent
wave of motorbikes accidents.
But according to an Offcer, accidents do occur in
Bamako but mostly with the male motorcyclists
but rarely a female cyclist because women are
usually known to be more careful in observing the
traffc rules.
Some of these Malian women carry their children
to school on bikes amid the heavy daily traffc
in the busy city of Bamako, but they get through
anyway.
This lady seen in the photo beats the long traffc
line as she passes among vehicles to get her kid to
school on time.
NO BOUNDARY, WOMEN BIKERS
COMPETE WITH MEN IN MALI
Spot News FrontPage
COUNTDOWN WORLD CUP


All the action leading up the Brazil


Mae Azango azama20062007@yahoo.com

CAN LBS STOP
THE WORLD CUP FEVER
IN LIBERIA?
Fans, Video Clubs and Independent Stations, Determine
to see Drogba, Eto, Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar and others,
in ire as premiere event kicks off today