LIBERIAS WATER WAHALA

Three out of four people have no access to safe water, six out of seven are without access to safe sanitation facilities such as toilets, and 19 out of 20 people practice unsafe hygiene behaviour such as not washing their hands with soap after using the toilet or not storing their water in clean environments

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PAYNESVILLE POLLUTION:
City Council demands Marketing Associations Action

CENTRAL BANK OF LIBERIA

MARKET BUYING AND SELLING RATES LIBERIAN DOLLARS PER US DOLLAR

FrontPage
www.frontpageafricaonline.com
THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2014

BUYING WEDNESDAY , APRIL 9, 2014 TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2014 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2014 L$86.00/US$1 L$86.00/US$1 L$86.00/US$1

SELLING L$87.00/US$1 L$87.00/US$1 L$87.00/US$1

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

VOL 8 NO.575

THE SUPREME COURT OF LIBERIA ON WEDNESDAY LIFTED THE SUSPENSION

PRICE L$40

SUSPENSION HAS MADE ME STRONGER

This is not the end of the fight for justice in this country; this is the beginning of the fight and I can assure all of you that I am ever more prepared to continue the fight. 300,000 plus people died in Liberia for injustice, freedom of speech and corruption and if we are not mindful, we may go back to Egypt. So those of us who stood against Doe, Charles Taylor, are prepared to continue the fight until every Liberian is given the opportunity to speak freely and to.not few persons putting the resources in their pockets. - Cllr. Beyan D. Howard
LAW & ORDER pg. 5

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Monrovia -

r. Charles Gyude Bryant, head of the National Transitional Government of Liberia has died. Bryant, who has been ailing for some time now, was pronounced dead Wednesday afternoon at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia.

He was 65. Bryant led the power-sharing NTGL government, including rebel groups and Taylor loyalists for two-and-a-half years, after former President Charles Taylor agreed to step down in 2003. He handed over to Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa's first female elected head of state. Mr. Taylor is on trial in The Hague for war crimes allegedly committed in neighboring Sierra Leone. Bryant served as the Chairman of the Transitional Government of Liberia from October 14, 2003 to January 16, 2006. The interim government was part of the peace agreement to end Liberias bloody civil war. Bryant, a businessman, from the Grebo ethnic group, which was not a player in the civil war, was chosen as chairman because he was seen as politically neutral and therefore acceptable to each of the warring factions, which included LURD, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia(MODEL), and loyalists of former President Taylor. Bryants non-political persona was crucial in his selection as interim president, tipped a time when Liberia was emerging from a brutal war and was viewed as a political neutral, a point he hit home to the Associate Press in a 2005 interview. "I have lived there throughout all these problems, and I see myself as a healer," he told AP news agency. Bryants choice to head the interim government was greeted with surprise by many Liberians. Looking to bridge the gap, Bryant made it a priority upon taking over to Work with the UN to hold elections, demobilize fighters, establishing and maintain order and restoring basic services such as electricity Bryant was a former chairman of the Liberia Action Party which was believed to have won the 1985 presidential and legislative elections when the military leader, Samuel Kanyon Doe, declared himself the victor. Bryant was elected chairman of the LAP in 1992. Bryant replaced interim leader Moses Blah, who himself took over on a temporary basis from Charles Taylor who stepped down and went into exile in August. Bryants two-year leadership was marred by rugged controversy. In January 2007, he was questioned by police regarding allegations of

corruption during his time in office. His government was accused of embezzling more than $US1 million. In 2010, the charges were dropped after the government failed to proof its case. "A major wrong has been corrected," Mr Bryant told the BBC."I have always said from day one that I was innocent of all charges." Cllr. Pearly Brown Bull paid homage to Bryant Wednesday, in an interview with FrontPageAfrica. Gyude Bryant was the man for peace in this country. He was the one who carried us back to democracy because he gave this country back because many of the restrictions that was in the constitutions, he allowed in the 2005 elections, especially the ten-year clause. If he had gone strictly by it, we would not have had elections because many people would not have qualified. He was a man of tolerance and peace despite the fact that he wa arrested and put in jail, he did not sue government, he always wanted peace. He advocated for a legitimate government when many opposed it. He was firmed and was one of those you could rely upon.

not He was the father of true democracy, patient and tolerant. He did get what he deserved when he was alive. It is sad that the people of Liberia did not give him his due when he was alive. During the last few months of his life, Bryant who had been ailing, fought in vain with the National Port Authority(NPA) over a tugboat contract. Bryant who was the Liberia representative for Damen Shipyard had filed a complaint before the Complaints and Review panel of the Public Procurement Concessions Commission(PPCC) against the NPA for Tugboats that the company had bid for and the NPA tried to reneged or get out of. Born in Monrovia during the early years of the Tubman era, Bryant matriculated at Cuttington University College in 1972, and in 1974 he married the former Rosilee Williams; together they are the parents of three children. Before becoming the chairman of the interim government, he operated a company that supplied machinery for the Freeport of Monrovia.

FrontPage COMMENTARY EDITORIAL REDEEM MIGHTY BARROLLE

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Thursday, April 17, 2014

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Commentary

WELCOME OR LOSE A PRIME UNIFICATION BACK, CLLR. HERITAGE: THE WAYS OUT! HOWARD
THE SUPREME Court of Liberia on Wednesday lifted the suspension handed Cllr. Beyan D. Howard. IN LIFTING THE suspension, Associate Justice Kabineh Janeh who presided over the hearing of the notice of suspension said Cllr. Howard had completed the suspension period of three months and therefore his rights to practice law in Liberia are now restored. HOWARD GREETED THE lifting of his suspension not with joy but one of a feeling of fulfillment and renewed vigor to continue the fight against what he termed injustice, suppression of freedom and corruption in Liberia. HowARD VOWED This is not the end of the fight for justice in this country; this is the beginning of the fight and I can assure all of you that I am ever more prepared to continue the fight. 300,000 plus people died in Liberia for injustice, freedom of speech and corruption and if we are not mindful, we may go back to Egypt. WE CERTAINLY AGREE with Cllr. Howard that these are the ugly vices that led our country to become a failed state and as we fight to mend the broken fences, these actions need to be abolished in totality. OF MORE INTEREST is the lawyer vow to fight tooth and nail in ensuring that repressive laws are removed from the books of Liberia, laws he said will affect all Liberians irrespective of the time. HOWARDS COLLEAGUE LAWYER, Attorney Samuel Kofi Woods was full of praise saying Howard must be celebrated for his display of extraordinary courage and perseverance in the face of the most severe test of his conviction. THE RECENT DISPLAY by the lawyer during his suspension and his pledge to continue the fight for the repeal of repressive laws and the protecting of freedom speaks to the unrelenting quest by this lawyer to ensure the right to freedom of expression of Liberians is protected at all times. NOT MANY LAWYERS in Liberia will want to take months off their legal practice in the name of standing up for freedom of expression but Cllr. Howards expression that he is even willing to face suspension for up to 10 years in the quest to fight for freedom of expression is worth commendation. WE APPLAUD THE heroic display by Cllr. Howard in standing up for free speech and freedom of expression and welcome his pledged commitment to continue the fight until repressive laws are repealed. WELCOME BACK CLLR. Howard and we look forward to seeing your commitment in the fight against injustice, suppression of freedom and corruption in Liberia move a step further.

Musa Dukuly (PhD), suawantiwar@yahoo.com

he loss of another vital social heritage is hunting Liberias renowned football club, Mighty Barrolle. The Club is gradually transitioning from Mighty to Indolent Barrolle, and the situation remains agonizing for most of those who adore the team as their domestic happiness and ways of having fun. The demise of Mighty Barrolle could have immense implications such as cultural, unification, youth development and social capital. Thus, the motivation of this piece is to outline few of the problems and offer vital solutions based on Africas experience to awaken the social conscience of supporters before the current situation goes beyond our limit. As a usual tradition, football affiliation was either skewed towards Mighty Barrolle or Invincible Eleven popularly known as IE. The triumph of ones Club in any given march provided optimum utility of togetherness, jokes and pleasures. It tells you how downhearted the Mighty Barrolles fanatics are today due to the dismal handling of their Club. This commentary is the first of my numerous strategies I intend to employ as moral suasive instrument to awaken supporters. Barrolles symbolism: The Bassalonians The Bassa Tribe is undoubtedly the first frontline of Barrolles support base. The Club, which is Liberias second oldest (founded in the 1950s), symbolizes a huge traditional heritage of footballing society across the country, but this heritage is rapidly crumbling. The Club is an offspring of rich tradition known as Gbehzon of the Bassa Kingdom. The formation is traced to former Bassa Governor Willie Cooper in the 1950s, and later named in honor of renowned Bassalonian, Jimmy Barrolle. Thus, the nickname of Mighty Barrolle, Gbehzon Boys is the indigenous name of Buchanan City (see: Emergence of Barrolle, http://www. uniboa.org/barrollehistory.html). Overtime, the candidness, love and social reception of the Gbehzon people captured the hearts and admirations of other traditionalists who directed support to the Club. Eventually, the Club gained resounding prominence that is now fading beyond control. Barrolles extinction could reflect weakness in managerial ability, especially the indigenous to sustain heritage that fosters traditional unification and togetherness. So, where are the wrongs? Glimpse of the problems Generally, the perennial absence of forward looking strategies threatens the Clubs sustainability. After more than 50 years of existence, the Club cannot boost of any viable or income generating asset to raise fund for its operationalization, to the best of my knowledge. Memberships grew monumentally, but the club did not allow strong inclusivity of members to have stake in its running such as voting and due payments. It has always been built around few individuals, especially officials of government for support, instead of strengthening the economic base. Little effort was employed to capture the private sector in terms of social contribution and commercial venture that could further add value. Most recently, Barrolle was linked to Celcom in terms of commercial, but the mechanism was not facilitated by other programs such as raising funds from members through mobile transfer. Many may concur with fans who attribute the team illperformance on the lackadaisical attitude of the leadership. It is unappealing to understand that players and technical staff do not receive salaries on regular basis. The administrative running of the Club has often shifted from fundamental managerial principles and strategies such as electing officials,

publishing budget as well as financial statements in newspapers and the bank account of the Club to its members. All of these are potentially eroding the confidence to increase support and attract finance. Experience from other clubs Most football clubs, which are centered on tradition/kingdom, are usually strong financially, politically and socially. Gor Mahia of Kenya is built around the Luo Tribe (2nd largest tribe) and Former prime Minister Raila leads the support; TP Mazembe is located in Katanga region of Lubumbashi, where the Governor offers strong leadership to the Club and its members contribute one (1) USD/months and; the Luhya tribe in Kenya owns AFC Leopards, which is a forceful competitor to the Gor Mahia Club; Asante Kototo is the pride of the Asante people and the Asante Kingdom in Ghana; Al Ahly represents the Egyptian National, among others. The clubs of the foregoing people/regions are never allowed to tumble, because they represent the pride and integrity of their people. We should learn from the situation at these to collate efforts that would restore our pride. So, the traditionalists should rethink with the ultimate view that Mighty Barrolle is the genuine image of the indigenous, especially the Bassa people. Strategies to redeem the Club First, the Bassalonians using any mechanism should play a serious leadership role to rescue the image of Barrolle. Sound financial governance is necessary by publishing the planned budget of the Club in the print and electronic media to restore confidence and attract financial support. Accountability and transparency should be driven by frequently disseminating the club budget and financial statements through leaflets (photocopies), electronic and print media to members. A crusade of each-one brings-one should be launched to get at least three hundred passionate supporters that would commit at least 10 USD/per month over 5 months to sign at least 6 big players locally/ internationally to regain promotion. Restructure the memberships into Gold, Silver and Bronze based on the agreed contribution for each category. Ensure that the superintendent of Grand Bassa and a member of the Bassa Legislative Caucus are automatic board members to help raise revenue in the county for the Club. Link the memberships to the mobile companies as an alternative to easily generate membership fees of at least 25 cent per month. Limit the presidency to 1.6 year per term because the job goes without pay and ensure voting of the officials should be based on quota. In the medium to long term, prioritize ownership of the club playing pitch and other fixed assets like land, building, etc in economically viable areas to sustain the Club. To do this, we need a strong secretariat of 5-10 permanent employees, whose function should entail pervasive mobilization, database of members and publicity starting from Monrovia and Buchanan before extending to other parts. Conclusion Administrative lapses emanating from lack of broad vision and alleged transparency continued to exacerbate Barrolles recession. The absence of swift move could imminently result to loss of memorable heritage that is costly. Immediate action to redeem the Clubs image should focus on restoration of memberships confidence, strengthening mobilization, encouraging broad based inclusivity in decision making and instituting transparency and accountability. Any lukewarm endeavor to these approaches could mean a disdainful goodbye to Mighty Barrolle forever and ever.

FrontPage

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WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT OUR STORIES ON THE WORLDWIDE WEB

Send your letters and comments to: editor@frontpageafricaonline.com

The Reader's Page

Thursday, April 17, 2014

COMMENTS FROM FPA ONLINE

BENJAMEN QUAYE TOP COMMENTER UNIVERSITY OF LIBERIA Ellen picking a successor does not mean he or she will be elected. It is up to how the Liberian electorate will view that person. As a political observer, I think the VP will make an excellent President, and I think the international community will side with him given the kind of opposition we have. High premium is placed on stability by the international community than anything else. Second, the VP and Ellen have nothing in common. He is different, a caring fatherly figure who will maintain all that is good and rid the government of all that is bad. Unlike Ellen, he has no score to settle. He will want his own legacy that will exclude the current kleptocracy. Edwin Barclay was not the same as Charles D.B. King. Tolbert was not the same as Tubman even though he served as Tubman's VP for more than 15 years. I would think Harry Moniba would have been different from Doe. If VP Boakai should run, he should pick as his running mate someone like Nagbalee Warner (a corruption-free legal scholar) to pave the way for the young generation to assume leadership of the country. It will also send a strong message that the government will be willing to fight corruption. NYEMADE WANI TOP COMMENTER AVERAGE JOE AT POWER TO THE PEOPLE It is obscene to think that Liberians will stand for a hand picked successor from the President. Boakai is not only old, he is ineffective, shelthers his friends like Gayflor from prosecution and will continue the same mess we are in now. Also, we do not need a sleeping President. As for the others, they are all varying degrees of evil. The fact is do we want someone principled and who will put us on the right course or do we want the same old, same old. I say we look to the decent average Liberians like Warner, Gongloe, and others. We certainly do not need anybody in this government. GABRIEL ZARWEA TOP COMMENTER No more UP presidency in Liberia this party very full with corrupt leaders FREDERICK JAYWEH LIBERIANS, Liberia is a country of Laws and not the private estate of the ELLEN JOHNSON Sirleaf's Family. Let the word go out and clearly be stated that any unlawful attempt by Mrs SIRLEAF to unconstitutionally and Unstatutorily handpick a so-called replacement of ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF outside the Elections Laws and the Constitution of Liberia will be strongly opposed by all means. Mrs. SIRLEAF cannot sponsor the killing of nearly 300,000 Liberians and residents of Liberia, loot the revenues and resources of Liberia, engaged in the crimes of Money Laundering and Capital Flight and seek to rule Liberia from her deathbed and grace. NO, NO, AND NO TO ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF AND HER Mafia idea for Liberia. MASU FAHNBULLEH TOP COMMENTER THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE If Liberia was a country in the Middle East (Saudi, Kuwait, Bahrain), then I will support this 'speculation/ assertion' as to Johnson Sirleaf's hand pick successor. But Liberia is a democracy-people are allowed to cast their ballot for a candidate of their chosen. Each candidate will have to make a case, why he/she is the best alternative-not a hand pick successor as seen in most Middle Eastern countries, where family loyalty and continuity is maintained. Liberians will go to the Polls and decide who gets this coveted prize. BEN NMAH TOP COMMENTER Do not forget to enlist the likes our former finance Min. A. Sayeh, Mr. Morlu and many others as we need those, who have the insights to restore Liberia's financial future...Time for restoration....Enough of this roque gov... More to come. THOMAS BRIMA WORKS AT MINISTRY OF FINANCE Mr. Rodney Sieh thanks for this story. I hope you continue this story to the end. perfect SIAHYONKRON NYANSEOR MENTAL HEALTH/ BEHAVIOR CONSULTANT AT NYANSEOR BEHAVIOR CONSULTANCY This a case of -- where there is smoke, there is fire. Rodney, excellent forecast!
The comments expressed here are those of our online readers and bloggers and do no represent the views of FrontPageAfrica

The Editor,

OUR GENERATION IS UNIQUELY SITUATED TO CHANGE OUR COUNTRY FOR THE BETTER: A CALL TO ACTION AHEAD OF 2017

YOU WRITE; WE PUBLISH; THEY READ!

As always, I take up time to read different literatures on Liberia. Occupied with acquiring an understanding of where we have come as a nation and what prospect if any the future holds. And as a colleague wrote recently, every generation has a mission, what might be the mission of our generation. What can we say to our children, if we were asked years down, what did we do to change the socio-political and economic status of our people and transform our nation into an oasis of stability and economic prosperity? What role did we play to confront the injustices of our time, corruption of public resources, and abuse of state power? This time, my search took to me to a webpage hosting the Liberian constitution. As I read through, I stopped at Article 7 of the Liberian constitution which reads, The Republic shall, consistent with the principles of individual freedom and social justice enshrined in the Constitution, manage the national economy and natural resources of Liberia in such manner as shall ensure the maximum feasible participation of Liberian citizens under conditions of equality as to advance the general welfare of the Liberian people and the economic development of Liberia. These words kept me up late at night pondering over the Liberian situation. For while the framers of the constitution were cognizant of the fact that the foundation of any democracy lies in an active, educated, and empowered citizenry, and mandates the national government to manage and distribute the national resources and create opportunities that allows for individual freedom and human development, the current realities of our country is in sharp contrast with this vision. My head became filled with thoughts of thousands caught in the web of poverty. Images of children selling in the streets without access to education. Children in rural Liberia sitting on the floors in dilapidated buildings. Young people turned beggars and criminals. News of rampant public corruption and abuse of state power. The faces of pre-trial detainees lingering behind bars without access to speedy and impartial justice. A health care system still struggling with resource issues and an educational system far below our neighbors. A nation where in many places access is almost impossible because of road conditions. These thoughts got me thinking if there is any hope in the face of such a compound-complex adversity. Our society has become a paradise for murderers and criminals. Those who killed thousands are rewarded with lucrative positions of influence. People who loot the public coffers are celebrated elites. Justice is reserved for the higher bidder and quality education for those in the upper echelon of our societal strata. A culture of impunity prevails for who dares to stand in the face of the societys most powerful. I get even more pressured and worried about our nation Liberia. How might we transform Article 7 of the constitution from mere wordings to reality? How might we liberate our people from an oppressive system to a society of freedom, justice and equality opportunities? Then I am reminded that THAT OUR GENERATION IS UNIQUELY SITUATED TO EFFECT MEANING CHANGE IN OUR SOCIETY. NEVER BEFORE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR NATION HAS THE ATTENTION OF THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY BEEN FOCUSED ON LIBERIA LIKE IT IS TODAY AND WE MUST SEIZED THE MOMENT BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL LENSES SWITCH SOMEWHERE ELSE. We have one of the largest United Nations mission in the world in Liberia. An array of international organizations are present in Liberia. The PROSPECT OF OIL and an increasingly highly educated youthful

population both in Liberia and abroad. OUR GENERATION IS FAR MORE EDUCATED AND TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCE THAN PREVIOUS GENERATIONS AND HAVE THE REQUISITE SKILLS AND TOOLS TO CHANGE OUR SOCIETY FOREVER. We are the generation which experienced the gruesome civil war and understands the consequences of failed national policies, abuse of public resources, ethnic division and injustice. SHOULD WE CONTINUE TO SIT ON THE SIDELINES WHILE OUR COUNTRY SLIPS DOWN THIS PATH AGAIN? We must muster the political will to take action to avert the current situation in our country. This must begin with reawakening the national consciousness. WE MUST CULTIVATE TRUE LOVE FOR OUR COUNTRY IN THE SPIRIT OF PATRIOTISM AND ENDEAVOR TO SERVE THE PUBLIC INTEREST. It is imperative that we this ignite a revolution-UNITING ON A SINGLE FRONT TO CONFRONT THE CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME. As we approach 2017, let us be cautious of those who asks for public leadership. WE MUST BE WEARY OF GIVING BACK POWER TO THOSE HAVE LED OUR COUNTRY FOR A LONG TIME WITHOUT ANY CONCRETE NATIONAL CHANGE. FOR WHY MUST WE GIVE BACK POWER TO YOU WHEN AFTER A GOOD NUMBER OF YEARS AND SIMILAR SITUATION OUR NEIGHBORS IN SIERRA LEONE ARE FARING BETTER WHILE OUR OWN COUNTRY IS INCREASINGLY SWINGING BACKWARDS? 2017 must birth a new dispensation in Liberia. It must be the beginning of the NEW LIBERIA. We must approach it making difficult choices but choices which are poised to transform our country for the better. We must seized continuing to be a conduit for politicians to carry out their malevolent agendas and enrich themselves. Know thisTHE NATIONAL LEGISLATURE IS KEY FOR THE EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF OUR DEMOCRACY. Therefore, more and more young people must vied for senatorial and representative seats. We cannot transform Liberia if the power of the Executive is not check by a strong Legislature. Refused to be for sale. Say no to their millions and serve your people only. Going forward, we must seek pertinent changes if our nation must steer in the right direction. Reduce the presidential term limits Reduce the legislative term limits Strengthen the Anti-corruption commission and give it prosecutorial powers Review and make clearer what constitutes legislative contempt to promote freedom of speech and avoid abuse of legislative power Strengthen the General Auditing Commission making it harder for the President or the Legislature to exert any undue influence. No public agency or officials should be above audit. Enforce a code of conduct for public officials and enforce assets declaration for public officials Make stricter punishments for public corruption and Do not vote those stained with the blood of the 250, 000 plus Liberians and those who continue to sabotage our economy PONDER AND ASK NO MORE MY FRIEND HARRY ARTOEGBORNEAN. FOR THIS COMRADE IS THE MISSION OF OUR GENERATION. Garmondeh Clinton clintoga@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER

Rodney D. Sieh, Managing Editor, 0886-738-666; 077-936-138, editor@FrontPageAfricaonline.com; rodney.sieh@FrontPageAfricaonline.com Wade C. L. Williams, News Desk Chief, wade. williams@frontpageafricaonline.com; 0880664793 Francis F.B. Mulbah, Layout Editor; 0886639382 REPORTERS Sports Editor, Danesius Marteh, danesius.marteh@ frontpageafricaonline.com, 0886236528 Henry Karmo, henry.karmo@frontpageafricaonline. com Al-varney Rogers al.rogers@frontpageafricaonline. com, 0886-304498

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Sports Reporter, A. Macaulay Sombai,macaulay.sombai@ FrontpageAfricaonline.com, 077217428 COUNTY NEWS TEAM Grand Bassa, Alpha Daffae Senkpeni, 0777432042 Bong County, Selma Lomax, selma.lomax@ frontpageafricaonline.com, 0886-484666 Sinoe County, Leroy N.S Kanmoh, leroy.kanmoh@ frontpageafricaonline.com 0886257528 BUSINESS/ADVERTISING Kadi Coleman Porte, 0886-304-178/ 0777832753, advertise@ frontpageafricaonline.com

Thursday, April 17, 2014

We have reviewed the records and find that his suspension period has been served and therefore, Cllr. Beyan D. Howard license is hereby ordered restored and may he therefore proceed to practice law within the bailiwick of this Republic and let him go and sin no more, said Cllr. Kabineh Janeh, presiding over the Supreme Court hearing.

SUSPENSION HAS MADE ME STRONGER

SUPREME COURT OF LIBERIA RESTORES CLLR. BEYAN HOWARDS RIGHT TO PRACTICE LAW

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LAW & ORDER

Frontpage

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M
Monrovia

oments after having his freedom to practice law in the Republic of Liberia restored by the Supreme Court of Liberia, Cllr. Beyan D. Howard declared that he remains firm in the fight against injustice, repression of freedom and corruption. Howard slammed repressive media laws in the country which he says are intended to protect the government and a handful of individuals from being exposed. Following a three month suspension, the Supreme Court of Liberia Wednesday during its March term of court AD 2004 sitting in a hearing on notice of suspension against Cllr. Beyan D. Howard growing out of the case Dr. Chris Toe Vs FrontPageAfrica and its Managing Editor Rodney D. Sieh and Reporter Samwar S. Fallah lifted the suspension. We have reviewed the records and find that his suspension period has been served and therefore, Cllr. Beyan D. Howards license is hereby ordered restored and may he therefore proceed to practice law within the bailiwick of this Republic and let him go and sin no more, said Cllr. Kabineh Janeh, presiding over the Supreme Court hearing Wednesday. Outside the court, Cllr. Howard declared that the fight against injustice, corruption and trampling on freedom of expression has just begun and his suspension has made him stronger to continue the fight. Says Cllr. Howard This is not the end of the fight for justice in this country; this is the beginning of the fight and I can assure all of you that I am ever more prepared to continue the fight. 300,000 plus people died in Liberia

for injustice, freedom of speech and corruption and if we are not mindful, we may go back to Egypt. So those of us who stood against Doe, Charles Taylor, are prepared to continue the fight until every Liberian is given the opportunity to speak freely and to.not few persons putting the resources in their pockets. Government benefits from Repressive laws The lawyer averred that the Government of Liberia and other individuals are benefiting from the existence of repressive laws that suppress freedom of speech because they have something to hide for which they do not want to be exposed. This government is reluctant to quash those repressive laws because they do not want to be exposed. Individuals in the government do not want to be exposed. So if they keep those laws, they will continue to do what they are doing, so we need to put pressure on the lawmakers as Liberians to ensure that we those laws.

The Government will be reluctant to have those laws removed because they are the beneficiaries of those repressive laws says the lawyer. The lawyer says it requires a collective fight from both the civil society, and all Liberians to ensure that repressive laws are removed from the books to give people a free environment to express their views. Cllr. Howard declared: We are playing our role, when Rodney was sent to jail for over 5,000 years, I stood up where many lawyers were afraid to speak, I spoke so we are prepared to continue the fight. This is not a one-man fight, it is a collective fight, the civil society movement should join the fight to ensure that we remove these repressive laws. It is not about Rodney Sieh it is not about FrontPageAfrica. We need to do all we can do as Beyan Howard will do what he can do to ensure that this is a law that can benefit all. So we need to mobilize our

resources to ensure that those repressive laws are removed. The lawyer says his suspension taught him a lesson that there are many other Liberians who are against the repressive laws and he is not alone in the fight. My suspension taught me a lot of lessons that I am not alone in this fight, I realized that a lot of Liberians are with me so I am happy that this fight is not by one person. Those who want freedom, those who are against corruption called me daily. So it makes me feel that I am not alone, we are many. Cllr. Howard vowed that even if he were suspended for another ten years, he is prepared to face the outcome but cautioned that repressive laws must be removed from the books. Sorry for Tah Howards says he feels sorry for his fellow lawyer, Justice Minister Cllr. Christina Tah who was also suspended in connection with the same case but for her a more severe

punishment which will see her stay from job for six months. I fell very bad because she is feeling the impact for fighting against repressive laws like myself. She was trying to keep the country stable from the cry of the Press Union of Liberia, the international community, she was under obligation to ensure that we slept well and security is well but unfortunately she found herself where she is and I feel bad about that. Cllr. Howard says bad laws affect all and others who are benefiting from these repressive laws at the moment will also be affected by it sometimes in the future. We should collectively fight against these repressive laws; we should direct our resources to the remaining period of this administration, to go everywhere, to the legislators to remove these repressive laws. Town trap is not for one person, it is not for rat alone. Some of these same people benefiting from the repressive laws today will be caught tomorrow and lock up for speaking their mind, Cllr. Howard warns. Attorney Samuel Kofi Woods, II of the Liberia Law Society, one of the legal counsels for FrontPageAfrica and its Managing Editor, Rodeny Sieh declared after the suspension was lifted that Cllr. Howard must be celebrated for his display of extraordinary courage and perseverance in the face of the most severe test of his conviction says. We, the team of lawyers, are proud of our colleague. He has assured us that he return with renewed vigor to join us in the struggle to promote respect for human rights and the rule of law in Liberia. He has been in battle and returned with victory.

Cllr. Howard and with Justice Minister Christiana Tah were both suspended for three and six months respectively after the high court found them guilty on contempt charges on January 10, 2014. The ban placed by the high court on the two legal practitioners disallowed then from practicing law in any court in the country during the period while they are serving their respective suspensions The contempt charges grew out of the decision taken by the Justice Minister Tah to grant a compassionate leave to Sieh following a request made to the Justice Minister Tah by Cllr. Howard. Siehs detention had stemmed from his refusal to pay a US$1.5m damages to former Agriculture Minister Chris Toe after losing a libel sue to former Agriculture Minister Chris Toe. Toe had sue the FrontPageAfrica Editor for series of stories the paper had written from the General Auditing Commission (GAC) report that the former Agriculture Minister failed to account for funds offered him by the government to fight army worms that invaded two counties. Sieh had taken an appeal to the Supreme Court after losing the case at the Civil Law Court but his appeal to the high court was dismissed on grounds that he did not follow the process of appeal. While Siehs appeal was dismissed the high court mandated the lower court to re-enforce its judgment for the FrontPageAfrica Editor to pay the US$1.5m but his failure on ground that he does not have such a huge sum of money resulted to his detention on order of the Civil Law Court.

Page 6 | Frontpage

PAGE RONT

NEWS EXTRA

A CRUSADING JOURNALIST WHO WONT STOP, EVEN AFTER PRISON

Rodney Sieh, the publisher of Front Page Africa, is this countrys bestknown investigative journalist looking into government corruption.
Jonathan Hicks on Twitter: @HicksJonathan

PAGE RONT

MEDIA ISSUES

Thursday, April 17, 2014

City Council demands Marketing Associations Action

Henry Karmo (0886522495) henrykarmo47@gmail.com

PAYNESVILLE POLLUTION:

t seems enough is enough for the Municipal government of Paynesville, a city that has experienced garbage problems over the years with the Mayor of the city calling on institutions both private and public to be responsible in their actions as the city government strive in an effort to maintain a clean and green environment. At a forum of communities leaders held at the Paynesville Town Hall, the Acting City Mayor of the City Ms. Cyvette Gibson took the bull by the horn by naming the Liberia Marketing Association (LMA) as one of the major players in the pollution of the city and cautioned them of efforts by the PCC in maintaining a clean and Green City. In her comments she told the LMA that the City government of Paynesville under her leadership will ensure the LMA takes responsibility for its action. Cyvette said: We have to make LMA responsible for their actions every day we asked people to close their markets on Sunday to enable the PPCC clean the markets but after the Sunday cleaning the market gets dirty more than ever before on Monday. You communities leaders have to put yourself together to ensure that where we buy our food are clean environments. Cyvette continued: The LMA is doing nothing in the communities the only thing they do is bring dirt. We need to work together actively to ensure that LMA shoulder their responsibility. City Decentralization plan At a well attended meeting by over hundred residents from more than 32 communities making up the City of Paynesville, Acting Mayor Gibson disclosed of plans by the Paynesville City government to decentralize it activities in most of the communities making up the city to enable it work effectively. According to her the decentralization of the PCC activities will also empower local communities leadership structure to ably run the communities in maintaining law and order and cleanliness in the Municipal city of Paynesville. All of our communities will have a representation of community Service Department, Enforcement Department, Solid Waste Management Department incorporated in their Local Leadership structures. Those serving the various capacities will on a regular basis report on activities in the community, thereby creating a better representation and participation as well as enabling effective citizenship, she said. The process of decentralization according to Ms. Gibson comes as a result of a resolution passed by the County legislative Caucus. The issue of Garbage deposits and delay in its collection is one of the major challenges faced by residents of Paynesville most especially those in the commercial area of Red-light. Pollution from long stay deposits of garbage.

REPORTING FROM MONROVIA, LIBERIA odney Sieh is widely recognized as one of Liberias most intrepid and relentless investigative reporters. The editor of this countrys best-selling newspaper, Sieh is a journalist who has made international headlines for his crusade to expose corruption, a cause that has resulted in having served time in jail. He is the founder and editor of Front Page Africa, which started as an online publication in 2005 and started to print on the streets of Monrovia in 2008. While the newspaper covers the typical array of news involving business, development and even social events in Liberia, it has made a name for itself for its relentless investigation of corruption within Liberias government. His first notable skirmish came in 2010, when Sieh, the paper and a reporter were sued for libel by a former minister of agriculture; Front Page Africa reported that he had embezzled millions of dollars of public money. The minister, Christopher Toe, won the $2 million libel suit, sparking a statement from the World Association of Newspapers, saying that that the amount was a punitive measure. But Sieh attracted more widespread attention when he was placed in jail after being unable to pay a $1.5 million court award for damages as a result of the newspapers coverage of a government minister who had been fired for corruption. He spent a month in jail, which included a week-long hunger strike to protest his sentence and the conditions in Liberias jails. Being in jail is a horrible experience, Sieh said, in an interview with BET.com. To be a journalist in a cell with murderers and people convicted of criminal theft is difficult. It shows that the system in our country is far from perfect. It also shows that the jail system in our country has a long way to go. I hope my incarceration, and highlighting the poor food, the poor conditions, will enlighten the world of the situation here. Sieh was born in Liberia but left during the countrys brutal 14-year civil war. He first went to the Gambia, where he did some work for BBC. He then went to London before moving

to the United States. While in America, he did internships with the Newark Star Ledger and the Kansas City Star. He landed a full-time reporting job at the Syracuse Post Standard and, later, at the Virginia Daily News, in Newport News. He returned here in 2005 to work with the Daily Observer, a leading newspaper in Monrovia owned by his uncle, Kenneth Best. But the two parted ways professionally after Sieh championed articles that were critical of the administration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. He subsequently started his own newspaper. My motivation comes from a desire to ensure that corruption is eliminated, and if not eliminated, at least put in check, Sieh said. I see our work in the fourth estate to be a significant check and balance. We dont always get along with the branches of government, but we feel its important to look at the things that create a negative impact on our country. To many, Sieh is a highly respected champion of rooting out misdeeds by government officials in a country with a fragile economy. Others, including some in government and in business, see him as a grandstander who often goes too far in his crusades, veering into recklessness. Nonetheless, his work remains highly popular. Indeed, Front Page Africa is now the leading seller in Monrovia a city with a dozen or so daily newspapers and the paper is undertaking a major overhaul of its website to attract even more readers. The former minister withdrew the libel suit against Sieh and his paper was able to resume publication after being shut for some months. For me, the toughest part of this is to reside in a country that is very intolerant of the kind of things we do, journalistically, Sieh explained. Many people see our work as interfering in the things that they are doing, the things that they dont want the world to see, like stealing millions of dollars of tax money, he added. Its frustrating when you want to do something that will help the country in the long term, and many people see it as negative. But nothing will stop us from doing what were doing. Follow Jonathan Hicks on Twitter: @HicksJonathan

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Nyonken, River Gee County,: nly a minority of Liberians, whether in rural or urban areas, have access to safe water and sanitation facilities. Three out of four people have no access to safe water, six out of seven are without access to safe sanitation facilities such as toilets, and 19 out of 20 people practice unsafe hygiene behaviour such as not washing their hands with soap after using the toilet or not storing their water in clean environments. Out of a population of approximately 3.5million people, 3.1 million people don't have access to sanitation facilities. In rural areas where 77 per cent of households use the bush for defecation. Diarrhoea accounts for 19% of Liberia's high child mortality rates, and cholera is endemic. Together, lack of safe water for drinking and household use, poor sanitation and bad hygiene practices cause about 18% of all deaths in Liberia. Liberia has a child mortality rate of 145 out 1,000. Poor water and sanitation leads to high mortality rates and risk of disease. 2,900 Liberian children die annually from diarrhoea caused by unsafe drinking water, poor hygiene and sanitation. Liberias Poverty Reduction Strategy notes that malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, followed by diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections. While malaria is the leading cause of child morbidity (42 per cent), diarrhoea is second, accounting for 22 per cent. In all, diseases related to water, sanitation and hygiene are responsible for 18 per cent of all deaths in Liberia (WHO, 2008). Liberias inadequate water and sanitation conditions are damaging to the economy. An estimated 5% of GDP is lost to illness and death. The government, through the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) 20082011, plans to increase access to safe water from 25 to 50 per cent, and access to sanitation from 14 per cent to 33 per cent of the population. About 70 per cent of Liberias population lives in rural areas. Poverty is pervasive, and is particularly acute in these areas. Poverty is higher in rural areas (67.7 per cent) than in urban areas (55 per cent). There are more poor people in rural areas (73 per cent of the poor live in rural areas), and they are poorer than their counterparts in urban areas. Unprotected wells, streams, and rivers are the primary sources of water for drinking and other uses in rural areas. Over 40 per cent of rural households access water from nearby creeks, springs, or rivers. When considered together with households accessing water from open wells, vendors and other unimproved (typically unsafe) sources, this means that over 57 per cent of all rural households in Liberia are using unsafe water sources. Institutions that seek to provide water and sanitation services face problems in terms of both poor infrastructure such as roads (which are often impassable in the rainy season) and high operational costs for interventions in rural areas. For example, a bag of cement, which costs 825 LD (approx. US$12), will also cost another 250 LD (approx. US$3) for transport if brought in River Cess, one of the counties with a rural population of 96 per cent. The 14 years of civil conflict in Liberia is responsible for the destruction of infrastructure, and claimed around 250,000 lives. Poverty was exacerbated and economic growth was retarded. With poverty at 83.7 per cent, over 2.9 million Liberians out of a population of over 3.5 million are living on less than US$1.25 per day. The Human Development Report of 2009 and Liberia MDG progress report of 2008 reveal how far Liberia lags behind the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The latter projects that fewer than half of the MDG targets have any likelihood of being achieved by 2015. Liberia currently ranks 162 out of 168 countries on the Human Development Index. Following the end of the war there was overwhelming emergency support which took little consideration for sustainability. Therefore a number of the facilities provided are either broken down and not in use or they have run dry. In both cases, rehabilitation work is needed. Recognising that they have broken down is essential so that

LIBERIAS WATER WAHALA

Three out of four people have no access to safe water, six out of seven are without access to safe sanitation facilities such as toilets, and 19 out of 20 people practice unsafe hygiene behaviour such as not washing their hands with soap after using the toilet or not storing their water in clean environments
Sanitation: No latrines at all, use open defecation; poor hygiene practices. Triggering for communityled total sanitation took place in March 2011; no pits dug as yet except village chief and one of the blind village elders (see Peters story) Education: 1 elementary school without water or sanitation facilities before April 2011. School latrines now built and due to open the week after our visit; health club and PTA formed and trained Health: No clinic. Send patients to Kaweaken clinic (at least a three hour walk), there is no doctor at the clinic so more serious cases have to be referred to Fish Town (nearly 90 minutes drive from Kaweaken) Accessibility: Road is newly done by a logging company but still rough, a makeshift wooden bridge cracks and splinters as we drive over it and there are waterlogged potholes still Nyonken has been excluded from the governments planning and targeting of water and sanitation services, and no other INGO has intervened in the village. By national standards the village should have between 6 and 8 water points (1 pump per 250 people). The community has a population of over 1,500 (around 72 households) and apart from being difficult to reach; the settlements are largely on high ground making it difficult to drill to locate water within the settlements. They therefore rely on the river Nyo as their water source and the women have to walk down a dangerous muddy slope, through a thicket to reach the creek where they collect water the colour of Lipton tea. The villagers talk of boa constrictors swimming in the river as well as alligators. Its a steep arduous climb back up particularly in rainy season when the path is slippery. Many of the other villages further along the river dont have latrines and so are using the creek to defecate according to one person we talk to. The women leave their flip-flops at the foot of the hill to avoid contamination. Once in the river, they have to position the main water container on their heads and then stoop down to fill it using a smaller receptacle uncomfortable, heavy and back breaking (just imagine if heavily pregnant...) The village has a local law which prescribes that the women must have a bath before going to fetch water. Slash and burn agriculture is practised here, we pass fields of upland dry rice being grown. A huge and timeless cotton tree stands at the foot of the hill up to the village, nearby is the new WaterAid pump which is used for the first time later that day. It had to be situated at the bottom of the hill because the village sits on rock and its too difficult to bring drilling equipment in. The fencing to keep the cattle out still needs to go up. When deciding where to situate the water pumps, the community indicated to our local partner New Era where the village graves are in order to ensure that building the wells would not disturb them. No hydrological survey was carried out but the water was tested and deemed to be fit for drinking. Nyonken is divided into two sections, each on a ridge either side of a shallower valley. At an official welcome ceremony the Mayor talks about how the new water supply will keep us away from disease that were always receiving from the bad water. We share kola nuts with the elders as a sign that we are accepted into the community and are presented with a chicken. In a speech from Peter, a blind elder (one of three blind residents), he talks about people dying on the way to the clinic because its so far away. Nathaniel Sokan, youth leader, says Since this community was founded by our forefathers in the early 18th century, we have used the water from the rivers. I want to say thank you to you people for coming to rescue us. The chairman of the PTA says: This community is a vulnerable community; nothing good has been happening here. Your help to us has opened our eyes, we want you to please help us. We too are willing to put our hands on our development. The Public Works representative B.Molley Massaquoi responds by thanking the community for their courage and hard work: Continue to embrace development. Dont be happy with what youve got now. If you need more to be done, you need to work harder to encourage us. Do not run away from the project, embrace it. We teach you how to build your own toilets instead of using a goal pole; if you can build this house why cant you build a latrine. I tell you people that today the government of Liberia will help you to help yourself, you are the government. The 5-strong WASH committee will decide shortly how much to charge residents for water, they will also decide what fines to impose if somebody puts their head under the water at the pump or uses the bush once the latrines are up and running. A pump mechanic workshop is due to take place next week which 2 members of the committee (1 male, 1 female) will attend including the (female) caretaker who will open the pump at certain hours, keep it clean and collect fees. To date New Era has trained the WASH committee once and advised them to establish a cash system for collecting water fees from every household on a monthly basis. Nathaniel Sokan, aged 32, youth leader, is one of the CLTS natural leaders. He describes the triggering process to us where the trainers from Maryland drew a map of the village in sawdust and whitewash to indicate where people were getting their water and defecating. They used sawdust to demonstrate how human waste gets spread around a community. Around 50 people attended the triggering split into two groups. The trainers talked about the way that flies can settle on faeces and then contaminate food but omitted to calculate the amount of human waste the village would generate in the course of a year. Nathaniel hasnt yet started digging a pit himself as his house is still under construction. The only people so far to dig pits are the chief and the elder who is blind. Chea Ngenenepa, aged 22, is the CLTS animator who goes from house to house to talk with people as well as holding group meetings on Saturday mornings to try and spread the sanitation message. Some (how many?) villagers have been trained to dig their own pit and use local materials to construct the latrine slabs, ie: sand, gravel, but most would not be able to afford to buy cement. When we ask a group of men what the community most needs, they say roads, health and education. A German Agricultural NGO came to Nyonken two years ago and said that they were going to help build a school, a clinic, with WASH services but apparently they didnt return. We visit the brand new eye catching green and white school latrine block constructed by New Era and WaterAid on the other side of the village in whats called the New Town. The school itself is still under construction and nearly finished. There are six latrines in total, three one side for girls, three for boys. The next step is to fit them with wooden lids with a handle (though Rose points out that unless they are sealed properly there will still be an issue with flies). When the pits are full, they will be closed off for six months and then cleared out, unclear as to whether there are plans to compost the waste. A pig feed barrel with a faucet will be constructed for hand washing with the health club members taking it in turns to fill it and the pupils will also harvest rain water during the rainy season.

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planning processes will take them into consideration. In addition, those areas will now become part of decision making around resource distribution and targeting of services. The Government of Liberia has made strong commitments, politically and in a development sense, to move from emergency to development approaches. By implication, citizens will be involved in decision making and the governance structures will be streamlined and strengthened. Recognising the poor nature of emergency work and frequently of broken down facilities, the Govt has committed to 90% sustainability of all WASH facilities provided as part of the Poverty reduction strategy (PRS). This is excellent, but how they deliver it remains a challenge. As part of the PRS, the government has set up what it calls 90-day deliverables whereby all actors in WASH are expected to report back on progress of work to enable them to track national access figures as and when they increase. This is also excellent but the mechanism for capturing and recording/updating is weak. There is also a nationwide facility mapping and assessment of functionality that will help establish actual access. Three different Ministries have a responsibility for WASH Public Works, Health, and Lands, Mines and Energy as well as the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, resulting in a lack of coordination, ownership and funding. Theres a draft policy in existence which aims to centralise WASH but it has not been finalised as yet. Theres no national coordinator for sanitation (unlike in Sierra Leone), no coordinating units for community-led total sanitation and very few CLTS trainers. According to Nash: Everyone is doing whatever they like so the standards are different. The forthcoming SWA multi-donor Mission, taking place in Monrovia at the end of April, aims to propose a coordinating mechanism, essentially to have one plan for all actors in the sector. Liberia wasnt present at the original e-Thekwini declaration but they have since made a commitment to 0.5% though financing for WASH currently stands at 0.2%. The current crisis in neighbouring country Ivory Coast is putting a further strain on already under resourced services, particularly in the counties of Grand Gedeh, Montserrado, Nimba, Maryland and River Gee (WaterAid works in the last two). According to recent UNHCR figures, there have been 79,250 refugee arrivals since 24 February 2011. A crisis meeting takes place every Monday at the moment by a WASH working group chaired by UNICEF. We met Mr George Yango from the Ministry of Public Works, whose responsibility it is to: implement WASH activities and create an environment for other organisations to work in this context whether local or international NGOs. Hes currently working on a five year national MDG plan and how to accelerate progress on sanitation. This Ministry builds institutional latrines in schools, clinics and hospitals, but not family latrines. According to him: The issue of latrines is not that theyre not available. CLTS has proven over and over again that people can take their sanitation issues into their own hands. We dont tell people what type of latrine to build, they choose. He continues: We are expecting some rapid increase in sanitation. We just need to get our approach right, you might be surprised at how successful we will be in two years. The first community to be declared opendefecation free in Liberia was Bukele in 2009. The Ministry is currently considering incentives such as certificates and videoing ODF celebrations in order to instil in people a sense of pride. CLTS is here to stay, were very positive about it. That said, he also goes on to say: Weve seen villages that have become ODF become OD again which is really a sad story because its very difficult to go back. Mr Jango talks a little about Monrovias sanitation facilities theres no working sewer service at present so pit latrines and septic tanks are used. In rainy season, the waste backs up into the street. Open defecation is rampant in some parts of the capital, ie: West Point, Sinkor; the beaches are a target for human waste pollution. His message to the President when asked: Sanitation is dignity in all respects. She (the President) is the forbearer and forerunner of the welfare of people in this country and she needs to instil in people the idea that handing out things is not the right culture. On the Ivory Coast refugee crisis, he says: The problem is that these are areas that were already deprived of basic social services so the coming of the refugees has just aggravated this. Flow (WSP) water point mapping has recently started in Liberia, all rural communities have now been mapped, showing 7400 water points but many are broken or barely functioning. The government is working towards an ambitious Liberia Rising 2030 programme to try and move the country and its population to a more desirable future by 2030. Tienpo District, River

Gee County Tienpo district, River Gee County, has one of the highest population densities in the region, which creates increasing difficulties in terms of access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation. The access to basic services in the district is difficult, and citizens have to walk for hours to reach the nearest health centres or clinics. WaterAid started work in Tienpo in 2010 and is providing access to hygiene education, water and sanitation in four communities: Nyonken, Jaytoken, Cheboken and Chienyeken. Some of these communities currently have no sanitation facilities and open defecation is widely practiced, which has serious implications for the health of the villagers. The lack of safe water sources coupled with the sanitation challenges places the district among the most deprived in the county. The communities were selected following initial mapping and our local partner, New Era, carrying out a baseline study to ascertain WASH coverage. We visited the communities of Nyonken and Jaytoken where the language spoken is Grebo. Its an arduous two day drive through five counties to get to the district capital, Fish Town, along bone-shaking ochre roads past huge rubber plantations (one of the countrys main exports), iron ore mining companies and endless swathes of verdant green bush. Cassava roots lie drying in the sun and women everywhere are pounding fufu in big stone mortars. Reminders of the civil war are omnipresent: a string of UN bases manned by peacekeepers from Bangladesh and Pakistan, amputees begging at busy crossroads, an arresting Real Men Dont Rape poster in Monrovia, the occasional ruined building, new bridges, the city of Gbatala where Charles Taylor trained his elite paramilitary force ATU Billboards line the route exhorting Liberians to pay their taxes, get the right paper for their land, grow more food, vote not fight, wash their hands before eating. Theres an NGO for everything: leprosy, supporting returning refugees, beekeeping, rice seed multiplication, fish production Many of the brand new buildings springing up have been built by the Chinese, including the University of Liberia Fendall Campus, and a hospital we pass. In Zwedru, Grand Gedeh county, where we break our journey overnight, the local restaurant is plastered with job adverts for WASH postings to help deal with the Ivory Coast refugee crisis: sanitation technicians, water technicians, hygiene promoters, waste management officers. The road network in Tienpo is problematic to say the least. People in some villages have to walk for up to seven hours across swamp land to reach a road. This makes it very difficult to transport the materials needed to build latrines and install pumps. Many of the villages have no nearby health clinic and villagers have to walk for several hours to see a nurse or physicians assistant (the nearest doctor is in Fish Town), often with chronic diarrhoea or malaria or both. People tend to survive on subsistence farming cassava, rice, bitter balls but on the whole diet is poor and many of the children are malnourished, with swollen stomachs full of parasites and worms. According to John, environmental health technician with WaterAids local partner New Era: This county is a virgin county so everything here is below standard. Its a gradual process were going through. With no proper access to sanitation, open defecation rates are high and many people use the goal pole, a designated area for defecating usually separate for men and women where you have to squat on a pole using a bamboo stick to keep your balance. Weve been abandoned, says Thomas from New Era when talking about the sanitation crisis in River Gee county. According to John, sanitation is not on the market the government is spending millions on curative health measures but not on preventative measures. There is little capacity for environmental health here no garbage disposal. WaterAid has been working with New Era for one year now. The constraints and challenges still ahead are huge: getting materials in on poor roads is costly and can only be delivered in small quantities; then there have been difficulties acquiring local materials such as crushed rocks, so specially trained rock breakers have had to be recruited from Monrovia. There are currently no other INGOs working specifically on WASH in Tienpo district. Nyonken Proposed WaterAid work: 1. Four hand dug wells 2. One 3-drop hole institutional latrine 3. Training of a) 3 pump caretakers; b) 1 pump mechanic and c) Water and Sanitation committee; 4. Carry out hygiene promotion and Community Led Total Sanitation Population: 1509 No of households: 151 Water: No facility before April 2011, relied on river and rainwater Three WaterAid pumps operational as of April 2011; fourth well hit rock during digging and is being relocated. WASH committee established and will oversee the maintenance of the facility, promote CLTS and serve as an advocacy group on behalf of the community

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Monrovia oggled down by a near-economic collapse, deteriorating economy, a corrupt state and rapidly growing concerns over the uncertainty about her yet-to-be-designated successor, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf appears undeterred and unwavering in her quest to see through the remaining of her second and final term of her presidency, nearly forty years in the making. Political murmurings It is a nagging question which has been mired in speculations and clouded in controversy that even Wilmot Paye, Secretary General of the ruling Unity Party believes is unlikely to go away anytime soon, at least, as long as it remains unsettled. Says Paye: What I can say is that succession is an issue that the party cannot evade and individual party members will continue to talk about that, people will continue to ask questions about that, people will continue to discuss it just as opposition political parties talking about the President last term being an opportunity for them to make a comeback. That has been the story for some time now with several variables entangled in political murmurings. The most recent scenario suggesting that the President may be leaning toward tipping her loyal and trusted vice President, Joseph Boakai as her successor, a move which could shift her away from an early plan she had envisioned of sailing into the retirement sunset after 2017 when she told a FrontPageAfrica interview shortly before the 2011 elections: Joe Boakai and I have stuck together. We stuck together for the first term, were sticking together again for the second term. We hope that God will give us the health and the strength for us to complete the second term and he and I will retire together. We will both leave public office and turn it over to the young people and go and rest ourselves. He will be with me right to the end. In recent months those plans appear to have been shown the door with Boakai himself not shying away from the issue when he told state radio, the Bumper Show last year that because he is the number two, it is obvious that he will have an ambition. Speaker Tyler for President? The debacle, according to party and government insiders, is which younger candidate fits the bill to be paired with Boakai that could sell to voters in 2017? This plan is however complicated by a new emerging political force within the national legislature, a political bloc led by House Speaker Alex Tyler are hoping to field a ticket with Tyler at the helm. This could complicate things for Boakai and put Sirleaf in a delicate predicament with her quest to align with Tyler and the lower house with whom she has had some strained ties. In the wake of the debacle are speculations among Sirleafs inner circle that the President may likely not complete her second term and could possibly turn over duties to Boakai and a younger candidate who could pair up to contest the 2017 Presidential elections. Sirleaf dismissed those reports in a recent interview with Truth FM when she vowed that she will end her tenure and will not resign until she turns over power to an elected government. I will end my job; in fact, I will end it with Liberia being better. Those comments come in the backdrop of another media report claiming that an executive meeting of the ruling Unity Party last week, ended in chaos after the issue of succession was raised, but the UP Secretary General, Paye dispelled the notion that the issue was even discussed. Although Paye did not rule out that succession is an important issue, he said at the moment, the Unity Party does not want to be distracted by the talk of succession which could drive the party from focusing on its agenda as expressed to the Liberian people during the 2011 elections. According to Paye, the party is yet to call a special session of the Executive Committee of the party to discuss the succession plan of the Unity party as is being reported. I am not too sure whether such discussion has been held from where I sit as National Secretary General of the party, the custodian of all records and who administers the affairs of the party. But the Unity Party Secretary General admitted that the party cannot shy from the issue of succession because it is major issue, but said at the moment, the party wants to focus on its agenda. Paye indicated that talking about succession now will mean the UP will be distracted from performing its task. People who are talking about succession now are suggesting for the party to undermine itself, because President Sirleaf was elected in 2011, and even before the first half of the term is ended, people want us to be talking about succession and thereby distract attention and focus from the agenda we have before us. What we promised the people that we will deliver and the President been the one driving the agenda, you are saying that, we should blow off the issue for competition for succession come 2017 which is unfair, Paye indicated. Sirleaf for the first time recently, suggested to Truth FM that she was aware of some of those interested in succeeding her, including some unnamed politicians from past regime she pledged to work against taking over from her. Benoni Urey is the first person from the past regime who has publicly announced his interest to become the next President, after Sirleaf. Hand-picked Successor Comes With Risks Many critics have taken the President to task for what they believe is an attempt to circumvent the election process in 2017, to her benefit. Some have suggested that the Presidents real motive could be to protect her legacy by handpicking a successor that would keep her and corrupt figures in her government from the prosecution line after her term. But critics say that plan could present some risks for Sirleaf and is not a guarantee. These critics points to several examples of countries where handpicked successor have prosecuted their immediate predecessor. In the most recent times, the two classic cases

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Thursday, April 17, 2014

that stand out are Zambia and Malawi. In Zambia, President Frederick Chiluba hand-picked successor, Levy Mwanawasa, brought more than 100 charges of corruption against him, including the theft of $US35m of public funds allegedly funneled into private bank accounts in London. Former President Chilubas wife, Regina also faced charges of theft. Mr Chiluba denied all charges, saying they were politically motivated. He was acquitted after a sixyear trial but in 2007 he was found guilty of stealing $US46m (23m) of public money by a UK court. The stress of a lengthy trial took a toll on him until his death in June 2011. In Malawi, the late President Bingu wa Mutharika's campaigned against poverty and corruption which made him the darling of the international donor community. The fight against corruption was Mutharika's main goal when he became President and he charged several government officials, including his predecessor Bakili Muluzi, with corruption and fraud. In 1994 - Presidential and municipal elections, Bakili Muluzi, leader of the United Democratic Front (UDF), was elected President. He immediately freed political prisoners and re-established freedom of speech. In 1999, President Muluzi was re-elected for a second and final five-year term. Before his final term, he handpicked Bingu wa Mutharika as his successor, who was also a member of UDF. In May 2004, Bingu wa Mutharika wins the presidency. In February 2005, President Mutharika resigned from the UDF over what he said was its hostility to his anti-corruption campaign. He formed his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). In June 2005, President Mutharika survived an impeachment motion backed by the UDF. The speaker of parliament died after collapsing during angry exchanges over the motion. President Mutharika took the fight to the former President, the man who had handpicked him as his successor. In July 2006, he arrested Ex-President Bakili Muluzi on corruption charges. While Sirleaf is yet to officially tip her hand to Boakai, some insiders say the delay could be tied to the insecurities about Boakai from close aides and long-time friends of the President still harboring doubts that Boakai could protect the President and her family from prosecution. Boakais service spans more than 35 years, including various positions in government, private sector, agro-related, church and civil society. His critics see him as a soft leader but his supporters see him as simply doing the role he was elected to perform, an unthreatening second fiddle to Africas first female President. Inside UP, some view Boakai as an outsider brought into UP by his long time childhood friend, Willis D. Knuckles, who is also a confidante of the President and former Minister of State in the Sirleaf administration. Boakai is originally a staunch member of Baccus Mathews United Peoples Party. In 1997, Boakai contested for the Standard Bearer in UPP but was defeated by the late Baccus Mathews. In the finally analysis, political observers say, not tipping Boakai could be a rarity. It is not often that an incumbent President, not tip a sitting vice President as a successor. It would be much difficult to justify why she will not support a man she chose twice to serve as Vice President, first in 2005 elections and later in the 2011 elections. By not supporting Boakai, it would give an indication that the President was not sincere about the country as the single most important job requirement of a Vice President is someone who is capable to step in and serve as President on day in the event the President were to die or become incapacitated. The fact that Sirleaf chose Boakai twice means that she has confidence that Boakai was capable of serving as President. A lot of complications Others say, the succession play seems risky for President Sirleaf as there are so many variables expected to interplay. In addition to the Boakai factor, Cllr. Varney Sherman, Ambassador Jeremiah Solunteh, politically-ambitious Foreign Minister Augustine K. Ngafuan, and Finance Minister Amara Konneh are amongst a long list of potential Unity Party contenders for the big post. This all makes the Ellen succession story more riskier. Like Vice President Boakai, Minister Ngafuan and others have all publicly stated that they will not be inactive come 2017. Complicating the succession plan is that President Sirleaf accordingly made numerous political compromises

on her way to seeking re-election. For example, some have argued that former Presidential candidate Varney Sherman and the Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia formed a merger with the Unity party with suggestions that Sherman waived his Presidential ambition in 2011 to support Ellen in order for the President to return the favor in 2017. Brumskine who was a strong critic during the first term of President Sirleaf but surprisingly pledged support to President Sirleaf during the runoff election in 2011 with political compromises said to be reached behind the scene for Sirleaf to weigh support for Brumskine after the end of her tenure. Unlike the first term, Brumskine was being very quiet during the second term of President Sirleaf with the presidency believed to have aided him in getting lucrative legal contracts. But insiders have indicated that Brumskine and Sirleaf relationship between sour when Unity Partisan handed to Sirleaf an article that was written by Brusmkines son in the Harvard Review, where he castigated the President. Although the said article was authored in 2005, insider says Sirleaf and her closed allies are bitter. Further straining the relationship is the fact that Liberty Party has yet again become vocal in its opposition to Sirleafs policies, especially the forceful rebuttal of Sirleafs 2014 State of the Nation Address by LP Senator Kangar. Brumskine put the icing on the cake when he accused Senate Pro Tempore Findley is being Sirleafs handbag. In some corners, others have stated that Sirleaf has promised the Presidency to others, including former Public Works Minister Samuel Kofi Woods, Senator Prince Johnson, and even George Mannah Weah. But for Paye, the Unity Party still has so many potential people and is not short of qualified people to fill Sirleafs shoes, but stressed that talking about succession now will hamper the party from fulfilling its pledge to the Liberian people. In our good wisdom, that is not a good practice and any political party that does that, that party is trying to undermine itself. Succession can be successful if the party can fulfill its promise to the people, if we deliver on our promises to our people, than that becomes a tramp-card for others who want to succeed. If we dont deliver, than succession will not be an issue. This is where, Sirleafs critics say, the political play gets murky. The lack of political will by a government plagued with many problems ranging from massive unemployment, crippling corruption, budget shortfalls, and more recently the stalling of major infrastructure projects across the country as acknowledged by both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank point to a not so appetizing formula for hand-picking a successor, some political observers say. Like UP, Opposition in Tatters Waiting in the wings, is a yet-to-be defined opposition, still struggling for an identity or a clear cut standout likely to lead the class of 2017. It is a problem some diplomatic observers say could present a serious roadblock for those looking to fill Sirleafs shoes. These diplomats say the opposition is scattered, confused, lacking focus, and has not yet produced a leader with the integrity, commitment and a credible alternative plan of action that can be viewed as a clear alternative to Sirleafs UP. For now, the Presidents determination to see her second term through coupled with uncertainty over who she is contemplating on filling her shoes has many, including figures in her own political party playing the guessing game. Three years toward the finish line of her presidency, time may be running out and patience wearing thin over what is building up to be an intriguing sprint toward the succession line. But if FrontpageAfrica were to predict it seems, as of today, that Vice President Boakai has regained his footing and he is clearly most likely to become the choice of Sirleaf. The question will be whether the young and ambitious politicians will stay around the UP to see who come through a Boakai Presidency. If Boakai is finally chosen, the Constitution forbids the President and the Vice President to be from the same county. This means all the Lofians in the UP party will not be eligible even for the Vice Presidency. Stay tuned

Thursday, April 17, 2014

It's hard to catch but the latest outbreak of the deadly virus was in a city with an international airport

EBOLA COULD SPREAD OUT OF AFRICA, DOCTORS ADMIT

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EBOLA

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hile Guina claims its outbreak of Ebola is "almost under control," the fact is that the deadly virus had broken out of remote villages surrounded by forest into the capital city, and the rest of the world wonders: is it next? As the death count neared 130, Guinea explained on Tuesday that new cases were becoming fewer and the pace of death was diminishing. But the incidence of the outbreak in the capital city of Conakry with its population of some 2 million and international airport is a terrifying thought for the rest of the planet. Clearly, people carrying the virus who don't feel its effects yet can travel, and in fact, cases were reported in the neighboring country of Liberia first near the border with Guinea and now in the capital of Monrovia as well. Cases are suspected in Mali and Sierra Leone as well. Doctors beg to reassure that B-movies aside, Ebola is actually hard to contract. Catching the disease requires physical contact with a victim's body fluids. Or, with objects that were contaminated with a victim's fluids. That said, the incubation period

AS AFRICAN EBOLA OUTBREAK SPREADS, HOPES FOR VACCINE REMAIN YEARS AWAY

from infection to full-blown Ebola can take as long as three weeks, during at least some of which, the victim is in a state of blissful ignorance. Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent for CNN, agrees that asymptomatic sufferers taking international flights are a problem. That isn't a likely scenario, he told "The Wrap" but said in the same breath that he sees an "increasingly real" likelihood of the virus spreading out of Africa. What can be done to halt the spread? Ebola's early symptoms

(Reuters) he number of deaths caused by Ebola has slowed dramatically in Guinea and the outbreak is nearly under control, the country's health ministry said on Tuesday. The spread of Ebola from a remote corner of Guinea to the capital and into neighboring Liberia has killed about 130 people and spread panic across West African nations struggling with weak healthcare systems and porous borders. While Guinea claimed progress in containing the virus, U.S. experts opened a lab for testing for Ebola in Liberia and Gambia stepped up travel restrictions, banning inbound flights from collecting passengers in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. "The number of new cases have fallen rapidly," said Rafi Diallo, a spokesman for Guinea's health ministry, who gave the latest toll of 106 dead in Guinea from 159 confirmed and suspected cases of Ebola since the outbreak began in February. Diallo said the new cases being monitored were all people who had been in contact with those who had fallen ill but were not themselves unwell. "Once we no longer have any new cases ... we can say that it is totally under control," he added. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said earlier this month that it would take two to four months to contain the Ebola outbreak, which is said had been one of the most

GUINEA SAYS EBOLA OUTBREAK ALMOST UNDER CONTROL

Health experts in the west African country say there are fewer new cases of the virus, which has no cure and which is fatal for a significant portion of those who contract it, suggesting the outbreak that has killed over 100 people there may be close to being contained

include flu-like signs, including fever and loose bowels, as well as pain in the joints. Travelers admitting to symptoms of the kind simply aren't allowed on the plane in Conakry International, which installed heat-sensitive technology to detect passengers with high body temperature. Senegal took the preventative measure of shutting down its border with Guinea. Closer to home, the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies have been pouring resources into Guinea, where much effort is going into education and

locating and warning the families of victims, who may have been infected and may meanwhile be getting about and spreading the disease themselves. There is no vaccine and no known cure for Ebola, which was first discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976, a distance of more than 5,000 kilometers. The fact that this latest and biggest outbreak was in Guinea, nowhere near Congo, demonstrates that the danger of spread is real. Anywhere from half to 90% of people contracting the Ebola virus will die.

s a major outbreak of deadly Ebola virus spreads through the West African nations of Guinea and Liberia, public health officials are struggling to contain the horror-movie pathogen before it slips into neighboring countries. They must do so without the aid of any vaccines to prevent Ebola's spread or medicines to treat Ebola infections. None currently exists. But scientists say they are beginning to close in on ways to stop the virus. Several promising vaccines and medications are under development, although all are still years from availability, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Currently, the best treatment for Ebola involves providing fluid to the patient to replace the bleeding that occurs from all orifices as the hemorrhagic fever destroys the body from within. "If you have a medical facility to give you blood or plasma or fluid, you're not specifically attacking the Ebola, but you're giving the patient a better chance of surviving," Fauci explained. "Some people who have the best medical care still die, and there are some people with no care who survive. But you have the best chance if you have medical care." As of late last week, the number of suspected cases in Guinea had swelled to 158, with 101 deaths, according to the World Health Organization. There are 25 reported cases in nearby Liberia, including 12 deaths. Most deaths have occurred in the southeastern Guinea city of Guekedou, which lies near the borders of Sierra Leone and Liberia. Suspected cases have been reported in Sierra Leone, Mali and Ghana, but none has been confirmed. Ebola's average death rate is about 70 percent, but can range between 20 percent and 90 percent depending on the strain, Fauci said. The most promising efforts to develop an Ebola vaccine involve genetic splicing, Fauci said. In this line of research, NIAID investigators and several pharmaceutical firms are pursuing separate research that would insert part of Ebola's genetics into an existing vaccine-ready virus. This strategy, called a viral vector, takes advantage of the ability of viruses to efficiently infect cells. Instead of delivering a payload of illness, these modified, harmless viruses would deliver a nonthreatening piece of Ebola's genetics in hopes of triggering an immune response that would create antibodies to protect against future Ebola infection. "You take another virus and you take the particular gene of the Ebola virus for which you want to prompt immunity, and you insert that gene into the virus," Fauci explained. Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia are spearheading another research effort along similar lines. They have produced an Ebola vaccine that piggybacks on the established rabies virus vaccine, and the new combination has successfully immunized mice and primates in lab tests against both rabies and Ebola. "I think we've demonstrated it is efficient in animal models, and now we have to produce a vaccine that would be appropriate for humans," said Matthias Schnell, director of the Jefferson Vaccine Center. This vaccine actually uses a surface protein taken from Ebola, rather than pieces of its genetic material, to create the immune response, Fauci said. All of these vaccines are nowhere near human trials, however, Schnell and Fauci said. The most advanced efforts are currently undergoing pre-clinical evaluation, and are still years away from phase I trials that would determine whether the vaccines would be safe in humans and provoke the necessary immune response. "We now have a grant from the [U.S. National Institutes of Health] for five years to develop clinical material," Schnell said. "Our first clinical trial can be performed in two to three years, hopefully."

challenging it had ever faced. There is no vaccine or cure for Ebola, a hemorrhagic fever with a fatality rate of up to 90 percent. However, Diallo said Guinea had recorded 37 cases of people recovering from the disease. The WHO has said that just under 400 people were still being observed after being identified as potential Ebola contacts. Tracing potential cases in Conakry, the sprawling capital that is home to 2 million people, was tricky, it says. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Defense on

Monday opened a laboratory on the outskirts of Monrovia to test the rising number of samples of suspected cases in Liberia. It will eliminate the need to send samples overland into Guinea's remote southeast, where the disease was first confirmed and tests from Liberia are now being carried out, officials said. Liberia's health ministry has recorded at least 13 deaths from 26 confirmed and suspected cases of Ebola. At least two of the dead were health workers, highlighting the need for experts to advise local staff on how to operate in the crisis.

Ebola cases in Liberia were first found near the border with Guinea but have been nearing the capital, Monrovia. Samples tested in Mali, Ghana and Sierra Leone have been negative so far. But they have imposed restrictions ranging from basic health checks at airports to Dakar's completely shutting the land border between Senegal and Guinea. Gambia on April 10 banned Banjul-bound aircraft from picking up passengers in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to a letter from the transport ministry seen by Reuters.

WEST AFRICA EBOLA OUTBREAK DEATH TOLL RISES TO 121

DAKAR (Senegal): n outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has been linked to the deaths of more than 120 people, according to the latest World Health Organization count. There is no vaccine and no cure for the deadly virus, and its appearance in West Africa, far from its usual sites in Central and East Africa, has caused some panic. Health workers are trying to contain its spread, tracking down anyone with whom the sick have had contact. Mali announced on Tuesday that samples from all its suspected cases had tested negative for the disease. Malian health minister Ousmane Kone said that the country had sent out 10 samples for testing at labs in the United States and Senegal, and all were declared negative for Ebola. There are no other known suspected cases in the country. As of Monday, the UN health agency said it had recorded a total of 200 suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola, the majority of which are in Guinea. That figure includes some of the Mali cases that the government now says are negative. The organization said the deaths of 121 people in Guinea and Liberia have been linked to the disease. Officials have said the current outbreak could last months.

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KRAMATORSK/SLAVIANSK, Ukraine (Reuters) OSCAR PISTORIUS eparatists flew the MAY HAVE STUMBLED Russian flag on armored vehicles WITH HIS TESTIMONY, taken from the EXPERTS SAY Ukrainian army on Wednesday, humiliating a Kiev government operation to recapture eastern towns controlled by pro-Moscow partisans. Six armored personnel carriers were driven into the rebel-held town of Slaviansk to waves and scar Pistorius' shouts of "Russia! Russia!". testimony may It was not immediately clear have tripped up whether they had been captured his defense, legal by rebels or handed over to them experts told ABC News today by Ukrainian deserters. after the Blade Runner finished Another 15 armored troop seven days on the witness stand, carriers full of paratroops were including five rough days of surrounded and halted by a procross examination. Russian crowd at a town near Several defense lawyers said an airbase. They were allowed that all of Pistorius' tears and to retreat only after the soldiers emotional breakdowns on the had handed over the firing stand will not overcome doubts pins from their rifles to a rebel in his story raised by prosecutor commander. Gerrie Nel. The military setback leaves Pistorius, 27, is accused of Kiev looking weak on the eve of killing his girlfriend Reeva a peace conference on Thursday, Steenkamp, 29, in the early when its foreign minister will hours of Valentine's Day 2013. meet his Russian, U.S. and He pleaded not guilty to the European Union counterparts in charge of murder and three other Geneva. gun related charges. In his plea Moscow has responded to the explanation he said he mistook overthrow of Moscow-backed Steenkamp for an intruder. Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich in February by PROTECTOR OF VAST declaring the interim Kiev AFRICAN PARK SHOT government an illegitimate AND WOUNDED gang of fascists. It has also announced its right to intervene militarily across the former Soviet Union to protect Russian speakers, a new doctrine that has overturned decades of postCold War diplomacy. The EU took a step towards imposing tougher economic DAKAR, Senegal (AP) sanctions on Russia by member of informing its member states of Belgium's royal the likely impact of proposed family who, as measures on each of them. director of a vast Countries have a week to national park in respond before the European eastern Congo has tried to defend Commission starts drawing up endangered mountain gorillas and other animals from poachers and plans for sanctions on energy, the forests from illegal logging and finance and trade. charcoal production, was shot and To keep the sensitive material seriously wounded as he drove in from leaking, each of the 28 the area, officials said Wednesday. member states was told only A park spokeswoman said of the expected risks its own Emmanuel de Merode, who also economy would face. The serves as chief warden of Virunga information was handed to each National Park, appeared to have

IN BRIEF

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Thursday, April 17, 2014

MILITARY SETBACK
Pro-Russia separatists take armor, humiliating Ukraine forces
would precipitate a Russian invasion. The operation is the first test of Kiev's underfunded army, which had until now played no role in six months of internal unrest. The government seems to have resorted to using troops after losing faith that police in the east would stay loyal. OPERATION The government troops began their operation on Tuesday, arriving by helicopter to take control of an airfield at Kramatorsk. They drove armored personnel carriers flying the Ukrainian flag into the town in the early morning. But six of those vehicles later rumbled into Slaviansk, 15 km (9 miles) away, with Russian and separatist flags and armed men in motley combat fatigues on top. They stopped outside the separatist-occupied town hall. Some Ukrainian troops were also taken to Slaviansk with the vehicles, although it was not immediately clear whether they had deserted or were coerced into coming. People in the town said some were sent home in buses. One soldier guarding one of the vehicles said he was a member of Ukraine's 25th paratrooper division, the unit sent by Kiev to recapture Slaviansk and Kramatorsk. "All the soldiers and the officers are here. EU ambassador in a sealed brown envelope. Russia seized and annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula last month, and its armed supporters have now taken control over swathes of Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland. So far, the United States and EU have imposed only targeted sanctions against a list of Russian and Ukrainian individuals and firms, which Moscow has openly mocked. Washington and Brussels say they are working on far tougher measures. The Ukrainian government confirmed that six of its armored vehicles were now in the hands of separatists. Photos of their number markings showed they were among vehicles deployed earlier in the government's attempted "anti-terrorist" operation. Kiev had sent the convoy of paratroops to capture an airfield, the start of an operation to reclaim towns held by separatists who have declared an independent "People's Republic" in the industrial Donbass region. The Ukrainian government and its Western allies believe Russian agents are coordinating the uprising. Moscow denies it is involved and says Kiev is precipitating civil war by sending troops to put down the revolt. The Kiev government is seeking to reassert control without bloodshed, which it fears We are all boys who won't shoot our own people," he said, adding that his men had had no food for four days until local residents fed them. The Defence Ministry in Kiev said the vehicles had been captured. "A column was blocked by a crowd of local people in Kramatorsk with members of a Russian diversionary-terrorist group among them," it said. "As a result, extremists seized the equipment." Above Slaviansk, a Ukrainian jet fighter carried out several minutes of aerobatics over the town's main square. Back in Kramatorsk, 15 vehicles from the Ukrainian military convoy sent to recapture the town were stuck near a railroad, blockaded by unarmed local residents. A Ukrainian officer said his men were not prepared to fire on fellow Ukrainians. "I am a Ukrainian officer, that's the first thing. The other is that I will not shoot at my own people no matter what," said the officer who said he could not give his name as he was not authorized to speak to the media. "I want things to be normal, people to go back home, not sit in some fields with weapons. I want children to see weapons only on TV ... I want us to live together as we were. And I want to be back home to my wife and child."

been targeted but wouldn't say by whom. The list of potential suspects includes members of outlawed armed groups that roam the park, Africa's oldest.

283 MISSING, 4 DEAD IN SOUTH KOREA FERRY DISASTER

MOKPO, South Korea (AP) ferry carrying 462 people, mostly high school students on an overnight trip to a tourist island, sank off South Korea's southern coast on Wednesday, leaving more than 280 people missing despite a frantic, hourslong rescue by dozens of ships and helicopters. At least four people were confirmed dead and 55 injured. The high number of people unaccounted for likely trapped in the ship or floating in the ocean raised fears that the death toll could rise drastically, making it one of South Korea's biggest ferry disasters since 1993, when 292 people died.

Sarh (Chad) (AFP) had said Wednesday it had withdrawn its entire force from the Central African Republic in the wake of accusations its troops waged an unprovoked attack in a market last month. The pullout of more than 800 troops who made up a key contingent in the African peacekeeping force MISCA struggling to restore security in the violence-ravaged country came despite French appeals for Chad to reverse its decision. "The last soldier crossed the border on April 13," Souleyman Adam, the head of the Chadian peacekeeping unit, said at a ceremony in the southern town of Sarh, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the frontier. President Idriss Deby Itno had ordered the pullout after the United Nations said Chadian troops had opened fire in a crowded market in the capital

CHAD WITHDRAWS ALL TROOPS FROM CENTRAL AFRICA

Bangui on March 29 in an attack that left around 30 people dead. The UN Human Rights Commission said an investigation had found that the troops fired "without any provocation", claims branded

defamatory by Chad. The Chadian troops have faced repeated accusations of siding with Muslims in Central Africa's bloody sectarian conflict. At Wednesday's ceremony, Prime Minister Pahimi Deubet

Kalzeube chastised those he said were seeking to "tarnish the image of our valiant defence and security forces". A total of 833 Chadian soldiers have returned home after a mission that left 15 of their comrades dead.

Thousands of people have been killed and many more have fled in waves of bloodshed that have convulsed the Central African Republic since a coup in March last year. Some 8,000 foreign troops -- 2,000 from former colonial power France and most of the rest from the African MISCA force -- are trying to disarm rival militias after a year of brutal Christian-Muslim violence. Chadian soldiers have been accused of siding with the mainly Muslim Seleka movement -- which seized power in March 2013 and held it until January this year -- and of condoning the abuses carried out by some of them against the majority Christian population. Chad has always denied the charges, and has said it wants to keep working with its neighbour to rebuild security there.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

CARRYING COUNTRY
Satellite FC Prepares for Gothia Cup in Sweden
A. Macaulay Sombai, sombai121@gmail.com
use those positive techniques. I want you all to understand that it is through such a major tournament most of today players around the world were spotted and I can assure you that if you perform excellently in the tournament you will also be spotted and taken to world class football teams in Europe or any part of the world. He clearly stated to the players that their selection was done based on merit and not friendship and that they all should take each game at the tournament seriously and keep in mind that they are going to play against other country teams in the interest of FC Satellite and their beloved country Liberia. As we reach Sweden you will continue to hear people talking about Liberia more often than FC Satellite because Satellite is from Liberia and will be there to represent no other country than Liberia so I am urging you all not to leave any stone unturned until we conquer all of our opponents and be crowned champions as your brothers did few years back. The tournament is expected to kickoff from the 20 of May

Sports

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OZIL NEARS ARSENAL RETURN AS DIABY RESUMES TRAINING

SPORT BRIEF

FC Satellite final squad for Sweden

to work hard in order to prove their talents against their opponents in the tournament, something he said if done will enable the players to get good contracts outside the country. Coach Francis warned the players that in order for their soccer career to move on a higher level which could help some to get contracts outside Liberia or be called on the senior national team of Liberia, it is now time for them to prove their talents against their opponents in such a major international football competition. The coach acknowledged that as a coach, he and his technical staff have kept the players together for the past two months and have been teaching them all of the tactical techniques to be used against their opponents in the tournament and it is now left to the players to put into better

C Satellite are preparing to carry the red, white and blue national colors of Liberia high when they travel to Sweden to partake in the Gothia Cup tournament and head coach Gabian Rockson Francis reckons the huge task ahead of his players. The President and Head Coach has urged his team comprising the final selected players for the 2014 Gothia Cup tournament

and will last for two weeks and Coach Francis confirmed that 18 out of the 20 players invited to justify their inclusion on the team have been selected along with four officials for the trip to Sweden. The coach called on football stakeholders and other football sponsors in the country to come to the aid of his team as they are in need of financial assistance in order to make their trip to Sweden possible. He disclosed that they have written about 10 to 12 football sponsors in the country but presently they are yet to receive positive responses from any of them but he is hoping that at least the majority of those sponsors will lend support to the team. To all the football stakeholders in Liberia, I am pleased to ask for your assistance as we are about to represent our beloved and only country Liberia in such an important international competition. It can be recalled that FC Satellite was among the powerful LFA second division clubs but was relegated at the end of the LFA 2012/2013 national league season and they still stand as third division team. Nevertheless, Coach Francis is of the confident that his boys are going to deliver the necessary results for the country and people.

BECKHAM'S MIAMI STADIUM PLANS FACE GROWING OPPOSITION

rsene Wenger has confirmed Mesut Ozil is expected to be available for Arsenal's Premier League clash with Hull City on Sunday, while Abou Diaby is set to return to full training this week. Germany international Ozil has not featured for the Gunners since a 1-0 loss to Stoke City at the start of March, having picked up a hamstring injury, while Diaby has not made an appearance for the club this season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last year. However, Arsenal will be boosted by the news that its club-record signing could be fit to face Hull in a dress rehearsal of the FA Cup final, while Diaby is ready to make a long-awaited return to training though Wenger is keen not to risk the injury-prone midfielder too soon.

Miami (AFP) avid Beckham's ambitions of seeing his new Miami football team playing at an eye-catching state-of-the-art stadium at the city's port are facing growing local opposition. An influential group striving to safeguard "the long-term success of the port" has issued an open letter railing against the former England football star's stadium plans, saying thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in investment could be at risk. "We support a soccer franchise in Miami wholeheartedly and there are several suitable sites that would benefit tremendously from a stadium. However, PortMiami is not one of them," Miami Seaport Alliance said in its letter.

ANTIC: ANCELOTTI HAS BEEN UNFAIR TO ISCO

A flashback of an anti-violence match at the D. Tweh sports pitch in NKT

t will be the crme de la crme on display at the Bardnersville Estate sports pitch when a collection of footballers from New Kru Town (NKT) take on their hosts in an antiviolence match on Thursday at 4:00PM. According to the chief organizer Wleh Bedell, Liberia Football Association (LFA) president Musa Hassan Bility is expected to take the kickoff. Bility will encourage the players to reject violence and take education seriously in becoming descent people during and after football. According to Bedell, it will

NKT All Stars take on Gardnersville All Stars in anti-violence match on Thursday
Danesius Marteh, danesius.marteh@frontpageafricaonline.com
be Bility's first interaction with active footballers since his induction for a second term on April 12, and his first interaction with young players at such an event. The Barrack Young Controllers trio of Teah Dennis, Isaac Pupo and Blamo Nimely are expected to feature for NKT while Adolphus Blamo and the Sierra Leonean internationals Mohammed Kanu and Sulieman Kamara will inspire the rampaging Rising Stars. According to the former assistant secretarygeneral of the Sports Writers Association of Liberia (Swal), it does not matter who wins but how the lads relate to each other. The organizing committee is inviting government officials, journalists and football fans to

WHO WILL WIN?

ormer Real Madrid coach Radomir Antic has criticized Carlo Ancelotti for his treatment of attacking midfielderIsco as he feels the youngster did not deserve to be dropped from the starting XI this season. The 21-year-old initially impressed after joining Madrid from Malaga last summer, but lost his starting berth after a number of disappointing performances as Ancelotti opted for a more solid 4-3-3 system with Angel Di Maria alongside Luka Modric and Xabi Alonso. Isco has since mainly been warming the bench at Santiago Bernabeu and Antic feels Ancelotti is wrong to focus on the Spain international's weaknesses in defending rather than his strengths in attack.