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pg 6

ANOTHER YOU EAT, I EAT?

SPEAKER TYLER BATTLES TO DEFEND US$ 73M PROPOSAL

pg 7 RUDE AND DISRESPECTFUL KID

Politics
EXECUTIVE MANSION DESCRIBES MPC FREEMAN; SAYS HES SEEKING ATTENTION

CENTRAL BANK OF LIBERIA

MARKET BUYING AND SELLING RATES LIBERIAN DOLLARS PER US DOLLAR

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www.frontpageafricaonline.com
VOL 8 NO.529 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

BUYING WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2014 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2014 L$80.00/US$1 L$80.00/US$1 L$80.00/US$1

SELLING L$81.00/US$1 L$81.00/US$1 L$81.00/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

EPS, LNP BAD BLOOD STILL LINGERING

PRICE L$40

SECURITY TREND
We Have Observed in recent time the complete exclusion of the Liberia National Police from the Security detail of the President Rep. Bhophal Chambers, District Number #2, Pleebo-Sodoken, Maryland County

WORRISOME

LEGISLATIVE BEAT pg. 5

See PG 2

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Page 2 | Frontpage

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Doug Saunders, writing in Canadas The Globe and Mail last November warned that the persistent corruption may be an effect of Liberias other big problem: An approach to economic development, promoted by Ms. Johnson Sirleaf, that often seems to consist of offering the countrys natural resources to the highest international bidder with little or no regard for transparency, responsibility or effects on people and environment. Bropleh-Era Account Also Frozen International criticism of the Sirleaf government was bolstered in the aftermath of the revoking of 17 timber permits, signed under highly questionable circumstances that allowed foreign license-holders to claim 40 per cent of the countrys forests without regard for social and environmental protection laws. According to a draft audit report by Moore Stephens, only two of the 68 resource contracts worth $8-billion signed by Liberia since 2009 have been in compliance with the countrys laws. This is why many are raising eyebrows over why one agency, the LTA which has not as of last Fiscal Year 2012/2013 and Fiscal Year 2013/2014, submitted its procurement plan for approval in keeping with Section 40 of the PPCA. The PPCA clearly states that prior to approval of procurement plans must be obtained from the PPCC before any contracts can be awarded for Fiscal Year 2013/2014. The LTAs defiance has been deemed a gross contravention of the PPCA as procurement planning is the beginning from which transparency and accountability of government funds can be ascertained. Similarly, the Auditor Generals 2008 report also took the Bropleh era to task over unrealistic budget provisions without executive approval. Though LTA Act Part 111, 9 (5) requires the Commission to prepare an annual budget for the operations of the LTA, to be submitted for approval by the Executive Branch of Government, there was no such approval of the budget for the financial years, 1 March 2006 to 31 December, 2007 and 1 January, 2008 to 31 December, 2008. The Chairman of the LTA confirmed the omission but asserted that the budgets were approved by the President. However, he indicated that the Presidents approval was not in writing. Instead it was given to him verbally.

A
Monrovia-

Rodney D. Sieh, rodney.sieh@FrontPageAfricaonline.com

The LTA Chair had agreed to pay US$385,000.00 (Three Hundred Eighty Five Thousand United States Dollars) per year, with a threeyear upfront payment to a Chinese Landlord totaling US$1, 155,000.00 (one million, one hundred fifty five thousand United States dollars). The four-storey building contains thirty-one rooms and six bathrooms situated on two lots of land. Multiple sources confirmed to FPA that the lease agreement was sent to the Ministry of Justice in keeping with the Procurement Law.

n audit for the fiscal years ending 2006/07 and 2007/08 of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority by the General Auditing Commission unveiled a number of reportable issues of fraud involving former Chairman Albert N. Bropleh. Two years later, Bropleh was arrested and taken to court, images of Broplehs embarrassing position remains on the worldwide web. Today, the case involving the former head of the LTA remains the most visible action to date taken against a former official accused of corruption since the inception of the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf government. Critics and international observers have been concerned over the lack of prosecution for officials accused of corruption with many former officials cited by the GAC, special presidential commissions, LACC and PPCC still roaming freely around the city. This was compounded by the President Ellen Johnson-Sirleafs own assertion during her annual message last week that she is looking forward to working with what she described as a media-shy GAC, a GAC that is unlikely to make audit reports available for public consumption and dissecting, although Section 37 of the Public Financial Management Law (2009) clearly states that all completed audit reports are to be published within one month of completion. Bropleh Era Comes Full Circle This week, events at the LTA came full circle when the president announced the cancellation of a US$1.1 million dollar lease agreement undertaken by the current LTA chair Angelique Weeks and the board of the Authority. The action came less than 48 hours after FrontPageAfrica reported that the LTA had entered into an advanced negotiation with a Chinese company, Qingfian International (Lib) Group Development Co. Ltd. (CNQC) to rent its apartment building to house the LTA. The building is located on the Congotown back road near the Baptist Church. The same building and price was rejected by another government agency, the National Investment Commission (NIC). The Chinese company demanded an asking price of US$450,000 per annum. The LTA, whose lease with the Methodist Church, the landlord for one of its offices in Sinkor expired last Sunday, had already moved into the controversial new building despite objections from the Ministry of Justice and the Public Procurement Concessions Commission.

I know that some people in this Administration feel that we are now in injury time and therefore they are entitled to chop. But this is ridiculous, outrageous, and President Sirleaf should not allow it to stand, if she is serious about her much-touted campaign against corruption. I will go one step further. The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, the Ministry of Justice and the Public Procurement and Concession Commission should launch an immediate investigation into this sordid arrangement and take corrective, punitive action. Enough is enough!, Harry A. Greaves
While Bropleh and his team were suspended and subsequently dismissed, the current LTA board has not been touched, only the controversial contract terminated and the LTA accounted frozen. Many are also confused over why the President recently took a decision to suspend the entire board of the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LIBTELCO) but has so far failed to do the same for the LTA board whose actions in ignoring the recommendations of both the Public Procurement Concessions Commission and the Ministry of Justice led the authority into its current predicament. Sirleaf suspended the entire LIBTELCO board, including the Corporation's Managing Director, pending the conclusion of an investigation, under the guidance of the Ministry of Justice, into their failure to adhere to the provisions of the Public Procurement Act in concluding a contract with a European company, Ketter Telecom (K3). Ironically, the GAC recommended in 2008 that the LTA Chairman and its Board of Commissioners should ensure that Management strictly adheres to the dictates of the PPC Act, 2005.

On February 27, 2009, the President wrote Chairman Bropleh to indicate that she (the President) had learned that there was excessive spending at LTA in a budget not approved by her. She therefore ordered the LTA account frozen, suspended Chairman Bropleh, and subsequently the President made all Commissioners to resign. Ex-Commissioner Jappah Took Issue with Prez Commissioners at the time thought their suspension and ultimate forced resignation was unfair as they deemed as collective punishment. On May 18, 2009, former Commissioner Ruth Jappah-Samukai wrote the President, it is with deep regrets and great reluctance that I honor your request to resign as a Commissioner of the Liberian Telecommunications Authority (LTA). I am quite cognizant of the fact that none of the conditions set out in Section 10 of the Liberian Telecommunications Act is applicable to force my removal from the Commission and cause me to relinquish the remainder of my four-year term. The request to the commissioners undermines the Act and sets a bad precedence. Nonetheless, I offer this resignation voluntarily, recognizing the full weight and power of the Liberian Presidency and the consequences of resisting a request of the President. Writing further, former Commissioner Jappah-Samukai, it is the political protection of the Chairman (Albert Bropleh) which has caused you the most embarrassment, as he has sought to abuse the favor with which you have graced him... Almost from the onset of constituting the Commission, it became mired in old-style Liberian politics as the Chairman began maneuvering to redefine his role outside of its scope and authority. The unfettered access of the Chairman to you and your office and the corresponding lack of access of other commissioners thereto, both encouraged and enabled the Chairman to usurp both the powers and functions of the other commissioners, leaving them as little more than mere employees of the LTA. We sounded these concerns but they fell on deaf ears. He quickly moved from the presiding officer of the Commission to its Chief Executive Officer as he usurped the powers of the commissioners and its executive staff. As a consequence, rumors of self-dealing, misappropriation of funds,

Thursday, February 6, 2014

conflict of interest and unilateralism began to swirl around the office of the Chairman and infest the entire Commission. I could have gone along with the whole charade, collecting my salary from the public and letting the Commission sink into the abyss of corruption and incompetence. Rather, I chose to stand up to defend the Act creating the Authority and bring the Chairman to book every time he exceeded the scope of his authority. May I respectfully remind you, Madam President, that because the Executive lacked the political will to reign in the excesses of the Chairman, it took the Legislature to briefly imprison the Chairman and you to subsequently, but reluctantly, suspend him for the very acts and behavior for which I stood against him. Ironically, it was during his suspension that the Commission accomplished its most significant work; concluding the agreements with the GSM companies and obtaining more than US$13 million dollars for the public treasury. It is the political protection of the Chairman which has caused you the most embarrassment, as he has sought to abuse the favor with which you have graced him. The GAC reported, The lack of evidence of approval of the LTA Budget by the President implied that all disbursements undertaken within the period under review were unauthorized. Additionally, the absence of an approved budget for the period denied basis for assessing the performance of Management for the period under review. The Chairman of the LTA should be held accountable for breaching the provisions of the LTA Act Part 111, 9 (5). Failure on the part of the LTA to comply with the PPCC is raising eyebrows over the agencys decision last year to purchase thousands of dollars worth of vehicles for commissioners without going through the procurement process. The GAC audit of 2008 also took former chairman Bropleh to task for and pressed him to provide documentation such as invoices, receipts for vehicles he single-handedly procured from the U.S. The audit recommended that Bropleh be made to restitute the additional cost of US$1,921.25 made on the procurement of the three vehicles without material justification. As a result of the many accusations levied against Bropleh, the Government of Liberia, through the Minister of Justice, commenced prosecution for fraud and misuse of public funds he had committed at the LTA. The AG reported at the time also observed severe control deficiencies leading to payroll irregularities. Chairman Bropleh, during his tenure of office, awarded large increases in salaries and allowances paid to LTA Board, staff and himself. For instance, Chairman Broplehs gross salary plus allowance for the month of September 2007 was US$5,000.00 and in October 2007, his gross monthly salary and allowance considerably swelled to US$16,333.00, which implies that the Chairman enjoyed averaged 237% over and above that earned in September 2007. It was unclear what considerations led to the changes and the salaries and allowances levels the Chairman decided on. Furthermore, there was no approval of the President for such an increment in the salaries and allowances paid to Chairman Bropleh, a requirement under LTAs enabling enactment. Like the current LTA board which has been non-cooperative with the PPCC, the Bropleh-era LTA, according to the GAC was uncooperative, prompting the intervention of the President in December 2008 and March 2009 for the audit to start. LTA Forewarned on Bad Deal, Source Says Auditor General Morlu wrote, I reviewed the Authoritys procurement documents provided for audit review. It was revealed that the procurement of goods and services undertaken by the Authority, amounting to US$388,636.54 was done without regards to the PPC Act of 2005 as these goods were paid for without contract documents and threshold requirements to support the purchases. The Auditor recommended that the LTA use formal and valid contractual agreements for procurement of assets as required under the PPC Act. Seven years later, the practice appears the same with the LTA continuing to function outside the scope of the GAC. FrontPageAfrica has learned the current LTA leadership were forewarned not to enter into the agreement with the Chinese company for the controversial lease agreement but did so any way. The PPCC reportedly urged the LTA in an effort to safeguard government funding ensuring value for money, to provide the total number of staff of the LTA, the cost of purchasing the CNQC Qinjian International Group Development Co. Ltds building and the prospect of renovating government-owned property for its use or possibility of purchasing land and constructing its own property. Further, like the Bropleh era, the current LTA Management are said to be non-compliance when it comes to the provisions of the existing regulatory framework (i.e. Executive Ordinance No. 8) on retirement and payment of travel allowances which the AG recommended seven years ago, could cost the Authority substantially and unnecessarily, if the lapses are not addressed. I thus recommended, among others, that LTA Management should strictly comply with the Guidelines and Procedures on Per Diem and Allowances specified in the extant Executive Ordinance No. 8 issued by the Government. The Chairman should be made to produce approval of his foreign trips and failing this; all unapproved trips should be borne by the Chairman and should not stand as a charge to the Commission, the AG recommended. Greaves Calls for Probe Today, the practice is still the same at the LTA with the chair and commissioners making multiple trips year round. But it is the controversial lease agreement which has drawn new scrutiny over the expenditures at the LTA.

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Mr. Harry A. Greaves, former Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company has openly called for an investigation. I know that some people in this Administration feel that we are now in injury time and therefore they are entitled to chop. But this is ridiculous, outrageous, and President Sirleaf should not allow it to stand, if she is serious about her much-touted campaign against corruption. I will go one step further. The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, the Ministry of Justice and the Public Procurement and Contracts Commission should launch an immediate investigation into this sordid arrangement and take corrective, punitive action. Enough is enough! Greaves said in a letter to FrontPageAfrica this week. The former LPRC boss said alarmed that there is something decidedly fishy about the LTA lease. "How does the cost per square foot of LTA's new lease compare with the cost per square foot of their old leases?" Under the old arrangement, there were 3 leased properties. If you add up one year's lease payments of the 3 properties and divide that total by the combined square footage of the usable space contained in those properties, you will arrive at an average cost per square foot. Compare that figure with the cost per square foot of the new building. If that latter number is significantly higher, that is the giveaway. The fish is really rotten.

FrontPage COMMENTARY EDITORIAL A EULOGY TO THE REGENERATED ARMED

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Thursday, February 6, 2014

Commentary

STORY MUST NOT END WITH FREEZE OF LTA ACCOUNT

IN ORDERING A FREEZE of the accounts of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), Tuesday, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf made the right choice, taking a decision that may not go down well with members of her kitchen Cabinet; but will certainly score brownie points among her critics unhappy over her dwindling fight against graft. THE PRESIDENT took the decision less than 48 hours after a FrontPageAfrica investigative report uncovered yet another wasteful spending on the part of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) in the tone of US$1.1 Million dollars. THE FRONTPAGEAFRICA REPORT revealed that LTA Chair Angelique Weeks had entered into an advanced negotiation with a Chinese company, Qingfian International (Lib) Group Development Co. Ltd. (CNQC) to rent its apartment building to house the LTA. The building is located on the Congotown back road near the Baptist Church. IT IS INTERESTING to note that the National Investment Commission turned down an asking price of US$450, 000 per annum for the same building, causing many to wonder why the LTA settle for such a ridiculous offer. THE LTA, WHOSE lease with the Methodist Church, the landlord for one of its offices in Sinkor expired last Sunday, had already moved into the controversial new building despite objections from the Ministry of Justice and the Public Procurement Concessions Commission. THE DEAL itself had all the markings of wasteful spending at the highest order. The LTA chair had agreed to pay US$385,000.00 (Three Hundred Eighty Five Thousand United States Dollars) per year, with a three-year upfront payment to a Chinese Landlord totaling US$1,155,000.00 (ONE MILLION, ONE HUNDRED FIFTY FIVE THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS). The four-story building contains thirty-one rooms and six bathrooms situated on two lots of land. THIS IS WHY we are happy that the President also took a decision Tuesday to suspend the US$1 million lease agreement between LTA and a Chinese company, Qinjian International, for the controversial building. THE PRESIDENT who returned home Monday from an AU summit and a three-day state visit to Malawi, also took another decision Tuesday when she ordered through an Executive Mansion release, a full investigation into all standing contracts between the Ministry of Public Works and construction companies in the country. The President who took the decision following a meeting last evening with Public Works officials, is looking to ensure that Government gets the full value for money spent, a key concern for international partners, has directed all current and former officials of the Ministry of Public Works to cooperate fully with the investigation.

A GOOD MOVE MADAM, PRESIDENT BUT

Joey T. Kennedy, josephtnkennedy@yahoo.com, Contributing Writer

FORCES OF LIBERIA

he Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) is a defense and development an institution of the state that has metamorphosed into an entity which is garnering respect and credibility both locally and internationally, principally on the basis of the quality of trainings being provided to its personnel and the competence of individuals being enlisted within its ranks. Originally named the Liberia Frontier Force (LFF) at its establishment in 1908, the Liberian Army comprised 500 men whose mission was to patrol the borders of the hinterland and ward off British and French territorial enlargement as well as to prevent disorder. The Liberia Frontier Force became the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) in 1956. Following its establishment, the AFL saw little action, apart from a reinforced company sent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 1960s which changed at the advent of the Liberian Civil War in 1989 when the AFL became entangled in the conflict that spiraled over the period from 1989 to 2003. Following its demobilization in 2003, The AFL is being restructured and reclassified. Today, a new 2000-strong AFL is being built under the auspices of the Security Sector Reform (SSR) program. With support from the international community, particularly the United States and United Nations peacekeeping and peace-building efforts, Liberia has rebuilt a new, ethnically balanced and professional army; Liberia can now boast a 1,980-person-strong Armed Forces of Liberia which now positions itself to support a democratic environment through strategic and practical proficiencies with a robust capacity to defend the territorial integrity of Liberia. Currently, the newly rehabilitated Training Command of the Armed Forces of Liberia, headquartered at Camp Todee has assumed responsibility for tactical and proficiency training locally. The facility is presently training 140 new army recruits, which is expected to be increased by some 400 recruits recently vetted and endorsed by the Joint Personnel Board of the AFL. The AFL currently consists of two infantry battalions, and a small Liberian National Coast Guard, which is being reformed. In her State of the Nation Address delivered at the joint sitting of the Liberian Legislature in January this year, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf intimated her desire to install, after confirmation consideration by the Liberian Senate, a Liberian Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff and Brigade Commander of the AFL at the celebration of Armed Forces Day on February 11, 2014 bidding farewell to Major General Suraj Alao
v

Abdurrahman who has served the AFL as Command Officer-In-Charge since June 2007. The President subsequently nominated the Brigade Commander of the AFL, Col. Daniel Dee Ziankhan, and Col, Eric Dennis as Chief-of-Staff and Deputy Chief-Of-Staff of the AFL, Respectively. In a letter addressed to the Liberian Senate, President Sirleaf said the officers have met all the requirements necessary, including advance and strategic training at various military institutions, and their deportment and discipline have been highly commended by the countrys international partners involved in restructuring of the AFL. Following its restructuring, the Armed Forces of Liberia In 2013, was proud to contribute an infantry platoon-size unit to join the Africa International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA), making it the first time that our Armed Forces is participating in international peacekeeping operations in 52 years. The last time the AFL participated in an enterprise of similar scope was in the early 1960s in Congo. Initially under Nigerian command, the AFL platoon in Mali came under Togolese Contingent Command when Nigeria withdrew from the mission. Despite some initial logistical problems the platoon performed admirably, performing patrols and VIP escort duties. The AFL has also been contributing to upholding peace and security in the country as well as assisting in warding off insurgency in neighboring Ivory Coast and other countries in the Mano River Union Basin. On a regular basis, the military is seen performing clean-up activities in the city of Monrovia and outlying communities in an effort to effectively contribute to the process of making the City a place of social comfort. These efforts of the Armed Forces have created integrity and public confidence within the AFL whose reputation was soiled as a result of its role in the more than 14 years of patricidal civil conflict in Liberia. It is worth noting that authorities of the AFL are continuously exerting effortstowards recruiting to the Army individuals with impeccable character with the ultimate goal of ensuring that enlistment within the military would harness and uphold the current state of public trust within the institution in our nations quest to make the Armed Forces of Liberia second to none on the continent of Africa and one of the best in the world. Therefore, as we celebrate the 106 years of existence of the Armed Forces of Liberia (1908-2014) and the 57th Anniversary of the Armed Forces of Liberia, we should lift our heads up high in giving accolades to our rejuvenated AFL because through it all, we now have a capable, gallant, nationally and internationally representative ARMED FORCES OF LIBERIA!!!!!!!!!

THE DECISION WAS followed by the resignation of Deputy Public Works Minister for Technical Services, Mr. Victor Smith., who has directed him to remain in country and cooperate fully with the investigation. SMITH WAS involved in a heated exchange with Minister Antoinette Weeks last week resulting into what eyewitnesses say a rain of insults, prompting Smith to leave the ministry. The fight between the pair comes in the wake of mounting tension pitting the minister at odds with her principal deputies, prompting allegations that Weeks has been micromanaging the ministry with very little input from senior staff toward agenda items/issues

WHILE WE EMBRACE the presidents decision on these issues, we do so with a bit of caution and a lower expectation considering the fact that the President has in previous years, turned to similar tactic for reprieve from questions dogging her seriousness about fighting corruption. The list goes on: From the Knucklesgate investigation to the November 7 WE ARE ALSO puzzled as to why the President chose to order an investigation and freeze the LTA account without suspending the board as she did when a similar act led to the suspension of the LIBTELCO board.

THE LIBTELCO board was suspended pending a probe after members reportedly failed to stick to the provisions of the Public Procurement Act in concluding a contract with a European company, Ketter Telecom (K3). WITH ALL eyes watching to see how the saga at the LTA and probe at Public Works will end, it remains to be seen how Sirleaf will handle the outcome of these investigations: Prosecute those found running afoul of the law or a redux of previous endings to these developments. Sirleaf must realize that she does not have the luxury of time on her side and must do all she can to score more brownie points if she has any intentions of leaving a lasting legacy in Liberia.

FrontPage
FPA ONLINE

Thursday, February 6, 2014

SOMETHING DECIDEDLY FISHY COMMENTS FROM ABOUT $US1.1 MILLION LTA LEASE
The Editor, I have been following with great interest your story about the Liberia Telecommunications Authority US$1.2 million lease with Qingjian International (Lib) Group Development Co. for a 36-room property on the Congotown back road, to be used by LTA as its new headquarters. I must commend you on your reporting. I do not always agree with you, but on this one I think you are right on the money. Do not let up! You have a good story and you should pursue it like a bloodhound. In situations like this one, Mansour Khoueiri, my erstwhile business partner and founder of Sabanoh Printing Press, used to remind me of an old Lebanese saying. "You follow the liar into his bedroom." There is something decidedly fishy about this new LTA lease. Your questions are germane and need a proper response from LTA's chairlady, Angelique Weeks. There are some other questions that you did not ask and that I would like to throw in the mix, such as, "How does the cost per square foot of LTA's new lease compare with the cost per square foot of their old leases?" Under the old arrangement, there were 3 leased properties. If you add up one year's lease payments of the 3 properties and divide that total by the combined square footage of the usable space contained in those properties, you will arrive at an average cost per square foot. Compare that figure with the cost per square foot of the new building. If that latter number is significantly higher, that is the giveaway. The fish is really rotten. Then there is the question of why Ms. Weeks feels she needs to even spend that kind of money on leasing a property. As you noted, it would have been a lot cheaper for her to just build. I am going to illustrate what I mean. If she were to borrow, say, US$1 million dollars at an interest rate of, say, 8 percent per annum (a rate comparable to what LBDI charges on mortgages financed by the Central Bank) to build her new headquarters (and I for one seriously doubt she needs a US$1 million building but let's give her the benefit of the doubt), and if she were to repay that loan over a period of, say, 5 years, the payments of principal and interest would amount to a little over US$1.2 million. By contrast, the lease payments at the rate of us$385,000 per year for the same 5-year period would amount to almost US$2 million. In other words, she would be spending almost US$1 million more leasing the property than she would building her own. If she builds, after 5 years the building is hers free and clear. No more expenditure other than routine maintenance. If she leases, on the other hand, she pays a lot more money and has nothing to show for it. LTA won't own the building and will continue to make payments into perpetuity. Worse, the landlord would probably increase the lease amount periodically over time. What sense does that make? Is that value for money? US$1.2 million can build and equip 7 elementary schools or 9 rural clinics. US$385,000 per annum can pay the salaries of 130 nurses or 20 doctors or 200 elementary school teachers. I know that some people in this Administration feel that we are now in injury time and therefore they are entitled to chop. But this is ridiculous, outrageous, and President Sirleaf should not allow it to stand, if she is serious about her much-touted campaign against corruption. I will go one step further. The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, the Ministry of Justice and the Public Procurement and Contracts Commission should launch an immediate investigation into this sordid arrangement and take corrective, punitive action. Enough is enough! Yours truly, HARRY A. GREAVES, JR , CPA, hagreaves49@gmail.com Lakpazee, Sinkor, Liberia

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A Big Concern: An Appeal to Liberian Scholars

Dear Dr. Sawyer/ex-presidents, religious leaders, universities, & all ex-executive leaders of Liberians at home and abroad, 1. I have strong concern as to why Liberian scholars cannot come together to use their expertise to raise millions to rebuild Liberia knowing how destroyed our country Liberia is. 2. I have a big concern why all Liberians with expertise holding Doctor degrees are not coming together to use their various expertise to rebuild Liberia through nonprofit public charity LRGT. 3.I have a serious concern as to why ex-presidents of Liberia like Dr.Amos C. Sawyer and others are not following the good examples of their role models uSA presidents like Bill Clinton in charity work. 4, I have a serious concern why Liberia religious leaders are limiting their power, services to their individual localities instead of joining this LRGT national organization to spread their sermons through reconstruction of Liberia. 5. I have a strong concern why up to this time Liberia cannot boast of retired ex executives volunteering to serve their country. 6.I have a strong concern why universities operating in Liberia are not impacting Liberia positively in terms of national development. Are universities not the reservoir of knowledge, inventions, discoveries, ideals and leaders ? 7. I have a strong concern as to why million dollar companies operating in Liberia do not have their own nonprofit decisions helping in the development of Liberia. 8. Finally, I have a serious concern as to why Liberia does not have a national public charity manage by non government leaders focusing solely on the development of Liberia. LRGT is borne to stay as a national public development organization to develop the nation of Liberia from North to South and from East to West. In closing, I am asking for response from all who fit the categories listed above to know why they are not doing those things and what does LRGT or do we need to do to bring them to LRGT now that we have the license to solicit money globally to rebuild Liberia. We love you all and we need your skills, talents and expertise at LRGT to rebuild Liberia. We are awaiting you. Sincerely Moses Bombo Tambason Liberia Rebuild Global Team

FUMBLING EJS: LIBERIAN PREZ FUMBLES STATE OF NATION DELIVERY

MARTIN KPAHN I do not think FPA representation of the president's state of union address is fair. You were overly negative negative. While all may not be rosy both the negatives and the positives achieved should be highlighted not focusing almost exclusively on the negatives as you did. SYLVESTER MOSES It was a persuasive promise from a chef who announced a mouth watering menu of great dishes to a wolfish group of impatient diners. Is there enough time to prepare the foods, would all the ingredients be ready? Admittedly, mistakes and delays were made but the hungry diners must consider that though the dinner is late, the chef remorsefully understands they are hungry, and is rushing with the cooking. We ask for the patience of Swiss tennis stat Stan Wawrinka, the winner of the 2014 Melbourne Tennis Open, who after many tries finally defeated top - ranked Rafael Nadal. Reportedly Stan had these words - from a poem written by Nobel Laureate Samuel Beckett - tattooed on his left arm: Ever tried. Ever Failed. No Matter. Try Again. Fail Better. So in spite of wasted opportunities a lot can be achieved. And never mind that the argument was turned on its head that instability causes poverty, rather than poverty poses a threat to stability, it is gratifying that the linkage between the two was recognized. That is an incentive to focus on jobs, equality of opportunities, youth training, education, empowerment, decentralization, reconciliation, social justice and security sector professionalism and preparedness. Lets exercise forbearance, my people. WILLIAM PONDER FPA ,my advice is to follow the patterns of Western media especially those in the United States after a president gives an Annual Address. Interview both sides, those who take away something positive from the speech as well as others who (as you have interviewed here, feel that the speech didn't live up to expectations. This will create a balance set of views. From this presentation, it would appear from someone on the outside that after a two-hour speech, there was not one citizen out of the nearly 4 million people living in the country that had anything positive to say. We all understand Liberia has many challenges and there are many who feel a lot more needs to be done. However, let us also celebrate our successes while we hold ourselves to account for the failures. This is the only way we can build-on the successes and correct the failures in order move forward. Other than that, I want thank and congratulate FPA for its new roll-out of news coverage. There has been some major improvements. Phil George Top Commenter Umass Lowell With all due respect Sirleaf is too old and weak to be an effective President. Liberia needs a hands-on chief executive who can get out there every day and see what's going on because you can't trust those rascals calling themselves officials. No senior level official has been arrested and charged for corruption! She's a joke! Unfortunately we are a long way off from the next election. Folks, isnt it time to change the term of office to 4 years? Have we learned anything yet? George Alonzo Kamara CEO & Founder at Primecomputersstore.com This is the same president that came out and publically stated that "the education system of this country that I am currently ruling is a complete mess", it is during this very same government administration that (25000 or 25 thousand students fails the university of Liberia entrance; at which the entrance requirement was 50 for English, and 45 for map. Not a single students of this 25000 couldn't make this grades. At the time our belovely president took power, these listed students was in 4th grade. Now tell me fellow readers of this media from 4th grade up to 12th grade is 8 years. Therefore these first groups of students under our belovely president leadership, learn nothing but complete mess". This is why the university doesn't want to allow person with disabilities to enroll cause they will make the different. All these guy's does is to spared or crook with money to pass. very clear my good people. Now my next is the jobs facilities: according to the latest report from IMF, united nation, the unemployments rate is 90 percent. that is out of our population which is 3.4 millions. And our president is saying that over hundred of companies/NGO, employ 150 employees, other employ 90 women. If we do the map, we will be left with 60 to 75 percent left unemploy. Finally please university of Liberia, please sees reason to allow person with disabilities to enroll in our nation own university. Our constitution state that government is fully responsible to provide equal education, equal job employments, equal justice, equal security to all citizen of this nation. thanks the voice of the voiceless advocate.

The comments expressed here are those of our online readers and bloggers and do no represent the views of FrontPageAfrica

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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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Page 6 | Frontpage

Monrovia n the aftermath of a recent embarrassing situation at the Monrovia Central Prison where the Director of the Liberian National Police, Col. Chris Massaquoi was prevented from interacting with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by officers of the Executive Protection Service (EPS), a lawmaker has cited another worrisome security situation. The Head of the police, the force responsible for civil protection was embarrassed when he attempted interacting with President Sirleaf during a visit by the Liberian leader at the Central prison to identify with inmates. Representatives, Bhofal Chambers (Maryland, CDC) says the current trend of events concerning security in the convoy of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is worrisome. The Lawmaker believes there is dramatic sway from the normal security architecture of the President. In a communication to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the entire body, Representative Chambers stated Hon. Speaker and Illustrious Legislators, I purposely write to bring to your attention what seems as a dramatic sway from the normal security escort architecture of the President. The lawmaker cited the absence of the Liberian National police in the presidential escort indicating that such action erodes the confidence of the Liberian people in the work

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LEGISLATIVE BEAT

Thursday, February 6, 2014

WORRISOME SECURITY TREND

of the police. We have observed in recent time the complete exclusion of the Liberia National Police from the security detail of the President, which is very worrisome, as the police are the true face of democracy and to have such vital security organ removed from the escort of our President gravely undermines the confidence of our people in the LNP and further threatens our National Security architecture which we all seek to protect, stated Representative Chambers. The concern raised by the lawmaker further points to growing division amongst security agencies in the country with the EPS said to be overshadowing all activities

We Have Observed in recent time the complete exclusion of the Liberia National Police from the Security detail of the President Rep. Bhophal Chambers, District Number #2, Pleebo-Sodoken, Maryland County
involving the president. Following the embarrassment faced by Police Director Massaquoi at the Central Prison, the EPS expressed shock over the incident but the bitter feud created from the incident from the incident remains high between the LNP and the EPS. The EPS says it will neither countenance nor accept any action on the part of its agents that publicly embarrasses officials of the government, least to mention the Police chief and as such, it has begun an immediate investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, the EPS has expressed regret for the entire situation, reads the EPS statement in the aftermath of the incident. But some Police sources say, the EPSs letter fell short of an apology to Massaquoi and lacked remorse for the incident. The incident, sources tell FrontPageAfrica is part of a bigger crisis among key security sector officials, responsible for protecting the presidency and Liberias overall security. Police sources at the time indicated that the incident was the result of an overzealous Executive Protective Service Officer who ordered Director Massaquoi to take his hands from his pocket before greeting the President, triggering an altercation between Director Massaquois officers and officers of the EPS. Several Police sources believe the EPS officers acted on Warricks instructions. The head of the EPS, Othello Warrick had similar situation with Defense Minister Brownie Samukai when he reportedly ordered a pat down of the minister to get back at him due to the differences the par are said to have had during Warricks time as Deputy Defense Minister. Also Warrick is believed to have probably humiliated Minister Samukai in order to gain favor with Sirleaf, with an eye on replacing Samukai as Defense Minister. The President is reportedly contemplating a number of changes in the new with sights on the security sector. The City Hall incident was said to be a security briefing discussion and an angry Samukai reportedly rejected the

search by EPS and left the meeting. Earlier this year, Warrick reportedly ordered the Police and other security officers at the observance of Independence Day celebration in Bomi County to stand down and succumb to the EPS, a move which was rejected by the Police, according to LNP sources. More recently, the EPS boss reportedly ordered his men to prevent Public Works Minister Antoinette Weeks, who had arrived late to the premises of the ministry during a surprise visit by the President, from entering the premises for keeping the President waiting.

ANOTHER YOU EAT, I EAT?

Kennedy l. Yangian @frontpageafricaonline.com 077296781

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POLITICS

SPEAKER TYLER BATTLES TO DEFEND US$ 73M PROPOSAL

H
Monrovia-

ouse Speaker Alex Tyler has been giving justification on why the government should allot US$ 73Million for additional development in the counties. Tyler the crafter of the proposed budget code District Impact Fund said that if the fund is made available, it would help improve the lives of rural dwellers whom he claims are not benefitting from the impact of previous budgets. The obvious purpose of the 73M is to provide development needs in rural districts and depressed urban communities, but there is a concomitant residual benefit, said Tyler. Speaker Tyler also said that the US$200,000.00 currently provided by the national government for each county, as social development fund (SDF) has made no significant impact on the lives of the rural populations. As the proposal awaits concurrence from Liberian Senate following the decision by the House plenary endorsing the proposal there has been condemnation from several Liberians on the issue. Some Liberians are calling on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf not to give credence to the proposal because it is intended to enrich the lawmakers and not the rural dwellers in whose names the proposal has been made. Still, others have welcomed the decision of the lawmakers that the proposal, if accepted will help improve the lives of the ordinary Liberian, especially those in the rural parts of the country who lack access to basic social services such as safe drinking water and latrines. Not for lawmakers In the wake of these condemnations House Speaker Tyler has alluded that the proposal is in no way intended to buttress the political standing of any lawmaker. He said any lawmaker seeking re-election would be doing so based on his record of service to the people. Addressing journalists at the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) monthly Edward Wilmot Blyden Forum on Clay Street Wednesday, under the

theme Dissecting Proposition for the 73M District Impact Fund, Speaker Tyler reiterated that the proposal if implemented will be a direct stimulus to the economy. Contrary to claims that the House is trying to overlap the function of the Executive Branch, Tyler said that the House seeks no standoff or confrontation with the Executive on the people driven proposal, but meant mainly to put the executive on good standing with the people. Tyler said that the infusion of cash in each district, the proposal would serve as an economic stimulus package and a regime that puts the entire country at work. Not only will jobs be created, but the resulting infrastructures will be built, he said.

On the issue of question from critics on why at this time, Speaker Tyler noted that the 53rd Legislature is in the right position to do it. The only weakness is I may term this weakness, is that we did not start this program earlier but it is better late, than never, said Tyler. Tipoteh, hails proposal The second panelist Dr. Togbah Nah Tipoteh hailed the proposed budgetary allotment and called for 5M Liberian dollars to be allotted to each district. He called on lawmakers to make available records of the budget performance and poverty status of Liberians over the years. Former Internal Affairs Minister Blamoh Nelson, also a panelist at the occasion hailed the proposal

because he said rural dwellers will no longer wait for handouts to construct hand pumps. The fourth panelist Frances Greaves stated that there should be a technical review of the number of development projects that have taken place over the years to know which one has made an impact on the people. Dillon differs Political analyst Darius Dillon former Chief of Staff in the office of Bong County Senator Jewel Howard Taylor described the proposal as an outrageous political bluff. Speaking on the Truth Breakfast Show on Truth FM, Dillon said that the lawmakers have shown nothing for the funds that has been given them for development over the years.

The lawmakers cannot even show us what they did with their oversight responsibility, when it comes to the US$200,000 that is already made available to them for district development/County Development Fund, said Dillon. He said the only key thing that came out of the legislature is the exposure of how some lawmakers were conspiring to steal the very CDF money. The case of the Edward Forh, you eat, I eat conspiracy with former Superintendent Grace Kpaan, Dillion cited as an example of gross misuse of the CDF. And the only reason why we know of Hon. Edward Forhs version is because he is recorded on tape.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

EXECUTIVE MANSION DESCRIBES MPC FREEMAN; SAYS HES SEEKING ATTENTION

RUDE AND DISRESPECTFUL KID

Wade C.L. Williams, williams@frontpageafricaonline.com

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POLITICS

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Im even reluctant to call him a politician, basically I see him as a rude kid. Hes a grossly undisciplined fellow.Jerolinmek Piah, Presidential Press Secretary

Monroviahe Executive Mansion has responded sharply to comments made by the political leader of the opposition Movement for Progressive Change Mr. Simeon Freeman. Presidential Press Secretary Mr. Jerolinmek Piah responding to Freemans assertions that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the most irresponsible leader Liberia has ever had during his Mondays response to the Presidents annual State of the nation address, described the politician as disrespectful and rude. Mr. Piah said Freemans comments are not mere criticisms but a sheer show of rudeness and indiscipline to an elderly person. Simeon is one classic example of somebody who was basically arrogant, disrespectful, have in mind, no respect for womanhood or motherhood, because you can address the content of the Presidents state of the nation address without necessarily being as rude as he was, he said in an interview with FrontPageAfrica at his Foreign Ministry office. So such level of rudeness, irresponsibility, which you think is politics, I think, doesnt help him. If he wants to get attention for example, which I think is his interest; you dont need to be rude to a woman to get attention. The Presidential Press Secretary to President Sirleaf outraged by what he calls Freemans insults, said he is aware that there are consequences of State of the nation addresses which leads to the different kinds of comments and actions that follows but the MPC leader went overboard by engaging in verbal insults against the Liberia leader. He said the MPC leader should have address the substantive issues highlighted by the President in her annual message instead of stooping low to personal attacks, which involved vulgarism. Many of the people who say theyre responding to State of the Nation Address here are far detached from the substance of what should be talked about; they get sentimental, they get disrespectful and arrogant and portray themselves to the public that they have answers to everything, said Piah. I think he is just a rude and disrespectful kid on the block. It is not about politics; and the sooner he adjusts and realizes that the political attention that he seeks does not necessarily mean that he should be a rude fellow running around here. He did that sufficiently. Disrespectful of motherhood Press Secretary Piah said even though Madam Sirleaf is President of Liberia, she is a mother, Grandmother and a senior citizen who has contributed immensely to the development of the country and therefore she deserves some level of respect from all as a mother figure. Who on this earth with respect for motherhood will go down the route of Simeon Freeman? asked Piah. He said Freeman is among those who pillaged the country and took advantage of the Liberian people bringing untold hardship on them, something he said the Sirleaf administration has worked hard to change, calling Freeman an angry man. I may not want to say angry about the way things are going, but I guess hes angry, he said. Continued Piah: There is no if and but that Simeon was one of the many operatives during the Taylor era; involved in all kinds of illicit activities that made him to be whatever he is today and so if there is another government that does not grant him the space for all

those kinds of dubiosity and maneuvering that made him to be what he is, obviously, he wouldnt like it and hes going to be angry about that. He said Freeman and his likes should learn to put country first and criticize constructively adding that without genuine criticism the government is not helped. Piah said with such criticisms, the government is able to create the check and balance that it needs to, in order to ensure good governance. He said instead of this Freeman is engaging into a tactics of insult. But again, it is not just about him or what he is able to do as Mr. Freeman and so if he had the edge yesterday and was able to maneuver because there was a criminal regime that aided his illicit movement that made him whatever he is; he needs to realize that this country belongs to everybody. If he does not have the opportunity that he had yesterday, to do some of the things he did, it does not suggest that he should be what he is, he said. Continued Piah: Dont get me wrong; he says hes a politician; he says he heads a political party called MPC; he has a right to an opinion on issues as it unfolds in our country. No one would question him for that because we created the space. But to be using invectives on the President under the guise of responding to the State of The Nation Address, I think it is sad and Simeon will need o rethink the way he conducts himself if he wants to be taken seriously. Responding to assertions made by Freeman that the annual message was a waste of time and that the government has nothing to show after eight years in power, Piah said Freeman must be blind to developments taking across the country. Im not going to waste my time about that because people have eyes and they can see, he said. If the government has done absolutely nothing, it does not require a Simeon Freeman to say it. Basically on those ends I believe that it is for the people to judge and it is not for political people who are seeking attention.Im even reluctant o call him a politician, basically I see him as a rude kid. Hes a grossly undisciplined fellow. Piah said even though politics reflects differences because of where people stand, it is clear that even in the midst of these differences there must be mutual respect for one another on the political playing field. He said Freeman has brought the Presidency into public disrepute and wonders how he (Freeman) wishes to be treated if he ever succeeds in his quest to occupy the high office. This is the paradox; this is an individual who is trying to espouse for the Presidency; he wants to be President, by virtue of the fact that he is a standard bearer of a political party; he ran in the last elections; I guess still desirous of running. It means he has interest in the office of President. What kind of President does he want to be? Piah Asked. Does he want to be a President tomorrow whom people will not respect? If he is not interested in upholding the dignity and integrity of the office (forget President Sirleaf, detach her), what kind of President will he be? Maybe a gangster, grona boy who could transform the entire country into a paradise of gangsters, thieves and whatever? MPC Freeman said the Presidents address, which focused on the need for quick fixes to the countrys economy, has been a recitation since 2008 and so the Liberian people expected something new or a solution.

Page 8 | Frontpage

JEWEL NO CONTENDER IN BONG W

Dr. Henrique Tokpah Eyes Upset of Incumbent Senator, Former First Lady
Mae Azango, mae.azango@frontpageafricaonline.com
Gbarnga, Bong County ith the midterm senatorial elections fast approaching, an aspirant for Bong County, Dr. Henrique Tokpah, current President of Cuttington University, says he is the frontrunner in the pending election in the county and incumbent Jewel Taylor is the contender. I am not threatened at all, to the contrary, what I am getting is that in fact I am been regarded as the front runner and the incumbent to be removed to be contended with, says confident Tokpah in an exclusive interview with FrontPageAfrica. Dr. Tokpah says his involvement with the communities in Bong County over the years where he currently runs scholarship programs for youth and is engaged in communities outreach activities puts him in the position to lead the county as he understands the needs of the people. I have understood the geopolitics of the county. Being president for any university for that matter, you have to be aware of the area, the needs, the human resources capacity needs of the people. We have been involved in the communities. We see the need and we see some of the things that are needed and we are in the position to ratify them, says Dr. Tokpah. Dr. Tokpah described as fabrication statement attributed to him that he once said children of bitter ball sellers cannot attend Cutting University, indicating that the statement was actually made by his predecessor two years before he came to Cuttington as President. It is a fabrication; it is a fabrication that was done by one of the aspirants in Jorquelleh District who felt that one of the Cuttington employees wanted to run against him to be a representative in the same district where he was running to be representative and they came to the conclusion that to smear this guy, the first thing to do is to smear Cuttington president, who they thought was the brain behind this person and so they calculated something that was said in 2000 on this Cuttington campus by my predecessor, that brought a riot here, Dr. Robert Mason, Dr. Topkah told FPA. READ THE FULL INTERVIEW FRONTPAGEAFRICA: There is this news that you want to become Senator for Bong County. As an educator for years, what makes you think you are fit to serve in this capacity? DR. TOKPAH: I am fit to become Senator because for one thing I have understood the geo-politics of the county. Being president for any university for that matter you have to be aware of the area, the needs, the human resources capacity needs of the people. We have been involved in the communities. We see the needs and we see some of the things that are needed and we are in the position to ratify them. We have served on several steering committees that took us all over the county that includes the Vision 2030 where I was on the steering committee. I led the team in Bong County to almost every district; we heard the cry of the people. I know the problems, besides that, since I came as President here in 2005 after understanding the need for education, I made it a policy that Cuttington should provide scholarship for all the dux of every high school in Bong county. We have been doing that, in addition to that we have a scholarship that we established; we seek funding from abroad to help needy students, who meet the grade point and can convince the committee that they need scholarship. So we understand that, also one of the responsibilities at Cuttington is to be involved in the communities. Cuttington is involved in the communities; we have an extensive outreach program, where we help villages, farmers, where our nursing students serve the communities. We have a program call Service Learning where we go out in the communities, and get to know what the communities need and we address some of those issues. I think been a citizen of this county and having lived and worked here as President of Cuttington for 9 to eleven years, I think I am qualified to seek this office, to bring the much needed development. FPA: Dr. Tokpah, what is your background, where were you born? How did you become educated to get to where you are today? DR. TOKPAH: I was born in Sinje, half a mile or a mile from Cuttington in 1952. My father and parents came from a village behind Sinje called Kayata. My father worked for Cuttington as a grass-cutter and it was during that time I was born in Sinje. I started my education at the G.W. Gibson Elementary School in Sinje, we played on this Cuttington campus and we washed students clothes. I am very familiar with the area. After Sinje, I went to Monrovia and I lived with the Bakers. From Monrovia, I went to Lofa County to High school and then I came back here to Cuttington for my undergraduate studies. I am from here, all my relatives are here, all my vacation, I spent it here and all my properties are here. My property in Kayata, I have a rubber farm, a business in Gbarnga, Serenghetti Restaurant and Bar and Hilltop Hotel, houses and so forth and I am a resident here. FPA: WHATS ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL LIFE? Dr. Tokpah: I have a wife and couple of biological and non biological children, total about 8.

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Thursday, February 6, 2014

FPA: People will want to know whether you have experience in the governmental circle, whether you have served government position based on your ambitions, you first wanted to become President and now you want to become senator, where have you worked to be ambitious of occupying such high profile political positions? Dr. Tokpah: When I graduated from Cuttington, I worked with the Bank of Liberia as Credit and Loan Analyst that was in 197677. I joined the Ministry of Education late in 1977 as Secondary Education Planner. I worked for the Ministry of Education for several years. I was there up to 1988 before I went to do my masters; I served there in several capacities including Director of Planning and Management. I served as Assistant Minister for Planning and Management. I also served as Senior Regional Supervisor for the south-western region that is responsible for Montserrado, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, working with all the schools and the teachers and also served as Principal for the E. Sumo Jones High School in Monrovia, first as Vice Principal before becoming principal. I was a teacher of Math Science and history before I became headmaster or principal. Here at Cuttington, I began my career here as teacher but you are talking about life before then. I have worked in government and was also involved with projects including the African Development Bank project that built many schools in Bong County, the school in SKT, the school in Gbanjue, suleman (sp), the school in Gbonota, several other schools here. We were involved with lots of educational conferences in Bong County and at this very Cuttington. I have worked in government, in fact I only came to the University after I got a full bright scholarship while working at the Ministry of Education because of my performance and I did my doctorate and second master. My second master was in economics and my Doctorate in International Development Education. At that time, I met Dr. Robert Mason who has just been hired by Cuttington and he went to Education Minister Othello Gongar and asked whether the Government could consider sending me to help him out at Cuttington, and thats how I got to Cuttington. I have been here since then. FPA: Now you are running to become senator, who do you leave here at Cuttington to continue? Dr. Tokpah: Before this whole running for senator position came about, I have decided that come 2015 I will retire from Cuttington, after serving Cuttington for many years, after rebuilding Cuttington, from the ravage of the war. I thought it was time for me to redefine myself and do something else, so I informed my Board that come 2015 I will retire from been an employee of Cuttington as well as been President. So, I have already decided that before this whole thing came, before some of the old folks, and the women and youth came to me and said that they thought I

should not retire and just sit and go on my farm, as I have decided but I should stay in Bong county, that how I got into this Senator issue. FPA: So had they not come to you, you could not have thought about been senator? Dr. Tokpah: Probably, I would not have or probably I would have because I knew I was born to be doing nothing, I knew there was an issue in the county with regards to representation, and I knew that probably at one point I would think about it. It helps that others who have seen my work in the county, others who have seen my involvement into development in various parts of the county not just this university came to me and convinced me further that I should not just retire in 2015 and sit, I should step up to the place and what we are doing now is to explore whether the people of the Bong county, will understand our message, whether they will appreciate what we have been doing for the county and the role that we played in national politics and accept us, so this is the exploration we are in right now. FPA: Can you clarify this thing that has been in the air for some time now about a statement you accordingly made that Cuttington University is not for Bitter Ball Sellers Children? Dr. Tokpah: It is a fabrication; it is a fabrication that was done by one of the aspirants in Jorquelleh District who felt that one of the Cuttington employees wanted to run against him to be a representative in the same district where he was running to be representative and they came to the conclusion that to smear this guy, the first thing to do is to smear Cuttington president, who they thought was the brain behind this person and so they calculated something that was said in 2000 on this Cuttington campus by my predecessor, that brought a riot here, Dr. Robert mason. Something that he said in assembly in 2000, where the Alumni Association really got involved in solving that, at that time Dr. Roosevelt Jayjay was the president of Alumni Association, they had to be air lifted, Paul Mulbah who was the then Police Director, they all came here to resolve that issue. The students reacted and the issue was solved but they cleverly decided to attribute that statement to me when I came like two years after Dr. Mason left. FPA: Why do you think they will do that? Dr. Tokpah: Well, politics been so dirty and knowing that the Liberian population is so gullible, and information spreads quickly, especially negative information. Cuttington is very vulnerable, been away from Monrovia and not been too much involved in politics. The Public Relations arm of Cuttington out there sells some of the good things that we are doing but for my detractors, they hired a media consultant to fabricate that, they did not only say that about Cuttington, they said that about me and my wife, that our business in Gbranga, Serrengetti and Hilltop, they alleged in one of the newspapers that we were practicing prostitution. We were investigated by some of the organizations that send their

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Thursday, February 6, 2014

people and they found out that it is was false, we have come back and our business has grown. We are religious people and we run a very clean business, we want to bring something up to this part of Liberia that is decent and it is unfortunate that people say false things in politics. Politics does not have to be dirty; you dont have to assassinate someones character in order to go forward, you dont have to do that. As far as the bitter ball seller story is concerned, the person who was the editor of the paper, the Bong Times Magazine that published that has long since come and basically said that this was false, they did not have the kind of information like that, they just went on and wrote. They have carried out their investigation and found out that I did not say anything like that. He spoke on the radio, before than he published things in the Bong Times that basically indicated us but somehow this story has taken on a life of its own. Probably that is because we did not react to it, we didnt think the public will believe anything like that because since we came as President, we made a policy that dux of every high school in Bong County will come to Cuttington tuition free. When they meet the qualification, whether their mother or fathers are bitter balls sellers, they attend here. Besides that almost every semester we give almost 200 financial assistance to individuals, on different grades, 50%, 25%, 100% based on your needs. There is no such question on Cuttington application form that if you are a bitter ball seller child, please do not apply, I dont know but somehow the Liberian public just bought that falsehood. Maybe it sounds good or maybe because Cuttington has been associated with the upper class all long in this society but I cannot consider myself as an upper class. I sold bitter ball on this very campus, my mom and I made bitter ball garden on this very campus and I came here and struggled, there are lots of other people who struggled here and they were not turned away. But politics being politics, so I am extremely surprised that the Liberian people will believe that and my adversaries who were running they thought that the story was a very good story and they will propagate that story even in Monrovia and they are doing that, and it is a shame. I wish the public could examine, juts think one step beyond and say is it possible, is there anything in this man performance at Cuttington that suggests that bitter ball seller children cannot come to Cuttington, that he even said that. On the one hand, probably I am glad that I am in the race to have the opportunity to clear the air, I never thought that it was an issue that anyone will believe that I will say that about Cuttington given the increase in enrollment at Cuttington since I came here from 500 students or less to more than 3,000 considering the junior college that I established in Kakata that is growing, considering the graduate school that I established in Monrovia. The graduate school was established 2005 and the Junior college was established at the same time 2005-2006. There are no criteria that if you are a bitter ball sellers child you dont go to the Junior college in Kakata and dont understand why the Liberian public if that is the case will believe that, many people in Bong County now dont believe that. Since the publisher of that newspaper that wrote the story, Mr. Phillip Moore, had come and gone on the radio and said this man never said that, we have found out that it is propagating wrong information and we apologize for it was recorded but somehow, those who are running think it is a good story and they will keep propagating it and that is not the case. FPA: Where do you stand in the race? Dr. Tokpah: I think I am comfortable. I think the Bong County people are ready for someone like me who has age and experience, who has contributed immensely to the human resource development of this county, who is involved in fiscal development, who has properties here, who has businesses here, who has created jobs and employment in this very county and this is what the people want. They want someone with my background, my educational background to represent them, someone with this kind of ability that can travel abroad and go to places and can be able to represent Liberia and the county. FPA: IF you say the people need someone like you to represent them, how many of you are in the race? Dr. Tokpah: I have heard that there are more than 10, the number keeps growing. FPA: Doesnt that fears you? Dr. Tokpah: Absolutely not FPA: Are u confident of winning? Dr. Tokpah: Very confident FPA: But as you know Liberians have this mindset that those who want to represent them will come and say all the sweet things on the outside from the initial stage but when they get elected, like they are saying about many of the lawmakers there now as they have been accused of running to USA when their heads are hurting, when their women want to give birth, children going for vacation all to western countries instead of using agriculture break to make farms they run to USA, dont you think people will have that same fear about you? Dr. Tokpah: Well, I do know that, when the chiefs, youths, and the elders represented by old man Flomo Malawolah who is considered the Pioneer of Bong County, when all these people came to me asking me to consider joining the race, they knew that there are other candidates there. They knew that there were other people, they knew that there is someone occupying that position already and one of the things that they told me was that, look we

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decided, we the elders and very powerful people in this county have decided that we do not want to choose anybody who does not have property here. We do not want to choose anybody who will go there and fly to USA and to build homes, most of, if not all except for Honorable Moyeh, none of them have house or houses in Bong County, they dont live here, they live in hotels, they live in other people homes. The elders told me, we know that you have several houses here; we know that you created jobs here and you have your own business. We know that you have over 400 acres of rubber that is being taped right now, we know that. We strongly believe that given your age and maturity, you can ably represent us. We are coming to you to consider joining this because we heard that you are coming to retire from Cuttington. We do not want you to sit. whenever I travel to present the issue to villages in Bong County from Fuamah to Zoweinta, to Kokoya to Belemue, the same story we hear that these people do not visit they have never come back to say thank you to those who put them there, they do not answer their phones. The people of Bong County are glad that I am stepping up because before I even go there, they have found out who I am and what

INTERVIEW

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the conference that designed that and we are aware of that so it is sad that education is not getting the kind of support from the legislature. It is sad that the president is trying and the Ministry of Education, where I worked for than 11 years but they are not getting the support because the final document, those who are in the Legislature must understand and give an appreciable amount of funding and support to the sector. FPA: What makes you think when you go there, your mind will not change like the others who during campaigns say these same things you are saying right now. We will represent our people better but when elected they prove the other way? Dr. Tokpah: I am convinced that with my background, having worked in that sector for many years and with the necessary degrees including PhD in Educational Development, credentials that helped me to rebuild Cuttington and redevelop the curriculum, I can do better. I hired the necessary individuals to work in making Cuttington to become one of the best Universities in Liberia. The exam ethics in Ghana rated us as one of the best Universities; we went there and received the award. I think when I take that same background in the senate, things will change, I am convinced about that. There is no need to sway from my path, I am too old

I have done and they have found out that I am not going to go to USA like others do. I have been to USA and have decided to transfer my family and assets here since 2002. So they are aware that I am not going to make farm because, I already have farm that is being managed well or else I could have left Cuttington to go and manage my farm. They know that I have a business that is managed very well. They are aware that when I go there, I am going there to do their business, yes, I am going to be paid but I think, what I am offered at Cuttington in terms of salary and benefits is pretty comfortable, so I am not going there to seek a job just for the salary or increment in salary. I am going to go there earnestly because I think this county deserves better representation and better individuals who will especially push the educational needs of the people of this county and Liberia. I am not aware that there is anyone, maybe there are but I am not aware that there is anyone in the Legislature who has the same strong educational background as I do. I am on the Steering Committee of the Human Resource Capacity Development of this country. I was assigned there by the President; I have served on the Committee to Develop the Higher Educational Plan for Liberia. We worked here in Monrovia and at the World Bank in Washington and we have the document. The educational plan of Liberia was finalized right here at Cuttington and we hosted

to be swayed one way or the other because of greed, I have served very well and the record shows that. FPA: Now, what we are hearing, the hullabaloo over this County Development Fund, how was it distributed and used. People accuse the lawmakers, the legislative caucus of running after the county development Fund and sharing it with the local officials and the ordinary people dont benefit. The money disappears and the roads are so bad, farm to market roads. As you know, not everything should be left with the GOL but you are in the county, the county gets a lot of money from Mittal and others, what happens to all these money? Dr. Tokpah: Well, I do not know about eating money, but I have heard of that and I do not know the management background of some of these lawmakers. I do not know if some of them have managed a system, and if they did, whether they managed it very well. I do not know whether in the past the County was run very well, I suppose since the former superintendent was implicated into a lot of things as well the current one, where the representative safe the new Superintendent that just went there especially Honorable Prince Moyeh. I do not know what are those people backgrounds, and where they worked. The County development Fund, I understand is about 2.5 million dollars, I handle more than that; my budget here is about 7 million dollars, that is what I handle every year.

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INTERVIEW

Thursday, February 6, 2014

with this bitter ball seller propaganda, he came back to us and asked us for financial assistance and I told him look I cannot as we did the first time, go back to your sister, if your sister says we will help you, than we will do that. But I guess he went to his sister and his sister was upset that he was associated with the individual who published this and he never defended the family. So he did not get the kind of financial support from us. Even though we voted for him but he has been quoted as saying that he knows his chances of winning is slim but because we did not help him, he will ensure that I do not win, so that I can feel the pain of losing. But again I am not bothered by that. The sister is very surprise because he has been able to manipulate the family, he had highlighted the fact that his sister is a half sister, they are not from the same mother so that has brought a great divide in the family, unnecessary divide, they have had some family meetings to resolve that. Lots of things have gone on and he is saying- let my brother in law do not run, let him support me, even though he has contested two times, and he is sure the third time he will win and the people are saying you were Superintendent and you let someone beat you, there is no way you can beat Jewel. If I had known that he had the intention to contest earlier, it could be ok, but I have gone far so to now suggest that he wants to run, the conclusion in the family is let the two people run, if any of them win, it will remain in the family. But I promised them that I am not into negative campaign, assassinating others character and talking sorts of things that may or may not be true. So I m not going to destroy the family by propagating negative things, if he wants to do that, he can and in his reply he said this is politics and anything can happen, so he is not ruling out anything he is going to say or do. But let the people of Bong County know the right people and I am sure they are going to do that come October 14 and I am sure they are going to take me. FPA: Are you not threatened by Jacksons comment which could suggest that he will go dirty politics? Dr. Tokpah: Absolutely not, he has his record to defend. FPA: He was once accused of embezzlement in the past right? Dr. Tokpah: Yes, he was accused when he was superintendent, accused of misappropriation or embezzlement I dont know what term to use of fund, up to the tune of US$10,000 and the president suspended him for couple of months as superintendent of this county and he was asked to restitute the money and when he paid the money, the president had mercy on him and put him back. I think that affected his ability to win and that is still hunting him because that is still being echoed in the communities. Again, when I go out there, I do not discuss him or any other candidate. I tell the people about myself, I tell them who I am and what I can do for them to better their lives and ably represent them, I do not talk about any other candidate. FPA: Since you became president of Cuttington, have you been audited or are you open to audit? Dr. Tokpah: I am audited, I was recently audited by the General Auditing Commission of Liberia because we do receive GOL subsidy for fuel and for food for the cafeteria and every two years we undergo audit. The MOF have sent auditors here, they have looked over our books. Recently, we were informed by the United States government that we are going to get couple of millions of dollars to pave the road here, expand the library and to do a lot of things. You know, before US puts funds somewhere, they have to be sure that those funds will be used appropriately and they have sent their financial experts here to look over our books and we are confident in ourself that resources entrusted in our care are handled properly. FPA: So what do you say about people who are saying Dr. Tokpah is eating all the money at Cuttington? Dr. Tokpah: laugh, laugh, I wish they knew me, they will continue to say Hosanna in the highest instead of saying crucify him. FPA: Anything finally? Dr. Tokpah: well, I have said that I am prepared; I am well qualified to serve the Liberian people in the legislature and especially to serve the people of Bong County. I know this county, I was born here, I live here and I am prepared after my job, after my life so to speak to be involved in Bong County and bring development to this county. Not only to foster my personal creation of job which I already have by having a large rubber farm where 150 people are working there, they have jobs, not only to build the clinic in kayata that I did or build the school there that I did in the 80s. Not only to have a hotel, a bar and a restaurant or a conference hall that has attracted a lot of cash into the county. I want to do more, to be involved with community empowerment, to be able to be involved with communities planning and executing their own plan and to bring improvement. Sometimes, these people really dont want money, they have their own money and resources but they do not have anywhere they can go to get the kind of assistance they need. The NGOs are backing off now, who steps in, we the leadership needs to do so; the leadership of this county should have the ability to come in to provide the kind of leadership and guidance that is needed for development. Not only do I have the educational background for that but I have executed and implemented such a thing in this county and so I feel much qualified to lead now. FPA: You say you are the son of the soil, you were born here and went to school here and have a wife here, so you are the best. Dr. Tokpah: Yes, my wife is keplle, my everything is kpelle so I want to be Senator for Bong County.

It is executed to the letter according to the terms and conditions spelled out and approved my mine Board of Trustees. So it is really mind-buckling that they cannot handle 2.5 million. They have to run after it, if that is what really happening than it is really mindbuckling. I have not seen any report that suggests that but if that is what really happening than it beats my wildest imagination that some of these projects they undertook like the Gbarnga Technical College, they have not been able to complete that. It beats my widest imagination that road projects they undertook in the county before, most of them were not finished and they ran out of funding. Either they do not have the skills, or they are not hiring the right kind of companies or when they do hire the companies, they go after the companies for kickbacks. I do not know but something is happening that has to do with sound management and being responsible. I do not know how much millions of dollars they managed before they were elected there. I think, I will bring to bear that experience. FPA: You are saying a lot of big things, when you get there what difference do you think you can make? Dr. Tokpah: My experience here at Cuttington can speak to that, I am managing millions of dollars and projects and rebuilding the University and expanding it in the country for that matter, Monrovia and Kakata, I think our fiscal management has been tested over the past 11 years and proven to be good. FPA: Do you think it will be easy for you to change things? Dr. Tokpah: Yes I think it is easy to manage, you have to have integrity. FPA: Do you think others will not kick against you for trying to do the right thing because in Liberia, a lot of people do not like people who do the right thing. I think you have heard the noise at the University of Liberia, where many say Dr. Wade Brownell is trying to do the right thing but people benefiting from the spoil system are going after her? Dr. Tokpah: Well, I believe we have learned from the processes we have initiated in the past that people are affected by such things, but I think it is the presentation, I think it is the way you go about implementing the change, whether you have change agents, whether you inform the people that this is what you are going to do, whether the rules of engagement are clear to those people that you want to change the system. Right now at Cuttington, we are going through changes, the Board, I have told the Board that Cuttington is still operating on the old structure, the organic gram of Cuttington is old and Cuttington has expended so we informed the Board of Trustees that we need change of structure to make it efficient, internally more efficient. So we have done that restructuring and presented to the board and all of those who are going to be affected by the change have been informed ahead of time before even making that plan. There will always be people who will fight change but the way you do it, the way you get them involved in the change process will determine the degree of their reaction for or against the change. FPA: I heard people saying that you are not going anywhere but you want to just be in the race and they will just eat your money. If you do not succeed this time, do you intent to run again? Dr. Tokpah: Well, that is left to be determined, the option is not there, I will succeed. The feedback I have received from my hundreds of visitations shows that my victory is clear. I have visited almost 70% of the large towns and villages and the reactions that we are getting are positive. I think people are in for a big surprise. I believe I will win. FPA: Are you not feeling threatened by the presence of the many candidates? Dr. Tokpah: I am not threatened at all, to the contrary, what I am getting is that in fact I am been regarded as the front runner and the incumbent to be removed to be contended with. FPA: what makes you think you have that strength to remove the incumbent? Dr. Tokpah: I just told you that from my assessment and from the assessment of other people, professional team that go out there to do assessment; opinion polls and they bring result to us. From the analysis that we have gotten we are confident that we stand a better chance. For one thing, when we go there, we speak the language very fluently. The people know that we are member of

the society; we speak the language, kukalah kukatunah (sp). They like that and when they see me standing there and speaking to them for an hour, we are not speaking English at all, almost none and using the parables that relate to them, that they understand better, I wish you could accompany me and you will see what I am talking about. You will understand why the reception, many of the communities that I have spoken to that they pledged their support to my senatorial bid. FPA: I guess you read the Bible and familiar with this scripture, the time Jesus went into Jerusalem and everybody shouted Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna but the same people who were saying hosanna, also said crucify him. Dont you think those people you see there are giving you false support just making noise and not real supporters? Dr. Tokpah: Yes I am aware of that scripture in the Bible, those who said hosanna in the highest, they may have been the same people who said crucify him. I am aware of that but during Jesus time; they were under the rule of the Emperor. I am confident about victory, I know that not everybody who had said they will support me will do so but I am also confident that majority of them will do so and that is what I need. I am sure and others who are running will get support too. The work we have done out there, understanding the need of the communities people and solving them, we are convinced that our support will be more than those who will crucify us. FPA: Is there anything we did not touch that you want to talk about? Dr. Tokpah: No, not really except that we did not talk much about the role that we will play in fostering development, helping to organize the development agenda of this county. FPA: How are you going to do that? Dr. Tokpah: well when I came to Cuttington after understanding the area, I came up with a plan and how we will get those to be affected involved in it. People complained that the representative and senators dont visit; they dont go to the people. I plan to have offices in as many districts headquarters as possible so that when we have agriculture break we spend one day, two days or a week having town hall meetings and listening to the people. Ably representing them, not sitting down only to look for money or not going to USA for agriculture break. We should be here making farm, I have been in the US, almost there is no country I have not been to, so I have satisfied that, that is why the attention should be paid to my job, to the people who elected me, that those who will vote me in, I will be responsible to them and if I understand their needs and plight and understand their language, by speaking to them in their language by articulating their issues to me, I can ably represent them rather than having an interpreter. To be able to understand really that if a woman talks to you about what is affecting the women, let them come out boldly and say, you have to be able to understand the culture in order to interpret what they need but if you are just the fly by night kind of kpelle person, you will not understand what the people truly need and that is what I am getting. I come from that background where my father was a Zoe where I know everything in the Kpelle culture. Many of the societies, I am member of it and I can speak the language and I can speak to them, I can relate to them. You will be surprise how much people receive me because I understand them. FPA: Do you think that gives you the edge over other people? Dr. Tokpah: I believe that gives me a better competitive advantage than others. FPA: Anything else for the people of Bong County and Liberia? Dr. Tokpah: Well again, what I did not mention is that I am a member of the Unity Party and I firmly believe that the UP will choose me beyond other candidates who may want to run on the party ticket. I understand that there are two or three of them now running from the party. I understand the Honorable Ranny Jackson, is running, I understand Honorable Mator Kpankpai is in the race now, the former deputy education Minister. I think for example, Honorable Ranny Jackson, he has tried two times; he is my brother-in-law. The first time he tried in 2005 we supported him financially, my wife and I, the second time when we learned that he was associated

Thursday, February 6, 2014

SIME DARBY: PREPARING TO FEED THE WORLD

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AGRICULTURE

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NUTRITIONAL VALUES he population of the world according to the World Bank is expected to hit a record 10 billion people by the end of 2020. This means that there will be an unprecedented demand for food across the globe due to an anticipated rise in the price of basic edibles. The current population statistics of the world is put at 7 billion people. To date 63% of the total population in South Sahara Africa, live in rural settlements. Birth rate is high, almost double compare to other regions of the world. Member countries of the United Nations have been encouraged to invest in agriculture, especially; massive food production as a means of curbing a potential global food scarcity that will soon hit the planet. Arguably, most African Countries and governments do not have the required funding and expertise to produce food on a large scale. Most countries on the continent are involved with subsistence farming (shifting cultivation), only able to produce food for their tables- and not enough to export. For instance, Liberia has total land bank of over 9.8 million hectares, most of which is abandoned farmland and tropical forest. The Country is growing at an annual rate of 2.1%. Liberias population increased from about 2.1 million in 1984 to 3.5 million in 2008 (LISGIS, 2009). [According to the World Factbook the July 2011 estimated population was 3.9 million, with a growth rate of 2.609%]. About 53% of the population lives in rural areas, and 70% of the active population is engaged in agricultural activities. Agriculture is the dominant contributor to export trade and earnings and a source of livelihood for a greater number of people than any other sector. The sector is dominated by traditional subsistence farming systems. The use of modern technology is limited. Slash-and-burn farming, where forest lands are cleared, burned and upland rice cropped together with other crops is the primary production system. Agriculture contributes to Liberias GDP Between 2008 and 2009 agriculture contributed 42% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (CBL, 2009). The food crops subsector dominates agricultures contribution to the national GDP. Rice is the main staple food grown by over 74% of the population on uplands (CFSNS, 2008). Cassava is the second most important food crop grown by about 62% of the population (CAAS-Lib, 2007). Paddy rice and cassava production and area harvested increased by more than 3% per annum during the period 2001-2009. Rice and cassava contributed 22% and 23% of the agricultural GDP respectively (CBL, 2009). Tree crops, especially rubber, cocoa and coffee make an important contribution to the economy, accounting for 34% of the agricultural GDP in 2008 (CBL, 2009). Rubber is the most important cash crop and revenue from rubber export increased from US$ 150 million (95% of the total export revenue) in 2006 to US$ 206 million or 86% of the total export earnings in 2008 (CBL, 2009). Agricultural output is derived from three types of farms: traditional, commercial and concession. The traditional farming systems involve production of food and export crops (mainly coffee and cocoa, and recently, rubber), plus oil palm both for home consumption and for the market. The commercial farms are mainly owned and operated by Liberians engaged in the production of fruits, coffee, oil palm, cocoa and poultry and pigs. The third model is the foreign-owned concession plantations that produce mostly rubber and palm oil (CAAS-Lib, 2007). Back in 2009 the World Oil Palm giant, Sime Darby Plantations signed a concession agreement with the Liberian government to develop 220, 000 hectares of land in Western Liberia into green fields of Oil palm and rubber plantations. The Malaysian conglomerate, which enjoys a reputation that spans from over 150 years as leader in the oil palm industry has been able to make significant impacts on the lives of the local population especially rural dwellers. Malaysia and Indonesia are two classical examples, producing about 2.47 million tones or 5% of the worlds Crude Palm Oil (CPO) output annually. According Ministry of Labor authorities, Sime Darby currently pays daily wages workers more than US$5.65, the highest so far in the agriculture sector in the country. Sime Darby to Make History Following three years operations in Liberia, Sime Darby is poised to make history in West Africa, after it announced recently that oil production will commence in 2015, following the construction of its first ever oil mill in Western Liberia. The Company has planted 10,000 hectares of Land into oil palm. According to Sime Darbys head of Project in Liberia, RoslinAzmy Hassan, Liberia could see a shift in its economic nightmare when Oil palm production fully kicks off. What I am saying is that, once we start to get more land for expansion into new areas, and with an oil mill constructed by September 2015- this economic nightmare could turn around for this country. Roslin said. Roslin told a high profile delegation of senior journalists during a tour of the companys facilities and other projects last week that Oil produced next year will service the Liberian market first and then later exported to other markets around the globe, especially European markets. Villagers in Western Liberia will not only be among the first group of people on the continent to export palm Oil from Africas oldest republic, but will experience a dramatic growth in trade and commerce, basic

-Turning Unproductive Land in Africas Oldest Republic to a Beckon of Hope

social services (healthcare delivery, roads, schools and employment). Sime Darby runs a school system of about 17 schools, which caters for employees, contractors as well as none employees. Every single township with SDPL Concession area according to Roslin is enjoying a well maintained road network. To date, Sime Darby has employed over 2900 Liberians- one of the highest employment data within the oil palm sector. For the first time in almost three years, villagers in Western Liberia especially Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties are beginning to see the need to surrender more abandoned farm land to Sime Darby for development. Last year the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with villagers to develop 5,000 hectares of land into oil palm plantation in Zoduah, a settlement west of Sinjethe administrative seat of Garwula district. In similar manner Senje district in Bomi County extended an invitation to Sime Darby to develop almost 2,000 hectares of abandoned farm land into productive land. We have been getting so many requests from people asking us to go and develop their land; but we cannot just go into those areas. We need to do FPIC. Without Free Prior Inform Consent Sime Darby can never go to those areas, Roslin told newsmen. The regulation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is the top most priority of Sime Darby in its expansion plan for Liberia, Roslin told journalists. Our New Planting Procedure is straight and a complete zero tolerant one. We leave a minimum of 2 kilometers buffer zone between any town and our plantation. In most cases we will go beyond the 2 kilometers buffer, but that is our set standard, Roslin told an inquiring Journalist. Sime Darby is doing business in 21 countries around the world with at least 100,000 employees. The company produces and supplies Food & Beverages to markets; which include a range of fast moving consumer goods products such as, cooking oil, juices, margarine and cooking sauces to the Malaysian market as well as other markets in Asia, Europe and the Americas. The facts and food organization has reported that oil palm is single most sustainable tree crop that is used for food production. Oils and fats are vital nutrients required by the human body to

achieve and maintain good health. There are two types of natural fats - saturated and unsaturated fats. An adequate amount of fat is necessary in the human diet for proper digestion and nutrient absorption. Palm oil provides the right amounts of fat in a balanced diet. Vitamins A and E, essential for the normal growth and development of the human body, is obtained through food consumption. All vegetable oils contain natural vitamin E in compounds such as tocopherols and tocotrienols. Palm oil has the richest known content of natural tocotrienols. Studies have shown that tocotrienol helps lower bad cholesterol levels and protects the brain against diseases. Palm oil is also high in carotenoids, a rich source of vitamin A. Carotenoids can be stored in the body and be converted to vitamin A when needed. Vitamin A stimulates the immune system and controls the growth and functions of body tissues. Red palm oil, or mildly refined palm oil, has seventeen times more carotenoids than carrots. Palm oil is cholesterol-free and trans fat free. It is composed mainly of triglycerides of fatty acid with a balanced composition between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The latter comprises 40% monounsaturated and 10% polyunsaturated Liberia: World #4 Poorest Country Liberia is still experiencing economic shocks from a devastating civil conflict that shattered the nation's economy. Even though it is one of two countries in sub-Sahara Africa without roots in the European Scramble of Africa, the country sits at #4 as the World's poorest country with a GDP of just 672 per capita income since July 2012. Power and running water are scarce in most part of the country. The country's wartime economy exploited its diamond resource, exporting over $300 million in blood diamonds annually, report says. Unemployment rate is still at an alarming rate, recording at 70%. Thanks to Sime Darby and other concessioners who help to drop the unemployment from 85%. An average Liberian survives on less than $1.50 US per day. Life expectancy is only at 56.58 years, the infant mortality rate in 2010 was 76.43 per 1000 live births (18th in the world) and there are an estimated 35,000 people living with AIDS. The percentage of people living without access to potable running water and adequate sanitation facilities is amongst the highest in the world.

Buchanan, Grand Bassa County rontPage Africa has in its possession a copy of a four-page document from the Association of Prosecutors of Liberia (APL) which has already been submitted to the Acting Minister of Justice, Cllr. Wheatonia Dixon-Barnes, calling on the government of Liberia to improve some of the basic working conditions of public prosecutors in the country. In the letter, the APL says it will boycott the May term of court if their concerns or demands are not met. The document reads: We write to present our compliments and to reaffirm that we the undersigned state prosecutors within the employ of the Ministry of Justice, have met in our collective endeavors and have deliberated upon long standing issues regarding repeated pleas and appeals to the relevant authorities of the Ministry of Justice for the purpose of improving some of the basic working conditions of prosecutors. In the letter, the APL expressed its disappointment in the persistent failure or reluctance of the MOJ administration to address their concerns. There are several issues raised in the communication to the Acting Minister which include monthly allowances of County Attorneys,

WARNING SIGNAL:
LIBERIAS PROSECUTORS THREATENS TO BOYCOTT DUTIES
ALPHA DAFFAE SENKPENI

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COUNTY NEWS

Thursday, February 6, 2014

diligently and dispense justice without fear and or favor. One County Attorney who also spoke with FPA on the basis of anonymity revealed that the Presidents view as expressed in her speech contradicts the records. He said public Prosecution has won more than 90% of the total cases last year. He said out of the 176 cases, Public Prosecutors won 144 in 2013. Another source hinted that Acting Justice Minister, Wheatonia Dixon-Barnes in a discussion with the prosecutors on Tuesday, February 4,100% agreed that lawyers are underpaid but appeal to the prosecutors to prevent any boycott, while the Lawyers argued that they resolved to the proposed action because they have on several occasions addressed the administration on the issues but to no avail. According to our source, the Acting MOJ boss blamed the problem on the Legislature for cutting the US$11 Million MOJsbudget sent by the executive to the Legislature for passage into the 2013/2014 fiscal budget. Only US$5 Million was than approved, which is to be used in many forms. When FPA contacted the Director for Press and Public Affairs at the MOJ, Maude Somah via cellular phone due to her absence from Monrovia, She confirmed that indeed the Acting Minster received the communication from the APL and will take her time out to present it to the President for discussion. The decision which was decided by the prosecutors at a workshop in Buchanan and the document signed by all 51 members of the Association of Prosecutors of Liberia warns that their decision will not be over turn until their demands are met.

Assistant County Attorneys and Legal Counsel which the Association says is grossly incomparable to the magnitude of professional legal services perform over the years. They also argue that the incentives they get barely commensurate with the level of risk associated with their duties or assignments. Currently, County Attorneys are paid the monthly allowance of US$ 1,240.00, while Assistant County Attorneys earn US$ 1,100.00 but the document shows that they are demanding double.

That effective immediately , Attorneys-At-Law assigned as prosecutors within the Ministry of Justice monthly allowance be increased to US$2,500.00 net, while Counselor-At- Law working in the same capacity monthly allowance be increased to US$3,000.00 net, the document said. Public prosecutors also want an improve allowance for housing, communication, outstanding transportation among others. The APL also complains about public prosecutors going through the difficulties of maintaining their vehicles on their own.

Monrovia n support of the Governments Decentralization and Local Government Policy, a high power delegation from the National AIDS Commission (NAC) and the United Nations Joint Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) is currently conducting series of workshops in the southeastern counties of River Gee, Maryland and Grand Kru. The workshops will lead to the recruitment of county coordinators to continue the National AIDS Commissions work of coordinating the HIV response in the three counties. The activities are also aimed at ensuring that these counties adopt the multi-sector approach in providing HIV services, and to encourage the communities in these counties make use of services that prevent mother to child transmission of HIV. The multi-sector approach incorporates all sectors in addition to the health sector to address issues related to HIV and AIDS. The workshops bring together a cross section of 40 participants from each county. Participants include superintendents, representatives of line ministries, district commissioners, women

groups, youth groups, civil society organizations, city mayors, religious leaders, disabled community, among others. The three-day per county event is supported by the United Nations Joint Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) under the H4+ SIDA Grant implementation framework for Liberia. The delegations first stop in the provincial city of Fish Town, River Gee County was characterized by a high degree of cooperation and interactive discussions between the locals and the NAC delegation. Welcoming the delegation to Fish Town, River Gees acting superintendent Rev. Richard Seekah Teh pledged his countys full support to the work of the National AIDS Commission and its partners, and to ensure the fulfillment of the Presidents dream of zero new HIV infection. For her part, NACs Commissioner for Decentralization Jessie Duncan thanked the people of River Gee for showing up in large numbers to participate in the workshop. She stressed that the main idea behind the exercise is to encourage county ownership, thereby subscribing to the principles of the national response to HIV, and not a Monrovia response to HIV.

Continues the document: The county attorney privileged to be assigned vehicles are burdened with the task of under writing the costs of periodic maintenance and buying additional fuel when their limited rations runs out. Most of said vehicles are found to be in deplorable and dilapidated states, thereby undermining productivity and depriving government of Liberia of making the maximum use of full life span of said vehicles. The letter further states that Public Prosecutors assigned in leeward counties lack office space, support staff (mainly

secretaries and clerks), office equipment and sufficient stationary. In reference to a current situation in Brewerville and Monrovia City where a merger amount of US$150.00 and US$200.00 is given to City Solicitors and Magistrates respectively, APL says it is disheartening and despicable to mention that Law school graduates are highly underpaid. APLs imminent action is being plan just a little over one week since President Ellen JonsonSirleaf in her State of the Nation Address criticized public prosecutors in the country for delaying the prosecution of cases. A source, who is a County Attorney, told FrontPage Africa that their action is not a reply to the President. But his comments infer that it is because of the many huddles affecting public prosecutors thats why prosecution is weak or delayed In concordance with the letter send to the MOJ, our source said Public Prosecutors are the life line of the Ministry of Justice and it is impossible for the Justice system to be effective if prosecutors are under appreciated by the government. The letter also stressed that with the multiple constraints and challenges, it is inhumane, unjust, unfair and equitable to assume that State Prosecutors will perform their duties

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HEALTH

Also speaking in River Gee, UNAIDS H4+ focal person Morris Wei intimated that his agency has received support from SIDA to scale up the demand and utilization of prevention of mother to child transmission services in the three counties. He disclosed that based on agreed criteria with the government and the

NATIONAL AIDS COMMISSION TAKES HIV COORDINATING STRUCTURE TO SOUTHEASTERN LIBERIA

H4+ Group, the H4+ team is currently working with about 15 health facilities affecting 189 communities across River Gee, Grand Kru, and Maryland counties. He further stated his optimism that the county-wide consultations held in collaboration with the NAC, will facilitate the establishment of HIV coordinating mechanisms that will among other things carry out community sensitization and create demand for the utilization of the PMTCT services in the selected counties in line with the H4+ SIDA Grant implementation framework. For their part, representatives of civil society, faith based

and community based organizations expressed hope that the idea of decentralization will be actualized in their county. Topics covered include Basic Facts on HIV and AIDS, Overview of the National HIV Response, Ministry of Healths Response in River Gee, Gender, Human Rights and HIV, among others.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

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ust in her early 20s Mercy Zoe Sambolah is one of Liberias only females raga musician who is upbeat with her new and exciting passion . Mercy affectingly called M Press Love has produced several raga and love music which has touched the hearts and minds of Liberians and is currently driving the youthful Liberian society into positive direction. Love content, respect, equal rights, and justice are the key content of her music which is making her to gain film in Liberia. I feel oblige to do this because I believed that music is a channel through which I can speak for the depress and help people to regain hope and respect M Press love

stated as she beamed with smile. Liberia, a country just graduating from civil crisis all of its sectors were destroyed including the musical industry. Currently Liberians are stay trying to revamp the musicalindustry aimed at competing with other countries musical industry. It is no secret that most Liberians music are substandard for the international audience and market as it lacks proper English, quality production, beat quality amongst others for international ears and digestion. Worst of all most Liberians songs produced are even forbidden from being play on the local airways due to rude content unpleasant from the ears mainly the children many international musicians, music lovers and

promoters have said. Currently most music produce in Liberia are currently trying to improve their skills to produce quality content music according to several musicians lovers of Liberian music . The young raga musician has produce several songs amongst them include share the love,which emphasize togetherness, peace unity, another is So fly which is encouraging people to hold high esteemed for themselves, one more time, amongst others. Most of my music are danceable but it is intended to make people grasp the content of ordinary life and what people are going through aimed at making a positive impact on society. M Press Love said. According to her she is currently working on her album which include ten songs with three bonus songs for her lovely fans. Music is not a business for me. Music for me is not a business, I may consider it as a business but for now and where I stand, music has never been a business for me but I just love the game she said. According to her she at her own

LIBERIAN MUSICIAN M PRESS LOVE CALLS FOR MORE SUPPORT TO LIBERIAN MUSICIANS
expense has pump thousands of Liberian and United states dollars in producing several of her musical work. we have a poor market to deal with , most Liberians are not willing to buy our music MPress Love noted She also said a huge population of Liberians are not patronizing musicians work mainly Liberian musicbut rather duplicating their efforts at the determent of the musicians thereby creating an unfavorable market for musicians. Mercy Zoe Sambolah also said most Liberians are willing to buy foreign music and pay high fees to foreign artists to promote them on musicalshow in the country. Serving as Musician and Manager: The raga musician is running her own show as she has lost confidence in music managers in Liberia who only seek their personal interest and not the musicians. I had a quite recent experience, managementdid not go well for me , and my work was going slow , and I am a mover and my work was going slow, so I decided since I have the time and I am a mover I can take it on my own. She said. Mercy said it is hard to find a managing, due to incompetence lack of trust amongst most managers but noted that there are few good music managers in the country who are also trying to promote artists. Limited support from Government. M Press love lashed at government for not taking interest in the musical industry in the country as evidence by the recent allocation in the national budget for the entrainmentindustry in Liberia. we have lot of raw talents in this county, and once supported we can be the best, listen to some of the songs being produced now , listen to the messages, English, composition and beats , these are all clear evidence that we can be the best once given the support by our government she said Mercy stressed that a modern musical production studio is needed in the country aimed at giving quality radium and composition to Liberian music. In an interview with FPA recently she also called on all Liberians

LIFESTYLE

Frontpage

Page 13

est Point, not the American military academy, hasfeatured in local and international news and reports for all the wrong reasons. The township (the administrative equivalent of a city ward), is one of Monrovias slum communities and it is located on a peninsula which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean between the Mesurado and St. Paul Rivers. It is home to approximately 75,000 people but parts of the peninsula continue to erode into the ocean. The township lacks proper sanitation and endemic problems such as overpopulation and diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera and malaria are common. A report by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that there are four public toilets in the area. Pay toilets exist, but residents cannot afford them, and residents often used the beach to defecate before the Liberia Maritime Authority began its waterway and sanitation projects by cleaning beaches. Thelitany of problems in the townshipalso includes the proliferation of zinc shacks and wayward youths but there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. Christopher Roberts is one of the wayward youths whose blessing is spreading to others as he benefits from the office of Robert Sirleaf (ORAS). Lightpole, as he is affectionately called, watched in disbelief as the two-room zinc shack left by his dead mother burnt to ashes two years. The incident, caused by candle,

put him in the situation of a pensioner who was caught in a one-way system, looking one way and another in confusion. Lightpole, perhaps, is a persuasive man. He was privileged to have met Robert Sirleaf during a mock county meet staged in his honor in West Point. And following the fire incident, Sirleaf became one of the most required philanthropists to get himand friends a sleeping place. My mehn, I [am] on the street. And I [have] been asking people for help. I [dont] have it. So I will be bold to tell everybody. There was a county league program on West Pointfield and he assisted my team with [a set of] jerseys, Lightpole recalled. Lightpole is in his early 30s and is currently unemployed. So, with a child and fiance, how does he support them? I am not a car loader. I am a hustlerand I get my talent in me. I am a dropping figure man. Do you know what it means? Dropping figure means I can talk to you for something and the way I will do it, it will be hard for you to not give it to me, he bragged. The two room apartment will house Lightpole and his family and friends and ORAS intends to expand the project but finding a space will require a bucket of sweat. Sirleaf knows it will be a tall order before his project transcends Lightpole and his family. ..They have been chasing us in more ways than one for two years. They are just an overlooked group. We all just kind of laughed and smiled at them with all their antics and stuffs.

AN UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY?
Sirleaf takes housing project to West Point for wayward youths
Danesius Marteh, danesius.marteh@frontpageafricaonline.com
nowhere to build. So, that was the only place that we found for Mr. Sirleaf to build them that place. And we are going to be watching their activities. So long we offered a place for them to be, we are definitely going to watch what they do. As soon as the house is completed, we will get the police and everybody involved to make sure that we watch and make them to live better because they are part of the society, he pointed-out. So, the house will be completed in a couple of days but the youths, who spoke to FrontPageAfrica including 35-year-old Samson Jlateh, want to acquire vocational education. I live by the sea. I am a fisherman and I can also get hard [smoke marijuana] but we do these things because of live condition. That is not what we want to do. So I am appealing to Mr. Sirleaf to make sure we learn trade where we can be able to do things for ourselves, Jlateh said. Only time will tell if ORAS can complete such an ambitious project with land untraceable in a congested community like West Point. But with 116 projects sealed and stamped in and out of Montserrado County, this maybe one of ORAS difficult projects without a deadline.

PAGE RONT

to support Liberian musical stars and promote their music on their various airways and during gathering I believe that there should be no time on radio station in Liberia called the Liberian music segment, Liberian music must be constantly play on radio stations. The young Liberian raga musician wasted no time in lauding several radio stations including, ShattaFM , Power FM, Truth FM , Radio 5 , ELBC, Kings FM, University Radio amongst other stations for constantly playing and promote Liberian music on their respective airways. On the issue of education Mercy challenged musicians to obtain higher education aimed at putting them on pair with their colleagues when it comes to composition, pronouncing of their respective musical works. The young musicians is a 2009 graduate of the United Methodist University where she earned a degree a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and is currently pursuing her master degree at the Cuttington Graduate University in Liberia in international relations.

COMMUNITY NEWS

But at the end of the day, they are somebodys children. Thats the way our office looks at them. All their antics, all what they say and chased your car and all the papays, these are somebodys children and we dont want to forget them. The commissioner [of West Point] and the deputy superintendent [of Montserrado County] did a great job. They found a small piece of land and they [wayward youths] came to us and said, you know weve been chasing land for almost two years. Now is the time to act, Sirleaf stressed.

West Point township commissioner Miatta H. Flowers

Getting wayward youths off the streets is a good thing but there could be other issues, which may be raised their immediate neighbors and Sirleaf is all too aware of the security implication of his project. We are working with the commissioner and the police on what potentially could be some issues with doing that. Those boys in West Point have been great partners. We went to visit them last week and the house is already up to roof level. And they are so happy; they are so excited. And for us, this is what we continue to do. And

I think after that, I am going to ask my staff what will be the next creative project we are going to undertake, Sirleaf said. West Point township commissioner Miatta H. Flowersis working assiduously to find a spacious terrain for Sirleafs project. As well as the difficulty of finding a place, Flowers is also aware of the security implication and strategic location of the project. Well, the issue of space is a problem. We dont have space in West Point. So theres

Page 14 | Frontpage

ast month some 300 traders from the Muslim majority north of the country were detained in southern Rivers State for allegedly belonging to the banned Islamist group Boko Haram. Most were later released. Elsewhere, 84 apprentices were sent back to Katsina State, also in the north, after being held on suspicion of militant links as they undertook a training course in Imo, southeastern Nigeria. In January 2012, the police in southeastern Enugu State arrested 25 hunters from northwestern Zamfara state on an annual hunting expedition to the forests, holding them for a month. The insurgency by Boko Haram in Nigeria's north is the country's top security issue, and there are fears in the south that it could spread. But an apparent rise in suspicions against all Muslims has prompted warnings about splitting the country further along religious and ethnic lines, as well as inter-communal violence. Solomon Dalung, a law lecturer at the University of Jos in north central Nigeria, said the police and security forces were "profiling... citizens from a particular geo-political region". Current events were "taking a pattern of pre-civil war indices", he added, drawing parallels with the situation before Nigeria's three-year civil war. The 1967-70 conflict came after the attempted secession of the mainly Christian Igbo in the southeast and followed religious, ethnic, cultural and economic tensions with northern Hausa Muslims. Some one million people died in the fighting, mostly from starvation and disease. Mutual suspicions and resentment persist between north and

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WORLD NEWS

Thursday, February 6, 2014

CANCER RATES WILL SURGE 57 PERCENT IN NEXT 20 YEARS, REPORT SAYS

IN BRIEF

A
south. 'Dirty politics' Nigeria goes to the polls next year to elect a new president and parliament, prompting observers to see politics as a factor in the arrests. Dalung said the arrest and detention of the traders was a deliberate plan to curtail the "expansion of the political frontier" of Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi. Amaechi is locked in a struggle with President Goodluck Jonathan over the spoils of oil revenue and the implementation of federal government programmes in the oil-rich Niger Delta State. The row prompted Amaechi to defect from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to the opposition with four northern governors opposed to Jonathan's apparent plan to seek re-election next year. The governors believe Jonathan has reneged on a promise to serve only one term and that by running again he will

new report from the World Health Organization warns that cancer rates around the world will experience a 57 percent surge over the next 20 years. That would mean cancer diagnoses would rise from an estimated annual total of 14 million to 22 million. Deaths from cancer are also expected to rise during the same period, from 8.2 million deaths a year to 13 million. The WHOs World Cancer Report says that health care providers around the world will not be able to address the problem by simply treating cancer patients. In fact, the report argues that current cancer treatment costs estimated at an annual $1.16 trillion are already hurting major world economies. Instead, the organization advises that governments focus on prevention and early diagnoses. "We cannot treat our way out of the cancer problem," Christopher Wild, director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, told CNN. "More commitment to prevention and early detection is desperately needed in order to complement improved treatments and address the alarming rise in cancer burden globally." If theres any positive note in the study, which combined data from more than 40 countries, its that upwards of 50 percent of all cancer cases are deemed preventable through a combination of diet, exercise and early detection. And if lifestyle choices are behind about half all cancer cases, some are wondering if world governments shouldnt do more to encourage people to make healthier lifestyle choices. For example, the number of cigarette smokers in the U.S. has been cut in half since anti-smoking advertising campaigns were first launched. The WHO report says lung cancer caused by smoking cigarettes (1.8 million cases a year) is still the leading case of fatal cancer around the world. Its also the most lethal, with 1.6 million deaths each year, meaning nearly all cases are fatal.

'PROFILING' FEARS
break an unwritten party rule to rotate the candidate between north and south. The arrests are "all intended to intimidate the northern Muslims to whittle down Amaechi's numerical support, which is augmented by the northerners in his state," said security analyst Abdullahi Bawa Wase. "All you need to qualify as Boko Haram in the (southeast) is to wear a beard and put on a kaftan. "All this is happening against the backdrop of dirty politics in Nigeria ahead of 2015 elections." Politics is also believed to have played a part in the arrest of the Katsina apprentices to put pressure on Imo governor Rochas Okorocha. He represents the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and was educated in the north. Khalid Aliyu, the secretary-general of the Jama'atu Nasril Islam (JNI) -- the umbrella

'BOKO HARAM' ARRESTS IN NIGERIA STOKE

body of Nigerian Muslims -- said they were tracking the situation with a view to possible legal action. "Unpopular politicians" were using religious conflict "to sow the seed of discord and disharmony among the citizenry for selfish political motives", he added. Aliyu and Dalung warned of potentially devastating consequences if the situation continued. "There are more Igbos in the north than there are Muslim Hausas in the south all together," Aliyu said. "It could result in a repeat of the events leading to the civil war if the north decides to go for tit-for-tat." Dalung agreed: "This act of profiling must be stopped immediately because it is a spell that can escalate national confusion within a very short span of time."

U.S. DEPUTY DRUG CZAR SAYS POT IS LESS DANGEROUS THAN ALCOHOL President Obama's recent statements already
have emboldened marijuana advocates
and mixed signals about the drug coming out of the Obama administration. Botticelli's office considers marijuana dangerous and harmful, and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration considers it illegal. But Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., challenged the drug czar's second-in-command. How many people die from marijuana overdoses every year? Connolly asked Botticelli. Very rare. Now just contrast that with prescription drugs, unintentional deaths from prescription drugs; one American dies every 19 minutes, Connolly said. Nothing comparable to marijuana. Is that correct?"

hortly after President Barack Obama's comments that marijuana is no

more dangerous than alcohol, his deputy drug czar has reluctantly agreed. During a House Oversight Committee hearing Tuesday,

Michael Botticelli, deputy director of the White Houses Office of National Drug Control Policy, was grilled about the harms of marijuana

Botticelli agreed. Hundreds of thousands of people die every year from alcohol related deaths. Automobile, liver disease, esophageal cancer, blood poisoning, Connolly continued. "Is it not a scientific fact that there is nothing comparable with marijuana? Im not saying it is good or bad, but when we look at deaths and illnesses, alcohol, other hard drugs are certainly even prescription drugs are a threat to public health in a way that just isolated marijuana is not. Isnt that a scientific fact? Or do you dispute that fact?

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Sport

Frontpage

Page 15

SPORT BRIEF

Nuggets Randy Foye hits deep game-winning 3-pointer to beat Clippers at the buzzer

BALL DON'T LIE

W T
Monrovia he Yellow Boys Invincible XI continued their resurgence in the Liberia Football Association First Division League with a 2-0 drubbing of a stubborn Jubilee FC. The Yellow Boys appeared more compose on the ball, eking on the edge of their opponents territory. Their efforts came close to fruition in the 13th minute when striker Lahai Sakies crisp shot went off target. The miss did little to discourage the Invincibles and top goal scorer Elijah Clark open the scoring in the 23rd minute through a magnificent shot from an in swinger on the left flank. Nuson Mator, who received a red card in the 79th minute for misconduct missed several goal-scoring opportunities for Jubilee in the 18th and 39th minutes after he allowed the ball to crossover his head in Jubilees 18th-yard box but wasted the opportunity as IE held on to take a slender lead into the half. Jubilees Patrick Mayango, Shadrack Marsh, Ralph Paye and Roland Bendukai received Yellow cards in the first half for improper conduct while Monue Jimmie, Joseph Hina, Kelvinho Dixon also received red cards for going contrary to the rules of the game against their opponents.

INVINCIBLE RISING
IE Wins Three out of Three Games in crushing Jubilee FC 2-0
A. Macaulay Sombai, sombai121@gmail.com

IN LFA FIRST DIVISION CHASE

ith his Denver Nuggets trailing the Los Angeles Clippers by two points after a big 3-pointer by Matt Barnes gave the Clips a 115-113 lead with 6.2 seconds remaining, head coach Brian Shaw called a timeout to draw up a play that would give his Nuggets a chance to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in a game they'd trailed by as many as 13 points. What actually transpired likely didn't bear much resemblance to what was on Shaw's dry-erase board, but thanks to a timely bit of marksmanship from guard Randy Foye, the finished product still wound up looking pretty darn good to Nuggets fans. Swingman Wilson Chandler inbounds to power forward Kenneth Faried at the 3-point line on the left wing, who turns and shovels the ball over to center J.J. Hickson atop the arc on the right side. Point guard Ty Lawson, the Nuggets' principal playmaker and one of their top scoring threats, is trying to cut from the left block up to the top of the key to meet the ball. He's jammed up by some aggressive offball defense by Clippers guard Darren Collison, though, so Hickson has to look elsewhere for an outlet; he finds one in Foye, who accepts a pass as he curls from the right corner to the middle of the floor. There are just under 2.5 seconds on the clock when Foye makes his catch and runs defender Jamal Crawford into Hickson's screen, prompting a switch that makes Foye the responsibility of 6-foot10 power forward Blake Griffin. Foye has to put the ball up as soon as possible, he's got to get it over Griffin's contest, and he's got to make it count from 30 feet away while fading to his left.

The second half was more competitive than the first half as both teams sought to outwit the other. Jubilee fought hard to find an equalizer but IEs defense proved too stubborn to allow them a chance and in the 90th minute substitute Bob Zeo shattered Jubilees hopes with a diving header that shook the back of the net. Invincible XI: Peter Segbe #16, Monue Jimmie #23, Joseph Hina #26, Sam Jadoe #7, Rolando Dahn#5, Benjamin Nyanfors#15, Sholee Quiah#29, Elijah Clark#10, Lahai Sakie#14, Perry Jimmie#4 and Kelvinho Dixon#11. Substitutes: Napoleon King#3,

LassanaKarneh#19, Bob Zeo#27, James Teah#8, Momo Sally#20, Joseph Sam#22 and Watala Moore#21. Jubilee: 3 Kandakai, #1 goalkeeper Wiles,#12Patrick Maryango, #15 Shadrack March, #12Hendry Sando, #Alphanso Donyen, #16Ralph Paye, #7 Emmanuel Koffa, #2 ZackieBannie, #19Roland Bendokai, #3 BundorKandakai, #8NnusonMator. Substitutes: were #10 Joseph Menta, #20 TrokonZeopuga, #18 Dusty Theo, #14 Mustapha Kiahn, #30 Tito Gibson, #28 ZleaiBarbley and #11 Francis Dortu. Elsewhere, Ganta Black Star overpowered

Mighty Blue Angels 4-2 at the Blue field sports ground on Lynch Street and NPA Anchors defeated Monrovia Club Breweries 2-1 at the D. Tweh sport grounds in New Kru Town.

The league heats up today in the second division group (A) category. Darious FC and Nimba United will clash at the at the Blue Field, Sime Darby will rub shoulders with Holder FC at the Matambo Sport ground in Cape Mount, New Hope will face ELWA United in Unification, Super Rollers and Georgia FC will battle in the opening match at the ATS while Small Town tackles Barrack Young Controllers II in the last duel.

FrontPage
www.frontpageafricaonline.com
VOL 8 NO.529

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

Sports

PRICE L$40

IE WINS THREE OUT OF THREE GAMES IN CRUSHING JUBILEE FC 2-0

RISING

INVINCIBLE

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STREET HAWKING:

Spot News

T
Monrovia-

Our City is losing its Beauty

he hawking of goods by urban dwellers is something you find in many big cities, but in Liberia some think it is becoming a way of life and taking over and eliminating the face of our once beautiful city center.

There is no major street in Monrovia where you dont find marketers and traders crowding up the walkways and driveways, making it difficult for vehicles and pedestrian to move freely. The Duala market area is now a scene consistent traffic jams because of street hawkers. A visitor angered by the action of these sellers went on to lament: Maybe this is the way it should be, but if nothing is done to salvage the remainder clean spaces we have to boast of as Monrovia, these people will soon take over the whole city

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