friday, july 25, 2014 edition

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1/20

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STORIES pg 7 & 8pg 3

INTERVIEW EDITORIAL

VOL 8 NO.644 FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014

CENTRAL BANK OF LIBERIA

MARKET BUYING AND SELLING RATES

LIBERIAN DOLLARS PER US DOLLAR

These are indicative rates based on results of daily surveys of

the foreign exchange market in Monrovia and its environs. The

rates are collected from the Forex Bureaux and the commercials

banks. The rates are not set by the Central Bank of Liberia.

Source:

Research, Policy and Planning Department,

Central Bank Liberia,

Monrovia, Liberia

THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2014 L$92.00/US$1 L$93.00/US$1

BUYING SELLING

L$85.00/US$1 L$86.00/US$1

L$83.00/US$1L$82.00/US$1

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2014

THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2014

EBOLA pg.6

THE VISA CANCELLATION SAGA

NOTUNDER

PRESSURE

LAGOS HEALTH MINISTRY TESTSLIBERIAN FOR EBOLA VIRUS

The patient was admitted and detained on suspicion of possible EBV (Ebola) infection,

while blood sample collection and testing was initiated, - Yewande Adeshina, Special

Adviser on Public Health to the Lagos state government

WHAT IS AMERICASAYING WITHOUT

SAYING?Liberia Deserves a Better

Explanation Than This, Uncle Sam!

MOF CONSULTANT

QUARANTINED


2/20

Page 2 | Frontpage Friday, July 25, 2014

Monrovia

The United States Embassy in Monrovia says

it is aware of reports that several Liberian

government ofcials had their U.S. visas

cancelled recently but says under U.S. law, it

cannot comment on individual visa cases.

That said, the partnership between the United States and

Liberia remains strong. We have worked together through

many difcult times. We are committed to supporting

Liberia and her people as they seek to foster democracy and

economic growth and to rebuild the country, the embassy

said in a statement Thursday.

A FrontPageAfrica revelation this week reported that

three ofcials including Associate Supreme Court Justice

Kabineh Janeh, Youth and Sports Minister Eugene Nagbe,

and Senator Geraldine Doe-Sheriff were denied entry either

en route or upon entry in the U.S. after they were granted

visas by the embassy in Monrovia in diplomatic passports.

The trio had some afliation with different rebel groups

during Liberias civil war, which lasted from 1989 to 2003.

Brown Denies Visa Revoke

Information Minister Lewis Brown conrmed that three

senior Liberian government ofcials one from each

branches of the government visas have being revoked by the

United States government. The minister said the government

of Liberia like any other responsible government around the

world will write the U.S. government inquiring why those

senior ofcials visas were revoked.

Said Brown: We are hearing all sorts of speculations some

claiming that my visa has being revoked. These are all

speculations that are totally untrue.

Responding to questions that the US has requested

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to present the blue print of

all those accused of war and economic crimes, the minister

described the comment as totally False, noting that the U.S.

government respects Liberia as a sovereign state.

Sources told FrontPageAfrica this week that Janeh was

told his visa was canceled upon arrival in France en route

to the United States. Nagbe learned of his visa revocation

after arriving in the United States, while Doe-Sheriff was

stopped in Accra, Ghana.

Information Minister Lewis Brown described the

incidents as serious in an interview with the Voice of

America Wednesday and acknowledged that the Liberian

government had made inquiries to the U.S. So far, we

have made the proper representation through the Ministry

of Foreign Affairs to the American Embassy accredited near

our capital seeking information on the revocation of visas

of at least three individuals who are serving at very high

levels in the government. We are still waiting for feedback

from the embassy, Brown was quoted as saying.

The VOA quoted Brown as saying that the government

remains hopeful the visa issue is simply the result of a

misunderstanding. We know that at least three senior

ofcials visas were revoked. It is within the purview of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make such representation and

to get the information. Until we do, wed like to think there

may have been some misunderstanding, a processing issue

perhaps, he said.

But despite Browns hopeful tone, diplomatic observers

say, the issue could be deeper, coming on the heels of the

arrest and detention in May this year of Jucontee Thomas

Woewiyu, Charles Taylors former defense minister, leading

many to conclude that the Obama administration may be

ready to go after Liberians accused of war crimes.

Woewiyu was arrested last May in Newark, New Jersey and

charged with lying on his application for U.S. citizenship

by not disclosing his alleged afliation with a violent

political group in Liberia, according to U.S. Immigration

and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In 2012, the US government deported George Boley, former

leader of the Liberia Peace Council, and was found to have

recruited and used child soldiers in military operations

undertaken by the Peace Council during the countrys civil

war.

ICE said Boleys deportation was the rst removal order it

had obtained under the Child Soldiers Accountability Act

of 2008.

In 2009, a court in Miami convicted the son of former

President Taylor on six counts of committing acts of

torture and conspiracy to commit torture. Chuckie Taylor

was the commander of the notorious Anti-Terrorism Unit

that suppressed opposition to his fathers regime and was

sentenced him to 97 years.

Brown told the VOA that he was unaware whether the visa

revocations were part of an overall US commitment to root

out alleged human rights violators who may be trying to

seek refuge in the United States. Weve heard about all

these speculations; we do not rush to any conclusion. And

so, what we want to do is to, as weve done, do a formal

request for information about what may, or may not, have

occurred. I think people are running to conclusions and

may nd it totally unnecessary in the end, Brown said.

The U.S. embassys response comes on the eve of President

Sirleafs travel to Washington for next months US-Africa

summit.


3/20

FrontpageFriday, July 25, 2014 Page 3

v

AFRICA: U.S.-AFRICASUMMIT MUST LISTEN TOVOICES OF THE PEOPLE

FrontPageCommentary

COMMENTARY

In a guest column for AllAfrica, E. Gyimah Boadi of Ghana's

Center for Democratic Development says the vast majority

of Africans who prefer democracy over authoritarian

regimes deserve to be heard at the forthcoming U.S.-Africa

Summit convened by President Barack Obama.

The child kidnappings by Boko Haram have done a great deal

for Africa's critics and its strongmen. Legitimate concerns about

security in some areas - Nigeria's northern villages, South Sudan

and the Central African Republic - can lead to the assertion that

Africa is not ready for democracy.

The notion that strong authoritarian governments create the best

protection against perceived African instability, both political

and economic, will likely be expressed once again at the United

States-Africa Summit, to be convened on August 5 and 6.

But that is not what African people say. Majorities endorse

freedom, not authoritarian governments - and those majorities

deserve to be heard as their leaders and the President Obama

shape America's evolving African engagement.

Seven out of ten Africans prefer democracy to other political

regimes, and the proportion of deeply committed democrats

- those who also reject authoritarian alternatives - has risen

steadily over the past decade, according to Afrobarometer, a

network of researchers who have surveyed African opinion since

1999.

Of course, the state of democracy shows great variety across

Africa. Fewer than half of all adults profess to prefer democracyin Madagascar (38 percent) and Swaziland (46 percent), where

open elections have been repeatedly disputed, postponed, or

never held at all. By contrast, almost everyone expresses support

for democracy in Senegal (88 percent) and Zambia (90 percent),

where recent elections have led to peaceful turnovers of national

leaders.

In countries like Ghana, Senegal, Zambia and Mauritius, citi zens'

endorsements of democracy as the best kind of government

are matched by high levels of satisfaction with their own

governments' performances. These consolidated democracies

deserve high levels of American aid, trade and investment.

The United States should also encourage such countries to

continue improving the accountability of leaders to their people,

in order to sustain people's beliefs that they can inuence their

own development by voting in fair elections and campaigning

for the services and rights they need.

Several other countries, including Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria,

Zimbabwe, Uganda, Togo, and Cameroon show severe

"democratic decits". People in these countries share democratic

aspirations with their more liberal neighbors, but their judgment

of the state of governance is far lower: they demand more

democracy than they are getting.

This makes it likely that ruling elites in these countries will

continue to face popular pressures for improved democratic

governance. Failure to meet these popular demands can produce

social discontent that more radical forces can exploit, as we have

seen most recently in Mali and Nigeria.

The implications for Western policies towards Africa are clear.

Helping to strengthen democratic institutions is consistent

with popular aspirations, and d emocracy is an essential part of

African aspirations and the continent's future development.

Capitulating to the continent's dictators and strongmen -

whether justied as a needed concession to security, or a

pragmatic emphasis on "development rst" - may create the

deep dissatisfaction with governments experienced in Mali and

in North African countries such as Egypt and Tunisia during the

Arab Spring.

The accountability of leaders in such countries would be

further undermined if strategic U.S. interventions are too

narrowly focused on short-term geo-political and economic

considerations, and ultimately supportive of autocratic regimes.

Such moves would be contrary to the popular desire for

democratic governance.

The forthcoming summit offers a unique opportunity for

dialogue, engagement, and consensus on Africa's developmentand relations with the U.S. While economic and strategic issues

are certainly important, this is not a moment when democratic

change should be relegated to a lesser status. The opinions

of average Africans sharply emphasize the importance of

governments accountable to the people on the continent.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently said: "This is a

moment of great opportunity for Africans. It is also a moment of

decision." Let U.S. policy support governments and aid spending

that increase citizens' participation in the most important

decisions of their future.

E. Gyimah-Boadi is the executive director of Center for

Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), in Accra, Ghana, and

of Afrobarometer, a survey project tracking public opinion on

democratic and economic reforms in 34 African countries. He

is also a professor in the Department of Political Science at

the University of Ghana, Legon. He received his PhD from the

University of California, Davis.

v

EDITORIAL

THE UNITED STATES embassy in Monrovia

spoke for the rst time since a FrontPageAfrica

revelation that two senior Liberian government

ofcials, Associate Justice Kabineh Janeh and

Youth & Sports Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe had

their visas cancelled either en route or upon arrival

in the United States of America.

IN A STATEMENT Thursday, the embassy noted:

We are aware of reports that several Liberian

government ofcials had their U.S. visas cancelled

recently. Under U.S. law, we cannot comment on

individual visa cases. That said, the partnership

between the United States and Liberia remains

strong. We have worked together through many

difcult times. We are committed to supporting

Liberia and her people as they seek to foster

democracy and economic growth and to rebuild the

country.

THE REACTION COMES in the wake of

widespread pandemonium within the Ellen Johnson-

Sirleaf led government as many ofcials, fearing

that similar fate await them, are taking precautions

and have second guesses about making the trek to

America.

INFORMATION MINISTER Lewis Brown told

the Voice of America this week that the Sirleaf

administration has made proper representation

to the US embassy seeking clarication on why

the visas of three senior government ofcials were

revoked after they had left Liberia.

THAT BOTH JANEH and Nagbe had some

afliation with different rebel groups duringLiberias civil war, which lasted from 1989 to 2003,

points to varying degrees of speculations, rumors

and innuendos that Liberias adopted stepfather

may be up to something. However, the conspicuous

silence and now vague response that the U.S. is

aware but cannot comment on the matter but

cannot comment on individual visa cases adds even

more uncertainty to the issue in play.

LIBERIANS TRULY are eager to see those who

played major roles in the civil war brought to book

for whatever roles they may have played in the war

that led to the deaths of thousands, and exodus of

thousands more into exile.

NOT SO LONG AGO, another prominent gurefrom the civil war, Mr. Jucontee Thomas Woewiyu,

who served at one point as Charles Taylors former

defense minister, was picked up upon entry into

the U.S. His arrest, follows the indictment and

sentencing to fty years of Taylor, and similarly

grave sentencing of Taylors son, Chuckie for

crimes related to the civil war.

WHAT IS AMERICA

SAYING WITHOUT

SAYING?

THE VISA CANCELLATION SAGA

FROM ALL INDICATIONS, it appears that the Obama

administration is determined and for obviously good

reasons to go after Liberians accused of war crimes.

THIS IS WHY it is important that the U.S. at least

for now become more open with its revelations about

why these ofcials were denied entry into America,

after agreeing to give them visas to leave the shores

of Liberia.

THESE ARE NOT ordinary Liberians. A prominent

member of the high court and a close condante and

minister in a government headed by the rst woman

to lead an African nation, from all intentions, is no

small matter.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, these developments follow

the recent shutdowns of Liberian embassy accounts

in the U.S. and the departure of Delta, a major U.S.

carrier.

AS PRESIDENT Sirleaf prepares to travel to

Washington for next months US-Africa summit,

we hope that the Americans will make their position

much clearer and more vocal on the issues conicting

a lot of Liberians, the implementation of the Truth and

Reconciliation Commissions ndings, corruption

and the lack of political will to continue Liberias

transition from war to peace.

ON THE SURFACE, the response from the U.S.

to the visa cancellation of top government ofcials

appears to be sending a message that Washington is

fed up with the Sirleaf administrations snail trek in

dealing with the core issues burning Liberians and

interrupting progress. What we and no Liberian want,

are complicated messages which many are struggling

to decipher as Liberias most important international

partner states its dissatisfaction without saying much

to a nation for now, lingering in a recurring state of

uncertainty.

Liberia Deserves a Better

Explanation Than This,

Uncle Sam!


4/20


WEAH WILL WIN, NOMATTER WHAT

FrontPageSend your letters and comments to:

[email protected] WRITE; WE PUBLISH; THEY READ!

COMMENTS FROM

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DISCLAIMERThe comments expressed here are those of our online readers and

bloggers and do no represent the views of FrontPageAfrica

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EDITORIAL TEAM

WHAT READERS ARE SAYINGABOUT OUR STORIES ON THE

WORLDWIDE WEB

The Reader's Page

SYLVESTER MOSES TOP COMMENTER

Unmistakably, the message to the nation from the US and UN

is the same: clean your mess or we will clean it up for you. In

other words, implement the easily acceptable recommendations of

the TRC, continue constructive governance, reconcile, and seek

sustainable peace together. And why this should be a problem beats

the imagination of reasonable Liberians.

As we write there is a huge mess in Iraq because Al Malaki, the

twice - democratically elected prime minister, has been bullish

in allowing genuine participatory democracy. By intensifying the

isolation of the Sunnis - Saddam Husseins group - he has engulfed

the country in another bloody ethnic strife. And conict looms over

Liberia should we not reconcile now.

For example, instead of writing about the need for unity and

reconciliation, Mr. Worweiyu was playing the divisive card to curry

favor. Our perchance for postponing, procrastinating, and putting

off actions which outcomes are positive to our common good is

mind - boggling. Were all in this together, lets be proactive to

make Liberia safe for our children, grandchildren and posterity.

HARRIBOY JOHNSON TOP COMMENTER BOOKER

WASHINGTON INSTITUTE

Thanks to the United States Government for the step taken to bring

justices to victims of the civil war in Liberia. While the effort

is commendable, we urge the U.S. government to also go after

individuals and institutions that sponsored war in Liberia. 0.5 cent

spent or given to a rebel leader to kill people is equal to war crime.

Such giver must give account in court.

R_FILIPS (SIGNED IN USING AOL)

If these actions on the part of the US are translated into setting up

a war crime court and prosecuting those who rained havoc and in

the same vain seized state power, I would say bravo to the people

of Liberia and a big thank you to Uncle Sam.

AARON NYAHN UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS

GRADUATE SCHOOL (MBA)

The step taken by the US to bring to justice the perpetrators of

crimes against humanity in Liberia is a step in the right direction.

We can not have the cycle of violence and the looting of public

coffers go with impunity. This will set the stage for those who wish

to hold political ofces in the future that the government is not

meant to enrich them at the detriment of the people. It will be a

signal to all would be politicians that there is a big eye watching

them and they need to perform according international standards.

Although long overdue, it is better late then never. Bravo US!

Those who argue that this might not heal the wounds of Liberia

need to sit back and ask themselves: should 250,000-300,000

of our people be killed and no one be held accountable? If this

happens, it will be a recipe for some greedy persons to wake up

again and plunge the country into another round of mess. It will

deter future wars and economic crimes. If this had happened

earlier, the situation the nation is now in under the administration

of Ellen Sirleaf would have been different.

The United States must help Africa end impunity without fear or

favor. Names like Robert Mugabe, Ellen Sireaf, Paul Biya and

their kinds should not be spare if justice must be served. In Liberia,

if Ellen Sirleaf, George Boley, A. Kromah, Prince Johnson and

their followers are not held accountable for the death of 250,000-

300,000 of our people, the souls of the dead will not rest in peace

and justice will not be served. We hope to hear soon big names that

unleashed havoc and mayhem on the nation and its people.

Again, thanks America for the baby steps taken and we hope the

giant ones will follow soon. One of the responsibilities of a great

nation is to bring justice and fair play to all peoples without fear

or favor.

JAY WION TOP COMMENTER WORKS AT NPRC

MY TURN: Regime change hangs over Liberia. A PEACEFUL

PEOPLE'S PROTEST revolution is about to take roots in Liberia.

Liberians are emboldened by calls from US President Barack

Obama, the United Nations Secretary General and the European

Union.

I have always called for regime change in my writings, not basedon violence, but sustained mass peaceful protests that will force the

collapse of this corrupt regime of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. And the

Liberian people are now ready to confront this corrupt government.

And yes, there will be a Liberia War Crimes Tribunal sooner that

will try suspected war criminals and the trials will be held, not in

Liberia, but in another country under the supervision of the UN.

The Editor,

The political process in mama Liberia is becoming

very interesting ,with the son of the most abhorrent

Liberian president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in the

Montserrado County senatorial race. I bet my life

Ambassador George M. Weah , will massively defeat Robert

A. Sirleaf in the upcoming senatorial election. This is a test

of time for the poor electorates of Montserrado county. This

is also a test of time for the National Election Commission of

Liberia. The test of lasting peace and permanency in Mama

Liberia.Today I read in one of Liberias most credible news outlets ,the

front-page Africa newspaper that the favorite son of Liberia

most corrupt president , Robert A. Sirleaf is contemplating

on entering the Montserrado county competition. This was

characterize by a petitioning ceremony in the Doe community

in Montserrado ,county yesterday. Robert A. Sirleaf promised

the petitioners he was going to pray and make a decision later.

I have to think, I will be very honest with you all, I do not

know the characterization in this folder; I will look into all

your eyes, I want to see your hope, I want to see your dreams,

I want to see your aspirations. I want to thank you all for

giving me this folder. I hold this folder to my heart and I will

take it to God tonight and I will wake up tomorrow morning

and I will ask God if whats in this folder represents the

dreams of the people of Montserrado County and then God

will send me a message that in this folder, if I would make a

decision, I would do so. Robert A. Sirleaf

No level of spiritual intervention can help Robert Sirleaf. Iread in the paper Robert Sirleaf talking about invoking the

direction of God before making his decision to enter the race.

No level of religiousness with help Robert Sirleaf win

Montserrado County senatorial election, when the facts

signposts, Robert A. Sirleaf is a key decision maker in his

mother government and the citizens of Montserrado county

continue to experience very deplorable conditions. Some of

the folks in Montserrado county even called Robert A. Sirleaf

the prime minister of Liberia.

No level of faithfulness will help Robert A. Sirleaf win

Montserrado County senatorial election; When it is very

clear Robert A. Sirleaf as a major decision maker in his

mother government continue to make decision that is not in

the interest of the citizens of Montserrado county, causing

the following problems in Liberia and Montserrado county:

Poor health care delivery system, massive corruption in

governmental circle, high unemployment of the youth,an increase in the death of the citizens from EBOLA,

misplacement of individuals in national government, and lack

of political will to prosecute corrupt government ofcials.

Liberians will not allow an oligarchy form of government

in Liberia. An oligarchy form of government, is a form of

government which consists of rule by an elite group who

rule in their own interests, especially the accumulation of

wealth and privilege. Only certain members of society have

a valid voice in the government. This can reect (but is not

limited to) economic interests, a particular religious tradition

(theocracy), or family rule (monarchy).

Liberians will not allow a monarchy form of government in

Liberia. A monarchy form of government is a government

consisting of a king or queen, who sometimes has absolute

power. Power is passed along through the family

I bet my life; Ambassador George M. Weah will massively

defeat Robert A. Sirleaf in the Montserrado County senatorial

election. These are the reasons to intellectually back my

theory. His mother Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the most detestedLiberian president. because of her dubious transactions in the

past, and on the current political playing eld. Ellen Johnson

Sirleaf made lot of political promises to her political friends

in both the 2005 and 2011 elections and did not fullled those

promises . This is a payback time for her political friends.

Those people she hurt on the political playing eld will waste

all of their anger on her cherish son.

I bet my life, Ambassador George M. Weah will colossally

defeat Robert A. Sirleaf in the Montserrado County senatorial

election ,because the numbers from both the 2005 and 2011

senate elections clearly explain his chances. In 2005 ofcial

result from the National Election Commission web site, the

Congress of Democratic Change won in Montserrado county

with 33.874 (35.5%) of total votes cast. In 2011 the Congress

for Democratic Change again won Montserrado county with

233.038 (52.7) votes cast.

Lasting peace and perpetuity in Mama Liberia is in the hands

of the chairman of the National Election Commission ofLiberia Cllr. Jerome G Korkoya ( JD) chairman.

Many people from many quarters in Liberia are rising concern

about the credibility of the election in Montserrado county

after learning the president preferred son Robert A. Sirleaf

was petitioned in Montserrado county. Some are saying

with the high level of corruption the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

government is involve with, and with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

wanting to protect her beloved son after she leaves power,

she will do everything possible to manipulate the National

election commission chairman to announce the result in

favor of her son . I trust the credibility of the chairman of the

National Election commission of Liberia. I hope and pray his

decision as chairman of the National Election commission of

Liberia will be to report a transparent election result.

Finally this is a test of time for the electorates in Montserrado

county. I hope and pray their decisions to vote a senator in

ofce for nine years will not just be for temporary gain andshort term benets. Rather their decisions to vote a senator

in ofce should be for the common good of all citizens of

Montserrado county.

Dashward A. Wumah,

[email protected]

WAR CRIMES COURT LOOMS?

TOP OFFICIALS VISA REJECTED


5/20


Stephen D. Kollie, [email protected] 0776329124

FRONTPAGE

EBOLAMonrovia

Aconsultant at the

Ministry of Finance

has become the rstsuspected case of

Ebola reported in the Nigerianstate of Lagos since the outbreak

surfaced in Liberia this year.

The Liberian was a member of

a Liberian delegation attending

a conference in Lagos when

he reportedly began exhibiting

symptoms of the deadly virus.

The man suspected of the deadlyvirus reportedly came in contact

with the disease when caring for

his sister who died as a result of

the deadly virus at the St. JosephCatholic Hospital in Monroviaabout three weeks ago. He is said

to have also gone after his dead

sisters husband who is said tohave run away after the womansdeath.

The suspected Ebola patient

upon entering Nigeria wassaid to be suffering malaria

and started throwing up and he

started vomiting. Family and

friends who have spoken with

the ofcial say he sounds well.Liberian diplomatic sources in

Lagos told FrontPageAfrica

Thursday night that the Nigeriantest was not conclusive.

Accordingly Nigerian authoritieshave taken specimen of the

suspected Ebola patient to the

WHO regional ofce in Dakarbut the results are yet to be

released.

The Liberian mission in Lagos

is said to be unhappy that

authorities announced the

suspected case before the results

were determined.

Without waiting for the result,

the result was leaked. ECOWASis prepared to evacuate him on a

medical plane but waiting for the

result. By 12 Friday, the resultswill be out, a Liberian diplomat

in Lagos told FrontPageAfrica.

FrontPageAfrica has learnedthat the Liberian Mission in

Lagos is contemplating linga complaint with the NigerianHealth Ministry.

Nigerian government healthofcials, in a brieng noted thatthe 40-year-old Liberian is in aprivate hospital in the Oba lende

area of the State.

The Lagos State Ministry of

Health, on Thursday, said it

is testing the Liberian, and

conrmed he is in his 40s, for thedeadly Ebola virus.

The special adviser on public

health to the Lagos state

government, Yewande Adeshina,told a news conference the

man had arrived in Lagos from

Liberia on Sunday.The patient was admitted and

detained on suspicion of possible

EBV (Ebola) infection, while

LAGOS HEALTH MINISTRY TESTS LIBERIAN FOR EBOLA VIRUS

The patient was admitted and detained on suspicion of possible EBV (Ebola) infection, while blood sample collection andtesting was initiated, - Yewande Adeshina, Special Adviser on Public Health to the Lagos state government

MOF CONSULTANT QUARANTINED

blood sample collection and

testing was initiated, she said in

her statement.

Samples had been sent to a World

Health Organisation (WHO)laboratory in Dakar, she said,

adding, results are pending.

The ofcials also noted that thehospital housing the Liberian has

been cordoned off and the victim

isolated.

This would be the rst recordedcase of one of the worldsdeadliest diseases in Nigeria,Africas biggest economy andmost populous nation, with 170million people and some of

Africas least adequate healthinfrastructure.

Lead Doctor in Sierra Leone

Infected

It would be recalled that the

virus recently infected Sheik

Umar Khan, a Sierra Leonean

doctor leading the ght to curbthe dreaded disease.

Sierra Leones health ministerconrmed that the doctor incharge of battling the current

Ebola outbreak has become ill

with the deadly disease.

Health and Sanitation Minister

Miatta Kargbo issued a statement

Tuesday saying that Dr. Sheik

Humarr Khan has a conrmedcase of Ebola.

The minister described the

stricken doctor as a national herofor the sacrices he has madeduring the current outbreak of

the hemorrhagic fever.

The minister said the doctor is

now on his way to a Doctors

Without Borders treatment

center in Sierra Leones easternKailahun District.

More than 500 people have diedin the current Ebola outbreak in

three West African countries:

Sierra Leone, Guinea and

Liberia.

Doctors Without Borders said

earlier this month that it feared

the number of patients now being

treated in Sierra Leone could be

just the tip of the iceberg.The 39-year-old Sheik UmarKhan, is a virologist credited

with treating more than 100Ebola victims. He has been

transferred to a treatment ward

run by medical charity Medecins

Sans Frontieres.

Nigeria takes precautionsLagos State government had

earlier in July laid out someprecautionary measures to stop

the outbreak of the disease that

has ravaged neighboring West

African countries, in the state.

The State Commissioner forHealth, Dr. Jide Idris, had ina statement said the measures

became necessary with a view

to preventing the outbreak of the

disease in the State.

He listed measures that will

help in stopping the outbreak to

include; washing of hands oftenwith soap and water, avoiding

close contact with people who

are sick and ensuring that

objects used by the sick aredecontaminated and properly

disposed.

He advised health workers

to be at alert and ensure they

always wear personal protective

equipment as well as observe

universal basic precautions

when attending to suspected

or conrmed cases, and reportsame to their Local Government

Area or Ministry of Health

immediately.

Meanwhile the Federal

Government and the NigeriaCentre for Disease Control(NCDC) had commenced the

training of health workers toprevent the deadly Ebola virus

from spreading into the country.

Beyond MOH ControlOn Thursday, Liberias Ministerof Health and Social Welfare Dr.

Walter T. Gwenigale revealed

that the ght against the deadlyvirus that has claimed the lives

of people in the county and its

neighbors, Sierra Leone and

Guinea cannot not be combated

by the sole efforts of the

Health Ministry but through a

full collaborative effort by all

Liberians.

This disease is now beyond the

ability of the Ministry of Heath

alone to care for because it is

spreading so fast all of us have

to be involved. I dont know howto do it but the communities,

the County superintendents, theparamount chiefs, town chiefs,

the clan chief, all of us have to

be involved, he said Thursday

at the Ministry of Information

regular press brieng.According to Dr. Gwenigale,

the persistent denial, resistance

and fear of the virus by many

Liberians is contributing to

the rapid spread of the disease

among the countrys population.Addressing the press brieng onThursday, Minister Gwenigale

noted that the resistance from

community members to allow

Ebola dead to be buried in their

communities and a refusal from

community members to allow

the spraying of affected areas aretwo major problems impedingthe work of the Ebola response

team.

Said Dr. Gwenigale: There are

still people in our communities

who are still saying this disease

does not exist and that we did

this just to get money. Theother reason that the disease is

spreading is resistance to carry

out the things we have told them

not to do. The other reason that

the disease is still spreading is

fear of being isolated. Some

people are saying that when they

come at the hospital, we will

infect them so they are afraid to

come at the Hospital. Another

reason is hiding the people with

the disease. The most difcultone right now is the internal

migration of people.

Dr. Gwenigale went on to say that

the Ministry has tried its utmost

best to prove the existence of the

virus in the country as evident

by the regular updates and the

conrmation from the WorldHeath Organization (WHO) andthe death of heath workers in the

country.

Continued Gwenigale: Whennewspapers continue to give

information that is not good and

when our own leaders do not

believe us and people believe

them it gives us problem. My

plea is to everyone especially our

leaders to please get the Liberian

people to be lieve us. We cannot

do these things to undermine

the efforts that we are trying to

make to control this disease in

our country.

The Health Minister said the

effort by the Ebola response

team is meant to save lives and

not to kill people as is been

falsely misinterpreted in some

quarters.

Said Dr. Gwenigale: Now, thehealth workers are dying how

they can inject people whenthey themselves are dying. I

have lost more than 12 healthworkers including a doctor.

This disease is now beyond the

ability of the Ministry of Heath

alone to cater to because it is

spreading so fast, all of us have

to be involved. I dont know howto do it but the communities,

the County superintendents, theparamount chiefs, town chiefs,

the clan chief, all of us have to be

involved. I think all of has to say

what can we do as individuals

what can we do so this disease

can stop spreading.

Health workers at the frontline

ghting the disease have fallenprey with over a dozen dead

and others still being catered

to in isolation units. Lofa,

Montserrado, Margibi and Bomi

are the counties in which cases

of the deadly virus have been

reported. The Ebola virus has

killed 632 people across Guinea,Liberia and Sierra Leone since

an outbreak began in February.

The virus has killed 632 peopleacross Guinea, Liberia and

Sierra Leone since an outbreak

began in February, straining a

string of weak health systems

despite international help.

SWITZERLAND COMMITS A FURTHER CHF 500,000

TO FIGHT EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN WEST AFRICABern, 23.07.2014 -

The SDC is allocating

CHF 500,000 to

support Mdecins

Sans Frontires-

Switzerland (MSF-Suisse) in

its work to combat the Ebola

virus in Guinea, Liberia and

Sierra Leone. This further

contribution to MSF-Suisse

is in addition to the annual

amount the SDC gives to it

and also to the World Health

Organisation (WHO), which is

coordinating the international

response to the Ebola epidemic

in West Africa.

In view of the spread of the

Ebola epidemic across West

Africa, the Swiss Agency for

Development and Cooperation

(SDC) has decided to allocate

CHF 500,000 to supporting

the work of MSF-Suisse. The

contribution is in response

to an appeal launched by the

NGO. It will enable MSF-

Suisse to strengthen the

measures it is employing to

stem the spread of the virus

and to treat those infected in

Guinea, Liberia and Sierra

Leone, the three countries

affected by the epidemic.

The SDC facilitated the work

of MSF-Suisse in Liberia

when the rst cases of

infection appeared in March,

providing accommodation in

its humanitarian programme

ofce in Monrovia for several

members of the NGO. The

contribution of CHF 500,000

is in addition to the CHF 6

million donated by the SDC to

MSF-Suisse in 2014 to support

its programmes around the

world.

At the international level, the

WHO is coordinating efforts

to ght and prevent the spread

of the Ebola epidemic. The

WHO convened an emergency

ministerial-level meeting in

Accra at the beginning of July,

with a view to stopping the

spread of the virus as quickly

as possible. The ministers

present agreed that the current

situation posed a serious

threat for all the countries of

the region and beyond, and

the principle of coordinated

action by all parties involved

was adopted. Switzerland's

total contribution to the

WHO in 2014 amounted

to approximately CHF 12

million.

Detected in West Africa four

months ago, this epidemic

has surpassed all other cases

of Ebola virus propagation

recorded on the continent, in

terms of numbers infected,

deaths and geographic

spread. To date over 1000

cases including more than600 deaths were recorded in

Guinea, Liberia and Sierra

Leone. This is the rst time

the virus has spread across

an entire region, reaching

the major urban centres of

Conakry and Monrovia, the

respective capitals of Guinea

and Liberia.

The SDC is continuing to

monitor closely the situation

on the ground via its network

of partners and from its

programme ofce in Liberia.

Within Liberia, especially in

Lofa County, which is the main

centre of the epidemic, the

SDC has undertaken several

concrete measures to support

the authorities and local

partners, including emergency

situation training for medicalstaff, distribution of protective

material for health-care staff

and support in disseminating

preventive measures via

printed brochures and local

radio.


6/20


FRONTPAGE

BANKING/FINANCE

FRONTPAGE

BUSINESS

ECOBANK SEES NO LIBERIA DOLLARRESPITE AS UN TROOPS EXIT

Liberias dollar,

Africas second-worst

performing currency,

will weaken a further7.5 percent by year-end as the

withdrawal of United Nations

troops and sliding exports cut

inows, according to Ecobank

Transnational Plc.

The Liberian dollar fell 13.5

percent this year to trade at 92.50per U.S. dollar through yesterday

in the capital, Monrovia. Thats

the biggest drop among 24

African currencies tracked by

Bloomberg after Ghanas cedi

this year. The dollar may weaken

to 100 by year-end, Ecobank, thecontinents most geographically

diverse lender, said.

UN missions in Liberia are

scaling down their operations

and relocating to areas where

there are conicts because peace

and stability in Liberia is gainingground, Nepce Nepe-Umehai,

country treasurer of Ecobank

Liberia, said by phone from

Monrovia on July 18. Thats

affecting inows because the

missions are getting less and less

support from abroad.

While companies includingArcelorMittal SA (MT) and

OAO Severstal have started

operations since the civil war

ended in 2003, the International

Monetary Fund is predicting a

drop in mining output this year.The UNs plans to more than

halve the number of personnel in

the West African rubber and iron-

ore producer is increasing the

pressure on currency, with fewer

salaries adding to projectionsthat the decit on the current

account is set to widen the most

in six years.

Dollar Support

The UN Security Council is

cutting personnel by 4,200 to

3,750 between August 2012 andJuly 2015, the mission said onits website. When it started in

September 2003, 15,000 military

personnel were deployed. Some

non-governmental organizations

are also cutting back, the IMF

said in a report published on itswebsite July 11.

Exports of iron ore fell 17

percent in May to 523,650 metric

tons from the previous month

and rubber shipments dropped

49 percent to 2,158 metric tons,the Central Bank of Liberia saidinMay

. Calls made to numbers listed

on the regulators website didnt

connect yesterday. The countrys

currency traded unchanged at

92.50 per U.S. dollar yesterdayin Monrovia.

The drop in exports is reducing

the central banks ability to

support the Liberian dollar at

foreign-currency auctions as it

seeks to bolster reserves. Theshortfall on current account, thebroadest measure of trade in

goods and services, with the gap

set to reach 47 percent in scal

2014 from 35 percent in 2013,

the IMF said.

Slower OutputRemittances to workers in the

nation of 4.3 million people fell

57 percent to $119 million in the

rst quarter from a year earlier,

the central bank said in a bulletin

on its website.While the IMF projects theeconomy will grow faster than

the sub-Saharan African average

for a ninth straight year, the rate

estimated for scal 2014 of 5.9

percent is slower than output of

8.7 percent the prior period.Ination will slow to 7 percent

in 2014 from an average of 8.5

percent last year, President Ellen

Johnson-Sirleaf said June 16.

Price gains decelerated to 9.6

percent in May from 9.8 percenta month earlier, according tothe bank. Ination may have

accelerated to at least 11 percent

in June, Nepe-Umehai said of the

data that is yet to be released.

Companies and organizations

that used to bring in fundsare no longer bringing in the

volumes they used to, Nepe-

Umehai said. People who earn

the currency now have to spend

more to keep the same standard

of living.

BHP BILLITON, ARCELORMITTAL APPLY TO EXPORTIRON ORE FROM MINE IN GUINEA THROUGH LIBERIA

BHP Billiton hasmade a joint

application with

ArcelorMittal to

export iron ore from a project

in Guinea through neighboring

Liberia, according to people

familiar with the plan.

BHP Billiton and ArcelorMittal

had asked the two west African

governments to approve theplan for ore mined at the Nimba

project, said the people, who

asked not to be identied as

the information is not public.

The largest mining company

wanted to arrange for ore to be

transported using a railway line

and port controlled by top steel

maker ArcelorMittal, three of

the people said.The joint application was part of

negotiations for ArcelorMittal

to buy BHP Billitons stake in

Nimba, two of the people said.

In 2010 the rms tried

to combine their iron ore

projects that straddle the

Liberia-Guinea border before

abandoning discussions seven

months later. The Wall StreetJournal reported in May that

ArcelorMittal was close to

buying the Nimba mine from

BHP Billiton.

Companies seeking to develop

iron ore mines in west Africa

are confronted by a lack

of transport links to ship

the material to customers.

Rio Tinto signed a $20billion (R213bn) investment

agreement with the Guinean

government last month that

includes the construction of a

650km railway. Sable Mining,

a London-traded producer, is

also seeking to move ore on

ArcelorMittals rail link.

Spokesmen for BHP Billiton,

ArcelorMittal and the Liberian

government declined to

comment. A spokesman for

the Guinean governmentand Mines Minister Kerfalla

Yansane did not return calls.

Liberia and Guinea did not

feature in BHP Billitons iron

ore expansion plans, chief

executive Andrew Mackenzie

told shareholders in October

last year.

Melbourne-based BHP

Billiton owns 41 percent of the

Nimba mine in Guinea. Other

shareholders include Newmont

Mining and Areva.

ArcelorMittal, which is

expanding its Liberian iron

ore mine in the Nimba area to

produce as much as 20 million

tons a year, is obliged to let

other companies use any spare

capacity on its railway.

Sable, which is developing

a deposit at Nimba on the

Guinean side of the border, was

granted permission to export

through Liberia in October last

year. Bloomberg


7/20


FRONTPAGE

EDUCATION

REED'S PUSHCART WARRIORS

FUND A SCHOOL IN LIBERIA

Thanks to the past two

Reed Intermediate

School sixth grade

classes, a school

in Paynesville, a suburb of

Monrovia, in Liberia, has a new

well, and a new school building

is being constructed.

This past February, Newtown

Middle School seventh grade

studentslearned how they helped

fund a well for a Liberian school

through participating in a yearly

event at Reed IntermediateSchool as sixth grade students

the previous school year.

At the Board of Educations

Tuesday, July 15, meeting, the

school board learned how Reed

sixth graders, participating in the

same event this past school year,

helped to build a new school

building.

Before Newtowns fth grade

was moved to Reed Intermediate

School, reading The Pushcart

Wars by Jean Merrill was part

of the curriculum at Sandy

Hook School. The book tells the

ctional story of a clash between

pushcart vendors in New York

City and the increasing truck

trafc that competed for space.In 2007, Valerie Pagano-

Hepburn introduced it to her

sixth grade students at Reed, and

the students worked to create

their own pushcarts lled with

selected foods and other items.

After completing their pushcarts,

the students sold the items while

competing, like in the book. That

year the prots were donated to

charities selected by the students.

Since then Pushcart Day has

grown.

Prior to Pushcart Day at Reed

near the end of the 2012-13 school year, Ms Pagano-

Hepburn said the students had to

create their pushcart, determine

what goods to sell, make the

goods, and price the goods. That

Pushcart Day raised roughly

$2,800 in three hours, nearly

all quarters and nickels, as

Ms Pagano-Hepburn said at the

time. She also said it was the rst

year with such a large prot.

The students were left wondering

what to do with the money that

was raised.

A letter to the editor in The

Newtown Bee in May 2013

from a student at Kamiak High

School in Mukilteo, Wash.,

offered inspiration. The letter

explained Kamiak High School

has a tradition of funding the

construction of wells in Liberia,

West Africa, through the Well

Done Organization.The letter went on to say that

after learning about the events of

12/14 at Sandy Hook Elementary

School, the Kamiak High School

leadership class decided to fund

a well in Liberia in honor of the

lives lost that day. The school

raised $2,500 to make that

happen.

That letter caught the eye of

Reed fth grade teacher KarenKing, who presented this years

Pushcart Day news to the

school board last week with Ms

Pagano-Hepburn. Ms King said

she brought the idea of funding

a well forward after reading

the letter. Reed sixth grade

teachers Ms Pagano-Hepburn,Lil Martenson, Patrice DiVanno,

and Georgia Smith all had

students participate in the 2013

Pushcart Day event.

Ms Pagano-Hepburn said when

the students heard the idea of

building a well, the place went

crazy 900 kids come through

our two clusters for three hours,

so they all bought the well. They

all are involved in it. Its just

such a beautiful experience for

them, a total thing.

That summer, Ms King traveled

to Liberia for other projects she

is involved in. While there, as

she had promised her students,

she visited the site where

Kamiak High Schools well was

built.

I left, actually, right from the

last day of school last year I

went right to the airport and I

headed to Liberia, Ms Kingsaid, and one of the rst things

I did was contact the ambassador

to Liberia.

US Ambassador Deborah Malac

and Ms King visited the well

sponsored by Kamiak.

My other chore while I was

there, among many other things,

was to nd a place where our

well could be, said Ms King.

Where the Reed well could

be. So about three days after

I happened to be with another

organization traveling around

visiting different projects.

She ended up at New Life

Christian Academy, where help

was needed both with the latrine

and with the schools well.The building, said Ms King

showing a photograph of the

school to the school board,

was not secure. Three hundred

children attend the school under

the guidance of seven volunteer

teachers, according to Ms King.

Ive been to a lot of poor

schools, Ms King said. I was

very touched by the earnestness

of the people in the community.

They had built these walls with

their own hands out of mud

and sticks and straw. And they

wanted a little bit of a helping

hand. When I was there that day

they did not know that I could

help them, but I decided that was

the obvious place for us to dig

our well It was called New

Life: it seemed perfect.

The new well was built and

completed by December 10,

2013.

A sign, designed and created by

local artists near the academy,

near the well reads, This well is

dedicated to the memory of the

26 Sandy Hook School angels,

given by Reed Intermediate

School, Newtown, CT, USA,

2012-2013. Kindness matters

and love wins.

We provided life-giving water

to children who are every bit as

precious as our own here, Ms

King said.

Chapter Two

Chapter Two, as Ms Kingintroduced it to the school board,

began when the 2014 Pushcart

Warriors became inspired by

what the previous years sixth

graders had accomplished.

Ms Pagano-Hepburn said the

2014 Pushcart Warriors were

determined to also help the

school, after seeing photos and

learning about the well.

The students made lists,

brainstorming ways to help New

Life Christian Academy.

That was when Ms King shared

more news with the sixth grade

students. A contact at Scholastic

Publishing had heard about

Reeds efforts and offered to

donate 600 to 1,000 nonctionbooks for New Life Christian

Academy. Ms King also said

HEARTT, an NGO, offered to

ship the books.

Richard Rogers of Scholastic

Publishing said, We all simply

saw a great opportunity to

bring the global literacy call of

Read Every Day. Lead a Better

Life and combine that with an

amazing person like Karen King.

We know with her endless talents

and dedication, she could put our

donation to the very best use.

Ms Pagano-Hepburn explainedthat after Ms King shared her

news, the students raised the idea

of building a place to house the

books.

That was on a Friday, and

after quickly researching the

possibility, it was learned that

building a library or school

would be too expensive. But by

that Sunday, Ms King had more

news.

We had heard that it would be

$25,000 to build them a brand-

new school, with six classrooms,

cinderblock walls, a tin roof,

and a cement oor. Of course

that was just way too much,

Ms King said. But over the

weekend I had an idea and Ireached out to a donor who has

done a lot for the Liberian Eye

Clinic. He had expressed an

interest for doing something

positive for Newtown. He was

always interested in Liberia; I

thought it was just the perfect

opportunity.

He agreed to challenge our

students to raise a record $3,000,

and if they did, he would partner

with them and contribute the

remaining $22,000, so that our

children could know that theywere responsible for building a

new school, said Ms King.

The rst donation for the 2014

Pushcart Wars, according to

Ms Pagano-Hepburn, came

from US Ambassador Deborah

Malac, then the students pushed

on. Some brought piggy banks,

donating nearly $70, Ms Pagano-

Hepburn said, remembering she

knew the amount raised by the

2014 Pushcart Wars would be

big.

The warriors ended up raising

$5,564.

A New School For The New

School Year

According to Ms King, New Life

Christian Academys new schoolis being built by the Well Done

Organization this summer, and

is expected to be completed for

school to begin in September.

This story, Ms King reected

after the school boards meeting,

spans two years worth of

Pushcart Warriors and Reed

students and staff. This has been

an incredible experience for me,

to be a witness to this swell of

good will and life-changing

generosity. I feel extremely

blessed to have a front row seatto witness all the kindness in the

world.

The West Coast couple who

donated the remainder of the

money to fund the new school

were also sent a letter of thanks

from the Reed students and staff.

Words cant describe how

thankful we are for your

generosity, the letter read.

What you are doing for those

kids in Liberia and us is truly

amazing. This task would not be

able to be accomplished without

you. When our teacher explained

to us what you were doing for

us and hundreds of others, she

almost broke down crying. Ms

King said that you wouldnt evensay your name to her because youdidnt want credit. We thought

this was truly brave.

The letter nished by saying,

You are truly a role model to all

of us. We will never forget you

and what you did to support us.

Even though we have never met

you in person, you have surely

charmed us, our actions and our

thoughts.

The anonymous donors had a

reply saying, through Ms King,

We did it because we believe ineducation, so how could we not

help the Liberian students save

their books, and how could we

not help your students learn how

much of a difference they can

make, and how important that is?

We loved seeing the pictures of

Pushcart Day, and how excited

the students were and how much

they raised.

With the school being built now,

Ms King told the school board

more photos of the nished

product should be available by

September.

School board Vice Chair Laura

Roche thanked the teachers for

the presentation and for inspiring

their students with the love andwork you do every day Well

done.

More information about

Well Done Organization is

available at its website, www.

welldoneliberia.org. Well Dones

Founder Daryl Finley has also

posted a video, New LifeChristian Academy Paynesville


8/20


FRONTPAGE

INTERVIEW

Ali Syla is in a tight spot. Even if he refuses to admit.

Running on the ticket of the ruling Unity Party, Syla nds

himself in a crowded race to become the next Senator

for Montserrado County, a eld that includes the like

of football legend George Manneh Weah, Dr. Chris Neyor, former

Chief Executive of the National Oil Company of Liberia(NOCAL),

Ben Sanvee of the opposition Liberty Party, the incumbent Joyce

Musu Freeman and Robert Sirleaf, son of the president.

The race considered to be one of the critical races is important for

Syla who nds himself in the rather complicated position which

could see the president supporting her son over the partys choice.

In this exclusive interview, Syla sets the record straight on a lot of

issues including his chances, the uncertainty over who President

Sirleaf would endorse and why he feels he has the experience to

become the next senator of Montserrado County.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: WHO IS ALI SYLA?

ALI SYLA:Well, Ali Syla is a Liberian. Very young Liberian, who

went school here, attended the Assembly of God Mission School and

various other schools around Monrovia. Born and raised in the Rock

Town Community in Central Monrovia. Come from a very humble

beginning and obviously after graduating from high school, I got

the opportunity to go to the United States. I got my Bachelor degree

from Spring Field College and worked for few years and went back

to School and got my Masters from St. Joseph University. We have

been doing a lot of things about Liberia including advocacy. I am an

activist, as well as an advocate and I am a community leader.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE SENATOR

OF MONTSERRADO COUNTY?

ALI SYLA: Well, there are many factors. You know looking at the

enormous challenges and the competing priorities of our country

it requires somebody with the requisite competency to be able to

develop legislations that can benet the masses of our people. I thinkthe thing that motivates me the most, when you look at the different

challenges in our country and looking at different legislations that do

not have any trigger down effect on the Liberian population, those are

the things that inspire me. Also my role in terms of advocacy and also

understanding what legislations should look like and what legislation

should benet the people. So, I think those are the major things

that inspired me over the years of our civil war. I have been in the

vanguard of protest to bring external forces to our country in terms of

peace. From the United States, coming back to Liberia been involved

in youth advocacy talking about youth employment, challenging the

government about youth unemployment, capacity of young people

as well. So all of those things, a combination of many things that

inspired me to say I want to contest for the senate.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA : THERE IS THIS ISSUE ABOUT

PRIVILEGED BACKGROUND THAT MOST OF THE

CANDIDATES, IF NOT ALL IN MOST INSTANCES ARE NOT

FROM THAT POOR BACKGROUND BUT ARE LOOKING TO

CONVINCE VOTERS THAT THEY CARE AND IDENTIFY WITHTHEM. WHAT IS IT WITH ALI SYLA?

ALI SYLA: You know to be frank with you, if you look at our

history; you know there are people who believe in human services.

I am a victim of the Liberian civil war. My father got killed and that

was the transformation of my life, understanding the intricacies of

the civil war and what that brought to my family. The issue of the

trauma associated with that. There are many people who went through

that as a result of the civil war, about 300,000 suffered from the civil

war. I walked from here to Sierra Leone, so I think for me, that is

what differentiates me from the other folks, living it, breathing it,

understanding the plight of the people. I think those are the things

that inspire me. Coming back from the United States, getting involved

and working with the Liberian community; transitioning them into

resettlement packages from the State Department. Coming back

to Liberia, building a library for the young people and buttressing

government efforts in terms of education, so all of those things are

things that inspired me. I think one of the major things those of us

who want to get involved in public power of trust need to understand

is the plight of our people, living it, breathing it, understanding it,

theorizing it as well and at the end of the day, it is important for you

to reach out and be the change that you want to see. So all of these are

things that inspire me in terms of what I stand for.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: MONTSERRADO IN THE PAST TWO

ELECTIONS HAS PROVEN TO BE PLACE A WHERE THE CDCIS POPULAR, ESPECIALLY ITS POLITICAL LEADER, GEORGE

WEAH GOING INTO A RACE WITH WEAH WHAT MAKES

YOU CONFIDENT THAT YOU CAN BEAT WEAH?

ALI SYLA: I like to the scientic, because if you look at the variables

of 2005 and translate that into 2011, I just like to be scientic in terms

of numbers. When you look at the numbers you see about 90,000

votes difference between the CDC and Unity Party in 2005. When

you look at the numbers in 2011 you see less than 6,000 votes. UP

had 201,710 votes, CDC had 207,345 votes the difference is less than

6,000 votes. So, for me the level of work I have done over the years

really can cover that. Our own involvement in terms of interactions

with the youth and student community, the demographic we can ll in

so I think it is good we test the democracy and it is good. Competition

is very good and, I think this election is a clear cut manifestation as

to where we will take Liberia to. Young people coming and getting

involved and the paradigm exchanging a bid, so I think it is going to

be a challenge for the CDC in this election

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: SINCE YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE

MARGIN BETWEEN THE CDC AND UNITY PARTY THAT

BRINGS ME TO THIS QUESTION. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF

THE ROBERT SIRLEAF CANDIDACY? DO YOU THINK THE

RULING PARTY WILL SUPPORT YOU OVER THE SON OF THE

PRESIDENT?

ALI SYLA: Well, the rst thing is I am from the party and we are

looking at the fundamental ideology. We are fundamental ideologies

of our party including the standard bearer. So realistically, she is from

the institution and I believe she is an institutional person. So it is

required upon her, it is obligated upon her to support the candidate of

the ruling party and I want to believe in my mind that she will commit

herself to that.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: SO DO YOU THINK IF PRESIDENT

SIRLEAF WAS THE ONE TO GIVE THAT ONE VOTE THAT

WILL DECIDE WHO IS THE SENATOR OF MONTSERRADO

COUNTY, DO YOU THINK SHE WILL VOTE ALI SYLA OVERROBERT SIRLEAF?

ALI SYLA: I think, there is delimit here and it is that she is not

registered in Montserrado County she is not going to vote here.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: HER ONE VOTE IS NOT THE ISSUE

HERE, HER SUPPORT. WHO SHES GOING TO SUPPORT

IS GOING TO HAVE AN EDGE. DO YOU THINK SHE WILL

SINCERELY SUPPORT YOU OVER HER SON? AT THE

NOT UNDER PRESSUREPETITIONING CEREMONY OF MR. SIRLEAF, WE SAW UP

STALWARTS WHO ARE CLOSE TO PRESIDENT SIRLEAF AT

THE PROGRAM.

ALI SYLA: Does it mean that when people go to political rally, they

are going to support the person? I think for me most of these things

are hypothetical and I wouldnt want to get into the hypothetical

questions but when people believe in institutions and they benet

from those institutions, than you must be able to commit yourself

to the institution as well. So for me it is important for us to really

be institutional sensitive in the New Liberia. The reconstruction of

Liberia should not be tailored around individuals. I think that will

break the social fabric towards our democracy. So, I think those of

our partisans who were there, maybe they were doing it based on their

closeness to Mr. Sirleaf and I respect their decisions but withstanding,

I think they will be reminded that they are from a political party and

they need to give the party their support.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: IS IT TRUE THAT YOU ARE UNDER

PRESSURE TO DROP OUT OF THE RACE?

ALI SYLA: No, I am not under pressure at all; I mean you see me

here today, I am not under pressure.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: HAVE THERE BEEN ANY ADVANCES

FROM MR. ROBERT SIRLEAF TO APPEAL TO YOU OR TALK

TO YOU TO DROP OUT OF THE RACE TO SUPPORT HIS

CAMPAIGN?

ALI SYLA: -Well, the rst thing is, I won my party primary, so I

have exclusive condence in my political party, the Unity Party.

So, I am the party candidate, as I speak to you. I have processed my

papers at the National Elections Commission and I am waiting for the

provisional listing from NEC which I think will come out on July 27.

For me, I am a candidate; I am aspiring until we get the provisional

listing from NEC than I become a candidate. I am in the process and

I look forward to that.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH

MR. ROBERT SIRLEAF? HAVE YOU BEEN COMMUNICATING?

DO YOU HAVE ANY CLOSENESS? IN TERMS OF POLITICS OR

WHATEVER?

ALI SYLA: In terms of politics, we do not have any political

relationship but you know he is a son of the rst partisan, which

of course we must respect. We must respect the family of the rst

partisan. I think that is the on ly relationship I have with Mr. Sirleaf.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: HAVE YOU AT POINT IN TIME

COMMUNICATED WITH HIM DISCUSSING THE PENDING

SENATORIAL ELECTION?

ALI SYLA: There was none, none at all.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: THIS ISSUE OF CITIZENSHIP IS

HAUNTING MR. SIRLEAF AND MR. WEAH. RECENTLY FOR

MR. SIRLEAF THERE WAS SOME INFORMATION FROM THE

BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION WHERE HE APPLIED TO RENEW

HIS LIBERIAN CITIZENSHIP AND SOME BIN EMPLOYEES

ARE SUSPENDED FOR LEAKING OUT THE INFORMATION.

GOING INTO THE ELECTION, ARE YOU GOING TO

PROTEST THEIR PARTICIPATION BASED ON THE ISSUE OFCITIZENSHIP?

ALI SYLA: Well, you know our constitution is very clear, you

must be a Liberian and I think for us as Liberians, every election

brings more consciousness. I think this election will bring more

consciousness that will take us to 2017 and beyond and I think these

are the kind of discussions that can take us to public policy in terms

of legislation. For me, I think the Liberian people should take this

debate and the interest groups, the political interest groups that think

in terms of our constitutional provision that we need to protect certain

provisions of our constitution should take this debate. They should

not leave it with the people who are contenders, it should be the

Liberian people debate and these are debates that the people must

decide on. You know, I always tell people that these elections must be

about the issues, must be about national discussion in terms of what

is unfolding in Liberia.

It is important for the Liberian people to sustain this debate and if

it is necessary, they can take it to the next level but for me it is for

the Liberian people to take this debate. We should not leave it withthe contenders alone, the journalists, the media should get involved

because they are the watchdogs of our society, the civil society

organizations should get involved, the religious groupings. These are

the grievances that can take people to certain level of agitation so

I think all these structures, existing structures around , the media,

the religious groupings, the youth and student groupings as well,

the constitutional grouping should take this debate as well, not the

contenders alone, than it will not be fair.

We should not be educating our people; the psycho education should

usee page 9


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come from our people so that our people can make a choice when

they are voting.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA : There is this history that Liberian people

are very passive when it comes to taking the lead in advocacy. What

if civil society and other organizations do not take up the issue,

knowing that you are a contender and want to beat your opponents,

having a point against them, will you take the bold step to le a formal

complaint to NEC or go through the legal process to disqualify the

guys?

ALI SYLA: The rst thing is we have organizations. I will want to

leave this with civil society organizations. These organizations are

there to look at the ills in our society; the constitutional provisions

that are there that have been violated. Civil society is there to

reawaken those violations, the media is there to serve as the watchdog

to highlight all of these necessary things and I think the media is

being fair enough to reawaken some of these debates. I think for

the contenders the issues are too bulky, the competing priorities are

too bulky, unemployment is so high, sanitation is a problem, energy,

education sector so it will not be unfair to the contenders to put more

focus on the citizenship debate and leaving the stuff that can capacitate

the Liberian people in terms of legislations. So the debate, I continue

to say we have competing priorities and I think the contenders should

focus on these competing priorities and highlight them so that the

Liberian people can make a decision, a resounding decision of the

FRONTPAGE

INTERVIEWcompeting priorities and somebody who can provide those requisite

services in terms of those legislations and put somebody who is well

prepared to ably represent them.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: IN POLITICS THERE ARE LOTS

OF CLOSED-DOOR DISCUSSIONS, NEGOTIATIONS AND

WHATEVER. SO IF MADAM SIRLEAF CALLS YOU TODAY

AND SAY ALI, I WANT YOU TO BACK OFF FOR MY SON.

WILL YOU DO THAT?

ALI SYLA: Well, I believe in institution. I come from the Unity

Party I am very convicted of my ascendancy to win the caucus and

I am very proud of that. There are people who are looking up to

me; there are very young people who look up to me. I come from

a community that is very excited about our ascendency to win the

caucus. You know credibility matters, we are an emerging leader

coming out of Liberia so we need to be cognizant of our role so not

somebody that I respect, and admire to say that you should pull out of

the race, why? We won the primary fairly and square and so we are

calling on everybody to support us and we are of the conviction that

this process, we will win it.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: SO IF YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY

TO SIT WITH EVERY VOTER IN MONTSERRADO COUNTY,

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TELL THEM TO CONVINCE

THEM TO VOTE FOR YOU?

ALI SYLA:It is different, when you meet different group of people.

When you meet the young people, they need jobs, better health care

delivery system, economic revitalization policy, better education

facilities as well as educational instruments. When you meet the olderpeople they need good welfare, medical benets as well. If you meet

our mothers who are in the rural areas, rural Montserrado, they need

farming assistance. So the issues and interests are a little different

based on the demography.

So if I sit with every individual, the message is different, remember

we have been going and talking to young people for this process

for over two years now and we know most of these processes they

are not in Utopia. They are right around and on our nger tips, it

is better for us to shine our eyes on these issues to highlight them

and the competing priorities and how we can buttress these issues

with the National government budget. How much money we can get

from the national budget to allocate to these policies because there

are no policies without budget. There is no policy without programs

and activities, how do we popularize these programs and activities

through the national budget. I think the issues are different; it is case

by case, sex by sex, gender by gender.

We have the issue of gender equity in our country so how do we

address that issue, so if I meet young women, of course we are giving

them opportunity to go to school but there are more young women

dropping out of school. What are we doing to sustain those young

women to stay in school? What kind of system we can develop in

terms of afrmative action for these young women. So, we have lots

of issues, so this is why I am saying we need people who are prepared

who have the requisite training and education to be able to represent

the people of Montserrado County.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: YOU JUST ALLUDED TO THE

PLETHORA OF PROBLEMS FACING MONTSERRADO

COUNTY, DO YOU THINK YOUR PARTY, THE UP HAS SET

THAT BASIS FOR PEOPLE OF THE COUNTY TO SAY YES, WE

NEED TO VOTE FOR A UP CANDIDATE?

ALI SYLA: You know we have a record of advocacy. I think what

distinguishes me from other partisans even though I love all of my

partisans is that I come from a history of advocacy. You know quite

recently, there some government policies that we have criticized and

given policy recommendations. We also took the National Elections

Commission to the Supreme Court about pretrial detainees not being

registered.

We also criticized the legislators about the level playing eld and

some of these bad policies that they are developing. We have made

policy recommendations, legislative policy recommendations. We

helped to cave the African Youth Charter bill that was passed in the

Lower House as well as the Senate concurred, the President signed

that bill into law. We popularized that particular law, we helped caved

the National Youth bill, so we have history. We do have history of

ghting for our people in terms of bettering their conditions. So, for

me as an individual coming from the Unity Party, the institution that

I love dearly, I think my distinction is my role that I have played over

the years, something that is embedded into my DNA.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: ARE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT

YOU WISH TO COMMENT ON WHICH WE DID NOT TOUCH?

ALI SYLA:I think what FrontPageAfrica is doing is very good to be

able to highlight the different candidates and what they bring to the

table. I think the media needs to open a debate, when you go to other

countries, to have a greater country, the legislature must have people

who are prepared who have more training and education because that

is the rst branch of government and that is where all the legislations

that can benet the country in terms of economic policy, economic

revitalization, in terms of urban and infrastructural development, in

terms of peace and security, in terms of rule of law and governance all

come from the legislature.

So what media needs to do is to call for massive debate about the

different issues and challenging times and how we can nd solutions

to these competing priorities. This election i s a pivotal election for our

national reconstruction policy that we all are yarning for.

FORTUNATE CANDIDATEMonrovia-

The Montserrado

County senatorial

election will prove a

dening moment for

Liberian President Ellen Johnson

Sirleaf when her beloved son

whom she mentioned in her

book this Child will be Great

as her lovely child line up as a

senatorial candidate against Ali

Syla of her ruling Unity Party,

but for Syla he is a fortunate

candidate to win the caucus from

a party to contest against the son

of the President.

The ruling party has twice led

Sirleaf to victory in 2005 and2011 with massive support

across Liberia and with the

president life in polit ics near ing

an end due to her inability to

contest a third term of ofce as

a consequence of constitutional

requirements, the aging leader

will have a difcult choice to

make between her lovely son

and the party that has done so

much for her political success.

When news of the candidacy of

Robert Sirleaf surfaced rst with

indications he was contemplating

contest for the senate from

Gbarpolu County, it was not

much of worry for the Liberian

leader but then came arguments

of the residency clause whichprovides for candida tes to reside

in the locality for specied

period of time.

As the news intensied over

Roberts senatorial bid for

Montserrado County it was

widely believed that he would

have joined the ruling party

having his mother as its political

PRESIDENT SIRLEAFS CRITICAL DECISION POINT

leader but that changed when the

Unity Party elected Ali Syla at

its caucus to contest on the party

ticket for Montserrado.Robert is a powerful gure in

his mother government as it

was widely believed that he

plays a key role in all political

appointments in government and

other major decisions taken by

his mother.

Stalwarts of the UP according

to inside sources normally use

Robert as means of getting his

mother make major decisions

such as appointments to top

government jobs amongst othersand these partisans keep a close

tie with the son of the president.

During the petitioning

ceremony of Mr. Sirleaf, several

government ofcials including

Madam Mary Broh who is also

a condante to President Sirleaf

were all in attendance.

Now that Robert is a candidate

for the senate in Montserrado

and if cleared by the National

Elections Commission will

contest against Syla of the rulingparty headed by his mother, there

has been lingering questions as

to whether the President will

support her dear son over the

party that has made immense

contributions to her or support

the party candidate against her

son.

Syla, the UP candidate has told

FrontPageAfrica that he is not

bothered by the fact that the

son of the President will be

contesting against him and could

woo some of the ruling party

votes because of his inuence in

the hierarchy of the UP and the

government as a whole.President Sirleaf obligated to UP

Syla in an exclusive interview

with FPA said President Sirleaf

is obligated to the Unity Party

and as such he is condent that

the Liberian leader will support

his candidacy.

Well, the rst thing is I am from

the party and we are looking at

the fundamental ideology. We

are fundamental ideologies of

our party including the standard

bearer. So realistically, she is

from the institution and I believe

she is an institutional person.

So it is required upon her, it is

obligated upon her to support the

candidate of the ruling party and

I want to believe in my mind thatshe will commit herself to that,

said Syla.

Syla indicated that partisans

of the UP who attended the

petitioning ceremony of Robert

Sirleaf could have done so

because of their closeness to

him but that does not necessarily

mean they would support him.

I think those of our partisans

who were there, maybe they were

doing it based on their closeness

to Mr. Sirleaf and I respect their

decisions but withstanding, I

think they will be reminded that

they are from a political party

and they need to give the party

their support, condent Sylatold FPA.

Cant relinquish ambition

On whether he could back off the

race if approached by President

Sirleaf in order to protect her

son, Syla said he does not

believe President Sirlea f will do

so because she is an institutional

builder, insisting that there no

way he can relinquish his quest to

become senator of Montserrado.

You know credibility matters,

we are an emerging leader

coming out of Liberia so we

need to be cognizant of our role

so not somebody that I respect,

and admire to say that you

should pull out of the race, why?

We won the primary fairly andsquare and so we are calling on

everybody to support us and we

are of the conviction that this

process, we will win it, he said.

Syla says he is not under pressure

from any sources to relinquish

his quest for the senatorial seat.

I am not under pressure at all;

I mean you see me here today, I

am not under pressure.

SYLA CONFIDENT THAT SIRLEAF WILL SUPPORT HIM OVER HER SON ROBERT


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Page 10 |Frontpage Friday, July 25, 2014

NATIONAL OIL COMPANY OF LIBERIA (NOCAL)

JULY 26 GREETING

On the occasion of our country's 167thIndependence Day Anniversary,the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL)

extend compliments and best wishes to Her Excellency, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia,

Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, the Honorable Members of the 53rd National Legislature, the Chief Justice and

Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia, the Cabinet, the Doyen and Members of the Diplomatic Corps, the SRSG

and the United Nations Mission in Liberia(UNMIL),our partners, especia

friday, july 25, 2014 edition

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