The NEWS (Monrovia)
5 January 2009
Monrovia — Continue from last edition:
July: On July 18, 2008, Madam Toh-Quiahde Martha Newton died at the age of 115 years. Old-lady Toh-Quiahde, as she was affectionately called, was the Widow of the Greebo Bodio of Barranken in Pleebo, Sodoken District, Maryland County.
Old-lady Toh-Quiahde was a resident of Brewerville when she died and she was a grandmother of Maryland County Senator Gloria Scott.
Also in July, the Ministry of Youth and Sports in conjunction with the Monrovia Vocational Training Center (MVTC) and the Chinese Embassy held a memorial service for the murdered Chinese expert, Mrs. Jlang Chongyu.
Princess, as the victim was also known, was murdered allegedly by one of her male students on July 24, 2007 at the MVTC in Paynesville.
Mrs. Jlang was part of a six-man Chinese delegation on assignment to train students in the areas of Bamboo and Rotten weaving at the MVTC.
The murdered suspect was charged and sent to court, but the court halted the case when lawyers representing the defendant claimed that the murder suspect was insane.
The case has since been stalled to the dissatisfaction of the Chinese authorities who have therefore been hinting for a vigorous examination to include foreign psychoanalysts to establish beyond reasonable doubts the mental state of the murdered suspect;
The American Embassy and the Catholic Church also held a Memorial in July in honor of five Catholic Nuns who were murdered in 1992 in the Barnesville area, outside Monrovia.
During the Memorial, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy, Brooks A. Robinson called on Liberians to emulate the altruism exhibited by the five American Catholic Nuns. Robinson said the Nuns' selflessness provided an example of power of service to others, adding that selfless acts today, no matter how small they may seem, can all add up to strengthen the peace building and reconstruction process in Liberia.
Prior to the memorial for the Nuns, the government of Liberia, on its 161st Independence Day, had bestowed upon the slain nuns a distinction as "Grand Commander (GC) - Order of the Star of Africa" for their invaluable humanitarian services to the country.
The Five Nuns, Sisters Barbara Ann Muttra, Shirley Kolmer, Mary Joel Kolmer, Agnes Muller and Kathlen McGuire were murdered during the civil war when former Liberian President Charles Taylor then rebel leader of his National Patriotic Front Liberia launched "Operation Octopus" in 1992 in a bid to seize power by force of arms.
It is widely believed that the Nuns were killed by Charles Taylor's forces.
August: The Month of August began with the visit of former American President Bill Clinton to Liberia, at which time he announced a 30% reduction in the cost of malaria drugs on the Liberian market by his Clinton Foundation.
Pointing out that malaria accounts for 50 percent of deaths in Liberia, the former U.S. President said the reduction in the cost of the drug was intended to make it affordable to every Liberian.
Also during the Month of August, leadership crisis at the Liberian Senate heated up when about 20 members of the Senate opted to remove the Senate Pro-tempore, Isaac Nyenabo through a "vote of on-confidence" for what they referred to as "Gross administrative ineptitude".
Senator Nyenabo protested his removal and took up the matter with the Supreme Court on Constitutional grounds. The high Court ruled that he be reinstated with immediate effect. But at year end, the Senate was yet to abide by the Supreme Court's ruling. It is expected that when the Senate resumes business this month the issue will take center stage.
The Chairman of the National Investment Commission Richard Tolbert came under fire during the course of the Month when the Legislature passed a vote of no confidence in him when it was discovered that he went beyond his scope by granting a US$150 million tax waiver to a company. The issue became a public debate during which the investment commissioner said he granted duty waiver not tax waiver, and that his action to grant duty waiver was backed by a 1973 investment Act which authorized him to grant 90 percent duty waiver on investment incentive contracts. At the end of the day, Commissioner Tolbert survived his post.
For the first time in the history of Liberia's participation in the Olympics, Liberia fielded athletes in the track and field events who contested and qualified within the Olympics standard time. Although Liberia was expected to have put up an impressive performance at the Beijing Olympics, it won no medals.
One of the biggest scandals in the year unfolded in August when the former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Willis D. Knuckles was linked to series of incriminating e-mails in which among other things he allegedly solicited bribe to influence the awarding of a government contract. But Knuckles denied such claims and alleged that some individuals had clandestinely entered his Yahoo e-mail account by gaining unauthorized entry into his computer and were using his account to maliciously send out manufactured e-mails to reflect on him.
The government set up a probe team which was expected to report by the end of December 2008.
September: Allegations of financial improbity and abuse of resources in a rural development project in Bong County was corroborated in a forensic investigative report by the General Auditing Commission in September.
Bong County officials had badly managed US$236,000 intended for local development in Fuahmah District, Bong County to the extent that in some instances there was implicit embezzlement as monies were paid out to contractors outside of the procurement process while contractors reneged on projects. County Superintendent Ranney Jackson was suspended as a result, but some County legislators implicated in the scandal were yet to be booked. An executive order was issued for some of the monies to be paid back into the development fund account. But at year end there was no hint as to whether such monies were paid.
Interestingly, a County youth, Fahnlon Gakoyah was arrested and jailed upon the orders of some county officials for his persistence in campaigning against corruption in the county.
Three men including a Lebanese national found themselves into trouble with Chief Justice Johnnie Lewis when they offered him gifts containing imported bottles of intoxicating beverages. The men were jailed for bribery but were later released. The beverages included Whisky.
October: Following his visit in September when he urged newly-trained Liberian soldiers to respect the Liberian constitution in order to build a vibrant society, United States Army General William E. Ward at the head of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) took over full operation as an independent Command for the African continent. Liberia had offered to host the headquarters of the Command, but General Ward reportedly said the location of the headquarters for its 1,300 military and civilian personnel was less of a concern, given the size of the African continent. The creation of AFRICOM is said to be an indication that the United States has made Africa and security issues on the continent a priority.
The United States government announced a US$56 million assistance package for security sector reform in the country. The announcement was made by the Deputy Chief of Mission Brooks Robinson at U.S. Embassy when she spoke at the graduation ceremony of 100 personnel of the Special Security Service. Robinson reaffirmed her government's commitment to working with the United Nations Mission in Liberia and the Liberian police to improve the security sector of the country.
A flood disaster rendered 2,000 persons homeless during several days of rainstorm in Tappita District, Nimba County. A nearby creek overflowed its banks and destroyed several homes. District Representative Edwin Power Gaye presented five bags of rice to the 2,000 victims as President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's initial contribution, but the President's office said the five bags of rice was for Representative Gaye's personal use as he traveled to inspect the flood affected areas.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission reported from a survey it conducted with assistance from the European Commission that if caution is not taken, frequent land disputes in the country could lead to national instability. The survey, a national conflict mapping research was conducted between March and July 2008, in 46 of Liberia's 64 administrative districts. According to the survey, land and boundary disputes were identified as the leading sources of confusion and conflicts often triggering off clashes between disputing parties. The lack of capacity for surveyors to help communities effectively demarcate boundaries and double selling of land were identified as sources of disputes.
November: On November 7, an African-American, Barack Obama made history by becoming the first Black President elected of the United States of America. Obama defeated his rival John McCain of the Republican Party in both the Popular and Electoral College votes. Obama won more than 50 percent of the Popular vote and a landslide in the Electoral College vote. Obama is expected to be inaugurated on January 20th .
Elementary school students of the Light Stream Academy in Congo Town Paynesville were shocked and frustrated when they returned to school in the morning and met their school building demolished. A woman had claimed in a dispute that the land on which the school was built belongs to her, and such, she sought a court order to have the land vacated. But instead of allowing the land to be vacated, the school building was demolished at dawn without an alternative place for the elementary students. Following press reports of the incident, the Ministry of Education intervened and promised to find alternatives for the students but the Ministry's intervention was for most part kept "confidential" to the extent that it is not known whether the students were relocated.
The United States government through its Agency for International Development (USAID) made available US$52 million for a five-year health program for Liberia. Announcing the assistance, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she hopes that the money would be extended to the remote areas of the country where government is said to be committed in bringing much needed services.
A syndicate involving recycling of checks was busted at the Central Bank of Liberia. Several employees at the bank and the Ministry of Finance were suspended, some of whom were undergoing security investigation up to the end of the year.
The National Oil Company disclosed additional exercises in exploration for petroleum off the coast of Liberia, involving an American company, bringing to two the number explorations. The exploratory exercise involves a 3D Seismic Survey expected to continue by next March.
Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan disclosed that the African Development Agency (ADB) had agreed to provide approximately US$18 million in direct budget support to Liberia.
December: The General Auditing Commission announced that over US$400,000 in taxes were unpaid in 2005, while United States Ambassador to Liberia Linda Thomas-Greenfield observed that corruption remains the biggest challenge to Liberia's progress.
The Central Bank of Liberia disclosed the increment in banking requirements as US$6 million and that two more banks had emerged within the banking sector.
On 18 December, former soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia clashed with the newly-trained police during protest in Monrovia over delays in the payment of their two months arrears. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf ended the year with an announcement that she would reshuffle her cabinet to move her government in the right direction.
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