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TOP STORIES pg 6

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pg 3 p7

NEWS EXTRA News Extra

VOL 8 NO.627 WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014

See PG 2&3

INSI

DE

CENTRAL BANK OF LIBERIA

MARKET BUYING AND SELLING RATESLIBERIAN 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

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014 L$90.00/US$1 L$91.00/US$1

BUYING SELLING

L$90.00/US$1 L$91.00/US$1

L$91.00/US$1L$90.00/US$1

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2014

EBOLA pg. 9

HealthEDITORIAL

Public Works Minister Weeks tightlipped on Citizenship

LAA Board Chairman Kesselly Defends Decision to kick out

several employees

MASS DISMISSAL

PHEBES NIGHTMARE

Patients Queue to See Doctors Overnight; Cards Officers Exploit Patients

CRAZY QUESTION

INFLUENCE PEDDLING, CONFLICT OF INTERESTS AND CORRUPTION

OUTBREAK CLAIMS LIFE OF ANOTHER HEALTH CARE WORKER AS DEATH TOLL CLIMBS

UGANDAN DOCTOR FALLS TO EBOLA AT JFK

The health ministry is reporting six (6) new cases; out of the six are two suspected, one probable and three confirmed to have the deadly virus. The assistant minister for Curative services states that there are ninety-six (96)

cumulative (suspected, probable and confirmed).

THE SARKOZY SAGA & THE THINGS LIBERIA TAKE FOR

GRANTED

Page 2 | Frontpage Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Al-Varney Rogers, al.rogers@frontpageafricaonline.com, 0886-304498/Stephen D. Kollie/ 0776329124 / FPA STAFF WRITERS

Monrovia-

Major Streets in Monrovia are impassable during this time of the year as vehicles are seen submerged in flood waters with youths mainly men standing nearby to help pull out vehicles from flood waters for monetary reward.We can help you haul your car, you just give us something, one anxious youth told a taxi driver who car had just gone into a deep hole in the Vai Town Community, on the Bushrod Island, a suburb of Monrovia.Residents in some communities are compelled to migrate due to flood overtaking their homes.Bendu Massaquoi, a resident of Clara Town [commonly called Ma-Bendu] 52, sits on a bamboo chair in front of her house watching the heavy down pour of rain, gradually turning her yard into a pool.Ma-Bendu thinks the stockpile of dirt in the drainage and the construction of homes on the water way is responsible for what is happening in her yard. Every rainy season our yard can be with so-so water because people are using the drainage to throw dirt there. So when the dirt piles up it blocks the water from flowing, then water start to spread in our yard and it enters our house, this is the problem we are in, Ma-Bendu laments. Ma-Bendu explains that apart from the clogged drainages, people building homes on the water way is another factor responsible for the flooding.The Clara Town resident says the community leaders should begin to put tougher measures in place so as to ensure that people do not use the drainage as a dumping site.She adds that the government should have a sanitation team that will make sure drainages are cleaned regularly, calling for punishment against people who build on the water way.Some of us try to have this place [drainage] clean but people will come at night and dump dirt here, so the government needs to find place for people to put their dirt.The water fill our yard and enter into my house and wet everything; when the raining season starts for us in Clara town our worries begin, Ma-Bendu said.Ma-Bendu who says she sells charcoal for a living, says the heavy downpour of rain on Tuesday wet all her charcoal meaning she is going to be out of business the entire week.Ma-Bendu says the government of Liberia should find a permanent solution to the water in her community. Every year the same thing is happening and nobody wants to help us by stopping this water from entering our homes.Its a rainy day in Clara Town, a densely populated community of makeshift homes occupying a huge portion of the Bushrod Island territory, just few miles away the busy streets of down town Monrovia, Liberias administrative and commercial home.Despite its ideal location for business activities to foreign and local enterprises, it takes extra ordinary ability to fend for one self in the wake of the towns poor living standard.The hustle for survival seems to be quite difficult for many dwellers here but yet many are defying the odds and making ends meet daily in spite of the nations tough economic times.In a part of the Clara town slum, which has proudly produced Liberias greatest soccer legend now turned politician George Manneh Weah,

several disasters ranging from flood, fire and sea erosion have never been too far from the inhabitants doorsteps.In this festive month of July where Liberians are enthusiastically anticipating yet another Independence Day gala, residents appear to be not too happy ahead of the ceremony in the wake of continuous flooding gradually overtaking the community, adding more troubles to the already underprivileged dwellers in Clara town.Patricia Sackie, a 36-year-old lady who has resided in Clara town for five consecutive years looks worried as the torrential rain pours down profusely.Patricia is a single mother of two - a 7-year-old and another a 12-year-old, but she must leave early morning from her zinc shack around a make-shift home to fend for her family. In the process, the rainy season is a major obstacle to her operation.Patricia says its more than countless times she and her children must stay awake to allow the downpour of rain that often penetrates into their bed room to subside. In the end, they still cannot have a better sleep as nearly all their mattresses, bed sheets and some personal belongings become soaked with water as a result of the flood. Says Patricia: This is not new to us anymore. We have cried to the government but no way to solve this problem. Like we are in the rainy season now, its not easy for me and my family. We have to wake up for several hours to wait for the water to cool down before we can look for some dry clothes in the room.Patricia explains that the persistent flood can be attributed to the failure of the city government to clean the drainages which has been engulfed with huge piles of garbage thus blocking the waterways that subsequently lead to flooding.Please come to our aidOthers point to the poor road works done by Chinese and the lack of

drainages as a key reason why the roads are in a deplorable state with no access for the water to flow.Patricia says once we have all the dirt removed from the gutters, it would allow space for the water to flow. I am sure we will be in peace and our children will have the time to study properly. For me, I am not educated that much but my children need time to focus on their lessons especially in the night time. We are calling on the President to please come to our aid to solve this flood problem.In the nearby Jamaica road community, which suffers flood even during the dry season, Sidiki Kamara, a multi scratch card vendor, sits beside his booth surrounded by water.Kamara has to keep his feet on a stone while water flows under his feet. But on a grave rainy day like Tuesday. This is how we have been operating since I came on this road, he says. Sometimes no business and sometimes we do business. Its a serious case in this community that we ourselves cannot handle easily. We are praying that the relevant authorities will hear us loud and clear and come to our aid. Like Bushrod Island, Paynesville is gradually becoming flooded, a resident and former City Mayor of Paynesville Isaac Flomo blames the flooding on narrow drainages constructed.The drainages they have laid out are very narrow, so the water cannot find its way because of this it spreads out to the community, Flomo says.Former mayor blames Poor constructionFlomo continued: We are challenging the engineers to do the right thing because the quality of the drainage is poor. If the funding to do the job is not sufficient do not agree to do the work.Flomo says the government needs to take action against companies constructing substandard roads. He adds that the poorly-constructed roads are responsible for the flooding.Says Flomo: It is about time that the government finds a solution to the flooding. The water gets into peoples homes making them displaced when there is no war, look in the fish market where our President lives, that community is under threat due to the flood.The former Mayor added: The president needs not to be told because in her own back yard it is flooded; the President should see her community and know what other people are going through.Flood is not a new scenario in Liberia especially in the capital Monrovia. Even the residence of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has suffered the from severe flooding which led to angry residents in the Fish Market Community and other environs to forcibly bust the fence of the President to give way to the free flow of water.Furthermore, the Ministry of Public works quickly carried out a massive opening of drainages around the Presidents vicinity while other residents like Kamara and Sackie are still seeking assistance to curb their situation.According to the Red Cross thousands of Liberians across the country suffer yearly from flood leaving several of them homeless and loosing dozens of assets.Public Works blames Outdated Zoning mapAn official of the Ministry of Public Works, Mr. Claude Langley Deputy Minister for Technical Services on Tuesday told lawmakers that over-flooding of the city and other parts of the country is due to the lack of capacity by the ministry to respond.According to Deputy Minister Langley, most of the drainages are being clogged by solid waste thrown into them by community members and only the right equipment can help clear those clogged, but said the Ministry does not have any of those equipment.He also blamed the over flooding of the city to the construction of structures over drainages something he said, is a result of the outdated zoning map the city is operating with.He called on the Legislature to make the needed appropriation for the ministry to enable it acquire some of the equipment needed.

FrontpageWednesday, July 2, 2014 Page 3

By Aaron C. Sleh, aaron.sleh@gmail.comPROBLEM ANALYSIS

Liberia has a large population of idle youth who (as a collective unit) have been identified as a potential threat to national stability and security, and an under-utilized force for national development. This segment of the population is largely characterized by: a) little or no livelihood and life skills, b) high indiscipline, c) low sense of patriotism and citizenship.At the same time, Liberia has huge deficits in social service delivery (e.g. housing, community roads and bridges, water and sanitation, public infrastructure repair, disaster preparedness and response, etc). Public disaffection with these deficits is rife and a further threat to national stability. Yet substantial gains could be made in reducing these deficits through small but disciplined efforts by many people with the right skills.Moreover, Liberia has a relatively small army that has no reserves that could be quickly mobilized. This is a potential vulnerability that could limit the armys ability to respond to a large scale disaster, generalized security breakdown or other similar events.

PROPOSED RESPONSE

In order to address, through a single initiative, the problems presented in the preceding section, a national program of voluntary military service is hereby proposed. The program could begin as a pilot initiative. Based on lessons from the pilot, the possibility of a permanent program could be explored through dialogue among policymakers, the youth community and civil society more broadly.Candidates interested in the voluntary military service program would firstly be screened and publicly vetted based on criteria established by the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL). The successful candidates would then be recruited to receive basic military training as well as vocational skills training.The AFL would, of course, provide the basic military training directly. The vocational skill training could be imparted through partnership with institutions like Liberia Opportunities Industrialization Center (LOIC) and Monrovia Vocational Training Center (MVTC). The training period for candidates would be followed by their induction into the military service program and immediate deployment. Each cohort of participants would serve an 18-month period of military service: six months of initial training and one year of active service.During the initial six months, participants would receive basic military training; training on human and gender rights and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship; life skills training (personal discipline, cooperation, client orientation, etc); and livelihood training in a trade area (e.g. masonry, carpentry, small-scale irrigation, plumbing, well/latrine construction, etc).Following their training, participants would be deployed as AFL soldiers under normal AFL command to render (or support the provision of) social services in selected communities around Liberia as part of efforts to promote the national development agenda. Their services could include repair and rehabilitation of schools, clinics and public buildings; construction/rehabilitation of log bridges, latrines, wells, housing for rural teachers/nurses, small-scale irrigation structures; providing support at rural health centers (registration, crowd management, monitoring, etc) and rural schools (teaching, coaching in physical education and sports, etc), among others.

BENEFITS TO YOUTH AND SOCIETY

The military service program would offer the chance to mold the youth into a more desirable pool of citizens. It would instill discipline and a strong sense of citizenship, patriotism and community service in the hearts and minds of the participants, and equip them with life and livelihood skills transferrable to civilian life. Overtime, a critical mass of youth could emerge that are skilled, engaged, disciplined, patriotic and oriented to actively contribute to community and national development. This would gradually transform the youth from a threat to national stability to an engine of national development.The graduation process from the military service program could include training in entrepreneurship and assistance with

civilian job search. For many youth, this would create a new and beneficial pathway: from idleness to military service to employment.The work of the military service participants would give direct benefits to local communities, both rural and urban. Some could see a broken log bridge repaired or a new bridge erected where there was none, thereby acquiring better road access. Others could see a swamp site properly irrigated to facilitate multiple harvests each year from rice cultivation. Still others could see school houses, clinics, markets buildings and palava huts rehabilitated or built from scratch. There are just so many possibilities in terms of how the program could help address the development and social service gaps in communities.

BENEFITS TO AFL

The military service program would endear the AFL to the people and further deepen the AFLs credibility and legitimacy. It would also provide opportunities to increase the AFLs institutional knowledge of local conditions, events and relations in various parts of the country, as well as increase the AFLs pool of actual and potential human intelligence assets across the country. All these factors would combine to strengthen the AFLs morale and overall response capability.Graduates of the military service program could move on to become members of an army reserve corps that would give the AFL an economical and speedy means of achieving force augmentation in case of national emergency. The reserve corps members could receive regular refresher training (e.g. one week each year) and perhaps perform occasional weekend service (e.g. joint anti-crime patrol with the police, border patrol with Bureau of Immigration, etc).The presence of a large pool of citizens with military training and discipline (who also have knowledge of the AFLs operating procedures and are available for call up whenever national needs dictate) would eliminate the need to maintain a large army at great public expense and allow the national military leadership to focus on the development of a small, efficient and highly professional army with a high proportion of technicians and other experts. This could provide the means to lower the proportion of ordinary foot soldiers permanently maintained by the AFL without compromising national military response capacity. The resulting savings could be directed to the technological and technical development of the AFL.

RISK FACTOR

There is a risk that some participants could use the military training acquired through the program to engage in criminal activities. However, this risk may not be so high. Already, there is a high population of former combatants who acquired military skills through their affiliation with various warring factions during the long years of war in Liberia. Some of these former combatants have resorted to criminality in recent years but many have not. For those who have chosen crime, the national security institutions have managed to contain them so far. And potentially, the graduates and participants of the military service program could become a countervailing force to wayward ex-combatants.The reason is simple: in addition to military skills, it is expected that by the end of their deployment, military service participants would have acquired appropriate discipline, respect for human rights and the rule of law, a strong sense of community service, and livelihood skills. These factors drastically reduce the likelihood of future involvement in crime.

CONCLUSIONA voluntary military service program in Liberia is a viable means to address the triple problems of idle youth, widespread development deficits, and a small army without reserves. It could provide an effective platform for citizenship formation, whereby young people in particular could be socialized into becoming more active and patriotic citizens who contribute to community and national development. It could provide a platform to give livelihood skills and instill discipline and a strong work ethic in Liberian young people. Indeed, a voluntary military service program could be a pathway to youth empowerment in Liberia.

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT THROUGH VOLUNTARY MILITARY SERVICE

FrontPagev

CommentaryEDITORIAL

NICOLAS SARKOZY, the former President of France, one of the worlds most powerful nation is being detained for questioning over alleged influence peddling.IN AN UNPRECEDENTED MOVE, against a former head of state, Mr. Sarkozy is being held at Nanterre, near Paris and facing questions about whether he sought inside information from a judge concerning an investigation into campaign funding. ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, investigators are trying to find out whether Mr. Sarkozy, 59, who was president from 2007 to 2012, had promised a prestigious role in Monaco to a high-ranking judge, Gilbert Azibert, in exchange for information about an investigation into alleged illegal campaign funding. They are looking into claims that Mr. Sarkozy was warned his phone was being bugged as part of the funding probe. Mr. Azibert, one of the most senior judges at the court of appeal, was called in for questioning on Monday. Another judge, Patrick Sassoust, was also questioned, as was Mr. Sarkozy's lawyer Thierry Herzog.WHILE WE IN NOW WAY, shape or form hope to compare Liberia to a big nation like France, Africas oldest republic can take a lesson from here to begin to reassess how it operates, how it allow things to continue to remain the same despite numerous changes in global trends.TODAY, any wealthy businessman can walk into Liberia with a lot of money and bribe his way to the top and get anything he or she wants.AS A RESULT, scores of Liberians continue to live way below the poverty line with very little sign that things would get any better.INFLUENCE PEDDLING, bribery and conflict of interest are being violated daily with the key culprits getting away with murder and mayhem to the detriment of the country.THE FACT that a nation can have the guts to bring charges against a former president speaks volumes. Liberia should take a page from the French book and begin to set examples on a lot of current and former officials walking around Monrovia with very little hope that they could ever see the inside of a courtroom.THIS IS NOT A GOOD sign for a nation returning from war, looking to turn the page and the corner to a new chapter when old pages of the past continue to resurrect in a system lingering on borrowed time.WE HOPE THAT authorities in Liberia, current and former officials in government will take note of what is unfolding in France. The truth of the matter is, no matter how long the night, day will certainly break one day and those believing that they are getting away with high crimes and murder will one day face the wrath of justice.

COMMENTARY

THE SARKOZY SAGA & THE

THINGS LIBERIA TAKE FOR GRANTED

INFLUENCE PEDDLING, CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

AND CORRUPTION

Page 4 | Frontpage Wednesday, July 2, 2014

BASED ON HEARSAY: OPEN LETTER TO DR. CHRISTOPHER ZEOHN NEYOR

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EDITORIAL TEAM

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT OUR STORIES ON THE

WORLDWIDE WEB

The Reader's Page

PHILIP BLIDI TOP COMMENTER ALVERNIA UNIVERSITYFinally, Somalia Drive is about to have a new look. Just a suggestion, I think Liberian auto drivers should pay toll when the road is ready for operation. I see this suggestion as a terrific economic idea, because toll collections is essential for the maintaining of public high ways. It will also creates employment for reliable Liberians who are unemployed.NYEMADE WANI TOP COMMENTER UNIVERSITY OF LIBERIA, MONROVIA, LIBERIA CAMPUSI agree with you. But did you see even South Africans refuse to pay toll on the road built for them. President Zuma had to make them shame. Liberians, we hard head oooJOHN GBOMO TOP COMMENTER (SIGNED IN USING HOTMAIL)I am not sure I am for toll, at least not at this time. Don't get me wrong as I am for development but not at the backs of the suffering poor. One of the reasons for toll collection is to use that revenue to maintain the road I presume, but at whose expense? Charging toll will increase the fares of commercial transportations such as taxicabs etc. as the owners will pass that cost onto their passengers, the final consumers. Who does it affect? It affects market women, students and others that rely on these transportations for daily activities.Solution is for government to curb corruption and waste in government and use the proceeds to fund these types of projects the toll will be intended for. If government can do this and still need additional funding for such project, then it can consider toll. Or better yet, toll can be intended for only private transportation ownersIt doesn't make sense for government to add to commuters burden by added costAgain, like I said I am for these sorts of development all over the country, but one that is sound and well-thought-outDJREUB REUBEN COOPER REVENUE AND BENEFITS OFFICER AT ROTHERHAM METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCILThey have to be mindful of criminals, I am sure sooner rather than later we will hear something gone missing....Liberians we are our own downfall lolSYLVESTER MOSES TOP COMMENTERWe take this time to congratulate Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and the government and people of Japan, the Liberian government of President Ellen Johnson - Sirleaf, Dai Nippon Construction with the guidance of project manager Mr. Masahiro Nonogaki, Minister Weeks of MPW, and, our very own, Ambray Seyon Moses, local representative for DNC.Projects such as the Somali Drive road construction are what result when foreign partners respect the developmental aspirations of a post - conflict recovering country, including the bold vision of the leader. We hope that this meaningful partnership between Japan and Liberia under the able leadership of Abe and EJS will continue to cement the friendship between our two nations.As we have said before, a bunch of development goals could be achieved between now and 2017, because, certainly, what isnt done within that time would wait for the next administration, and this could create gridlock. No one wants that for a new government which would need time to wet its feet. This is a great joint effort; again, we thank Abe, the Japanese people, EJS and Project Manager Masahiro Nonogaki.JOHN GBOMO TOP COMMENTER (SIGNED IN USING HOTMAIL)Certainly this is good news! Frankly, I rather see slow but well-thought-out plan that is executed to the letter with an outstanding results than a half-fast job with half-assed results! Perhaps, one of the reasons this project took this long to get underway is the details that were being worked out the design, the scope of work, and the contract detailswe just learned that routing and identifying existing pipings for LPRC and LWSC, and rerouting high-voltage lines were part of the delays especially when no existing drawings are availableIt may seem premature but I must congratulate this government and the Japanese for what is about to take place. What we see and hear so far if it comes to fruition with sound Japanese engineering, I think the people of this nation will love you!

Dear Dr. Neyor:

In our quest to enhance sustained economic growth and development in Liberia, I write this letter not only to appreciate you for the many sensitive information y...ou provided to the public through your June 13, 2014 Open Letter to the President of the Republic of Liberia, but also to inform you that I would have appreciated you more than now had you done the honorable thing at the time, expose the ills and honorably depart the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), not at a time when the damage is done, if your revelation is anything to go by. Also, as the maxim goes its better late than never. It is against this background that I also write to scrutinize some points that you stressed in your communication to the President. This Part 1 of my communication to you will examine the first five paragraphs of your communication to the President, as Part 2 will examine the next eight paragraphs and subsequent parts will climax my letters to you. Mr. Neyor, in your first paragraph, you informed the President: I have been reliably informed of your venomous statement on more than one occasion that you will destroy me so that your son Robert A. Sirleaf can have an easy path to the Senate seat for Montserrado County and eventually to the Presidency of Liberia in the 2017 election to succeed you. Your threat to destroy me comes at a time when there are media reports of your son, Robert frantically trying to buy off all the Montserrado Countys senatorial candidates and promising cash for others to abandon their political parties to support his candidacy for Montserrado. Your threats to destroy me emanates from the fact that I have grass root support and I cannot be purchased even with Roberts millions. Despite these threats, I will remain a formidable candidate for the Senate race. Dr. Neyor, dont you think that it would have been fair enough to state at least one or two occasions where the President made statement to destroy you? If you truly want to expose the President to your reading audience, it would have been a brilliant move were you to mention one or two occasions where the President asserted to destroy you. I really doubt this information and I can only be convinced were you to give me a clear picture. Media reports can only be considered true when they are tested and proven to have provided all of the facts. Thus, I find it difficult to believe that Mr. Robert A. Sirleaf is applying all efforts to buy off all the Montserrado Countys senatorial candidates and promising cash for others to abandon their political parties to support his candidacy for Montserrado County. This is simply because you did not name those senatorial aspirants Robert is trying to buy according to you and also you failed to name individuals who have been coerced by Roberts to abandon their political parties. Be a man and name those individuals, then and only then can I trust your information. I am strongly convinced that you have left your audience with several reservations. Why preside over NOCAL as President and allow Mr. Robert A. Sirleaf to acquire the millions according to you he is relying on to buy off Montserrado Countys aspirants and woo individuals from political parties? Why Mr. Neyor? Does this action of yours prove anything that you have grass root support? I can only sense how dollarized you were at the time you had a good rapport with the Sirleafs family. Mr. Neyor, you continued by writing: I take your statement as a serious threat to my person because in our part of the world when a President with all the power of the State wants to destroy a citizen, the order is usually followed to the letter. Have you really been threatened by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf or is your information based on hear say and they say?I am convinced that your information is based on hear say and they say, something I think in my mind no rationale individual will endorse. While serving as President /CEO of NOCAL, were you threatened at any point in time for refusing to take bribes and jeopardizing financial missions for the Sirleafs family? Why do you feel threatened now, when in fact you were closer to the President when you resisted some things that would have favored the President and her son according to parts of your communication? Were you enjoying the gravy and couldnt afford to miss your illegal share of the national cake? Are you truly a man with grass root support? You are evil equivalent to the evils you are exposing! Your letter is equivalent to the confession of a witchcraft, who sits in the witchcraft kingdom and watches the infants of her neighbors been murdered under water by the Queen of the Kingdom and chose not to alarm for fear that she will lose relationship with the Queen, but chooses to inform her neighbors years after the calamity because her relationship with the Queen has been broken. Is it easy to believe that such witchcraft did not drink some of the bloods of her neighbors infants? Like the witchcraft, like you, Mr. Christopher Z. Neyor? Mr. Neyor, didnt you also obtain an illegal share of the national cake, considering the short story of the witchcraft in this communication? Something calls common sense tells me that you did. Lets consider the third paragraph of your letter: Destroying a citizen can take many forms including made up accidents, poison, and fabrication of stories that attack ones integrity or loyalty to the State (sedition, terrorism, etc.) or

any combination of these plus more. I know you and your son are capable of this because we have gone down that road before when he tried to frame me as Anti-American and had me under 24hrs surveillance when I was removed from NOCAL. Madam President, you swore in your oath of office as our President to uphold the constitution, which guarantees the protection of life, liberty and property of every citizen. I know for sure that not only in Liberia, but all parts of the world, destroying a citizen can take many forms; therefore, this information is not new to me, but what is more important is whether what you are saying is true. Where and when Mr. Robert A. Sirleaf did term you as Anti-American and had you under 24hr surveillance and for what? I am severely in doubt. As a man who claimed to have grassroots support, dont you thing the honorable thing to do at the time was to inform the masses thereafter and not conceal what was discussed behind close door? This I believe would have mounted public pressure on the Sirleafs family and ignited stakeholders action for investigation. When and where Mr. Robert A. Sirleaf did had you under 24hrs surveillance and for what? I am left diving in the poll of doubts. Werent your life more threatened at the time than now knowing full well that you were closer to the Sirleafs family at the time? Why didnt you write at the time, but choose to come in now when the damage is done? I need answers to the supra mentioned questions! I find it difficult to believe that you have grass root support for your communication if it is anything to go by has proven that you have been starving the masses in their backs. Mr. Christopher Z. Neyor, here is what you had to say in the fourth paragraph of your communication to the President: Because of the seriousness I attach to your statement (which could be reason for impeachment in a non-imperial democracy), I am forced to issue this Open Letter to you so that our citizens and international friends can beware of how far you would go for one son to the detriment of your own administration and our country. Mr. Neyor, did you really intend to inform your audience that the President is bent on harming you according to information gathered from informed sources that you did not mention in your communication and that is the reason why you endeavor to inform the citizenry of Liberia and international friends of how far she would go for ones son at the detriment of the country? This suggest to me that were you not to be threatened if your information is anything to go by, the Citizens of Liberia and the International Community wouldnt have received this Open Letter from you, for you had prefer sitting over NOCAL as President and watching all of the ills you mentioned to exposing those ills and honorably resigning thereafter. Where is the grass root support you claimed to have? Do you really have affection for the masses? I am convinced that the answer is a resounding no! When you sat over NOCAL as President and saw millions of dollars going to the coffers of the Sirleafs family if your communication is anything to go by, that time would have been the best to expose the menace that continue to keep the grass rooters below the poverty line, not preferably at a time where the damage has been done. Is it the game of damage control that you are playing with the grass rooters? You need to address yourself to this one!Mr. Neyor, I would like to close this Part 1 of my communication to you by delving into the fifth paragraph of your communication to the President. Here you come: I cannot fathom why you would come after me with such vengeance, Madame President, one who has considered you a mother, admired you, have membership in the same church with you, utilized his own resources and connections to support you politically and was a shining star in your first term. Is it because I am the son of another Liberian mother from the rank of the marginalized? Mr. Neyor, when did the President decide to come after you with such vengeance, when you sat over NOCAL as President or when you decided to contest the Senatorial seat of Montserrado County? For what did she decide to come after you? Is it because her son Robert also wants to contest for the Senatorial seat of Montserrado County? Did she come after you at that time when you sat over NOCAL as President and resisted some fictitious deeds according to some lines in your communication? Are you trying to buy public sentiments through your Open Letter to the President of Liberia? Certainly, I can safely conclude that you are trying to buy public sentiments. People like me are not in the position to sell public sentiments to you. Did you admire her as mother and church mate at the time, because you were illegally acquiring your share of the national cake? I think so Mr. Christopher Z. Neyor.

MEN SANA INCORPORAL RE SONO! (A SOUND MIND IN A SOUND BODY).

Sincerely,

Eugene R. Ricks0886-735794/0776-546001eugene_ricks1@yahoo.comSee

SOMALIA DRIVE PROJECT FINALLY IN MOTION,

JAPANESE FIRMS IN PLAY

FrontpageWednesday, July 2, 2014 Page 5

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

OUTBREAK CLAIMS LIFE OF ANOTHER HEALTH CARE WORKER AS DEATH TOLL CLIMBS

UGANDAN DOCTOR FALLS TO EBOLA AT JFK

The health ministry is reporting six (6) new cases; out of the six are two suspected, one probable and three confirmed to have the deadly virus. The assistant minister for Curative services states that there are ninety-six (96)

cumulative (suspected, probable and confirmed).Monrovia-

Reports reaching FrontPageAfrica says a foreign doctor from Uganda serving in Liberia is the latest victim of the deadly Ebola virus that is pillaging Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone of valuable lives. Report says that among the new deaths is a man who was a surgical doctor assigned at the Redemption Hospital in New Kru Town.Health authorities confirming the doctors death referred to him as Dr. Sam and stated that he died at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center Cholera Unit where he was being treated. Health workers in Liberia are at risk to the deadly virus and many have expressed fear that they might come in direct contact with an Ebola patient without even realizing it.The Ugandan doctor is the fourth death among health workers. A physician assistant from the Tandapolie clinic in Caldwell was recently confirmed dead from the disease. Mr. Tolbert Nyenswah, Assistant Minister for Curative Services at the ministry of health has called on health workers across the country to take universal precaution to protect them against the disease.We call it the barrier netting methods; that is you must wear gloves during examination of a patient, even if they were not Ebola, he told FrontPageAfrica.What we call infection control in health facilities should be adhered to. So we are calling on health workers across the country, including private and public facilities; clinics and everywhere, to ensure at the highest standard and level to protect themselves.Following the reported death of eight persons including a health worker at the Redemption Hospital in New Kru Town in Monrovia, almost three weeks ago, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is reporting six (6) new cases as of June 30, 2014.The ministry states that out of the six are two suspected, one probable and three confirmed to have the deadly virus.The Assistant Minister for Curative Services states that there are ninety-six (96) cumulative (suspected, probable and confirmed).The total confirmed cases in Liberia now since the second outbreak as of June 30, 2014 is 56 nationally according to the ministry of health.

SITUATION REPORTRE-OCCURANCE OF EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE EPIDEMIC IN LIBERIA SINCE THE 29th MAY, 2014

Edition: No. 47. Reporting period: June 30th 2014 as at 23:00 Hours

New CasesNew Case/s (Suspected) 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0

New Case/s (Probable) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

New case/s (confirmed) 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2

Total suspected cases 31 0 0 0 0 29 0 0 2

Total probable cases 19 0 0 0 0 8 2 0 9

Total confirmed cases 46 0 0 0 0 27 1 0 18

Total Number of Conformed Cases of Sierra Leonean Nationality 4 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0

Total Number of Conformed Cases of Guinean Nationality 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Cumulative (confirmed, probable, suspected) cases 96 0 0 0 0 64 3 0 29

Newly Reported Cases in HCW on 30th June 2014 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

Cumulative cases among HCW 10 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 5 0 0Newly Reported deaths in HCW on 30th June 2014 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0Cumulative deaths among HCW 7 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 4 0 0

New admissions on 30th June 2014 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0Total no. currently in Treatment Units 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 0 0 5 0 0 0Total discharges on 30th June 2014 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0

0 0

0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0

0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0

Table 1: Summary Statistic from May 29-June 30th, 2014

Nationa

l

Bom

i Cou

nty

Bon

g Co

unty

Gba

rpolu Co

unty

Grand

Bassa

Grand

Cap

e Mou

nt

Nim

ba Cou

nty

RiverGee

Cou

nty

RiverCe

ss Cou

nty

Description

Isolation and Discharges

Grand

Ged

eh

Grand

Kru

Lofa Cou

nty

Margibi Cou

nty

Marylan

d Co

unty

Mon

tserrado

Co

unty

0 0

0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0

0

0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0

0 0 0

0

0 0 0 0

Health Care workers0 0 0 0

0

0

0

Cumulative adminission/isolation 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 0 0 5 0 0 0

Newly reported deaths 30th June 2014 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 0Total death/s in confirmed cases 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 2 0 11 0 0 0Total death/s in probable cases 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 8 0 0 0Total death/s in suspected cases 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 4 0 0 0Total death/s in confirmed, probable, suspected cases 56 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 31 2 0 23 0 0 0Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of Confirmed Cases 64.6 ### ### ## ### ### ### ### 60.0 66.7 ### 70.4 ### ### ###

Newly reported contacts on 30th June 2014 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 0 0 0Total contacts listed 442 0 0 0 0 0 0 256 28 0 158 0 0 0Currently under follow-up 403 0 0 0 0 0 0 256 6 0 141 0 0 0Contacts seen on 30th June 2014 397 0 0 0 0 0 0 256 0 0 141 0 0 0Contacts who completed 21 day follow-up 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 0 0Contacts lost to follow-up 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 0 0 0

Specimens collected on 30th June 2014 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 1 0 0 0Specimens pending for testing 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 1 0 0 0Total specimens tested 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 3 0 0 0

Probable start date of onset of symptoms of the index case 20/5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20/5 0 0 0 0 0 0

Date of admission/isolation 23/5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23/5 0 0 0 0 0 0

Date of death of probable or confirmed index case 25/5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 25/5 0 0 0 0 0 0

Date of first Laboratory confirmed case 06/6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 06/6 0 0 0 0 0 0

Key dates (Date/Month)

Deaths

Contacts

Laboratory

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

SITUATION REPORTRE-OCCURANCE OF EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE EPIDEMIC IN LIBERIA SINCE THE 29th MAY, 2014

Edition: No. 47. Reporting period: June 30th 2014 as at 23:00 Hours

0

0

0

0

000

0

0

0

Table 1: Summary Statistic from May 29-June 30th, 2014

Sino

e Co

unty

Isolation and Discharges

0

0

0

0

0

0

Health Care workers

0

00000

####

000000

000

0

0

0

0

Key dates (Date/Month)

Deaths

Contacts

Laboratory

Two healthcare workers are reported to have died from the disease as of June 30, 2014 and the ministry is reporting that there are six new deaths, 56 death cumulative and the national case fatality rate stands at 64.6%. The ministry is also reporting that two persons suspected of being infected with the virus have traveled from Voinjama District in Lofa County to Monrovia and that there has been no specimen collected in Voinjama as of June 30, 2014 because the county laboratory supervisor could not be found.The report says there is no Ebola related posters in Voinjama and the county is in need of a vehicle for the burial team in Lofa County.The latest update states that there is an acute shortage of thermometers for the contact tracers; confusion is brewing as to whether the contact tracers should record temperatures and that the Red Cross in Lofa is reluctant to do so as they do not want to expose the contact tracers.There are 17 newly reported Ebola cases, 442 persons listed to have come in direct contact with people who have the disease, 256 in Montserrado, 158 in Lofa and 28 in Margibi counties according to the ministry. The ministry states that 397 contacts were seen on June 30, 2014 and a total of seven specimens were collected. Prosecution for Hiding Ebola Patients Liberia has made it a crime to shield people who are suspected

of being sick from the deadly virus. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf during a nationwide address over the weekend pledged prosecution for anyone caught hiding suspected Ebola patients.Major issues confronting the response teams include but not limited to keeping sick people in healing centers, prayer homes and other non medical centers, said President Sirleaf.These practices create public health hazards to families, neighbourhoods and other innocent people. It is illegal under our public health law to expose the people to health hazard such as Ebola. Let this warning go out, anyone found or reported to be holding suspected Ebola cases in homes or prayer house will be prosecuted under the laws of Liberia.Doctors Without Borders last week declared that the Ebola outbreak that has affected Liberia Sierra Leone and Guinea is out of control. It states that more than 600 cases have now been reported in the region, with the patients experiencing headache, fever and internal and external bleeding.The virus kills up to 90 percent of the people it infects, but it leaps from person to person only through contact with bodily fluids, states Doctors Without Borders.The death of another health worker from the deadly disease shows the risk healthcare givers are exposed to in combating the deadly virus.

Page 6 | Frontpage Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Henry karmo (0886522495)henrykarmo@yahoo.com

CRAZY QUESTION

FRONTPAGE LEGISLATIVE BEAT

Before a managing director of any state own entity is authorized to enter into a collective bargaining agreement that obligates the institution they must have a board resolution

confirming them, mandating them of that right, Benyan C. Kesselly, Chairman Board of Directors, Liberia Airport Authority

Monrovia-

Dual citizenship is one of the newest debates in Liberia as many diaspora Liberians who gained foreign citizenship as a result of years of civil war are pushing to be granted dual citizenship to enable them maintain their foreign and Liberian citizenship at the same time.Other Liberians back home are against the granting of dual citizenship with many arguing that foreigners could use the situation to take over the local economy with their financial power.Some Liberians appointed to positions in Government have been denied confirmation by the Liberian Senate as a consequence of their dual citizenship status, but there are still others serving top positions in government who hold dual nationality.The dual citizenship debate ignited recently after Ellen Corkrum, who once served as head of the Liberia Airport Authority fled the country and has been accused of involvement in corruption, but the Liberian government is finding it difficult to bring her back home to face prosecution because she is also an American citizen.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in a recent interview admitted that getting Corkrum back to face trial will be difficult because she is an American citizen and a Liberian at the same time, indicating that the Justice department in the US will have to determine the gravity of the case before extraditing Corkrum to Liberia.The President admitted that there are several individuals serving in her government who hold dual citizenship.Crazy question-Weeks mute on citizenshipPublic Works Minister Antoinette Weeks has failed to deny or confirm whether she bears a Liberian and American passport.On Monday at the Capitol Building where the minster had gone for the second time to answer to Lawmakers concerns about the status of road Projects around the country and the state of affairs as it relates to national reconstruction, the Minister told reporters she carries a Liberian Passport and is a Citizen of Liberia by birth but could not deny or confirm whether she also carries an American passport.Responding to question from a journalist about her citizenship, Minister Weeks said; that is a

crazy question, I am a Liberian, I got a birth certificate and have a Liberian passport how else I can prove my Liberalism.The question to the minister comes days after President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on a Local Radio talk show admitted that there are many American Citizens in her government in an attempt to answer a question about whether or not Ellen Corkrum will be brought to Liberia from the United States to face prosecution.The public works Minister chose to deviate from the question about her citizenship and questioned the physical appearance of the reporter who asked the question about her citizenship.Not in the Know of independence cancellationThe Public Works Minister also failed to confirm or deny news about the possible transfer of the Independence Day celebration from Grand Kru and Sinoe counties to Montserrado County as a result of bad roads and unsuccessful completion of projects.A communication in the possession of FrontPageAfrica confirms that there are plans by the government of Liberia through the Internal Affairs Ministry to transfer the independence celebration to

Monrovia.A letter from the Internal Affairs Ministry inviting members of the Montserrado County Caucus to a meeting with the Independence Day steering committee in the conference room of the Foreign Ministry on the 2nd of July to discuss the possible transfer, states that the celebration will be transferred to Monrovia.A Letter sent to the Montserrado County Caucus chair, Representative Edward Forh states: On behalf of the Co-Chair of the National Steering Committee of the National Independence 2014 Celebrations and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liberia Honorable Augustine Ngafuan, I Present my compliments, and wish to invite you and members of the Montserrado Legislative Caucus to a meeting of the national Steering committee on Wednesday, July 2, 2014 at 11:00 am in the fourth floor Conference room of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Capitol Hill, Monrovia.The Meeting will discuss Governments decision to transfer the 2014 Independence Celebration from Grand Kru and Sinoe Counties, respectively, to Monrovia Montserrado County and attending issues.

Public Works Minister Weeks tightlipped on Citizenship

That is a crazy question, I am a Liberian, I got a birth certificate and have a Liberian passport,

how else I can prove my Liberianism, Antoinette Weeks, Public Works Minister

The communication though did not say why the event is being transferred from the south east to Montserrado County but it is believed that the change of venue is as a result of bad roads and uncompleted projects earmarked by government.Last month during the appearance of the Public Works Minister before the Liberian senate in response to a question from Senator Joseph Nagbe of Sinoe about the status of preparation for the Independence celebration by the Ministry, the Minister said, it was difficult to say whether or not it would be possible.Outdated Zoning map a major challengeAlso speaking at the public hearing called by the House of Representatives in continuation of the Public Works minister appearance, Mr. Claude Langley

Deputy Minister for Technical Services at the Public Works ministry said, the over flooding of the city and other parts of the country is due to the lack of capacity by the ministry to respond.According to him most of the drainages are being clogged by solid waste thrown into them by community members and only the right equipment can help clear those clogged, but said the Ministry does not have any of those equipment.He also blamed the over flooding of the city to the construction of structures over drainages something he said, is a result of the outdated zoning map the city is operating with. He called on the Legislature to make the needed appropriation for the ministry to enable it acquire some of the equipment needed.

Monrovia-

The chairman of the Board of Directors of the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) Mr. Benyah C. Kesselly has supported decision by the Roberts International Airport Authority current management not to honor a collective bargaining agreement with previous management of the RIA.In 2013 Madam Ellen Corkrum, former head of the LAA entered into the agreement with some employees during the chairmanship of Mr. Musa Bility then chairman of the Board of the LAA.Few moths after Corkrums issue was raised about the alleged misappropriation of over a hundred thousand United States dollars intended to rehabilitate the airport and her subsequent escape from the country, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf reconstituted the board and leadership of the LAA that brought on board Mr. Richelieu A. Williams as interim head.The employees wrote the Legislature to intervene on their behalf to address the situation since in fact the main actor of the document that gave them hope and better incentives was no longer in the country and could not easily be reached.In response to the aggrieved employees, the Liberian Senate

MASS DISMISSAL

through the Committee on Transport invited the Board Chairman of the LAA, Kesselly to give reasons why they support the RIA managements decision to nullify the agreement between the former management and the workers Union.During his appearance Tuesday in the plenary of the senate, Kesselly said, the board supports the managements decision because the former management did not inform members of the Former LAA board that was chaired by Mr. Bility about the agreement.Kesselly said: Before a

managing director of any government entity can enter into a collective bargaining agreement that obligates the institution they must have a board resolution mandating them and allowing them that right.He also disclosed that all agreements entered into without the consent of the board are null and void because they were entered into without a board resolution stating that as a matter of policy and law, the board issued those mandates and give authority to the managing directors via the legal instrument that brought it into existence.

Kesselly who also heads the Liberia Maritime Authority further said, the agreement between madam Corkrum former managing director of the RIA and the Workers union has no board resolution to the matter so there was no authorization, no minutes granted to the managing director to enter into such agreement with the workers union.As we speak the RIA Union has not approached the Board with their grievances so as far as this board is concerned that there is no grievance because these workers work for us and if there is a challenge between

LAA BOARD CHAIRMAN KESSELLY DEFENDS DECISION TO KICK OUT SEVERAL EMPLOYEES

them and management the proper approach is for them to channel that up to the highest decision making body which is the board, he said.Kessely said the agreement was nullified because it has not been brought to the knowledge of the Board and in fact it was dead on arrival as Board members were not aware of such agreement.He frowned on the aggrieved workers decision to castigate the current Airport management and Board in the Media something he said is not healthy and will not help in resolving the situation at hand.Though commissioner Kesselly claimed that some members of the former board at the time the agreement was reached told him they had no knowledge about the agreement, a document read by Senator Fredrick Cherue of Grand Kru county indicated that Mr. Musa Bility sat in one of the meetings between the former management and the Union that led to the legalization of the agreement.Kesselly said he has no knowledge that the meeting that had Bility in attendance before the decision was reached.Last year October the management of the Roberts International Airport (RIA) announced that it was carrying out a feasibility of outsourcing most of its ground handling services, in keeping with international best practice and assured workers at the airport not to entertain any fear of losing their jobs.According to the RIA management, the impending plight of the RIAs workers is a major component of the administrations undertaking.Few weeks after some officials of

the Workers Union of RIA took the airwaves of various radio stations in Monrovia to vent out their dissatisfaction over plans by the government of Liberia (GOL) to privatize the airport in order to meet international standards of modernity and safety.The workers alarmed that plans were underway to downsize them from their jobs as part of the privatization process embarked upon by GOL.On the question of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the management said the agreement was entered into prior to the appointment of Mr. Williams Ad Interim Managing Director of the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA). The CBA was signed during the administration of Ms. Ellen Corkrum as Managing Director of the LAA and Mr. Musa Bility as chairman of the Board of Directors.However, the management noted that in the spirit of cooperation and cordiality, since Mr. Williams took over the running of RIA, he has met with the Unions leadership twice during which both sides examined the CBA and the need for partnership free of rancor.Mr. Williams, according to the RIA management statement was very clear about management defined position vis--vis the Unions advocacy, which should not be construed as of agitation but a constructive engagement.A local daily recently reported: While the airport doors remained opened; the Union unceremoniously filed a complaint with the Ministry of Labor for a conference on July 24, 2013.

FrontpageWednesday, July 2, 2014 Page 7

Selma Lomax, selma.lomax@frontpageafricaonline.com

FRONTPAGE COUNTY NEWS

PHEBES NIGHTMAREPatients Queue to See Doctors Overnight; Cards Officers Exploit Patients

Suakoko District, Bong County -

For 50-year-old Gorma Torkolon, who resides at Thomass Farm, going to Phebe Hospital in Suakoko District, holds the key to solving her health challenge. At least, that is the recommendation of herneighbor, Joseph.According to Joseph, the Government of Liberia has greatly improved a lot of hospitals across the country, especially with regard to infrastructure and personnel. Little wonder, Gorma, who before this conversation, was in a dilemma over how to tackle her hearing impairments decided to visit the Phebe hospital, which is not too far from her place of residence.Excited and relieved that she was not going to pay for the hospital card, as Joseph had earlier told her that it was free for patients from 50 years and above, Gorma casually left her home the next day at 8am for the hospital. But the time she got there at about 9am, she needed nobody to tell her that her journey to receiving medical attention that day was going to be futile. Joseph, however, did not tell her about the little requirements, as it were, in the hospital.Indeed, the reality of what happens in the hospital dawned on her when attempts to obtain a free card, which is the first requirement for seeing a physician in the hospital, proved a herculean task. Of course, with the many patients the elderly men and women, youths and childrenhanging around the card section, she knew that her continued stay in the premises was pointless.Having waited for over two hours, she left on the recommendation of a member of staff of the hospital, who advised her to return the following day as early as possible if she needed to receive any kind of attention. Since the hospital is not too far from Thomass Farm, Gorma told herself that she would hit the hospital the next day before 6am if only that would enable her to see the doctor. In fact, she hinged her would-be success on the proximity factor.Indeed, Gormas fruitless journey to the hospital was not peculiar to her. FrontPageAfrica correspondent, who visited the hospital,had more than he bargained for. As of 6am when he arrived at the hospital, he obtained tally number 35, a pointer to the fact that he had 34 persons ahead of him. This was the first shocker. He suddenly realized that his initial thoughts of dashing in and out of the premises, would, after all, come to naught.Listening and interacting with some other patients who had arrived in the hospital did not only send a shivers down his spine, the interaction also revealed a more interesting perspective to the dilemma that people face in the hospital.According to one of the early birds, who later identified herself as Madam Roselyn, she had arrived at the hospital as early as 5am in order to be among the first set of persons to see a doctor.She added, I got here around 4:45 am. I was even thinking I was going to be the first. I was here yesterday and I saw hell.

That was why I decided to come this early. I was even surprised that as early as I was, I picked tally number 15.Unfolding events later showed that picking the tally was one of the easiest hurdles to pass through in the process of seeing a doctor in the hospital. Put differently, the tally panorama seems to be a microcosm of the bigger drama scene in the process of seeking to receive medical attention.With the tally, you are directed to another office, (which our correspondent would later find out is called the Revenue Department), where you would queue outside the window. Of course, one would have thought of obtaining the card at that point. No way!However, when it gets to your turn, you would notice a window, just slightly opened through which you squeeze your neck to see who is on the other side.When it got to our correspondents turn to get a card, the officer rudely informed him, I am not ready for you yet. And when he eventually got ready, she only asked for our correspondents name and passed a teller through the tiny window. Opening it and rudely again, she said, Go to the next queue and pay.From the pay point, you move on to another point where you are given a folder. You might actually heave a sigh of relief thinking you have achieved it at last, at least underone hour.But that is when the real waiting game begins. You are directed to go and wait on a bench.Our correspondent waited on the bench by 7:20am and was able to get his hospital card by 9:55am. Once again, he was asked to go and sit on another bench for another waiting game before he would see a doctor.Fast forward to 10:20am, our correspondent, out of curiosity, decided to make more enquiries

about what was causing the delay. He eventually asked a nurse whether it was possible to see any of the doctors. That was when he was informed, after the whole process, which his efforts were all in vain.The situation is worse at Phebe where some patients sleep in the hospital while some others arrive at the hospital as early as 4:30am to have a realistic chance of getting to see a doctor.Due to the large number of patients that throng the hospital daily, the practice at its Out Patients Department(OPD) for patients to pick numbers as they arrive. A sheet of paper with numbers 1-150 is always left on a window sill overnight and held in position by a stone.Each patient is expected to tear off the next number from the sheet on arrival at the clinic. Investigation by FrontPageAfrica shows that patients who sleep over at the hospital are mainly those who have to travel far distances. Such patients are from places like Yellequelleh, Gou, Gbenequelleh, Salala and far areas in the county as well as neighboring Salayea in Lofa County and Ganta in Nimba County.For instance, a 54-year-old patient, Michael Kwenah, from Gbartala told FrontPageAfrica that he always slept in the hospital each time he had to keep an appointment with a doctor because of the large number of patients he had to compete with.I come from Gbartala. So it is risky to leave the area in the morning and expect to be here early enough because of the large number of patients that come here. The best bet for me is to sleep here so I can pick a good number, he said.Another patient who refused to mention his name because he was afraid that the report might be used against him said, I tried in time past to come early

but never got to see a doctor, so I decided to always sleep overnight each time I want to see the doctor. At least, with that Im sure I will get a good number.Getting to hospital early no guarantee Further investigation by FrontPageAfrica shows that getting to Phebe hospital very early sometimes does not guarantee that a patient will even see a doctor in good time. It also does not mean that the patient will pick a good number.A patient, Jacob Dorley, 53, arrived at the hospital at 5.30am Monday morning to find that his number was 62.Having met less than 10 other patients who were physically present, Dorley said he was surprised that many people had picked numbers before him.He said, I took a taxi from Salala where I live to get here on time but I was shocked that I was number 62. I had expected to pick a number that was not up to 10. There were less than 10 people here, so where were all the people that picked the numbers?I tried to get here earlier but it was not possible. The last time I came by 5am for my last appointment in April, I left around 3:30pm. So I wonder when I would leave the hospital now that I came at 5:30am and picked number 62.Hospital officials cash on opportunityFrontPageAfrica learnt that some officials of the hospitals Records Department take advantage of the situation of the system to profit through racketeering.Some of the officials collect money from patients to keep numbers for them or arrange for them to see doctors on time. The money paid to the officials usually varies between L$200 and L$500, FrontPageAfrica can reveal.Doctor confirms extortion

A doctor in the hospital, who did not want to be named, said health workers are neck-deep in the racketeering.The doctor said, But what they collect depends on the patients ability to negotiate. A patient can pay as low as L$200 to see a doctor on time. There is also a lot of lopsidedness in the transfer system- that is when a patient is referred from one department to another. For instance, if the patient is being referred to the appropriate department like the Surgery, the department may have been booked for the entire month because there are too many people. But it is an opportunity for some people in the Records Department to make quick money again. They arrange early dates for patients. The price also depends on the negotiating power of the patients.Sometimes, they write a false time on a patients card to make it appear that the patient had arrived earlier. Most doctors dont bother about all these things; they just get on with attending to whoever is ushered into their offices.Emergency situations excludedFrontPageAfrica has also observed that the only department at the hospital that seemed to be devoid of such racketeering was the Emergency Department (ER), where the severity of the patients health condition was generally considered.A doctor at the hospital also confirmed this, saying, That is because once its emergency, its emergency. The doctor will look at the case that requires the most urgent attention.So except for the Emergency Department, patients generally have to queue and lobby for appointments, which include getting to see doctors and doing medical tests or surgeries.But generally, the system is such that patients who sleep in the

hospital still have to wait for a long time before being attended to in spite of being early arrivals. This is because officials of the Records Department do not get to the office until around 8am while other hospital support staff like cleaners, lab attendants and others are not ready till around 10am.Also at the Phebe hospital, our correspondent noticed that there were four sheets of paper placed on window sills and tables for patients use on arrival. The sheets were for patients coming for antenatal care, laboratory tests, medical appointments and for new patients.Defiant patients feel the pinchIt was learnt that patients who did not lobby or pay to get early appointments in Phebe hospital, sometimes paid with their lives.For instance, doctors at Phebe said some patients had died or had their conditions worsened while they were waiting to see doctors. Such situations often occur in cases where patients are being transferred from one department to another.According to a doctor, There are too many patients coming in; so some departments are booked for the entire month. Sometimes, when the patient even gets to see a doctor and he is asked to go and do a test, the proper thing is to do the test and get the result right there and then.But this is never the case. The patient has to queue every step of the way. At the hospital, the patient will have to get a date to get the test done and will still have to wait for an appointment to get the test result. So, the result may not come back till about three or four days later.Meanwhile, our correspondents interactions with patients and workers at Phebe revealed the probable factors responsible for the endless number of patients that throng the facility on a daily basis, clogging up the system.But according to doctors, the hospital lacks the capacity to take care of the influx of patients occasioned by the governments policy.A doctor said, The countrys free-health campaign deceived many people. Everybody pays for (registration) card now unlike before when patients didnt need to pay. This rendered the ones initially run by the hospitals moribund because they were starved of funds.Therefore, patients are forced to patronize the private laboratories and pharmacies, putting a lot of pressure on them.Some patients and doctors at the hospital also blamed the government of some primary health centers and general hospitals for the overcrowded wards in Phebe. They said many of them were ill-equipped and had shortage of manpower.Confirming the situation, a doctor at Phebe said, Some patients come to the hospital because they are not satisfied with the services they are getting at clinics close to them.

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PRESS STATEMENT

1. We come today to fulfill our quarterly commitment to update you on the activities of NOCAL. I must admit we have not been as frequent with this update process as we have wished to do.

2. Undoubtedly, the oil and gas sector constitutes one resource area all Liberians must remain concerned about and interested in. Accordingly, we will continue to encourage all our people to be forthcoming with their views and perspectives on the oil sector and on NOCAL as much as they can.

3. However, we wish to let it be known that what we will always reject and frown upon is when such observations, views and opinions are not grounded in facts. True, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, but certainly not to his or her own facts.

4. It is against this backdrop that we have come here today to highlight some of the issues that have been in the public domain of late regarding what NOCAL has been doing or has not been doing, and to set the record straight on these and related sector issues. That way, we can separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. That way, we can put to rest some hyperbolic stories being told about the sector and NOCAL. And that way, we can let the public as well as naysayers know and understand the accomplishments of NOCALand the efforts being exerted by the current NOCAL Board and Management in navigating the complex challenges facing the entity and the sector in general.

5. Let us at the outset declare categorically that NOCAL and the oil sector are marching on impressively, and that the present NOCAL management has achieved more in terms of accomplishments in the sector than at any other time in the recent past. Yes, for sure, we do respect and recognize past accomplishments, but our statement today will show that we have significantly improved on those past accomplishments.

6. Indeed, based on available evidence supported by facts, NOCAL has in recent times accelerated its programmatic and developmental strides across many levels of the sector and society as a wholeespecially in regard to those projects and activities that touch in very meaningful ways the lives of our peoplethe ordinary people.

7. Oil Sector Reform

The Hydrocarbon Technical Committee (HTC) composed of the Minister of Finance, Minister of Justice, Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy, Minister of Labor, Chairman of the National Investment Commission, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Legal Advisor to the President, RL., and chaired by the President/CEO of NOCAL, produced a draft

BY DR. RANDOLPH A.W.K. MCCLAINPRESIDENT/CEO OF NOCAL

ON DEVELOPMENTS AT NOCAL AND IN THE OIL SECTOR OF LIBERIA (DELIVERED ON MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2014)

National Petroleum Policy with the assistance of various sector stakeholders and external partners. The draft was subsequently presented to the people in a nation-wide consultation process. The process was concluded and the National Petroleum Policy was completed. This has since been followed by action on the part of the Lower House to hold similar nation-wide discussions on the draft Petroleum Law and Amendments to the NOCAL Act. NOCAL actively cooperated and supported the national consultation efforts of the Legislature.

8. NOCALs Contributions to National Budget

Before the onset of the ongoing sector reform, thanks to the new leadership at NOCAL, and the Negotiating Team of the HTC, an agreement was reached with Exxon Mobil on Block 13, netting for the government more than US$45 Million in 2012/2013 fiscal period. This deal has also been described by industry experts as one of the best ever in the history of frontier countries.

Additionally, NOCAL contributed nearly 13 Million United States Dollars to the National Budget in 2012/2013, while in 2013/2014, NOCAL has thus far contributed over 14 million United States Dollars.

9. Safety, Health and the Environment (SHE)

NOCAL has also been forward looking in respect

of the safety of the Liberian people. Thus, unlike in the past, where no standards existed in the sector relative to Safety, Health and the Environment (SHE), thereby placing the Liberian people at risk, NOCAL has for the first time established concrete and progressive standards in this regard for protecting our people against potentially catastrophic hazards like oil spills and other environmentally damaging effects during exploration and drilling. By these proactive standards, International Oil Companies (IOCs) are obliged to strictly adhere to these safety measures if they are to do oil business in the country. For us at NOCAL, the safety, health and environment of Liberia and its people are more of concern than the anticipated millions of United States Dollars from oil companies. Indeed, NOCAL wishes to reassure our people that they could count on us to seek their collective interest in this regard.

10. Local Content

Under a joint NOCAL-Exxon Linkages initiative, which promotes local content, NOCAL has exerted maximum efforts in its interaction with International Oil Companies to ensure that they work with Liberian and indigenous businesses in the provision of goods and services that these IOCs need during their operations in the country. On the basis of the understanding reached with IOCs concerned, in situations where some of these local companies do not have the capabilities to provide said goods and services, the IOCs will

FrontpageWednesday, July 2, 2014 Page 9

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work towards enhancing the capacities of these Liberian businesses to provide the needed services and goods in the future. In other words, the IOCs are now obliged to empower our local businesses in the provision of goods and services for the IOCs instead of contracting foreign companies to do so.

11. Corporate Social Relations

As many of you are already aware in our country, the problem of Housing remains a major challenge. The present NOCAL management inherited low cost housing facilities in Voinjama, Lofa County, in Sanniquellie, Nimba County, and in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County that were not habitablelacking, for example, basic self-contained facilities like toilets and bathrooms as well as kitchens. Consequently, the present NOCAL leadership has deemed it necessary to substantially improve on the existing structures to make them habitableas their original state did not justify the resources previously spent on them. Meanwhile, there are plans to continue many more such housing activities in other parts of the country once rehabilitation and expanded developments are carried out on the existing ones.

Recognizing that transportation, especially in the heavily populated Monrovia and its environs, continues to constitute a serious social problem for our commuters, NOCAL, at the request of NTA, recently donated three new buses (estimated at nearly a quarter Million US Dollars) to help NTA facilitate the movement of our people. Meanwhile, NOCAL has since made funds available to construct three bus terminals at Bo Waterside in Bomi County, Kakata in Margibi County, and Gbarnga, in Bong Countyall of which are now in the completion stage.

12. Scholarship Program

NOCALs Scholarship program is certainly one of the entitys flagship projects. In the past, only modest attempts were made in this direction. Since then, especially under the current NOCAL leadership, the scholarship program has been expanded exponentially, and has become much better structured than before. For example, while in the past the program was somewhat restrictive in terms of its beneficiary spread and limited number involved, NOCAL has not only significantly increased the number of scholarship beneficiaries, but has now established clear cut and appropriate criteria for granting scholarships. (These criteria are often published in the media for the benefit of the public) Also, beneficiaries or deserving students now come from all over the country and not just from a limited geographical area or a specific community.

Indeed, from a small number of four (4) students granted NOCAL scholarship to study abroad between 2010/2011, and with 15 beneficiaries in 2011/2012, the present NOCAL leadership is proud to state that in 2012/2013, a total of 20 students benefitted from the scholarship scheme. And for the current 2013/2014 period, the entity is processing 33 beneficiaries who are slated to attend various Graduate schools overseas for academic year 2013/2014. Thus from an expenditure of Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars in 2010/2011, NOCAL is poised to spend over Three Million United States Dollars on the scholarship program in 2013/2014 constituting a hundred percent increment over the amount spent on such overseas scholarship grantees in 2010/2011

academic year.

Again, unlike in the past when the scholarship program was randomly implemented, it is now focused and tailored to the needs of the Petroleum industry, especially in regard to specializationwith students studying for post graduate degrees in oil and gas related disciplines, including the following:

Petroleum Geosciences Petroleum Law Petroleum Accounting/Finance

The universities chosen to train the students are especially qualified in regard to the disciplines and courses the beneficiaries are specializing in. Among them are: Texas A & M; Southern New Hampshire University and University of Houston Law Center--all in the USA; University of Westminster and University of Dundeeall in the United Kingdom; and Heriot-Watt University-Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE).

Meanwhile, NOCAL is concurrently supporting One Thousand Five Hundred and Fifteen (1,513) scholarship beneficiaries locallyattending various institutions in the country and studying in various disciplines relevant to the development not only of the oil and gas industry, but also of the country as a whole.

At the Local level, NOCAL sponsored students can be found at various institutions of learning, including the University of Liberia; Cuttington University; African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZU); United Methodist University (UMU); African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU); Stella Maris Polytechnic; Smythe Institute of Management & Technology; Lofa, Grand Bassa and Leigh-Sherman Community Colleges.

13. Vocational Training

Cognizant of the social problems associated with unemployment in society, the present NOCAL leadership has thought it fit to introduce vocational schooling as part of our social corporate responsibility. Thus, while there was zero vocational program before the onset of the new leadership, to date (that is, just within a year and half), we now can boast of nearly 1,150 vocational students benefitting from the entitys vocational scholarship program at various institutionsincluding LOIC (Liberia Opportunity Industrialization Center) in Monrovia & Sinjie); Salvation Army Vocational Institution, etc.

Most of these beneficiaries have been able to complete courses/programs in carpentry, masonry, tailoring, plumbing, etc. And through this effort, NOCAL has invested in many of our young people by lifting them from a state of hopelessness and idleness, to a state where they have become productive and begun benefitting not only themselves and their respective communities, but the country as a whole.

We wish to assure our people, that NOCAL, under the current leadership, is determined to continue this dynamic educational path now and in the foreseeable future.

14. NOCAL Goes High Tech

NOCAL established a data center in 2010 to

provide network and internet services to a small workforce. That situation remained stagnant until the 2012/2013 period when the data center was expanded significantly to realize our goal to infuse Information Technology into our business and geoscience operations.

In 2013/2014, we invested One Million United States Dollars to enhance our data center and have consequently achieved the following results: upgraded our data center infrastructure; deployed the ACE Fiber for fast Internet access; implemented a cutting edge corporate website to directly connect to the public and private sectors across geographic boundaries; and deployed a top notch financial system which automates our financial and payroll procedures.

For the period 2014/2015, we will continue to invest in our data center so that it will be capable of: seismic interpretation; reservoir modeling; sub-surface mapping; and prospectivity analysis.

15. Transparency/Accountability

The ongoing leadership dispensation does not certainly lay claim to perfection in its operation and management of the entity. However, to the extent that it aspires and ascribes to the highest standards of governance of a public or state owned entity such as NOCAL, the Board and Management have continued to be as transparent in their financial and other dealings as they possibly can. In this regard, NOCAL has for the past two consecutive years published its budget on its website (www.nocal.com.lr), and in the local media. And like all other SOEs and government institutions, NOCAL is subject to audit by the GAC.

Clearly, no institution or entity having anything to hide regarding its transactions or dealings will be so forthcoming regarding its financial matters!

16. Conclusion

As you can see from what we have told you today, NOCAL has registered many accomplishments. In addition to all these, NOCAL is still determined to accomplish even more for the betterment of the oil and gas sector and, by extension, our people and country.

Ladies and gentlemen, as we pointed out at the beginning of our statement, NOCAL is a strategic national entity charged with the task of governing the oil sector on behalf of the people of Liberia. To the extent that this is so, we welcome the manifestation of interest in and focus on the entity and the sector as a whole from all our citizens and stakeholders.

Certainly, we appreciate genuine comments, observations, criticisms and suggestions from every citizen desirous of doing so. But we will appeal to all such persons and institutions to exercise this citizen participation with honesty and sincerity of purposeby always endeavoring to stick to the facts and refraining from negative speculations.

Meanwhile, our doors remain open to all for any relevant and non-proprietary information regarding our activities.

I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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FrontpageWednesday, July 2, 2014 Page 11

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

FRONTPAGE POLITICS

COUNTRY OVER SELFMonrovia-

The national Chairman of the opposition Liberty Party said he has rejected a petition from citizens of Grand Kru County asking him to contest the senate seat in the county in the upcoming October polls.Speaking to FrontPageAfrica on reasons why he did not accept the petition from his kinsmen because he has an even bigger national duty to perform, Cllr. Koffa said he has national obligations.We announced yesterday evening to the Voice of Grand Kru, on a broadcast to our people in Grand Kru that we will not be accepting the petition of over 7,000 citizens of Grand Kru County to contest the 2014 senatorial elections because we have prior national obligations, said Atty. J. Fonati Koffa in an interview with FPA on Monday. As a Chairman of a national political party I have an obligation to ensure the success of all of the candidates running on the Liberty Party ticket and the success of our party. That responsibility supersedes in my mind, at this point, a run for myself in Grand Kru County.He said if he had an intention to run for the Grand Kru seat he would not have opted to lead the party but be it as it is, he rather lead others to victory than abandon the party for his personal benefit.Had I envisioned that I would have been running in 2014, then I would not have taken up the mantle of chairmanship of the Liberty Party, he said. We

Liberty Party Chairman Rejects Petition To Contest for Grand Kru Senator

Buchanan, Grand Bassa County-

A man who is widely known as a good friend and a political ally of Grand Bassa County electoral District Three Representative has slammed and condemned the move by Hon. Gabriel Buchanan Smith to abandon the Liberty Party and participate in the upcoming special senatorial election as an independent candidate.Representative Jeh Byron Browne, Grand Bassa County electoral district Four Representative, described his fellow lawmaker political move as a political suicide sparking a debate over the future of Hon. Smiths relationship with the Liberty Party, a party which took him to the Legislature in 2005.Making a unifying speech during the partys endorsement of Jonathan L. Kaipay over the weekend in Buchanan City, Hon. Browne stressed that it was

important for all Liberty Party partisans to come back home to the party as he also cautioned Hon. Smith about his political decision to go solo.I appe