By: Augustine N. Myers – Members of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) have for the first time conducted a National Congress under the theme, “Positioning the Media to Strengthen Democracy in Liberia”, and have equally elected a new corps of officers to steer the affairs of the Union for the next three years. The two-day event which was held at the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary in Paynesville, near the nation’s Capital, Monrovia, brought together hundreds of journalists from across Liberia who met on November 12-13, 2010 to discuss the role of the media as the Nation prepares for general... Continue Reading
By: Augustine N. Myers – Amidst calls from two major opposition Political Parties in Liberia for President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to resign or go on an administrative leave, the Liberian leader has strongly reacted, taking exception to the calls made by the Liberty Party (LP) of Former President Pro Temporal at the Liberian Senate, Legal Counsellor Charles Walker Brumskine, and the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) of former World Best Footballer, George Mannah Weah. This follows the mass dismissal of the entire Liberian Cabinet referred to as “Administrative Leave”, by President Sirleaf in which both the Liberty Party (LP) and Congress... Continue Reading
GANTA, 15 November 2010 (IRIN) – With close to 25 years surveying land and helping resolve land disputes, J. Patrick Vanie has unrivalled expertise on the nuances of land ownership in Nimba County. “I know this county right down to my fingertips,” says Vanie. But Nimba’s land commissioner admits to feeling swamped by an overwhelming caseload. “The land business here is tough, it is no joke,” Vanie concedes. “The demand for land here has become very, very high.” There is serious concern at national and local level over unresolved land issues in Nimba. The northeastern county has remained relatively calm... Continue Reading
By Emmanuel Muwamba – President Bingu wa Mutharika arrived in the country on Monday from South Korea where he attended the G20 meeting as chairperson of the African Union to ramptous welcome but he also took time to clarify on issues such as fuel and foreign exchange scarcity which are crippling the economy. The President pointed a finger at businessmen of Asian orgin saying they syphon money out of the country. “When someone is milking my people [of foreign exchange], when someone is abusing my people I will not sit quite,” said Mutharika adding that he will not hesistate to... Continue Reading
By Bai-Bai Sesay – After several years of dithering, the Right to Access To Information (RTI) bill was ON November 11, 2010 laid before the Sierra Leone Parliament and debate started in earnest. The bill went through the first and second readings at the House before it was committed to the Legislative Committee. The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) have lauded the efforts of the Government of Sierra Leone, civil society organizations especially the Society for Democratic Initiatives and foreign partners especially the World Bank who have worked very hard to make this historical day a reality. “This is... Continue Reading
