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Tag: liberia

  • Liberia to vote against Morocco’s World Cup bid

    Liberia’s FA (LFA) is to break ranks with Africa and vote against Morocco when the decision on who will host the 2026 World Cup is held next month.

    The North Africans are taking on a triple North American bid from Canada, Mexico and the United Sates.

    In a statement, LFA president Musa Bility said the decision came after talks with President and former World Footballer of the Year George Weah and the Government of Liberia.

    The vote will take place on 13 June.

    It will be held in the Russian capital Moscow, with more than 200 of Fifa’s member associations deciding who will host the first 48-team World Cup.

    “Bility said the long-running traditional relationship between Liberia and the United States, the many Liberians living in the US and the impact the World Cup will have on them were key in its endorsement decision,” the statement added.

    It also highlighted the “commercial value” of the triple bid.

    Bility is a member of the Confederation of African Football’s Executive Committee.

    Morocco, who are bidding to host the World Cup for a fifth time, want to become only the second African nation to stage the finals – after the 2010 finals took place in South Africa.

    BBC

  • UN to understudy Liberia’s conflict resolution, political mediation

    The UN Security Council has asked Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to conduct a study on the role played by its peace-keeping mission in resolving conflicts and other challenges that Liberia had faced.

    In a Presidential Statement adopted on Thursday, the 15-member body said it “looks forward to the results of this study’’.

    The Security Council said the study could be useful when considering ways to enhance the overall effectiveness of UN peacekeeping.

    The Council commended the remarkable achievements made by the people and Government of Liberia to consolidate lasting peace and stability in the wake of a 1999 to 2003 civil war.

    The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) closed on March 30, ending a nearly 15-year presence in the West African country, which had been devastated by 14 years of civil war.

    In the statement, the Council welcomed the continued implementation of the peacebuilding plan for Liberia as submitted by Guterres.

    It stressed that the UN would continue to be an important partner with Liberia after the closure of UNMIL.

    Addressing the Council, Alexander Zuev, Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions in the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, commended the people of Liberia for their resilience.

    Zuev said the resilience of the people of Liberia was the deciding factor in turning the page on conflict whose determination would ensure that the hard-won peace was sustained.

    “For nearly 25 years, the situation in Liberia was so concerning that it has been a constant presence on this Council’s agenda.

    “But the country has turned an important corner,’’ Zuev said.

    In January, President George Weah succeeded Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who had led Liberia since 2006.

    The succession marked the first peaceful transfer of power between democratically elected leaders in 71 years.

    Zuev said the important work of continuing to build a unified, reconciled nation with an accountable Government, committed to addressing corruption within its ranks, now lies with the people and Government of Liberia.

    The UN official challenged them to build a nation, where all citizens share the benefits of Liberia’s abundant natural and human resources.

    He tasked Liberia with building a nation, fully responsible for its own destiny, with institutions and a government providing basic guarantees of security, protection and services to its citizens.

    “The conclusion of UNMIL’s mandate is a remarkable demonstration of confidence that the country is moving steadfastly along the path of sustained peace,’’ he said.

    Population growth, climate change responsible for water shortage – FG

  • Weah thanks departing 108 Nigerian Police personnel as they end tour of UN mission in Liberia

    The President of Liberia, George Weah, has thanked “specially” the last batch of 108 Nigerian Formed Police Unit (FPU) deployed to Liberia under the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) whose tour of duty will end after five years following the conclusion of their mission.

    The mission which ends at the end of the month will see the last 108 Nigerian FPU officers and the last UNMIL uniformed contingent in Liberia withdrawing as part of the UN mission’s termination.

    Liberian President George Weah commended UNMIL for its longstanding support to peace and stability, saying the Liberian people will forever remain grateful to them for their bravery and service.

    “Thank you for your hard work and sacrifice you have made over the years to keep the peace and stability of our beloved mama Liberia. As you leave us now, we will forever remember you,” Weah said.

    ALSO READ: Nigerian Army to deploy 230 personnel to Liberia for peacekeeping operations – Buratai

    A batch of 200 Nigerian peacekeepers had also withdrawn from Liberia in February as part of the termination of the mission’s mandate, scheduled on March 30, the mission said.

    “The Nigerian contingent has been deployed in Liberia since UNMIL was first established in 2003. Nigeria has been a main contributor of military and police to UNMIL.

    “The UNMIL has been a steadfast partner to Liberia for the last 15 years.

    “It has supported security and security sector reform, rule of law, efforts to disarm, human rights and sustainable peace.

    “The Mission will complete its mandate on March 30.

    “UNMIL was established in September 2003 with 16,475 uniformed personnel to monitor a ceasefire agreement in Liberia, following the conclusion of the Second Liberian Civil War”.

    108 NIGERIAN FORMED POLICE UNIT AT UN MISSION IN LIBERIA DEPARTS FOR HOME COUNTRY

    An official farewell ceremony was held in February in honour of the last departing 689 uniformed personnel – 404 military and 285 police personnel – who had served with the Mission.

    This symbolised the end of UNMIL’s military and police operations in Liberia, more than 14 years after UNMIL was deployed in compliance with Security Council resolution 1509 (2003).

    NIGERIAN POLICE PERSONNEL WITHDRAW FROM LIBERIA AFTER 15 YEARS OF SACRIFICE

    Nigeria’s Maj.-Gen. Salihu Uba is the Force Commander and Head of UNMIL’s Military component of men and women from various countries including: Nigeria, Pakistan and Ukraine.

    Uba was Commander of the Training and Doctrine Command of the Nigerian Army before his appointment as the Force Commander for UNMIL by the former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Jan. 9, 2015.

    The Formed Police Unit composed of Nigerian and Chinese personnel and since 2003, 61 contingents from various countries had served in Liberia, UNMIL said.

    According to Uba, the mission’s uniform component military and police have taken greater stride towards strengthening peace and security, rule of law, governance among others in Liberia.

    The Force Commander stated that it was not all roses particularly for the military which had the highest fatalities of 138 personnel while the police lost 21 persons.

    “As we are closing, the memory of those 159 persons and others in the Mission will continue to live in our minds.

    “We will continue to pay special tribute to them and those who contributed to peace and security in Liberia” the Major General said.

    THE LAST NIGERIAN POLICE ‘BOOT’ BIDS FAREWELL TO LIBERIA

    The Force Commander, on behalf of the Police Commissioner Simon Blatchly, expressed their profound appreciation to the uniformed component of UNSMIL.

    The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Farid Zarif, had in his speech, stated that the farewell signified an important benchmark in the history of the UN in West Africa.

    “While my colleagues in uniform are writing the last pages of the peacekeeping operations here, Liberians and their Leaders have started writing the first pages of a brand new chapter in their history.”

     

  • 108 Nigerian Police personnel withdraw from UN mission in Liberia

    The last batch of 108 Nigerian Formed Police Unit (FPU) deployed to Liberia under the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) have withdrawn after five years following the conclusion of their mission.

    UNMIL said the last remaining 108 Nigerian FPU officers, the last UNMIL uniformed contingent remaining in Liberia, withdrew as part of the UN mission’s termination.

    The batch of 200 Nigerian peacekeepers had also withdrawn from Liberia in February as part of the termination of the mission’s mandate, scheduled on March 30, the mission said.

    “The Nigerian contingent has been deployed in Liberia since UNMIL was first established in 2003. Nigeria has been a main contributor of military and police to UNMIL.

    “The UNMIL has been a steadfast partner to Liberia for the last 15 years.

    “It has supported security and security sector reform, rule of law, efforts to disarm, human rights and sustainable peace.

    “The Mission will complete its mandate on March 30.

    “UNMIL was established in September 2003 with 16,475 uniformed personnel to monitor a ceasefire agreement in Liberia, following the conclusion of the Second Liberian Civil War”.

    An official farewell ceremony was held in February in honour of the last departing 689 uniformed personnel – 404 military and 285 police personnel – who had served with the Mission.

    This symbolised the end of UNMIL’s military and police operations in Liberia, more than 14 years after UNMIL was deployed in compliance with Security Council resolution 1509 (2003).

    Nigeria’s Maj.-Gen. Salihu Uba is the Force Commander and Head of UNMIL’s Military component of men and women from various countries including: Nigeria, Pakistan and Ukraine.

    Uba was Commander of the Training and Doctrine Command of the Nigerian Army before his appointment as the Force Commander for UNMIL by the former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Jan. 9, 2015.

    The Formed Police Unit composed of Nigerian and Chinese personnel and since 2003, 61 contingents from various countries had served in Liberia, UNMIL said.

    According to Uba, the mission’s uniform component military and police have taken greater stride towards strengthening peace and security, rule of law, governance among others in Liberia.

    The Force Commander stated that it was not all roses particularly for the military which had the highest fatalities of 138 personnel while the police lost 21 persons.

    “As we are closing, the memory of those 159 persons and others in the Mission will continue to live in our minds.

    “We will continue to pay special tribute to them and those who contributed to peace and security in Liberia” the Major General said.

    The Force Commander, on behalf of the Police Commissioner Simon Blatchly, expressed their profound appreciation to the uniformed component of UNSMIL.

    The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Farid Zarif, had in his speech, stated that the farewell signified an important benchmark in the history of the UN in West Africa.

    “While my colleagues in uniform are writing the last pages of the peacekeeping operations here, Liberians and their Leaders have started writing the first pages of a brand new chapter in their history.”

    Liberian President George Weah commended UNMIL for its longstanding support to peace and stability, saying the Liberian people will forever remain grateful to them for their bravery and service.

    Weah said: “Thank you for your hard work and sacrifice you have made over the years to keep the peace and stability of our beloved mama Liberia. As you leave us now, we will forever remember you”.

     

  • We can afford to ‘give’ Liberia 6,000 teachers from Nigeria – TRCN

    Sequel to a request by President George Weah of Liberia asking Nigeria to loan his country six thousand teachers to formally kick-start the country’s education sector, the Registrar and Chief Executive, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, (TRCN), Professor Segun Ajiboye on Tuesday affirmed the request was possible.

    Ajiboye said Nigeria can afford to give Liberia more than 6,000 qualified professional teachers.

    He noted that the request for Nigerian Teachers to develop the educational sector of Liberia was a marker to the international recognition of the quality that a Nigerian Teacher is made of.

    Ajiboye who said the Council has registered 2million qualified and certified professional teachers, said only those certified by the Council shall be processed for such transnational request.

    While fielding questions from newsmen at the University of Ibadan on Tuesday, Ajiboye noted that the TRCN has a standing Memorandum of Understanding with the Directorate of Technical Aid Corps consequent upon which no Teacher can be sent out to teach without being qualified, registered and duly licensed by TRCN.

    Ajiboye who noted that TRCN has achieved in the area of Teacher information System (TIS), and School Monitoring Project in Six states added that it was heart-warming that Nigeria Teachers are valued internationally saying the Council will not rest on its oars to ensure that teachers become truly professional to improve their worth.

     

  • 200 Nigerian soldiers depart Liberia after five years of peacekeeping

    The last batch of 200 Nigerian peacekeepers deployed in Liberia under the UN Mission in Liberia have withdrawn after five years following the conclusion of their mission in the country.

    The last military protection force in UNSMIL left Liberia on Thursday as part of the termination of the mission’s mandate, scheduled on March 30, the mission said.

    UNMIL was established in September 2003 to monitor a ceasefire agreement in Liberia following the resignation of President Charles Taylor and the conclusion of the Second Liberian Civil War and the Nigerian contingent has been deployed there since then.

    An official farewell ceremony was held on Monday in honour of the departing Police and Military personnel who have served with the Mission.

    This symbolised the end of UNMIL’s military and police operations in Liberia, more than 14 years after UNSMIL was deployed in compliance with Security Council resolution 1509 (2003).

    The Mission began in 2003 with 16,475 uniformed personnel and the farewell ceremony was in honour of the last departing 689 uniformed personnel (404 military and 285 police).

    The Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Salihu Uba, head of UNSMIL’s Military component of men and women from various countries including: Nigeria, Pakistan and Ukraine.

  • Liberia’s President Weah makes first major appointments

    Liberia’s President George Weah on Tuesday made his first major appointments less than 24 hours after his swearing in on Monday.

    Seven names made the first batch of appointees, including former Senate Pro-Tempore Gbezohngar Findley, who has been named Minister of Foreign Affairs.

    Findley, according to local media, is close ally of immediate past President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and staunchly supported Vice President Joseph Boakai at the initial stage of the campaign period.

    He reportedly dumped Boakai, who ran for the presidency on the platform of then Unity Party (UP), and aligned with Weah, heavily campaigning for him parts of the country.

    This fueled speculations that Weah was receiving support from former President Johnson-Sirleaf, who was recently expelled by the UP for anti-party activities.

    Maj.-Gen. Daniel Ziankahn was immediately retired as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) and appointed the Minister of National Defence, subject to Senate confirmation.

    Ziankahn replaces Brownie Samukai at the defence ministry, which is in the middle of an alleged wasteful spending of “welfare and supplementary pension benefits” members of the Armed Forces.

    Brig. Gen. Prince Johnson takes over from Ziankahn as the new Chief of Staff of the AFL.

    Weah named Chairman of the now ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Mr Nathaniel McGill as the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs.

    Samuel Tweh, a long-time member of the CDC is to serve as Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.

    Until his appointment, Tweh worked as an economic consultant at the Millennium Challenge Corporation under the Ministry of Finance.

    The president appointed Mr Charles Gibson as Minister of Justice, and Mr Sam Mannah as Press Secretary with immediate effect.

    Weah has directed that the heads of other government ministries and agencies remain in place until further notice.

    Meanwhile, some Liberians have urged the new president to honour his promise of holding government officials accountable to the people.

    Speaking in Monrovia, one of the respondents, Saah Clinton, a retired soldier, advised Weah to show courage and do the right thing in the interest of Liberians.

    “Although, I am confident in the president’s ability to crack down on corruption as promised in his inaugural speech, it takes a lot of political will and courage to do that.

    “The president should carry the masses along in whatever decision he takes against powerful government officials, and the people will stand by him,’’ he said.

    Weah in his inaugural address renewed his promise to tackle endemic corruption especially in the public service, vowing to prosecute corruption government officials “to the full extent of the law’’.

    “As officials of government, it is time to put the interest of our people above our own selfish interests. It is time to be honest with our people

    “For those who do not refrain from enriching themselves at the expense of the people, the law will take its course,’’ the president said.

     

  • [Photos] Obasanjo, Saraki, Okorocha arrive Liberia for George Weah’s inauguration

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, arrived Monrovia on Monday morning for the swearing in of Liberia’s President-elect, George Weah.

    Mr. Obasanjo’s plane touched down at the Roberts International Airport at 8:01 a.m. (9 a.m. Nigerian time) while Mr. Saraki arrived at 9:02 a.m.

    On hand to receive them were the Nigerian Ambassador to Liberia, James Dimka; Force Commander for the United Nations Mission in Liberia, Salihu Uba, among other officials.

    Speaking to journalists, Mr. Obasanjo said he was a proud to witness a peaceful democratic transfer of power in Liberia considering the huge sacrifices made by Nigeria for peace and stability in the country.

    “I am very happy over what is happening in Liberia today and I congratulate my brothers and sisters in this great country,” he said.

    A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent in Monrovia covering the inauguration reports that Mr. Saraki was accompanied by Senators Philip Aduda and Osita Izunaso.

    Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo arrived minutes before the senate’s helmsman.

    The airport is witnessing an influx of special guests from Africa and around the world, including current and former heads of states.

    Former Super Eagles midfielder, Austin Okocha, was among the international soccer stars already in the country.

    Okocha arrived at 9.54 a.m. into the warm embrace of soccer fans and government officials from other countries that fell over themselves to take photographs with the football legend.

     

    NAN

  • JUST IN: George Weah takes oath of office as Liberian president

    Former international football star George Weah has been sworn in as president of Liberia, the first peaceful democratic transfer of power in the West African country in more than seven decades.

    Weah won 61.5 percent of the votes in December’s election run-off, beating outgoing vice president Joseph Boakai who garnered 38.5 percent of the ballot.

    Voter turnout was 55.8 percent, or just over 1.2 million people, according to the election commission.

    The former world footballer of the year succeeded Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president.

    Weah entered politics after retiring from football in 2002 and run for the presidency in 2005 losing to Sirleaf.

    The last peaceful transfer of power between two democratically elected presidents took place in Liberia in 1944, when president Edwin Barclay was replaced by William Tubman.

    The swearing-in ceremony at a stadium near the Liberian capital, Monrovia was attended by more than a dozen African and foreign dignitaries, including heads of state from Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Mali, Ivory Coast and Guinea.

    Many Liberians regard the 51-year-old as a hero for his incredible rags-to-riches tale. He was born in a slum in Monrovia, but found fame in international football.

    Weah has promised to eradicate corruption in the country of four million people and bolster the weak economy.

    Monrovia is highly dependent on exports of iron ore and rubber, which have recently plunged in prices. The country is also trying to overcome the effects of the Ebola outbreak, which left more than 4,000 people dead.

    Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world with 80 percent of the population living on less than $1.25 a day.

  • Liberia’s Unity Party expels Johnson-Sirleaf

    Liberia’s outgoing ruling Unity Party(UP) has expelled President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf for alleged breach of the party’s constitution.

    The party conveyed the decision in a statement issued by its Assistant Secretary General for Public Outreach, Mohammed Ali, on Sunday.

    Ali said the president was ousted on Saturday evening following several violations of the party’s constitution and other “acts inimical to the existence and reputation of the party”.

    Specifically, Johnson-Sirleaf whose 12-year tenure will end on Jan. 22, was accused of breaching rules that require her to support the party’s candidates in elections.

    The outgoing president never campaigned for her Vice, the UP’s presidential candidate, Joseph Boakai, during the last general elections in Liberia.

    This fueled speculation of a rift between her and Boakai, who has been Vice President for 12 years.

    There were also rumours that she secretly supported the candidacy of the President-elect, George Weah, who ran on the platform of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).

    Weah defeated Boakai in the delayed presidential run-off election on Dec. 26.