Happy Independence day Mama Liberia.....

Happy birthday Liberia, and happy independence day to all my fellow Liberians and friends of Liberia all around the Globe, as we all gather to celebrate the anniversary of our homeland independence this July 26, let us not forget who we are or where we came from, let us remind ourselves that though we may be of many tribes, we are still one people with one common destiny. May God always continue to shower his many blessings on the peoples of Liberia.

 

Liberia is now the nation reporting the highest number of new Ebola cases...........

It seems that the people of Liberia just cannot get a break, after almost two decades of devastating civil war, we all thought we have turn the darkest corner of our Country's history and that the country was once again on the path to reclaim its former glory and rejoin the community of nations, but out of nowhere we got thrown another curve ball, this time in the form of the deadly Ebola virus.

 Of all the Countries battling the deadly outbreak, Liberia is now the nation reporting the highest number of new cases in the region, it has become the epicenter of the whole Ebola fight. And because Liberia is the Country suffering the most it is important that our people understand how Important it is to take this deadly disease seriously.Its been reported that some communities believe the outbreak is a lie, and that health care workers have been sent to kill them. In multiple locations around the Country, health care workers spraying chlorine – a cheap and effective counter to the spread of the disease - were attacked.

 I found a wonderful article on Australia's ABC.net.au news site that really explain what Ebola is.....

There are five strains of Ebola: Zaire, Sudan, Tai Forest, Bundibugyo and Reston. The Zaire strain, which is involved in the latest outbreak, is the most lethal with a fatality rate of up to 90 per cent. Humans can catch the virus from animals through close contact with infected animals' blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids. The virus is thought to reside within the region's fruit bat population. The bushmeat trade (the catching and eating of wild animals, including primates such as gorillas and chimpanzees), is thought to play a role in outbreaks of the disease. While cooking infected meat kills the virus, handling of the meat beforehand can cause infection.

Once in the human population, the virus continues spreading through direct contact with blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids. The World Health Organisation has specifically noted traditional healing and burial practices in rural regions as a factor in the spread of the disease.

Please my fellow Liberians,if you suspect someone you know is sick or is showing symptoms of the virus, it is very important that you not only take every precaution to protect yourself but you should also immediately notify the authorities. Remember your chances of survival is high if you are treated early.

President Sirleaf ordered third county under Ebola quarantine ......

The Liberian army has put a third County under quarantine to check the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf announced Monday.

"Lofa county in the north has been quarantined by the army," Sirleaf said after similar measures were taken in the counties of Bomie and Grand Cape Mount.

"So from now on, no one will be allowed to go to Lofa, no one will come out of there," Sirleaf said in a message to the nation broadcast over the radio.

"We want to protect areas that have not been yet affected," according to the president.

"We have given instructions to the army and we will try our best so that food will be provided to the county constantly, especially when we know that Lofa is one of (the) biggest counties."

In an effort to contain an epidemic that has cost nearly 1,000 lives throughout west Africa, the Liberian government earlier quarantined Bomie and Grand Cape Mount.

It cut off access with military roadblocks and restrictions on travel.

The quarantine has meant that traders have been unable to travel to buy food and farmers cannot harvest their crop, which has in turn caused shortages and sent prices soaring, raising fears people could go hungry.

Government of Liberia Launches National Action Plan against Ebola.........

A picture taken on July 24, 2014 shows staff of the Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse putting on protective gear in the ELWA hospital in the Liberian capital Monrovia. (credit: ZOOM DOSSO/AFP/Getty Images)

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has launched the National Action Plan presented to the National Task Force on Ebola by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in partnership with the World Health Organization.

As an initial contribution to the National Action Plan, the Government of Liberia has provided US$5 million to begin the immediate implementation of the plan.
According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf made the statement when she addressed the Nation in the Foyer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with additional measures aimed at containing the spread and caring for the afflicted with the goal of “No New Cases.”

Among the stringent measures, the Liberian leader announced that though she was expected to have attended the ensuing U.S. - Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, D. C., U.S.A. next week, the Vice President instead will lead the delegation that will include a few cabinet ministers whose presence are absolutely necessary.

She also announced that henceforth, Government travels will be seriously restricted and limited to only those that are determined to be absolutely necessary and critical. 
The Liberian leader also directed that all non-essential staff, to be determined by the Minister or Head of Agency are to be placed on a 30-day compulsory leave and that Friday, August 1, is declared a non-working day and is to be used for the disinfection and chlorination of all public facilities.

“All borders that are to remain opened are to be directly supervised and controlled by the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization whose duties it shall be, working with the assigned health authorities, to ensure strict adherence to announced preventive measures including preliminary testing for fever,” President Sirleaf directed.

Other measures without exceptions are that “all schools are ordered closed pending further directive from the Ministry of Education.
“All markets at border areas including Foya, Bo Waterside, and Ganta are hereby ordered closed until further notice.

 “As previously directed, video clubs and entertainment centers must have improved sanitation including facilities for the washing of hands prior to entering and exiting as well as to restrict opening hours, and the number of individuals permitted to enter those facilities,” she emphasized, adding that “all citizens are seriously advised to avoid public amusement and entertainment centers.”

The Liberian President warned that any increase in prices of sanitation commodities used in the fight against Ebola Viral Disease will be treated as an offense against the people of Liberia. As such, she has directed the Ministry of Commerce to enforce this order and that all such commodities including chlorine, soap, sanitizers, fliers and buckets are to be imported duty free.

She also indicated that several communities are being considered to be quarantined based upon recommendations from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other relevant authorities. “When these measures are instituted, only health care workers will be permitted to move in and out of those areas. Food and other medical support will be provided to those communities and affected individuals,” the Liberian leader said.

“The Ministry of Health and relevant agencies are also to consider the cremation of all victims of the deadly Ebola virus. This measure is intended to avoid tampering with the dead and contaminating water sources,” she also directed.
She announced that the security forces, under the directive of the Ministers of Justice and National Defense, are again ordered to enforce all of these measures announced by the National Task Force on Ebola.

President Sirleaf reiterated that the Ebola Viral Disease has over-tasked the country’s public health facilities and capabilities as the nature of the virus and its rapid spread throughout Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, attacking, as it has, the way of life of the people of the Mano River Union Basin have posed national, regional and international threats to public health and safety of the gravest proportions. “This is unprecedented,” she emphasized, referring to the World Health Organization which has upgraded the outbreak to Grade 3 Emergency, the highest in its response category.
President Sirleaf acknowledged that this is not only a Liberia problem, and cannot be seen as a problem of the Mano River sub-region; but an international problem with which all must engage in the fight.

She expressed Government’s gratitude to the Medecins Sans Frontiers, and their partner, the Samaritan Purse who, at great personal risks, has continued to assist in the difficult fight against the epidemic. She also thanked the Center for Disease Control and the National Institute of Health of the United States for the much needed technical support.

President Sirleaf again reminded Liberians that Ebola is real, it’s contagious and it kills. “All of us must all take extra measures announced by the Ministry of Health to keep ourselves safe. The government will do its part. But you must do yours,” she urged, adding, “Denying that the disease exists is not doing your part to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

 Hiding sick persons is not doing your part to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Ignoring the signs and not reporting it to the health care authorities are not the ways by which we keep ourselves safe,” she said.

The President reminded all Liberians that the sooner all Liberians unite in fighting this disease, as I know

she knows they can, where each of us will play our part, the sooner we will overcome this disease and return ourselves to how we have always lived.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has launched the National Action Plan presented to the National Task Force on Ebola by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in partnership with the World Health Organization, though by no means exhaustive.

As an initial contribution to the National Action Plan, the Government of Liberia has provided US$5 million to begin the immediate implementation of the plan.

According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf made the statement when she addressed the Nation in the Foyer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with additional measures aimed at containing the spread and caring for the afflicted with the goal of “No New Cases.”

Among the stringent measures, the Liberian leader announced that though she was expected to have attended the ensuing U.S. - Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, D. C., U.S.A. next week, the Vice President instead will lead the delegation that will include a few cabinet ministers whose presence are absolutely necessary.

She also announced that henceforth, Government travels will be seriously restricted and limited to only those that are determined to be absolutely necessary and critical.

The Liberian leader also directed that all non-essential staff, to be determined by the Minister or Head of Agency are to be placed on a 30-day compulsory leave and that Friday, August 1, is declared a non-working day and is to be used for the disinfection and chlorination of all public facilities.

“All borders that are to remain opened are to be directly supervised and controlled by the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization whose duties it shall be, working with the assigned health authorities, to ensure strict adherence to announced preventive measures including preliminary testing for fever,” President Sirleaf directed.

Other measures without exceptions are that “all schools are ordered closed pending further directive from the Ministry of Education.

“All markets at border areas including Foya, Bo Waterside, and Ganta are hereby ordered closed until further notice.

“As previously directed, video clubs and entertainment centers must have improved sanitation including facilities for the washing of hands prior to entering and exiting as well as to restrict opening hours, and the number of individuals permitted to enter those facilities,” she emphasized, adding that “all citizens are seriously advised to avoid public amusement and entertainment centers.”

The Liberian President warned that any increase in prices of sanitation commodities used in the fight against Ebola Viral Disease will be treated as an offense against the people of Liberia. As such, she has directed the Ministry of Commerce to enforce this order and that all such commodities including chlorine, soap, sanitizers, fliers and buckets are to be imported duty free.

She also indicated that several communities are being considered to be quarantined based upon recommendations from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other relevant authorities. “When these measures are instituted, only health care workers will be permitted to move in and out of those areas. Food and other medical support will be provided to those communities and affected individuals,” the Liberian leader said.

“The Ministry of Health and relevant agencies are also to consider the cremation of all victims of the deadly Ebola virus. This measure is intended to avoid tampering with the dead and contaminating water sources,” she also directed.

She announced that the security forces, under the directive of the Ministers of Justice and National Defense, are again ordered to enforce all of these measures announced by the National Task Force on Ebola.

President Sirleaf reiterated that the Ebola Viral Disease has over-tasked the country’s public health facilities and capabilities as the nature of the virus and its rapid spread throughout Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, attacking, as it has, the way of life of the people of the Mano River Union Basin have posed national, regional and international threats to public health and safety of the gravest proportions. “This is unprecedented,” she emphasized, referring to the World Health Organization which has upgraded the outbreak to Grade 3 Emergency, the highest in its response category.

President Sirleaf acknowledged that this is not only a Liberia problem, and cannot be seen as a problem of the Mano River sub-region; but an international problem with which all must engage in the fight.

She expressed Government’s gratitude to the Medecins Sans Frontiers, and their partner, the Samaritan Purse who, at great personal risks, has continued to assist in the difficult fight against the epidemic. She also thanked the Center for Disease Control and the National Institute of Health of the United States for the much needed technical support.

President Sirleaf again reminded Liberians that Ebola is real, it’s contagious and it kills. “All of us must all take extra measures announced by the Ministry of Health to keep ourselves safe. The government will do its part. But you must do yours,” she urged, adding, “Denying that the disease exists is not doing your part to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Hiding sick persons is not doing your part to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Ignoring the signs and not reporting it to the health care authorities are not the ways by which we keep ourselves safe,” she said.

She reminded all Liberians that the sooner all Liberians unite in fighting this disease, as I know  she knows they can, where each of us will play our part, the sooner we will overcome this disease and return ourselves to how we have always lived.
- See more at: http://www.emansion.gov.lr/2press.php?news_id=3045&related=7&pg=sp#sthash.em3ejAQa.dpuf

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has launched the National Action Plan presented to the National Task Force on Ebola by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in partnership with the World Health Organization, though by no means exhaustive.

As an initial contribution to the National Action Plan, the Government of Liberia has provided US$5 million to begin the immediate implementation of the plan.

According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf made the statement when she addressed the Nation in the Foyer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with additional measures aimed at containing the spread and caring for the afflicted with the goal of “No New Cases.”

Among the stringent measures, the Liberian leader announced that though she was expected to have attended the ensuing U.S. - Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, D. C., U.S.A. next week, the Vice President instead will lead the delegation that will include a few cabinet ministers whose presence are absolutely necessary.

She also announced that henceforth, Government travels will be seriously restricted and limited to only those that are determined to be absolutely necessary and critical.

The Liberian leader also directed that all non-essential staff, to be determined by the Minister or Head of Agency are to be placed on a 30-day compulsory leave and that Friday, August 1, is declared a non-working day and is to be used for the disinfection and chlorination of all public facilities.

“All borders that are to remain opened are to be directly supervised and controlled by the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization whose duties it shall be, working with the assigned health authorities, to ensure strict adherence to announced preventive measures including preliminary testing for fever,” President Sirleaf directed.

Other measures without exceptions are that “all schools are ordered closed pending further directive from the Ministry of Education.

“All markets at border areas including Foya, Bo Waterside, and Ganta are hereby ordered closed until further notice.

“As previously directed, video clubs and entertainment centers must have improved sanitation including facilities for the washing of hands prior to entering and exiting as well as to restrict opening hours, and the number of individuals permitted to enter those facilities,” she emphasized, adding that “all citizens are seriously advised to avoid public amusement and entertainment centers.”

The Liberian President warned that any increase in prices of sanitation commodities used in the fight against Ebola Viral Disease will be treated as an offense against the people of Liberia. As such, she has directed the Ministry of Commerce to enforce this order and that all such commodities including chlorine, soap, sanitizers, fliers and buckets are to be imported duty free.

She also indicated that several communities are being considered to be quarantined based upon recommendations from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other relevant authorities. “When these measures are instituted, only health care workers will be permitted to move in and out of those areas. Food and other medical support will be provided to those communities and affected individuals,” the Liberian leader said.

“The Ministry of Health and relevant agencies are also to consider the cremation of all victims of the deadly Ebola virus. This measure is intended to avoid tampering with the dead and contaminating water sources,” she also directed.

She announced that the security forces, under the directive of the Ministers of Justice and National Defense, are again ordered to enforce all of these measures announced by the National Task Force on Ebola.

President Sirleaf reiterated that the Ebola Viral Disease has over-tasked the country’s public health facilities and capabilities as the nature of the virus and its rapid spread throughout Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, attacking, as it has, the way of life of the people of the Mano River Union Basin have posed national, regional and international threats to public health and safety of the gravest proportions. “This is unprecedented,” she emphasized, referring to the World Health Organization which has upgraded the outbreak to Grade 3 Emergency, the highest in its response category.

President Sirleaf acknowledged that this is not only a Liberia problem, and cannot be seen as a problem of the Mano River sub-region; but an international problem with which all must engage in the fight.

She expressed Government’s gratitude to the Medecins Sans Frontiers, and their partner, the Samaritan Purse who, at great personal risks, has continued to assist in the difficult fight against the epidemic. She also thanked the Center for Disease Control and the National Institute of Health of the United States for the much needed technical support.

President Sirleaf again reminded Liberians that Ebola is real, it’s contagious and it kills. “All of us must all take extra measures announced by the Ministry of Health to keep ourselves safe. The government will do its part. But you must do yours,” she urged, adding, “Denying that the disease exists is not doing your part to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Hiding sick persons is not doing your part to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Ignoring the signs and not reporting it to the health care authorities are not the ways by which we keep ourselves safe,” she said.

She reminded all Liberians that the sooner all Liberians unite in fighting this disease, as I know  she knows they can, where each of us will play our part, the sooner we will overcome this disease and return ourselves to how we have always lived.
- See more at: http://www.emansion.gov.lr/2press.php?news_id=3045&related=7&pg=sp#sthash.em3ejAQa.dpuf

Liberia to send Troops to Mali.................

Armed Forces of Liberia soldiers stand in formation at Edward Kesselly Military Barracks.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has disclosed that the Government of Liberia will contribute troops to the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA).
Making the disclosure at the Roberts International Airport in Liberia, President Johnson-Sirleaf told reporters Saturday, January 19 2012 that Liberia has pledged a platoon that will be integrated into one of the AFISMA peacekeeping battalions in Mali. President Sirleaf said that Liberia's decision to pledge a well-trained and well equipped military platoon to Mali is based on the fact of African solidarity to the people of West African, and to also show appreciation to Mali and its people who helped Liberia during our country's conflict or years of civil war.
President Sirleaf said West African countries have pledged their support fully to France for launching operations in Mali, within the framework of respect for the sovereignty of Mali and that is the International legality to halt the advance of the terrorist and extremist groups. This will be the first time since the 60s that Liberian military personnel will be send for peace keeping duties.

Liberia has ‘turned the corner’ towards lasting peace says President Sirleaf....

President Sirleaf addressing the U.N General Assembly.

Ten years after the end of Liberia’s brutal civil war, the country has made tremendous progress on the path to lasting peace and stability, President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, told the United Nations General Assembly today, while adding that serious challenges remain.
“As Liberia moves toward its tenth year of sustained peace, we can state with conviction that our country has turned the corner,” President Sirleaf said in her address to the Assembly’s high-level General Debate, which began at UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday.
“Liberia is no longer a place of conflict, war and deprivation. We are no longer the country our citizens fled, our international partners pitied and our neighbors feared,” she added. President Sirleaf thanked the UN for being “a very committed and effective partner” with Liberia as it emerged from conflict and embarked on the path to peace, security and development. “We owe the Organization much gratitude for preserving an enabling environment for peacebuilding and state-building.”

 

The UN has maintained a peacekeeping force in Liberia since 2003 to bolster a ceasefire agreement ending a decade of war that killed nearly 150,000 people, mostly civilians. The mandate of the UN Mission in Liberia  includes helping to restore the rule of law and democratic processes, as well as facilitating humanitarian assistance.

President Sirleaf must take the incident in the Ivory Coast seriously.......

Over the weekend we learned of the deadly attack that took the lives of several United Nations peacekeepers and Ivorian Military personal in the Ivory Coast. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack "in the strongest possible terms," saying he was "saddened and outraged" about the deaths of the peacekeepers, all from Niger. He urged the government of Ivory Coast to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice. Meanwhile hundreds of villagers were fleeing the area near the Liberian border, and U.N. officials said others may have been killed or injured. Authorities have been unable to confirm any additional casualties because of the remoteness of the area near the Liberian border.

This is a serious situation along the border of the two countries, and the governments of the two countries especially Liberia, must do everything to bring the situation under control. We the many concern Liberians at home and abroad urged President sirleaf to not take this lightly, as it has the potential to not only destabilize the entire region, but to drag Liberia back into instability.

 Some Liberian government minsters were denying Liberia's involvement in the incident. But whether they came out of Liberia, or whether they are based in the Ivory Coast, doesn’t matter.  What matters is that there was an incident in Ivory Coast close to our own border that concerns everybody. If our neighbor's house is on fire we should make it our duty to help put out the fire who knows ours could be next. Both countries need to concertedly work together to more effectively weed out this cancer from their common borders, and once and for all send out a message that the days of savages and barbarians using our country to attack another is over. Finally if any Liberians are found to be involved in the incident over the weekend, if caught they should be put to death immediately, we do not want these barbaric people in our Country, enough is enough.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf sworn in for a second term .

President Sirleaf and vice President Boakai at the inauguration ceremony.

Liberia’s president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was sworn in Monday for a second term in a ceremony attended by several world leaders, and the U.S secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"We inaugurate a new beginning -- a rebirth of our democracy," Sirleaf told the crowd of thousands, as supporters blew horns. "Today we can say with conviction that our country has turned the corner. Liberia is no longer a place of conflict, war and deprivation. We are no longer the country our citizens want to run away from."

In her inaugural address, Sirleaf directly addressed those who felt she has not done enough to lift them from poverty.

"To all who have yet to feel the hands of progress touch your life, your time has come," she said, as cheers erupted. "We have laid the foundations for peace and prosperity, and must now hasten our true mission: Putting people -- especially young people -- first. And lifting the lives of all Liberians."

And she responded to the opposition's claim that she was not listening to the country's disenfranchised youth: "The youth of Liberia are our future and they have sent us a message," she said. "Let me say to them: We heard that message. It is our solemn obligation to ensure that their hope will not be in vain."

Hillary Clinton (left) meets Liberian Foreign Minister Toga Gayewea McIntosh on arrival in Monrovia.

Thousands of people, many of them dressed in colorful ceremonial gown, gathered hours before the start of the ceremony in the capital Monrovia. The military fired two cannons Monday and hoisted the flag at the presidency.

Liberia is recovering from 14 years of civil war and conflict that ended in 2003. Sirleaf became Africa's first democratically-elected female president in 2005, and last year was one of three women awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The inauguration ceremony closed with a parade by security forces through the streets of Monrovia and floats representing Liberia's 15 counties.

Why change the pilot when the plane is still in the air?.....

As the countdown to election begins in Liberia, it has become clear that the path Liberians choose on the 11 of October will determine if the country remains on the road to prosperity or the path of uncertainty and chaos.
Winston Tubman and the opposition CDC claimed that the Sirleaf administration has done nothing for the Country, On Friday, addressing some 200,000 of their supporters, Tubman told the crowd "What we know of her is that she brought war and that having now taken power, she hasn't brought unity," we can see nothing in the record about Ellen Sirleaf that tells us that she has been promoting peace, or that Liberia has become any better during her tenure as President.

Liberians should not forget Winston Tubman, is the nephew of Liberia's longest-serving president,William V.S Tubman, these people held power in Liberia for three decades, and what does Liberia has to show for it? absolutely nothing.

President Sirleaf on the other hand, has chalked up a series of economic achievements. She has managed to preside over 6.7% annual economic growth during her short time in office. She has also secured $4.6 billion in debt relief from creditors, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the U.S., the European Union and the African Development Bank. Her government has attracted billions more in foreign investment from companies all around the world.

Liberians should not be fool to think that a miracle will happen when the President is voted out of office, that all of a sudden every Liberians will automatically have a job. Rome was not built in a day, it will take a little bit more of time for people to start reaping the results of the Sound policies the President and her team have laid out.
Lets not forget fellow Liberians that when the Plane is still in the air, you don't change the pilots, Lets be patient and let the president complete what she started.

Congratulation to President Sirleaf and Leymeh Gbowee both of Liberia for winning this year Nobel peace prize..........

I learned with joy and pride this morning that Two Liberians were among the winners for the Nobel peace prize.

Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, sharing the award with fellow Liberian, Leymah Gbowee and Yemen’s Tawakkul Karman, for work to promote women’s rights and peace building.

Johnson-Sirleaf, 72, Gbowee and Karman were announced as winners of the 10 million-krona ($1.5 million) prize on Friday by the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo. They were awarded the prize for “their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work,” the committee said.

Among those who welcomed this year's award was German Chancellor Angela Merkel, viewed as the most powerful woman in Europe, who said: "This will hopefully encourage many women, but also many men, around the world to campaign for freedom and democracy and against injustice."

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: "Above all, it underscores the vital role that women play in the advancement of peace and security, development, and human rights."

Amnesty International secretary general Salil Shetty said: "This Nobel Peace Prize recognizes what human rights activists have known for decades - that the promotion of equality is essential to building just and peaceful societies worldwide.

We congratulate these women on their achievements, today is a day that all Liberians should be proud of.

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by a committee of five people chosen by Norway's parliament and is named for Alfred Nobel, a Swedish scientist and inventor of dynamite.

Nominations come from lawmakers around the world, university professors, previous Nobel laureates and members of the Nobel committee.

Ecowas seeks UN help for Liberia and Ivory coast security.

Leaders from West African countries on Saturday called on the UN to bolster monitoring of Ivory Coast's border with neighbor Liberia, which is set to hold general elections next month.

Liberian authorities last month announced a seizure of a "worrisome" amount of arms and ammunition near the border with Ivory Coast, which is still recovering from a bloody post-election crisis.

Presidents from six countries "urged the United Nations to intensify joint UNOCI-UNMIL (peacekeeping missions) monitoring and control of the common border zone between the two countries."

The special mini summit was called by Ecowas, to come out with ways to address security concerns after Liberian immigration said they had seized weapons which included rockets, machine guns and assault rifles and a large amount of ammunition from unnamed people.

In a statement the leaders meeting under the aegis of the regional bloc Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) "declared zero tolerance for any attempt to oppose the verdict of the ballot box."

Liberia is still fragile as it recovers from bloody civil wars waged by warloards and drugged child soldiers, that left some 150,000 dead between 1989 and 2003. The Country is set to hold Presidential election in October. The October vote is the second since the end of those devastating wars.

Massive show of support for President Sirleaf reelection bid....

As elections fever continue to rock Liberia, News coming out of Monrovia say

A group of former fighters have pledged to support President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s bid for re-election in October.

“She has done well,” Austen Clarke, who was deputy defense minister under ex-President Taylor told reporters in Monrovia, the capital, yesterday. He cited developments in living standards and freedom of expression in the Country.

Clarke who is also the chairman of the group Nimba Citizens United for Progress said his group comprises about 80 percent of the country’s so-called Special Forces generals who led various factions during the years of conflict. The leaders have influence over as many as 100,000 former fighters.

In related developments there have been a massive show of support for President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as she seeks reelection for a second term.

Addressing thousands of residents of the Communities of Barnesville and Garnersville on Sarturday, the President said the election was not about her, “It was about the country.”

Here is a Video of the President making her case for why she should be reelected to thousands of supporters in Monrovia.

The Liberian leader says she remains committed to ensuring that the gains made by her government over the past five years are sustained. She said a strong foundation for growth and prosperity has been laid, cautioning that the nation stands to lose unless Liberians excise the right decision in the forthcoming referendum and presidential and general elections.

Large amont of arms and ammunition seized in Liberia.....

The Government of Liberia has seized a "worrisome" amount of arms and ammunition in the south of the country near the border with Ivory Coast, an official told a press conference Wednesday.

"The Bureau of Immigration with maximum support from the Ministry of Justice was successful in retrieving a cache of arms and ammunition through the cooperation of some ex-combatants," Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization commissioner Chris Massaquoi told journalists.

He did not give details about the former combatants who he said collaborated with state security authorities to find the weapons.

But he added: "This discovery of weapons is worrisome".

The weapons were found in the counties of River Gee, Maryland, Grand Gedeh and Nimba.

Some of the weapons were displayed during the press conference.

They included rockets, machine guns and assault rifles and a large amount of ammunition.

"The arms and ammunition were collected by Immigration Special Border Patrol Officers following intensive intelligence gathering in certain towns along the Liberian-Ivorian border," the immigration commissioner said.

He noted that the bureau in collaboration with other security officials would make sure that there were no internal and external security threats as the country is to hold general and presidential elections on October 11.

The Bureau of Immigration appealed to all Liberians, "especially those living near or around the borders of Liberia to report to national security the presence of any and all strange movements within or near the borders as well as the presence of arms and ammunition of all sorts, and any threat to national security".

Liberia charged 36 people in late June in connection with the discovery of a large arms cache near the border with Ivory Coast two weeks earlier.

The weapons stash included war weapons and ammunition, including Kalachnikovs and rocket launchers.

They were believed to have been sent to Liberia after a lengthy post-electoral crisis in neighbouring Ivory Coast which turned violent as former strongman Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept defeat in November polls to arch-rival Alassane Ouattara, who was sworn in as president in May.

Gbagbo was arrested on April 11 in Abidjan, after some 3,000 people died in the violence in which Liberian mercenaries were alleged to have taken part.

Meet Shadow, Liberia's new musical sensation ......

Samuel Morgan AKA the Shadow.

Samuel Morgan aka the shadow is a Liberian musician, singer, composer, producer, and audio engineer who also happens to be, i am proud to say my own biological brother. Shadow and other Liberian refugee live and work in the Buduburam Liberian refugee camp near Accra, Ghana. He has spent most of his adult life in the run down refugee camp and Like most Liberian refugees, he wants to return home to Liberia but fears there is nothing there for him. Meanwhile, he makes music, partly to earn a living,and partly to inspire other Liberians with hope for the future. Last year, he and other musicians in the camps cut their first CD, with songs that tell the tale of horrors and flight from war and the desire to return home.
Despite the deplorable situation in the refugee camp. Samuel and other Liberian refugees try to stay positive and represent Liberia the best way they know how, through their wonderful music.

Here is one of my favorite song call super lady from my superstar brother.



Keep it up little brother, keep representing Mama Liberia, we are all proud of you.

Charles Taylor trial comes to an end, world awaits verdict..............

The war crimes trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, once among West Africa's most powerful and by far the most brutal figures, ended Friday with judges expected to take months to reach a verdict on whether he can be linked to murders and amputations during Sierra Leone's civil war.

The three judges of the Special Court for Sierra Leone must weigh tens of thousands of pages of evidence, more than 1,000 documents and exhibits, and the testimony from more than 120 victims, former rebels - and from Taylor himself, who was on the stand for seven months.

Taylor has pleaded innocent to 11 counts of murder, rape, pillaging and deploying child soldiers in Sierra Leone.

His defense team has argued that the prosecution provided only unconvincing circumstantial evidence connecting Taylor directly with the rebels, who were notorious for slicing off limbs, ears and lips of civilians to impose a reign of fear during the 1991-2002 war. It portrayed him as a man of peace who tried to mediate an end to the conflict in the neighboring country, and said the testimony for the prosecution by former rebels was often tainted by payments from the prosecutors. can you believe that? Taylor a man of peace? we who saw first hand that brute handiwork in Liberia find it laughable that Charles Taylor can ever be associated with peace. The man hands are literally dripping with the bloods of thousands of innocent people in both Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

The people who committed acts of violence against innocent women and children must pay for their crimes.

We must never forget what these monsters did to our country....... These barbaric people should pay for their crimes.

While we await the final verdict, it is my hope that the judges will weigh all the thousands of evidence against this monster and put him behind bars for good, This man was the cause of terrible sufferings not only in my own Country Liberia, but across all west Africa, he must pay for his crimes, only then can we give justice to the thousands of innocent people who perish for nothing, in this asshole senseless wars.

One by one they will pay!!!!...........................

Libya's Muammar Gaddafi and Burkina Faso's Blaise Compaore are responsible for the death of thousands of innocent Liberians.

An old African proverb says he who dines with the dogs will eat feces, That is exactly what Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi i bet, is feeling these days. As we watched events unfold in Libya and their lunatic dictator Gaddafi loses his grip on power, one cannot help but to be happy for the Libyan people who for so long have had to live under the brutal rule of this man and his family.

Charles Taylor with the help of Libya, Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast, killed almost 200,000 of our countrymen in a senseless war.

Many of us Liberians have serious beef with this fool who was one of the main player in all of the instabilities across Africa. It was Gaddafi who trained, armed and dispatched thugs like Charles Taylor and Foday Sankoh to take power in West African countries, initiating the brutal slaughter of innocent people in both Liberia and Sierra Leone. One by one all of these people and countries who hands are stained with the blood of our countrymen, Ivory coast, now Libya and one day Burkina Faso's Blaise Compaore will pay in blood too.

Tragedy at the Buduburan refugee camp again........

Reports coming out of Ghana this morning speaks of at least 5 Liberians reportedly been shot dead by Ghanaian police at the Buduburan Refugee Camp outside Accra during a riot over leadership.

According to report still coming in, the incident occurred Sunday at a Church when a group of Liberian refugees attempted installing a new leadership despite call from the refugee board to halt the process.

Reports say there has been opposition against the current leadership at the Buduburan Camp headed by Varney Sambola. Mr. Sambola has been accused of tribalism and being in cohort with both the UNHCR and the Ghanaian authorities to relegate the interest of the Liberian refugees.

According to one eyewitness, the police surrounded the hall where the ceremony was set to take place and arrested two, including the leader who was about to be sworn in.

"As the police drove off with the two, some residents pelted the convoy and the police responded with gun shots and tear gas," the eyewitness said.

Police in Ghana have arrested a Liberian, Tyrone Marshall, said to be ringleader of the campaign to replace the current leadership on the camp. Other sources said the police are moving from house to house rounding up Liberians.




A resident of the camp told journalist by phone that reinforcement of the Ghanaian police in their hundreds has surrendered the refugee camp to the total amazement of the camp dwellers!

Another said that police are rounding up every male refugee as night falls going from door to door asking every occupants to come outside with their identification cards and as the result of that every male Liberian refugees has taken to their heels to safety in the surrounding villages within the Gomoa district and parts of Accra!

while we do not question the Ghanaian authorities right to maintain law and order in their country,they also have a duty to protect every one that resides within their borders. Did they really have to to use live bullets against unarmed people?

The Buduburam Refugee Camp has been home to refugees who fled the civil war in Liberia more than two decades ago. The camp currently hosts 15,000 to 18,000 refugees from Liberia and Sierra Leone as well as nationals from other West African countries, many of whom have settled into what has now become a town.

Couple of Interesting videos about Liberia on the Web.....

The international reporting project just did a couple of interesting pieces on Liberia....
In the first video Etweda Cooper, mayor of Edina, Liberia, discusses her vision for the small town's future in the wake of 14 years of civil war.

In the second video, Firestone the largest foreign corporation in Liberia, which has come under scrutiny in recent years has made concerted efforts to improve its facility and the condition of its workforce, but have they done enough?

Liberia,Egypt, and China sign A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Tappitta Hospital..............

The Chinese,Egyptian, and Liberian representatives at the signing ceremony .

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the smooth operation of the newly constructed modern Tapitta Hospital, in Northern Nimba County, Liberia has been signed among the Chinese, Liberian and Egyptian governments. The agreement among the governments of the three countries was signed last Tuesday in Monrovia, with the Ambassadors of the governments of China and Egypt affixing their signatures to the agreement, while the Minister of Health of Liberia Dr. Walter Gwenigale signed on behalf of the government of Liberia.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Chinese Ambassador Zhou Yuxiao recalled that the hospital has since been officially turned over to the Liberian government since July 26, 2010 as a gift from his government to the Government of Liberia on the natal day of the country, but noted that it had not been operational since its hand-over due to the inadequacy of medical workers in Liberia.

Chinese Ambassador Yuxiao underscored the importance for everything to be done to ensure the speedy opening of the hospital and the training of Liberian health practitioners in China, who will return later to render services to the hospital. For his part, Egyptian Ambassador Maher El-Adawy expressed happiness over the signing of the MOU and assured that his country is prepared to play its part despite the on-going political crisis in Egypt.

According to the MOU, Liberian Government will take ownership of the facilities and would manage and operate the hospital at its own cost. The GOL will also provide accommodations, local transportation and complimentary medical treatment and make available other convenient services for both the Chinese and Egyptian medical experts who will be made available by the two countries in keeping with the agreement.

Also in keeping with the MOU, these foreign health practitioners would be exempted from paying taxes from their salaries and given other duty free privileges on their personal effects. In keeping with the agreement, the Chinese government is expected to dispatch five experts to help with the operation and maintenance of the major medical equipment, while providing on-the-job trainings for local technicians.

The Chinese government will also bear the travel cost and training expenses for 25 medical, technicians and managerial personnel from Liberia to travel to China for a period of 45 days to learn and return, while the Egyptian government would also send to the country around two to five medical doctors in specialized areas such as Obstetrics/Gynecology, Orthopedic Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and ENT to assist in the running of the hospital.

What goes around does indeed comes around...............

Supporters of Ivory Coast opposition leader Alassane Ouattara protest in the city of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010.

It has been reported in recent days that thousands of Ivorian refugees have cross over into Liberia, fleeing the instability in their Country.
Tension has been mounting in recent weeks in the World's largest cocoa producing country following presidential elections in that neighboring state. It can be recalled that the Electoral Body in Ivory Coast recently declared opposition leader and Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara as winner of the presidential polls, but the commission's announcement was contested by the country's constitutional court that later confirmed incumbent Laurent Gbargbo as president elect and subsequently inducted him into office.

Reports coming from Abidjan say opposition leader Alassane Ouattara has also declared himself and has been inducted into office as president of the Republic of the Ivory Coast. According to the BBC, Mr. Ouattara was inducted into office yesterday at a local Hotel in Abidjan amidst heavily armed UN Security presence.

United Nations soldiers from Togo stand guard outside the Golf Hotel, where opposition leader Alassane Ouattara was sworn-in as president, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010. The two candidates in Ivory Coast's disputed presidential election took dueling oaths of office Saturday after each claimed victory


Many Diplomat and foreign observers in the country have predicted that war is eminent and have suggested that the west African regional body ECOWAS should called an urgent meeting to address the crisis before it turns into a full skill war.

In the main time The Liberian President, Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has issued a stern warning to Liberians to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of the Ivory Coast," a press release from the foreign ministry said on Monday night.

"This comes on the heels of reports that certain individuals and former warlords have been contacted unofficially to intervene," the release says.

"The people of the sisterly and neighbourly Republic of Ivory Coast need all the support we can muster as they are currently going through a difficult period following the contested election results," Johnson is quoted as saying.

It was Ivory coast that once assisted Charles Taylor and his band of barbarians to rack havoc upon the Liberian people,while we do not want war in our sister Country, and we certainly do not want chaos on our border, I cannot help but see how Karma have come back to bite them in the butt.What goes around does indeed comes around.