A local Child Rights Advocacy Organization, FOCUS said the recent mysterious death of a19-year old student, Augustine Gorlortor in Gbarng, Bong County, was the work of evil- possessed individuals who want to institutionalize the wanton killing of the Liberian children.
In a release, FOCUS quoted a local daily as saying Gortortor, an 11th grader of the St. Peters Episcopal Church High School in Gbarnga reportedly died in a shop owned by his guardians, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Fayiah in Gbarnga City.
The paper said Mr. Fayiah told the deceased family that student Gorlortor died from malaria, but photographs of his corps showed blood from the base of his head, suggesting a crack in the skull, broken neck along with lacerations and removal of flesh from other parts of his body.
The release said the recent wave of onslaughts against the Liberian children was worrisome, unprecedented and needed to be immediately halted before it becomes endemic in the post-war country where children were first casualties and the last to recover during Liberia’s long years of civil war.
The release said if government does not swiftly apply the laws to regulate these unscrupulous individuals, they might soon spread their criminal network like rapists who are everywhere destroying the sanity of teenage girls almost everyday
The release said FOCUS wants the ongoing investigation into the cause of death of Augustine Gorlortor to be fast tracked and those found liable for his murder be brought to justice without delay.
FOCUS also wants the Justice Ministry to investigate the death of a 13-year boy, Vewu Kezelee, whose body was found last month in Zorzor District, Lofa County
Use Education To Reduce Poverty In Liberia
The Liberian government has been advised to strive to provide free education or a minimum cost education as a mean of reducing poverty in the country.
A Liberian national, Gester E. Murray advised that this will help promote national security, peace and development in our society.
Mr. Murray, Assistant Minister of Land and Mine and Energy made the disclosure yesterday at the Monrovia City Hall during the launch of the ‘Kettehkumehnn Intellectual Forum’ which is based on the campus of the University of Liberia (UL).
Speaking on the theme, “Statement on Educational Enlightenment”, Mr. Murray said with education, independent judgment is assured and manipulation minimized and also provides road map top survive in a competing world of depleting resources.
He terms education as an international ticket and an indispensable asset for modern life, and so “let us all go after it individually and collectively,” he added.
He noted that the higher a country illiteracy rate, the more its power base is emasculated, and the more vulnerable the it becomes to the Predator-prey relationship. If Liberia is to survive in the current global system of increasing competitiveness and rapid development, he advised that pragmatic and robust actions must be taken to increase the country’s literacy mainly through expanded educational funding.
He revealed that lack of industrial development in any country leads to serious trade deficits, noting that countries in such category easily fall prey to Predator countries with Liberia serving as classic example. He reminded Liberians that the International Community operates on a system of power relations in military, economic and psychological, among others.
With such system, he said a nation’s ability to impact on the world’s system to reap the much needed resources for its survival is ultimately linked to its qualitative population and productive labor force.
He said the protection of a state’s vital national interest like political independence , territorial integrity and provision of adequate social welfare for its citizenry are tied to its qualitative population and productive labor force.
He stated that Liberia can only transcend the dark ages of high rates of poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment by initiating a massive educational campaign.
“We must develop and implement a pragmatic educational policy that will ensure education for all at all levels.
The policy must focus on Science & Technology, Business & Commerce, conflict prevention and resolution, Social Science and Foreign relations and the building of vocational careers.” He stressed.
Also speaking at the program was Montserrado County Representative Dr. Kettehkumuehn E. Murray in whose honor the forum was named, who ‘talked tough’ of the forum’s future activities in the country.
He mandated the forum to deliberate on issues and developments of national and international concerns without fears or favors in the Supreme Interest of the Liberian people.
He pledged supports to the forum and encouraged some of his colleagues to help support the forum because as he put it, the forum will deliberate on lots of issue including the reported sale of the National Cultural Center and increases in the prices of basic commodities in the country.
Chairmpersons Eugene Sheriff and Henry B. Sackie, Senior Class President in- waiting, among other officials of the forum talked tough and promised to ensure respectability, accountability, and transparency in the management and deliberations within the Forum.
MOJA Craves Census Support
The Movement for Justice in Africa (MOJA) is calling on all Liberians to stand up and be counted in Census 2008. The call, according to a release from organization, was made by the leader of MOJA, Dr. Togba Nah Tipoteh on the eve of MOJA’s 35th Anniversary which falls on Friday, March 21, 2008.
Dr. Tipoteh said when Liberians stand up to be counted in 2008, they will be showing their determination to become owners of their country, which continues to be under foreign domination. Dr. Tipoteh is meanwhile urging all Liberians to see Census as a great opportunity to demonstrate patriotism and unity of purpose.
According to Dr. Tipoteh, the start of Census 2008 on March 21st must serve as a stand to be continued for justice, especially for the poor who continue to be left but in the count of beneficiaries from the vast riches of Liberia.
In his anniversary message to the people of MOJA, Dr. Tipoteh said all of them must stand up to be counted so that they can see their great numbers throughout Liberia and know how these numbers can be used to build up the people’s power needed to take action leading to the breaking of the chains of injustice and the improvement of poor people’s living conditions.
The traditional women in the country have expressed their preparedness for 2008 Census expected to kick-off this Friday March 21, 2008. Speaking at the Mama-Tomah Village in Brewerville, outside Monrovia, the General Coordinator of the National Traditional Council of Liberia, Satta F. Saah, said the concern of the all traditional women in Liberia is to be enumerated through the census process.
“Our concern is to be counted. Our concern is that development comes to Liberia to have peace and to hold together and respect one another". She made the statement Tuesday at the awareness exercises of the LISGIS Census 2008 in Mama Tomah Village, Brewerville in Montserrado County.
She stressed that because of the decency traditional women possessed, Census 2008 will be successful and all traditional women in the country are prepared to be counted in all areas of their settlement.
Giving her opening and welcome statement, the General Coordinator of the NCL, disclosed that they the traditional women do not believe in back-biting, stressing that when the traditional women decide to support anything or an individual that’s final.
The Chair of the Mobilization Committee of LISGIS, Amb. Julia Andee thanked the traditional women for their level of understanding and preparedness for Census 2008. She said the census will kickoff March 21 and end 27 March, 2008, nationwide and warned that the traditional people of Liberia should not be taken for granted.
“I've always told people don’t take the Traditional people for granted.” She noted that the traditional people uphold the traditions of the land and encouraged all women in the country to turn out in their numbers to be enumerated on that day. |
