The Association of Liberia Community Radio (ALICOR) with a facilitating role from Search for Common Ground (SFCG) has elected a new leadership team on September 13, 2008 at a national conference held in Gbarnga, Bong County. 41 community radio stations under ALICOR umbrella participated in the elections.

A Search for Common Ground statement said the new leadership is elected for three year team. The statement those elected as Radio Gbarnga’s William Quire, president defeating Hector Mulbah of Radio Gberzeon, in Buchanan and Justin Chea of Radio Gee.

The first Vice President of Operations post was won by Emmanuel Karleah of Voice of Karnplay.   

The statement said the Secretariat is now headed by Emmanuel Johnson if Peace FM in Harbel, while the two positions, Financial Secretary and Assistant Secretary were won by Lawrence Togbah and Emmanuel Kabba of radios Senway and Kintoma in Sanniquelle, Nimba County and Voinjama respectively.

It is also noted in the statement that an independent elections commission supervised the electoral process.

It was headed by the Magistrate of the Gbarnga Office of the National Elections Commission. It named other members of the election commission as such as International Alert, the Press Union of Liberia and the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). 

The process was observed by members of the Board of Directors represented by its Chairperson James Wolo, Teah Doegmah and Julia Duncan Cassell, the Superintendent of Grand Bassa County.

The process was said to be free and fair as there were no protests after the results were announced.

The elections are outcome of other international capacity building processes that SFCG has been providing to ALICOR such as facilitating a national conference of radio managers and their board members, and working with ALICOR in the development of a constitution and the legalization of the association.

These supports included the just ended elections were provided with support from the U.K’s Department for International Development (DFID).

Nat’l Mandingo Caucus Establishes Endowment Fund

The National Mandingo Caucus has established an education endowment fund to sponsor qualified Liberian Mandingo students attending the University of Liberia.

The endowment und is named in honor of one of Liberia’s most respected legendary leader, King Sao Boso Kamara Scholarship Fund.

At a special meeting over the weekend, the Executive Committee of the National Mandingo Caucus raised more than one million Liberian dollars to support the scholarship program with prospect of more funding from Liberian Mandingo elder, Justice Soko Sackor, was appointed to oversee the scholarship scheme.

According to a press statement from the organization, the prime objective of the scholarship scheme is to encourage and support every Liberian Mandingo student to acquire university education and meaningfully contribute to the post conflict socio-economic development of Liberia.

The Chairman of the Caucus, Musa Bility said the scholarship scheme will be a permanent program of the National Mandingo Caucus. He said the scheme will start with the University of Liberia and in the not distant future will be extended to private universities in the country.

Mr. Bility further said that the scholarship program will; be widened in the future to absorb primary education. He said the Caucus will also institute a special education project to specifically encourage female Mandingo students to acquire college education and participate in community development.

Chairman Bility also admonished all Liberian Mandingoes to support the program by making regular contributions to sustain the scholarship scheme for the good of the Mandingo Community and the Liberian society at large.

He furthered that the Caucus will mobilize resources to afford Mandingo students greater opportunity to study abroad and acquire proficiency in areas such as medicine, law and engineering.

Meanwhile, the National Mandingo Caucus has adapted a resolution to hold a National Mandingo Convention in Bakedou, Quadu Gboni District, Lofa County early next year.

The convention which is expected to convene Mandingo organizations and personalities from Liberia and the Diaspora hopes to chart a blue print for the social economic development of the Mandingo Community in Liberia.

Also at the Convention, a new leadership of the Caucus will be elected to steer the affairs of the organization for a two-year term.

The National Mandingo Caucus of Liberia is a social, cultural group of people of Mandingo ancestry which was established early 2005 to provide leadership for the Mandingo community and foster reconciliation, peace and democracy in Liberia.