The Executive Mansion, the office of the president, has indicated that President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is not in the position to give any media institutions what they are seeking.

“The notoriety some the media institutions and personnel continue to crave will not be rewarded by this President, as she continues to remain focused more than ever before, to the development agenda and the direction she intends to take the country, despite the occasional well calculated attempted distractions,” Presidential Press Secretary Cyrus Badio says in response to reports published in one of the local dailies.

	• Mr. Cyrus Badio

Quoting a story in the Thursday, April 24th edition of the Chronicle Newspaper, captioned: “Over Bribery Allegation: U.S. Gov’t Forces Pres. Sirleaf to Resign,” Mr. Badio says: it“represents well calculated fabrications that's deeply buried in absolute falsehood with the sole aim at profit-making at the expense of our people.”

A press statement issued recently quoted the Press Secretary as saying that the EM was only responding to the story because of the “gullibility of the population”.

“Had our population not been so gullible, we would have allowed this “trash” to be placed in the trash bin where it appropriately belongs, but given our unfortunate situation, we are under obligation to inform you that at no time was any issue discussed between the government of the United States and the President regarding the alleged bribery issue against the Honorable House of Representatives and any role the Executive Mansion is alleged to have played,” he said in his reaction.

He said President George Bush and the government and people of the United States continue to have implicit confidence in the exemplary leadership and administration of President Sirleaf, as manifested by the recent visit to Liberia of President Bush.

During his visit, he renewed his unflinching confidence and support in the policies and programs of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. According to Badio, such malicious reports, in our view, are only intended to confuse the people.

RPAL Disqualifies Labor Journal Story

The attention of the Rubber Planter Association of Liberia, RPAL, has been drawn to an article titled “Firestone In Criminal Rubber Deal?” appearing on the back page of the Labor Journal dated Thursday April 17 Thursday April 24 2008.

The story alleges that the current wave of favorable prices of natural rubber being offered by rubber buyers and processors, particularly Firestone Plantation Company, is “detrimental to the Liberian Rubber Growers”.

The paper furthered alleges that currently, indigenous Liberian grower under the banner of the Rubber Planters Association of Liberia can boast of a brand new solely Liberian owned rubber-processing factory owned by Morris American Rubber Company (MARCO).

RPAL has denied said development terming the article as, “categorically malicious, false, misleading and intended by feeble minded people to use the name of the RPAL for their selfish aims”.

“The Morris- American Rubber Company (MARCO)”, the RPAL revealed, “is not owned by RPAL, and therefore our membership can not boast of a brand new rubber processing factory”.

“MARCO is indeed a member of RPAL, just as all other rubber processors and planters in the country and RPAL has no rubber processing plant at the moment”.

According to a release issued in Monrovia yesterday afternoon, the allegation by the paper that increment in the price of natural rubber, particularly by Firestone is strangulating and criminal in nature and is hard to comprehend.

“How can increases in the price of rubber that reaches the Liberian rubber farmers be criminal?” the release questioned.

RPAL expressed thanks to the Firestone Rubber Plantation Company and other rubber buyers and processors who are improving lives for the rubber farmers and families by offering higher and better prices for their produce and urged them to continue, adding: “Higher rate price will never be detrimental, criminal or strangulating”.