The head of the European Union (EU) delegation to Liberia, Ambassador Tiina Intelmann, says it is not enough for the EU and other international partners to financially support Liberia’s infrastructural program. While maintenance remains an integral part, she said that it must, however, be carried out by Liberians.Ambassador Intelmann, expressing this concern last Friday at an interactive forum with the media in Monrovia, said: “We know that good things are going on in Liberia, while at the same time we are not ruling out the presence of corruption. Infrastructures have been built in the country, but why are Liberians not able to care for what they already have?”Ambassador Intelmann, expressing the need for updates on the statuses of infrastructures in the country, then urged the media to be proactive in their reportage; not only to follow political activities, but to report on the fate of the infrastructures and what approaches community members are taking to maintain them.As part of its projects in Liberia, the EU supports maintenance of the roads from the ELWA junction to Buchanan and the one beginning from the St. Paul Bridge to Bo Waterside, terminating at the Liberia-Sierra Leone border.The EU in this process will hire local contractors to brush the sides of the roads and clean the drainages.Other EU diplomats that joined the Ambassador said in separate but concurring views that government is not the only agent responsible for the upkeep of facilities erected around the country, and called on community members and local authorities clothed with the responsibilities to supervise the various functions to also play their part.One diplomat said, “For instance, schools have been built and the buildings are there. The government will not be in every part to supervise the maintenance work, but the DEOs, CEOs, principals, community leaders and members should take the initiative to maintain these facilities by providing oversight.”The EU also has budgetary allocations to design coastal highways in the southeastern counties including Sinoe, Rivercess and Maryland, and the northeast, including the road from Sanniquellie in Nimba County to Dananè in Ivory Coast.The head of the National Authorizing Office (NAO), Jerry Taylor, explaining this aspect of the EU’s projects, clarified that designing these roads is meant to exactly sketch out their future outlook and estimate their construction costs.Following that, Mr. Taylor said the EU can then help to seek funding which when received Liberia will be able to repay.Explaining the EU’s diplomatic mission in Liberia, the Charge d’Affairs, Emma Sundblad, outlined trade policy, foreign and security policy, development policy and political relations as key areas of concern.Besides development policy, including the maintenance of infrastructures and support to the health and education sectors, the EU’s trade link is in the forestry and fishery sectors in Liberia.Also, Liberia and the EU have the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) that governs exporting logs to Europe. Under the agreement, all logs leaving Liberia to the EU are identified with certain inscriptions and licenses before they can be allowed into the EU market.At the political level, the EU supports the National Elections Commission (NEC) in the process leading to the conduct of peaceful elections.According to its current forecast budget, the EU has €279 million (US$310 million) in its budget for Liberia, covering 2014 to 2020.Of this amount, allotments have been made to various sectors including energy, governance, agriculture and education. According to the EU, 107 million euros is set for governance; 100 million for energy; 32 million for education; 30 million for agriculture; and 10 million for the National Elections Commission (NEC).In response to a question about the pending 2017 elections, Charge d’Affairs Sundblad said the EU has no part to play in how Liberians decide, through the democratic process, who leads them after this government.She said the EU’s interest is to see leaders who have integrity, are sincere, honest, transparent and interested in the development of the country.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
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The Baypolue Magisterial Court near Weala was burned by angry motorcyclists— Urges Gov’t to use CSDF to rebuild destroyed propertiesMargibi County Legislative Caucus has termed as barbaric, unacceptable and a flagrant violation of the law the violent incident that took place in Weala, Margibi County on Monday, April 1. The riots resulted in the destruction of the police depots in Weala and in Baypolue, the Baypolue Magisterial Court and several other privately-owned buildings as well as businesses in protest of the death of Moses Wolopaye, a 21-year-old motorcyclist.The secretary general of the Caucus, Rep. Ivar K. Jones (Margibi #2), informed journalists that the actions of the angry protesters are “reckless in disregard to the value of properties and human lives.” The caucus however extended regrets to the bereaved family.“We are exceedingly shocked by the mob violence, which took place in Weala Town, Margibi County early Monday, resulting to the burning of valuable properties including a magisterial court and privately-owned businesses,” Rep. Jones said on behalf of the caucus.“Our law does not support, sanction, or condone mob violence in any form and manner, as well as individuals or institutions taking the law into their hands. We therefore detest those actions,” he said.“In spite of the violence, we also want to extend our regrets and equally sympathize with the bereaved family of the late Moses Wolopaye,” Rep. Jones added.Meanwhile, the caucus has appealed to the government to rebuild the two police stations and the court with money allotted in the County Social Development Fund (CSDF).Rep. Jones warned against ‘trivial arguments among some residents which suggests that the government should use the CSDF to rebuild the two police stations and the magisterial court with urgency.The Margibi County lawmaker said such a decision can only be decided by the people of the county, and the choice cannot be made by the government.The county LINA correspondent on Monday reported that, besides the destruction of the two police stations and the Baypolu Magisterial Court, the motorcyclists also destroyed several other businesses, among them a building owned by local businessman, Stephen Tokpah, (alias ‘Park it Better’).Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
LAS VEGAS – Two women were arrested Tuesday in the fatal shooting of an Altadena man, and a 4-year-old boy who had been cared for by the man was found unharmed, police said. Vanessa Ochoa, 22, and Mesha Arshaz Dean, 25, were taken into custody without incident, Las Vegas police Lt. Ted Lee said. The women had been sought for two days as authorities broadcast Amber Alert bulletins across California and Nevada. Lee said the women were unarmed when found in a West Las Vegas neighborhood in a car driven by a man whose name was not disclosed. Ochoa’s son, Manaen Miles, was turned over to Clark County child-protection officials. “He was fine as far as we could tell,” Lee said. “He didn’t need any medical attention.” Ochoa and Dean were detained as fugitives, Lee said. They were being questioned by Los Angeles County detectives in the Sunday slaying of Monroe Miles, 32, the boy’s paternal uncle, and about the abduction of the boy from Miles’ home in Altadena, a foothill suburb northeast of Los Angeles. Amber Alerts were issued in California and Nevada because sheriff’s investigators believed the women were headed toward Ochoa’s last known address, in Henderson, Nev. Las Vegas police, acting on a tip from investigators in Los Angeles, found the silver Mitsubishi Diamante sedan that Ochoa and Dean were believed to have been driving parked near a home in the West Las Vegas neighborhood, Lee said. Police were watching when the women, the boy and a man emerged from the house on Tuesday and got into another car. They were arrested about 12:30 p.m., several blocks away. Lee said an earlier tip, spurred by the Amber Alert bulletins, prompted a Las Vegas police officer to check the silver Mitsubishi on Monday. But investigators did not know the vehicle identification number of the car being sought and could not tell if it was the one. “It was just a plain car, the same make, model and color,” Lee said, adding that the car had no license plate but a paper one. After the arrest, the man was questioned and released, Lee said. His name was not made public. “He wasn’t involved,” Lee said of the driver. “He was just in the car.”160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued an Amber Alert on Sunday, saying Ochoa did not have legal custody of her son. Ochoa “shot and killed a relative who was caring for the child, took the child and left,” a sheriff’s spokesman said in a flier. Another printed statement from the department claimed Dean “has been identified as having been involved in the commission of this crime.” The nature of Dean’s relationship with Ochoa was not immediately known. Both women were sought on felony warrants charging them with homicide and child abduction, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Oscar Butao said. It was not yet known when the women would face an extradition hearing in Las Vegas. Authorities said Miles was found shot in the torso in a home where he lived with the boy’s grandparents. 
AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MORESanta Anita opens winter meet Saturday with loaded card Bain Capital, one of the world’s biggest private investment firms, was winning bidder of what LaPenta called “a handful” of would-be buyers courting the retailer after it announced in June that it was pursuing options to increase the value of the company. Burlington said its board of directors has approved the proposed deal, which still requires shareholder approval. Bain said in a news release it has obtained commitments from members of the Milstein family and related entities representing about 62 percent of Burlington’s outstanding shares to vote all their shares in favor of the deal. No date has been set for that shareholder meeting. LaPenta said the transaction would cause no visible changes to shoppers seeking bargains on coats, clothing, shoes and home furnishings, nor to the retailer’s 29,000 employees. Monroe Milstein said in a statement he was thrilled that the transaction would deliver significant value to stockholders, adding, “We are very proud of what the company has accomplished over the past 30 years.” Ben Strom, a senior analyst with Variant Research Corp., said he thought the company would have no problem attracting new top managers. While some of its competitors, such as Ross Stores Inc. and TJX Co.’s T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, have posted better operating margins, Strom said Burlington benefits by paying some of the lowest prices for real estate in the industry. It has also successfully carved out niches in both outerwear and sportswear, and done well in the challenging home-decor business. A more centralized distribution strategy has reduced clutter on the sales floor, helping to boost same-store sales in recent years, he added. “They’ve got a lot of positive momentum they’re building on,” Strom said. Strom said the drop in stock price Wednesday could be because the market was expecting a slightly higher per share purchase price. His own company’s expectation was $50 per share. Last month, Bain was part of a group that agreed to buy Dunkin’ Donuts and two other restaurant chains for $2.43 billion. Bain is also a one-third owner of Wayne, N.J.-based Toys R Us, which it took private last summer in partnership with Vornado Realty Trust and private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! TRENTON, N.J. – After 34 years as a family-run business, Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corp. has agreed to a $2.06 billion cash buyout offer from private equity firm Bain Capital Partners LLC. Under terms of the deal announced Wednesday, Bain Capital of Boston will pay $45.50 for each Burlington share, a 2 percent premium to its closing price Tuesday. Burlington shares fell 45 cents to close at $44.13 on Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange. Headquarters for the 367-store apparel retailer will remain in Burlington in central New Jersey, but the four family members in top management, including 79-year-old founder and Chief Executive Monroe Milstein, will exit the company, said Robert LaPenta, who will stay on as chief accounting officer and treasurer. Chief Operating Officer Mark Nesci will act as CEO until a decision on a replacement is made. LaPenta said the deal is expected to close within about 90 days. 