Alhaji Sow made the demand in a speech delivered on his behalf at the program marking his induction as the National Fula Governor by the Legal Counsel at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Counselor Lusine Bility at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium in Monrovia.

According to him, Fula people are not only business people but lot of them are also schooled as professionals in all fields of life and it is based on this background that they are paying their taxes in the country.

“While it is important to note that education is pivotal for sustainable economic growth  and development,. It is also imperative to note that this does not happen in the absence of peace and coexistence. This therefore reminds me further that the Fulani in this country have always demonstrated that despite her meaningful contributions to the country’s economy , they have also maintained the stability of this country by fully participating in worthwhile developmental events such as adhering to the rule of law and by large contributing to the peace of this country.”

“Our long standing history in this country as a people has always reminded us that the indispensable assets that we have in this country make it imperative to maintain the peace and stability of the state. This is evidenced by our support, contributions, and participation in the activities of the state. Unarguably, we are among the few, or perhaps the very few, in this country that have hugely underscored the importance of paying taxes. This is an indication that we too have long since understood that the surest way to maintain the peace of this country is to pay taxes.”

According to the Fula community, their consistent national involvement in the state is still being questioned and, for the most part, ignored. They observed that the Fulani should not just be perceived as foreigners, but also as traders for the state. The Fulani stated that it is inappropriate to think of them as passive observers of the political and socioeconomic affairs of the government. This suggests that they should also be involved in making decisions for the state.

The post Fula Community Calls for Recognition in Liberia first appeared on OK FM.

The one-day acquaintance meeting at the LNP Headquarters with the UN Women delegation, was led by Madam Comfort Lambtey, head of UN Women in Liberia.

On Wednesday, February 28, 2024, UN Women’s Madam Lambtey congratulated the recently appointed IGP and pledged to support in improving gender issues in the nation, including budgetary appropriations, gender equality, street sales by minors, prostitution, and a safe haven for kids, among other things.

Regarding gender issues, the Inspector General of Police expressed gratitude to the UN representatives for the meeting and pledged to collaborate with UN Women.

In attendance was Mrs. Gbemie Horace-Kollie, Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, who stated that gender issues and children’s welfare represent a significant challenge in the Liberian society, noting that her ministry is prepared to collaborate with UN Women and the Liberia National Police on these matters.

Hon. Moima Briggs-Mensah, a member of the House of Representatives’ committee on gender problems, stated her support for the Liberia National Police (LNP) in addressing gender issues in Liberia and encouraged women to participate at all levels of the organization. In an effort to promote gender concerns, she promised to help the police secure the funding they need.

The post IG Coleman Supports Security Sector’s Gender Mainstreaming Secretariat first appeared on OK FM.

As the world enters a period of unparalleled change, President Xi Jinping said that China and the US have two options: either maintain the zero-sum mentality that fuels rivalry and conflict and drives the world towards instability and division, or strengthen solidarity and cooperation and collaborate to address global issues and advance global security and prosperity.

The two choices point to two different directions that will influence how Earth and humans evolve in the future. The most important bilateral alliance in the world, that between the United States and China, must be understood and visualised in the context of this wider picture. Turning away from one another is not an option for the US and China. It is not possible to redesign the other from one side. Confrontation and disagreement also have detrimental impacts on both sides. Major-country competition is not the answer to the problems that the US, China, and the rest of the world are experiencing. The world is big enough to sustain both countries, and when one prospers, it opens doors for the other.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement in which President Xi Jinping elaborated on China’s development prospects, strategic objective, and the essential elements of modernization and their applicability. He noted that China’s development is driven by its inherent logic and dynamism.

China is promoting the massive rebirth of the Chinese people on all fronts through modernization. China said that neither the outmoded path of colonisation and pillage nor the wrong path of pursuing hegemony with growing force would be pursued. China stated that it does not export its philosophy and does not intend to overtake or depose the United States. Similarly, US containment and repression strategies toward.

President Xi Jinping emphasised that the lessons from 50 years of China-US ties, as well as major international wars throughout history, are mutual respect, peaceful cohabitation, and win-win collaboration.

It is suggested that both China and the US should work very hard. Together, the two parties should establish five pillars for China-US relations in San Francisco, adopting a new vision which includes,  jointly developing a right perception, jointly managing disagreements effectively, jointly advancing mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly shouldering responsibilities as major countries, jointly promoting people-to-people exchanges.

Photo credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China

The post President Biden Meets with President Xi Jinping first appeared on OK FM.

Image source: Martin K.N. Kollie.

Claim: “The purported letter from U.S Ambassador McCarthy accusing Liberians in the USA of spreading information is fake,” says activist Martin K.N. Kollie.

Verdict: False. The letter is not purported, it is real, and the link is on the US Embassy Facebook page. In addition, the US Ambassador near Monrovia on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, voiced the accusation against Liberians with reporters.

Full Text

Liberians residing in the United States who were noted for using the traditional media or radio stations back home to spew allegations were shocked after the US embassy openly debunked their actions.

The US envoy in Liberia said most of the controversies emerging in Liberian media ahead of the elections originated from the United States.

“Today, I am ashamed to tell you that the most irresponsible controversies to emerge in Liberia’s media over the past month have originated from the United States. While responsible critical observations from the Liberian diaspora can be healthy, some cowardly media personalities and political personalities have intentionally disseminated rumours or misinformation into Liberia’s political environment from the safety of their studios and offices in the U.S.,” Ambassador McCarthy said in his opening remarks with the anti-corruption coordinators.

His statement comes on the heels of allegations by persons based in the US that City Mayor of Monrovia, Jefferson Koijee, masterminded the killing of former Chief Justice’s daughter, Charloe Musu, by sponsoring a City police officer, Varlee Telleh, who is an ex-fighter for former President Charles Taylor during Liberia’s civil crisis.

Liberian lawyer Jerome Verdier, currently residing in the US, made this particular allegation.  He was also the online guest panellist on the SpoonTalk show.

The Mayor, who was accused of masterminding the murder, has, through his legal team, challenged Verdier to provide evidence to authenticate his claim to help the Police force with an ongoing investigation.

Verdier is not the only person known for trading allegations and disinformation. Martin Kollie, who also resides in the diaspora but is vocal on local issues in Liberia, is known to have traded some false news as well, one of which was investigated by DUBAWA.

For example, his claim about the doctor to patients ratio in the country was found to be palpably false after DUBAWA ‘Fact-Checked the claim. Attached is the report.

In discussing the issue raised by Liberia’s US Ambassador about disinformation from Liberians in the US, Martin Kollie sought to deny there was no such comment by the US Ambassador. He alleged the comment attributed to the US Ambassador was no more than a pro-CDC propaganda being shared on Facebook.

A screenshot of the claim on Facebook

Kollie’s post, dated March 15, 2023, has generated over two hundred controversial comments, thirty-one shares and 292 Facebook likes and emojis.

Though some Facebook commenters disagreed with the claimant under his post, others believed him.

Verification

Given the mention of a prominent diplomat and the significance of the information to Liberia and its biting effects on the nation, DUBAWA decided to verify the post by activist Martin K.N. Kollie.

Again, as a result of the controversy generated by Martin Kollie’s post, insisting the comment by the Ambassador was non-existent, DUBAWA had every responsibility to verify if the US Ambassador’s comment was indeed made.

The researcher founda link to the statement made by the US Ambassador, which is on the verified US Embassy Facebook page. In addition, audio recording of Ambassador McCarthy was played during one of the prime shows on OK FM, the “Afternoon Conversation” Ambassador McCarthy, speaking at a news conference recently said,

“While responsible critical observations from the Liberian diaspora can be healthy, some cowardly media personalities and political personalities have intentionally disseminated rumours or misinformation about Liberia’s environment from the safety of their studios and offices in the US. These people are motivated by disruption and a desire to break down trust in Liberian institutions- they don’t care what damage they cause. When questioned by law enforcement, they do not have evidence to back up their claims.

“Unfortunately, they take advantage of America’s first amendment rights to spread rumours and stir up trouble in your country, which is despicable behaviour.”

Contrary to claims the information could not be accessed on the website of the US Embassy in Monrovia, DUBAWA can confirm it is online.

Conclusion

From the information gathered, it is clear that activist Martin K.N. Kollie lied about the US ambassador’s statement about diaspora Liberians spreading false information from the US back home.

The researcher produced this fact-check per the DUBAWA 2023 Kwame KariKari Fellowship partnership with OK FM to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.

The post US Envoy’s comment about disinformation from some Liberians in US not fake first appeared on OK FM.

Image source: Women In Liberia

In October 2018, Liberian leader George Weah declared himself “Liberia’s Feminist-in-Chief.”

By that declaration, the Executive Mansion said, the President reaffirms his unwavering commitment to pursuing the feminist ideals that guarantee the rights and wellbeing of women.

Five years on as President, it is imperative to do a thorough assessment of Weah’s record in promoting the interests and security of women, especially when issues of violence and rape against women and girls are said to be on the increase in the country.

DUBAWA, in this Explainer, will look beyond the President’s self-proclaimed mantra as “Liberia’s Feminist-in-chief” and ascertain if this proclamation has any true meaning at all within the context of Liberia women’s development.

To be feminist-in-chief one has to be committed to equal representation at all levels by reflecting the rights and needs of everyone, particularly women and girls. In a Twitter post in 2021, UN Secretary Antonio Guituress said, “only with women’s equal participation across all spheres will we benefit from the intelligence & experience of all of humanity.”

But the story in Liberia is contrary to the expectation of the UN Secretary-General. In Liberia’s midterm Senatorial elections in 2020, President Weah’s three-party government put up candidates without picking a single female for that election thereby leading to widespread criticisms from women rights activists. In Weah’s cabinet, out of nineteen top ministers, there are only five women represented in total.

Violence Against Women in Liberia

As if the discrimination in political appointments is not injurious enough, violence against women and girls in Liberia has aggressively increased under the watchful eyes of President Weah. For many women and girls in Liberia, the violence they experienced during the 14 years of back-to-back civil crises still occurs.

Among other things, rape, early marriage, silence on violence against women and girls, low women representation in the legislature and many others stand as fundamental problems yet to be addressed. Rape is a sexual activity carried out without consent or with a minor. According to Merriam’s Dictionary, it includes unlawful sexual activity, and usually, intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against a person’s will or with a person who is beneath a certain age.

Liberia is replete with examples of allegations of rape against high-ranking members of government. For instance, in 2020, Mr Weah appointed Foreign Minister, D. Maxwell Kemayah amid allegations of sexual harassment from a female staff in Washington DC on Liberia’s permanent UN mission.

Though the office of the President acknowledged receipt of a complaint from the sexual harassment survivor against his current Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Liberian “feminist-in-chief” ignored the lady’s concern and commissioned Kemayah as Minister proper without the outcome of any investigation.

Like Kemayah, one of the Commissioners at the Independent Human Rights Commission in Liberia, Mohammed Fahnbulleh, was most recently accused of by a female employee in the institution of sexual harassment. An investigation conducted by various civil society actors in Liberia found the accused Commissioner liable for the act.  But Fahnbulleh, who denies any wrongdoing, has taken the matter to court as he enjoys the confidence of his boss, President Weah, the self-proclaimed “feminist-in-chief.”

OHCHR was established in April 2018, following the signing of a six-year host country agreement with the government of Liberia. The agreement allows the institution to exercise full human rights promotion and protection.  According to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in Liberia, rape accounted for more than 60% of total Sexual Gender Based Violence cases.

The figure on rape from the Gender Ministry was also captured in the 2018  US State Department Report, which was released in 2019. Among other things, the report highlighted that: “Rape is illegal, but the government did not enforce the law effectively, and rape remained a serious and pervasive problem.”

In addition, a year before Mr Weah’s elections, the UN report in 2016 indicates: “A very high number of rapes reported in all the 15 counties across the country, with 803 cases in 2015. Rape is the second most commonly reported serious crime in Liberia,” according to the report. 

The report adds that impunity also prevails for recent rapes, with only two per cent of rapes and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) cases reported last year resulting in a conviction in court.

This report was a pitch not only to the feminist President-elect, Weah but also one that needed the attention of well-meaning citizens relative to the overriding need to increase accountability for rape in the country. But nothing much has changed during the tenure of President Weah.

Early Marriage is the early state of being united as spouses, mostly against the interest of women and girls yet recognised by law. Gender-Based violence refers to harmful acts directed at an individual based on gender.

Murder and Weah’s silence

The evidence of Liberia’s gender-based violence is incontrovertible. However, the most recent test of President Weah’s credential as feminist-in-chief comes on the heels of the violent attacks on Liberia’s former Chief Justice, Gloria Musu Scott, the murder of her daughter and injuries to her family. Weeks after the incident, neither the President nor his office issued a public statement condemning the murder. Not even an announcement of an investigation that will lead to a logical conclusion of the case.

His silence has been described as worrisome by the Association of Female Lawyers Association. In a statement, they indicated, “We need you, Mr President, to make strong public condemnations of insecurity issues and take action on violence against women and children.”

But the women in Liberia have not been as silent as the president. Right from 2020, the women of Liberia staged sporadic protests across the country against all forms of violence, particularly, the surge of rape cases in the country. Dressed in dominant black outfits, the women also expressed frustration over Weah’s administration’s growing silence on violence against them.

“They marched through the streets of Monrovia to petition the Legislature. The protest, named and styled ‘March for Justice,’ caught the government’s attention, pushing them to declare the menace (Rape) a national emergency. Despite declaring rape a national emergency, nothing much has changed. 

Women and Elections

At the seat of government, there is power. This power translates into decisions. If there is any place women must occupy to assert themselves and participate in the decision-making process towards the development of Liberia, it has to be in government, either through elections or appointments.

However, Mr Weah most recently rejected several portions of the new elections law, which among other things, calls for 30% gender representation mainly for women eyeing national leadership through elective political seats in the country.  The law also sought to fine and delist political parties that failed to adhere to the 30% gender representation.  Sadly, the Feminist-in-Chief Weah argued that allowing the law to pass would violate the ECOWAS Protocol A/SP1/12/01 on Democracy and Good Governance.

This protocol, as mentioned by Mr Weah, clearly states in article 2 that “no substantial modification shall be made to the electoral laws in the last six months before the elections except with the consent of a majority of political actors.”

But, when he (President Weah) ‘Vetoed’ the law, Liberia was just seven months ahead of the October 10, 2023, Presidential and Legislative elections and not six months. Unlike Liberia, the West African nation of Sierra Leone, headed by President Julius Mada Bio in February of this year, passed a gender equality bill reserving 30% seats for women in elected and appointed public offices.

Light at the end of the tunnel?

Most recently, the Weah-led administration, along with partners and traditional leaders, agreed to put an end to an old-aged harmful traditional practice in the country. The step to ban female genital mutilation has widely been described as great progress.

The US government, through its embassy in Monrovia, most recently lauded the move on the part of the government while urging the Legislature to pass the agreement into law.

“I was not here for International Women’s Day, but I still wanted to congratulate the Weah Administration, the traditional leaders, the religious leaders, the women’s support groups, UN Women, and UNDP for going far beyond lip service to taking coordinated action to preserve the Sande while fighting the scourge of FGM,” US Ambassador McCarthy said at a news briefing in Monrovia 

What are Liberians saying?

When Liberians first overheard the President’s declaration as feminist-in-chief, they were assured that their rights were going to be protected and they were going to have an equal space in national decision-making. Still, sadly, many are concerned about the deafening  silence from President George Weah.

Lisa Tenneh Diasy is a prominent Liberian woman and CEO of Women online TV in Liberia. She said: “The attacks against women must stop. The attacks are huge, happening daily, and this has to stop. Our Country must practice and uphold the tenets of democracy and the respect for human rights.”

According to her, WOMEN’s rights are human rights, adding, “no matter what professional area a woman occupies, she must not be harassed, intimidated and marginalised. The silence of the current head of state of Liberia towards the current wave of attacks against women says a lot,” Daisy said.

The researcher produced this Explainer per the DUBAWA 2023 Kwame KariKari Fellowship programme to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.

The post Assessing Weah’s claim to fame as “Feminist-in-Chief” and the cry of women in Liberia first appeared on OK FM.

Image Source: CDC Chairman Mulbah Morlu

Claim: The family of Justice Gloria Musu-Scott, in a recent statement, quotes the ruling party Chairman Mulbah Morlu as saying, “their daughter Charloe Musu was killed for ritualistic purposes.”

Verdict: False. Online research on the particular Press Conference revealed that Morlu did not mention such a statement. The ruling party chairman also openly clarified the allegation to the media.

Full Text

The murder and armed robbery attacks on the home of Liberia’s former Chief Justice, Gloria Musu-Scott, have been greeted with several accusations, one of which is coming from the family of Justice Scott.

Charloe Musu, daughter of Justice Scott, was murdered on the morning of Thursday,  February 23, 2023, at Justice Scott’s residence in Brewville on the outskirt of the city.

Other members of the household suffered injuries in the attack. It is not yet clear the motive for the murder and the attack but the news of the murder has since gone viral. 

The police have since begun an investigation into the matter.

While citizens look forward to a speedy investigation and the arrest of the culprits, there have been some allegations and counter-allegations. One such is from the family of the former Chief Justice.

On March 6, 2023, the family issued a statement accusing the ruling party chairman, Mulbah Morlu, of making statements against the family.

The statement partly reads, “On Thursday, March 2, 2023, the chairman of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change – CDC, Mulbah Morlu, had a Press Conference at the CDC headquarters in Sinkor. It was held immediately after the Liberian Women Sit-in Action in protest at the seat of the Legislature on Capitol Hill against the murder and assault against the Musu family.”

The family statement accused Mr Morlu of saying Charloe was killed for “ritualistic purposes.”

The murder of Charloe has triggered widespread, vehement public condemnation in the country.

The institutions and groups that have expressed disdain over the attacks include the Liberia National Bar Association, former Vice President and Standard bearer of the former ruling Unity Party, Joseph Nyuma Boakai.

The gravity of the situation involving former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott and her daughter’s death and the accusation against the party chairman form the basis for this fact-check.

Verification

Given the sensitive nature of the claim, DUBAWA decided to contact the family for evidence of its claim against the party chairman. But the family of the former Chief Justice, when contacted for a response, declined to verify the claim as indicated in their Press statement.

The Family spokesperson Julius Musu in a telephone conversation with this researcher, said the family would not respond to the inquiry seeking answers over an allegation raised in their most recent release.

“All I can tell you is that the matter is before the police, and the family is cooperating, and that is all for now,” Julius Musu said on the phone.  

The researcher scrutinised the video of March 2, 2023, press conference, which formed the basis of the ritual murder accusation attributed to Mr Morlu. From the scrutiny, it is clear there was no such accusation in the video.

Though the family statement alleged that Chairman Morlu of President Weah’s ruling Coalition said their daughter was used for ritual, he debunked the claim via telephone interview with OK FM on March 6, 2023.

His rebuttal, which can be heard between the 2:04:05sec on the show, among other things, rejected the claim, “that is not true, I never said that. Several credible media institutions covered my press conference. The videos are out there.”

Conclusion

The claim by the former chief justice, Gloria Musu Scott’s family, which accuses Mr Weah’s three-party government chairman Mulbah Morlu of saying that Charloe Musu, daughter of Justice Scott, was killed for ritual purposes, is false.

The researcher produced this fact-check per the DUBAWA 2023 Kwame KariKari Fellowship partnership with OK FM to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.

The post False! No evidence to support ritualistic claim against CDC Chairman in Charloe’s murder first appeared on OK FM.

Image Source: JNB Official Facebook Handle.

Claim: ‘Former Vice President has decided to support Cummings following retirement from politics,’ Sekou Kalasco Damaro, Presidential Aide to Weah, claims.

Verdict: False. Joseph Nyumah Boakai (JNB) refuted the claims about his resignation on his official Facebook page. He further states that the Vice President will contest the Presidency come October. 

Full Text

A screenshot of an alleged Facebook account, which carries the photograph and full name of Joseph Nyumah Boakai (JNB), was widely shared, saying: “I have served the people for over 43 years and understand that it is time to move on in different directions. Today I have decided to withdraw my bid for the presidency. I believe the way forward is to give a chance to somebody who understands how to fix this country. I’ve decided to support Alex Cumming. 

“I’ve served the people for over 43 years and understand that it is now time to move in a different direction. Today, I’ve decided to withdraw my bid for the presidency. I believe the way forward is to give a chance to somebody who understands how to fix this country. I’ve decided to support Cummings.”   

One of the Facebook users who shared the news was an aide to the incumbent president, Sekou Kalasco Damaro. Damaro captioned the post: “Finally, former Vice President Boakai has decided to support Cummings. The game is on.”

The post generated mixed reactions in public, culminating in over five hundred comments and two hundred emoji on Facebook.

Like Sekou, another Facebook user Samson Mosery believed to be a supporter of Mr Alexander Cummings, wrote that the news of Mr Boakai stepping down was confirmed.

In addition, Estrada Duke Jayajy posted a picture of Ghana’s sitting president Akufo-Addo congratulating JNB on Twitter about his supposed resignation from politics.

Verification

Amid the rounds of his resignation from politics and subsequent support for Mr Cummings of the opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC), Joseph Boakai, in response, debunked the claim while describing the screenshot as ‘fake.’

“I’ve seen a screenshot of a post circulating on social media from a fake Joseph Nyuma Boakai page that I am not contesting for the presidency in October 2023. Let me reassure the Liberians that nothing will stop the Rescue Mission we are embarking upon. We will be on the ballot, and with God above, we will succeed in rescuing this our beloved country,” he said.

DUBAWA also visited the official Twitter page of Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, hoping to find the post in which the president congratulated JNB but saw nothing of that sort. After carefully examining the page containing the controversial tweet, DUBAWA observed that the blue tick had been used as a verified account for the president. However, checks on the official Twitter account of Ghana’s president show a grey tick instead.

According to Twitter, the blue verified ticks are for persons or individuals, whilst the grey verified ticks are for governments.

Conclusion

Based on our findings, the claim that Boakai has resigned from Liberian politics and has decided to support Alexander B. Cummings is false.

The researcher produced this fact-check per the DUBAWA 2023 Kwame KariKari Fellowship partnership with OK FM to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.

The post Joseph Nyumah Boakai deciding to support Alexander Cummings after retirement, False! first appeared on OK FM.

 By Assoc. Prof. John S. Flomo, Jr. (PhD). © 2023

As I reflect on the ongoing discourse on academic credentials of colleges and universities’ presidents and vice presidents for academic affairs within Liberia, I have thought to share my thoughts on the critical importance of academic credentials and academic and administrative positions in academic sphere in a two series article. In executing this task, I have generally delineated the differences between the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and professional terminal doctorates; e.g. Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.), Doctor of Public Administration (D.PA.), Doctor of Medicine, M.D.), Doctor of Legal Law (L.LD.), Doctor of Economics (D.Ec.), etc. as there is seems to be a lot of misunderstanding in Liberia about these credentials. In addition to these credentials, I have also set to provide a succinct deliberation on the differences between “an earned doctorate” and “an honorary doctorate” and the reasons for which they both are awarded.

In the first part of this discourse, I have focused on the two kinds of earned terminal credentials (Ph.D. and professional doctorates) and the honorary doctorate and the reasons for which they are earned or awarded and in the second part of this article, I will discuss the college and/or university presidency, the professor, lecturer, adjunct faculty and administrative positions such as dean, department chair, program director and faculty rankings across universities and colleges as it is generally accepted by scientists, practitioners and policy makers in the field of higher education.

I come to this discussion with academic training and practical knowledge in the field of higher education. After undergraduate education from the Jacksonville Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, Florida, I earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Educational Leadership from Luther Seminary in St. Paul Minnesota. I also earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Higher Education Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus. I subsequently went on to earn my Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Higher Education Policy and Administration with minor in International Education from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Prior to and after graduation from graduate school, I worked in the higher education environment for over fourteen years as a student personal administrator at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, Northwestern Health Sciences University, Bloomington, Minnesota, as vice president for academic affairs at the African Methodist Episcopal University, Camp Johnson Road, Monrovia, an associate professor, the Director of the Graduate Program in Education, a dean and acting Executive Director for the Teaching and Learning Center at the University of Liberia and founding President of the Bong County Technical College. The Teaching and Learning Center at the University of Liberia was approved and established by the University’s Faculty Senate and Administrative Counsel during my directorship.

In addition to my training and work in the world of higher education, I have also been a member of several higher education professional organizations in the United States including the American College Personal Association (ACPA), the Minnesota College Personnel Association (MCPA), Minnesota International Educators, National Association of Multicultural Educators and a member of the Association of Institutional Researchers. All of these organizations are membership organizations that include higher education professionals in several different disciplines in the field of higher education in the United States.

Considering my training and experience in the field of higher education, I have deemed it expedient to share my thoughts on the current discourse and policy conversation taking place in Liberia; especially as it relates to the issues of credentials and their applicability to higher education careers (positions) with focus on the university or college presidency, faculty and administrative positions.

Academic Credentials

As a career counselor in college, I always asked my counselees what they were most passionate about when they sought advices about making career choice decisions.  I also do that with my children. I have a daughter who graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Management in 2022 and I currently have four daughters in college studying Accounting, Information Technology, Nursing and Management. When I advise my children about choosing a life time career, I take them through the same route of “what is your life passion?” This question answers the question about the decisions individuals make about what they intend to study in college when they enroll. And to a greater extent, it provides the rational for how and why academic credentials were and are being created today.

In the field of higher education, there are discourses and sometimes confusions about the curricula content for a given credential. The discourse among scientists and practitioners have most often centered on several disciplinary fronts (social science, humanity, hard science, technology, etc.). Whatever way these discourses have happened, they have always pointed in two general directions; Science and Arts. And this is evident in the nomenclatures given to academic credentials from the very beginning of university or college credential system. For example, at the Associate’s degree level, there are two types of associate degrees; they are Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Science (ASc). At the bachelor’s level, there are the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Science (BSC). At the Master’s degree level, there are the Master of Arts (MA) and the Master of Science (MSC) and then at the terminal degree level, there are the Doctor of Philosophy and professional doctorates. I am cognizant of the fact that there are professional degrees from the associate level to the terminal degree level (e.g. B.Th., B.Agri., B.Eng., M.Eng., M.PA., M.Th., D.Phil., D.Pharm., D.Ec., etc.). When critically examined, all of these professional credentials and their curricula contents point to either the arts of the professions or the science thereof of the career for which students are trained. For example, students who earned Bachelor of Engineering degrees are trained as practical engineers. They spend a lot of time doing practical while they are in training. In fact, they acquire more training than teaching. And this general assertion goes with almost all professional degrees. This of course, I could argue is an “Art” of a given profession. So in summary, whether a degree is practical or is scientific or research base, it is either an “Art” or a “Science” of a given career base on the curricula content and the mission of the institution that created the degree.

Considering the context of the doctoral degree, there are two sets of earned doctoral degrees and the honorary doctorate (honoris causa). The first is, and this is not in an order of importance, the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and the second set comprises of several professional doctorate degrees and then of course the honorary degree.

First, the history of doctorate degrees. The origin of the awarding of doctoral degrees, is not clear. However, there are literary evidence that the doctoral degrees has existed for several hundred years (Bolge, no date; Nelson, 93). Bolge asserts that doctoral education emanated from France in the 16^th Century. According to Bolge, scholars in French and German Universities around this time were thought of as “Masters” as they were credited for creating and dissimilating knowledge. By the 17th Century, Bolge asserts that the idea of the PhD was born and scholars were trained as PhDs to serve various universities in Bologna and other European universities. From the view point of Bolge, the PhD was designed to trained scholars as researchers who would be “creative, critical, autonomous intellectual risk takers”. As creator of knowledge, and unlike of other professional doctorates, the PhDs were trained to serve as the originator of knowledge and they were trained to serve as faculty and university administrators.

While doctoral education was making progress in Europe, American universities and universities on other continents were also developing doctoral programs for the development of their universities and colleges. In 1861, Yale University awarded the first PhDs in the United States to three candidates; James Whiton, Eugene Schuyler, and Arthur Wright. By the turn of the 18^th Century several universities in Europe, America, Africa and Asia were running doctoral programs, both PhD and professional doctorates.  In 1948, Melbourne University awarded its first PhD in Australia. By 1947, all six universities in Australia were offering PhD programs. By the turn of the 21^st Century, over 90% of countries in the world were offering doctoral education. Liberia is one of very few countries in the world that do not provide doctoral education to its citizens.

Second, the differences between the credentials (PhD and professional doctorates). The PhD degree is designed to train students for academic qualifications. Such training develop students through rigorous theoretical methodologies for the sole purpose of enabling them to create new knowledge in a given field or profession. For example, the PhDs in accounting are expected to be the ones who develop or continue to improve knowledge in accounting principles and create new trends in the accounting profession. On the other hand, the Doctor of Accounting are expected to be the professionals in the field of accounting who are expected to applied the new knowledge, principles and designs that are developed by the PhDs. Let’s consider two persons; the one with PhD in Accounting; let’s call him John. The one with Doctor in Accounting. Let’s call her Mary. John is expected to continue to research what is happening in the world of accounting. And base on his research, he is expected to share his findings through teaching at the university or through presentations at seminars in professional or policy setting. Mary on the other hand, is expected to take these empirical findings and applied them to real world situations in the accounting environment; whether audit, banking or public policy. In this example, you will agree that the two persons need each other to enable the accounting career to continue to thrive as a viable career that is needed for society.

In professional work environment outside of academia, it is most often not seems to be a problem in terms of who is in charge of the WORLD. But we run into problems most often when we enter academia, especially in the walls of the university. There is often the quest for who is superior; PhDs or Professional Doctorates? In academia, PhDs think they rule the world while professional doctorates argue that the world will not spin if they did not exist. The both credentials complement each other and jealously protect the academic environment against intruders.

Conclusively, you will understand that both credentials are critical for the development of institutions and nations. Whether PhD or professional doctorate such as Doctor of Legal Law, Doctor of Ministry, Doctor of Engineering, etc., every terminal degree is a milestone achievement and should be treated with honor.

Third, using honor, let me turn to the honorary doctorate degree. The honorary doctorate degree is awarded by an accredited university or college that has met all accreditation requirements by the country or institution that is required to accredit institutions of higher learning in its locale. The degree is awarded in recognition of services that a person (the awardee) has perform and that that service is recognized as been equal to  achieving the maximum benefits in the career. It is worth remembering that the doctorate degree (whether PhD or Professional) is the highest academic credential in any profession and it is treated as such by any university, institution, country, etc. Because of its importance, no serious minded university or college awards an earned doctorate degree to any student or learner without straight standards.

I remember my days at the University of Minnesota as a doctoral student when I had to take over sixty credit hours in statistics, university administration, government policy, education laws, development studies, ethics, counseling, psychosocial theories and practices and the list goes on. As though that was not painful enough, I had to do over a hundred presentations base on empirical investigations, sit written preliminary exams and provide real world solution to proposed problems, do a dissertation proposal before a team of faculty who one cannot “lie to”. A team of people who read all the research in their fields, get all the current published research articles, all the current and past books, are subscribed to all the journals in their fields and are members of most of the professional organizations in their fields. A team of people who are hired by governments, the UN and organizations that are concerned with issues within the career in which they work. Imagine them looking at you in the face and saying to themselves, “he wants to be one of us”. And when they say you have met all preliminary requirements, you can now go ahead and do a dissertation; at this point, you know you are going through the rigors of earning a PhD. That’s why over 50% of PhD students stay as ABDs.

I brought in that experience to share the seriousness with which universities guard or protect the credentials they award to their students. Hence, the awarding of an honorary degree was set as a means of recognizing people who for several reasons could not attend regular universities but had perform so were within a profession that they needed some form of recognition at the highest level. To be awarded an honorary doctorate, you must have serve in a given career, enormously contributed to that career and should be, at the time of the award, providing services in that career. In conclusion, honorary doctorate degree is solely base on an individual contributions to a career. As such, no university is authorized through its privilege of autonomy to grant an honorary doctorate to any person who has not perform to the peak of the given career into which the person is admitted as honoris causa. Let me depart this point with an example. If the University of Liberia decided to awarded an honorary doctorate degree in education to a person. The faculty senate of the university should ask the Board of Trustees, the awarder of the degree the following questions. What is the candidate’s contribution to the development of education in Liberia or globally? Has the candidate developed or contributed knowledge, systems, models to the development of education nationally or globally? Who has benefited from the candidate’s work? Is the candidate’s work enduring? These questions and many more in addition to a thorough investigation of the candidate’s work should be taken into consideration before they are considered for an honorary doctorate degree.

Failure on the part of any academic institution to do due diligence prior to awarding an honorary doctorate degree to a person is an abuse of its autonomy under any accreditation law. In fact such action diminishes the image of any university or college. In the world of academia, such honorary credential is considered as fraudulent as it did not meet the required standard as is enshrined in best academic practice. It is worth noting that there is no such thing as “honorary PhD”. The Doctor of Philosophy is never awarded as an honorary degree.

It is also a generally held principles that recipients of honorary doctorate degrees are not to be called “Dr.” (e.g. Dr. John) if they have not previously earned a terminal degree. The only accepted exception is when they attend academic programs, (e.g. graduation ceremony). In this instance, the name of the person is called and “honorary” or “honoris Causa” is mentioned.

What I endeavored to do in this first part of two series has been to discussed the two kinds of earned terminal degrees; the Doctor of Philosophy and other professional doctorates and the honorary doctorate that is awarded to an individual in recognition of service. An understanding of these credentials is critical for people in academia, for policy makers, for advocates and for the general public. I hope this reflection will serve as a tool to help clarify some of the confusions that exist in Liberia about academic credentials, especially terminal degrees.

In the second part, I will discuss the qualification of a college president, faculty rankings, college administrative positions and who is qualified to head an academic institution.

The post Higher Education in Liberia: A Personal Reflection on Academic Credentials and Higher Education Administration first appeared on OK FM.

Immediate Family members of the NIKO IVANKA Shipwreck victims have complained of living in extreme conditions as children of some of the victims struggle for daily survival while others are out of school.

In July of 2021 Eight Workers of the West African Examination Council were among those killed when the ship sank off the coast of Marshall in Margibi County while travelling to administer tests in Maryland County.

Following an investigation, the Liberian Senate ordered the National Port Authority and Liberia Maritime Authority to pay US$20,000 in compensation to each of the families of those who died on the sunken Niko Ivanka Vessel.

The spokesman of the families of the victim Jelson Keamah told OK FM that they are yet to receive a dime from the Government since the pronouncement was made by the honorable body almost two years ago.

Mr. Keamah said the families are disappointed in the Government especially the Senate for failing to ensure due benefits are given to families of those Liberians who died while serving their country.

“Children of some of those victims are currently out of school while others go hungry on a daily basis due to lack of financial means” the family spokesman explained.

The Liberian Senate Director of Communication Alfred Johnson acknowledged the disappointment of the families but assured that the honorable body will place the money in this year’s budget since the executive has failed to act on its order.

“The Senate is not an enforcement body. We issue the order and execute carry out the enforcement but they have since refused so the senate will place it in the budget.”

The Families spokesman believes that the US$20,000 in compensation will help ease some of the hurdles the families are currently enduring.

The Senate, in its investigation report, which was released in November, 2021, established that NPA, whose statutory mandate it is to manage the FreePort of Monrovia and all Sea Ports of the republic, was derelict and negligent in the performance of its duties and responsibilities by allowing the vessel to routinely sail with passengers even though it is licensed as only a cargo-carrying vessel.

The post FAMILIES OF 2021 NIKO IVANKA SHIPWRECK NOT YET COMPENSATED first appeared on OK FM.

Image source: National Port Authority (Liberia).

Regulatory failure is defined in different ways by different people. According to the London School of Economics, “there is no agreement on a single, clear-cut and universally applicable definition of what might constitute a ‘regulatory failure.’

Prof Jeroen van der Heijden, Chair in Regulatory Practice of Victoria University of Wellington, in his paper on regulatory governance, defines the concept as a “lack of success in realising the desirable societal outcomes that a piece of regulation was developed to achieve.” But even this definition, he admits, is inconclusive.

For this report, this researcher will look at Liberia’s regulatory failure within the context of this definition and to assess the legal and desirable societal outcomes of some of the key regulatory agencies in Liberia, particularly the National Port Authority, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency and whether or not those outcomes were achieved.

First and foremost, it is important to establish the legal framework under which these public institutions in Liberia were built and why.

For instance, the National Port Authority (NPA) was established by an Act of the National Legislature in 1967 and amended in 1970 as a state-owned corporation to manage, plan and build all public ports in Liberia.

The NPA, in partnership with the public and private sectors, has a strategic vision to strengthen the economy, improve international trade, and spur tourism and community development by making its ports of entry and surrounding areas the most efficient and effective for generations to come. However, it cannot be said that the port authorities have efficiently and effectively managed the port.

Again, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) is a semi-autonomous agency under the supervisory authority of the Ministry of Justice, responsible for the effective and efficient enforcement of laws about controlled drugs, substances and precursors, including essential chemicals.

The Act, among other things, permits the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency to play a drug-crime-focused role in national enforcement by implementing measures to protect the territorial borders of Liberia from the importation and exportation of drugs and controlled substances.

In Liberia, there is a drug law that the 54th National Legislature recently passed, and it frowns on the importation, sale and usage of narcotic substances in the country.

The drug law, before the President for signature, indicated that those found culpable in the sale and importation of narcotic substances would be jailed without bail. End users, on the other hand, the law says, will have access to bail, but there will be other punitive measures to deter others.

Despite the legal framework and societal expectations of these agencies, the nation and its people continue to experience some amount of regulatory breaches from time to time.

One of the common examples of regulatory failures in Liberia is the unregulated movement of motorbikes and tri-cycle riders (Keh keh) in Monrovia and other parts of the country.

The Ministry of Transport is the state-owned institution charged by an Act of Legislation to formulate and administer transport activities in Liberia.

These riders’ mainly young people, are seen moving passengers daily and plying almost all the major roads and street corners in the city and beyond amid an instituted no-go zone regulation for certain areas declared by state authority.

Their movement bears a record of revenue for their livelihood. However, due to dangerous driving, many have fallen prey to accidents, some of which have led to the deaths and injuries of tens of thousands of riders in Liberia.

Hard-core criminals are also giving a negative reputation to some of the good motorbike and tricycle riders. Apart from violating traffic regulations, Liberians are beginning to associate property theft and the snatching of bags, cellphones and other valuable items from ordinary people to some bike riders in Monrovia.

Image Source: Daily Observer Newspaper.

Flouting city ordinance laws by unscrupulous individuals concerning garbage disposal in Monrovia is another regulatory failure that continues to send a bad omen to visitors and foreign residents about the cleanliness of Liberia’s capital, Monrovia.

In the filth is the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) which ought to be providing oversight responsibility when it comes to regulations aimed at keeping the city clean and green. The MCC is also responsible for Waste Management in the city.

Image: Waste site in Monrovia.

But, as we view regulatory failures, it is also critical to draw attention to one particular subject that is affecting the future jurors (young people) of Liberia, and that is ‘narcotic substances.’

The proliferation of narcotic substances among young people in Liberia is alarming. It becomes even more troubling waking up to the news of the importation of huge quantities of drugs leaving the nation’s biggest port of entry, the Freeport.

Sometime in October 2022, the news media was awash with reports of a huge quantity of drugs that slipped through the Freeport of Monrovia.

Media reports noted that the container believed to be ‘frozen food’ cargo had cocaine worth over US$100 million.

According to Front Page Africa Newspaper, the suspected ringleader, a Brazilian named Gustavo Henrique, was recently arrested along with two others in Sierra Leone while trying to flee Liberia.

The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency has since burned the US$100 million drug, but an investigation is said to be ongoing. This slippage in regulation followed the failure of regulators to honour a given instruction.

Part one of the statutory law creating the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA),  states, among other things, that the LDEA shall formulate, monitor and coordinate national programs for combating illicit drug product trafficking and drug money laundering.

22.104b-c of Part one (1) of the law also authorises the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency to investigate the alleged offences, arrest and apprehend as well as search all alleged violators and seize for confiscation, the effects or proceeds as provided by law and take custody thereof.

The law and the societal expectation of the LDEA, notwithstanding, drugs with a market value of $100m, still slipped through its ports.

The container, which had the drugs, interestingly had a Global Tracking Maritime Services (GTMS) stamp urging the Liberian authority to conduct a physical examination on the container before its exit from the port. This, however, was never done.

Image: Inspection Certificate Order (GTMS).

Image: Drug bust (cocaine).

The drug bust comes at a time when youth are walloping in drugs and other unscrupulous activities, with ghettoes springing up in every community across the country.

Image: A group of At-Risk Youth in Liberia, Source: ©UNFPA Liberia.

A senior economist and public sector analyst for over 13 years in Liberia, Sam Smith provides insight into regulatory failures in the public and private sectors.

Smith said the government provides the enabling environment so that the private sector can take the lead; this, according to him, gives the government the responsibility of a regulator.

According to him, in most countries, most of the meaningful growth is undertaken by the private sector and not the public sector.

“In those countries, companies are driven by the profit motive, so you have two or three companies producing the same commodity. If you don’t have a neutral institution regulating their activities, they might harm the public interest, or they might harm public goods. So the presence of government in that setting ensures that competition is healthy, the consumer gets value for money, and the producer is protected. That is the essence of having regulation; people’s behaviour should be regulated.”

Mr Smith, a Harvard-trained Public Administrator, stressed that people are self-interested, adding, “they behave in a manner that gives them joy; if they are firm, they behave in a manner that gives them the greatest profit. In some instances, their objective may come contrary to the objective of the public.”

Why are there regulatory failures?

“One thing I can put my finger on for which we have regulatory failure is the lack of political will in enforcing the law and self-interest. Regulators themselves have their interests. The people constitute governments; people come from different backgrounds. In a democracy, contributions are made to politicians for whom politicians have a constituency they must protect,” said Sam Smith.

He said this creates what he called the ‘Agent Principal’ problem.

“Am I protecting the interest of the higher contributors to my campaign, or am I protecting the interest of those who voted for me?” he asked.

“Having different or multiple interests, protecting the interest of your voting constituency or protecting the interest of your campaign contributors; that could be some of the reasons we have Regulatory Failures.”

He mentioned that regulatory failure combines several factors, such as failure to implement the law in the book and failure to draw the line between private interest and public interest.

On the question of how we end up with these failures, he said people have not been answerable for all their actions taken in the past.

The way out of all these challenges, the Harvard train indicated that the government must make accountability the hallmark and, at the same time, make communication a key priority so that citizens get informed about what is happening and how it benefits them.

Dr Artemus Gaye, a Co-executive officer of the Prince Ibrahima & Isabella Freedom Foundation based in the USA and West Africa, in an interview with DUBAWA, provided a perspective on the different types of ‘Regulatory Failure’ and its impact on society.

Dr Gaye defines ‘Analytical failure’ as knowing and understanding the analysis of a particular situation and its flaws. Intervention failure, he said, is about knowing why the regulatory activity was inadequate or flawed in mitigating or remedying problems or the identified problem(s).

“Coordination failure, the ineffectiveness of the various bodies to coordinate in addressing the problems; political failure (the failed system due to poor political planning that creates lingering tensions and unresolved political issues) and, Design failure (this occurs when the laws and regulatory bodies and statutes including resources are inadequate to address these issues,” said Dr Gaye.

When asked about his view on the entire subject?

He said: “This is a subject matter that must form the basis of well-planned public policies and nation-building process as in the case of Liberia.”

Dr Gaye, a writer of several historical kinds of literature, including ‘The Tossed American Pie,’ averred that while there are various views on it, he can safely argue that there is no single emerging definition for regulatory failure.

But he noted that “when the wrong people and the lack of socio-political will of a nation become the engines to drive the necessary common good of a people or a nation,” adding this is the reason we have a facade democracy in Liberia and a country ranked at the bottom of global development.”

According to him, it is more of a societal problem because of the failure of those in charge of the resources and power structure to abide by and implement these laws.

Dr Gaye believes that corruption in its many forms – administrative, financial, and poor skill sets leads to these systemic failures. “Can a plane be piloted by a plumber? Misplacement and the lack of political will lead to this demise.”

He mentioned that Liberia and other African States “have not been attentive to history and selective in our narrative. Until we can re-examine ourselves as a nation and reset our national agenda based on the merit system and the enforcement of good laws, we will always fail the regulatory test,” Dr Gaye accentuated.  

What are the ramifications?

He said: “We become a poor nation, failing at all the indices and with Stockholm syndrome being the order of the day.”

Pursuing the way forward for Liberia, Dr Gaye stated that a national conference and the educational awareness of the importance of these rules are necessary to safeguard the common good.

He added that it was important that those in charge as regulators should succeed in managing public expectations as they manage risks.

“Public trust is key to this process as it can help to shape public confidence. Once these steps are taken, the general public will see those in charge responding to their needs rather than pointing fingers and playing the blame game.”

 “The researcher produced this Media Literacy per the Dubawa 2023 Kwame Karikari Fellowship partnership with Independent NewsPaper/OK FM  to facilitate the ethics of “Truth” in Journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.”

The post Regulatory failure, a function that undermines public sector development: “Liberia in focus” first appeared on OK FM.