President Ellen Johnson –Sirleaf today October 29 turns seventy years old. The Liberian leader is the first African female democratically president in Liberia, yea Africa.
Last week, the aging Liberia leader observed her government 1,000 days of its activities since inauguration on January 16, 2006 with mixed reactions from the public.
While president Johnson-Sirleaf can be credited for redeeming the image of the country internationally, she conceded at the recent cabinet retreat in Kakata Margibi County that her government has not done much to achieve its domestic agenda.
There are increased hardships in the country where the ordinary Liberia has not feel the impact of the much talked about improve economy in the country. Under the Unity party led government, the price of a bag of the country staple, rice utter rice) jumped to US$35.00 while the par-boiled rice which is hardly seen on the local market now goes for US$60.00. The bulk of the people of remained in object poverty endeavoring to survive on less than US$1.00 per day.
Meanwhile the President is expected to officially launch an academic meet the challenge program today in Monrovia.
The program which is under the auspices of the Mano River Union Youth Parliament-Liberia Chapter (MRUYP-Liberia), and the International Quizzing Association-Liberia (IQA-Liberia) will be held at the Cecil Dennis Hall, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is expected to engage the Liberian students through academic programs that will restore and rejuvenate the academic spirit and impulse the need for academic excellence amongst the youth.
The ceremony will witness William V.S. High School engaging St. Theresa Convent High School in a pre-launch exhibition match.
According to an MRUYP-L and IQA-L release, the program will be implemented in six phases dividing the Country into five regions, with the Ministries of Education, Youth and Sports, Finance and Planning and Economic Affairs playing advisory and supporting role in project implementation while MRUYP and IQA-Liberia will coordinate and supervise the project.
The MRU youth parliament has representatives in all the 15 counties who will serve as county coordinators of the project under direct supervision of the Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) made up of IQA and the MRU Youth Parliament, the release noted.
The release said, the first phase of the program will bring together 64 schools in Montserrado and Margibi counties, while the second phase is expected to bring together schools from Lofa, Nimba and Bong counties, followed by the third phase with schools from Grand Kru, Sinoe, Rivercess and Grand Bassa counties while the fourth and fifth, phases will bring together schools from Grand Gedeh, Maryland, Rivergee, Grand Cape Mount, Gbarpolu, and Bomi Counties and the six phase will be the grand final among winners of each phase.
The National wide event which will be aired on radio and televisions in the country will help bring the game to the people and encourage a broad-based participation and awareness of the game as was done in the past while honors and awards will be given to winners of each regional competition and to students who will exhibit exceptional performance and participating schools will receive recognition as participants.
It is expected that the program cover the fifteen (15) counties with in the targeted six months October to May 2009 and directly benefit over 50,000 (fifty thousand) high schools and over 60,000 (sixty thousand) indirect beneficiaries in elementary and junior high schools and out of school youth across the country, the release concluded.
First News Liberia 