Monrovia – FrontPageAfrica has gathered that Senator Jewel Howard Taylor, vice standard bearer of the Coalition for the Democratic Change (CDC) is ill and out of the country.

Report by Henry Karmo – henry.karmo@frontpageafricaonline.com

There has been growing concerns by partisans and supporters of the party over her absence during the party’s campaign launch.

Prior to FrontPage verified information, there was conflicting information about her whereabouts as some suggested that she was out of the country on official duty.

On the contrary, a well-placed source in the CDC has told this paper that the party’s vice standard bearer is in Ghana receiving medical treatment.

“She traveled a week to the campaign launch and she got sick while there to the extent that she could go not board a flight back in time for the launch,” our source said.

Surprising to many partisans and supporters of the CDC, there was only one familiar face (George Weah) on the campaign parade around the capital with a newcomer (Gbenzhongar Findley) who joined the party less than a week ago.

Findley resigned the ruling party on August 4, 2017, declaring that he and the party no longer shared common political interests.

Mr. Findley, the former President Pro Tempore of the Senate, announced his intention to support the soccer legend, George Weah after he was petitioned by some of his supporters in his county.

On the night of the rally, Senator Weah named newcomer Findley supervisor to the CDC campaign team.

He (Findley) rejected similar position in the Unity Party when he was asked to be the chairman of the UP Campaign team. Many believe his failed ambition to be running mate to Vice President Joseph Boakai contributed to the many issues that lured him out of the Unity Party.

Those appointed to the CDC campaign team include; Dr. Togar McIntosh as his Campaign Chairman; Prof. Wilson Tarpeh, Campaign Manager; Prof. Ansu Dao Sonii, Campaign Spokesman and Gbehzohngar Findley who joined the party less than a week ago as Campaign Supervisor.

Seven months ago Senator Weah picked Senator Jewel Howard Taylor as his running mate as a result of a minted Coalition among three opposition political parties which include; the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), the National Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Liberia People Democratic Change (LPDP).

The NPP which was once headed by former President Charles Taylor early November 2016 formed a coalition with the Congress for Democratic Change alongside the Liberia People Democratic Party (LPDP) which was formed by former Speaker J. Alex Tyler.

The Coalition upon formation granted Senator Weah the reserved right to choose a vice standard bearer from any of the two parties.

When Weah unveiled Senator Taylor as his running mate, he told supporters that his decision to choose Senator Taylor was based on her on her experience in government and the level of work she has done in improving the lives of Liberia, especially her record of being a strong women’s advocate.

Weah sought to raise concerns about his decision to head a ticket, suggesting that he had already tried running second before.

Monrovia – Businessman Benoni Urey has reportedly emerged on the shortlist of hopefuls being considered by Vice President Joseph Boakai as a running mate for the 2017 Presidential elections, FrontPage Africa has learned.

Report by Rodney D. Sieh, rodney.sieh@frontpageafricaonline.com

The overtures to Urey comes amid report that the People’s Unification Party(PUP) has abandoned its quest of fielding a member of the Kpelleh tribal group for the 2017 presidency in the aftermath of the election of Representative James Emmanuel Nuquay as Speaker of the House of Representative.

Multiple sources from both the Vice President and Mr. Urey camps confirmed to FrontPage Africa this week that Mr. Urey was summoned to a meeting with the VP last week in talks aides on both sides described as cordial and encouraging.

Among the topics discussed, according to sources, were the Vice President  and ruling Unity Party’s standard bearer’s concerns over growing attacks on his candidacy by Mr. Urey through his strong supporter, talk show host Henry Costa.

The overtures to Urey comes amid report that the People’s Unification Party(PUP) has abandoned its quest of fielding a member of the Kpelleh tribal group for the 2017 presidency in the aftermath of the election of Representative James Emmanuel Nuquay as Speaker of the House of Representative.

Speaker Nuquay, one of the PUP’s original members had earlier rejected reports that the party was tribal based.

Sources have confirmed to FrontPage Africa that the PUP is now more likely to throw its weight behind Boakai, spurring a massive division of the vote-rich Bong County.

It is widely believed that the recently coalition of George Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change and Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Party (NPP) under the banner of the coalition for Democratic Change will likely see former First Lady now Bong Senator Jewel Howard Taylor becoming running mate to Weah, a scenario which could split the county between Nuquay’s PUP and Boakai’s quest to cement his place in the county with the emergence of Urey in the picture.

The county, as of the 2008 Census, had a population of 328,919, making it the third-most populous county in Liberia and is strategically bordered by Boakai’s hometown, Lofa and next door Gbarpolu to the north, Margibi and Montserrado Counties to the west, Grand Bassa to the south and Nimba to the east.

Despite its massive numbers, only 65, 963 electorates cast their votes during the 2011 elections as the county threw its weight behind Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. The ruling Unity Party won 52,949 while CDC’s Winston Tubman won 10, 499.

The overtures to Urey by VP Boakai comes as the Vice President is said to be narrowing down a shortlist of potential running mates that also includes the like of former Public Works Minister Kofi Woods, Internal Affairs Minister Henrique Tokpa, also a former President of the Cuttington University, Harrison Karnwea, Managing Director of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and Mr. Jeremiah Sulunteh, Ambassador accredited to the United States of America.

The overtures also comes as Urey’s All Liberia Party(ALP) appears to be losing steam with many of the President ial hopeful’s critics accusing him of not seizing the moment and taking charge of the vulnerable political terrain.

Urey, regarded as one of the most financially-stable contenders for the presidency was listed by the Economist magazine as the richest man in Liberia.

The 2017 Presidential elections remain up in the air with many unsure who has the edge to replace Sirleaf after the 2017 President ial race.

Many political observers fear that the clouded Presidential field with nearly 25 candidates eyeing the presidency could come down to one important but complicated configuration bordering a post-war nation with a history of voting on tribal lines: Prince Johnson is widely expected to win Nimba as he did in 2011, Charles Brumskine of the opposition Liberty Party is expected to win Grand Bassa while Boakai is expected to win his hometown in Lofa.

The dynamics could come down to which of those three will be able to give the CDC coalition a fight in vote-rich Montserrado County and much of the Southeast where former Coca Cola executive Alexander Cummings has reportedly been making some headway.

Barring any unforeseen projections or surprises in the coming weeks and months leading to the 2017 Presidential elections the unfolding scenario and political development could offer a glimpse into the outcome of the Presidential race although voter turnout and financial standings will also prove to be a decisive factor in the play for the presidency.

Monrovia – Bong County Senator Jewel Howard Taylor has expressed optimism that Government’s Partnership Schools for Liberia Program represents a break from the intractable education challenges facing the country.

Report by Henry Karmo –  henrykarmo@frontPageafricaonline.com

On a visit to the ongoing Bridge Partnership Teachers Training in Kakata, Margibi County, on Saturday, August 6, 2016, Senator Taylor praised the courage of the over 330 teachers and school administrators who are participating in the training.

The teachers and school administrators are drawn from eight counties where Bridge Partnership Schools will be operating, Montserrado, Grand Bassa, River Cess, Grand Cape Mount, Bomi, Margibi, Bong and Nimba.

“I am delighted that majority of you have closed your ears and your eyes to the politicking around Bridge Partnership Schools, and have taken the bold steps to be part of this new action to improve the quality of learning for our children,” Senator Taylor said.

She praised Bridge authorities for accepting to be part of Government’s ongoing Education reform agenda through the Partnership Schools Initiative. The Former First Lady expressed the hope that partnership schools will succeed, as it begins operations in September 2016.

She noted: “I want this program to succeed so that it can be rolled out to schools throughout the country for every Liberian child to become part of the bold new and renewed effort of the Government to upgrade and improve the quality of learning for all children in Liberia”.

Senator Taylor added “I am an opposition leader, but education is a non-political issue; education is the future of our children; we should not politicize education; we should embrace new proposals and new ideas that seek to move us forward as we look for answers to the education problems we face; Bridge is just but one of the many partners supporting Government through the Ministry of Education to meet this end; we should not be fighting or quarrelling over innovations; we should support innovation to enable us succeed; we should hail this effort; and support all the partners who have accepted the challenge to help us solve this education problem; it is serious, and we must deal with it seriously”.

Shannon May who is Bridge Chief Strategy Officer asserted that her organization was excited to be part of Government’s efforts to create top and better schools which are powerful and trusted places of learning; where every Liberian child will be proud to learn and boast of attaining quality education comparable to children everywhere in the world.

 “It is disservice to the children of Liberia and to children anywhere in the world who cannot attain quality education of their liking because of the constraints of their parents; or because of poverty; this is why Bridge accepted the invitation from the Government of Liberia to be  part of this new revolution; to make sure that children everywhere in Liberia have access to quality education that sets them on a path to a better life and the future of their dreams,” the Bridge Chief Strategist noted.

Liberia has long been grappling with the decay in the education system; poor infrastructure, inadequate human resources, outdated and sometimes poor learning resources; these are among the many challenges that beset the education system, 13 years since the country emerged from the civil war.

Exam scores have been plummeting since 2010 with the worst results to date in the just released 2015/2016 WAEC Exams. Acknowledging the challenges, and thinking out of the box to come up with innovative solutions, Education Minister George Werner proposed Partnership Schools for Liberia, a public private partnership between the Ministry of Education and numerous school operators who have proven records of improving learning outcomes in even the most difficult places and circumstances.

Bridge International Academies is the first of eight operators partnering with the Government to improve literacy and numeracy for primary students. On September 5, 2016, approximately 25 Bridge Partnership Schools will begin operations.

Bridge Partnership Schools are part of a national movement to dramatically improve education in Liberia.

“The plan is to create powerful public schools which embody the aspirations of the Liberian child: Schools that they can trust, where they have the opportunity to grow and become better and productive citizens,” noted Joe Gbasakollie who is Deputy Country Director for Bridge Partnership Schools Liberia.

Both the teachers and school principals are very excited. Nancy Guladiah one of participants from Montserrado County said the training over the last two weeks has opened her eyes and helped her realize that dramatic learning gains are possible when students are placed at the center of classroom activities. She noted that Bridge training encourages the teacher to engage the children in classroom discussion, which is far better than just having the teacher lecture the whole time.

 Another participant Joseph S. Karlon from Gbarnga, Bong County asserted that “students learn by doing, by interacting, by participating; not just sitting for 40 or 45minutes listening to what the teachers knows; student themselves must be involved; this is the model Bridge and the Ministry of Education are promoting and this is the method I have been advocating; this is why we believe our schools and our students will be on their way to the top and become better schools; this is why I accepted to be part of this program”.

September is just weeks away, hopes are now high on the initiative and teachers are already in their gears to begin the new revolution, according to Ben Sanvee, Bridge Director of Corporate Affairs and Public Sector.

Teachers are learning skills in improved classroom management, pedagogical methods and technology enable systems to deliver lessons in real time. 12,000 Liberian children in 23 public primary schools across the eight counties will be covered by Bridge in the ensuing 2015/2016 academic year which begins in September.

Monrovia – Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor of Bong County has criticized the National Patriotic Party (NPP) of not being gender sensitive.

According to the NPP current Political leader, she was nearly booted out of the party in 2005 when she first expressed her interest to contest on the party ticket as the only female.

Senator Taylor said: “They shunned me. They said you will not win, go and sit home. I only got on the ticket after it was established by the party that it was a requirement from the National Elections Commission (NEC) that for a party to be qualified they, needed to have female on the party ticket. They did not give me a single T-shirt for campaign—I was on my own.”

Speaking to group of women in Monrovia under the banner “District Village Saving and Loan Association,” she encouraged the women of Liberia to ensure that more women are brought in government during the pending 2017 election as a solution to some of the problems the country faces.

She encouraged the women not to be divided by propaganda from some men who say under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a female President, the government has failed. She described it as cheap propaganda.

Senator Taylor, wife of Liberia’s former and jailed President, believes that men who have led the country since its establishment have led it to destruction. She also urged women in Liberia to boycott all political activities of men especially current elected officials until the Gender parity bill is passed.

The gender parity bill, if passed, will give women additional 15 seats in both chambers of the legislature.

She promised to support women candidates who will contest against male candidates with specific reference made to Madam Korpo Howard, a local market woman who, she said, is contesting against the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) District #8 Lawmaker Acarous Gray.

At the Program the women honored Senator Howard for her immense contribution towards humanity, women empowerment and advocacy.

The women, in a statement made by Mandam Lusu Sloan, former President of the Liberia Market Association   described the former first lady as a senator beyond boundaries.

Henry Karmo – henry.karmo@frontpageafricaonline.com