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Liberia news

Ellen Stresses Hard Work, Discipline

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is urging Liberians to follow the hard work, discipline, respect for the rule of law and love for country she has personally seen in Ethiopia and Rwanda, which she sald, have tremendously transformed the two countries.

President Sirleaf told journalists at the Roberts International Airport on Tuesday, 19 July that Ethiopia and Rwanda are transformed tremendously due to the “discipline and work ethics of their people,” as she continuously stressed “a big, big difference because they believe in their country, work for their country, promote their country and follow the law.”

Though President sirleaf did not visit Ethiopia on during her trip to the African Union or AU conference , she, however, spoke so kindly and highly about it and Rwanda, emphasizing that “those two countries I have seen themselves transformed.”

But when it comes to Liberia, President Sirleaf did not attempt to make any comparison, as she only said “but ah, Liberia…….” Before taking questions from journalists at the Roberts International Airport, Mrs. Sirleaf indicated that she had been traveling in commercial airplanes for a good 20 hours through three countries to get here in Liberia in the interest of lifting the country up, though she said she did not think such effort is being appreciated.

Concerning the AU’s new mandate for member states to contribute 0.2 percent of their import levies so as to help make the body stronger, Mrs. Sirleaf said the decision was taken by the AU that it was time that it finances its own operations and not continue to depend on partners, saying the 0.2 percent recommendation came from former African Development Bank President Dr. Donald Kaberuka who had done a study, noting that it would raise enough money to cover the full operations of AU and to provide funding for peace fund that can be used to support peacekeeping operations when required.

“That particular recommendation is similar to the ECOWAS’. In ECOWAS; we are paying a levy of 0.5 percent on imports to finance ECOWAS operations. So it’s just going to be similar thing. It just means that African Union will now be more independent,” she said.

By Winston W. Parley

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