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Distrust, Tragedy, And Hope In Liberia

The auction is open until October 31, 2014 and covers four blocks – LB-6, LB-7, LB-16 and LB-17. [1] There’s hope and at the same time there’s distrust in Liberia. The hope is in the oil discoveries. The distrust is with the Liberian government. The tragedy is the Ebola epidemic.

The Ebola outbreak isn’t the only story of the day, but the American mainstream has done a fine job of milking the cow. This is not to say that curing disease and helping others isn’t important. Au contraire, but reporting shouldn’t be so one-sided, as to forget other components that may be of extreme importance to the global community.

It makes one wonder the true aim of corporate media and the objective behind today’s ‘big story’. I wonder if much of what is propagated is intended to be a distraction of some sort. As they say, always follow the money.

Could overreporting and underreporting be a two-headed monster?

In the Economic Community of West African States, therein lies the West African Economic and Monetary Union (aka UEMOA), which proports to be a proponent of the African Euro. [2]

The six member states are Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria and Sierra Leone who founded the organization together in 2000 and Liberia who joined on February 16, 2010. Guinea is Francophone and the rest are English speaking.

The West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) is coordinating to challenge the dominant CFA franc, which is tied to the Euro. The goal may not be to totally replace the Euro, but at least merge with it. The Eco is the proposed name for the common currency.

It’s obvious that some Liberians are not happy about the negotiations with the energy companies for the following reasons:

“According to a recent statement issued by the Nobel Peace Prize winner, President Ellen Johnson, the American Oil company, Exxon Mobil will own a whooping 80% of the oil shares discovered in Liberia, while their Canadian neighbours, the Canadian Oversea Petroleum Limited (COPL), will own 20%.” [3] This leaves 5% to 10% for the people of Liberia.

Those that bid on the blocks must put up a substantial amount of money just to play. Liberia has an alleged 17 blocks that are up for bid; some blocks have been spoken for. [4]

Ellen Johnson is the 24th and current President of Liberia. [5]

Reporters in America have not been so eager to express the Liberians’ distrust of their political leaders, including President Johnson Sirleaf, and especially her request for emergency powers. Powers that would use the Ebola crisis to gain even more authority. [6] She was denied.

There’s the hard fact that she suspended her son (Charles) and 45 government officials due to corruption charges. [7]

Another son has also been suspended, the one named Robert. [8]

There you have it. There’s always a story behind the news.

Read More:

1. Liberia invites bids for four offshore petroleum blocks — Oil Review
2. Economic Community of West African States — Wikipedia
3. Oil In Liberia: How Could Liberians Settle for Only 5%? — Modern Ghana
4. Liberia: Oil Blocks Attract Bidder Interest — allAfrica
5. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf — Wikipedia
6. Ebola spotlights Liberians’ distrust of their political leaders — AlJazeera
7. Johnson-Sirleaf suspends son amid corruption probe — Mail & Guardian
8. Beware viewing African leaders through gilded lenses. — The Globe And Mail

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