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Liberia's President Offers Cash Prize for World Cup Prediction

   Press  secretary  Cyrus  Badio  says  President  Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
   wanted to encourage Liberians captivated by Africa's first World Cup

   James Butty | Washington, D.C. 23 June 2010

   President Sirleaf Addressing the 52nd National Legislature of Liberia

   Liberian  President  Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has promised to give $1,000
   U.S. dollars and a vuvuzela to any Liberian who correctly predicts the
   two  final  teams  and  the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South
   Africa.

   Presidential  press secretary Cyrus Badio told VOA all entries must be
   submitted  to  the  Foreign Ministry in Monrovia before the semi-final
   matches begin.

   He  said  President  Sirleaf is only trying to encourage Liberians who
   have been captivated by the first World Cup ever held in Africa.

   Brazil's  Luis Fabiano (R) controls the ball before scoring during the
   World  Cup  group  G  soccer  match  between Brazil and Ivory Coast at
   Soccer City in Johannesburg, 20 Jun 2010

AP

   Brazil's  Luis Fabiano (R) controls the ball before scoring during the
   World  Cup  group  G  soccer  match  between Brazil and Ivory Coast at
   Soccer City in Johannesburg, 20 Jun 2010

   âThe president did receive what has become a spectacular phenomenon at
   the  World  Cup  in  South  Africa  â  the  vuvuzela.  In  addition to
   presenting  the  vuvuzela,  she decided to add a $1,000 cash purse for
   anyone who would correctly predict the two finalists and the winner of
   the World Cup. The idea behind that is to encourage the youths here in
   this  country, who are so overwhelmed by the World Cup taking place in
   Africa for the first time,â he said.

   Badio  said the competition has already started and Liberians, excited
   about  Africaâs  first World Cup, have been inundating the local Truth
   FM radio station with their predictions.

   âOur  understanding  is that the local radio station here â Truth FM â
   has  been  inundated  with  calls  by  people who want to win the cash
   prize,â Badio said.

   He  said  President Sirleaf wanted young Liberians to share in the joy
   of  Africaâs first World Cup, especially the positive images of Africa
   that the tournament has been projecting.

   â$1,000 in Liberia is a lot of money. But, more than the aspect of the
   money,  the  fact  that  the  World  Cup  is taking place in Africa, a
   continent  known  most  times  to  the  outside world for wars, gloom,
   famine,  or  coup  dâétats, the fact that, for the first time, we are
   seeing  positive  images  emerging  from Africa, the president thought
   that the youths needed to be part of this exercise,â Badio said.

   Fans  play their vuvuzelas prior to the World Cup group D soccer match
   between  Serbia  and Ghana at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria,
   13 June 2010

AP

   Fans  play their vuvuzelas prior to the World Cup group D soccer match
   between  Serbia  and Ghana at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria,
   13 June 2010

   Badio  said  the prize money is President Sirleafâs personal money and
   did not come from the state treasury.

   President Sirleaf has announced she will seek re-election in 2011, and
   Badio  brushed  off  likely  criticism that the presidentâs offer of a
   $1,000 prize was an attempt to buy votes.

   âThere  are  people, who even the breath that you breathe interrupt it
   as  political.  So,  it  doesnât bother the president that people will
   think itâs political,â he said.

   The  Liberian presidential spokesman said $1,000 prize was another way
   for  President  Sirleaf  to  manifest her interest in the wellbeing of
   Liberiaâs youth.

   âMost  of the programs of the president are targeted toward the youth.
   Most  of  her  key  ministers,  the  finance minister, labor minister,
   planning  minister, all of these positions, are occupied by youth. So,
   itâs another way of manifesting here interest in the wellbeing of this
   country. It has nothing to do with politics,â he said.

   Badio  said  President  Sirleaf  has  had  a chance to try blowing the
   vuvulzela.

   âIt  takes  some  energy  to  blow the vuvuzela, and the president has
   enough  energy.  So,  sheâs  tested  it and it has worked well,â Badio
   said.

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