It was today, September 14, exactly one year, since death stood as a void before the management and staff of Liberia’s only post war surviving daily.
The death news of the Inquirer Newspaper’s longest serving Managing Editor, Philip N. Wesseh (PNW), destabilized the entire media community, sending shock to his colleagues in legal fraternity as well as others whom he interacted with most frequently.
This astute Liberian journalist who was hailed for his stands on critical national issues, as well as his passion for journalism in the country, absence is still deeply felt throughout the journalistic and political community especially during these critical electioneering times.
Gina, as he was affectionately called by his colleagues, including upcoming and promising Liberian Journalists, died at the age of 64 on at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Monrovia, following a period of illness.
Now therefore, this piece as compiled by the editorial team of the Inquirer Newspaper aims to reflect our late passionate and workaholic boss’ remarkable legacy, recalling his achievements, and shedding light on the impact he made during his tenure.
Life and Career:
Employees/staff at the longest place PNW ever worked and spent almost his entire life had to remember him in this way:
Throble K. Suah (newsroom supervisor): good and bad
Jennie Fallah-Wounuah (Advertisement manager): He valued relationship more than money; whether related or not, he believed in advancement and that every employee is a family. He also believed in sharing, respect, and pushed for every individual to live an exemplary life so that even when you are dead and gone your legacy remains forever.
Grace Q. Bryant (judicial reporter): He was a humble man with a heart of gold; he was down to hearth; he was a teacher, mentor, and a principle-minded person and never had boundary for loving people.
Bill Pyne (webmaster): Friendly and reasonable
Edwin Jackson (Layout): laughed and joked but never played when it came to his job
Bill Cooper (Senate reporter) -he was a professional man and serious about his career. Pushed employees to balance stories; wanted everyone to be neat at work and was keen about media independence.
Precious D. Freeman (reporter at HoR): he was loving and caring; he never underestimated anyone and took everyone as equals.
John Whrowaye (waterman)-He was good to us and whenever we asked him for anything, he would gave it to us.
Kennedy Zobah (photographer): I remember him for his stand on dress code. From Monday to Thursday all reporters must be neatly dressed and that he held so strongly.
Lewis Weah (expeditor): Mr. Wesseh always treated me as his biological son as well as make my weekend celebratory through the provision of money.
Fredrick Wilson (maintenance): he was jovial and down-to-earth boss man who always prioritized the interest and wellbeing of his employees
Ben Foster (production): he was a good and kind, down to earth boss man who always advices his employees to take their work serious as well as show concern in times of problems and situation
On the overall, PNW would say, “because you are a journalist so you will meet many people and have plenty friends especially prominent ones but be mindful so they do not use you for their elevation because as soon as they climb you will no longer be useful to them so guide your integrity,” and laughingly he would say to the male employees, you ain’t able women so do not waste your time saying you will kill them and to the females he would say, “look not because I am from New Kru Town but I respect women,” the rest is history. His jokes are mostly what calm us and propel us who are left with the paper to continue treading the route with commitment.
The late PNW led an illustrious life, dedicated to the pursuit of truth and the advancement of responsible journalism. Born and raised with an unwavering passion for the written word, Mr. Wesseh embarked on his professional journey in journalism at a young age.
Through hard work, determination, and an unyielding commitment to journalistic ethics, he later rose through the ranks, ultimately assuming the role of Editor-in-Chief of Daily Observer Newspaper, and subsequently, Managing Editor Liberia’s oldest postwar Newspaper, the esteemed Inquirer Newspaper.
Mr. Wesseh’s journalism career, which spanned nearly 40 years, began in the early 1980s at the Daily Observer Newspaper. This was the period of military rule in Liberia, during which the independent press, rights activists, and opposition politicians, were regularly abused by the regime to suppress free speech and ruthlessly maintain control.
Wesseh started his career as a Daily Observer correspondent in the Borough of New Kru Town, one of the poorest and most densely populated communities in the Liberian capital, Monrovia.
He graduated in 1981 from the D. Twe Memorial High School in New Kru Town, where he ably served as Chairperson and Editor-in-Chief of the school’s press club; a school and township he carried so dearly up until his demise.
Wesseh was then unemployed and unable to pursue further education, due to lack of opportunity, until he was recommended to Mr. Kenneth Y. Best, Managing Director of the Liberian Observer Corporation, publishers of the Daily Observer. He was recommended by Mr. Gabriel I.H. Williams, a 1982 graduate of D. Twe, who was assistant Editor-In-Chief of the press club under Wesseh.
Mr. Wesseh started his career at the Observer as a trainee reporter, in preparation to enroll at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), even though the process did not materialize because of instability in Ghana.
He soon became one of the best reporters at the Observer, which was one of the leading independent newspapers in West Africa. As a result of his hard work and leadership qualities, Wesseh quickly rose through the ranks to become News Editor of the Observer.
He held this position with distinction until the outbreak of the Liberian civil war in December 1989, which led to the closure and destruction of the offices of the Daily Observer.
In January 1991, several former editorial staff members of the Observer launched The Inquirer, an independent newspaper which became the leading newspaper and a credible source of information in Liberia.
The founding Managing Editor of The Inquirer was Mr. Gabriel Williams, whom Mr. Wesseh succeeded as Managing Editor in 1994, after Williams fled Liberia due to death threats from the armed factions involved in Liberia’s civil war.
It was during his long service as Managing Editor of The Inquirer that he became popularly known by the nickname ‘Gina’, for the way he ran his newsroom-a parody of the ‘Zoe Bush’ (the traditional society in Liberian culture).
For him, the newsroom was sacrosanct, especially during the war years when ranking state security agents at the time would often brazenly intrude, inspect, and alter newspaper headlines at the printing press, without the knowledge or consent of a newspaper’s own editors.
During the civil war, the building housing the offices of The Inquirer was attacked and completely burnt down to the ground, because of the paper’s strong advocacy against human rights abuses, perpetrated by the contending armed factions.
Over the last decade, Mr. Wesseh received a national honor from then President of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
He also graduated from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia, and was admitted into the Liberia National Bar Association as an Attorney-at-Law.
He primarily applied his lawyering through legal analysis and opinion, often adding value to the discourse on national issues in The Inquirer, while serving as a lecturer in mass communication at a couple of universities, including the University of Liberia.
As we compile this write-up, we, the management and staff of the Inquirer Newspaper continue to mourn but not without hope as our late Managing Editor’s unwavering commitment to truth, professional journalism, and his invaluable contributions to the field of journalism in Liberia, including his exceptional editorial skills, unyielding integrity, and relentless pursuit of excellence, which became his enduring legacy, inspiring generations of journalists to come have been our own reasons to keep the flames of this great institution alive and undeterred.
The impact of his contributions will continue to live on throughout the journalistic landscape, reminding young and older journalists alike of the transformative power of responsible reporting making us to be not be eager for anything and not allow anyone use us for his/her elevation.
On behalf of the Inquirer Newspaper’s Management, now succeeded by its first female Managing Editor along with its committed Staff, we once again extend profound condolences to the bereaved family, including his wife, Teeplah Wesseh and all the children.
Continue to rest our boss, our pacesetter, our mentor and father-PNW.
