By Alex Yomah
The Executive Mansion Press Corps (EMPC) is seeking President George Manneh Weah’s financial intervention to enable one of its colleagues, Journalist Jerry Gaye, return to the Ivory Coast to continue his treatment.
Journalist Jerry Gaye who came home on January 11, 2020 with iron in his leg for vacation under the advisement of his doctor to have returned in May 2020 has begun deteriorating in his condition.
“We are appealing to President Weah to please get involved as the current situation with Journalist Gaye is an issue of his life. We are kindly appealing to the President to intervene before the kick-off of his nationwide tour which, we understand, starts on February 12,” EMPC Chairperson, Denise Nimpson said in a press statement yesterday at the headquarters of the Press Union of Liberia.
“Mr. Jerry Gaye of Prime FM who is going through serious difficulties and pains in his life as a result of the terrible motor accident two years ago and because he had overstayed the vacation period, it is a risk to his health,” Madam Nimpson reiterated.
Ms. Nimpson re-emphasized that as result of that tragic accident while on national duty, Journalist Gaye’s leg got broken along with other colleagues and they were transferred to neighboring Ivory Coast for advanced medical treatment with help from the office of the Presidential Press Secretary through the office of the President Chief of Protocol, Ambassador Finda Bundoo,” she extolled.
Flash back: a scene from the accident
In an interview with Journalist Gaye, he mourned, “I am living on drugs daily. The pain is becoming unbearable for me now. I need the President’s help to return to Ivory Coast. I was on national duty and if the vehicle that had the accident was insured, what about those that were in the vehicle; were they not protected as well?”
It is no secret that Journalist Gaye’s return was affected by the covid-19 pandemic but according to the mansion reporters’ leadership, when the coronavirus subsided in Liberia and flights started coming in and out of the country, the office of the Press Secretary was contacted so that their colleague could return but despite exerted efforts, Gaye’s plight seems not to be yielding fruits.
“Mr. Gaye cannot even take more than ten steps or a ten minute walk. It is against this backdrop, that we, the Executive Mansion Press, are appealing to the office of the President to help our ailing colleague before his condition worsens,” Ms. Nimpson lamented.
On February 10, 2019, Journalist Gaye, along with few other colleagues, whilst on duty on board the Press vehicle of the Executive Mansion, got involved in a dreadful motor accident along the Gbarnga-Totota Highway which among other things, led to the untimely demise of one of the longest serving employee of the President’s office, Gabriel Wilson alias ‘Executive Horn’ while several others got wounded including Gabriel Mills, a long serving photographer of the Executive Mansion and Isaac Freeman, an employee of the Liberia Broadcasting System including the driver Zorh.
Meanwhile, Mills, like Gaye, was also badly injured which landed them both in the Ivory Coast in search of advance medical treatment but since then, their conditions are getting bad on a daily basis as Mills has been bed ridden for the two years since the incident occurred.
Mills who spoke to journalist Christopher Sirleaf of Truth FM sometime last week cried that he had been abandoned by the Liberian government and was calling on the Presidential Press Secretary to do something about his condition as well as well-meaning Liberians or philanthropists.
Mills, in a desperate need of attention, informed Mr. Sirleaf via telephone that he was in total agony and was not even being treated as there has been nobody paying attention to him nowadays and apparently he would rather return home.
The EM Press Corps is therefore launching an appeal to President George Manneh Weah to kindly help their ailing colleagues so that they can complete their treatment and recuperate, adding, “We dearly appreciate all the initial efforts by the Liberian Government to cater to the health of our colleagues.”
Meanwhile, the Press Corps has reaffirmed its commitment to continue its engagements with the office of the President through the office of the Presidential Press Secretary on issues that border on the wellbeing of journalists assigned at the Executive Mansion.
The Executive Mansion Press Corps, a subset of the Reporters Association comprised of reporters assigned at the Executive Mansion to provide media coverage for the Presidency.