A former executive of the Press Union of Liberia, Gabriel I.H. Williams, says the ongoing power struggle within the Union has tarnished the image of the organization at the national and international levels.
In an eulogy delivered at the funeral of veteran journalist Patrick Manjoe in Texas at the weekend, Mr. Williams called upon the contending parties to seriously consider the greater interest of the PUL and the country as a whole and work towards an amicable solution to their differences.
“If the Liberian media cannot conduct its own affairs in a transparent and democratic manner, what moral rectitude do you have to hold government officials and other public functionaries accountable? he wondered.
He explained that the PUL survived the military regime of the 1980s and the following 14-year civil war because of leaders that rose to the challenges of those days noting, “We endured our share of the abuses journalists suffered during that period of unprecedented violence and bloodshed in Liberia, but the Press Union remained a force for good during that evil period.”
“I make this call as a former leader of the PUL, who was Secretary General when the civil war erupted and then became acting President during the early years of the war and this is why I call on those involved in the ongoing leadership dispute that now is your time to ensure that the PUL remains active and credible in order to serve the common good of our country,” Williams, stressed.
Injecting grave concerns by two major developments unfolding in Liberia, Mr. Williams said also as journalists, “Our role as the watchdog of society is to raise alarm when danger is pending therefore the recent seizure by the Liberia National Police of about 450 military weapons when the presidential election is months away, is a cause for grave concern.”
He reminded that Liberia’s constitution requires that before the Presidential and General elections take place this October and that a national census must be conducted to determine the population of the country, while there are legislations that stipulate for voter registration to be conducted to determine the number of eligible voters but none of these critical benchmarks intended to ensure free, fair and transparent elections have been met.
“If the elections are postponed from October, Liberia could be plunged in a major constitutional crisis and possibly violence. In keeping with the Liberian Constitution, the tenure of President Weah is to end in January 2024. Would an interim government be installed after Weah’s tenure ends?,” he narrated mentioning that after the international community invested billions of dollars to end the war and restore Liberia, if there were any outbreak of violence in that country again, Liberia might be abandoned by the international community.
He said the United States along with the United Nations and other international partners, invested billions of dollars to redevelop Liberia since the war adding that they have done their best for Liberia and its people noting, “It is left with Liberians to build upon the post-war gains or drag the country back into violence and destruction.”
