The Inquirer (Monrovia)
8 October 2008
The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has welcomed the recent announcement by Deputy Information Minister Cletus Sieh of the Government's contribution of One-hundred Thousand United States Dollars to its Headquarter Project, in Sinkor.
A statement issued by the PUL, described the gesture by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and the Government as magnanimous, noting that such amount will go a long way in the progress of the institution.
The Union's Leadership said it views the gesture as a demonstration of President Sirleaf's commitment towards the development of the Liberian Media.
The Union said money comes as a result of an appeal to President Sirleaf last year during two separate meetings between her and media executives, including the Leadership of the Union.
The Union promised to expeditiously utilize the money for the purpose intended, assuring that its Special Project Committee will immediately commence working out modalities for the implementation of its headquarter project.
Meanwhile, the Union said it remains steadfast in upholding its social responsibility.
"We will remain resolute in exposing the evils that tend to undermine freedom of expression and pres freedom in Liberia," said the Union in its press statement signed by its president George Barpeen.
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It is now official- the UP led administration is a lost cause. A Few weeks after the legislative branch of our government received 100 vehicles from a major concessionist and a judge embarrassed himself and the country to the international community, now the Press Union of Liberia is eager to accept a $100,000 grant from the President. Without dwelling into how and where the president got the money and why was it directed specifically towards the PUL- especially at a time when her administration is under considerable scrutiny because of alleged inpropriaties and corruptions charges- what is both laughable and pathetic is that both the legislative branch and the Press Union have pledged to remain balanced in dealing with Mittal Steel and the Johnson Sirleaf administration respectively. This is a crippling insult to the intelligence of the Liberian people and a complete disregard for the goal of transparency. When a branch of the government is openly bribed by a global conglomerate while the other is under investigation for corruption and the press that was suppose to remain neutral in reporting all of this is bought-off by that branch, what hope is left for the people? We Liberians have refused to learn obvious lessons from the past, so if history repeats itself, we shouldn't be shocked and shift blame.