Photo: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Leymah-Roberta-Gbowee/261358187236905?fref=ts Nobel Laureate, Madam Leymah Gbowee, has strongly condemned the Director of the Executive Protection Service (EPS), Mr. Othello Warrick, for threatening journalists in the country. The EPS provides security for the Presidency, first family, and foreign dignitaries when mandated by the President.
It can be recalled that on Friday, May 3, 2013, Director Warrick referred to journalists as "terrorists" and threatened to "go after" any press member who intrudes into the integrity of the Presidency. The EPS boss issued the threats when he (Director Warrick) was asked to make brief remarks at the indoor ceremony marking the celebration of World Press Freedom Day in Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County.
Speaking on a local radio breakfast show on Monday, May 13, 2013, Madam Gbowee termed the EPS director statement against media practitioners as "undemocratic and unfortunate." She observed that harassment and threat against "press freedom in Liberia" were some of the root causes of the 14-year- Liberian civil conflict. She said the "abuse of the press" in the past should not be repeated in the country.
Madam Gbowee stated that Liberia is not willing to go back to the ugly past, and as such, the threatening comments made against journalists must be condemned by all well meaning Liberians.
According to her, Liberians are currently dreaming about the sustenance of "peace", adding that, respect for human rights and press freedom must be promoted and protected in Liberia. She said the Unity Party led-government internationally appears to support human rights and freedom of the press but frowned that the EPS director has chosen to take any path.
However, the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate called on Director Warrick to openly apologize to journalists and the public in general.
"I think it is very unfortunate for us to have the head of the EPS boss threatening the press. Today, as Liberians look back and try to do an analysis of the civil war that they went through; press freedom or the abuse of the press in the past are all those things that caused us to go where we went and I think internationally people see this government as one that supports human rights. Mr. Warrick should get high off and apology for that statement. You (Mr. Warrick) are too young to live in Liberia after this presidency."
Meanwhile, Madam Gbowee congratulated the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) for measures taken in protest against the EPS boss' threats against journalists. At a mass meeting held last Thursday, media owners and managers resolved to institute stringent measures: including the shutting down of broadcast from 9:00AM to 11:00AM, and the black paging of newspapers' front pages with inscriptions of anti-press freedom messages.
Madam Gbowee, however, embraced the collective stance taken by media outlets in the country.
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Liberians of good will should not allow this country to decent into another civil war. The steps taken by the PUL is the right thing to do. The PUL should warn its members from being bribe by the Sirleaf Government in order to divide and rule the PUL. THis tells us that the only thing that is holding Ellen Sirleaf from using Samuel Doe or Charles Taylor's play book is the international community presence in Liberia. She failed to develop and reform our institutions and she is ready to go after anyone who criticize her administration for corruption and nepotism.