-Newspapers demand bicentennial payment
At least six newspapers have written the Chairman of the National Bicentennial Celebration Information Minister Ledgehood Rennie demanding payment for services provided during programs marking the country's 200 years of existence.
The papers were contracted on February 13, during the opening of the Bicentennial celebration and official opening of the Executive Mansion to provide coverage and color pictorials for the entire event which began on February 13 up to July this year.
The newspapers' letter was inspired by a revelation made by former Deputy Information Minister Eugene Fahngon that the payment had already been made but the media houses are yet to receive their monies.
There have been series of back and forths between the Ministry of Finance Planning and Development on one hand and the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (MICAT) on the other as to the entity responsible to settle the media bills.
But Mr. Rennie has repeatedly insisted that he did not sign up for the arrangement and that said arrangement was done between former Minister of State Nathaniel McGill and the concerned media houses.
He has denied receiving payment on behalf of the papers and demand proof of payment issued to him by the Ministry of Finance Development Planning which includes vouchers and check numbers.
Efforts to get Minister Samuel Tweah to comment on the unfolding event proved futile on Tuesday.
But the media houses have copied President Weah and Minister Tweah in their open letter to draw their attention to the delay in their payments.
This is just a fraction of the huge outstanding debts owed to media institutions here by the Liberian Government. -More protest loading over media debts!
Below is the full text of the letter:
Hon. Ledgehood Rennie
Chairman Bicentennial
Monrovia-Liberia
November 1, 2022
Ref: Request for media Bicentennial payment
Dear Hon. Chairman:
Compliments.
We write to request for our Bicentennial payment in the tune of USD$66,600. (Sixty-six thousand six hundred united states dollars) for six media institutions.
This amount is based on an arrangement reached with the former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Mr. Nathaniel McGill, and you as Chairman of the Bicentennial to provide complete coverage of the entire event beginning Sunday, February 13, 2022.
Mr. Chairman, it is disheartening to note that since these publications were carried out in our various newspapers, we are yet to be paid.
Mr. Chairman, we met you countlessly relative to the settlement of our Bicentennial payment but to no avail. Rather, you have referred us to former Minister McGill.
It will interest you to know that following several meetings with Mr. McGill, we were informed that the Bicentennial account was frozen due to mismanagement and an investigation was underway.
Fortunately, additional funding was provided for the next phase of the Bicentennial which began in July and payment would have been made by then.
However, there is information that said amount was paid for the media to you, which of course none of the performing institutions received payment.
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Mr. Chairman, it is in this regard that we are officially requesting immediate payment of our outstanding bicentennial money.
Respectfully yours,
Mr. Philibert Brown---Hotpepper
Mr. Stanley Seakor----The Analyst
Mr. Sam O. Dean----- Independent
Mr. Othello B. Garblah--New Dawn
Mr. Alphonso Toweh---New Republic
Mr. Mohammed Kanneh- Heritage
Cc: H.E President George M. Weah
Republic of Liberia
Hon. Samuel D. Tweah
Minister of Finance Planning and Development
