By: Papie Sheriff Kollie,Jr. USA
I listen and carefully read President Dr,Dr. George Mannah Weah eighty three (83) pages speech delivered on the 28 of January 2019 on capitol hill during the second session of the second joint session of the 54th Legislature for the purpose of the President Annual message on the State of Republic which according to the Constitution Article 58 “The President shall, on the fourth working Monday in January of each year, present the administration’s legislative program for the ensuing session, and shall once a year report to the Legislature on the state of the Republic. In presenting the economic condition of the Republic the report shall cover expenditure as well as income”. Something that I listened and read our President Dr. Dr George Mannah Weah failed give the expenditure or Revenue generated doing the first year of his administration.
However I followed the Speech delivered by the President who boasted about Press Freedom under his administration which I’m very concern about as a Liberian journalist currently out of the country.
The President told the Legislature that during the year under review; his government submitted to the 54th Legislature an Act which currently under Legislative reviews specifically the Liberian Senate for concurrence votes, which is titled as THE KAMARA ABDULLAH KAMARA ACT OF PRESS FREEDOM.
This act if passed will help protects people from crimes such as Criminal Libel against the President; Sedition and Criminal Malevolence, It promotes freedom of speech and expression which are important tenets of our democracy. It also promotes good governance, as well as the rule of law. My point here is this President is making a mere bluff about this act, He himself as the Leader of Liberia our beloved country is not willing to uphold those tenets.
With this effort to have resubmitted this act and also renaming it after our Late President of the Press Union of Liberia PUL is admirable by all journalists in the Liberia and Diaspora, but the media remain under serious political tyranny by President Dr,Dr George Mannah Weah Administration.
Journalists or critical voices are been threatening on a daily basis for view expressed or stories written on issues of national concerns especially on the misused of Public office, Corruption among other harmful norms in the society, which create bad picture of the government and the country to the international community.
The media is currently been muscle by the President George Manneh Weah and his Cabinet Ministers all because they don’t want for the true to be told by the independent Press as the result they are using some belly driven media practitioners who can’t with stand the current hardship in the country and attack the media is under by the Government which makes independent Journalists are attacked law suits and prosecution is the order of the day.
Some Senior level reporters and editors are been ask by the government to go against their own code of ethics by turning themselves into propagandistic instruments for the government against their own professionals colleagues and bosses for self-gains, which is unfortunate for the safe environment the President boasted about during his annual message on Tuesday at the Capitol Building .
Recently we heard and saw massive exodus of some senior level Reporters and editors at Liberia’s post war Inquirer Newspaper later did we heard from the some quarters of Government operatives have planned to launched the Independent Inquirer Newspaper all intended to undermine the paper, few days after massive Exodus of those journalists we saw on the news stand the Independent Inquirer Newspaper.
Another issue with Press Freedom which I don’t believed that President Dr,Dr. George Manneh can’t in no way uphold press freedom is the situation with Patrick Honnah Punch FM and Television license that was upheld since June of 2018 up to now it is still under review.
Patrick Honnah and Professionals have set up a brand new studios but can open because the government through the Ministry of Information is yet to come out with the regulation they spoke about since June of 2018, the station can’t come on the airwaves all because some officials including the President has branded Patrick Honnah as opposition journalist.
Frontpage Africa Publisher Rodney Sieh was threatening with law suit by the President Weah Minister of State for presidential affairs Nathaniel McGill for just doing his job as journalist by reporting damaging corruption stories linking him.
I think President George Mannah Weah is just trying to buy favor in the eyes of the diplomat seated at the annual message I don’t believed that President George Mannah Weah can walk the talk he’s talking because this president don’t accept criticism.
During President Dr, Dr. George Mannah Weah Annual Message he also boasted that our country is far better off now something that humbly disagree with our Leader on grounds that the current state of living condition of ordinary Liberians is difficult for any human imagination in the world.
The exchange rate has skyrocketed and as the result the Liberian dollars currency is not value making things difficult instead of this president who received the support of fourteen of the 15 counties of Liberia is now focusing on personal development instead of the ordinary people who give the mantle of Authority.
I also listen and read the President Speech on my studying table I didn’t see anything talking about integrity Institutions and the fight against corruption something that makes me disappointed in President Dr.Dr. George Mannah Weah who many Liberians including me supported during the 2017 Presidential elections with the hope of redeeming the nation.
Thus our President didn’t give credit to his predecessor Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who left behind some good unfinished projects like the Ministerial complex that was criticized by President Dr. Dr. George Mannah Weah while serving as Senator for Montserrado County, but can proudly tour the facility also the New Terminal of the Roberts International Airport among others.
President Dr,Dr George Mannah Weah also failed to status report on the Eton and Embof Loans agreement which see the construction of the coastal highways linking the southeastern parts of our country, thus the loans agreement was ratify by the legislature, but the status of the loans still remain in the dark.
The speech delivered by our Leader Dr.Dr George Mannah Weah was never impressive and the speech was also full with lots contradiction, deceptions and impossible promises.
In conclusion let me also called on our leader to be true to what he says on paper for the betterment of our beloved country mama Liberia by putting the interest of the ordinary Liberian and stop listening to those greedy guts calling themselves Ministers and Director who will make him fail.

About the Author: Papie Sheriff Kollie, Jr is a Liberian Journalist and Vice President of the Legislative Press Pool a group of Journalists that covered the Liberian Legislature also studies Information Technology & System Management at The Ohio State University in the United States of America. Cell+16145893259 or email:papiekollie3@gmail.com
(Note: This article those not reflect the views of the management of the Independent Probe Newspaper)