–As Finance Ministry Fails to Release Funds to Run Ministry

IPNEWS-Monrovia: The Minister of Information Cultural Affairs & Tourism (MICAT), Ledgerhood Rennie has disclosed no support by the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Government of President George Weah, as political pundits predicts ‘Operations Thwarts’ at the Government’s Information Arm.

Minister Rennie on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 when he appeared on OK FM 99.5 morning show confirmed that the CDC government has failed to support the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism to properly carry out its statutory responsibilities.

The Information Minister also revealed that since US$17,000 was allotted to MICAT in the 2022 fiscal year National Budget in July as operational funds not a dime has been made available by the Ministry of Finance & Development Planning headed by Samuel Tweah.

Finance Minister Samuel Tweah – fingers are pointed at him as the chief culprit who is undermining the Minister of Information, Ledgerhood Rennie

Recently, there has been rumors about the resignation of Minister Ledgerhood Rennie due to lack of support to the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism.

On Wednesday during a radio appearance on OK FM 99.5 Minister Rennie confirmed and disclosed that he is blocked by some individuals in the inner circle of President Weah.

He noted that the barricade has resulted to serious difficulty for him to operate as a Minister at the Government’s Information arm. He noted despite the financial stagnation being experienced at the Information Ministry, he and team have continued to professionally discharge their respective duties in the interest of the Government and the Liberian people.

Minister Rennie further noted that he wishes to have access to President Weah in a one-on-one situation to inform the Liberian Leader about the dark cloud he is being covered with by some unscrupulous individuals in his inner circles who claimed to be the best.

The Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism was created by an Act of Legislation in 1965 with the statutory responsibility to develop and disseminate accurate and factual information about the Liberian government home and abroad.

Due to the no support revelations by Minister Ledgerhood Rennie, Political pundits are second guessing that there are more things taking place at the Information Ministry that has not been mentioned by the Information Minister stating that there is a need for serious attention by President George and his CDC government.

There are unconfirmed reports that Minister Rennie and President Weah have not spoken for almost three months, a rumor that could not be confirmed by IPNEWS, because some hardcore CDCians are allegedly doing all their can to stifle the Information Minister in the discharge of his duties.

Many Political analysts believe that failure by President Weah to amicably address the concern raised by the Information Minister, would lead the Government Information Arm’s operations being thwarted ahead of the 2023 presidential and legislative elections.

Quiet recently a local media reported that President Weah did not take Minister Rennie along with him at the just-ended United States – Africa Leaders’ Summit held in Washington, DC due to him being unsatisfied with the Minister.

President Weah instead took Deputy Information Minister for Technical Services, Boakai Fofana, along with Liberia Broadcasting Corporation (ELBC) Director General Estelle Liberty Kermoh, Deputy Director General for Administration, Tetee Gebro, and Deputy Director General for Rural Broadcasting Isaac G. Redd, Sr., to join Presidential Press Secretary Isaac Solo Kelgbeh and Deputy Presidential Press Secretary Smith Toby who had been touring with President Weah beginning from the Morocco to Egypt, France, Qatar and finally to the United States.

But in reaction, Minister Rennie dispelled the rumors and notion by some Liberians that he was denied by President Weah to travel to the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit hosted by US President Joe Biden.

Information Minister Ledgerhood Rennie greets President George Weah upon arrival from the United States after attending the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit. The Minister and  Pres. Weah held about three to five minutes discussion, as was seen a video, before the President moved on to greet other government officials. Is Pres. Weah aware of what is happening to Minister Rennie reportedly being perpetrated by his ‘Inner Circle’?

Minister Rennie noted that it was the prerogative of President Weah to ask any Government Minister or official to travel with him on a given trip abroad, so he had no problem with any official being taken from the Information Ministry to accompany President Weah to the just-ended US-Africa Leaders’ Summit.

Prior to the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit, when public outcries were massive against President Weah’s prolonged stay abroad, coupled with the reported financial outlay attributed to it, instead of President Weah allowing Information Minister Rennie to do his job, it is said he reportedly asked former Information Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe, who traveled with the President on the entire marathon trip, to defend the Government’s position when he appeared on SPOON Talk evening show, stating the reason President Weah had to spend that much time abroad was to reduce the financial burden it would have put on the government. In Mr. Nagbe’s words, who is now Commissioner of the Liberia Maritime Agency, said the government had to act ‘smart’ to save monies.

But political pundits have deduced that the fact Maritime Commissioner Nagbe, who is not the official spokesperson of the Government was speaking for government clearly had some ‘political undertones’ that something wrong from within President Weah’s circle was unfolding. The public could not comprehend why the Minister of Information, a profound media luminary and one of the top-notch best Liberia has in broadcast journalism, who is also a lecturer at the University of Liberia would not be allowed to do his professional work.

Meanwhile, other political commentators have told IPNEWS that whatever that may be going on at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs & Tourism, President Weah is allegedly aware of it but might be pretending not to know.

There are rumors that Finance Minister Samuel Tweah has for no reason decided to strangulate Minister Ledgerhood Rennie at the Information Ministry because the erudite top-notch professional Liberian journalist, has refused to defend and protect the Government of Liberia using invectives on critics, oppositions and perceived enemies of the CDC-led government.

Minister Rennie is on record of publicly saying that he is first and foremost a professional Liberian journalist, who will not go about the business of insulting his fellow Liberians, because there will be a tomorrow where he will have to face his fellow countrymen when he is not in government anymore. He stated that as a professional, his job is to tell Liberians and the international community the truth, because propaganda is telling people the truth and not to lie to them.

He noted then that there is nothing the Weah government has to hide so as official spokesperson of the government he is under obligation to professionally promote and defend the Government in totality.

Meanwhile, Minister Rennie has reiterated his loyalty to President Weah and the CDC-led government as a professional who was called to serve Liberia and its people. He said no amount inner circle maneuvering can thwart his long-term professional relations with President Weah, an individual he knew a very long time. He vowed to carry out his official duties until the day President Weah asks him to leave from the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs & Tourism.