–Chides PUL for Holding Controversial, Non-Peaceful Elections
IPNEWS-Monrovia: President George Weah has chided the Liberian media for conducting a controversial and non-peaceful elections which is now being challenged before the courts of law in the country.
Pres. Weah and First Lady Clar Weah walk by as outgoing PUL Charles Coffey beams with the wildest of smile at the Forky Klon Jlateh Family Fellowship Church
Speaking at a media engagement held with Media Executives at his Jamaica Resort along the Roberts International Airport (RIA) highway on Sunday, January 8, 2023, President Weah expressed dismay over the manner in which the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) handled its elections held in November of last year in Gbarnga, Bong County.
President Weah mounts the pulpit at his Forky Klon Jlateh Family Fellowship Church
According to President Weah, if the media, which serves as the watchdog of society cannot hold a peaceful elections, especially in an election year, what moral grounds would they have to critique politicians in the conduct of national elections?
Outgoing PUL President Charles Coffey (2nd from left) – his administration leaves a ruined and damaged legacy at the PUL over his failure to hold two free, fair and transparent elections in 2019 and 2022 respectively for selfish reasons. Hot Pepper Philipbert Browne sits near to Coffey
He then urged the PUL and the Liberian media to settle their differences and protect the integrity of the Press Union of the Liberia.
The media engagement was attended by the outgoing leadership of Charles Coffey and his corps of officers, including vice president Daniel Nyakonah, Secretary General Musa Kanneh and Assistant Secretary General Akoi Baysah, as well as the Publishers Association of Liberia and the Editor Forum and other media personalities.
Cross section of media practitioners including GNN J. Cholo Brook (sun glasses) at the Forky Klon Jlateh Family Fellowship Church
In November 2022, the Press Union of Liberia conducted a controversial election in Gbarnga, Bong County under the cover of darkness after its electoral committee ignored series of complaints filed by a contending party regarding the bloating of voters’ roll which it called to be cleaned.
The contending party took the Union to Supreme Court after the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in Bong County under the cover the darkness and on a non-court day quashed a previous injunction it placed on the fraudulent PUL election as prayed for by Team Julius Kanubah.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director Prof. Wilson Tarpeh, First Lady Clar Weah, President George Wean and Foreign Affairs Minister Dee Maxwell Kemayah at the Forky Klon Jlateh Family Fellowship Church
Despite the Supreme Court Justice-in-Chambers Yussif Kabba ordering the PUL to return to the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court to hear the petition filed for the junction, the PUL leadership out of desperation ignored the court order but decided to plan a bogus inauguration, but unfortunately for them, the Court played a Stay Order on the process.
Cross section of media practitioners including (from left to right) Mohammed Kanneh, Sam O. Dean, outgoing PUL Daniel Nyakonah, Alphonso Toweh at the Forky Klon Jlateh Family Fellowship Church
The Charles Coffey leadership then sought audience with another Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Cllr. Joseph Nagbe to pray the Justice-in-Chambers to revoke the Stay Order. During a hearing, Justice Nagbe ordered the PUL to return to the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court to go through hearing from the previous injunction filed before, but out of desperation, Coffey leadership is said to be hurriedly planning a bogus inauguration to install a new leadership that was elected in a controversial election held in the night in Gbarnga, something which has sparked pundits to question the motives of the outgoing PUL leadership to want to install a new leadership when there are unresolved issues before the courts of law in Liberia.
Cross section of media practitioners including at the Forky Klon Jlateh Family Fellowship Church
It is believed it is based on these happenings that President Weah on Sunday, January 8, 2023 at the media engagement held with the PUL leadership, media executives and other media personality chided the PUL and the media that they lack morals to critique politicians on elections matter in this election year because they cannot even conduct their own election in a peaceful manner but it was embroiled in controversies which are yet to be resolved.
Meanwhile, the media engagement began with a worship service at President Weah’s Forky Klon Jlateh Family Fellowship Church ended with volleyball, basketball and table tennis games at his Jamaica Resort.
LBS Director General Estelle Liberty, Deputy Director General for Administration Tetee Gebro, Deputy Information Minister for Technical Services Boakai Fofana and Deputy Information Minister for Press and Public Affairs Jarlawah Tonpo at the Forky Klon Jlateh Family Fellowship Church
During the church service, President Weah said during the festive season he met with other segments of the society, but the media was not included; therefore, the gathering was intended to celebrate the New Year with the Fourth Estate and to expand avenues for the conduct of peaceful elections in October.
Cross section of media practitioners including at the Forky Klon Jlateh Family Fellowship Church
“The pending elections will be peaceful. After service, we all are going to Jamaica Resort to play volleyball and basketball. But running and jumping up is different from editing,” the President said in a jovial conversation.
The gathering promoted table tennis, volleyball and basketball. The first game was a volleyball encounter between the Ministry of State and the press, followed by the basketball game, with the President’s side defeating the press in both matches.
