— As Veteran Journalist Raymond Zarbay Questions PUL Moral Authority
IPNEWS: What same to be growing uneasiness within the Press Union of Liberia, especially older members over the recent public declaration by incumbents President Charles Coffey and Secretary-General Musa Kanneh to contest both seats in Grand Kru and Montserrado counties.
As the controversy mounts, veteran Broadcaster John Kollie has not meant his word by expressing his disgust over the decision by the pairs to contest for public offices while holding positions of trust of integrity as the PUL.
As the hour turns, there’s still bitter blood with rival groups within the PUL following disputed elections in which the incumbent Vice President emerged victorious in a disputed election.
Rival groups supporting veteran Journalist Julius Kanubah filed a complaint and injunction against the results and subsequent inauguration which was slated for Buchannan City, Grand Bassa County, in late 2022.
As the internal controversy continues, the Press Union of Liberia, under outgoing president Charles Coffey, has named its preparatory committee for this year’s World Press Freedom Day Celebration in Montserrado County.
According to a release, the 2023 World Press Freedom Day celebration will be held in Monrovia.
The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 each year as World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duties to respect and uphold the rights to freedom of expression as enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In Liberia, the Union joins the global journalism community in carrying out programs tied to the celebration of the day.
During the celebration, the Journalism Community in Liberia will increase its attention on the celebration of free expression as an enabler for the realization of other human rights.
Those appointed to the 2023 World Press Freedom Day Preparatory Committee are as follows:
· Jennie Fallah Wounuah – Chairperson
· Tetee Karneh – Co-Chairperson
· Donzo Zoom – Secretary
· Mohammed Kanneh – Member
· Lennart Dodoo- Member
· PUL EX-Officio
Meanwhile, the Press Union of Liberia is urging all of its coordinators in the remaining fourteen counties to organize befitting programs to commemorate World Press Freedom Day in their respective locations.
In related news, the National Campaign Management Team of Julius Kanubah for the Presidency of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) says the Union’s moral authority continues to be gravely eroded by the former leadership.
Team Kanubah is particularly appalled by the unacceptable conduct of Charles Coffey, Daniel Nyakonah, Musa Kenneh, and Akoi Baysah to continue to impersonate legitimate officers of the PUL.
The three-year tenure of the four men who were elected under dubious circumstances in late 2019 expired on the Second Saturday of November 2022 in line with Article 9 Section 1 and Article 11 Section 1 of the PUL Constitution.
Moreover, both Charles Coffey and Musa Kenneh have been active politically campaigning for legislative seats in Grand Kru and Montserrado Counties ahead of the 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections.
The PUL Constitution only allows eligible journalists who are non-partisans to be on the leadership of the umbrella grouping of Liberian journalists.
Additionally, Article 7 of the PUL Code of Ethics and Conduct for Liberian Journalists stipulates, in part, that, “The journalist should put himself/herself above partisan, ideological cleavages to give greater prominence to the norms and professional practices” of the Press Union of Liberia.
Team Knaubah calls on PUL members and the general public to stop any engagement with the self-proclaimed politicians Charles Coffey and Musa Kenneh, as Article 7 of the PUL Code of Ethics and Conduct also provides that “journalist should avoid all affiliations with any individuals/groups whose company is likely to call his/her credibility into question.”
It is also vitally important for all national, international, and local organizations including the Government of Liberia, the US Government-funded Internews, and the public not to do any business with the PUL former leadership of Charles Coffey, Daniel Nyakonah, Musa Kenneh, and Akoi Baysah.
This call also applies to the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) which is supporting the Volunteers for Sustainable Development in Africa (VOSIEDA) to implement a project with the PUL.
The four men who have consecutively failed to conduct credible Congress and elections in the PUL since 2019 have been planning along with their clique to again seek financial support from organizations and personalities in the name of celebrating this year’s World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2023. Team Kanubah is warning against any such financial support to the PUL former leadership because over the years no financial accountability has been demonstrated by the Coffey–Nyakonah–Kenneh–Baysah administration despite the thousands of US dollars collected from various organizations and personalities in the name of the PUL.
The PUL former leadership of Charles Coffey and Daniel Nyakonah has been stalling efforts by Judge Boima Kontoe to open trial into a case of gross constitutional violations amounting to membership registration fraud as filed by the National Campaign Management Team of Julius Kanubah since mid-November 2022.
Without a hearing and legal determination into the case, Coffey and Corps through their legal counsel Samuel Pearson wants to install Daniel Nyakonah as PUL President before he leaves the Union even though their leadership failed to produce a credible membership register to ensure a credible congress and elections.
Team Kanubah will continue to employ the necessary legal remedies until its case of gross constitutional violations regarding the full membership register (voter roll) of the PUL is legally heard and determined to chart a credible way forward inclusive of FRESH ELECTIONS based on the will of the legitimate PUL membership.
It is thus urgent for the PUL membership to act and save the Union from the hands of Coffey and his men by opting for an Interim Leadership while the legal process is judiciously and scrupulously adjudicated.
