SACRAMENTO, CA, USA – One of the founding leaders of the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA), Mr. Gabriel I.H. Willliams, has congratulated the newly inducted officers of ALJA, headed by Joey Kennedy as president.
In a press statement, Mr. Williams said the success of the recent ALJA convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which was attended by journalists from across the United States along with some colleagues from Liberia, demonstrates that ALJA is back on course as a U.S.-based Liberian media advocacy organization committed to promoting press freedom and good governance in Liberia.
Mr. Williams, a former leader of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), urged the new ALJA leadership to closely partner with the PUL and the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL), as the two Liberia-based groups strive to promote press freedom and democratic governance in Liberia.
He applauded the two past presidents of ALJA since the reactivation of the organization, Messrs. Moses D. Sandy and Joe S. Mason, for their innovative leadership, which has enabled ALJA to actively partner with the PUL and FeJAL, while also assisting with capacity building of the Liberian media, as well as providing scholarships to a few mass communications students at the University of Liberia (UL).
According to Mr. Williams, ALJA was established to be a bulwark against bad governance and tyranny in Liberia through advocacy and empowerment of the Liberian media.
“It is in view of ALJA’s role in facilitating democratic governance and accountability in Liberia that we strongly support the call by the new ALJA leadership for a prompt and impartial investigation into allegations of bribery at the National Legislature of Liberia to remove the Speaker of the House of Representatives, J. Fonati Koffa, from the Speaker position,” Mr. Williams opined.
He called on those seeking the ouster of Speaker Koffa that whatever may be their allegations against him, it is imperative that the process to remove him is conducted in adherence to the rule of law.
“We vehemently condemn any undemocratic and criminal attempts to hijack Liberia’s democratic process by a criminal few for self-aggrandizement,” he noted.
Mr. Williams further stated that “in view of the foregoing and considering constant reports of corruption within the new Liberian government, we, as former PUL and ALJA leaders, will not hesitate to advocate for targeted international sanctions against officials of the current Liberian government.”
He recalled that during the government of President George M. Weah, “we wrote the U.S. government seeking for imposition of sanctions against Liberian officials for rampant corruption. Eventually, he added, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on several senior officials in Weah’s government, which a U.S. Congressman described as a kleptocratic regime (government of thieves). Weah’s government was also accused of complicity in international drug trafficking.”
In another development, Mr. Williams has expressed “serious concern” about reports that President Joseph N. Boakai recently launched a PhD program at the UL. He pointed out that “a very disturbing aspect about the launch of the PhD program at this time is the fact that the UL, which was a center for intellectual ferment, has become a breeding ground for mediocrity and intellectual dishonesty, as reflected in many reports of academic fraud.”
Mr. Williams noted that Liberia’s educational system has been in a state of dysfunction since the end of the brutal and barbaric civil war, as reflected by reports that many of those who earn a BSc degree are able to only academically perform at the level of a high school 12th grader.”
He argued that instead of adding more layers on top of the broken educational foundation, it would be wise for the government to use available resources to rebuild a strong educational foundation, and as a noted Liberian educator said in a Facebook post, use the money allocated for education to improve K-12, undergraduate education, as well as existing masters’ programs, and TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training).
The veteran Liberian journalist and advocate is therefore calling on President Boakai to course correct regarding the launch of a new academic program at the UL when the existing Liberian educational system remains grossly underfunded, with thousands of public-school teachers across the country reportedly having gone for months without pay, resulting in many public schools being closed or barely operational, leaving tens of thousands of children out of school.
