Liberia’s elections are around the corner. Strange things are unfolding, tides are turning, and people are crossing carpets. But most importantly, it’s the role of the so-called independent media in the country that is coming under the microscope.
Recently, Smart News Liberia reported a revelation from multiple sources at the ministry of finance of the letdown of the Liberian masses by a segment of the Liberian media; including some publishers of leading newspapers, radio managers, and talk show hosts who are enlisted on the payroll of the minister of finance Samuel Tweah to allegedly cover up President George Weah’s government wrongdoings and other corrupt practices against the people of Liberia.
At the time of the publication, our sources threatened to release the names of media personalities who they claimed are breaching professional media ethics to cover up for the government.
Our sources are yet to name any names, but strangely, today, a Liberian exiled opposition has released what some considered a bombshell revelation by disclosing that one of Liberia’s prominent talk show hosts, Julius Jeh of OK FM 99.5 is alleged on the payroll of the finance minister of Liberia.
Martin Kollie of the opposition CPP has accused Julius Jeh of being on the payroll of the government of Liberia, via the minister of finance.
In response to what Kollie considered an attack on his person by Jeh, he wrote that “While we fight to rescue the people from the iron fist of George Weah, I won’t allow you to be a distraction. It is your right to have your name on Samuel Tweah’s monthly payroll in an effort to distort the truth on the radio and undermine the struggle of the people, but you and Don Zogar are making an egregious error to think that you can distract me.
“I can deal with the entire government and deal with both of you at the same time. It is your right to remain a pro-regime puppet because bootlicking is your forte but you’ve got no right to step on the tail of an anaconda”, Kollie to the OK FM Talked Show host.
Kollie asserted to Jeh “The government has sent giants that are far above your dim intelligence and none has survived. The other day, they sent Abraham Godsent Wheon. I took less than 30 minutes to cool him down. Now, they have sent you. You are too little of an intellectual or an academician to withstand the weight that you are trying to lift.”
The Liberian opposition told Julius Jeh, “Your height won’t even permit you because of its decimal stature that is akin to dwarfism. STOP this bluff now or blame yourself later because I won’t spare you.”
As an activist, Martin Kollie told Julius Jeh, “I respect all Liberian journalists and my relationship with the media remains very cordial even while in exile. But your ballooned arrogance has to be tamed and I am prepared to do that. For a victim of ankyloglossia (Tie-Tongue) like you to even think that you are the smarter in the media landscape is to give Mighty Barrolle the impression that it has a better team to FC Barcelona.”
Kollie reminded Jeh that he knows dozens of Liberian journalists who are far more brilliant, critical, analytical, research-based, and investigative than him (Jeh).
Martin Kollie’s outburst came as a result of a screenshot of what it is alleged, Jeh said about Kollie on his regular afternoon show recently.
Kollie: “You wrote wherein you described me as a fast food intellectual and a google scholar.”
“I will take a few minutes to quickly respond. Overloaded with misplaced modifiers and comma splices, your otiose comments under Don Zogar’s posts with direct reference to my person are not just misjudged but also jinxed. The boob and bluff have to STOP because you could crash-land very soon as a dining-room intellectual and a wheelchair scholar.
“Though feeble and vague, you took a high risk to have hidden under Don Zogar’s posts before discharging your diatribes. You’ve made a perilous choice without being mindful of your limits and scrawny abilities. Such adventurism is a naïve attempt intended to place your own neck under the intellectual guillotine. Don’t panic because I have no intent to behead you now. This brief rebuff is just a caution. Next time, you may not be so lucky to enjoy such clemency or compassion”, Kollie told Julius Jeh. Jeh has been able to be reached as of the publication of this story.