PHOTO: Julius Kanubah, PUL President
Monrovia- The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has described as unacceptable comments by Representative Samuel Kogar, threatening broadcast Journalist Julius Jeh and the OK FM management.
During a radio phone-in on last Thursday on the ‘OK Conversation’, Representative Kogar warned journalist Jeh to be “careful” as he was “too young” with a “future ahead of him”.
Rep. Kogar also threatened to use the contempt power of the House of Representatives to cite the management of OK FM if the station and journalist Jeh carryout what he calls “publicity that undermines” or “bring […] the House [of Representatives] to public disrepute.” The PUL strongly deplores the threats by Kogar, who did not just accuse journalist Jeh of being “biased” in his analysis of actions taken by the self-style “majority bloc” in the leadership dispute at the House of Representatives, but reminded the journalist that “what brought destruction in Rwanda was … journalism.”
“By making reference to the destruction of Rwanda through journalism and branding journalist Jeh as “biased” and “producing [a radio] show … trying to incite the Liberian people against the government,” Representative Kogar has engaged in a dangerous narrative,” the PUL emphasizes in a press release signed by the Union’s President Julius Kanubah.
The PUL calls on Kogar and all actors in the House leadership dispute to respect the rights of journalists and the media to report freely, provide critical analysis, and facilitate debate aiming to hold political and business power accountable – for greater democracy and economic development in Liberia.
While the PUL agrees with Representative Kogar that journalists and the media must be impartial, it is not his responsibility to tell the media not to provide analysis on unfolding events in society.
The PUL pointed out that Representative Kogar must also know that any attempt to weaponize the contempt power of the House of Representatives to summon journalists and the media would represent acts of intolerance and a brazen abuse of power and the right to freedom of speech and expression.
Meanwhile, the PUL takes note that Representative Kogar has since clarified his threatening remarks, terming them as a “joke” – as published online by OK FM. The PUL hopes it was truly a “joke” that must never be repeated by a lawmaker at the center of the House leadership dispute, where questions of respect for the rule of law are under scrutiny.