-Says he depicted “a positive image of the carnage” during the civil war
By Frank Sainworla, Jr. fsainworla@yahoo.com
President George Weah’s office has reacted to call by Liberian Journalist Jonathan Paye-Layleh for the President to explain what he meant by claiming he (Paye-Layleh) is against him saying, “during the fourteen years civil conflict, he (Paye-Layleh) and others were bent on undermining his efforts by depicting a positive image of the carnage.”
Over the weekend, the BBC and AP Reporter in Monrovia called on the Liberian Presidency to explain what President Weah meant when he “accused me in a live broadcast that when he was working for human rights in Liberia before becoming president, I was one person against him.”
Ever since the President’s statement last Thursday, which appeared to amount to veil threat, the respected Liberian Journalist Paye-layleh has been compelled to constantly look over his shoulders and be unusually extra keen on his personal security.
But in a press statement issued on Sunday and signed by Presidential Press Secretary Sam Mannah, the President’s office furthered heightened the tempo by instead accusing the long time BBC Liberia Reporter of “depicting a positive image of the carnage” that happened during the Liberian civil war.
”The attention of the Office of the President has been drawn to concerns coming from Mr. Jonathan Paye-Layleh, a Correspondent of the BBC in Monrovia, who is seeking clarification from his recent interaction with the President during the Press Stakeout on Thursday, March 22, 2018 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with President George Manneh Weah and Madame Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations,” the Executive Mansion statement said.
It said Mr. Paye-Layleh is concerned about President Weah’s response to a question he asked about his position on calls for prosecution of individuals said to have perpetrated acts inimical to the respect for human rights during the civil crises.
The Office of the President clarifies that as a longtime champion of human rights and an ardent advocate of peace and social justice, he only sought to remind Mr. Paye-Layleh during his response to question asked; that when he was advocating for justice and creating awareness to the gross human rights violations that were being perpetrated against the Liberian people during the fourteen years civil conflict, he (Paye-Layleh) and others were bent on undermining his efforts by depicting a positive image of the carnage.
Journalist Paye-layleh told local radio stations at the weekend that it was the fourth time President Weah has attacked him for allegedly being against him (Weah).
He said because the claim was not done in such a large public forum as the press stakeout with the UN Deputy Secretary General and broadcast live, he decided not to go public about his concerns about the serious implications bordering on his personal security.
“All that I am asking the media community to do is to seek some explanation from the office of the president; such a statement from a populist and popular president has far-reaching impacts; you can never tell what this would mean to Mr. President’s tens of thousands of supporters some of whom are too young to be able to analyse issues. I have asked the Press Union of Liberia and the entire media community to seek an explanation from Mr. President,” Journalist Paye-layleh says in a press release issued Saturday.
However, Sunday’s statement from President Weah’s office said: “Contrary to Mr. Paye-Layleh’s concerns, President Weah’s response should be seen in the context of his determination to foster peace, reconciliation and forgiveness. As Head of State, President Weah wants all Liberians to follow his footsteps by expressing their feelings in the spirit of genuine reconciliation and national unity.”
“The President is in no way against Mr. Paye-Layleh as he is trying to portray, neither does the response seek to target him. As a journalist, he remains a strong partner of the President who has pledged to uphold the “Table Mountain Declaration”, which allows free speech and press freedom and not to witch-hunt him or any other Liberian,” the statement from President Weah’s office added.”
In another development, President George Manneh Weah has expressed “heartfelt remorse for the Accident that occurred around the Edward Binyah Kesselly Barrack along the Robertsfield Highway at about 5:00PM involving the First Lady’s motorcade upon her return to the Country on Saturday, March 24, 2018.
According to the Executive Mansion, the Accident occurred when one of the EPS vehicles was forced to dodge a taxi cab that intruded into the First Lady’s Convoy while en route to her residence in the Rehab Community in Paynesville, outside Monrovia.
Five persons are said to have sustained injuries, four of whom have since been discharged from the hospital while the driver of the EPS vehicle was immediately flown to Ghana for further medical attention, the Executive Mansion said.
First Lady Clar Weah visited the victims at the ELWA Hospital and offered prayers and wished them speedy recovery.
At the same time, the EPS driver is reportedly in a stable condition.