The Solicitor General at the Justice Ministry and the Liberian Government chief Prosecutor, Cllr. Syrenius Cephas has vowed to shut down media institutions who broadcast or publish what he called “fake news”, during the ongoing State of Emergency.
Speaking on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 at a COVID-19 press conference in Monrovia, Cllr. Cephas said the government’s patience has run out with media institutions, which he didn’t name, who he claimed were abusing press freedom and free speech, in the wake of the Health crisis created by the Coronavirus pandemic.
His threat comes after rumour ran wild on social media and commentaries were ran in some local media that President George Manneh Weah had tested positive for COVID-19. But that speculation was later rubbished by the office of the Presidential Press Secretary.
the Liberian Solicitor General, who said the CDC government will take immediate actions to close down such media outlets, also announced the suspension of some basic rights including freedom of movement, assembly as speech and press.
According to him, those who are affected will have their equipment seized and their operations shut down until after the COVID-19 or beyond.
As the SG was vowing to close down media entities for alleged fake news, Deputy Information Minister Eugene Fahngon was announcing the cancellation of current press passes being used by Journalist in the wake of the lockdown and CPVID-19 pandemic.
Deputy Minister Fahngon alleged that the current passes were being duplicated and that by the weekend they will be invalid and that his Ministry will print new ones, restricting it to only 250 passes for both Montserrado and Margibi Counties.
The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) says it is not part and does not support the printing of new passes by Deputy Information Minister for public affairs Eugene Fahngon.
The PUL is urging journalists and Media workers across the country to go about their journalistic work with proper identification cards as required by the joint security.
In a press release on Wednesday, April 29, 2020, the PUL in a release expressed disapproval to the new directive of Deputy Minister Eugene Fahngon calling for the cancellation of current press passes and the printing of new passes in isolation of the PUL.
The Union believes that Deputy Minister Fahngon unilateral action perhaps is intended to selectively provide accreditation to certain Media outlets and deny other Media institutions.
Press Union of Liberia President Charles B Coffey Jr. has termed as unrealistic ,and a calculated attempt by Deputy Information Minister Eugene Fahngon to ignore the good work of the Media in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic across the country from the unset with out passes.
Mr Coffey indicated that journalists have been trained to disseminate factual information about the virus thus taking some members of the public from the denial stage to the realities of the pandemic.
He said the Media continued to play a pivotal role in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic despite the economic hardship being experienced by the media practitioners.
According to him, journalists don’t need new passes to inform and educate the public about the Coronavirus pandemic and urged the Information Ministry to redirect the money for the printing of new passes to Strengthening the capacity of the Media.
Meanwhile, the Press Union of Liberia wants stronger solidarity between and among journalists and Media institutions in the difficult times of the nation’s history.