IFPO Fulfills Promise To Pres. Weah

– Presents Presidential Photographs Of George Weah, Others

By R Joyclyn Wea

A group of photographers under the banner Liberia freelance photographer’s organization (IFPO) through its president Arthur J. Wahwehlee on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 presented the photographs of President George Weah and Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor as well as Information Minister, Lenn Eugene Nagbe to the Ministry of Information Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT).

According to the group’s leader, it is in fulfillment of their promises made to the Liberian head of state sometimes ago, noting that the event would go down in history as the day of photographers coming together to show support to President George Weah Pro-Poor agenda.

Wahwehlee made the statement at the official program marking the presentation of presidential photographs of George Weah and Jewel Howard-Taylor by the Liberia freelance photographer’s organization held at the Charles Gbenyon press conference hall.

Wahwehlee in his statement noted “we promised the president that we would do all we can to keep the memories of his administration for the next twelve years. We are going to all cities, towns, villages, and hamlet in capturing the images of our people’s progress and the successes of the pro poor agenda.”

IFPO head believes that this would mark a new beginning in the lives of photographers and never again would photographers be treated as less important at national and local events in the country, adding, “we are under moral call to keep the history of this country through lens of our cameras.”

He bewailed “So, on behalf of all photographers and photojournalists living and dead we present these photos of the president HE George Weah, HE Chief Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor, and our Hon. Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe in this Charles Gbenyon Press Hall on this 20^th day of June 2018.”

The Liberia freelance photographer organization is registered under the Liberian law by nine freelance photographers on September 6, 2017 with the aims and objectives of providing the necessary training to its members, helping them to find the necessary networking space to make money with their camera, and to promote the general welfare and conditions of photographers.

Accordingly, he disclosed that IFPO had started working with the Razzourk Brothers of Sharp Store, the representative of canon worldwide in Liberia in making sure that they train their members in the usage of canon products in the country.

With the partnership, he explained that they were able to launch the first photo shoot training in the present of veteran photographer Sando Moore on June 8 2018 with purpose of empowering members with the skills of take and editing of their photos.

Furthermore, IFPO would work with all photographers in Liberia in the observance of the world photographer day slated for August 20, 2018, with the same spirit of linking members, adding, the institution is working with partners in having the first canon photo festival in Liberia anytime this year.

Receiving the images on behalf of government, MICAT Deputy Minister for Press and Public Affairs Eugene Fahngon applauded the group for the farsightedness, noting it is not the big things that you do that matter most but sometime the little things that people do matter most.

Deputy Minister Fahngon asserted that five months down the line since the transition of the country, the two most important images have been missing at the ministry and that it took the lenses of the cameras of these photographers to realize that those two images were missing and that it also demonstrates that they know their job saying “without your profession the images would not exist.”

“Under the government of President Weah the days of them being call cameras men are over, I don’t want to be critical about pass administration but indeed photographing is a profession that only professional understands. There is institution of higher learning that subscribe only to this profession,” Minister Fahngon said.

He pledges President Weah’s commitment in ensuring that the ministry does not remain as what he term as same old same old, thus, under the Weah led government they would be treated with respect as professional but stresses the need for more females in the profession to ensure gender balance.

Deputy Minister Fahngon said “in order for us to treat you as professional you need to exhibit high level of professionalism which you have exhibited over the years except that it went unnoticed.”