MINISTERS UNDER PRESSURE

MONROVIA-Two ministers and one ex-minister have come under pressure from six media entities to settle payment for work done for the Bicentennial Celebration.

The six media outlets are, The New Republic, Hot pepper, New Dawn, Heritage, Analyst, and Independent. The two Ministers are Hon. Ledgehood Rennie, Chairman Bicentennial Celebration, Hon. Samuel Tweah, Finance, and Hon. Nathaniel McGill, former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs.

These Ministers requested the six media outlets to carry out extra coverage of the event and would be paid after one month, February.  Following a series of meetings, especially with the Chairman of the Bicentennial and  Finance Minister, they are yet to do any payment of US$66,600 (sixty-six thousand six hundred United States dollars) for the six papers.

Based on a podcast by Eugene Fahghon, former Deputy Information Minster for Public Affairs this week, coupled with the reluctant posture put up by the Ministers, these papers decided to write the Chairman for their payment.

When the letter was taken to the Chairman for the Bicentennial, he rejected it and said that he did not have any money for the media. He called on his accusers to provide evidence.

The Minister of Finance is yet to comment on this. The former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs who is on US sanction was not available for comment.  But prior to the imposition of the sanction, he said the Chairman was responsible to effect the payment.

Below Is The Letter:

Hon. Ledgehood Rennie

Chairman Bicentennial

Monrovia-Liberia 

November 1, 2022

Ref: Request for media Bicentennial payment

Dear Hon. Chairman:

Compliments.

We write to request for our Bicentennial payment in the tune of US$66,600. (Sixty-six thousand six hundred United States dollars) for six media institutions.

This amount is based on an arrangement reached with the former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Mr. Nathaniel McGill, and you as Chairman of the Bicentennial to provide complete coverage of the entire event beginning Sunday, February 13, 2022.

Mr. Chairman, it is disheartening to note that since these publications were carried out in our various newspaper, we are yet to be paid.

Mr. Chairman, we met you countlessly relative to the settlement of our Bicentennial payment but to no avail. Rather, you have referred us to former Minister McGill.

It will interest you to know that following several meetings with Mr. McGill, we were informed that the Bicentennial account was frozen due to mismanagement and an investigation was underway.

Fortunately, additional funding was provided for the next phase of the Bicentennial which began in July and payment would have been made by then.

However, there is information that said amount was paid for the media to you, which of course none of the performing institutions received payment.

Mr. Chairman, it is in this regard that we are officially requesting immediate payment of our outstanding bicentennial money.

Respectfully yours,

Mr. Philibert Brown——Hotpepper

Mr. Stanley Seakor——The Analyst

Mr. Sam O. Dean——–Independent

Mr. Othello B. Garblah—New Dawn

Mr. Alphonso Toweh—–New Republic

Mr. Mohammed Kanneh—Heritage

Cc: H.E President George M. Weah

      Republic of Liberia

      Hon. Samuel D. Tweah

      Minister of Finance Planning and Development