PUL AT 61: A CALL FOR RENEWAL

By Danicius Kaihenneh Sengbeh

MONROVIA–In 2002, I walked down the corner of Benson and Buchanan Streets and gazed at a building with an inscription “Press Union of Liberia Headquarters”.

The late Othello T.K. Yarsiah, who inspired me into the field, had advised me on the importance of being a member of the PUL, after few months of venturing into the practice and just a year after earning a diploma in journalism from the International School of Journalism. Henry Page (Accountant), Dr. Sam Johnson (Assistant Secretary General) and the late Terrence Sesay (Vice President) warmly welcomed me. President James Kiazolu and Secretary General Malcolm W. Joseph were out. That day, I received my membership form, filled it, and signed with conviction, swearing to uphold professionalism, integrity, and accountability as a journalist and proud member of the noble fraternity of the ink.

I would have to practice journalism for an additional four consecutive years to move from Associate to Full Member, renewing my membership annually and paying my dues faithfully to qualify for full membership in the PUL. Yes, that was it — no shortcuts. The journey to full membership was anchored in discipline, commitment, and accountability. Later, during my days as Secretary-General, when Winnie Saywah-Jimmy would serve as Chair of the Membership Committee, we would enforce this rule — and I believe it still stands today.

Back then, the PUL was 38. Today, September 30, 2025, as we commemorate the Union’s 61st anniversary, I am humbled to look back on my 23 years of dedicated membership. Through these years, I have stood with the Union in good times and in trying times. I have been privileged to lead in two capacities — as Secretary General and Assistant Secretary General — served on several committees, and I always stood up for media freedom, empowerment, and social justice.

Though many of us now serve in diverse fields of the media and beyond, our conviction remains the same: we are journalists by profession, by calling, and by unshakable belief. Personally, I have practiced journalism, cherished it, learned it in theory and through experience, and today, I even teach it. That was the vow I made when we first stepped into this profession and when we joined the PUL decades ago.

So today, standing shoulder to shoulder with colleagues — old and young — in commemoration of our Union’s 61st anniversary, it felt like coming home after a long journey. In 61 years, especially through and beyond Liberia’s wars, the PUL has faced storms that could have broken us. Our foundation has been shaken, yet we remain standing firm. Like Lucky Dube sang, “nobody can stop Reggae” — so too, nobody can stop the PUL. I mean, absolutely, nobody!

This year’s theme, “Commemorating the Past, Constructing the Future,” speaks directly to where we stand today. But let me be clear: we cannot construct the future if we cannot reconcile the past – especially the recent past. And commemorating the past is frivolous and posturing if it does not lay a solid foundation for tomorrow. The theme is therefore a challenge — to act, to reconcile, and to rebuild stronger than ever. And I mean every word of this.

Yes, the PUL has fought its own internal wars. Scars of that recent conflict remain. The Union went to court, tasted and tested the law, and the law became the law. It prevailed. Yet at 61, the wounds are still visible — still fresh, even now. In our very anniversary souvenir today, vacancies for the Secretariat are glaring: no Secretary General, no Assistant Secretary General. I know, without any false fabrication, the weight of this huge absence because I once carried that responsibility for five years. Yes, I ran the PUL Secretariat: under Peter Quaqua and the late Kamara Abdullai Kamara. The Secretariat is the very engine of the PUL — without it, the wheels cannot run smoothly. I know this too well.

Without a strong Secretariat, the running of the PUL would be weighty on the shoulders of the two other elected officials and would also signal institutional paralysis, if not handled with care. Besides, there are certain statutory roles solely ascribed to the Secretariat, particularly the SG. Their absence is a glaring form of an unfinished crisis.

History teaches us something powerful: wars and crises eventually pass, but they leave behind people who reconcile, rebuild, and rise stronger than before. Liberia itself did — after two brutal civil wars, we reconciled, rebuilt our nation, and embraced democracy. Rwanda did, rising from genocide to become one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies. South Africa acted, moving from the bitterness of apartheid to the strength of reconciliation and nationhood. Sierra Leone also obeyed, transforming from a devastating civil war to stability, peace, and democratic renewal. In every case, I am aware that the scars remained, but the people turned them into lessons, into symbols of endurance, into stepping stones for renewal.

The PUL must do the same. Our recent past crisis must not be a scar we keep reopening. It must be a lesson we live by. The effervescing leadership of my junior brother, fellow scholar, and university lecturer, Julius Kanubah, must work with every member, every side, to heal, to reconcile, and to rebuild. Call back the “want-aways.” Bring them home. Let us swallow pride, bury the bitterness, and leave crisis behind us. Let’s shout “It is over” to the true meaning of these words. A new chapter should open. I hold the strongest view that genuine reconciliation is not something to be spoken of — it must be lived; it must be acted. Julius and his team must take that bull by the horns.

Let us act now. Not tomorrow, not at the next anniversary. For the sake of the PUL we love, our next major program must not have these painful vacancies at its core. We owe it to our profession, to the Union, and to the Liberian people who depend on a free, united, and accountable press. A house divided is bound to fall. This must not bring the PUL down.

The PUL has survived storms before — but now, we must rise higher. At 61, under the banner of “Commemorating the Past, Constructing the Future,” let us move forward not as fractured parts, but as one Union, stronger than ever. Oh, yes, the PUL that I saw and joined 23 years ago.

Danicius Kaihenneh Sengbeh is the Manager of Communication, Media, and Public Affairs at the Liberia Revenue Authority, a Journalism Lecturer at the University of Liberia, and an award-winning and seasoned media professional with over two decades of experience. He holds a Diploma in Journalism, a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication, and a Master’s in Media and Communication Studies from Lund University, Sweden. He’s former Secretary General, PUL: Contact: dakasen1978@yahoo.com / +231777586531(w)

Alphonso Toweh

Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets  including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and  did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters 
 He holds first  MA with honors in International  Relations and a  candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict  Resolution from the University of Liberia.