A proverb says, “Give a man his flower while he is alive.” This simply means that a dead person has no participation in anything that happens in the land of the living. In fact, his or her love, hate and so on, perishes immediately when he or she passes on; therefore, it is good to honor or flower a man while he is alive. In this manner, on Tuesday, the authorities of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) honored and certificated one of the reporters of the Hot Pepper and eight other media practitioners for their persistent, robust reportorial stance on the LDEA in regard to narcotic drugs importers, dealers, users, and so on;
After a press conference called by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency’s Communication Director, Michael Jipply, informed the LDEA’s Deputy Director, Lorenzo P. W. Pelham, and other dignitaries of the entity the need to honor and certificate media practitioners of the print and electronic media who for the past years have maintained their reportorial stance on the LDEA’s action in combating illicit drug importers and dealers in Liberia.
“These media practitioners are men and women who put their profession first amid economic hardship and ‘yellow journalism’ nationwide, and not money. Over the years, these media colleagues’ coverage of the LDEA operation has been punctual and accurate. They are men and women who have worked with us closely over the time. They are assiduous journalists who do not put money first before their profession in terms of coverage; they avail themselves for the LDEA’s coverage anytime we call upon them,” the LDEA’s Communication boss lauded the committed journalists.
He lauded Joy FM’s reporter, Princess M. Kamara, and referred to her as LDEA’s assistant communication boss due to her consistent coverage on the LDEA’s action on narcotic drug importers and dealers. He added, “Even at Joy FM, where she works, her workmates referred to her as LDEA’s deputy assistant communication boss because she always reports on the entity’s action by informing the public and the world at large.”
In a strongest term, he lauded Hot Pepper’s reporter, Ojuku Silver-tongue Kangar, Jr., saying, he is humble, has the power of the pen and always avail himself to calls of the entity. He continued, “Ojuku Silver-tongue Kangar, Jr., is an ethical journalist who valued his profession over money. All our coverage, he has been reporting our achievements and challenges, and there is a need we honor him and the others today.”
The appreciation certificate’s inscription reads, “In appreciation of your professional services as a journalist, navigating boundaries and institutions in efforts to bring happenings to the people of Liberia as they unfold, the Administration of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), having viewed your commitment, dedication and professionalism while following the agency and other institutions throughout the country, we are pleased to present to you this certificate of appreciation for your indelible contribution to the government and people of Liberia. In testimony thereof, we graciously affixed our signatures on this 26th day of January A.D. 2021.”
Journalists honored and certificated were Ojuku Silver-tongue Kangar, Jr., Hot Pepper Newspaper, Princess Kamara, Joy FM, Isaac Freeman, LBC, Augustine Octavius, Prime FM, Daniel Roger, Hot FM, Laurice M. Paye, New Republic, Nyanti Togba, OK FM, Jonathan King, City TV Liberia, and Sekou V. Sirleaf, Prime FM.
LDEA’s Deputy Director, Lorenzo P. W. Pelham, lauded the journalists for the work done over the years and challenged them to go extra mile, informing that he will mention them to their all-over boss, Marcus D. Zehyoue, to increase the relation over the current and do something for them.
Speaking on behalf of the certificated journalists, Joy FM reporter, Princess M. Karmara, thanked the LDEA’s authority for recognizing their efforts as journalists and promised, on behalf of her colleagues, to go extra mile in performance—than what they had done over the years.