The Vision Bearer of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP), Dr. Daniel E. Cassell, has outlined his vision for Liberia and its citizens, with the holistic combat against corruption topping the list of priorities.
Dr. Cassell disclosed that a PLP-led government will take meaningful steps to curb official corruption and institute accountability and transparency in the system of government.
He added that these steps and systems will be effectively and efficiently taken to harness national resources and avoid waste and plunder.
He made these comments over the weekend when he delivered the keynote address at the 7th National Convention of the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA).
The convention was held under the theme,“The Quest for an Independent, Sustainable, and Ethical Media in Liberia”.
Dr. Cassell added that the party will improve the socio-economic conditions of the citizenry through the good health care system, standardized educational system, job creation, economic empowerment, and other effective retirements, improve and prioritize civil liberties and ensure security for all compatriots, irrespective of the political alignments.
He added that the adherence to the rule of law and ensuring that the justice system works for all, including the haves and have-nots, will be the hallmark of his administration.
He maintained that the PLP administration will discourage the “perennial menace of impunity, and improve on good governance and build public trust and confidence”.
Dr. Cassell emphasized that he will maintain and ensure meritocracy and competence in the governing system of the country and promote peace, unity, inclusion, and oneness amongst the citizenry.
“The PLP government will protect minorities, promote diversity and religious tolerance, and will prioritize youth and women, provide educational opportunities to include vocational training for young people, empower and protect girls and women in every respect. We seek a solid partnership with an independent, sustainable, pluralistic, and ethical media to help us ensure socioeconomic dignity for all our people, not few of our people, and together we, along with you, the media, can accentuate our country to nobler heights and put some sense of pride and dignity on our dear people,” Dr. Cassell outlined.
Dr. Cassell used the occasion to call on Liberian journalists to prioritize ethical journalism in the discharge of their assigned tasks and responsibilities.
He observed that “unethical and compromised journalism” remains on the rise in post-conflict Liberia.
According to him, the situation persists because some of those in the profession prefer “gold over good”.
“Today, we see unethical and compromised journalism on the rise because many claiming to be journalists in Liberia nowadays prefer gold over good. Integrity is fast diminishing in the Liberian media. Truth-telling is being compromised for petty cash and material gifts”.
Dr. Cassell noted that there are reports that some journalists are “proudly dining and winning with corrupt officials of the current government and sadly defaulting on their sacred duties to expose the ills permeating the homeland”.
Instead of being watchdogs, he added that some members of the Liberian media, especially editors, are taking monthly payments from public officials, ministries, and state enterprises to gate-keep and promote them.
“The question then lingers; who will protect the country from its disreputable officials if journalists are being paid by those looting and plundering their country? However, we are also aware that in the face of these temptations some journalists continue to stand tall and keep the touch of integrity flaming in their line of duty. I salute their courage to remain loyal to the sanctity of their noble journalism profession amid the devastating economic realities suffocating the homeland.”
Dr. Cassell further emphasized that the People Liberation Party (PLP) believes that Liberia can never be a wholesome functioning and civilized country without an independent, sustainable, and ethical media.
According to him, the country cannot also fight and minimize corruption and impunity, reduce poverty, ensure adherence to the rule of law, transparency, accountability, and good governance without a progressive, pragmatic, productive, and impartial media.
Dr. Cassell stated that journalists cannot make fair earnings if the media institutions they work for are broke and poor.
He noted that if Liberia is governed well the economy will grow and bloom, the media will make money and journalists can become rich like lawyers, doctors, and engineers.
He added that journalism is not a “peasant profession as we see around the world”.
“Media owners and journalists are millionaires right here in America and other parts of the world. That is why we cannot emphasize the urgent need for the media to use its power and influence to help Liberia get on the proper footing in terms of sound political and economic governance,” the PLP leader stated.
Dr.Cassell further reminded members of the Liberian media that, despite the risks involved and circumstances, they should prioritized ethical journalism, which begins with truth-telling.
He added that if one is called to practice or perform this noble journalism profession, he or she will always be protected by God, and will be endowed by His wisdom to carry on his/her assigned tasks and responsibilities with passion and genuineness.
He indicated that, prior to taking journalism as their profession, Liberian journalists were and remain citizens of Liberia; as such, they should not relent on exposing societal ills and standing tall against wicked leaders.
“By the same token, I would like to remind journalists that, before becoming journalists you were first citizens of Liberia and shall remain citizens of Liberia suffice to say each of you has a patriotic duty to protect your country, stand against its mismanagement and abuse by nefarious leaders, for you are direct victims of bad governance.
“Journalists must at all times report the truth and expose the vices and excesses in society. While no story is worth the life of a journalist, a journalist must defy all odds to gather and report the facts plain and square. Journalists must be patriotic, uncompromising, and daring in their reportorial duties with the singular goal of protecting the interest of the state and its people,” he added.
Dr. Cassell proposed that editorials, op-eds, commentaries, special features, and lead stories must focus on governance and society and talk about the danger of corruption, bad governance, lawlessness, poor quality education, bad healthcare system, the utter disobedience to the separation of Constitutional powers, impoverishment of the people, the rising insecurity obtaining in the state, impunity, the ineffectual nature of the Legislature, the corruption in the Judiciary, amongst other abnormalities obtaining in Liberia.
He maintained that journalists must write and speak about these issues with conviction, passion, and vehemence, because “if these conflict-triggered incongruities are not dealt with adequately they can potentially lay the basis for conflict and war”.
“Lest we forget, these were the very vices and egregious tendencies that plunged Liberia into a fifteen-year senseless bloodbath that crudely claimed the precious lives of hundreds of thousands of compatriots. These vices are once again masquerading our nation and the Liberian people are witnessing another epoch of debauchery under the rulership of President George Weah,” Dr. Cassell stated.
According to him, the PLP is seeking a viable partnership with the Liberian media, primarily to ensure that the media is independent, sustained, and uncompromisingly ethical in playing the sacred role to which it is entrusted.
This is why, he maintained, the PLP is solely committed to working with the Liberian media to build its capacity in terms of logistics, training, and in other critical areas primarily to strengthen and empower the Liberian media for the good of our nation.
He pointed out that the PLP under his visionary stewardship remains open to working with ALJA and PUL to identify possible opportunities to build the capacity of the Liberian media.
“May I say, please consider us a ‘willing partner comes asking’. We are no doubt cognizant of the harsh economic hardship in Liberia and the media is not spared, but realistically the media cannot make money or improve in a country badly governed. The media cannot flourish when the economy is contracted and businesses are unable to give ads to the media. The media cannot pay its workers fairly and regularly when there are no foreign companies to give huge ads”.
He pointed out that, back home the PLP has forged a cordial working relationship with the PUL and several media houses.
According to him, the move is not in any way intended to gain favor or seek fame, but it is in acknowledgment of the critical role the media must play to right the wrongs and ensure good governance in Liberia.
“We consider it a righteous obligation to engage the media on the pressing need to remain the fearless watchdog of the Liberian nation-state, so that democracy works, rule of law is adhered to, corruption and impunity rattled, transparency and accountability institutionalized, democracy and civil liberties protected, holding the rulers of the country accountable for their stewardship become a national tradition and regiment, ensure power and state services are decentralized and devolved on to the people, to protect minorities and promote diversity and religious tolerance. We also challenge the media to put us under the spotlight in our quest for national leadership,” Dr. Cassell noted.
At the same time, Dr. Cassell has disclosed that Liberia is currently enduring what he called a “vexing paralysis”, affecting every sector of the post-conflict nation.
“Every segment of the Liberian society has painfully nosedived to nothingness. Governance is quite dismal, to say the least. Health care is bad. Education is substandard, arguably the least in the sub-region. Roads are horrible. Electricity is inadequate and unreliable. Water is almost non-existent. No job creation. No foreign direct investments.”
He maintained that “public transport is on the verge of collapse due to corruption and gross incompetence”, while the private sector is in the hands of Lebanese and Indians.
“Liberians are not in charge, contrary to what Mr. Weah pledged to the Liberian people…that they will not be spectators in their economy. The economy is virtually weak as the balance of payment is very low. Transparency institutions are submerged into a functional coma because the Weah regime has no interest in accounting for state resources.
“Anomalous conditions besetting the country must claim the attention of the Liberian media and cause journalists to ask hard questions to those who are at the helm: What is wrong with the country? Why are Liberians starving? Why the cost of living is so ridiculously high? Why lawmakers are allotting US$30K-plus to themselves amid a decimating Covid-19 health crisis instead of directing funding to the health sector? Why cost to clear a 20-foot container at the Freeport of Monrovia is outrageously astronomical? Why is the state-run University of Liberia lying in filth and professors underpaid? Why are teachers, nurses, police and others serving our country underpaid? Why are road and building contracts being awarded to Lebanese in disregard for the PPCC laws and regulations? What became of the US$30 million stimulus package?”
He admonished Liberians to have in mind that their country is at a critical juncture in its national existence and, as such, the Liberian media must summon the courage to move from “official sources” reporting to crusading and advocacy journalism, with emphasis placed on the governance of the country and the well-being of the “squalor-stricken Liberian masses”.