The newly elected leadership of the Legislative Press Pool (LEGISPOOL) has officially been inducted into office, with a clarion call from President Gerald C. Koinyeneh to all auxiliaries of the Press Union of Liberia to sit at the table and resolve the crisis within the union.
On August 25, 2023, members of LEGISPOOL, an umbrella body of all professional journalists covering the Liberian Legislature, held their elective congress during the 54th Legislature and unanimously elected a new corps of officers to steer the affairs of the institution for the next two years.
Those elected include Gerald C. Koinyeneh as President, Jackson C. Clay as Vice President, Blamo N. Toe as Secretary General and Bill W. Cooper as Assistant Secretary General.
After a few months, in line with the full sitting of the 55th Legislature, the LEGISPOOL Inaugural Committee, headed by Henscin Dehgar, conducted the inaugural ceremony in the Joint Chamber of the Legislature on Friday, March 8, 2024 and installed into office the new leadership.
Delivering his inaugural address to fellow members, LEGISPOOL President, Gerald C. Koinyeneh, rallied all heads of PUL auxiliaries to initiate dialogues aimed at ending the longstanding leadership crisis within the mother body of all media groupings across the country—the Press Union of Liberia (PUL).
“We cannot stand here today and only talk about LEGISPOOL without mentioning the Press Union of Liberia, the mother organization that gives birth to all auxiliaries. It is no secret that the PUL is in crisis, a crisis that came as a result of power struggle,” Koinyeneh said.
The President urged the heads of the Reporters Association of Liberia (RAL), Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FEJAL), Executive Mansion Press Corps, Association of Judicial Reporters, Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL) and LEGISPOOL to resolve the PUL crisis.
He said he wants the auxiliaries to take the lead and engage all parties to sit at the table to begin a conversation that aims at finding a genuine solution to the internal struggle, adding that the bitterness of the union will extend to its auxiliaries if nothing is done to remedy the situation.
At the same time, the LEGISPOOL boss renewed the pledge of his administration to make the association’s office at the Capitol Building a journalist-friendly one by installing internet, DSTV and other basic services and items needed, as well as foster reconciliation among members.
The ex-President of LEGISPOOL, however, admonished the Koinyeneh-Clay administration not to misuse the entrusted power given them by fellow members, but should ensure that the interest of the entire group is prioritized by seeking opportunities within and out of the Capitol Building.
Characterized by many speeches, commitment and contributions to the new leadership during the fundraising, the ceremony was graced by veterans of the media, heads of various PUL auxiliaries and the two directors of the press departments of the National Legislature.
Robert Haynes, Director of Press for the House of Representatives, who administered the oath of office for the elected officials, challenged the Koinyeneh administration to tackle unprofessionalism and take a stand against non-accredited journalists evading the grounds of the Capitol Building to harass newsmakers.
Also speaking, the Director of Press of the Liberian Senate, Alfred Z. Johnson, pledged the full cooperation of his office with the LEGISPOOL leadership in conducting refresher training for members on legislative reporting.
Willie Tokpah, the President of the RAL, congratulated the team and pledged RAL’s support to the new leadership. Also, in attendance were SWAL’s Vice President, Christopher Walker; Yassah Wright, President of the Judicial Reporters Network; and Chairperson of the E-Mansion Press Corps, among others.