The President of FeJAL, Lisa Tenneh Diasay, has emphasized that the prolonged leadership crisis within the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has undermined the collective drive for the advancement of all journalists across the country.
FeJAL is the acronym for Female Journalists Association of Liberia, one of the large auxiliaries of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL).
The red flag raised by Diasay comes amid the longstanding leadership fight between the union’s two presidential candidates, Daniel Nyakonah and Julius Kanubah, since the 2022 elective congress of the umbrella institution for all journalists in the country.
Remarking a few minutes after she was sworn into office at the 5th inaugural ceremony of the association in Monrovia recently, Lisa Diasay emphasized that the success of the developmental agenda of FeJAL as an auxiliary of the PUL depends on the union.
According to her, the legal battle between the two members is not only strangulating the progress of all media practitioners of Liberia but also the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL).
“As I conclude, let me acknowledge that FeJAL is an auxiliary of the Press Union of Liberia and our developmental agenda needs the support of the union, but the long leadership crisis within the union is undermining our collective drive to advance, not only for women journalist but all journalists across Liberia,” Diasay noted.
Lisa Tenneh Diasay therefore reiterated her call for the two contending parties within the party to put away their personal disagreement and prioritize the interest of all members of the union.
“I, as the President of the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL), call on the two contending parties within the Press Union leadership to consider not personal interest, not personal gain but the interest of the membership and make the sacrifice to resolve the leadership crisis that has engulfed the leadership,” she emphasized.
She said she believes these challenges are stalling the growth of the union.
The FeJAL boss has pledged that her leadership is open to all auxiliaries of the union and other members for proper consultation, in the interest of all women journalists.
At the same time, Lisa Tenneh Diasay encouraged all newsroom managers, media owners and reporters across the country to champion equality in their news departments.