The National Campaign Management Team of Julius Kanubah for the Presidency of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) says the union’s moral authority continues to be gravely eroded by the former leadership. “Team Kanubah is particularly appalled by the unacceptable conduct of Charles Coffey, Daniel Nyakonah, Musa Kanneh and Akoi Baysah to continue to impersonate as legitimate officers of the PUL,” Team Kanubah said in a press release.
According to the release, “The three-year tenure of the four men, who were elected under dubious circumstances in late 2019, expired on the second Saturday of November 2022, in line with Article 9 Section 1 and Article 11 Section 1 of the PUL Constitution.
“Moreover, Charles Coffey and Musa Kanneh have been actively politically campaigning for legislative seats in Grand Kru and Montserrado counties ahead of the 2023 presidential and legislative elections.”
The release stated that the PUL Constitution only allows eligible journalists who are non-partisans to be on the leadership of the umbrella grouping of Liberian journalists.
Additionally, the group said, Article 7 of the PUL Code of Ethics and Conduct for Liberian Journalists stipulates, in part, “The journalist should put himself/herself above partisan, ideological cleavages in order to give greater prominence to the norms and professional practices” of the Press Union of Liberia.
Team Knaubah called on PUL members to stop any engagement with the self-proclaimed politicians, Charles Coffey and Musa Kenneh, as Article 7 of the PUL Code of Ethics and Conduct also provides that “journalist should avoid all affiliations with any individuals/groups whose company is likely to call his/her credibility into question”.
It is also vitally important for all national, international and local organizations, including the Government of Liberia (GOL), the US government-funded Internews and the public not to do any business with the PUL former leadership of Charles Coffey, Daniel Nyakonah, Musa Kenneh, and Akoi Baysah. This call also applies to the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), which is supporting the Volunteers for Sustainable Development in Africa (VOSIEDA), to implement a project with the PUL.
“The four men, who have consecutively failed to conduct credible congress and election in the PUL since 2019, have been planning along with their clique to again seek financial support from organizations and personalities in the name of celebrating this year’s World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2023.
“Team Kanubah is warning against any such financial support to the PUL former leadership because over the years no financial accountability has been demonstrated by the Coffey–Nyakonah–Kenneh–Baysah administration, despite the thousands of US dollars collected from various organizations and personalities in the name of the PUL.
“The PUL former leadership of Charles Coffey and Daniel Nyakonah has been stalling efforts by Judge Boima Kontoe to open trial into a case of gross constitutional violation amounting to membership registration fraud as filed by the National Campaign Management Team of Julius Kanubah since mid-November 2022.
“Without a hearing and legal determination into the case, Coffey and corps, through their legal counsel, Samuel Pearson, wants to install Daniel Nyakonah as PUL President before he leaves the union, even though their leadership failed to produce a credible membership register to ensure a credible congress and elections.
“Team Kanubah will continue to employ the necessary legal remedies until its case of gross constitutional violations regarding the full membership register (voter roll) of the PUL is legally heard and determined to chart a credible way forward, inclusive of fresh election based on the will of the legitimate PUL membership. It is thus urgent for the PUL membership to act and save the union from the hands of Coffey and his men by opting for an interim leadership, while the legal process is judiciously and scrupulously adjudicated.”
