NJLPHis Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah has called on the media of Liberia to report the positive developments of Liberia and desist from reportages that portray the negative image of the country.
The President, who recently decriminalized free speech through the Legislature, said while he does not intend to influence media content, it was important that media reports convey facts and truths of happenings in the country as their professional and national responsibility.
“To my friends who are members of the Fourth Estate, let me indicate that we need the image of this country to be portrayed in a very positive way. When you see good things, you must talk about it; when you see bad things, you can also talk about them,” President Weah admonished the media. “Report the truth. Report facts.”
Speaking Wednesday, August 7, 2019 when he officially dedicated the Old Road Market, the President asserted that it is unhealthy and harmful for the peace and development of Liberia for the media to report wrong in the face of truth.
“You can’t see the truth and report the wrong”, he said to accentuate the negative effects of growing misdirected media reportages.
The Liberian Leader informed residents of the Old Road Community that the construction of the state-of-the-art Market is part of the government’s development plan to build roads, markets and invest in agriculture as enshrined in the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).
The latest construction of the Old Road Market marks the second time President Weah intervened to give the facility semblance of modernity. He had earlier raised the roof of the market which was virtually falling to decay.
The Liberian Chief Executive told jubilant marketers and other thousands of residents of the Community that Liberia is bond to progress developmentally when Liberians learn to bear patience and work with his government.
“You have given me a six-year mandate; it will not take a day to reconstruct the country or two weeks to revamp the economy,” President Weah told the crowd in an effort to dismiss growing criticism of his administration that it is not working to improve the lives of Liberians.
The President asserted that his government was working untiringly to fix the bad economy it inherited, and indicated that no other President before him has achieved what he achieved less than two years in office.
“Our agenda is to develop Liberia. My plan is to ensure the realization of promises I made to develop Liberia through roads construction and improvement of agriculture,” he stressed: “This is why we are building roads, we are making sure that all untidy structures are changed and Liberians are empowered to be able to grow their own food.”
He bemoaned the fact other Liberians continue to criticize in spite of the tremendous efforts being made to develop the country, adding, “There are other citizens who still criticize this market to insinuate that the government is doing nothing.”
The Liberian Leader lamented: “Twelve years ago, you never had paved roads in your communities. Those who were in power for twelve years continue to say the roads are not good and not well paved. I am doing everything for you-something that those who spent twelve years in power did not achieve.”
Describing himself as record breaker and talk-and-do, President Weah called on Liberians not to listen to those in whose care the country was entrusted for 100 years and did nothing to show in terms of their achievements.
He said: “I want you to join me so that together we fix the broken economy. Criticism will not help the situation.”
The President pledged that the government will do its best to fix economy, but called on Liberians to maintain the peace, as there cannot be development amid conflict and confusion.
“What was damaged during the 14 years of civil war,” he said, “cannot be fixed in a day’s time. This government is focused on rehabilitating Liberians whose lives were damaged. I want you not to join those who are undermining the country through protests. Join me to rebuild the country.”
As part of his development plans, President Weah said the government was exerting efforts to change the lives of Liberians, by building concrete homes in place of the huts they have been living in over so many decades. He promised that concrete structures for indigent Liberians will be built across the fifteen political sub-divisions of the country.
He said those Liberians who worked in past regimes and are sincerely willing to work with this government will be welcome while those that are not willing will be weeded out.
The Liberian Leader used the occasion to disclose plans by the government to support Liberian farmers to enable them grow food and make the country self-sufficient in food production.
He also called on the marketers to ensure the maintenance of the new market structure.
