Monrovia – Information Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe has described the Political Leader of the All Liberian Party (ALP) Benoni Urey as a coward, who lacks the capacity to disturb the peace in Liberia.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway, Jr – [email protected]
Minutes after the closure of LIB24, a local radio Station owned by Mr. Urey, the ALP political leader urged Liberians not to vote back in office the entire Unity Party team, describing them as criminals.
Urey noted that he will do everything legally possible for the re-opening of his Radio station. He described the closing of his radio station as crackdown and muzzling of free speech and the press.
“We will do everything within the confines of the law to ensure that our constitutional rights are protected. We will resist any draconian attempt by this government to further muzzle the free press in the hope of advancing their 2017 political agenda,” he said.
He also wrote on his Facebook page that enough is enough, saying, Liberians have been patient and have played their part in ensuring that there is peace and stability in Liberia.
“I, Benoni Urey, say enough is enough. We have been patient; we have played our part in ensuring that there is peace and stability in Liberia, we will do everything within the confines of the law to ensure that our constitutional rights are protected. We will resist any draconian attempt by this government to further muzzle the free press in the hope of advancing their 2017 political agenda,” he wrote.
He also described the closing of his station as government way of going after opposition bloc.
”We know what they are doing, they only one to silence the opposition bloc, but my fellow Liberians, come 2017 let vote those rogues out, fellow Liberians, instead of our national security apparatus working to curb the alarming rate of armed robbery in the country, which has become a nightmare for our citizens, they spent their time at a meeting to plot on how to crackdown on freedom of speech, yet again”, said Urey.
He furthered wrote: “The government shut down my radio station, LIB24 FM, under heavy ERU Police and NSA presence, we all know that the real reason for the shutdown of both Voice and LIB24 TV & FM is not because of its failure to comply with requirements, but because of our critical stance against the government on National issues,” he wrote.
He noted that the closure of his station brings back fresh memories of previous elections.
“In 2011, when I openly supported CDC in the Presidentsial elections and allowed my institution to be a voice of the opposition, the same station was bombed by pro-government agents,” he noted.
But the Liberian government reacting to Mr. Urey’s allegations, the Minister of Information Nagbe challenged Mr. Urey to disturb the country’s peace if he (Urey) claims that he has such capacity.
“some of us know that Urey is a coward who does not have the capacity to disturb the peace of Liberia, he will only say it to those who do not know him, where was him when the guns were firing in Gbarnga, he was nowhere, but I challenge Urey to disturb this peace,” he noted.
Speaking on a local radio Talk Show on Prime FM, Minister Nagbe commented on the closure of LIB24 saying the management of the station was in awareness of a process to force compliance and settle fees owed government over the past five years.
The Minister however denied that the station was closed owing to the fact that it hosted the Costa Show of Controversial Talk Show Host Henry Costa.
Minister Nagbe explained that the Management of LIB24 used Mr. Costa as a collateral damage for a purpose of what he calls human shielding.
He said the transfer of name from Love FM to LIB24 was illegal, without an amendment of article of incorporation an assumption of liability for Love FM.