Monrovia – The Press Union of Liberia is set to relaunch its flagship intellectual platform, the Edward Wilmot Blyden Intellectual Discourse, with a high-level panel discussion focused on Liberia’s escalating drug trafficking crisis and the urgent need to strengthen institutions, accountability and the rule of law.
The forum, scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, comes as Liberia confronts the fallout from major cocaine seizures and growing public concern over the country’s capacity to investigate and prosecute complex drug trafficking cases.
The inaugural edition of the relaunched Blyden Forum will be held under the theme: “Confronting Drug Trafficking: Strengthening Institutions, Advancing Accountability, and Safeguarding the Rule of Law.”
Five prominent voices from government, the legal profession, civil society and the media will lead the discussion.
The panel includes Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh; Gbarpolu County Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Audits and Public Accounts, Amara M. Konneh; President of the Liberia National Bar Association, Cllr. F. Juah Lawson; Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), Anderson Miamen; and Infinity Broadcasting Corporation (Power FM & TV) Chief Executive Officer Aaron Kollie.
The discussion is expected to examine Liberia’s institutional response to drug trafficking, the effectiveness of ongoing investigations and prosecutions, accountability within law enforcement and justice institutions, and safeguards necessary to protect due process and the rule of law.
The forum also comes amid intense national debate over Liberia’s handling of the multimillion-dollar cocaine investigations, including questions about accountability, transparency and the independence of institutions responsible for enforcing the law.
According to the PUL in a release issued by its President Julius Kanubah, the forum is intended to provide a platform for informed and factual discussion of issues of national importance while bringing together policymakers, civil society actors, academics, journalists and media practitioners.
Named after Edward Wilmot Blyden, the pioneering Liberian journalist, intellectual and statesman, the forum is designed to generate expert perspectives, deepen public understanding and contribute to national policymaking through constructive dialogue.
The PUL said the platform will focus broadly on democratic governance, transparency, accountability and the rule of law—principles it considers essential to Liberia’s long-term stability and development.
The program begins at 11:00 a.m. at the PUL headquarters on Warner Avenue, 9th Street, Sinkor, Monrovia. Guests have been requested to be seated by 10:45 a.m.
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