Monrovia – The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos-Nigeria has joined the West African Journalists Association (WAJA) to condemn the closure of some broadcast media in Liberia.
Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade said: “The act of closing radio stations or any other media for that matter was unbecoming of a government operating in a democratic environment.”
Mr. Arogundade said – “It was imperative to remind the Liberian government that it would be unfortunate if a country that set the pace for access to information law in West Africa would now turn around to set another pace in the suppression of freedom of expression using a tax system as excuse”.
In its own statement, WAJA said its attention has been drawn to the new pattern of aggression against the media in Liberia, terming it as a vicious and shameless attempt to rid the media of critical voices.
Full Text of WAJA Statement
“WAJA believes the Government’s purported vigorous collection of media taxes in the face of the looming political contestation ahead of 2017, is a circulated ploy to instill fear not only in the media landscape, but to scare political opponents.
Information available from WAJA affiliate, the Press Union of Liberia, suggest that in less than two months, the Government has shut two broadcast entities: Voice FM and Sarafina Ventures Incorporated, owner of LIB 24/Love FM 105.1 and Love TV, on claims that they failed to comply with regulatory and tax obligations.
Voice FM was closed on 4thJuly for reportedly high jacking the frequency – 102.7 originally assigned to a web radio, while Sarafina Ventures (LIB 24) was seized by a Police squad on August 13 for allegedly defrauding the government of more than US$50,000.00 in unpaid fees dating back to 2008.
Ironically, the government waives taxes owed by multi-million dollars concession companies, but runs after small local businesses including the media.
In the two instances, the Ministries of Justice and Information, acting on alleged complaints from the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), used Police dressed in riot gears and court officers to shut down the stations without hearings.
Reacting to the closures, Press Union of Liberia President K. Abdullai Kamara said: “By this action, the government has presented itself as an undemocratic and intolerant regime, pursuing schemes that are inimical to the principles of free expression and respect for divergent ideologies.”
The Union noted in a statement that the, “government’s claims of pursuing tax and regulatory delinquency in this latest clamp down is at most double standard, when the same government is the largest player in the economy and the biggest debtor of media services.”
The LTA Chairperson, Angelique Weeks, told a local station in Monrovia, FARBRIC Radio 101.1 that a list of non-compliant stations have been submitted to the Justice Ministry for action, but failed to name the stations.
She declared, “We have turned over the list of entities to the Ministry of Justice and we do not dictate to the Ministry of Justice when or how or where or who.
They have their internal strategy… I don’t know their strategy, but yes indeed there will be more,” she explained in response to suggestions that the closures were targeted.
WAJA however observes that this undisclosed list of delinquent entities leaves the sector in a state of uncertainty and places a weapon in the hands of the Government to strike any station that is deemed unfriendly.
WAJA warns that this chilling operation by the government is ample indication that the LTA seems to lack the independence and sufficiency to regulate the broadcast sector – hence the need for reform.
“As it stands, the regulatory powers of the broadcast sector appears scatter between the LTA, the Ministries of Information and Justice, which opens the door for arbitrary and targeted actions,” added WAJA President, Peter Quaqua”
WAJA brings together 15 journalists unions/associations in West Africa.
Government of Liberia has an obligation and responsibility to promote space for Media by Reopening Radio LIB24 and Voice FM
Monrovia- August 26, 2016
Ladies & Gentlemen:
The Press Union of Liberia was set up to work towards adequate space for media and democracy to flourish in Liberia. We remain committed to pursuing this role! Nearly 52 years later, the challenges that attended the formation of the Press Union remains in Liberia. The irony of this is that Liberia is today led by a Nobel laureate, and an activist, who once stood up against forces seeking to intimidate media.
In keeping with this commitment, the Press Union of Liberia has been rather disappointed by a calculated ploy to close down several radio stations in the country or a still fazzled notion of regulations, registration and so forth. That has already been actualized by the closure of Voice FM and now Radio LIB24. This is unacceptable, a grand plan at intimidation, and at worst a tactic to beat the Liberian media into silence. All Liberians must condemn this!
The closure campaign has presented media space as an endangered environment which could, in the long term, lead to a censored and frightened media.
It is no secret that LIB 24 has a known partisan bent. In fact, this is the real reason for which our government, whose functions are supported by our taxes, must be cautious in addressing this situation.
By this action, the government has presented itself as an undemocratic and intolerant regime, pursuing schemes that are inimical to the principles of free expression and respect for divergent ideologies and views!
Pursuing tax and regulatory delinquency by shut-downs, when the very government is the largest player in the economy and the biggest debtor of media services, is double standard! This does not work in the interest of democracy! This does not support economic growth! And in fact, this adds to the economic imbalance, worsening unemployment and increasing anger level in a country barely off the fringes of a devastating civil conflict.
By continuously foot dragging in the payment of media bills, the Liberian Government has basically strangulated the media, effectively leaving the press largely unable to pay taxes. In this case, this government has lost out the moral high ground to demand compliance from the same media, which is unable to act due to the government’s inaction.
Otherwise, our government has an obligation of protecting everyone within these borders – irrespective of their thought patterns, their cooperation, their trade or otherwise!
That circumstances have arisen that could see the closure of a media house, the government must now take the gauntlet, and assume its moral and legal obligation to evaluate its relations with the media, its responsibility to protect and promote democracy within and near its borders. In addition, the government is also obliged to take actions to revive whatever difficult economic and operating environment in which media exists.
By all means, and as an obligation to strengthen democracy and stability in Liberia, the government must be seen enabling divergent views as opposed to exacting punishments, especially for known dissenters.
Otherwise, by taking deliberate actions to shut down – whether through the use of contested laws and regulations – the government has reminded us that the struggle to protect a free media landscape has never ended in the first place. Claims of the courts shutting down is as true today as it was with other vicious regimes like Charles Taylor, Tolbert, Tubman or even Doe!
But more so, the government cannot and has not been able to keep a straight face on this as their apologists simply cannot ignore the fact that Henry Costa uses the radio to insult and incite! This is so difficult in a regime that we put together to strengthen democracy as a basis of economic development. To insist upon insult crimes when government has made a global obligation to decriminalize speech tells two things – either the functionaries and advisors made the President sign unto these obligations without understanding what they went into or this was only a plan by yet another leader to play to the gallery of international best practice with no plan whatsoever to abide by it.
This becomes more appalling when both Madam President and Mr. Vice President – just in May of this year reiterated their support to work along with the Press Union to improve rights and opportunities for media to operate unmolested.
We have not given up on their obligations, but we will all the same continuously remind the government and other actors that this is a matter of our lives and we have no plans whatsoever to negotiate this. However, we are open to dialogues that recognize key principles of the right to speech, an obligation to decriminalize speech, the reality that technology is increasingly making it difficult to stop dissenting opinions – and that bad speech can be neutralized by more speech.
We challenge the government to say more things about its works, using all of the available channels and refrain from pursuing any course that seeks to limit any one or another on account of the offensiveness of their speech. This is just so appalling and does not support democracy!
We will restate our position that should the government recommit to ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, the Press Union are already a part of this conversation. And so, we welcome the latest comments by the Ministry of Information to pursue dialogue on the media future.
However, we insist! This must begin with the immediate reopening of the closed media houses, and you can be assured that we will play a large role in ensuring that all media houses comply with regulations that are not meant to limit the industry in size and thought! It must be clear that the Press Union of Liberia cannot be a part of any arrangement that is designed to limit the number and diversity of voices in Liberian society.
We therefore call upon the Government of Liberia to forthwith reopen the affected media houses and introduce measures that will ensure individual and institutional respect for and compliance with regulations.