MONROVIA – Liberia’s airwaves advocate has been listed among Africa’s top “50 Disruptors” for this staunch advocacy for justice, civil rights and fight against corruption in Liberia.
“The Disruptors”, according to the African Report, are African women and men who are shaking up the status quo, asking uncomfortable questions, upending business models and fighting preconceptions.
The exclusive ranking of Africa’s Top 50 disruptors is based on three factors: innovation, disruption and heft. These criteria take into account how new the idea is, how big the change is and how many people are impacted.
“Popular radio host Henry Costa has channeled public anger into a series of demonstrations against the administration, gathering hundreds of thousands of Liberians onto the streets of Monrovia to show Weah the red card. With the news that Liberia will auction oil blocks in 2020, Costa is organizing new protests with his ‘Council of Patriots’. The government arrested him over immigration irregularities in Sierra Leone in January this year, having shut down his radio station in October 2019”
– The African Report
The report recognized that the euphoria that followed ex-soccer star George Weah into office quickly dissipated.
“Repeated corruption allegations dog the new government. And quality of life has not improved. Popular radio host Henry Costa has channeled public anger into a series of demonstrations against the administration, gathering hundreds of thousands of Liberians onto the streets of Monrovia to show Weah the red card. With the news that Liberia will auction oil blocks in 2020, Costa is organizing new protests with his ‘Council of Patriots’. The government arrested him over immigration irregularities in Sierra Leone in January this year, having shut down his radio station in October 2019,” the Report stated.
Others on the ‘To 50 Disruptors’ include: 2019 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Abiy Ahmed, President of Ethiopia; Aliko Dangote a businessman and a reformist, the Presidents of Ghana and Ivory Coast Nana Akufo-Addo and Alassane Ouattara; João Lourenço of Angola; Koos Bekker, a Tech king based in South Africa; Anas Aremeyaw Anas, an investigative journalist bent on naming, shaming and jailing corrupt officials of government, among others.