By Joe Noutoua Wandah
Impeachable but reliable source privy to the recent reconciliatory talk organized by the American people funded USAID and its implementing partner Internews aimed at amicably resolving the crisis that has engulfed members of the Press union of Liberia (PUL) for months ongoing has failed due to what sources say personal egos which brought together the Daniel Nyankona and Julius Kanobah fictions that has been at each other throats since the ended Gbangba elections organized by the Charles Cuffy administration which hundreds of members both from the Julius’ fiction and other nonfictions members didn’t not attend due to what was referred to it as fraudulent voters rolls by the Julius’ team of the Union!
According, to a close source who took part in this meeting held at the Internews offices in Fiamah Sinkor a subrub of Monrovia in June the direct presentative of USAID which is one of the major financial supportive arms of activities of the Press union of Liberia categorically asked the two fictions “how do they feel about the current state of affairs at the Union”? Accordingly, the USAID representative indicated that the Union should be the arm organizing debate’s amongst political parties and conducting training for journalists for the pending October’s elections. To the USAID/Internews amazements nothing of such are ever in the making as the electioneering periods are fast approaching! Accordingly, with the prevailing situations USAID can’t in anyway disburse funding to the Union with such grave inner conflict that resolution are not in sight!
My source also indicated that the Daniel fiction represented by Himself and Akoi Baysah was category in stating that it was the Juius fiction who took them to court to seek redress on the Charles Cuffy led elections. And far they are concerned the Union did as per the Union’s constitution which called for Congress leading to elections at the end of any given administration. So based on that constitutional provision the Union proceeded to Gbangba Bong County to honored it. Daniel said that the Union is indebted to her landlord for the pass calendar one year and needed to pay at once!
The Julius fiction to the Union conflict which was represented by Wilmot Zarbay campaign chair and himself said that the entire process leading to the Gbangba convention was fraudulent from the membership to the convention committees in which there were no proper voter’s rolls publish! They also question the funding raised by the Cuffy led administration leading to the convention from quote on quote 1,300 plus memberships on their voter’s rolls which took them to Gbangba?
The Kanobah fiction, said that according to the constitution of the Union the turnue of the Cuffy led administration was over and every activities they are involved with are illegal.
They said that, they were willing to work with the committee set up by Charles Cuffy involving former veterans of the union headed by Prof. Wady Borley to interven in those disputes in finding a amicable solutions.
The conference then, took another dimensions with the USAID and Internews proffering alternatives to the resolutions on the ongoing conflicts; 1. There should be reelections, 2. An technical secretary should be form to run the affairs of the Union in the interim why the Union search for lasting understanding as done to the Female journalists association FJAL and the Associations of Liberian community radio ALICOR. And 3.Those who ran in the Gbangba elections unopposed should be inducted in the interim to spearhead the affair’s of the Union.
Accordingly, my source said that the Julius side of the Union had some grievances especially with the recognition of the party to the Gbangba election precisely the Secretary and Assistance Secretary which went unopposed! But, the USAID /Internews mediators convince the Julius group to allow reasons since it was an deadlocked within leadership of the Union! Notwithstanding, the rest of the two proposals was agreed but the Julius fiction to be taken back to their membership for proper redress.
With the Nyankona side of the group, according to my source Daniel was on mobile conversation with his side at the ongoing meeting of which they indicated they don’t agreed to any outcome of the discussion and don’t even want the Americans to be part of the PUL politic! The two fictions were told by the peace booker that with the discussion the legal advisor on Media activities at Internews will draft a document as a final resolution for the perusal of the two parties leading to a lasting resolution within the Union that has been torn apart which has rendered activities of the Union domain. My source said that the communication was emailed to both parties drafted by the legal advisor to Internews for their approval. My source, said the teams are yet to respond to those proposals!
Writes: Joe Noutoua Wandah
Full member of the PUL
