By Socrates Smythe Saywon
MONROVIA – Human rights lawyer and politician Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe has called for a fundamental shift in the way Liberia’s Ministry of Information operates, stressing that its true role is to educate, inform, and inspire citizens rather than defend government mistakes or attack critics.
In a statement reflecting on Liberia’s past and present approaches to public communication, Gongloe recalled the leadership of Dr. Edward Beyan Kesselly, who served as Minister of Information in the mid-1970s under President William R. Tolbert. According to him, Dr. Kesselly set a national standard for what effective information leadership should be.
“The role of a Minister of Information is not to attack critics or defend mistakes,” Cllr. Gongloe said. “The true responsibility is to inform, educate, and inspire the people of Liberia about what their government is doing, its policies, its programs, its development projects, and even the Constitution itself. This must be done in simple English so that every Liberian, whether farmer, student, market woman, or town chief, can understand.”
He recounted how Dr. Kesselly moved beyond the confines of Monrovia to carry President Tolbert’s message of self-reliance and integrated rural development to communities across Liberia. Gongloe noted that the Ministry of Information at the time used radio, drama, and cultural performances to translate government policies into everyday life. He cited slogans such as “The soil is a bank,” “Grow more food,” and “From mat to mattress” as examples of how Kesselly’s leadership empowered citizens.
Equally important, he said, was Kesselly’s ability to listen. “He paid attention to the views of the people and ensured government responded where correction was needed,” Gongloe explained. “In this way, he made government responsive, not reactive, a partner of the people, not a defender of itself.”
Gongloe drew a sharp contrast between the 1970s and today, arguing that corporations like Bea Mountain, ArcelorMittal, Orange, and Lonestar now communicate more effectively with Liberians than their own government. “Meanwhile, the government’s ARREST Agenda remains largely unknown to the very people it is meant to serve,” he said. “Where are the slogans to inspire? Where are the dramas and cultural performances to inform? Where is the plan for a National Cultural Center? Can there be effective tourism without a cultural center?”
He warned against reducing the Ministry of Information to a propaganda machine and emphasized that its mission must be rooted in building trust. “The Ministry of Information must not be reduced to propaganda. Its mission is to build trust between the government and the people by providing clear, truthful, and accessible information,” Gongloe asserted. “It must motivate citizens to become active partners in national development, not make them indifferent, scornful, or passive recipients of government messages.”
Reflecting on the legacy of his hometown of Glehyee Zorpeay, where community members built their own school and road with little outside help, Gongloe pointed to self-reliance as an enduring national strength. He revealed that his family had constructed an auditorium and library in memory of his late father, Teacher Wilfred Kehleboe Gongloe, who was buried on the school campus, a gesture rooted in the same spirit of grassroots development that Kesselly promoted.
Concluding his remarks, Gongloe urged today’s leaders to learn from history. “A wise man changes. Therefore, if Liberia is to move forward, today’s leaders must return to the example of Dr. Edward Beyan Kesselly. He showed that with clarity, discipline, respect for the people, and a willingness to listen, the Ministry of Information can be one of the most powerful tools for national progress,” he said.
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