According to the Bureau, Closing Argument was recently denied accreditation after failing to meet the necessary criteria established for media organizations. This denial, the Bureau suggests, may have prompted the “misleading and erroneous allegations.”
MONROVIA – The Press Bureau of the Honorable House of Representatives has rejected accusations made by the social media talk-show platform Closing Argument against Director Robert Haynes and the Bureau.
By Francis G. Boayue, [email protected]
Closing Argument has alleged that the Press Bureau, under Director Haynes, is censoring media coverage of Representatives Yekeh Kolubah and Musa Hassan Bility. The Bureau emphatically refutes these claims, which it says lack both factual and logical foundation.
According to the Bureau, Closing Argument was recently denied accreditation after failing to meet the necessary criteria established for media organizations. This denial, the Bureau suggests, may have prompted the “misleading and erroneous allegations” currently circulating on the platform.
“The accreditation process is designed to ensure that only legitimate media outlets—whether print, electronic, or online television—are granted access to cover the House’s activities,” the Bureau said. “As a talk-show platform, Closing Argument does not meet these standards and is not eligible for such accreditation.”
The Press Bureau also noted that it operates strictly within the framework of the Liberian Constitution and the Kamara Abdullah Kamara Act, both of which guarantee freedom of speech; and as such, it expressed commitment to upholding these principles and ensuring that all media entities, regardless of their stance toward House members, can report on legislative activities without interference or bias.
Said the Bureau: “There is no history or policy within the Bureau that supports media censorship, and neither Director Haynes nor the Bureau has ever engaged in selective reporting against any representative, including Kolubah and Bility. The Bureau remains dedicated to providing fair and balanced access to information about the legislative activities of all members of the 55th Legislature.”
In light of these facts, the Press Bureau is calling on the Press Union of Liberia to intervene and prevent Closing Argument from disseminating misinformation that damages the credibility of the House of Representatives’ Press Bureau.
“Such groundless allegations undermine the Bureau’s exemplary work and tarnish the reputation of a critical institution designed to ensure transparency and accountability in government,” the Bureau said.
