LIBERIA WATER AND Sewer Corporation (LWSC) Managing Director Mohammed Mo Ali has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of FrontPage Africa and its Managing Publisher, Rodney D. Sieh, amid the newspaper’s sustained coverage of the ongoing US$19 million cocaine investigation.
In a recent public statement, Ali declared:
“We will pay no attention to bribe seeking and corrupt people pretending to be journalists. We know most of those so-called big journalists thrives on gossips to seek attention. Their favorite people were rocked by drug scandals and so they think our Vice President too should. This is an open challenge for any of you passing around with those flimsy and unsubstantiated allegations to present your evidence. If not, then shut the heck up and find place to sit. This is exactly why your papers have lost relevance.”
THESE REMARKS ARE unfortunate, unbecoming of a senior public official, and reflect a troubling intolerance toward legitimate journalistic inquiry.
SINCE THE JUNE drug seizure, FrontPage Africa has consistently reported on developments surrounding the investigation. Through its news coverage and editorials, the newspaper has repeatedly called on the Government of Liberia to conduct a thorough, transparent, and credible investigation and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.
THE NEWSPAPER’S REPORTING, coupled with growing public concern, contributed to heightened legislative scrutiny of the case. The Liberian Senate subsequently invited members of the Joint Security to provide updates on the status of the investigation, explain the apparent delays, and address concerns over the lack of arrests in the early stages of the probe.
AT THE TIME, security officials assured lawmakers that efforts were underway to identify and apprehend those responsible. Since then, several individuals have been arrested, while others remain at large.
FRONTPAGE AFRICA CONDEMNS Ali’s broadside against the media and urges government officials to exercise restraint and tolerance when confronted with public scrutiny. A free press plays an essential role in every democracy, particularly when questions of national security, drug trafficking, and public accountability are involved.
AS THE HEAD of one of Liberia’s most important public utilities, Ali’s focus should be on improving the performance of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation. LWSC possesses significant potential to generate revenue, expand services, and contribute meaningfully to national development. Yet, over the years, the institution has struggled to realize its full potential due to longstanding operational and management challenges.
UPON ASSUMING OFFICE, Ali pledged to transform the corporation and improve service delivery. Those commitments remain far more important to the Liberian people than social media exchanges or repeated attacks on journalists and media institutions.
FRONTPAGE AFRICA FEARS that if Ali continues to devote substantial time and energy to attacking critics rather than addressing the challenges facing LWSC, he risks becoming distracted from the responsibilities entrusted to him by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. The Liberian public deserves results, not rhetoric.
THE UNITY PARTY campaigned on a promise to confront the scourge of illicit drugs and strengthen accountability within government. The US$19 million cocaine case presents a critical opportunity for the administration to demonstrate that commitment and restore public confidence in the fight against transnational crime.
THERE IS NOTHING improper about Rodney Sieh or any journalist asking public officials to clarify their relationships with individuals connected to a major criminal investigation. When photographs emerge linking prominent officials to persons under investigation, questions are inevitable. Seeking explanations is not defamation; it is journalism. Transparency is not persecution; it is accountability.
FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS and political surrogates to respond with personal attacks and unsubstantiated accusations against journalists is both irresponsible and counterproductive. Public officials should welcome scrutiny, not seek to intimidate those whose responsibility is to ask difficult questions.
WE THEREFORE CALL on Ali and other government officials to demonstrate emotional intelligence and respect for democratic principles by supporting a robust, independent, and transparent investigation into the US$19 million cocaine case.
FOR TWO DECADES, FrontPage Africa has remained committed to a singular mission: informing the Liberian public through accurate, credible, and independent journalism while serving as a watchdog on behalf of society. That mission remains unchanged.
NO THREATS, INTIMIDATION, personal attacks, false accusations, or attempts to discredit the newspaper or its publisher will deter FrontPage Africa from carrying out its constitutional responsibility to report the truth and hold those in power accountable.
