MONROVIA, Liberia – Days after House Speaker Bhofal Chambers denied ordering the revocation of dozens of journalists’ accreditation at the Legislature, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has said it is appalled to learn that the House of Representatives Press Bureau has revoked the accreditation of several reporters assigned at the Legislature, with the press bureau informing four of the affected reporters’ media outlets to replace them.
Last week Tuesday, at a press conference, the leadership of the LEGISLATIVE PRESS POOL (LEGISPOOL) alarmed that House Speaker Chambers is ‘muzzling the press’, accusing the Speaker of unilaterally ordering the revocation of accreditation of dozens of reporters assigned at the House of Representatives.
LEGISPOOL’s leadership said it has come to its attention that upon direct order from Speaker Chambers, the office of the House Press Bureau has revoked the accreditation of several members of the press pool, including LEGISPOOL’s president Musa Kenneh.
“We have been informed that Speaker Chambers has instructed the press bureau and door-men of the Chambers to reduce the number of reporters in the chamber of the House,” LEGISPOOL secretary-general Titus Dassie told the press conference.
LEGISPOOL notes that as provided for by what it calls the doctrine of administration, Speaker Chambers and his office do not have such power as to revoke the accreditation of reporters assigned at the Legislature by various media institutions.
The LEGISLATIVE PRESS POLL further accused Speaker Chambers of ordering the revocation of the18 reporters on the ground that their reportage is repetitive, with LEGISPOOL describing the Speaker’s action as being ultra-administrative and a one that the group says taints the tenets of best practices.
But on Sunday, Spekar Chambers’ office distanced the Speaker from the action revoking the accreditation of 81 out of 27 reporters assigned at the Legislature, terming accusation that he ordered the revocation action as being disingenuous.
Howbeit, RSF condemns the revocation of the accreditation of the reporters, and describes same as a violation of press freedom, specifically calling for four of the banned reporters, Musa Kenneh of Truth FM, Jackson Foyofayiah of Focus newspaper and Meme Simoke and Edward Palmer of Corruption Watch newspaper to be allowed to resume covering activities of the Legislature.
Kenneh, Foyofayiah, Meme and Palmer have been banned from the grounds of the Legislature since 19 February as a result of a decision by the House of Representatives, according to RSF, saying she (RSF) has been told that the reporters cannot attend any of the lower house’s activities, including plenary sessions.
In a letter to their news organizations, Isaac G. Redd, the head of the Press and Public Affairs Bureau of the House of Representatives, wrote that, in order to improve the media’s coverage of parliament, “we have adopted a policy to infuse new reporters and remove those who are redundant and have been repetitive in their coverages.”
The letter added: “We have identified your reporter as one of those whose accreditation is hereby revoked. We are therefore requesting your institution to send a replacement.”
“Withdrawing the accreditation of journalists is a serious impediment to the freedom to inform,” said Assane Diagne, the head of RSF’s West Africa office. “This measure also constitutes interference in the workings of the media outlets concerned. It is the job of their editors to decide which journalists cover parliament and to evaluate their work.”
Liberia is ranked 89th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2018 World Press Freedom Index.
