If this cannot be done, the second-best alternative is for President Weah and his Office to without much hesitation, recant the claims and apologize unreservedly to journalist Paye-Layleh. Unarguably, the rights of journalist Paye-Layleh to move freely and perform his journalistic work as a citizen of Liberia has now been endangered and substantially undermined. Will President Weah, his government, and his fervent supporters ever believe the reportage of journalist Paye-Layleh, now and into the future? It is tempting to say that president Weah might not have spoken out of frustration or he might not have been a frustrated president when he made the comments against journalist Paye-Layleh. No journalist or any Liberian has questioned President Weah’s rights to freedom of speech or to represent his ideas and feelings in lieu of his claims against journalist Paye-Layleh.

Source: Daily Observer April 04, 2018 02:15 UTC