Liberia: Publishers Association wants NPA Boss, Bill Twehway, Settle Financial obligations

The Publishers Association of Liberia is calling on the Managing Director of the National Port Authority-NPA, Bill Twehway, to settle financial  obligations  to media institutions to avoid severe consequences. 

The NPA boss has refused to settle his indebtedness to a number of media houses for over three years, after performing legitimate media related services for the port  despite several promises made and discussions held with it.

PAL sees the action of the NPA management as a deliberate attempt to strangulate and further increase hardship on the media. The NPA owes a minimum amount to the media.

PAL believes the delay in settling media payments could lead to souring the already cordial relations between the government and the media. 

“We think the attitude of Mr. Twehway is deliberate and an affront to the already struggling media landscape. We cannot do legitimate work for his entity and time to pay, you and your team start to play games with the media. This is unacceptable,” Mr. Othello Garblah, president of PAL said.

PAL is therefore demanding in the strongest terms for the NPA  boss to settle all media debts or else it would take any legal and professional action for the betterment of the media.

Some of the payments have lasted over three years and NPA has admitted to owning a number of media houses. 

“We do not want to have any indirect confrontation with the government due to the inability or refusal to pay media debts.  We are calling on the president, George Weah, to prevail on his appointed official to settle these payments.  You cannot tell me that NPA is broke and unable to pay its obligations,” Mr. Garblah further said.

The Publishers Association is also calling on all other government (GOL) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are indebted to the media to settle their debts at once, to avoid any embarrassment.