By Jeremiah Gayflor
Nimba County Correspondent
Ganta, Nimba County –The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has voiced serious concerns about the effectiveness of current anti-corruption initiatives in the country, criticizing both the rhetoric and the limited stakeholder involvement in ongoing efforts.
Speaking at the opening session of a two-day training workshop for journalists in Ganta, PUL President Julius Kanubah noted that despite years of anti-corruption efforts, Liberia continues to struggle with systemic graft.
He cited the government’s own repeated use of terms like “public enemy number one,” “vampire,” “cancer,” and “king kong” to describe corruption as evidence of a persistent failure to address the issue meaningfully.
The workshop, themed “Uncovering the Facts: Strengthening Integrity through Journalism,” is organized by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) with support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and funding from the UN Peacebuilding Fund.
It forms part of a broader initiative to empower citizens and promote transparency in governance and public service delivery.
Kanubah acknowledged the value of the training, which focuses on investigative journalism and anti-corruption reporting, but expressed concern over the exclusion of the PUL from its planning and execution.
“While the good intentions of capacity building are commendable, it is crucial to recognize that outcomes may not meet expectations if relevant stakeholders are not fully included,” he said.
He emphasized that the PUL should play a central role in shaping, implementing, and evaluating media-related initiatives, warning that sidelining the Union undermines their sustainability and impact. Kanubah also called for long-term investments in investigative journalism to help institutionalize anti-corruption efforts within a media environment often constrained by political and economic pressures.
The Ganta workshop brings together 30 journalists from across Liberia, including 12 women. It features facilitators from the LACC, UN agencies, and local media, covering topics such as asset declaration, corruption detection, development reporting, digital forensics, and ethical journalism ~ particularly on social media platforms. The use of artificial intelligence in investigative reporting is also included in the curriculum.
Kanubah concluded by urging civil society, the government, and international partners to foster genuine collaboration and sustained commitment to integrity, transparency, and press freedom in Liberia.
