Monrovia, August 6, 2025 – The Student Unification Party (SUP), Liberia’s most influential student political movement, has sharply criticized what it calls a “dangerous trend” of media intimidation by some government officials, while also calling out public servants who have abandoned their constitutional duties to moonlight as talk show hosts and political commentators.
Speaking at a press conference on the main campus of the University of Liberia on Capitol Hill, SUP’s Secretary-General, Comrade Odecious Mulbah, said Liberia’s democracy is under threat from rising hostility against independent journalism and a worrying culture of public officials “playing journalist” while ignoring the work for which they are paid.
“The media must not be intimidated. Liberia’s democracy hinges on a free and vibrant press that holds power to account,” Comrade Odecious Mulbah declared. “We are witnessing coordinated attacks, subtle threats, and blackmail tactics against journalists who dare to question power or expose corruption. This is unacceptable.”
SUP warned that the student movement, along with progressive voices across Liberia, will fiercely resist any attempt to muzzle journalists or shrink the space for free expression. The group emphasized that Liberia’s post-war democratic gains are rooted in respect for fundamental rights, including press freedom.
The movement also criticized what it described as “media impersonation” by certain public officials who are “abandoning their statutory responsibilities to become media personalities.”
“It is deeply troubling to see government officials, who are supposed to be serving the Liberian people, sitting on air every day acting like journalists, defending policies instead of implementing them. This amounts to betrayal of public trust,” the statement said.
SUP further took aim at the culture of “money spraying” at public events, labeling it a reckless display of insensitivity in a country still grappling with economic hardship.
“Spraying cash in front of the suffering masses is not celebration; it’s provocation. Leaders should be showing humility and service, not extravagance,” Comrade [Name] added.
The student group urged President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) to speak against the rising tide of media suppression and ensure that public institutions act in accordance with the Constitution.
In a show of solidarity, SUP encouraged media practitioners to remain steadfast, factual, and professional in their reporting, assuring them of student-led mobilization in defense of press freedom should the attacks continue.
Several civil society and media advocacy groups have since welcomed SUP’s position, calling it a “bold and timely intervention” amid growing concerns about the state of free speech in the country.
