PLAIN TRUTH: The Plain Truth Newspaper, one of the most critical local dailies on the President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf-led Government which many prefer to refer to as anti-government, is published by Attorney-At-Law Cyrinus Cephas who claims to have once served as a lawyer of President Sirleaf. The newspaper is printed by the SEAMARCO Printing Press which is owned by Makinde –a  Nigerian national.

Monrovia -  

rinting houses in Liberia are beginning to bear the cross of the troubles of media publishing outlets that might get in troubles with the national government. This has demonstrated by the arrest of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and owner of the SEAMARCO Printing Press by security personnel of the National Services Agency (NSA) over the weekend. 

Michael Makinde was picked up Saturday by state security and has since been detained at the NSA cells in Mamba Point in Monrovia for printing the December 9, 2009 edition of the Plain Truth Newspaper which carried on its front page “Ellen’s Gov’t Supplying Guinean Dissidents Arms? Military Junta Alleges”. 

The Plain Truth Newspaper, one of the most critical local dailies on the President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf-led Government which many prefer to refer to as anti-government, is published by Attorney-At-Law Cyrinus Cephas who claims to have once served as a lawyer of President Sirleaf. The newspaper is printed by the SEAMARCO Printing Press which is owned by Makinde –a  Nigerian national. 

 

Michael Makinde was picked up Saturday by state security and has since been detained at the NSA cells in Mamba Point in Monrovia for printing the December 9, 2009 edition of the Plain Truth Newspaper which carried on its front page “Ellen’s Gov’t Supplying Guinean Dissidents Arms? Military Junta Alleges.

According to the Plain Truth Newspaper, the Guinean Junta is accusing the government of President Sirleaf of aiding and abetting dissident forces with arms and ammunition to have it overthrown. 

“The report further added that the claim of Liberia’s support for dissident forces is an open secret amongst the citizenry as it is being discussed at market places, radio talk shows and around bars and restaurants in Conakry”, the Plain Truth Newspaper stated in its December 9th edition. 

The local daily continued, “Report says ordinary citizens in Conakry have been misled in believing that the Government of Liberia harbors Guinean dissidents along their common borders and is supplying them arms and ammunitions to unseat the government of Captain Camara”.

George Sackey, an executive of the printing house, when contacted, confirmed the arrest and detention of Makinde to FrontPageAfrica.  

Though he refused to further elaborate on the incident, he however said he was shoved out of the NSA building by state security when he tried to raise the issue that the printer cannot be held liable for his client’s (publisher’s) news article once the publisher’s newspaper is registered legally. 

“Or except they want us to be editing all the papers that will be coming here for printing before we print them which is actually not our job”, he said.  

“All we are concerned about is for any paper that comes here for printing to be registered with the Government”, Sackey added. 

He told FPA that the matter is expected to be forwarded to court Monday following two days of detention of the SEAMARCO’s CEO. 

The arrest and subsequent detention of Makinde has been causing stir and public concerns and condemnation among both members of the public as well as media executives with some describing the NSA’s action as an act of vengeance against both the printer and publisher by Fomba Sirleaf, the son of President Sirleaf who heads that security agency for his mother’s alleged implication in the fragile Guinean situation.  

Peter Quaqua, President of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) told FPA via mobile phone that Makinde’s detention is illegal as a printing house should not be held liable for the printing of any news item once that daily is legitimately registered with the Liberian Government. 

Quaqua said, “The NSA is just being cruel as there is no provision on such a matter that the printer can be held responsible for the printing of an article while the publisher walks about the town freely”. 

Justice Minister Cristiana  Tah during a recent news conference promised that the government will act in the scope of law should media entities fail to perform responsibly and ethically. But it remains unclear whether the arrest of Makinde was any breach of unethical lapse. 

Meanwhile, the PUL boss said it will be releasing a statement on the matter later Monday. 

At the same time, there are reports of a desperate hunt for Publisher Cephas who is said to be on the run. 

Efforts to get to the Minister of Justice proved unsuccessful but she told a recent news conference that Attorney Cephas had been invited to help state security assess the diplomatic and security implications of the story. She described the publication as damming and having both security and diplomatic implications.

The Attorney-General however denied the authenticity of the story, quoting President Sirleaf as saying Liberia will not be used as a staging ground for unrests.

Many are beginning to see the action of the state security as an attempt to scare printing house from printing what they term as critical and radical news articles about the government since publishers might be undeterred by threatened court actions from newsmakers and even the government as they might be continually publishing critical stories.

Reporter Nat Nyuan-Bayjay can be reached at nbayjay@frontpageafrica.com or 231-77-402-737.