The Legislative Press Pool (LEGISPOL) are not pleased with the recent Award Committee’s accolade to one of the legislative reporter, Gbatemah Semah. The group has taken exception to the award.
In a press release issued Monday in Monrovia, Liberia, the legislative reporters said, “Gbatemah Semah does not report from the Legislature.”
According to the release, LEGISPOL rubbished particularly the award given to Semah of the Bush Chicken and called on the Press Union of Liberia to revoke the award with immediate effect or LEGISPOL will put up none-cooperative posture against the union.
Scores of Legislative reporters were stunned Friday, when PUL’s Annual Award Committee awarded reporter Semah of Bush Chicken, as Legislative Reporter of the year.
“It’s disgusting and irritating to say the least on the part of the Award Committee to issue an Award to someone who does not report from the Legislature. We believe virus has infiltrated the committee to erode the hard earned prestige of some of the veterans on the committee,” the statement under the signature of President E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor states.
“We call on the PUL leadership to revoke the award and to expeditiously launch an investigation so as to salvage the image of our noble institution.”
Mr. Isaac Redd, a member of the committee posted on his Facebook page that the deadline for submission elapsed, and that the only submission made was that of Legislative Reporters Austin Kawah of Prime FM and Trojan Molley Kiazulo of FABRIC radio, respectively.
As to how this journalist entry was entered among legislative reporter category remains a major question that must be answered by members of the Committee.
Director Redd’s assertion has left us to believe that the award was either tempered with or influenced, and has further given LEGISPOL the clue that the application presented by reporter Semah was accepted by the award’s committee following the deadline for submission.
“We strongly believe that the PUL must act expeditiously to correct this wrong as doing so will undo the damage and embarrassment caused by the award committee, the release said.
