Monrovia – Bomi County Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe has described as an act of “gangsterism” against critics and opposition politicians in Liberia, the unruly conduct of authorities of the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) under the Unity Party (UP) led-Government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
By Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
Senator Snowe observed that authorities at MICAT are in the constant habit of using public platforms accorded them to rain verbal attacks and insults against opposition politicians and critics of the government.
He named former Liberian President George Manneh Weah, former Vice President Jewel Howard -Taylor, the Political Leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) Alexander Cummings, Senators Crayton Duncan and Amara Konneh of Sinoe and Gbarpolu as well as the former President of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) Bishop Kortu Brown as some victims of unhealthy comments from officials of MICAT.
Raising the concern during regular sitting in the Chambers of the Liberian Senate on Thursday, October 16, 2025, Snowe also recalled a similar verbal attack against his character, when he was accused by MICAT of planning to destabilize the country.
He claimed that the alleged action of authorities of MICAT runs contrary to their assigned tasks and responsibilities.
“We have a problem in this country and the problem is facilitated by taxpayers’ money. Our Ministry of Information has turned to a platform to attack critical voices in the country. The Ministry used demeaning comments against former President Weah, Cummings and others, Snowe stated.
He stressed that public officials, especially those heading MICAT, should not use the government’s information dissemination platform to attack critical voices.
He pointed out that Information Minister Jerolinmek Mathew Piah and others should make use of their informal night time radio platform to respond to critics, instead of using the government’s platform setup by taxpayers’ money to do so.
“This is very serious. The Minister and others have a platform at night they can go to, consider it as an informal sector and say what they want to say there. But when you go to the Ministry of Information and you begin to attack critical voices and insult national leaders-I think that they are looting the standards of that ministry and it’s turning more to a gangsterism situation.”
Snowe maintained that authorities at MICAT could extend similar unruly behavior to others in the future if actions are not taken.
“Even in the country today, people are just insulting each other. But the premise is which the Ministry of Information because if you using the government’s platform to start insulting people, they will think that insulting is normal in the country.’’
Snowe further recalled that though he formally complained to the Liberian Senate on the destabilization of the country and a meeting was held with the Ministers of Information and Justice along with the leadership of the Senate, nothing has been done about the accusation.
He added that the accusation levied against him by the government is affecting him personally, and his reputation outside of Liberia. He, however, stressed the need for actions to be taken by the Senate to address the situation.
“The Ministry lied on me and it’s affecting me on the international scene. I’m informing the Senate that if nothing is done about it, I will have to consult my lawyer and I will go to court. But my name must be cleared. I don’t think it is the job of the Ministry of Information to lie on critical voices and insult people in the country,” he stated.
Snowe mentioned that if critics of the government, especially lawmakers cannot be protected for their views during legislative deliberations, they may not be protected anywhere else.
