Managing Director of ADMA Speaks at a Media Conference in Grand Bassa County

Ambassador B. Elias Shoniyin, Managing Director of Africa Development Management Associates, has reminded Liberians that while poverty remains a pressing challenge — especially in rural communities like Grand Bassa County — silence is no longer an option.

He emphasized that decades of neglect and governance failures have deepened hardship, but the future can be different if voices are raised and truth is spoken. Addressing journalists in Grand Bassa, Ambassador Shoniyin urged them to break the silence: “A county without a functioning press is a county without a mirror. Without you, Grand Bassa will never see itself clearly to know that there is an urgent need for change.”

Liberia’s progress on the World Press Freedom Index — moving from 75th in 2022 to 58th in 2026 — shows that conditions for journalism are improving. But Ambassador Shoniyin reminded that rankings are only the stage; what matters is the courage and responsibility of those who stand on it. “The press is democracy’s immune system. When strong, it protects against corruption, injustice, and incompetence.”

Mr Shoniyin stated that the county’s development depends on a dynamic and independent press that can expose corruption, amplify the voices of citizens, and demand accountability from public officials.

Speaking under the theme “Strengthening Community Media for Development, Accountability, and National Progress,” Shoniyin said poverty and underdevelopment in Liberia’s rural communities are rooted not only in governance failures but also in “the silence of those who saw wrong and said nothing.”

“A county without a functioning press is a county without a mirror,” he told journalists, emphasizing that without a strong media, Grand Bassa would struggle to recognize its governance shortcomings and pursue meaningful change. In one of the speech’s strongest moments, Shoniyin condemned journalists who accept bribes or suppress stories for personal gain, describing such practices as “dressed-up fraud” rather than journalism.

“Journalism’s moral authority rests entirely on one foundation: the truth, told without fear or favor,” he said, warning that accepting money to kill stories or protecting political allies betrays the nearly 294,000 residents of Grand Bassa who rely on the media for accurate information.

He also reminded public officials that a free press should not be viewed as an adversary but as a partner in good governance. “The press is not your enemy. A functional press is, in fact, the best gift any government can receive. It tells you what is working and what is not before problems become crises,” he said.