Ministry of Information Distances Itself from Presidential Press Secretary’s Meeting with State-Owned Enterprises

By Desmond Gbeleh Wion

The Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism through its Deputy Minister for Press and Public Affairs, Daniel Sando, has distanced the ministry from the recent meeting between Presidential Press Secretary Kula Fofana and the Senior Management Team of the National Port Authority, (NPA) which is a state-owned enterprise (SOE), stating that they were not involved nor contacted.

When asked by Journalist Desmond Wion of Democracy Watch during a regular Tuesday Press briefing in Monrovia about the coordination of government communications between the two offices, the office of the Presidential Press Secretary and the Ministry of Information, Minister Sando Said ” I can’t speak for Presidential Press Secretary Kula Fofana, least can I comment on her recently held meeting with NPA”.

On March 17, 2025, Presidential Press Secretary Kula Fofana reported on her office’s official Facebook page details of her meeting with the senior management team of NPA, stating it is aimed at fostering a commitment to transparency, efficiency, and sustainable economic growth. Following the release of her meeting, it has been two days now, and other political analysts feel it is unethical and uncalled for the Presidential Press Secretary to engage in meetings of such kind, excluding the Ministry of Information and the Bureau of State Owned Enterprises.

Others believe the decision of Presidential Press Secretary Kula Fofana to hold meetings with State Owned Enterprises not only silence in function or overshadow the Ministry of Information responsible for government communication and media relations but also the recent action by Madam Others proves a complete showmanship, overlapping of function and gross abuse of power.

This continues to spark concerns throughout the political landscape of Liberia, making citizens to suggest in their minds as to whether Kula Fofana could probably be drunk with power or deliberately choosing to silence the responsibility of other government officials whose TOR calls for that. Others argue that Kula Fofana is a Presidential Press Secretary whose TOR is squarely narrowed down only in the office of the President of the Republic of Liberia, which directly falls under the Ministry of State of Presidential Affairs and not with SOEs or other government line Ministries and Agencies. As the argument borders on the ethical discharge of professional conduct and duty, the office of the Presidential Press Secretary still remained deliberately silent and yet to clarify whether Kula’s meeting with the NPA senior management team was influenced by ethicality and professionalism backed up by her ToR.

Critics continue to analyze what could possibly be true about Kula’s meeting with NPA, asking the hardest questions.
; “Was she authorized by the President to represent him at NPA, or was her meeting approved by the Bureau of State Owned Enterprises? Was she sent by the Minister of Presidential Affairs since that is where she works, or does her ToR give her all legitimate rights,”?

They also believe that such engagements should be coordinated through the relevant ministries to ensure accountability, fairness, and proper governance.

However, it remains unclear whether further engagements of this nature will continue without direct involvement from the Ministry of Information or the Bureau of State-Owned Enterprises.

Meanwhile, political analysts suggest that this development highlights ongoing concerns about the delineation of roles within the government’s communication structure. Observers are now waiting to see whether the Presidency will provide further clarification on the matter.