Minister Lewis Brown Flogs Assistant Minister Ricks Barseegiah

Liberia’s Ministry of Information & Cultural Affairs on Capitol Hill was a scene of laughter last Friday when two officials of that Ministry threw insults and blows at each other following bitter arguments between the two. The exchange of insults and blows between Minister Lewis Browne and Assistant Minister Ricks Barseegiah, according to eyewitnesses drew the attention of dozens of the Ministry’s employees and other guests who had gone to the Ministry that day. Eyewitnesses at the Ministry said that the entire episode started when Minister Browne made an appointment in the office of Assistant Minister Barsigiah without informing he Barsigiah, this according to our source annoyed the Assistant Minister.

Our source said upon hearing the news that an appointment had been made in his (Barseegiah) office he ‘angrily approached his boss (Lewis Browne), this action according to our source irritated the Minister to replied, saying, “I am not answerable to you.”

This situation gives rise to verbal and physical attack as other personages who have gone to transact businesses look on with amazement. While this was on going, employees of the Ministry watched the scene with disappointment.

When our reporter contacted both officials as to what gave rise to such happenings at their office, they all declined to comment on the issue.

The Ministry of Information is noted for officials disgruntle behavior. It can be recalled, few years ago similar incident happened when the late Joe Mulbah who was then Minister got into a fierce fight with his Deputy Minister, J. Milton Teajay, who is now a sitting senator. The two officials got into fierce fight due to policy difference.

In a related development, Ministry of Information, Culture Affairs and Tourism (MICAT), has appointed Mrs. Agatha Thompson as Director of the National Bureau of Communication at the Ministry. In the letter of appointment, Information Minister Lewis G. Brown expressed explicit confidence in Mrs. Thompson’s ability to move the Bureau forward.

The MICAT Boss also urged the appointee to exhibit a level of experience that would help to improve the Communication Bureau.

“Activities of the National Bureau of Communication have been dormant for more than two years and with the appointment of the new Boss, the Bureau will now kick-off,” Minister Brown said in the appointment.

Prior to her appointment, Mrs. Thompson was serving as Assistant Director of Human Resource for Personnel at MICAT.