Embassy of China Donates Two Motocycles To LINA

MONROVIA, Sept. 16 (LINA) -The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China near Monrovia has donated two motorcycles to the Liberia News Agency (LINA) to help enhance the collection and subsequent dissemination of news and information for the growth and development of the country.

The Liberia News Agency is one of the central news collection and dissemination entities of the Liberian government mandated to promote a viable, united and cohesive nation via news and information that engender national development, peace and unity.

According to a statement by Chinese Ambassador REN Yisheng, the donation of the motorcycles is China’s own way of supporting the Liberia News Agency in carrying out its activities across the country.

The Chinese envoy, who described LINA as “China’s old friend,” added that the gesture is intended to help enhance the good relationship between his country and the agency.

He expressed the desire for a fruitful working relationship between the Chinese Embassy in Monrovia and the Liberia News Agency for the betterment of both institutions.

For his part, the Director General of LINA, Kwame Oldpa Weeks, lauded the Chinese Embassy near Monrovia for its timely intervention, citing that the kind gesture couldn’t have come at a better time other than now, considering the challenges staff at the institution face when it comes to the aspect of gathering the news.

The LINA boss said although the two motorcycles wouldn’t address the issue of mobility in its entirety at the institution, “it will help move the needle a little bit”.

Director Weeks added that since taking over the agency for the past three and a half years, the agency cannot boast of having a single vehicle for the operations of the entity.

The LINA boss emphasized that employees of the Agency sometimes find it difficult to carry on the work of the agency, most especially the gathering of the news which is based on the factor of timeliness.

He lamented that it is very difficult to cover the length and breadth of counties like Grand Gedeh, Bong, Lofa, and Nimba, among others, without an assigned vehicle, citing that such challenge have negatively impacted the production arm of the agency charged with the responsibility of promoting a viable, united and cohesive nation via stories that spur national development, peace and unity.

However, the LINA Director General assured the citizenry that staffers at the agency will do everything possible to ensure that they deliver to the expectations of the citizenry in line with the roles of the institution.

“Even without those bikes, the guys were still working, they were moving. Even though we are challenged, we can’t sit back and say because we are challenged so we will not work. It is just that sometimes they miss the timeliness of the news by 5 -10 percent,” Director Weeks noted.

He furthered observed that it is not the first of its kind for the Chinese Embassy to extend helping hand to LINA, noting that the Embassy has donated computers, printers, among others, in the past.

The LINA top official maintained that the relations between the two institutions go as far back as pre-civil war and was reignited in 2018 during the regime of the predecessor of Ambassador REN.

Weeks said from all indications, the Liberia News Agency can do better in the collection and dissemination of accurate information for public consumption once the necessary logistical support is provided for the smooth running of the institution.