Claim: Isaac Jackson, Ben Sanvee and Henry Costa have refused to work since birth
Verdict: incorrect
Source: Activist Martin Kollie
Full text: “They’ve refused to work since birth. Lazy Trio: 1) Henry P. Costa (41 years) Liability #1; 2) Isaac W. Jackson (51 years) Liability #2: Ben Sanvee (45 years) Liability #3.”
On November 2, 2023, Martin K.N. Kollie, an activist and staunch supporter of former Vice President Joseph Boakai’s election bid, stated on his official Facebook handle that Jackson, Costa, and Ben Sanvee have refused to work since birth. As of the time we looked, the post has received 1.1k reactions, 65 shares, and 631 comments.
Verification: The stage media found evidence that the above-mentioned individuals have worked in and out of public space, contrary to Martin’s claim that they have never worked since birth.
Isaac Jackson:
Credit: Isaac Jackson
During the administration of former President Sirleaf, Jackson served as Deputy Minister of Information for Public Affairs (2011-2016). Assistant Minister for Information Service, Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (2010-2012). Liberia’s Representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). In September 2020, the Liberian Supreme Court banned Attorney Isaac Jackson from practising law in the country for a year due to an alleged unprovoked verbal assault and insult directed at the Chief Justice of the honourable Supreme Court of Liberia, where he had gone to challenge his removal as Liberia’s Representative to the IMO. Jackson who was in 2016 appointed to the IMO by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was replaced by Moses Owen Browen following an unfavourable verdict from the Supreme Court to his challenge of his position as Liberia’s IMO after receiving a slap in the face by that honourable court. He served in the position from 2016-2020.
Henry Costa:
Credit: Bush Chicken
Henry Pedro Costa (born August 6, 1982) is a Liberian radio talk show host, political pundit, and politician. Costa was a one-time critic of George Weah, and a former leader of the Council of Patriots, a pro-democracy advocacy group that organized enormous rallies against Weah in June and January 2020. In May 2020, The Africa Report, a Paris-based publication, named him the 33rd Most Influential African constructively altering things on the continent, among Julius Malema, Aliko Dangote, and others. On March 21, 2014, Costa was imprisoned at the Monrovia Central Prison after his legal team was unable to secure a bond for his release. Costa is accused of making terrorist threats, intimidating others, and criminal coercion and was subsequently released on March 24, 2014. Costa is the owner of Roots FM, which was shut down (see here and here) by the Weah administration for preaching hit messages after many attempts in 2019 to damage the station’s transmitter, here and here. Prior to owning Root FM, Costa had worked for Hot FM.
Benjamin Sanvee:
Benjamin Sanvee famously known as Ben Sanvee worked at Liberia’s Coca-Cola Bottling Company as Logistics Manager at Liberia Coca-Cola Bottling Company. Sanvee served as National Youth Advisor in the government of former Liberian President Charles Taylor and contested the special senatorial elections held in December 2014 against current President George Weah and Roberts Sirleaf, son of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Conclusion: From our research, it is established that Martin misinformed the public when he said the within-named individuals have never worked since birth.
