Within the business landscape in this country one entity that has exemplarily stood the test of time amidst daunting challenges that could have seen it vanish in thin air of course is indisputably the National Petroleum (NP) Sierra Leone Limited.
As a matter of fact, the company is impressively one of the most successful indigenous companies growing through the economic ladder since its humble establishment by 35 Sierra Leoneans who bought shares from the Government from their end of service benefits.
Through the mapping and rolling out of prudent business initiatives and competent managerial steering, NP-SL metamorphosed from an indigenous baby to a towering company whose landmarks could not be easily counted with the fingers. An evident testimony of the company’s viability could be interpreted in its opening of branches in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia where it is providing qualitative customer care services to residents in those places.
Besides, trading in petroleum products, the company has been grossly contributing to economic growth through payment of taxes and churning out meaningful gestures under the cover of Corporate Social Responsibility that are transforming lives and improving communities.
A demonstrable impressive attribute is its commitment to ensure that petroleum products are always available and such has been preventing shortages that could create shocks in many quarters. The level of confidence which overseas business partners have reposed in the company has made it possible for entering into payment agreements thereby keeping the demand and supply chain open and running.
Very mindful of operating in a competitive space and dealing with people from various walks of life as well as private and public institutions, Management deems it befitting to put premium on enhanced customer care. For NP the customer is their number One Priority which is why it treats customers with kids’ gloves ensuring that they are availed opportunities and innovations geared toward making transactions easier and convenient.
The company has gained reputation for offering different jobs to Sierra Leoneans throughout the country where it is operating and this has helped in reducing stress and alleviating poverty.
It is a policy of the company that Sierra Leoneans must be given preference in terms of job opportunities which is a testament of the fact that the company is operating in line with deepening the country’s Local Content Policy. Making use of local talents makes it possible to forestall financial flight as it usually obtains in situations where foreigners are employed to do jobs which indigenes can do better.
Apart from primarily dealing in petroleum products the company also offers the general public a convenient way of cooking through NP Gas. It could be found, in different sizes, at all their filling stations and can also be accessed from other agents.
Moving away from the traditional way of transacting business through using physical cash or chits which at times lead to controversies, it was thought wise by the shareholders and Management to introduce the use of smart cards. With these cards, customers do not need to have huge cash in their possession to procure petroleum products, which is of course risky. They could purchase any quantity of petroleum product based on how much they have in their smart cards and want.
“I have been enjoying purchasing petrol for my car through the use of my smart card because I have been doing so in terms of other transactions and so this one fits in,” Mohamed Turay a Business Consultant frankly intimated noting that such is how developed countries operate within the business realm.
For its exceptional service delivery to numerous esteemed customers right across the country, the company has over the years gained accolades and recognition evident in bagging awards from institutions.
It therefore came as no big surprise recently for it to be awarded “Best Company of the Year” on 6th July 2019 during the National Business Award 2018/2019.
In the 10th Edition of the Global Corruption Barometer –Africa 2019 Transparency International and Afrobarometer it was indicated that in the DRC, eight out of ten citizens accessing services have to pay bribes. In Liberia it was almost half and that goes also for Sierra Leone at 52 percent, meaning half of the citizens have to pay bribes.
What is good about this latest Report as far as Sierra Leone is concerned is that only 43% said corruption increased in the past year – 2017/2018, compared to 70% in 2014. 52% of public service users in Sierra Leone said they paid a bribe in 2017/2018; 26% said the government is doing a bad job of tackling corruption; and 39% thought that ordinary citizens can make a difference in the fight against corruption.
The Report also encompassed that there are also improvements in the percentage of people who think that most or everyone working in key public institutions in Sierra Leone are corrupt.
In 2017/2018, 24% of people said that the President office was corrupt, compared to 48% in 2014.
The perception levels of citizens in Sierra Leone about their Members of Parliament being corrupt went down in 2017/2018 to 25%, from 50% in 2014.
In 2017/2018, 33% of people said that Government officials are corrupt, compared to 55% in 2014, with the percentage for Local government officials falling from 49% to 22%.
Sometimes what explains improvements is the array of anti-corruption measures in place. Generally, in the Report it was noted that most people think that corruption is increasing and governments are not doing enough.
Paul Banoba, Africa Regional Advisor for Transparency International revealed that most people in Africa feel corruption has increased in their country. He said at the same, the majority feel that they, as citizens, can make a difference in the fight against corruption.
Paul Banoba maintained that the trigger for actors to take action is usually a report. “The first step would be that we have an increased number of reports about where corruption is happening. But people need to be safe and encouraged in reporting corruption. Some of the ways in which this can be clear to them is through legal means, the availability of whistle-blower protection legislation and mechanisms and the clarity of the information of this availability. So they know that this exists and they can trust it. Then the number of reports is increasing and the State can take action,” he stated during the launch of the Report recently.
He said we also need to remind citizens that we do have a responsibility as individuals to be of integrity saying if everybody acted with integrity, then ideally they are shooting corruption out. Banoba said it is the responsibility of citizens not to offer a bribe because often bribes are not solicited but instead offered underscoring how that would also be a contribution in the fight against corruption.
Banoba stated that where there is good rule of law and good practices with regard to it and well-resourced institutions with clear mandates, it improves the functioning of the State. And when that happens and leadership is committed, it trickles into social will. Where society trusts, it increases the relationship between the State and its citizens and then we have a situation that is continuously going up.
The Police was highlighted by citizens as the institution to which they had to pay the most bribes to access services. Police is the law enforcement institution and there is a high interaction between people and the Police to report incidences of crime. They are powerful and where that power does not have accountability and no clear commitment from the top leadership, we would have challenges.
It was mentioned that Money laundering and foreign bribery also play a large role in corruption. What was also underscored is that there is a lot of infrastructure development going on in Africa right now and a number of service providers are international actors.
“We are recommending that laws should be put into place, a number of frameworks for anti-money laundering laws. We are asking that they should be enforced in Africa but also in the home countries of these companies so these companies behave responsibly when they are doing business in Africa. We are also calling for good standards and guidelines for ethical procurement, because a lot of the bribery would speak to the procurement process,” he furthered.
The Report indicated that where political will is clear, there will be improvement in the fight against corruption. It always starts at the top level of leadership. Policies have to be made clear and followed consistently, regardless of who is involved. The laws must be applied uniformly without impunity exercised. That builds confidence in society.
In reality it seems rather problematic to uphold the laws in place.
It stated that Members of opposition in Parliament have a role to play as well as coalitions of civil society and oversight institutions in pointing out the problems.
“It is a far from easy task. In fact, it is a daunting task. We have to remind our leaders on a daily basis if people are failing to access basic services that they, as leaders, have committed to provide. It means resigning to living in a dire situation and keeping people in poverty. These are the consequences of this type of measure and this is what the report that we are putting out today reflects,” Banoba concluded.
The ruling SLPP Member of Parliament, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh representing Constituency 111 was yesterday embarrassed in the Well of Parliament by the Acting Speaker of Parliament, when Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, who also doubles as the Deputy Speaker ordered the Sergeant at Arm to take Hon. Conteh out of the Well if refuses to sit down.
The issue came up during the ratification of the Financing Agreement that was brought by the Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa. Hon Tawa Conteh stood up quoting SO 23 in order to address some issues in the Agreement but the Acting Speaker did not allow the MP to say anything and that if he insists on standing the Sargent at Arm should ask him out.
The Leader of Government Business, Hon. Sidi Tunis and other APC Members of Parliament intervened quickly and asked the Acting Speaker not to allow Hon. Tawa Conteh to leave the Well. At that point some SLPP MPs rushed toward Hon. Tawa and the Sergeant at Arm preventing the latter not to throw Tawa out of the Well.
Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh in his response in the Well of Parliament said this is not the first time the Acting Speaker has attempted to instruct him what to do saying he will never follow the wrong procedures in Parliament furthering how he will not sit down because he is an elected MP and that nobody has the right to tell him what to talk in Parliament as he is representing his people.
After the Leader of Government finally calmed down Hon. Tawa Conteh, the Acting Speaker then asked the MP to state his position on the Financing Agreement but the Member of Parliament refused to do so say and sat down.
Ibrahim Dauda Sumah seeking refuge else where for fear of being killed
By Fatmata Jengbe
It has emerged last night that one Ibrahim Dauda Sumah commonly known as Dawize has been declared wanted by the police and community and religious leaders for his alleged involvement in gay activities contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
Investigation revealed that on the 6th July 2019, Ibrahim Dauda Sumah attended a show at the Companero Night Club in Kambia Town, Northwest Region of Sierra Leone.
A senior police investigator ASP Alfred Lahai said after his performance, Sumah decided to relax in one of the rooms inside the Night Club.
He said the investigation revealed that one of his friends Patrick Williams visited Sumah to know his status after the show.
ASP Lahai said a female worker of the Club Mabinty Kamara entered the room unannounced not knowing that somebody was inside there. He said on arrival, she saw both Sumah and Patrick naked romancing, kissing, and making love. He said the lady immediately raised an alarm and a huge crowd of onlookers entered the place to ascertain the allegations levied against Sumah. He said both Sumah and Patrick were drunk and did not close the door.
A senior family member, Alhaji Sumah said a huge crowd invaded the room and started manhandling Sumah and Patrick for contravening the laws of the land. Sumah according to the report encountered a broken hand following the merciless beating they received from the irate youths.
Through the intervention of the owner of the Night Club, Mr. Joseph Conteh, Sumah had to escape to an unknown destination and since then his whereabouts remains unknown.
According to the Imam of the Community, Sheik Foday Swarray, Sumah’s father died during the Ebola outbreak in 2014.
He was ordered to stay with his Uncle Shiek Gibrill Sumah who is also a learned scholar in Kambia Town.
He said the family began hearing the rumor about Sumah’s alleged activities with his male counterpart. His Uncle then threatened to kill him if the report is confirmed, because according to him, they came from a religious background and will not allow anybody to tarnish the image of the family.
All the warnings issued to Sumah fell on deaf ears as he was busy in his gay activities against the wish of the family and contrary to the laws governing the country.
Sumah who attended the Magburaka Boys Secondary School had time with his male counterparts since the school is mainly for boys.
Many people are of the view that Sumah got involved in this bad attitude because of his interaction with boys.
Meanwhile, the police in Kambia has issued a warrant of arrest for Dauda Sumah and Patrick Williams for failing to respond to police invitation. The Paramount Chief has put five million Leones for anybody that will provide information leading to Sumah’s arrest and prosecution.
Family members have however expressed serious concern about his safety since his whereabouts are unclear.
Director General, National Social Security and Insurance Trust, Mohamed Fuad Daboh
Following the overarching problems faced by the University Administration in relation to students’ accommodation in Njala University, the Director General of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust, Mohamed Fuad Daboh has revealed plans to construct an ultra-modem students’ hostel for students on Bo campus.
He made this disclosure during the last concluded public lectures held on both Njala and Bo Campuses respectively.
He said students’ accommodation has always been a perennial problem in institutions of higher learning and used the opportunity to inform his listening audience about their efforts to construct students’ hostels in five tertiary institutions across the country.
The Director General of NASSIT furthered that they have held bilateral meetings with the administration of these institutions and arrangements are far advanced for the commencement of the project which he described as wonderful.
Accordingly NASSIT shall be constructing on Bo campus a block comprising 216 rooms for 432 students with ancillary facilities that will provide a conducive learning environment for the students.
Responding, Vice Chancellor and Principal, Professor Abdullah Mansaray lauded the huge strides made by NASSIT to further deepen the knowledge of staff and students on the nature of the NASSIT scheme and also on behalf of the University Administration congratulated NASSIT for factoring Njala in their Corporate Social Responsibilities.
Students present also lavished praises on DG Mohamed Fuad Daboh for cushioning the problems of accommodation faced year in year out.
With a growing student enrolment slightly above 12,000 and limited hostel facilities on both Njala and Bo campuses which cater for nearly 800 students, there is need for construction of more students’ hostels.
NASSIT is a statutory Public Trust that was established by Act No. 5 of 2001 and it is charged with the responsibility of administering Sierra
Leone’s National Pension Scheme. It provides retirement and other benefits to meet the contingency needs of workers and their dependents.
The Sierra Leone government closed the country’s waters to fishing during the entire month of April to give flagging fish stocks a chance to rebuild. During that period industrial fishing companies were not allowed to fish, but artisanal fishers were.
Both industrial and artisanal fishers appeared to support the closure, the first of its kind, amid declining catches and an influx of virtually unregulated foreign fishing vessels that locals complain are wiping out fish stocks and putting them out of business. Officials declared the closure a success, as part of Sierra Leone’s broader effort to formalize and gain regulatory control of its fisheries. However, outside experts have expressed doubt that the move would do much to improve the country’s fisheries.
The fisheries minister, Emma Kowa Jalloh, said at a March 28 press conference that the main reason for the closure was to give the fish an opportunity to breed. She expressed concern over the numerous challenges the country is facing as a result of illegal, unreported and unregulated (often called IUU) fishing.
Kowa Jalloh said the government is taking a suite of measures beyond the one-month closure to ensure the country’s enormous fisheries potential is fully harnessed. Among them, she said, will be pushing for co-management of the country’s fisheries by stakeholders from industry, government and civil society; improving the reliability of data to enhance marine resource management; registering artisanal fishing boats; and appointing a national master fisherman to handle the affairs of fisherfolk. She pointed to a newly built fish-landing facility in the town of Tombo as an example of progress.
Fisheries Minister, Emma Kowa Jalloh spot checks a cold-storage facility in the capital Freetown to see that fish is available for the local marketDirector of Fisheries, Khadijatu Jalloh, at her office
An artisanal catch in the town of Tombo.Fishermen arrange their gear in Tombo. Many local artisanal fishermen supported the recent one-month closure of Sierra Leone’s waters to fishing by industrial vessels
“Guinea and Senegal implemented closed seasons, other countries also have closed areas,” the ministry’s director of fisheries, Khadijatu Jalloh, told Mongabay. “Sierra Leone is trying to implement both.”
In addition to the closed season Jalloh described the ministry’s restriction of industrial trawlers from working within 6 nautical miles (11 kilometers) of shore and the designation in 2012 of four marine protected areas closed to certain kinds of fishing. Seven years on, however, these protected areas have yet to be implemented. She also pointed to efforts to make artisanal fishing more sustainable by training local fishermen to report crimes to the authorities.
Despite the difficulties, the fishing sector is growing: according to Jalloh, in 2012 a comprehensive canoe registration effort recorded 10,700 canoes; in 2018 the number had grown to 12,000. “Everybody sees fishing as a lucrative business; you go in the morning, by the time you come back in the evening you have something to sell and make money,” Jalloh said.
Despite taking a hit to their bottom lines, the country’s industrial fishing sector cheered the recent closure. “The close season affected our business; certain overheads have to be covered by our own reserve,” Bassem Mohamed, president of Sierra Leone’s industrial fishing association and managing director of Freetown-based Sierra Fishing Company, one of the country’s top seafood suppliers, told Mongabay. “But in the end we support the idea because it is a big step the government took to tackle the challenge of fish depletion.”
An artisanal fisherman from Tombo, Mohamed Suma, said he and his colleagues were elated about the closure. For the first time, he said, locals felt the government was concerned about them and had taken a step to protect their interests. “The closed season is relevant for the restoration of the fish stock; however, the period is too short,” he told Mongabay.
According to Suma, things have gotten so bad that fishermen now spend days at sea, only to return with smaller catches than before. He outlined a number of grievances against the industrial fishing vessels: encroachment into the coastal zones meant for exclusive use by artisanal fishers, accidental yet costly destruction of artisanal fishers’ gear, and tragically, collisions at sea that have injured and killed artisanal fishers. He called on the government to take immediate action to protect artisanal fishers’ interests and safety.
Officials were likewise positive about the effect of the closure. A public notice from the ministry declaring the end of the closed season states that the navy, Joint Maritime Committee, Maritime Police and Artisanal Fishermen Consortium monitored the waters during the closure, and a specially formed task force monitored the supply chain to ensure no illegally caught fish entered.
“I consider the closed season a success; for the first time in the history of Sierra Leone there is a breathing space for fish,” said Salieu Sankoh, director of the World Bank’s West African Regional Fisheries Program (WARFP) in Sierra Leone, which funded two seven-day surveillance boat patrols during the closure. “You will liken it to every day 10 thousand boats are in the sea running after these fish stocks and about 100 industrial fishing boats rove those waters 24 hours, chasing the same fish stocks.”
Since 2010 the World Bank has been attempting to assist Sierra Leone and other West African countries improve governance and sustainable management of their fisheries and reduce illegal fishing. This has included helping artisanal fisherman develop local bylaws that restrict fishing using certain kinds of gear and during certain days, according to Sankoh.
A key principle of the overall effort has been controlling access to fish stocks, he said. “In Sierra Leone people don’t need to obtain permission to engage in fishing activities, so one can build a canoe in the morning and go fishing the evening,” he said.
However, not everyone was so optimistic about the effect of the closure. “A fishery closure is always welcome, but it has to make sure that it is long enough, and that backdoor fishing (illegal fishing) is controlled,” Dyhia Belhabib, a fisheries researcher at the NGO Ecotrust Canada, with expertise in the fisheries of West Africa, including Sierra Leone, told Mongabay in an email. “If we look at the case of Sierra Leone, and how rampant illegal fishing is, there is no way a one-month ban of industrial fishing achieves much.
“Even if it did, and even if there was effective control of all fishing (legal and illegal), the moment the fishery opens again, the fishing frenzy by industrial vessels will start again,” Belhabib added.
She said about 20 percent of the industrial vessels licensed to fish in Sierra Leone have been involved in criminal activity and nearly 80 percent of fishing companies operating in the country have vessels involved in IUU fishing — and that’s not counting unlicensed vessels. “We are talking about banning high risk vessels from fishing in a country where MCS [monitoring, control and surveillance] is relatively weak,” she said, adding that satellite tracking of automatic identification system signals from fishing vessels indicated there was plenty of fishing taking place in Sierra Leone’s waters during the April closure.
“While I think that a fishing ban for industrial vessels is urgent, if this ban is not accompanied with a strong monitoring control and surveillance strategy, it may only increase illegal fishing and mask its effects,” Belhabib said.
Weak enforcement of fisheries laws is an acknowledged problem in Sierra Leone. According to a fisheries ministry official who requested anonymity to avoid putting their job at risk, even when illegal fishing vessels are detained, no sooner they are brought to shore than they are released again. “Our efforts seem futile, and there is not much we can do, as the orders from above upturn our good work,” the source told Mongabay. “Mostly, we are caught between the lines; they see us as the bad people,” the source said, referring to upper-level ministry officials.
Uzman Unis Bah’s work has been featured in print and online in Pan African Visions Magazine. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from the University of Sierra Leone and a certificate in media campaigns for development and social change from the Radio Netherlands Training Center. In 2018, he represented Sierra Leone at the forum for Internet Freedom Conference in Accra, Ghana.
Director General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service- Mr. Joseph Lamboi
The Director General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service- Mr. Joseph Lamboi has introduced a system that compels Officers- in- Charge of Correctional Centres in the country to give accounts of their work publicly, to both senior and junior officers alike.
This, according to Mr. Lamboi, is the new shape the once- in- a month town hall meetings are going to take. The town hall meeting used to be known as the ‘Director General’s parade’. It is through that platform that issues of importance are discussed among officers. In the past, the platform used to be dominated by the DG.
Addressing the gathering, the DG said he made unannounced visits to eight centres in the provinces, including centres in the north- east, one in the east, and one in the south.
He explained that his visit was inspired by the fact that he wanted to share experiences, views, and information with officers in those parts of the country, adding he took key messages to them.
“I told them that the former DG did a lot to place the SLCS on strong footing.
This new administration, however, can achieve much more through coordination and devotion. At the end of the day, if we succeed, the glory will be ascribed to every one of us.”
The DG revealed that centres which do not record escapes, deaths, disease outbreak, riots, and make payments into the government’s consolidated fund from the proceeds of community service or industrial work done by inmates, will be awarded at the end of the year.
Touching on the matter of Welfare Fund being credited on a monthly basis by officers, Mr. Lamboi said under his leadership, he will make sure officers enjoy its benefit while they are alive. He recalled that the money used to be made available to officers, only in time of trouble.
There is widespread and systematic corruption within the banking sector in Sierra Leone. There is evidence to suggest that regular and widespread criminality has been committed by the financial services industry for several years, chiefly amongst which is lack of due diligence on politically exposed persons. Accountability and transparency need to be restored to the financial services industry, as confidence in the economy is built on the essential pillar of trust. The financial industry must not be able to commit and profit from controlled fraud and money laundering, despite this is becoming a way of life for some bankers. Financial sector firms should ensure that any engagement in high-corruption contexts proceed according to international norms of transparency and accountability.
Corruption and bribery profoundly affect vulnerable communities, either by misdirecting funds that could be spent on healthcare, education, or other public goods, or by preventing participation in the democratic process.
The most disturbing information reaching us is that the banks have been engaged in shady activities, for which the Central Bank, Bank of Sierra Leone is yet to provide satisfactory explanations for. There is a strong public suspicion that the Banks are in the habit of diverting state revenues into private ownership. According to several evidences we have, it is alleged that the UBA Bank in Sierra Leone engaged in similar activities. This is a serious dent on the financial sector’s already battered image.
CHRDI’s investigation of both National Social Security Trust (NASSIT) and the National Revenue Authority (NRA) has further evidence pointing to criminality in lending by the UBA Bank in Sierra Leone. At one point, a highly suspicious movement of state money took place within a separate account operated at the bank and the NRA, named SLL54012527004
(Account name- Account payable). The amount involved is Le. 754,969,279.66. However, this sum was diverted from Account payable A/C with a debited narration (Additional Tax Assessment Yr 2012 and 2013) and credited Transit account at Charlotte Street.
Evidence we have gathered from staff and victims of human rights abuses in the banking sector confirms that corruption disproportionately impacts the poor more than the rich in Sierra Leone.
Increasing risks of fraud and corruption should serve as a wake-up call that even the best run financial institutions can be victims to. It is an established fact that cunning employees and third parties bent on criminal intent can cause irreparable harm to the financial sector. This will damage public confidence in the government, slow down the delivery of services and the provision of public goods. It can also divert public funds to unlawful ends and reduce political competition, democratic and economic development, social equality and the rule of law.
A catalogue of failures in the design and enforcement of anti-money laundering laws has been enabling banks to help politicians from some of the most corrupt political parties to use government money to fund lavish lifestyles, while their constituents and the general population live in poverty.
Many of the direct human rights risks and issues faced by the finance sector are generic to all businesses, such as those relating to the treatment of employees, example as alleged in a particular case at the UBA Bank, Sierra Leone where staff were reported to have been subjected to inhuman treatment.
We have evidence that a former staff who was alleged to have been involved in fraudulent activities and was taken to the CID for further investigation and put in detention for two weeks but he continued to provide service to the bank whilst in detention. In another incident, a female staff was arrested and locked up for 24 hours and later sacked for non-valid reasons.
Several Sierra Leonean citizens who work in the financial sector continue to face human rights abuses. We have recorded a high number of these alleged abuses which can qualify for possible legal actions against the banks and we are calling on more people to come forward with their stories. For example, the Ecobank has been recently updating their customer details and the banks software system. After working a full week (Monday to Friday) the bank has been forcing its staff to also work on Saturday and Sunday throughout the months of May and June without any additional pay and rest. Young mothers are forced to abandon their children and families over the weekend. Some can’t even attend church. We believe that this is nothing short of inhumane.
In 2011, the UN Human Rights Council unanimously endorsed the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (Guiding Principles), the first international instrument to assign companies the responsibility to respect human rights. The responsibility to respect human rights, as defined by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (“the Guiding Principles”), requires that business enterprises adhere to the following:
(a) avoid causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts through their own activities, and address such impacts when they occur
(b) seek to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts that are directly linked to their operations, products or services by their business relationships, even if they have not contributed to those impacts.
Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, the responsibility to protect human rights has primarily fallen on governments. In the early 2000s however, it became increasingly clear that the freedoms enshrined in the framework could also be violated—and promoted—by the private sector.
CHRDI is more committed than ever to continue the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone, wherever it occurs and it shall continue to be a critical part of our organisation’s work to end extreme poverty.
Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) Executive Elections, Ahmed Sahid Nasrallah alias D-Monk
On the 8th July 2019, one of the Presidential aspirant in the upcoming 13th July 2019 Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) Executive Elections, Ahmed Sahid Nasrallah alias D-Monk, launched his Manifesto at the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists Headquarter on Campbell Street in Freetown during a well-attended ceremony that attracted journalists from various backgrounds as well as some relevant stakeholders.
The document which is tagged the SALT Manifesto, with the word, SALT, standing for Stimulate, Appreciate and Learn, Transfer, according to D-Monk, is in sync with the priority concerns of journalists in Sierra Leone.
He said when he and his team visited media houses to declare his intention to run for President in the 2019 Elections, they engaged colleagues and asked what their concerns were as practitioners and what kind of leadership they desire.
“What we have put together here is a manifesto which resonates with the feedbacks we got from the majority of journalists. So, from those concerns, we decided to prioritize four (4) key issues that are close to the heart of every journalist in Sierra Leone,” the Monk told the august gathering adding that the major issues encapsulated border around WELFARE, GENDER, MENTORSHIP and UNITY & INDEPENDENCE.
With regards welfare, he said, Media Houses are generally struggling to survive as businesses and therefore consequently, the welfare needs of journalists and their conditions of service are challenging and growing. “This is also having an impact on the quality of journalism in the country. If we have to work towards achieving independent and professional journalism, we need to give full attention to the working conditions of journalists and the viability of media businesses,” he noted.
Monk informed that his Executive will look at journalists’ welfare and working conditions from two angles: legal and economic. On the legal side, it is against the law for employers to pay their workers below the minimum wage.
“The law also requires payment of tax to NRA and a social security contribution to NASSIT for their employees. On the economic side, media houses argue that business is bad and that incomes don’t match expenditure. In other words, it is not profitable.
He maintained that while his Executive would not promise a quick fix solution or resolving the welfare and media viability issues entirely they would confront this perennial challenge in a holistic manner.
Monk promised doing the following:
I will encourage media owners to set up a Media Owners’ Association (MOA).
My Executive shall bring together all the stakeholders (SLAJ, the Independent Media Commission (IMC), the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG, the Labour Congress, Ministry of Labour, WIMSAL, the Sierra Leone Reporters Union (SLRU), the MOA, relevant Government agencies and other partners) to begin an engagement process that would inform the next steps in addressing this challenge.
We are aware of MRCG’s efforts in helping media houses set up structures that are conducive for the viability of the media. We wish to engage more and play a more active role to support these efforts. At the level of the MRCG, of which SLAJ and its affiliate bodies are key components, efforts are also already underway towards helping media houses in the area of professional management and resource mobilization to enable them be well structured and financially viable.
My Executive shall deepen our engagement with the IMC. We shall work with the IMC to create a platform for the Commission to have conversations with the media and seek to understand the challenges and opportunities for ethical and professional journalism. I will work with the IMC to dedicate more time and resources to working with the media to understand and discuss their challenges and together find sustainable solutions.
I will talk to debt recovery firms whose responsibility it is to go after debtors and recover monies owed to media houses. The process is safe, efficient, fast and it saves our colleagues the stress of hiring a lawyer to go to court. Most importantly, I will engage these firms to agree on a reasonable percentage fee they take on each recovery so that media houses get most of their monies back which otherwise could have left unpaid. Beyond that, my executive will urge media owners to maintain a system within their organisations that guarantees payment for published adverts to ensure sustainability.
In the area of Gender this was what he said:
I recognize that gender inequality is a major challenge in media. While we acknowledge that discrimination, harassment and inequality on the basis of gender are not limited to the media, SLAJ must make it a priority to deal with these issues within the media. This is why my Executive shall make gender a priority. The media is male dominated; in terms of ownership and representation in leadership positions across individual media institutions as well as SLAJ and its affiliate bodies.
Out of a total of 546 members only 124 are women. We see significant changes in the electronic media, but the print media still has a long way to go. How many women do we have as Station Managers/Editors? How many women media owners do we have? Women in the media suffer unequal distribution of assignments in the newsroom. The male reporters are given assignments to cover hard news while female reporters are given soft beats. Gender sensitive reporting in the media is low. These are only a few of the challenges our female colleagues face, and my Executive shall ensure that:
We work with our colleagues in WIMSAL and other pro-women groups to support our female colleagues to take their rightful place in SLAJ and in the media. While we do not have control over the employment policies of media houses, my Executive shall support efforts aimed at formulating policies that make the newsroom more conducive for our female colleagues.
I will encourage media houses to adopt gender policies within management level and in the newsroom.
We have among us not only practicing journalists, but also some of the brightest minds in media education and research. Some of them have done extensive research on gender in the media. My Executive will continue to put such works into use, organize events that popularize their findings and recommendations, while we continue to promote research, learning and conversations around gender because it is only when we educate ourselves that we would be able to change our mindset on discrimination based on gender.
My Executive shall work with WIMSAL and other groups and organisations to increase training and capacity building on gender issues for women, but more importantly our male colleagues. If we are to tackle inequality, it is important that all are adequately educated and are on the same page. We will also increase access to training and other opportunities for women specifically.
My Executive shall promote investment in and support for more females in the association and the profession in general. I will make as a centerpiece of my tenure the rebranding of the profession to be more inclusive and a friendly space for young females to aspire to.
My Executive shall support affirmative action policies to increase the voices of females in the sector and to ensure that they can thrive. I will invest in reviewing policies, processes and opportunities that engender bias and discrimination and make sure we move towards a more gender equitable association.
My Executive shall work to transform the way gender and women are reported and represented in the media. I will be a credible spokesperson and champion against rape and sexual violence and work to ensure that our colleagues have the resources and training to report on these issues with professionalism, and in ways that do no further harm to the survivors.
My Executive shall set up a gender advisory panel that would comprise members and people from civil society to advise on gender and conduct periodic gender audits that inform the way we formulate policies. This panel shall also work to conduct training that would help our members cover women and girls better.
I will work with WIMSAL and Media Initiative for Women and Girls Empowerment (MIWGEM) to complement their media school clubs as breeding grounds for women in the media.
As for mentoring ,the SLAJ Presidential aspirant stated that one of the current realities in SLAJ is that over 50% of the membership is below 30 years of age. He said a lot of water has gone under the bridge for SLAJ with regards ethics, integrity and professionalism.
“As a way of molding our young membership into a crop of professional journalists, it is important that we create a system through which young journalists can be mentored. It is no secret that before any formal systems of journalism education, journalists were recruited and trained through apprenticeship and mentoring. A lot of people benefitted from these apprenticeships and mentoring. Much as we want to encourage and support formal education, we also want to maintain this culture because it is an invaluable part of how we nurture our talents. Training this next crop of journalists is therefore a matter of priority,” he said.
He told newsmen that his Executive shall work with the relevant partners – in journalism and education as well as media development organisations- to develop a mentorship programme for young journalists. Apart from the formal programme, my Executive would also work to pair young journalists with senior colleagues who shall volunteer their time to mentor the younger ones and advise them on matters related to their career.
As far as unity and independence is concerned he said as SLAJ their founding fathers and mothers once came together in unity to form the legacy that journalists all enjoy and are so proud of.
“Unity in the Association and its affiliates is key in making us the potent pressure group that we are. Unity, they often say, is strength,” he affirmed highlighting that Executive would work to ensure SLAJ remains one body after WINNING the forthcoming elections.
He noted that they would ensure that after the elections, everyone will feel like a winner.
Dilating on the Repeal of the Criminal Libel Law D-Monk told those present that every SLAJ Executive since 1971 has made the fight to repeal the Criminal and Seditious Libel Laws a priority.
“Every Executive builds on the achievement of the previous. The outgoing Executive (of which I was a key figure) has taken a giant step in the repeal process which is now at Cabinet level. There’s now a clear light at the end of the tunnel. My Executive will take it up from there and finish this long and arduous race once and for all,” he disclosed greeted by a thunderous applause from the audience.
He concluded by maintaining that the SALT approach will help look inwards and appreciate the power, resources and opportunities from within and utilize them for the benefit of all journalists.
“Hence my campaign sub-slogan- is Powered by the power from within. Together with my team, we can help us, the government and our people to identify and use our assets towards improving the lives of us all by releasing and nurturing our assets that are already there. In doing this, we will focus on only one thing: Ask crucial questions,” he asserted.
Members of the Sierra Leone China Foundation has paid a courtesy call on the new Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone at the Chinese Embassy in Western Freetown
A cross section of members of the Sierra Leone China Foundation has paid a courtesy call on the new Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone at the Chinese Embassy in Western Freetown. The purpose of the visit was to share the work and vision of the Foundation with the new Ambassador and to acquaint him with the strategic partnership that the Foundation has always maintained with the Embassy.
The delegation informed the Ambassador that Sierra Leone and China have enjoyed a long-standing bilateral relationship dating back to the 70s, and that, the Foundation was borne out of the genuine desire to foster friendship and cooperation between the two countries. China’s role and contribution in the country was catalogued and such contributions include but not limited to infrastructural development, investments in trade or commerce, medicine, human resource capacity development and humanitarian interventions like during the Ebola and mudslide disasters. The delegation praised China for its sisterly love and its unwavering commitment to working with Sierra Leone and to improving lives.
The new Chinese Ambassador was given a detailed or elaborate brief on the work of the Foundation and how the Foundation intends to hit higher heights, while also being reminded on a very strategic Sierra Leone China conference that was organized at the Bintumani Hotel in 2018. The Foundation further informed the Ambassador that his predecessor was very cooperative and that they were ready to pick it up from the impressive point that he stopped and to seize the historical momentum with the new Ambassador.
Responding, the New Chinese Ambassador extended the good wishes of the people of China to Sierra Leone while also expressing his gratitude to the group for a commendable visit .He assured the Foundation of always keeping his doors open and encouraged the visiting members to do everything possible to maintain the Foundation. He said China’s relationship with Sierra Leone is always rooted in a win-win philosophy, adding that China was truly committed to sharing a common future with Sierra Leone.
The Sierra Leone China Foundation is a registered and an actively and legally functioning Foundation in the country which seeks to strengthen China-Sierra Leone ties and to complement the work of the Government in that direction.
