As Winner Emerges… Housemates Salone 2020 Sets Pace for Future Reality Shows!!

December 14, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

It is usually said that all good things must come to an end. Again it goes that any beginning must have an ending. The Housemates Salone Season 2 Reality TV Show that has captured the admiration of many in and out of the country, has successfully come to a surprising end with one Housemate emerging the lucky winner and grabbing the star prize of Le250 million.

What had started out as a competition with 52 contestants has finally ended with one contestant emerging winner while the first runner-up and other contestants are not left out as they too received various amounts for their stay in the House.

Indeed, the winning prize is mouth-watering and seducing and it is now up to the winner to use this amount wisely to improve his/her life through various investments and campaigns.

It is now up to the winner to come up with a good financial plan so that this huge amount of money could serve as seed money for any meaningful investment. It could be used as a start-up capital by the winner to become a young entrepreneur or for the furtherance of an educational pursuit.

Youth empowerment is at the core of this Reality TV Show as designed by the organizers, Africell – Sierra Leone and the Africa Young Voices (AYV) Media Empire. Throughout the duration of the show the Housemates were mentally and physically tested on various occasions availing them the opportunity to learn new skills and improving on existing ones.

They improved on their cooking abilities, learnt how to play new games as a team, and were asked to debate in teams on various topics and subject matters; they also benefitted from motivational speeches, they also learnt how to dress for certain occasions, and learnt how to express themselves fluently among a host of other creative ideas and public performances.

One of the significant ways in which the Housemates during the duration of the show were empowered was through giving them the opportunity to interact on a normal basis as well as via partying. They socialized, were paired and exchanged ideas, while gossiping and courting relationships were a daily occurrence.

The huge following the show attracted made it possible for all the Housemates to be widely exposed. This exposure has now put them at vantage positions to be earmarked for future public appearances or promotional auditions and put them at advantage of being selected for by corporate institutions as Brand Ambassadors, role models etc. As a matter of fact, the lifestyles of the Housemates Salone Season 2 will never be the same again and it is possible that what they have learnt could be cascaded to benefit other young people.

Without mincing the truth, Housemates Salone has once again put Sierra Leone on the international entertainment limelight as one country where attractive, brilliant, loving young people are doing wonderful things thereby dispelling the myth that the country is still a theatre of war and a haven for blood diamonds. The show is helping erode these negative perceptions.

At Least 500, 000 New Jobs to Reduce Poverty among Youths

December 14, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

The other day, The Calabash was speaking with a fellow Sierra Leonean living in the USA about the reason why so many of strong, energetic, bright enterprising youths of both sexes are risking their lives daily to use the back door to Europe and other greener pastures across the developed and not so developed parts of the world.

We were passing by an ‘Ataya’ bar where over twenty youths at a time of the day should have been busy with work sat chatting about various topics of the day.

You see all those guys over there, he pointed, if you ask any of them now what they want most they would reply that they want to leave Sierra Leone for elsewhere. Ask them further, he added why, they would reply that they are tired of being idle and unproductive.

However much we try to sweep the matter under the carpet or pretend that it does not exist, the greatest stumbling to poverty reduction and its ultimate elimination in the country is that of how to create meaningful jobs that all to both personal and national development for the over 40 percent of young people that fall under the demographic classification of youth.

Data is not readily available from the Ministry of Labor and Statistics Sierra Leone about the number of young people that have passed the age of 18 that are unemployed. We can however safely guess that over 60 percent, to be on the safe side, are either unemployed or underemployed – meaning that they earn and live on less that Le20, 000 ($2) a day. The man from USA thus stated that, at the head of the country’s development crisis is how the economic system can over the next five to ten years create for a start at least 500, 000 well paid jobs for youths as a big leap forward in addressing the perennial problem of poverty reduction.

So this brings this discussion round to the issue of what are the economic, social and cultural rights of a people in general, and why the provision of these by the state and its development partners make the difference between development and underdevelopment?

According to the United Nations, economic, social, and cultural rights include the human right to work, the right to an adequate standard of living, including food, clothing, and housing, the right to physical and mental health, the right to social security, the right to a healthy environment, and the right to education.

From a human rights perspective, these rights are part of the body of human rights law that developed in the aftermath of World War II. They include all economic and social rights, as well as civil and political rights like the right to free speech and the right to a fair trial.

For example, the man from USA said that the right to speak freely means little without a basic education, the right to vote means little if you are suffering from starvation. Similarly, the right to work means little if you are not allowed to meet and assemble in groups to discuss work conditions.

Thus, the man from USA stated that until our government fundamentally and profoundly recognizes that human beings deserve to live in freedom, justice, dignity and economic security, the issue of poverty will remain glaring wherever we look.

Poverty and injustice are neither inevitable nor natural, but arise from deliberate decisions and policies, and the human rights legal framework provides a way to hold public officials accountable for development policies and priorities.

He gave as example the Chinese government which for the past fifty years has designed concrete policies, programs and projects specifically geared towards not only poverty reduction but improving on human welfare including education, housing, health and employment.

As such, in the effort to develop, economic and social rights require government and other powerful actors to ensure that people have first and foremost, opportunities for gainful employment in order to be able to provide for themselves their basic needs.

Commission of Inquiry Report… Karefa Kargbo Travel Ban Lifted; Bank Accounts Unfrozen

December 14, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

We remember the late world renowned Reggae musician Joe Hills for his very poignant statement in one of his songs chanting that there are three sides to every story – your side, my side and then the truth.

In a public notice from the Government of Sierra Leone through the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the innocence of Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Karefa Kargbo from charges levelled against him by the Commission of Inquiry Report has been expunged.

In the notice to the effect issued by the Attorney General dated 8th December, 2020 titled:
REQUEST TO UNFREEZE BANK ACCOUNTS AND LIFT TRAVEL BAN IMPOSED ON KAREFA KARGBO, he wrote to inform the relevant stakeholders, including the Inspector General of Police, the Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Chief Immigration Officer, the Director Financial Intelligence Unit, all Managing Directors and Chief Executive Officers and all Compliance Officers Commercial Banks that:
“I am in receipt of exculpatory evidence in relation to the Government White Paper on Report of the Commissions of Inquiry 2018 to 2019 for my attention and necessary action in relation to the above captioned subject.

Referencing previous correspondence requesting to freeze all accounts or any linked accounts in the name of Karefa Kargbo in response to the report of the Commission Inquiry and related White Paper. I hereby request that you cause all commercial banks to unfreeze all accounts that may be in the said banks and allow access to the funds there belonging to Karefa Kargbo pending the appeal process.

Furthermore, all travelling restrictions imposed on Karefa Kargbo are hereby lifted and his name should be removed from the ‘No Travel List’.
I count on your usual cooperation to treat as urgent.
Yours Sincerely
Anthony Y. Brewah
Attorney-General and Minister of Justice

It can be recalled that immediately the Government White Paper on the Report and Recommendations of the Commissions of Inquiry was published on September 26, 2020 by His Excellency President Bio, one of the first people to register their displeasure with the White Paper was Lt. Col (Rtd) Karefa Kargbo, the former Financial Controller in the Accounting Department of the Petroleum Directorate between the period August 2011 and 9th January 2016.

Speaking to this medium, he expressed grave concern that his name was unfortunately without any basis or evidence mentioned in the Commission of Inquiry Report and Government White Paper for alleged financial impropriety.

Chapter 9 page 22 of the White Paper categorically stated that:

“Government notes the Commission’s findings on H.E. Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, Raymond Kargbo, Emmanuel Beresford Oshoba Coker, Karefa Kargbo, Momodu L. Kargbo, Dr. Michael S. Kargbo, Dr. Kaifala Marah and their collaborators. The Commission found, among others, acts of impropriety, misappropriation, corruption, gross abuse of office and maladministration. That the reckless manner in which the persons in question dealt with the finances of the Government under their care and failure to provide leadership led to the loss of the total amount of Le72, 254, 506, 000. 00 and USD15, 413, 821. 00.”

The White Paper also indicated that: Government accepts recommendations 1-5.

The following persons shall jointly and severally refund and pay into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Government of Sierra Leone the sum of Le70, 294, 264, 523. 00 that had remained unaccounted for as monies not transferred to the single treasury account in 2017 and monies paid out illegally as terminal benefits to staff whilst still in the service of the Petroleum Directorate: H.E. Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, Raymond Kargbo, Karefa Kargbo.

Rebutting the aforementioned, Karefa Kargbo, strongly maintained that he was resident in Sierra Leone during the entire period the Commissions of Inquiry were doing their work but throughout all that period he was never invited, notified expressly or implied that he was a person of interest or that his presence was required as a witness at the Commission of Inquiries.

Thus, after going through the contents of the White Paper, he said he failed to appreciate how an adverse finding or a judgment could be passed on his person with materially adverse and life challenging implications for himself and his family without being given the opportunity to have rebutted any accusation.

Explaining what transpired when he was an employee at the Petroleum Directorate, he said, he was engaged at that institution in the Accounting Department as the Financial Controller between the period August 2011 and 9th January 2016.

“During my time when I was in charge of the finances at the Directorate, Audit Service Sierra Leone has never found us wanting and the auditing entity was always able to provide a clean opinion on our Financial Statements. Our internal control and accounting practices were commended as one of the best amongst Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Government of Sierra Leone,” he highlighted adding how due to his intervention and renegotiation of the financial terms of several key agreements, Government saw a substantial increase in Revenue from the Petroleum Sector.

Karefa disclosed how, as a matter of fact, for the first time Petroleum Companies paid signing bonuses directly to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, raising over US$30 million for the Government of Sierra Leone.

He made it categorically clear that his employment with the Petroleum Directorate was terminated for “insubordination” on the 9th January 2016.

According to him, on that basis, he was not at the Directorate when the Single Treasury Account came into force in October 2017 meaning that he could not therefore have been involved or had any influence on the decision to pay or not pay monies into the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2018.

“How judgement then could be passed that I should refund monies that were unaccounted for and not transferred to the Single Treasury Account in 2017?” He asked.

Karefa reiterated that he was also no longer at the Directorate in 2017 or 2018 when members of staff were paid terminal benefits.

He disclosed that when that payment of terminal benefits was done during his time at the Directorate, he vehemently resisted the move and never implemented it, a stand that was part of the reason he was accused of “Insubordination.”

“I was also not in the employ of the Directorate in 2018 when SMRT was given a US$3,000,000 loan to purchase Biometric Machines for elections. I could not therefore have been involved in this issue. Even though I was the Financial Controller, when the NCP Loan of US$14,000,000 was made, the records show that that I was completely excluded from all meetings and was never even consulted on that issue.

I was out of the country when the entire transaction was effected and was never even informed by e-mail or text that there were even conversations about a loan. Even the Report of the Commission excludes me from involvement in this transaction by not naming me as a party to the contract,” adding that when he returned to work he only found out about the loan when he queried his Accounting Manager and the Director General about the status of the balances in their accounts.

“It was then that documents were presented to me saying the Director General was duly authorized and had control over all the finances of the Directorate and that there was no legal requirement to inform me of what was being done,” Karefa explained.

He said after perusing the agreement he subsequently informed his Director General that the President must have been ill advised to give his approval to that deal and that it was one of “the most stupid agreements I had ever seen” noting that this was not based on proper advice and sound judgment.

Karefa intimated that he does not have a legal mind but his accounting and auditing background inform that one gives opportunity to the subject of one’s work to explain or justify the action no matter how gross the allegation against same.

He said in his experience even persons who have been caught red handed in acts of thievery of Government property by the Anti-Corruption Commission, are given a right to a fair hearing.

Karefa questioned again how the Commission of Inquiry therefore came about to make an adverse finding against him and the Government of Sierra Leone duly accepted the recommendations. He said that leaves him questioning the very core foundation of the professionalism of the Commission on which Government relies.

As a professional, he said he has striven to serve his country all his life first in the Sierra Leone Armed Forces and later as an accountant with the utmost commitment to uphold the highest standards of probity and professionalism.

“I have been a Licensed Certified Accountant for the past 22 years and my profession demands upholding the highest standards of probity and professionalism. I have worked both locally in Sierra Leone and internationally in premier institutions and I have never been found wanting for impropriety or otherwise,” he said.

Thus, Karefa as he undertook the process of redeeming his name and image from the sordid allegation of engaging in corruption said: “I have therefore retained legal representation and intend to pursue the protection and enforcement of legal rights to the fullest extent provided by law and seek adequate compensation for this morass.”

Now rightfully, his name has been cleared by the Government of Sierra Leone of the spurious, baseless, unfounded, and libellous charges made against him in the COI Report.

MoD Benefits From Padi and Jolaks Food Donation

December 14, 2020

By Foday Moriba Conteh

The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Defence, Murana Massaquoi, on Thursday 10^thDecember 2020, received assorted donated food items from Padi and Jolask that included 50 big bags of rice, mayonnaise, Maggi, powdered milk, boxes of tea leaves, Padi cooking oil at the Ministry of Defence headquarters, Tower Hill, in Freetown.

Making the donation, Marketing Consultant for Padi, Ibrahim Jalloh, said it was as a result of a request made by the Ministry of Defence to support the ministry to help their sick colleagues in hospital.

Jalloh said that the items were mostly Padi products and that they are very pleased to offer them, adding that the reason for such donation was because it is during the festive season.

“We have answered to the call of the Ministry of Defence to render assistance to their colleagues in hospital,” he noted.

Jalloh added that the donation packaged comprised of one hundred and fifty assorted food items and provision and 50kg bags of rice.

Receiving the donation, the Deputy Minister of Defence, Murana Massaquoi thanked Padi and Jolaks for the timely gesture.

He said the donation came at a time when it was much needed, as this is the festive season when senior staff of the Defense Ministry visit colleagues and others at the 34 Military Hospital to show them that they are part of the institution.

Assistant Chief of Defence Staff, Col. Joseph Saidu Kaimapo appreciated the donated food items, adding that it is a tradition of the Ministry of Defence to visit their colleagues at the 34 Military Hospital every year and that these items will have a great impact on the sick.

He appealed to other business houses to follow suit as they look to them for help.

Choithram Memorial Hospital Saves 11 Year’s Old Mamie Mattia’s Life

December 14, 2020

11 years’ old Mamie Mattia and Her Mother

By Amin Kef Sesay

The invaluable humanitarian impact that Choithram Memorial Hospital has been providing in the lives of the less privileged cannot be overemphasized as the hospital continues to largely meet the needs of the poor and needy with various forms of free medical interventions that include expensive surgeries on patients from across the country.

It is against this background that recently, Mamie Mattia an 11 years’ old child from Bo District who has been suffering from Nephrotic syndrome for more than 2 two years now through the intervention of Sick Pikin Project; Choithram Memorial Hospital came to her aid free of charge.

Speaking to this medium, Salamatu Mattia the mother of Mamie expressed her appreciation to Choithram Memorial Hospital for treating her daughter free of cost, adding that the hospital provided more than they actually asked for and that they are more than grateful, as Mamie when admitted at the hospital was monitored by a Specialist Consultant that Choithram Memorial Hospital hired. She said she could not express how grateful they are to the hospital for such hospitality.

She said that 11 years’ old Mamie Mattia a JSS1 pupil was once a healthy, vibrant and happy young child growing up with dreams, aspirations and striving towards academic success but said that before her eighth birthday, she started experiencing illness.

Salamatu Mattia added that her daughter was taken to hospital and after several tests and scans carried out, she got a clinical diagnosis of Nephric-nephritis syndrome. Mamie’s mother said that since then, they went to many hospitals across the country in order to save the life of her daughter but that all their moves proved futile as her condition worsened.

She revealed that in October, they finally decided to come to Freetown in order to secure medication for Mamie at the Connaught Hospital but that Mamie’s condition did not improve.

By stroke of luck, Salamatu Mattia maintained that she was directed by a friend in Sick Pikin Project who in turn assisted her by making a public call to individuals and institutions to help Mamie that was circulated on social media and that the head of Choithram Memorial Hospital, Harish Agnani, saw the piece and immediately contacted Sick Pikin Project.

Salamatu Mattia revealed that since Mamie was admitted at the Choithram Memorial Hospital free of cost, her condition has changed completely and that as a family they are very happy as Mamie has finally regained her health and has been discharged from the hospital healed, hale and hearty.

“The treatment and care at the hospital is just amazing, the nurses visited her frequently to review and ensure that she was doing well. The nurses appeared every 15 minute; they are so caring and understanding. The Indian female nurse was the most frequent as she was eager to know how Mamie was doing,” she said with tears.

On his part, Consultant Physician and Consultant Nephrologist at the Choithram Memorial Hospital, Dr. Soccoh Kabia said Mamie was brought to the hospital with a clinical diagnosis of Nephric Syndrome which he said is a kidney disorder that causes someone’s body to pass too much protein in the urine and is usually caused by damage to the cluster of small blood vessels in one’s kidneys that filter waste and excess water from the blood.

He said that when he started treatment, he made some fluid restrictions on low salt diet, Frusemide, Spironolactone, etc., which resulted in her kidney condition improved.

However, he said she will need further investigation to ascertain the underlying cause of this syndrome as well as definitive treatment of which she needs a kidney biopsy test and other laboratory examinations to be done.

He ended by showering praises on Choithram Memorial Hospital for building such an infrastructure that has helped save lives.

Annually, the hospital brings in specialist medical teams from India, UK and Germany to perform surgeries and other medical procedures that are not widely available in the country and are very expensive to perform overseas.

In order to keep the hospital afloat, it charges patients for its services, which are affordable, compared to other private facilities in the country.

Certain customers pay normal costs to aid the running cost since they have to take care of staff, upkeep the facilities and as well maintain vital expensive equipment up and running.

As It Empowers More Than 350,000 S/Leoneans… NP-Sierra Leone CEO Kobi Walker Honoured

December 14, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

The Chief Executive Director of National Petroleum Limited, Kobi Walker has been honoured as one of the 100 Most Outstanding Sierra Leoneans at the Sierra Ovation Awards Ceremony 2019/2020 held in Freetown on the 10^th of December 2020.

The citation reads: “This is in recognition of your contribution to socio-economic growth and human development in Sierra Leone.”

Under the leadership of Kobi Walker, NP continues to take a leading position in the import, marketing and distribution of petroleum products in Sierra Leone and neighbouring Guinea and Liberia.

Since its existence, NP-SL; a wholly Sierra Leonean-owned enterprise has empowered more than 350,000 Sierra Leoneans; built 38 stations countrywide and established relationships with 180 other Sierra Leonean stations.

Political Control of the Peace Commission Makes its Intention Suspect

December 11, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

In line with President Bio’s plan to set up a national infrastructure for peace, an Independent National Commission on Peace and Cohesion to help address ethnic and regional divides along political lines across the country as well as to strengthen peace and national inclusion, it is significant that the main opposition All People’s Congress at the passage of the National Peace and Cohesion Commission Bill walked out on the grounds that the Commission would be subject to political control.

Certainly, APC has a point – A Commission that is supposed to unite people across all segments of society, as well as mediate civil disputes cannot be said to be neutral if it is subject to political control through a Minister.

Social cohesion at national and regional levels remains a big challenge for the country. Due to recent disrupting political events, it has been extremely complex to engage in meaningful peace building and state building processes by local, national or international actors.

Various approaches and strategies have been set in place, but a sustained attention towards peace at all levels has been lacking.

Thus, sustainable peace and development as central issues to achieve a just, inclusive and peaceful society, as described in SDG 16, must play a central role both at a global and at a national level.

Government as such should focus on key elements such as inclusion and participation in order to achieve national cohesion by ensuring that the Commission is reflective of the national character and seen as independent of any form of political control.

It is important to establish infrastructures for peace as a dynamic networking of skills, capacities, resources, tools and institutions that help build constructive social and political relationships and enhance sustainable resilience of societies against relapse into violence.

To make the Commission effective, all political parties should agree on the need for an inclusive and independent peace infrastructure to enhance national cohesion and development in Sierra Leone on the understanding that the envisaged mandates of a Peace Commission included among others the promotion of a culture of peace, the support for the prevention and management of conflicts and enhancing traditional conflict resolution mechanisms.

The need to make the Commission as independent from the current political climate as possible must be stressed and translated into its composition and sustainability.

Otherwise the opinion of the majority of people is that it would be another exercise in futility in bringing the nation together.

SLFA Ethics Committee Exonerates Rodney Michael of Match Fixing

December 11, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

In an exclusive interview with Rodney Edmond Michael, who happens to be the Presidential Aspirant of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), on the issue of being exonerated by the Sierra Leone Football Association Ethics Committee, on an allegation of match fixing, he commenced by intimating that in July 2014, he was suspended from all football activities, along with 14 other football administrators, officials and players.

He furthered that from the onset he professed his innocence and fought hard to clear his name and restore his integrity saying the suspension had no basis in law nor in fact.

Rodney reiterated that for over 6 years he remained suspended for allegations without any hearing, correspondence or query.

“My family and I were subjected to humiliation and embarrassment, and our family reputation was tarnished beyond repair, but I was always confident that in the end the truth will be revealed and justice served,” he told The Calabash.

SLFA Presidential hopeful maintained that in spite of the damage to his reputation and that of his family, and the fact that they reserved the right to seek redress, they however opted at this time to welcome and appreciate the decision and celebrate the fact that Justice has been served.

He said they are grateful to God Almighty for giving them the strength to absorb the pressure and persevere in the fight against victimization.

Rodney expressed thanks the people of Sierra Leone whom he said have always believed in his innocence and supported him right through the years stating that their love and trust in him gave him the courage to continue the fight and today they have won the battle for justice.

He also thanked the newly constituted Sierra Leone Football Association Ethics Committee, chaired by Drucil Taylor, for the verdict that reads: “These persons are therefore unequivocally discharged of all match fixing allegations against them by the Ministry of Sports and the Sierra Leone Football Association”.

The lover of soccer also thanked his family for always standing by him, especially when their names were dragged to the gutter as well and they were unfairly humiliated and molested for his sake and his ambition to lead the Sierra Leone Football Association.

“They were my shoulder to cry on and the strength I needed to survive the injustice,” he expressed gratitude.

Rodney said he would like to reassure the Nation that he had always and continue to condemn all forms of match manipulation and illegality in football.

He congratulated the others who have also been cleared from all allegations and pray that all remaining match fixing investigations will soon be concluded in the interest of justice and fairness.

Relatedly, one of Sierra Leone’s renowned and respected lawyers, Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai has in an interview on Radio Mercury 92.1 FM on Monday 7th December 2020 endorsed Rodney Edmond Michael as the best to lead Sierra Leone football.

Barrister Saffa Abdulai who is also a former football player and Chairman of Old Edwardians Football Club told Radio Mercury James Conteh that the only way to salvage the current acrimony in Sierra Leone football is to change Isha Johansen. He said the Government of Sierra Leone has to understand that and don’t interfere with the process.

The Legal luminary cautioned the Government to desist from imposing any candidate, noting that such an action will affect football for years to come.

President Bio Returns from Gabon

December 11, 2020

By Foday Moriba Conteh

On the 9th December 2020 President Julius Maada Bio concluded a 3-day official visit to the Gabonese Republic where he met and had bilateral meetings with His Excellency Ali Bongo Ondimba and other senior Government officials in the capital, Libreville.

The President also visited the Gabonese Special Economic Zones, (GSEZs), to engage major agricultural and industrial projects being undertaken by the Central African country with abundant petroleum and foreign private investment. It is one of the most prosperous countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

After his closed-door meeting at the Presidential Palace in Libreville, President Bio addressed the Press outside and told them that whilst his meeting was private, he wanted to say what he saw during his tour of the economic zones and other industrial areas was quite impressive.

He praised the high-quality products being produced at three of the country’s major factories and exporters, among them La Sante Pharmaceuticals, the first manufacturing plant for generic drugs like tablets, capsules, syrups and ointments in Gabon. He also visited Star Ply Gabon, a conglomerate of companies that was into high-quality plywood manufacturing and construction at the Special Economic Zones in Nkok.

The President and his entourage returned on Wednesday 9 December 2020.

Smearing Campaign Against Umaru Fofana Faces a Brick Wall

December 11, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

One of Sierra Leone’s seasoned and renowned media practitioners, Umaru Fofana, who reports for the British Broadcasting Corporation, (BBC), has once again become the target of vilification and malicious propaganda by certain individuals who do consider his reports on happenings in the country as bias and devoid of the truth.

As far as they are concerned Umaru Fofana has failed to be an independent BBC journalist bordering their assertion on him being sympathetic to the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). This group of individuals, holding such views, are allegedly said to be desperate supporters of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Party and include a small entity that recently staged a protest in front of the BBC Bush House against the BBC reporter.

This latest move has ignited a lot of reactions in various quarters and is awash on social media platforms with the majority condemning the action of the protesters and hailing Umaru Fofana as a professional journalist.

One of the institutions that have reacted to what they termed “an untoward and cowardly move” is the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), of whom Umaru Fofana was an erstwhile President.

SLAJ says it is seriously concerned about the persistent online verbal attacks against its former President. Mr. Umaru Fofana, and is calling on those behind such calculated smear campaigns to desist forthwith. It furthered that Mr. Fofana has come under serious verbal attacks for doing his work as a BBC reporter, putting his personality and safety at risk. The Association pointed out that a small group of Sierra Leoneans living in London reportedly demonstrated against Mr. Fofana in front of the BBC office at Bush House.

It continued that quite recently a group of people who claimed to be members of the opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) Party posted online that they had filed a formal complaint against Mr. Fofana to the BBC and to the International Criminal Court for what they described as “biased reporting of political events in Sierra Leone”.

SLAJ stated that these individuals further accused Mr. Fofana of being a card-carrying member of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and threatened the BBC reporter that he’s going to “pay severely for all that he has caused on the Sierra Leonean people”.

The Association furthered that it could be also recalled that in 2018, audios with invectives and threats against Mr. Fofana’s life were posted on social media by authors who claimed they were supporters/members of the APC party. SLAJ says as far as it is concerned, Umaru Fofana, is one of the finest and upright journalists of our time, one of the best Sierra Leone has ever produced.

According to members, he has over the years exhibited himself as a true professional and has earned the admiration of both local and international journalists.

SLAJ maintains that such attacks on Fofana’s personality and threat to his safety are very worrying and urged the Sierra Leone Police to investigate the matter and ensure their colleague is assured of his freedom and safety to practice his profession.

Equally, SLAJ also called on the Executive of the APC party to publicly condemn and distance itself from those group of people claiming to be members of their party.

“This is a baseless and calculated smear campaign against Fofana, and those behind this should be ashamed of themselves. Rather than being victimised Fofana should be widely commended for the wonderful work he is doing as a professional journalist held in high esteem by his colleagues locally and internationally, “said SLAJ President, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla.

On his part, Umaru Fofana, stated that one of the commentaries he heard from a video from the stage-managed BBC protest was that he did not report the violent protests in Makeni that led to killings or the central prison riots and the ensuing shooting dead of some inmates. Or even the Lunsar and Tombo incidents that also led to loss of life.

Reacting he said anyone who cares to know knows that’s false as he reported on the first two incidents as they happened adding that with the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on his movement, he set up the Government Spokesman and the APC Secretary General for a presenter-led interview from London.

He highlighted that what he did not do was to report the lies which certain interests wanted him to report.

“As journalists it behooves us to show the difference between lies or propaganda on the one hand and facts or truth on the other. In other words we report what is verifiable and not the figment of someone’s imagination,” Umaru Fofana maintained.

With regards to what he referred to as “the other lie – that I’m a card-carrying member of the SLPP” he won’t dignify with a response saying it is so preposterous that even the liars know it to be false.

Like dropping a bomb Umaru said : “I understand why my journalism has obsessed some people. I am the most trusted source of information in the country – and I say this with all humility. I can’t recall when last a journalist dominated the profession this much for this long in our country. And this goes way beyond my reporting for the BBC. My social media posts are gospel truths even to the critics. So both – or all – sides want me to paint things as they desire. The truth is I am trusted for a reason and I won’t betray that hence won’t allow anyone to control my reporting. Not yesterday, not today, not tomorrow”.

He affirmed that while he believes and defends people’s right to protest and to subject him to unprecedented scrutiny he cannot sit back and allow the actions or utterances of certain individuals, however insignificant in number, to put him and his family in danger adding that such actions do not diminish his standing, which he considers impenetrable but said they open his family up to physical harm which obviously concerns and even worries him.

“I have said before and I say again, I will NEVER flee Sierra Leone. Not under any circumstance,” Umaru Fofana stated with determination.