SLBC; Is Vice President Not Making the News? With Samuel Bangura Before plunging into the said topic, let me just make something very clear to those Sierra Leoneans who are failing to see beyond the horizon; those Sierra Leoneans who are yet to emancipate themselves from parochial and naïve thinking; those Sierra Leoneans who might want to grimace their faces while going through this piece; those Sierra Leoneans who want and will tag me as been antagonistic and one-sided person. I am doing this to avoid catching up with nemesis; something that will haunt the guilty for a lifetime period. I am not playing the devil’s advocate for the Vice President Alhaji Chief Samuel Sam Sahr Sumana, and besides, he does not know me in person; in fact we have never met. Again I am not trying to cast aspersions on the state broadcaster but remind the workers of their responsibilities and what the corporation stands for in the country as a National Broadcaster. It is an open secret that the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) is politically biased in its reporting. What is evident in the operation of the SLBC is the fact that those serving as captains; steering the ship of the corporation have forgotten and or don’t know the mandate of a national broadcasting corporation like the SLBC. The SLBC, according to its concept and the Independent Media Commission (IMC), falls under the category of a national or public service media institution. The SLBC should not be bias, partial, discriminate, and must cater for all in society irrespective of one’s political affiliation, tribe, region, relationship and association. All the principles of a state broadcaster are conspicuously absent at the SLBC in practicality but present on paper. It all started when news make the rounds that President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma secretly ordered as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Sierra Leone the Director General of the corporation, Elvis Gbanagbom Halowell to stop covering all events of the Vice President and his office — Office of the Vice President. That report was perceived to be a rumour, but closely monitoring the SLBC since that news made the rounds, one might be tempted to conclude that the rumored information is now a fact and truth based story. Since that news breakout in the country amidst the war against the Ebola menace terrorizing Sierra Leone as a people and as a country, nothing has been reported on the SLBC as news emanating from the Vice President Alhaji Sam Sumana and his office. Evidently there are news worthy events been undertaken by the Vice President and his office. The arguments advanced by the SLBC crew according to close sources from the SLBC, is that the events are not news worthy; hearing that I burst out with laughter and almost concluded that there are no credential and potential journalists at the SLBC. A key component of news worthiness is the personality involved in the story; in this case, the Vice President, second highest position in the land; and it’s not news worthy, what a joke? If they are kidding they must come off that now. This act by the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation is a clear indication of disgusting impartiality displayed by the corporation; astute against the Vice President if even it is an instruction from President Ernest Bai Koroma or his office; Office of the President. Maintaining the mandate and principles of a public service broadcaster like the SLBC and consideration for media ethics, are what professional journalists who went through the process of molding medially will be proud of. Alhaji Chief Samuel Sam Sumana is the Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and as such, must be accorded the respect, regards, honour and dignity that due him and his office by the SLBC. Sierra Leone and Sierra Leoneans have an old aged problem; respect for selected authorities in society. The SLBC seem giving more media attention to the First Lady and her office; with all due respect to the First Lady and her office, her office was created outside the provisions of the constitution of the country. The SLBC is evidently being subvented by the government which makes it lost its mandate and being used by the government to seek and protect its interest in the society. The SLBC is a big shame and a disgrace to the people of this country and the media world by extent. The corporation has killed the concept of a state broadcaster by being partial, bias and discriminating against certain members in society. Few questions that urgently need honest answers now are: Could it be true that the President is the one who ordered the Director General of the SLBC to give news blackout to his Vice and his office? Is the SLBC serving the purpose for which it was created? Are the captains at the SLBC aware of the ramifications of what they are doing all in the name of following orders? Is the APC as a government going to continue ruling this country under the leadership of President Ernest Bai Koroma? Could it mean that because the government in which the Vice President is the second man on the ladder is subventing the corporation, it should muscle the SLBC? Could it mean that the Sierra Leone Broadcasting has formed part of the team within the All People’s Congress sidelining the Vice President and his office? Is Gbanabom thinking that the Vice President could become the next President? If the Vice President becomes the Next President, is Gbanabom’s contract secured? Are the workers at the SLBC so selfish to the extent of ridiculing their own country? Why are the government and SLBC trying to mock Sierra Leone and Sierra Leoneans? What if this marginalization leads to anarchy and chaos? The aforementioned questions provide the plata for a rethink for the workers at the state broadcaster. Something frustrating in this whole saga, is the fact that people behind voices society wants to meet are not sincere to this country and its citizens. The SLBC should not consider itself a mouthpiece of the President and his office alone, but equal opportunity should be given to all Sierra Leoneans irrespective of their status in the society. I am resisting the urge to comment on the SLBC and the SLPP that could be a topic for another day. Most of those voices are deceiving the people of Sierra Leone by saying things that they are not doing in practical. The word for the wise they said is enough, but could this piece influence a radical transformation with regards professionalism at the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation? Let the government and the SLBC provide sincere, genuine and honest answers to the people in line with the aforementioned questions
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 10:47:29 +0000
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