By Mohamed Foday Conteh
Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) has on the 9th June 2021 awarded President Julius Maada Bio as "Press Freedom Champion" at State House in Freetown.
The award is to recognize the President’s efforts in repealing Part V of the 1965 Criminal Libel Law. The Libel Law has been in existence for 55 years and it was being used by mostly politicians to crack down on journalists with dissenting views.
The President, while receiving the award, said that the repealing of the law cannot be overemphasized and assured of his government’s commitment to free speech. He went on to state that democracy and free speech are inseparable and that partnership between SLAJ and the government is significant and congratulated SLAJ on their golden jubilee celebration. He asserted SLAJ’s status as a professional body.
“Honoring me with this, as a champion of Free Press, I think it's important for me because it was already a commitment I made in my manifesto,” President Bio said. He said he was appreciative that SLAJ thought of him while indicating that many governments have failed to repeal the Criminal Libel Law. He also said that his government encourages criticism. “We cannot have just one voice, we should have a dissenting voice, especially when those dissenting views are responsible,” the President added.
President Bio also admonished journalists to be responsible in spite of the amount of freedom rendered to them. “We talk about responsible and professional journalists, who can take critical views, synthesize them and make them useful for public consumption, rather than just commenting or stating what a lot of us do today on social media,” Bio said.
The President promised to render continued support to SLAJ, irrespective of the obstacles ahead.
Mohamed Rahman Swarray, Minister of Information and Communication, Mohamed Rahman Swarray appreciated the recognition of President Bio by SLAJ. He said the President has fostered the relationship between his government and the media with regards to press freedom and dignity. “His Excellency they singled you out for recognition for your relentless efforts and abiding commitment to ensuring a free and unshackled media. You have done a lot for the media,” Swarray continued. He stated that the president kept to his promise even though he has been the most castigated and vilified presidential candidate.
Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, President of SLAJ, expressed his disappointment for the President not attending the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and that he had hoped for him to receive the award in person and in the presence of the Association’s Executive.
“We wanted to demonstrate, in our own special way, our grateful thanks, so that you can also join in feeling that sense of freedom, which only those who have been to jail can relate to,” Nasralla said. He added that freedom of speech is a fundamental human right. He went on to state that all former leaders have used the Criminal Libel to jail journalists and that it was only President Bio that mustered the courage to repeal it.
Nasralla affirmed that the Criminal Libel Law was used to cower journalists in their line of duty and that had made the media poor. He added that that was one of the reasons women shy away from the profession.
SLAJ just concluded it Annual General Meeting in Bo during which they awarded journalists and other members of public who have in diverse ways contributed to the development of the Association and the assurance of press freedom in Sierra Loene.
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