In this day and age, it is hard to find people that will stand firmly by you and believe in the things you do because there are many people doing what you do and even better than you.
For the past three years, I have been off from mainstream media and I have not been even commenting on issues of public interest, as one of the usual critical voices in the media. It has been concern to many, especially my loving audience and readership from all walks of life, many of whom have been personally calling me asking many questions about my silence but my simple reply to them had always been: “Nothing am just busy” which some have attributed to me being afraid of the current administration’s harassment of the media, especially those Journalists who speak truth to power. But the truth of the matter is that, I have never been harassed or intimidated by the current administration. And in fact, I appreciate this regime with one fact that President Bio out of political will repealed the 1965 seditious libel law, a fight I had been part of since 2006 when I was an executive member of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) under the dynamic leadership of Hon. Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo as president, the rest is now history.
However, despite such fulfilled promise to the media by President Bio as part of his campaign promise to the media in 2018 elections, there is much to be done by his government to further open the democratic space that is currently been threatened by the cybercrime law which need to be reviewed. Back to the question of my absence from the media, I thought I have an obligation to my readership…hahahaha… that has been concern about my where-about. To set the records straight, I had been away from the media due to my academic strides to earn a master’s degree which I have successfully completed, and I have returned to my editorial desk to serve the people of Sierra Leone in fulfilment of my responsibility to act as a watchdog, keeping a vigilant eye on the actions of the government and other public figures, to investigate, expose, and challenge any instance of corruption, malpractice, or abuse of power by reporting on such issues so as to enhance and ensures accountability and transparency, thereby strengthening the democratic fabric of our society.
I also hope to provide a platform for public debate and discussion and encourage the exchange of ideas, opinions, and perspectives, which are crucial for the democratic process through accurate news reporting, talk shows, and panel discussions, and above all, allow diverse viewpoints to be heard on The Informant Newspaper to foster a culture of tolerance and mutual respect.
However, some of us have been lucky to have a very dedicated readership and followers in the media who believe in me as a critical voice and most importantly, a patriot.
Thanks for your compliments, together let’s build Sierra Leone.