The Sierra Leone Daily Mail becomes the subject of controversy by disgruntled SLPP Politicians and Journalists

When I first entered into journalism, it occurred to me that Sierra Leone as a country had an impressive media institution manned by some of the most reputable journalists the country has ever produced. But because of the nature of how the Daily Mail as an institution was created, problems emanated as to how it could have been sustained, and it was left to die a natural death. I decided to revive it, albeit through an online venture, and spoke to some of my colleagues in the media about my intentions. At first I got a lukewarm reception, but after some pondering, the Managing Editor of Cocorioko Newspaper, Wilfred Kabs-Kanu, came back to me and said it was indeed a wonderful idea and we should go ahead with our plans. At that point, we had no intention to revive the print edition in Freetown. Our sole aim was to give this great media institution a home online. We embarked on the design and deployment of the website – but the pressures of maintaining two major institutions were too much for me, and as such Wilfred Kabs-Kanu came back to me and said he would be too happy to continue with the management of the online newspaper. I then told him that I will support him by writing articles for publication.

The fact is, the Daily Mail is operated from the UK and the United States and its presence is an electronic media entity based on the internet. The presence and very existence of the Daily mail online must have sent jitters and jolts of shock through the spine of the demised SLPP party as they know the writing is on the wall: their political obituary is only imminent.  There is nothing the SLPP can do about it, the Daily Mail online is here to stay. Journalists and others who continue to align themselves with the SLPP’s camouflaged intentions and scare-mongering should hang their heads in shame. There is no coming back to power soon for the SLPP. They don’t have a political plan; it’s all a gimmick. The embarrassment to see what two years of a Koroma administration can deliver, compared to over a decade of squandering our economic resources, is what the SLPP just can’t get over. They are just in awe and ashamed to admit this and as such resort to destroy the architect of it all: President Ernest Bai Koroma. But this will not happen as long as I hold my pen in the hand.

When you have a group of hoodlums calling themselves journalists who are not even aware of the tenets of the profession they practice, you are left to wonder what they dish out day in and day out to their reading public for consumption. Journalism demands that in writing a story, you should get your facts right. But a certain newspaper in Freetown, Sierra Leone,  made up of a loose arrangement of ‘street journalists’,  have disgracefully embarrassed themselves by taking on a trio of journalists who have come together to revive an institution that has long been left to die. The misleading headline on the rag-tag online version of a certain Freetown newspaper lends no credence to the management of this superficial media outlet. It has all the hallmark of an opposition-led and orchestrated media campaign inspired by disgruntled politicians at the heart and hierarchy of the SLPP party.

Dr Sama Siama Banya deserves the respect of everyone in Sierra Leone, but his recent attempts to get involved in the media politics of our nation may have done his legacy more harm than good. Dr Banya epitomises everything good about our country, but his rather awkward attempt to adopt our profession may not have been without reason. Dr Banya is fully aware of the mistakes of his party and the golden opportunity he had when he was part of the Kabbah administration to take on the ills of our society. He should not shy away from the abysmal record of the SLPP while it was in power. One cannot fail to  notice the desperate attempt by Dr. Banya to restore the lost dignity of a party that hangs on a thread as its lifeline. The SLPP did fail our nation and as the ears to the former President Tejan-Kabbah, Sama Banya is equally culpable of the mismanagement of our country’s resources. I sometimes read through Dr. Banya’s attempts to lecture Dr Ernest Koroma about good governance. May I remind Dr Banya that the SLPP government of which he was part and parcel of, presided over the worst economic period in our country’s history? My advice to this veteran politician is to put his pen down and retire gracefully into the haven he built for himself at Nongowa.

It is clear that the SLPP’s intention to use Sama Banya as a propaganda conduit was to legitimise its sabotage of the APC government. The SLPP should now realize that they stand no chance in tarnishing the good name of Ernest Bai Koromna. Whatever they throw at this president will be responded to with utter vehemence. The online Daily Mail was not established to be a propaganda machine for the APC. But in a show of naivety, and in recognition of the formidable APC media response team, the SLPP has responded with fear. The days are over when the SLPP will use rag-tag media outlets like the Awareness Times to fabricate lies and distort the facts about the President and get away with it. Never again in the history of the Sierra Leone media will such incongruity be tolerated. In fact I am setting up a newspaper in Freetown to respond to media miscreants who think they can take advantage of the leniency of the government and the present press laws to abuse the privilege of press freedom. I am just fed-up of the lies and rancour emanating from some sections of the Sierra Leone press. Some of them are just vultures preying on innocent politicians for political gain. The earlier someone like Sama Banya dissociates himself from such dirty party politics, the better it will be for him. I know it is somewhat difficult to contend with, but the APC is here to stay and the earlier the likes of Blyden & co. come to terms with this, the better it will be for the sanity of all the SLPP buffoons!

© 2010, Ahmed M Kamara. All rights reserved. – Reproduction of Newstime Africa content on any other news medium without the prior consent or approval of the publishers is forbidden, and in direct contravention of International copyright laws. Violators will be pursued and prosecuted.