News Story

FREETOWN: DR. SAMA BANYA - PUAWUI: This evening, Unity radio, the official voice of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) went off the air. On making inquiries, I learnt that this was on the orders of the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Mr. I B Kargbo. We have yet to receive official confirmation of this information from the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service, (SLBS) and of the Minister's reason.

It has to be remembered that the then opposition APC party's radio had been operating from Leiceater Peak long before the 2007 Parliamentary and Presidential elections without let or hindrance. Even when some of the station's broadcasts tended towards incitement, the government of President Tejan Kabbah did not allow anyone to interfere with its operations. The Minister of Information who, up until his appointment as Minister when President Koroma formed his cabinet, was President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists, SLAJ must be seen to protect the right to free expression. He must be the first to admit that under the SLPP government of President Kabbah, newspapers and radio stations enjoyed a degree of freedom of expression that was unprecedented.

I therefore find it difficult to understand why he would take such a a totalitarian decision, except for the saying that "Man decked with a little brief authority assumes such powers as to make angels weep." The Minister has recently come in for some hard words from his former colleagues who complained of his over-sensitivity to criticisms resulting in his making what was correctly interpreted by SLAJ as veiled threats to freedom of expression.

It may also be that the then SLAJ President was unaware of the fact that the APC's WE YONE radio was operating from Leicester Peak. I hope the Minister is not under the impression that we were operating illegally because again that would be unfortunate. Ours is not a new licence but renewal of existing one. Also, we have paid all our back log dues compared with the ruling party. We 've also paid the first quarter's instalment of the fees for the use of Leicester Peak. Has the APC radio done so I wonder?

Whatever the case one would have thought that the Minister, any Minister for that matter, would have delved fully into the matter before issuing his directive. The vandals and hooligans who destroyed our party headquarters including our studio and carted away our eqipment must be alarmed that we have bounced back with such enthusiasm and energy. The timing could not be more inconvenient for the ruling party especially as most of the criticisms for the current economic situation comes from its own supporters who have become disillusioned because their high expectations have not only been fulfilled, but rather, have come crashing down with a bang. But is that any reason to try and shut us up?

Again remember the saying Mr. Minister that, "Where you are today, we were there yesterday, and where we are today, there you will be tomorrow," whether you like it or not. Such is life's cycle