January 17, 2019
By Mohamed Massaquoi
Minister Mohamed Rahman Swarray
Minister of Information and Communications has yesterday disclosed that plans were underway for the main state broadcaster, the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) to serve as gatekeeper in relaying television coverage for proceedings of the Commissions of Inquiry.
He said the decision was incumbent on the fact that the containers rehabilitated for proceedings of the commission would not be enough to accommodate all media houses.
Mohamed Raman Swarray made the above disclosure to final year students at the Mass Communications Department, Fourah Bay College University of Sierra Leone.
He said it would be significant that Sierra Leoneans were informed about the activities of the commission, adding that his ministry has developed communication strategy so that people can be informed at various levels within and outside Sierra Leone about the inquiry.
Swarray observed that it was disheartening that there were schools especially in the provinces that were running without proper siting accommodation, hospitals and clinics without drugs, all as a result of corruption.
“We have now got a situation where corruption has chocked development process of the country. I have been to communities where kids sit on the floor in schools and hospitals without essential drugs. It is clear indication that corruption has taken over the country. It was based on this that the president in his campaign, promised the people of Sierra Leone that he will fight against corruption and the commission of enquiry is exactly in line with that. After this government took over administration, President Julius Maada Bio instituted the Government Transition Team to look into what the former administration did. The report was handed over to the president and a lot of things came out for example, prestigious OAU buildings were sold to some people at the eve of runoff election,” he said.
“This commission must go on starting this month. We are putting mechanisms in place for the SLBC to serve as gatekeeper to relay proceedings of the commission,” he said, adding that he was pleased to have been invited by the Mass Communications Department to interact with students, as they are vital to the activities of government.
He added that the Commissions of Inquiry would not be meant for a particular set of people, but rather corrupt government officials, who squandered state resources during the past administration.