By Bampia James Bundu: Strategic Communications Unit, Ministry of Information and Communications
The Ministry of Information and Communications has engaged journalists from accross the country on President Bio’s Manifesto successes and challenges.
The event which ends tomorrow is ongoing at the Bo Inn Hotel in Bo city.
In his statement at the opening ceremony, the Hon. Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, expressed thanks and appreciation to the leadership of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) and the media in general for being in attendance while also commending government officials for addressing some of the salient issues raised by the media.
He explained that the essence of the retreat was to accurately inform journalists about the successes and challenges of President Bio’s administration and to further give journalists the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification on issues of national interest.
He added that the retreat will enable journalists hear from Ministers, Heads of Parastatals, and other government functionaries about happenings in their respective institutions.
Minister Swaray expressed delight at the level of serious minded journalists who turned up at the retreat and assured them that it will now become an annual event so as to create the platform for media practitioners to be interacting with government officials on governance issues.
He urged his audience to make do of the information they will be getting throughout the two-day event and ensure that they report on them accurately in their newspapers, radio stations and other outlets.
Speaking on behalf of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), the Secretary General, Asmieu Bah, thanked the Minister of Information and his Deputy for engaging journalists on the President’s Manifesto, saying they had been looking forward to having such an engagement to hear from government on its challenges and successes.
He noted that the engagement gives journalists the opportunity to report the correct information as they get them and also be armed with more information running into the new year.
In his keynote address, the Chief Minister, Professor David Francis, commended the Minister and his Deputy for organizing such a meeting with media practitioners for them to be updated on the President’s Manifesto.
He added that during his campaign, President Bio made 38 Manifesto promises that he intends to deliver on in five years, “I am happy to report here that the President has succeeded in fulfilling 28 of the 38 Manifesto promises he made,” Prof. Francis said, adding that the President had already implemented 22 non-Manifesto promises which indicate the level of commitment he attaches to delivering on his promises.
The Chief Minister seized the opportunity to catalogue the successes of the President since taking office over two years ago.
He admitted that amidst all these successes there are several challenges that government is working tooth and nail to surmount going forward.
The opening session was chaired by the astute Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Madam Mamadi Gobeh Kamara.
More details to come
