FORMER EDITOR STIRS THE HORNET’S NEST

Friday March 24, 2006

Former Editor the NEW PEOPLE  newspaper of Maryland, political activist, Sheku Kallon, has stood steadfastly by his story that  certain newspapers in Sierra Leone were in the pockets of the President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah government. Kallon , after being quizzed yesterday by COCORIOKO  about the authenticity of his story, fired back :   “It is a genuine article. You can put my name on it as the team that put it together is in Sierra Leone and are  not afraid of the consequences from governement as well as other journalists “.

Yesterday , an apparently agitated Sheku Kallon stirrred the hornet’s nest when he released what he asserted was  the result of a probe into the running of newspapers in Sierra Leone by an investigative team in Freetown. Kallon named four newspapers as  being clandestinely financed by President Kabbah’s government.

Kallon’s investigative team’s findings were published at LEONENET-UMBC  and the article soon provoked a firestorm of aggressive responses from forumites who grilled Kallon about the credibility of his assertions.  But the journalist yesterday stood behind his story.COCORIOKO  too, concerned that some of the newspapers mentioned , like AWOKO  and THE DEMOCRAT  were edited by men who have demonstrated their integrity before, challenged Kallon about the authenticity of the story , but the journalist remained unmoved,  and stating that the story was true asked this newspaper to publish the story and print his name there as he and his investigative team were not afraid of the consequences.

READ MR. KALLON’S ARTICLE

I was finally able to get this expose from my investigative team in
Sierra Leone. Enjoy.

EDITORS OF AWOKO, AWARENESS TIMES, NEW VISION,DEMOCRAT,THE NEWS,AND
UNITY NEWSPAPERS ARE IN GOVERNMENT’S POCKETS.
Report reaching me indicate that the above mentioned news papers are having direct benefits from the SLPP government coffers
Because taking into cognisance the way and manner these newspapers  report stories
The publisher of Awareness Times , Dr Slyvia Blyden , in her own case  is not benefiting from the government coffers but she is a boot-licker aspiring for some big post in the SLPP government that is why when she opened up  her paper she was lambasting the government.but later she was called upon the bag wagon of the SLPP and now she is aiming at some thing big,some say she want a minster position, infact that is the reason why she designed Presidential Lodge website for free.and most times she is in the harbit of intimidating journalists, disclosing story sources and above all a bogus human being moreover the Sierra Leone Association Of Journalists is planning to debar her of practicing.
As for democrat the publisher Pious Foray is a beneficiary from the Vice President Campaing budget, in fact Berewa owns the democrat as it is  greatly rumoured. For the publisher of the The NEWS, and UNITY Newspapers Frank Kposowa he normally received monies quarterly from the SLPP lead Government.  Kelvin Lewis of Awoko press some time after President Kabbah  restoration to power after the junta regime Pa Kabba has been sponsoring the  Awoko press but it is greatly rumour that they have fall apart.
As for  These news papers Editors actually received sponsors from the government of the SLPP. THIS HAS AFFECTED journalism in the country because these news papers are bent on praise singing only nor do they write objective thing s that will pursue the ills in soceity, which has distorted many developmental stories that will bring good to the nation in general.  this type of journalism has a great negative impact on the journalisticts practice  only few newspapers are independent  These news papers are not in the good books of some patriotic
Sierra leoneans.