By Sheriff Cole
Outraged with concern by the systemic pattern of sackings and resignations at Sierra Leone’s only national broadcaster, Sierra Leone Broadcasting Cooperation (SLBC), House’s main opposition leader had called for an immediate investigation.
Honourable Chernoh Ramadan Maju Bah said it is ‘‘alarming that a national broadcaster being the hub for the voices of Sierra Leoneans across the country, is on the news recently for the wrong reasons, commenting on claims that certain workers are laid-off while others have been forced to resign, in their own volitions.
He said this development, more so for committed workers at the SLBC for ages, should be looked into, in that, it is still unclear why the unfortunate development is happening when the country is in serious need of its national broadcaster.
Hon. Bah, while addressing a number of journalists in Freetown said, while it is too early to draw conclusions on the allegations being put forward by affected media professionals, he expressed grave concern over what he described as “systemic pattern of sackings and resignation’’, saying it is very worrisome, to the point that he is compelled to call for an immediate investigation into the issue.
The opposition leader said his concern is drawn from the fact that the SLBC is being supported by government and that such legacies of the state should be jealously protected.
esHe said that SLBC’s transformation as a national broadcaster in June 2010 was deliberate, noting this was an effort to empower the citizenry to have a voice the affairs of the state. This he added, will go a long way to promote good governance and democracy in the country, which he believed, is a novelty for the burgeoning democracy of the State.Claudius Beckley, who worked as a cameraman at the SLBC for over a decade was recently sacked because of a social media post in his Facebook timeline.Official correspondence SLBC says Claudius Beckley’s comic postings in local language Krio on his personal Facebook timeline had brought the national broadcaster into disrepute.The SLBC HR department didn’t state how Claudius Beckley violated any code of the SLBC.A few days ago, three female journalists have resigned at SLBC.Alice Mariama Thomson, Ann-Marie Gegbai and Doreen Barrie told this writer that their resignation is as a result of an experience at the SLBC, which they say amounts to “constructive dismissal” in labour law.The popular TV anchors said it is sad for them to quit a job they had put a lot into, but said nobody will be able to work in a hostile environment.Concerns are being raised looking at the number of women practising journalism in the country and clarion call for more women to occupy strategic positions of responsibilities in every spheres of the society.A popular female journalist, Rose Konima Stevens, was also earlier forced to resigned, a source confirmed.Director-General of SLBC, Joseph Kapuwa had described comments from the public in relations to this development as an attack.He posted on SLAJ forum that he has been inundated with questions from colleagues over the development at the SLBC, but maintained he has the energy to survive the attacks.A source at the SLBC confirmed to this writer that more media personnel will soon resign from the broadcaster should the status quo of intimidation, harassment and politicization of SLBC continues.It is being so because, the source alleged, this act is perfectly implemented by the leadership of the DG and his deputy in consort with the SLBC board.It is sad and this abuse of office cannot be forgotten in a hurry in the history of the SLBC, the source concluded.
