THE SYMBOL OF PRESS FREEDOM!*
By Paul Kamara
03 May, 2021
Dear Friends, Colleagues!
May 3 is observed every year as International Press Freedom Day to remind us of the challenges journalists are faced with everyday in bringing the news to our doorstep. Many lives continue to be lost as ruthless and anti-democratic regimes clamp down on journalists with such brutal force, terror and death; simply bcos the journalist would like to know what’s beneath the Emperor’s clothes.
These ruthless regimes have created a culture of silence and fear inorder to perpetually keep their oppressed people in total darkness from their evil and corrupt ways. But despite it all, a defiant and courageous press continues to prove beyond doubt; that truth has the power to shed light on the darkest pits and corners of our world; and so inspite of the contrivance of these monolithic regimes, yet no corner in the world has been left untouched by these journalists who take such steadfast personal risks to bring truth to light the world.
I happen to be such a victim; and the most persecuted in the history of Salone journalism.It was at Windhoek in Namibia, that prominent journalists from the African continent (at the forefront in fighting for press freedom and democracy), and the rest of the world media, were assembled by Unesco for the promotion of a free, independent and pluralistic press in Africa; and thereby resolved to declare May 3 as International Press Freedom Day.
I was hoping to meet the Kenyan lawyer, Gitobu Nmanyara, a thorn in the flesh of the Kenyan government, but however, was to meet him during a press summit held by the EU in Brussels; where he received an award for his brave fight for freedom and justice in his home country. But I met many brave and fearless journalists including Pios Njawe of Cameroon, photo-journalist Mohamed Ali who died in a plane crash with Zambian players near Gabon and Sannah Mannah aka The Lion who was later killed by President Yayah Jammeh.
Just before that Unesco conference, it held the first journalist workshop in Freetown by Senegalese media consultant, Dr Abdul Rahman Cisse who told us that if Christ was alive today, he would’ve loved to be a journalist. This is true, since my struggles attest to the fact that regimes from Shaki in the early 80s to the present, have all put me in jail, detention, or shot during Bio’s junta during the struggle for the re-introduction of multi-party democracy in Salone; Dr Swee Chai Ang at the London Independent Hospital said it was a miracle I survived after undergoing multiple operations.
The Kabbah SLPP jailed me twice- six months and four years consecutively, before seizing all my property illegally and subsequently pauperised. Indeed, the truth that comes from God and not that of the Evil political ethos leads to persecution just as Jesus, like His disciples suffered a similar fate. The same goes for honest and fearless journalists who in early times were mercilessly flogged, drawn by carts to stretch and broke all bones, before finally hanged and quartered and their body buried in the four corners of the world.
Indeed, journalism has come a long way from letter press and typewriter in the 80s and 90s to what it is today. The quality has also improved but still lacking in content, professionalism as well as investigative reporting. Most newspapers simply plagiarize nowadays especially from social media.
Above all, journalists should desist to take sides but must be guided by the Truth which is the ethos of good journalism. My journey in taking the road not taken led me to the path of Christ and manifested in miracles and signs. It has led me and infact taught me the existence of spiritual journalism. On 13 October 2001, the Northcote Parkinson Fund whose chairman was the Soviet nobel laureate Alexander Solzhenitsyn, (who wrote The Gulag Archipelago and suffered untold persecutions under Stalinism), awarded me
The Civil Courage Award; for fighting tyranny in Sierra Leone and for steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk. Today, it is known as The John Train Foundation and whose chairman The Rt Hon. John Train whose wife’s sister, was abducted by the rebels in Kambia in 97 and where I hail from, has gone thru beautification and canonized by the Church.
Journalism has played a pivotal role as the Fourth Estate and societal watchdog, in standing up for the Truth and for enhancing excellence and professionalism in journalism; as well as in the fight for democracy, human rights and justice.
Today, those sections of the defamatory and libel laws that criminalizes free speech have been expunged. It was for these laws that I was mostly persecuted by all regimes.
Under Kabbah, For di People confronted the Judiciary, Parliament and the Executive arm which further resulted in a four year sentence, spending 13 months in solitary confinement.
Today, that great struggle is etched in the catacombs of the law as in the case of The State v Paul Kamara which is the reference case for both seditious and defamatory libel laws in both Salone and the entire Commonwealth; just as the press led the democratic struggle in 96 and the civil disobedience movement against the AFRC-RUF in 97.
It was at this time in solitary confinement that martyr Harry Yansaneh was murdered by the govt in whose lasting memory this sacred hall is named: The Harry Yansaneh Hall. May we now observe a minute silence on his behalf and all those journalists and writers who have paid the heavy price in the course of duty.
While in solitary confinement, I had a vision for the second time in which Christ told me that it was for the same reason that He was persecuted and killed but that He is the Way, Truth and the Life. No wonder Dr Cisse did say so! I have found Jesus Christ! He is alive and is a Living God!So as SLAJ observes this great Freedom Day, let us remember and adhere to our sacred responsibility by telling truth to power; for only the Truth shall conquer Evil and falsehood and set us free! SLAJ used to be a member of both the socialist-oriented International Organisation of Journalists IOJ and it’s western counterpart The International Federation of Journalists IFJ.
As SLAJ secretary general, I attended the last IOJ Congress in Sofia, Bulgaria and an opportunity to visit several states under the USSR of premier Andropov. It was before the summit that we observed the sudden death of Nigerian journalist, Dele Giwa by a parcel bomb and fingers were pointed at President Babangida.
I was there with veteran Gambia journalist, Deyda Hydara also killed by Jammeh as he did to Sannah Mannah the Lion. It is the same period that Zongo was killed in Burkina Faso and thus the Giwa-Zongo Magazine in their memory. But the journalist can also be a catalyst for peace for example our role in bringing peace to Salone when we linked the RUF to both Unamsil and the Commonwealth Office in London.
Also bringing peace to the APC party to end the four year feud in 2007. In Sierra Leone, despite the libel laws are seemingly now in the back burner, yet the cyber laws hangs like the sword of Damocles on the heads of journalists. What you give with one hand, you take with the other. But I believe the press should continue to plod on until we get there. In closing, let me pay my respect to those who have led and contributed to what SLAJ is today and especially For di People newspaper for producing four sec-gens- Paul Mandela Kamara, Richie Olu Gordon, Moses Kargbo and De Monk; including two presidents-Kelvin Lewis and now De Monk.
Congratulations!
Aluta Continua! God bless!
