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MRCG CHAIRMAN's SPEECH ON JULY 13, 2020

MEDIA REFORM COORDINATING GROUP (MRCG) CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT AT THE PRE-LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON THE PUBLIC ORDER (AMENDMENT) ACT 2020 AND THE INDEPENDENT MEDIA COMMISSION ACT 2020 AT THE COMMITTEE ROOM IN PARLIAMENT ON MONDAY 13TH JULY 2020

Photo of MRCG CHAIRMAN Dr. Francis Sowa

Mr. Chairman, Honourable Members, Hon Minister, President of SLAJ, all protocols observed.

Mr. Chairman, for 55 years, a giant has stood on top of the media fraternity and industry. It may be like Goliath in the Bible, or in more recent times, it can be linked to the Police Officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck for about 8 minutes. Floyd called for help, but got none.

Mr. Chairman and Hon. Members, we in the media are calling for help like Floyd. Our eight minutes have started long ago. We may be in our final minute. The media industry like Floyd, is shouting “it can’t breathe.”

Unlike Floyd, we at the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG), comprising 10 national media organisations, are optimistic that our call is being heeded. We are confident that we will breathe.

We take note of Cabinet’s approval to repeal the 55 year old legislation in Part 5 of the Public Order Act No. 46 of 1965. We also note that today’s Pre-Legislative hearing is another step towards the repeal process. We are almost there, we believe.

Mr. Chairman and Hon. Members, we are not in any way calling for “power without responsibility.” This is seen in many moves the MRCG has made to popularise the Civil Libel provisions in the Civil Defamation Ordinance of 1961, the support to the review of the Independent Media Commission (IMC Act) and Media Code of Practice and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) Code of Ethics and the Disciplinary Committee.

This is definitely a process. We are just from the regions for consultations on the draft bills. We will continue to work with partners to secure and provide the necessary capacity building for the media in the post-repeal era. We will be bold to call out our colleagues who may cross the line. We will do our best to promote a Free and Responsible Media.

Like I said in one of the articles, let’s do this repeal – for God and Country. Our next door neighbour, Liberia has done so, even where they do not have a regulatory body like IMC, which we have.

History will always be kind to this 3rd Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Republic of Sierra Leone if it repealed this Bill and passed progressive media legislation. You would have saved the media in the final minute of the about eight minutes journey to death. Let our media breathe.

Thanks for your attention.

For more information, contact the MRCG on: mrcgonline@gmail.com
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