AWE Media Sierra Leone

By: Ibrahim Jalloh (Jallomy) Like in most chiefdoms with an awakened citizenry, the local governance transitional moment (chieftaincy elections) in Sanda Tendaren Chiefdom has triggered endless debate and massive show of interest in a transition process that is yet to unfold.  As democrats and Political protagonists calling for urgent and compelling reforms in the institution of paramount chieftaincy, we welcome the debate and massive interest shown in the process. This is indicative of growth in democracy and citizens participation in the governance process of the state at the local level Paramount chieftaincy was a colonial creation for the expressed purpose of administrative oversight and convenience. The Colonial masters judged that a permanent grip on the predatory provincial people, especially those revolutionary elements, can be achieved by creating a dictatorial suprintending structure labelled paramount chieftaincy. From inception, paramount chieftaincy was designed to be a co...

By: Ibrahim Jalloh (Jallomy) Like in most chiefdoms with an awakened citizenry, the local governance transitional moment (chieftaincy elections) in Sanda Tendaren Chiefdom has triggered endless debate and massive show of interest in a transition process that is yet to unfold.  As democrats and Political protagonists calling for urgent and compelling reforms in the institution of paramount chieftaincy, we welcome the debate and massive interest shown in the process. This is indicative of growth in democracy and citizens participation in the governance process of the state at the local level Paramount chieftaincy was a colonial creation for the expressed purpose of administrative oversight and convenience. The Colonial masters judged that a permanent grip on the predatory provincial people, especially those revolutionary elements, can be achieved by creating a dictatorial suprintending structure labelled paramount chieftaincy. From inception, paramount chieftaincy was designed to be a co...

By: Ibrahim Jalloh (Jallomy) akempi@yahoo.com Yenya is a patch of land on the eastern fringes of Sierra Leone in the historic district of Kailahun. The district of Kailahun poignantly shares boundary lines with the neighbouring republics of Guinea and Liberia.  These are two countries that have long standing diplomatic ties with Sierra Leone. Particularly Guinea, history has cemented a perfect bond, anthropological connect and an undisputable sociological mix with the country and people of Sierra Leone. Inter marriages, trade links and political maneuverings have characterized the compact and relational identity of the two sister republics. Yenga is a border community between Sierra Leone and Guinea but geographically Yenga falls in the map of Sierra Leone and as such an integral part of the sovereign territorial space of Sierra Leone, an independent country, a member of the ECOWAS, African Union and an effective player in the Mano River Basin. The sovereign right of Sierra Leone over ...

By; Amadu Wurie Timbo Youth Activist, Researcher and Multimedia Journalist working with Northern Times Newspaper has bagged a prestigious gold customized Award as the Best Print Sport Journalist of the year 2020, setting the new record of being the first ever Provincial Nominee in the sports category to win the award which is annually organized by the National Entertainment Award in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and other partners. The young, result oriented and promising Journalist was nominated alongside experienced Sports Journalists: Alpha Barrie Alpha, Alie Bittar, Bernard Turay, Sahr Morris Jr. and Bockarie Alieu in the Best Print Sports Journalist category of the 4th edition of the National Entertainment Award. Rehme’s nomination was well embraced and supported by his colleagues in the media, fans and followers within and across Sierra Leone who widely shared his nomination flyer in multiple social media platforms, no wonder he won the title...

Statement by President of SLAJ, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, as Distinguished Guest Speaker at the Inauguration Ceremony of St. Augustine Old Students Association (SAOSA) in Lungi Date: Saturday, 23rd January, 2021 Time: 2pm Venue: St. Augustine Secondary School compound, Lungi. Good afternoon everyone, I am honoured and excited to be here with you as your Guest Speaker for the induction of St. Augustine Old Students Association new executive members. It is wonderful to see a mix of many ex-students of the school, current students, teachers, principals and parents gathered at this important event and I want to commend the pioneers for a wonderful work in putting this together. Ladies and Gentlemen, life is a journey. It starts from birth and ends with death. In between that period, we go through many phases and acquire skills and experiences. The road is never smooth; it is always by the grace of God that we find ourselves where we are. Today you see me as the President of SLAJ, but I did not...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson War wounded and amputees in Northern Sierra Leone have beseeched government, civil society organizations and Journalists to up their game in addressing the imperative recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) regarding victims of war as successive governments have not adequately fulfilled most of the recommendations. Highlights of the repatriation proposal include skills training, micro credits, health, education, community reparations, symbolic representation plus provision of pensions to victims that were badly affected by the country’s civil unrest.  With support from Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) through the Media Reform Coordinating Group Sierra Leone (MRCG-SL) in assessing whether some of the imperative recommendations of the TRC regarding amputees and war wounded have been adhered to or not and for war victims of the civil unrest to disclose what has kept them going over the years.  As specified in Paragraph 492 o...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson In every community all over Sierra Leone, there is a number of youths occupying isolated areas serving as their dwelling, a hub to socialize and a point to reconnect with peers. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Report points out that many of the dire conditions that gave rise to the conflict in 1991 still remain. As in the late 1980s, many young adults continue to occupy urban ghettoes where they languish in a twilight zone of unemployment and despair, the report states.  The Media Reform Coordinating Group – Sierra Leone (MRCG-SL) with support from the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) sounded voices of youths in hideouts (ghettos) in some parts of the north to unravel some of the greatest challenges that they face. Alimamy Fornah operates a local bar for palm-wine at Sowulia village near Binkolo town in Bombali district which he said he inherited from his late father who was killed during the civil war in Sierra Leone.  “I grew up i...

‘Let us be selfish for once’ Dear Colleagues, Happy New Year 2021 to all of you. The year 2020 has been a difficult one for our country, as with the rest of the world. Every sector was affected, including the media. We struggled, but in the thick of this COVID-19 crisis we demonstrated our usual resilience and we were able to record some remarkable achievements. Thanks to Mercury International, Africell and Orange who still continue to support majority of the media through regular advertising. COVID-19 RESPONSE Like with the Ebola outbreak in 2014, we were proactive in supporting the Government of Sierra Leone in the fight against the virus. Even before we recorded the index COVID-19 case we swiftly formed the SLAJ Corona Virus Response Committee to coordinate our response and to interface with both the ministries of Information and Communications, and Health and Sanitation. During the three days lockdown in April 2020 (and in May) we coordinated a national radio simulcast program to b...