“As we begin the new year let us re-commit ourselves to practice professionally, above all, jealously guard the integrity of our association” – SLAJ President

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson

President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists-(SLAJ) Ahmed Sahid Nasralla in his New Year message said Journalists must ensure to keep up to holding the banners of best practices in the journalism profession higher than ever before. 

The SLAJ Boss noted a number of progresses the Association has made in the year 2021 as well as unveiled the series of activities line-up in the New Year-2022.

Among the Association’s key proud achievements made in 2021 he says include, the World Press Index 2021 that ranked Sierra Leone at 75 out of 180 countries following the  historic repeal of the criminal and seditious libel laws in 2020, the successful implementation of 17 of the 24 activities for SLAJ’s 50th Anniversary of existence Golden Jubilee celebration, the expansion of the Disciplinary Committee with the training of thirty-two(32) Media together with the establishment of a Media Defense Committee comprising of ten members and recently the  nationwide induction of new members of SLAJ. 

“I thank God, and every one of you for your support and cooperation during this important period in our Association's proud history, said the SLAJ President who believe the media is Sierra Leone still face the perennial problem of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) assaulting journalists in the line of duty which he is looking forward to come to halt noting that: 

“There is also the perennial problem of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) assaulting journalists in the line of duty. But the good thing is that the leadership of the SLP is also concerned about this problem and we are working together to address it. 

Though we know things will not change overnight, we still believe in the spirit of the MoU we signed with the Security sector, and we will continue to work and collaborate to fulfill the commitments we have both made to ensure the safety and security of journalists at all times on the one hand and to support the SLP to perform their security function in a professional manner on the other. 

Disclosed among others that “in late January and early February 2022 the SLP, in collaboration with SLAJ, will hold two training workshops in that regard: one for journalists reporting crime, the other for LUCs, Operation Commanders, Editors, and Station Managers. 

We look forward to the development of operational manuals or guide books for both the SLP and the media as the outcomes of the training. President Nasralla also noted that “a couple of important Golden Jubilee activities are still outstanding due to financial and organizational challenges, and the Executive has decided to carry them over to the New Year 2022. 

Key of the activities unveiled includes the delayed 2021-Golden Jubilee Media Awards, the Golden Jubilee Christian and Muslim Thanksgiving Services and the SLAJ Golden Jubilee Journalism Welfare Fund which will be held this year, the SLAJ Boss assured. 

Notably also, underway for the elite Association is the Media Investment Conference which according to SLAJ is under review to be held in February in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Communications exactly three month to the June 2022 Elective Triennial Conference which has been scheduled to hold in Makeni, Bombali District in the northern region no surprise that the SLAJ President has called on his Colleagues to re-commit themselves to practice professionally, to serve the public good at all times, to behave responsibly, and, above all, jealously guard the integrity of our association.