By Ralph Sesay
The new Director General of the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation, Mr. Simon Joseph Kapuwa has outlined key areas his new administration would tackle as he takes up office.
The priority areas for redress according to the new DG are personnel and staffing, provision of logistics and an assortment of needed equipment to help the corporation function well.
Mr. Kapuwa underscored the point that staffing at the SLBC should be properly reviewed to ensure that personnel are streamlined according to their capabilities, experience and qualifications.
He disclosed that some personnel of the Corporation have the required qualification but would not perform when they are given task to do, while those who are not very highly educated can perform duties very efficiently whenever they are tasked.
All of these issues, Mr. Kapuwa stated, should be thoroughly looked at for the effective operation of the SLBC as a national broadcaster.
On the provision of equipment to service the Corporation, the new DG called on the government and other well meaning institutions to help the Corporation with logistical support to be able to do their work professionally.
Simeon Kapuwa noted that the SLBC by its creation is supposed to get government subvention if it should deliver efficiently.
‘’This is largely because as a Public Service Broadcaster we are always involved in covering the functions of State institutions, and we have very limited time to make money to meet the needs of the Corporation..”
He added that he is glad that the government has made a solid commitment to rebranding the SLBC, expressing hope that this commitment would be fulfilled.
The new DG concluded by dispelling rumours that the SLBC has been very partisan in the discharge of their duties, noting that the corporation henceforth would be disabusing the minds of the citizenry to understand that covering state functions should not be necessarily misconstrued as favoring the ruling party.
He promised to position the relevant sections of the Corporation to be able to rebrand the institution and better disseminate messages to members of the public in dispelling misconception.