Every institution or organization that is worth its salt needs to be known by the public at large, which is why Public Relations Officers or Public Affairs Officers are employed. It is in the manner and effectiveness that governments carry out their publicity that determines their continuance or cessation from office.
To this end the governments of Sierra Leone, like all others, have departments of information tasked with outlining and explaining its policies to the public.
Before the advent of the past APC government this function had been going on in a non-partisan way. APC II politicized government information in such a way that they even funded texters in various radio stations all over the country all in a bid to win the past elections.
Not satisfied with the performance of their Information Ministry, they employed a number of spokesmen in various ministries in addition to a presidential spokesman, a government spokesman and a Deputy Minister of Information.
These were performing overlapping functions to the consternation of the Public.Brima Turay of the Ministry of Education and one Abubakar Daramy of the Ministry of Agriculture were roped in.
The matter of communications teams at the Presidency should be discouraged when there is a Ministry of Information and Communications. A NEW DIRECTION should not necessarily follow the OLD DIRECTION.
DR SAMURA KAMARA
Dr Samura Kamara came in from the blue purportedly for the Presidency of this country. The popular slogan concerning him was “U sabi am?’’ And the vast majority of voters ‘’nor sabi am ‘’ as demonstrated during the elections.
It was reported that a publicity firm in Nigeria was paid thousands of dollars to market him. This shows that the zest of the APC for publicity is unlimited. They fell short of hiring the services of Reuters.
LAHAI LAWRENCE LEEMA
There can scarcely be the mention of Retired Lieutenant Lahai Lawrence Leema without some controversy being attached to it. How death has cheated the SLPP of the late Musa Tamba Sam who should have been around at this time of the party’s victory to enjoy the fruits of his labour! He was fit for purpose without the controversies attached to his successor.
In the first place one wonders why a young man like Leema should have retired at such an early age from such a disciplined force like the Army. Did he behave well in that institution? How about his legal career again? He has virtually become a rolling stone and he is gathering no moss.
At the SLBC he caused such a furor that he has been proscribed from participating in their programs. This is why throughout the campaign and the last elections his voice was not heard on that station. That was all because of disorderly behavior and other charges as reported by the SLBC.
He recently reported that there was a plot of assassination of SLPP members that has not been substantiated. His latest spanner in the works is his facilitation of an announcement from the Office of the Vice President which confounded the confusion that already existed.Oh Leema! “Monkey nor ba lef im black han.”Will some other function be found for him at the party Secretariat other than Party Publicity Secretary?
No sentiments.